The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1900-04-06
CHAPTER X

One day at the close of G. month
Philip came into the cozy parsonage,
and instead of going right up to his
study, as his habit was when his out
side work was done for the day, he
threw himself down on a couch by the
open fire. His wife was at work in
the other room, but she came in, and,
seeing him lying there, inquired what
was the matter.
Nothing, Sarah, with me. Only
I'm sick at heart with the sight and
knowledge of all this wicked towns
sin and misery"
DO you have to carry it all OIL your
shoulders, Philip"
Yes" replied Philip almost fercely.
1t was not that either. Only his reply
was like q great sob of conviction that
he must Dear something of these bur-
dens. He could not help it.
Mrs. Strong did not say anything for
a moment. Then she asked:
Don't you think you take it too seri-
ously, Philip
"What!"
"Otber peoples wrongs. You are
not responsible"
Am | not? l am my brothers keep
er. What quantity of guilt may | not
carry into the eternal kingdom if |
do not do what | can to save him! Oh,
how can men be SO selfish? Yet | an
only one person. | cannOt prevent all
this suffering alone"
"Of course you cannot, Philip. You
wrong yourself to take yourself to
task so severely for the sins of others.
But what has stirred you up so this
time?" Mrs. Strong understood Philip
well enough to know that some partic-
ular case had reused his feeling. He
seldom yielded to such dependency
without some immediate practical rea-
son.
Philip sat up on the couch and clasp
ed his hands over his knee with the
eager earnestness that characterized
him when he was reused.
Sarah, this town Slumbers on the
smoking crest Of a volcano. There are
more than $4,000 people here in Milton
out of work. A great many Of them
are honest, temperate people who have
saved~up a little. But it is nearly gone.
The mills are shut down and, on the
authority of men that ought to know,
shut down for all winter. The same
condition of affairs is true in a more or
less degree in the entire state and
throughout the country and ven the
world. People are suffering today in
this town for food and clothing and
Tel through no fault of their own.
&c same thing is true of thousands
and even hundreds Of thousands all
over the world. 1t is an age that calls
for heroes, martyrs, servants, saviors.
And right here in this town, where dis
tress walks the streets and actual want
already has it's clutch on many a poor
devil, society goes on giving it's tx
pensive parties and living in it's little
round Of selfish pleasure just as if the
volcano was a downy little bed of roses
for it to go to sleep in whenever it
wearies of the pleasure and wishes to
retire to happy dreams. Oh, but the
bubble will burst one of these days,
and them
Philip swept his hand upward with a
fine gesture and sank back upon the
couch, grooming.
Don't you exaggerated? The min
ister's wife put the question gently.
Not a bit! Not a bit! All true. |
am not one of the French revolution
fellows, always Juggling in blood and
destruction and prophesying ruin to
the nation and the world if it doesn't
gee and haw the way l like it to-. But
l tell you, Sarah, it takes no prophet
to see that a man who is hungry and
out of work is a dangerous man to
have around. And it takes no e%Xtraor-
binary sized heart to swell a little with
righteous wrath when in such times as
these people go right on with their use
less luXuries of living and spend as
much on a single evenings entertain
ment as would provide a comfortable
living for a whole month to some de-
serving family"
How do you know they dO|
"Well, I'll tell you. I've figured it
out | will leave it to any n of good
judgment that any one of these project
ad na"tieS mentinued here inthe eyening