Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1900-04-02
TN HIS STEPS.
"What Would Jesus Do?"
By CHARLES III. SHELDON.

Gas / understand the promise we
made, we were not to ask any questions
about will it pay2' but all our &C
ton was to be based on the one ques-
ton, What would Jesus do?' Acting
on that rule of conduct 1 have been
obliged to lose nearly all the money [
have accumulated in my paper. 1t is
not necessary for me to go into details
There is no question with me now, aft
er the three weeks experience | have
had, that a great many men would lose
vast sums of money under the present
system of business if this rule of Jesus
were honestly obeyed- | mention my
loss here because I have the fullest faith
in the final success of daily paper
conducted on the lines I have recently
laid down, and l had planned to put
into it my entire fortune in order to
win final success. AS it is now, unless,
as I said, the Christian people of Ray
mond, the church members and profess
ing disciples, will support the paper
with subscriptions and advertisements
cannot continue its publication on the
present basis. J."
Virginia asked a question. She had
followed Mr.. Norman's confession with
the most intense eagerness
''Do you mean that Christian daily
ought to be endowed with a large sum,
like a Christian college, in order to
make it pay?'
t'That is exactly what I mean. I
have laid out plans for putting into The
News such a variety of material, in
such a strong and truly interesting
way, that it would more than make up
for whatever was absent from its col
umns in the way of un-Christian mat
ter, but my plans called for very large
outlay of money. [ am very confident
that Christian daily such as Jesus
would approve containing only what
he would print, can be made to succeed
financially if it is planned to the right
lines. but it will take large sum of
money to work out the plans. =
Chow much do you think?' asked
Virginia quietly.
Edward Norman looked at her keen
", and his face flushed moment as an
idea of Virginia. purpose crossed his
mind. He had known her when she was
a little girl in the Sunday school, and
he had been on intimate relations in
business with her father.
81 should say half million dollars
in town like Raymond could be well
spent in the establishment of paper
such as we have in mind, . he answered,
and his voice trembled little The
keen look on Edward Norman grizzled
face flashed out with a stern but thor
oughly Christian anticipation of great
achievements in the world of newspaper
s. II 70 hoo to
the last few seconds
f"Then, said Virginia, speaking as
if the thought were fully considered,
ST am ready to put that amount of
money into the paper on the one condi-
ton, of course, that it be carried on as
it has been begun.
tThank Godr' exclaimed Henry
Maxwell softly. Edward Norman was
pale. The rest were looking at Virginia.
She had more to say.
''Dear friends she went on, and
there was a sadness in her voice that
made an impression on the rest that
deepened when they thought it over
afterward, 81 do not want any of you
to credit me with an act of great gen
crosby or philanthropy | have come
to know lately that the money which I
have called my own is not my own,
but Gods. IF |, as a steward of his, see
some wise way to invest his money, it
is not an occasion of yainglory or
thanks from any one simply because /
have proved honest in my administra-
ton of the funds he has asked me to
use for his glory. l have been thinking
i of this very plan for some time. The
fact is, dear friends, that in our COM
\ ing fight with the whisky power in
Raymond, and it has only just begun,
we shall need The News to champion
v the Christian side. You all know that
all the other papers are for the saloon.
AS long as the saloon exists the work
of rescuing dying souls at the Rectangle
fs carried on at a terrible disadvantage.
What can Mr.. Gray do with his gospel
meetings when half his converts are
drinking people, daily tempted and en-
ficed by the saloon on every corner2
fThe Christian daily we must have 1t
would be giving up to the enemy to
have The News fail I have great con-
idence in Mr.. Norman ability. have
bot seen his plans, but I have the con-
Hdence that ne has in making the paper
Fucceed if it is carried forward ON a
large enough scale.
81 cannot believe that Christian in
felligence in journalism will be inferior
" 10 un-Christian intelligence, even when
comes to making the paper pay fnan-
fially. So that is my reason for putting
Nj his moneS-God's not mine-into this
powerful agent for doing as Jesus
IN vou&- If we can keep such paper
koing for one year, shall be willing to
zee that amount of money used in the
Experiment.. Do not thank me- Do not
onsider my promise a wonderful thing.