Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1900-02-05
BY Charles M. Sheldon.


It had once been used by the company
for a storeroom.
''Since making that promise week
ago | have had good many things to
think of, said the superintendent,
and among them is this: Our COM
pany gives me the use of this room, and
am going to fit it up with tables and
coffee plant in the corner there where
M those steam pipes are. My plan is to
provide a good place where the men
can come up and eat their noon lunch
and give them, two or three times a
week, the privilege of a Is minutes
talk on some subject that will be real
help to them in their lives. .
Maxwell looked surprised and asked
if the men would come for any such
purpose.
Eyes. they'll come After all, know
the men pretty we'll They are among
the most intelligent workingmen in the
country today. but they are, az a whole,
entirely removed from all church infiu
ence- / asked, What would Jesus dop
and among other things, it seemed to
me he would begin to act in some way
TO add to the lives of these men more
physical and spiritual comfort. 1t is
very little thing, this room and what it
Represents, but I acted on the first i'm
pulse to do the first thing that appealed
to my good sense, and / want to work
out this idea l want you to speak to
the men when they come up at noon.
have asked them to come up and see
the place and III tell them something
about it. >
Henry Maxwell was ashamed to say
how uneasy he felt at being asked to
speak a few words to a company of
workingmen. How could he speak with
put notes or to such a crowd? He was
honestly in a condition of genuine
Fright over the prospect. He actually
felt afraid of facing these men. He
Bhrank from the ordeal of confronting
such a crowd. SO different from the
Sunday audiences he was familiar with.
There were half dozen long rude
tables and benches in the great room,
and when the noon whistle sounded the
men poured up stairs from the machine
shop below and. seating themselves at
he tables. began to eat their lunch
There were perhaps 800 of them. They
had read the superintendent notice,
which he had posted up in various
places, and came largely out of curl
bsity.
They were favorably impressed. The
oom was large and airy, free from
moke and dust and well warmed from
he steam pipes
About 20 minutes of 1 Alexander
Powers told the men what he had in
mind. He spoke very simply, like one
Who understands thoroughly the char
cter of his audience, and then intro
uced the Isev. Henry Maxwell of the
First church, his pastor, who had con-
ented to speak few minutes.
Henry Maxwell will never forget the
ceilings with which for the first time
confronted that grimy faced audi
nee of workingmen. Like hundreds of
ther ministers, he had never spoken to
ny gathering except those made up of
eople of his own class in the sense that
hey were familiar in their dress and
ducation and habits to him. This was
new world to him, and nothing but
is new rule of conduct could have
lade possible his message and its effect
lie spoke on the subject of satisfaction
it'll life, what caused it, what its real
burces were. He had the great good
Fnse on this first appearance not to rec
gniZe the men as class distinct from
imself He did not use the term
workingmen" and did not say a word
suggest any difference between their
YES and his own.
The men were pleased. A good many
them shook hands with him before
ping down to their work, and Henry
axwell, telling it all to his wife when
reached home, said that never in all
is life had he known the delight he
hen felt in having a handshake from
an of physical labor. The day marked
important one in his Christian ex-
erience, more important than he knew
was the beginning of fellowship be-
yeen him and the working world. It
as the first plank laid down to help
idge the chasm between the church
ID labor in Raymond.
Alexander Powers went back to his
SIX that afternoon much pleased with
plan and seeing much help in it for
e men. He knew where he could get
me good tables from an abandoned
ting house at one of the stations down
road, and he saw how the coffee ar
ngement could be made a very at
active feature The men had respond
even better than he anticipated, and
whole thing could not help being
eat benefit to them.
He took up the routine of his work
th glow of satisfaction. After all,
wanted to do as Jesus would, he said
himself.
1t was nearly 4 o'clock when he
Fned one of the company long envel-
Is which he supposed contained or
IS for the purchasing of stores. He