The Oskaloosa herald., 1900-03-08

suffering for himself. With all the rest
went suppressed but conscious emo
ton OF wonder that man would Of
his own free win give up luxurious
home for the sake of any one.
1.-THE matter of reduction of salary,
Mr.. Strong win have to come before
the church. The trustees cannot vote
to accept your proposal. am very
much mistaken If the members of Cal
vary church will not oppose the reduc-
ton. You can see how it would place
us in an unfavorable light"
Not necessarily. Mr. Winter" said
Philip eagerly. 'If the church will
simply regard it as my own great de-
sire and as one of the ways by which
we may help forward our work in Mil
ton, | am sure we need have no fear
of being put in false light The
church does not propose this reduc-
ton. 1t comes from me and in time
of peculiar emergency. both financial
and social. 1t is a thing which has
been done several times by other min
isters."
"That may be. Still, / am positive
Calvary church will regard it as I'M
necessary and will oppose it."
ut will not make any difference
practically" replied Philip. with a
smile. II can easily dispose of thou
sand dollars where it is needed by 9th
ers more than by me-. But | would
prefer that the church would actually
pay out the money to them rather than
myself"
Mr. Winter and the other trustees
looked at Philip in wonder. and with a
few words of farewell they left the
parsonage.
CHAPTER XIV.
The following week Calvary church
held a meeting. 1t was one of the
stormiest meetings ever held by the
members. In that meeting Mr. Win
ter again, TO the surprise of nearly
all, advised caution and defended the
minister's action up to certain point.
The result was condition of waiting
and expectancy rather than downright
condemnation of the proposed action
on Philips part. 1t would be presenting
the church in false light to picture
it as entirely opposed up to this date
to Philips preaching and ideas of
Christian living. He had built up
strong buttress of admiring and be-
lieving members in the church. This
stood, with Mr.. Winters influence. as
a breakwater against the tidal wave of
opposition now beginning to pour in
upon him. There was an element in
Calvary church conservative to a de-
gree and yet strong in its growing be-
lief that. Christian action and church
work in the world had reached GER
tain crisis which would result either
in the death or life of the church in
America. Philips preaching had
strengthened this feeling. His last
move had startled this element. and
1t wished to wait for developments.
The proposal of some that the minis
ter be requested to resign was finally
overruled, and it was decided not to
oppose his desertion of the parsonage.
while the matter of reduction of sal
airy was voted upon in the negative.
But feeling was reused to high
pitch. Many of the members declared
their intention of refusing to attend
services. Some said they would not
pay their Pledges any longer. A pre-
vailing minority, however, ruled in IA
vor of Philip, and the action of the
meeting was formally sent him by the
clerk.
Meanwhile Philip moved out of the
parsonage into his Few quarters. The
daily paper, which had given sensa-
tional account of his sermon, laying
most stress upon his voluntary PROPOSE
ton referring to his salary, now came
out with a column and half devoted
to his carrying out of his determination
to abandon the parsonage and get near
er the people In the tenements. The
article was widely copied and various
ly commented upon. In Milton his ac-
ton was condemned by many, defend
ed by some. Very few seemed to I'M
derstand his exact motive. The ma
jority took it as an eccentric move and
expressed regret in one form and an
other that a man of such marked in
tellectual power as Mr.. Strong Scent
ed to possess lacked balance and good
judgment. Some called him crank.
The people in the tenement district
were too much absorbed in their suf-
ferings and selfishness TO show any
demonstration. 1t remained to be seen
whether they would be any better
touched by him in his new home.
So matters stood when the first Sun
day of a new month came and Mr..
Strong again stood before his church
with his Christ message. 1t had been
a wearing month to him. Gradually
there had been growing upon him a
sense of almost isolation in his pulpit
work. He wondered If he had inter
preted Christ Alright. He probed deep
er and deeper into the springs of action
that moved the historical Jesus and
again and again put that resplendently
calm, majestic. suffering personality
into his own pulpit in Milton and then
stood off. as 1t were, to watch what he
would In all human probability say.
He reviewed all his own sayings on
those first Sundays and tried to tax
himself with utmost severity for any
denial of his Master or any false
presentation of his spirit, and as he
went over the ground he was almost
overwhelmed to think how little had
been really accomplished. This time
he came before the church with the
experience OF nearly three weeks hand
to hand work among the people for
whose sake he had moved out of the
parsonage. As usual an immense con-
gregation thronged the church.
1.-THE question has come to me lately
in different FORMS" began Philip. "as
to what is church work. I am aware
that my attitude on the question Is not
shared by many of the members Of