Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-01-20

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And you said that Christ would not
approve Of people spending money for
flowers. food and dress on those who
did not need Il when Il could more wise
| ~ be expended for the benefit OF those
who were In want
yes Those were not my exact
words. but that was my idea
Your idea. Just 80 And yet we
have had here Ia this little lunch, or,
as you called a. A bite OF something,
three different kinds Of meat, two kinds
OF bread, dollhouse grapes and the rich-
est kind Of milk"
The man said all this in the quietest,
calmest manner possible, and Philip
stared at him, more assured than ever
that he was a little crazy Mrs, Strong
looked amused and said, You seemed
70 ENJOY the lunch pretty well.' The
man had eaten with a zest that was
redeemed from greedlness only By a
delicacy Of manner that no tramp ever
possessed
MY dear madam" said the man,
perhaps this was ease where the
food was given to one who stood really
In need Of It,"
Philip stirred as II he had suddenly
caught meaning from the mans
words which he had not before heard
In them.
''Do you think It was an extrayagant
lunch then?' he asked, with a very
slight laugh.
The man looked straight at Philip
and replied slowly. Yes, for the times
In which we live"
a sudden silence fell on the group OF
three in the parlor Of the parsonage
lighted up by the soft glow Of the coal
fire. No one except person thorough
ly familiar with the real character OF
Philip Strong could have told why that
silence fell on him instead Of careless
laugh at the crazy remark Of half
witted stranger tramp Just how long
the silence lasted he did not know
only, when II was broken, he found
himself saying;
MAN. who are youg Where are you
from? And what Is your manner"
His guest turned his head little and
replied: when you called me In here,
you stretched out your hand and called
me brother Just now you called me
by the great term, man These are
my names. You may call me Brother
Man"
We'll, then Brother man." said
Philip, smiling a little TO think OF the
very strangeness OF the whole AFFAIR,
your reason for thinking | was not
sincere In my sermon this morning was
because OF the extrayagant lunch this
evening""
mot altogether. There are other
reasons" The man suddenly bowed
his head between his hands, and Philips
wife whispered to him. Philip. what
is the use Of talking with a crazy man?
You are tired, and II il time TO put
out the lights and go TO bed. Get him
out Of the house now as soon as you
can"
The stranger raised his head and
went on talking Just as II he had not
broken of abruptly.
"Other reasons. In your sermon you
tell the people they ought TO live less
luSurlously. You point them TO the
situation in this town where thousands
OF men are out Of work Yau call at
tention 10 the great poverty and dis
tress all over the world, and you say
the times demand that people live far
simpler, less extravaganza lives. And
yet here you live yourself like prince.
Like a prince" he repeated after a PEE
caliar gesture, which seemed 10 include
not only what was in the room, but all
that was In the house.
Philip glanced at his wife as people
do when they suspect a third person
being out Of his mind and saw that her
expression was very much like his own
feeling, although not exactly. Then
they both glanced around the room.
II certainly did look luxurious, even
II not princely. The parsonage was
an old mansion which had once be-
longed TO a wealthy but eccentric
sea captain. He had built 10 please
himself, something after the colonial
fashion. and large square rooms, gem
erous fireplaces with quaint mantels
and thing and'hard wood floors gave
the house an appearance Of solid COM
fort that approached luxury. The
church In Milton had purchased the
property from the heirs, who had be-
come involved In ruinous speculation
and parted with the house for sum
little representing its real worth. II
had been changed a little and modern
ICED, although the old fireplaces still re-
NAMED, and one spare room, an annex
TO the house proper. had been added
recently. There was an air OF decided
comfort, bordering on luxury, In the
different pieces OF furniture and the
whole appearance Of the room
You understand" said Philip, as his
glance travelled back 10 his visitor.
that this house Is not mine. Ii be-
longs 20 my church. IL Is the parson-
age, and | am simply living in IL as
the minister"
Eyes. understand You, a minister.
are living In this princely house while
other people have not where 10 lay
their heads"
Again Philip felt the same tempta-
tor TO anger steal into him, and again
he checked himself at the thought:
The man is certainly insane. The
whole thing Is simply absurd. ! will
get rid OF him And yet
He could not shake on a strange and
powerful impression which the stran-
gers words had made upon him. Crazy
or not. the man had limited at the pos
sibility OF an lnslncerity on his part
which made him restless. He deter
mined TO question him and see II he
really would develop a streak Of in
sanity that would justify him in get
ting rid Of him for the night.
Brother Man" he said, using the
term his guest had given him, do you
think | am living too extrayagantly to
live az do?"
Eyes, IN these times and after such a
sermon"
What would you have me doT" Phil
ip asked the question half seriously,
half amused at himself for asking adj
vice from such a source.
DO as you preach that others ought
TO-"
Again that silence fell over the room.
And again Philip felt the same i'm
preston Of power in the strange mans
words
The Brother Man" as he wished 10
be called, bowed his head between his
hands again, and Mrs. Strong whispered
10 her husband: Now II Is certainly
worse than foolish 10 keep this up any
longer. The man Is evidently insane.
We cannot keep him here all night.
He will certainly do something terri
bic. Get rid Of him, Philip. This may
be a trick on the part OF the whisky
men"
Never IN all his life had Philip been
50 puzzled to know what 10 10 with q
human being. Here was one, the
strangest he had ever met, who had
come into his house; II is true ne had
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