St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1900-01-10

Rectangle at its worst could furnish S
) many men and women who had fallel
} entirely out of the reach of the churcl
: and all religious and even Christian in
fuences.
What did he talk about? He had al
ready decided that point. He told il
the simplest language he could com
mand some of the results of obedience
to the pledge as it had been taken il
Raymond. Every man and woman in
that audience knew something about
Jesus Christ. They all had some idea OF
his character, and, however much they
had grown bitter toward the forms of
Christian ecclesiasticism or the social
system, they preserved some standard
of right and truth and what little some
OF them still retained was taken from
the person of the peasant of Galilee
So they were interested in what Max
well said. what would Jesus do?" He
began to apply the question to the social
problem in general after finishing the
story of Raymond The audience was
that. 1t was genuinely interested. AS
Mr.. Maxwell went on faces all over the
hall leaned forward in way very sell
dom seen in church audiences or any
where else, except among workingmen
or the people of the street when once
they are thoroughly aroused. "What
would Jesus DOR Suppose that were
the motto not only of the churches, but
Ct the business men, the politicians, the
newspapers, the workingmen, the So
ciety people. How long would it take
under such a standard of conduct, to
revolutionize the world? What was the
trouble with the world? 1t was suffer
ing from selfishness. No one ever lived
who had succeeded in overcoming self
ishness like Jesus. If men followed him, |
regardless of results the world would |
at once begin to enjoy new life.
Henry Maxwell never knew how
much it meant to hold the respectful
attention of that hall full of diseased
and sinful humanity. The bishop and
DR. Bruce, sitting there. looking on,
seeing many faces That represented scorn
of creeds, hatred of the social order,
desperate narrowness and selishness, .
marveled that even so soCn, under the
influence of the settlement life, the
softening process had begun to lessen
the bitterness of hearts, many of which
had grown bitter from neglect and in
difference
And still, in spite of the outward
show of respect Of the speaker, no one,
not even the bishop, had any true con-
ception of the pent up feeling in that
room that night Among the men who
had heard of the meeting and had re-
sponded to the invitation were 20 or 80
out of work, who had strolled past the
settlement that afternoon, read the no.
tice of the meeting and had come in
out of curiosity and to escape the chill
east wind. 1t was a bitter night, and
the saloons were full, but in that whole
district of over 80, 600 souls, with the
exception of the saloons, there was not
a door open to the people except the
clean, pure, Christian door of the settle
ment Where would man without
home or without work or without
friends naturally go unless to a saloon?
1t had been the custom at the settle
ment for free and open discussion to
follow an open meeting of this kind,
and when Henry Maxwell finished and
sat down the bishop, who presided to-
night rose and made the announcement
that any man in the hall was at liberty
TO ask questions, to speak out his feel
ngs or declare his convictions, always
with the understanding that whoever
took part was tC observe the simple
Jules that governed parliamentary bod
les and obey the three minute rule,
which, by common consent, would be
on account of the numbers ,
present.
Instantly % number of voices from
men who had been at previous meetings
If this kind exclaimed, Consent, con
ent
The bishop sat down, and Immediate
y a man near the middle of the hall
ose and began to speak.
81 want to say that what Mr.. Max
we'll has said tonight comes pretty close
o me. knew Jack Manning, the fell
oW he told about, who died at his
lonse | worked on next case to his in {
printer S shopin Philadelphia for two {
ears. Jack was a good fellow. He lent {
ne S. once when | was in hole, and ]
never got a chance to pay it back. He
moved to New York owing to a change {
n the management of the office that
brew him out and | never saw him s
gain. When the linotype machine /
anne III, | was one of the men to go
nut, just as he did. | have been out S
most of the time since. They say in |
'entlons are good thing. | won't al I
ways see it myself, but suppose I'm Y
'reJudiced. A man naturally is when
lie loses a steady job because a machine S
axes his place. About this Christianity 1
lie tells about it's all right but | never
Xpect to see any such sacrifice on the I
'art OF church people. So far as my OBJ q
ervation goes they're just as selfish
nd as greedy for money or worldly g
uccess as anybody. except the bishop t
md DR.. Bruce and a few others, but | t
lever found much difference between t
men of the world, as they re called, and Q
hurch members when it came to bust t
less and money making. One class is
Just as bad as another there " v
Cries of "That's sol' You re right t
tOf rOurGnt'' -, +oyr,,,,+ II a.,