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

"By all means, replied Mr.. Max
we'll quickly "Of course I will no
promise to answer it to the gentleman
satisfaction
"This is my question. " The mai
leaned forward and stretched out Ions
arm, with a certain dramatic force tina
grew naturally enough out of his con
dition as a human being. 81 want tt
know what Jesus would do in my case
l haven had stroke of work for two
months. I've got wife and three chill
dren, and love them as much as if
was worth a million dollars. I've beer
living off a little earnings l saved uT
during the World fair jobs | got. I'm
a carpenter by trade, and I've tried ev-
cry way know to get a job. You say
we ought to take for our motto, What
would Jesus do? What would he do if
he was out of work like me? | can't be
somebody else and ask the question. |
want to work, I'd give anything to
grow tired of working ten hours day
the way | used to. Am | to blame be-
cause can't manufacture job for my
self? I've got to live and my wife and
my children. But how? What would
Jesus do? You say that's the question
we all ought to ask. -
Henry Maxwell sat there staring ut
the great sea Of faces all intent on his,
and no answer to this mans question
seemed for the time being, to be posi-
BILE. 80 GodI' his heart prayed. "This
is question that brings up the entire
social problem in all its perplexing en-
tanglement Of human wrongs and it's
present condition, contrary to every de-
sire Of God for a human beings well
fare. Is there any condition more awful
than for a man in good health, able and
eager to work, with no means of honest
livelihood unless he does work, actually
unable to get anything to do and driven
to one of three things-begging for
charity at the hands of friends or
strangers or suicide or starvation?
What would Jesus do? 1t was a fair
L
only question he could ask, supposing
him to be disciple of Christ, but what !
3 question for any man to be obliged to
ask under such conditionsl"
All this and more did lIenry Maxwell |
ponder All the others were thinking in
the same way. The bishop sat there
with look so stern and sad that it was
not hard to tell how the question moved .
him. DR.. Bruce had his head bowed.
The human problem had never seemed |
to him so tragic as since he had taken
-he pledge and left his church to enter
the settlement. What would Jesus do?
It was terrible question, and still the
nan stood there, tall and gaunt and al
most terrible, with his arm stretched
,ut in an appeal which grew every sec
md in meaning,
At length Mr., Maxwell spoke:
us there any man in the room who
s a Christian disciple who has been in
his condition and has tried to do as
esus would do? If so, such a man can
nswer his question better than | can. "
There was moments hush over the
DOM, and then man near the front of
he hall slowly rose He was an old
nan, and The hand he laid on the back
# the bench in front of him trembled
s he spoke;
81 think | can safely say that l have
1any times been in just such condi-
ion and have always tried to be a
christian under all conditions. | don't
now that | have always asked this
uestion, What would Jesus do?' when
have been out of work, but | do know
have tried to be his disciple at all
mes. Yes, " the man went on, with a
ld smile that was more pathetic to the
ishop and Mr.. Maxwell than the young
lan's grim despair-''yes, | have beg
ed, and | have been to the charity or
anizations, and | have done every
llng when out of job except steal
nd lie, in order to get food and fuel. |
On t know that Jesus would have done
'me Of the things l have been obliged
} do for living, hut l know | have
ever knowingly done wrong when out
work. Sometimes | think maybe he
'ould have starved sooner than beg. |
On t know
The old man S voice trembled, and he
oked around the room timidly A 81
nee followed, broken by fierce voice
ON large, black haired, heavily
7arded man who sat three seats from
lie bishop. The minute he spoke nearly
very man in the hall leaned forward
lgerly. The man who had asked the
1estion, "What would Jesus do in nv
use p slowly sat down and asked the
ian next to him, who's that?"
"That's Carlson, the socialistic lead
: Now you Il hear something"
"This is all bosh, to my mind, be-
IN Garrison, while his great, bristling
card shook with the deep, inward
lger of the man. 1.-The whole of our
stem is at fault. What we call civil
cation is rotten to the core There is
use trying to hide it or cover it up
'e live in an age of trusts and COM
mes and capitalistic greed that means
IMPLY death to thousands of innocent
en-, women and children. | thank
cd, if there is a God, which l very
UGH doubt, that l, for one, have never ,
lred to marry and try to have a home.
omel Talk of hell Is there any big
II than the one this man with his
rec children has on his hands right
us minute? And he's only one out of
lousands, and yet this city and every