The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-03-07
CHAPTER XII.

When Henry Maxwell began " speak
20 ehe souls crowded into the settlement
hall that night. 10 Is doubtful IL he had
vvsr before faced such an audience in
ks life II is quito certain that the
city Of Raymond did not contain such
a'vsriety Of humanity Not even the
8sctangle at its worst could furnish so
Dany msu and women who had fallen
entirely out Of the reach Of the church
ond all religious and even Christian in
1noocea
What did he talk ab6utf He had al.
rssdy decided that point He told in
the simplest language he could com
06nd some Of the results Of obedience
10 the pledge as IL had been taken in
Naymond Every man and woman in
9Aat audience knew something about
0osus Christ They AL had some idea of
NJ character. ard. however much they
oad grown bitter toward the forms of
C4f1stian ecclesiasticism or the social
oystem. they preserved some standard
q right and truth. and what little some
e them still retained was taken from
ths person Of the peasant Of Galilee. I
So they were interested in what Max,
well said "What would Jesus DOR He
bsgsn to apply the question to the social
yeoblem in general after finishing the
seory Of Raymond The audience was
esspectfully attentive 1t was more than
hat II was genuinely interested As
4r. Maxwell went on faces all over the
sAAll leaned forward in way very sell
dom seen In church audiences or any
where else. except among workingmen
- the people Of the street when once
tAey are thoroughly aroused what
would Jesus dof" Suppose that were
tAs motto not only Of the churches. but
81 the business men. the politicians. the
newspapers. the workingmen. the So
,ciety people How long would 1t take.
under such Q standard Of conduct, to
reyolutionixe the worldt What was the
trouble with the world, II was suffer.
ing from sel6shnesa No one ever lived
whoShad succeeded In overcoming self
ishness like Jesua II men followed him.
regardless Of results. the world would
- once begin TO enjoy u new life
Henry Maxwell never knew how
,mdch u meant 20 hold the respectful
attention Of that hall full OF diseased
'aDd sinful humanity The bishop and
De Bruce, sitting there looking on.
sesing many faces that represented scorn
q creeds. hatred Of the social order,
desperate narrowness and sel6shness.
uarveled that even so socn, under the
tnduence Of the settlement life, tae'
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-
ccptiJn os the pent, mp feeling in that
room that night Among the men who
had heard Of the meeting and had re-
sponded TO the imitation were 90 or 30
0ut OF work. who had strolled past the
settlement that afternoon. read the no.
t6ce OF the meeting and had come in
out OF curiosity and TO escape the chill
east wind Ii was y bitter night. and
the saloons were fsiil. but in that whole
district Of over 80, 900 soris. with the
exception of the saloons. there was not
. door open To the people except the
clean. pure. Christian door of the settle
ment Where would man without a
nome or without work or without
friends naturally 20 unless to saloon?
It 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
eat down the bishop. who presided 10.
night. rose and made the announcement
that any man in the hall was at liberty
tn ask questions, to speak ont his feel.
fngs or declare his convictions. always
with the understanding that whoever
took part was &c observe the simple
rules that governed parliamentary bod
les and obey the three minute rule.
which by copmCn consent. would be
enforced on account of the numbers
present
Instantly u number of voices from
men who had been at previous meetings
of this kind exclaimed. Consent con.
sentr'
. The bishop sat down. and immediate.
~ man near the middle of the hall
pose and began to speak
81 want TO say that what Mr.. Max.
well has said tonight comes pretty close
20 me- knew Jack Manning. the fel.
low he told about. who died at his
house l worked on next case to his in
. printers shop in Philadelphia for two
years Jack was good fellow He lent
me t5'once when I was in q hole, and
never got a chance to pay it back He
proved 20 New York. owing to change
the management Of the Office that
Pw him out. and never saw him
IN. When the linotype machine
I'm. was one Of the men to go
ust as he did nave been out
OF the time since. They say in
|ps are n good thing. won't al.