The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1900-03-16

Philip Strong, with smile and sigh,
took up his pen and wrote replies to
the calls he had received, refusing the
call to Elmdale and accepting the one
to Milton And so the strange story of
a great hearted man really began.
When he had finished writing these
two letters, lie wrote another, which
throws so much light on his character
and his purpose in going to Milton that
we will insert that in this story as be-
ing necessary to its full understanding.
This is the letter:
My Dear Alfred-Two years ago, when we left
the seminary, you remember we promised each
other in case either of US left his present parish
he would let the other know at once. did not
suppose when l came that should leave so soon,
but l have Just written a letter which means the
beginning of a life to The Calvary
church in Milton has given me a call, and l have
accepted it. Two months ago my church here
practically went out of existence through a union
with the other church on the street. The history
of that movement is too long for me to relate
here, but since it took place have been preach
ing as a supply, pending the final settlement of
affairs, and so l at liberty to accept cali
elsewhere. | must confess the call from Milton
was a surprise to me. l have never been there
(you know l do not believe in candidating for
place., and so suppose their church committee
came up here to listen to me. Two years ago
nothing would have induced me to go to Milton.
Today it perfectly clear that the Lord says
to me, Co. You know my natural inclination
is toward a quiet, scholarly pastorate. Well,
Milton is, you know, a noisy dirty, manufac-
turning town, full of workingmen, cursed with
saloons and black with coal smoke and unwashed
humanity The church is quite strong in member
ship. The Year Book gives it 500 members last
year, and it is composed almost entirely of the
leading families in the place. What l can do in
such church remains to be seen. My prede-
cessor there DR.. Brown, profound sermon
izer and generally liked, l believe He was a
man of the old school and made no attempt,
understand, to bring the church into contact with
the masses You will say that such church is
poor place in which to attempt different work.
| do not necessarily think so. The church of
Christ is in itself, believe, powerful engine to
set in motion against all evil. have great faith
in the membership of almost any church in this
country to accomplish wonderful things for hu-
manity, and l am going to Milton with that
faith very strong in l feel as if a very great
work could be done there. Think OF it, Alfredl
A town of $4,000 workingmen, half of them for
eigners town with more than 60 saloons in full
blast, town with seven churches of many differ
ent denominations all situated street and
that street the most fashionable in the place, a
town where the police records show amount Of
| crime and depravity almost unparalleled in mu
nicpal annas-surely such a place presents an
opportunity for the true church of Christ to do
| some splendid work. l hope do not overestimate
the needs of the place. l have known the general
condition of things in Milton since you and
l did summer work in the neighboring town
of Clifton. If ever there was missionary ground
in America, it is there. l cannot understand just
why the call to me to go to place and
| take up work that in many ways is distasteful
| to me. In one sense shrink from it with SEN
sitiveness which no one except my wife and you
could understand. You know what almost
ridiculous of sensibility l have 1t seems
sometimes impossible for me to do the work that
| the active ministry of this age demands of a
mar Mt almost kills to know that criti-
cised for all that l say and do. And yet l know
that the ministry will always be the target for
criticism. l have an almost morbid shrinking
| from the thought that people do not like me,
| that am not loved by everybody, and yet I
| know that if | speak the truth in my preaching
| and speak it without regard to consequences some
| one is sure to become offended and in the end
| dislike l think God never made a man with
so intense a craving for the love of his fellow
| men as l possess and yet conscious that !
| cannot make myself understood by very many
people. They will always say, "How cold and un-
| approachable he is'' when in reality love them
| with yearnings of heart. Now, then, am going
| to Milton with all this complex thought of my
| self, and yet, dear chum, there is not the least
| doubt after all that 1 ought to go. 1 hope that
in the rush of the work there 1 shall be able to
| forget myself, and then the work will stand out
| prominent as it ought. With all my doubts OF
| myself l never question the wisdom of entering
| the ministry. l have very positive assurance as
| work that am doing what ought to do. AnG
| what can a man ask more2 / not dissatisfied
| with the ministry, only with my own action with
| in it. 1t is the noblest of all professions. fee
| proud of it every day. Only it is great that il
| makes man feel small when he steps inside
| Well, my wife is calling me down to tea Lei
me know what you do. We shall move to Milto1
| next week, probably; so, if you write, direct
there. As ever, your old chum,
| PHILIP STRONG.
1t was characteristic of Philip that
in this letter he said nothing about his
call to Elmdale and did not tell his col
lege chum what salary was offered hin
by the church at Milton. AS matter
of fact, he really forgot all about every
thing, except the one important even
of his decision to go to Milton. He re
garded it, and rightly SO, as the mos
serious step of his life, and while hi
had apparently decided the matter yer.
quickly it was, in reality, the result O.
a deep conviction that he ought to go
He was in the habit of making his de
cisions rapidly. This habit sometime.
led him into embarrassing mistakes
and once in a great while resulted il
humiliating reversals of opinion, 81
that people who did not know hin
thought he was tickle and changeable
In the present case Philip acted will
his customary quickness and knew
very well that his action was unalter
able.