Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-05-22

= all the time grumDnnS
"a! s!'r ! : Il work. and when we ar
I:... 70 n good easy place for you you
wa; tax. it" said Stuart, firing
I,;, tn. ..,;t as tie doctor started to-
W. . The l.;,i.
coed easy place! Stuart. you know
III ;at.ier &c from tumbling. Ajax and
III. into an old shaft on my way to set
Law Trethvcn's leg the nineteenth time
than pptiify dead in the best hospital
on carth" retorted the doctor.
II is possible he will die that way
some time, for under no persuasions
would he consent to abandon his out
door work on the ranges. After all,
was it not out there that the doctor felt
tile love of humanity and its hunger for
love? And nothing could ever satisfy
him except that. The thought of turn
ing over the people of his parish" as
he sometimes called it, tic strangers,
was thought he could not endure. He
had cared for them too long, and please
God. he said to himself often as he
tumblcd through drifts and waded
through gorges, he would still claim
the privilege of calling them names
and loving them.
So the short summer went swiftly
by. and Stuart's plans matured so far
as the building was concerned, but he
confronted some new problem every
day 1t required all his growing steadi-
ness of purpose, together with all of
Rhena's great love for him, to keep
him calm and hopeful. 1t was not such
an easy matter to use Gods money for
the good of the people who We're most
in need of it. He had talked over a
plan of profit sharing with Eric and
some of the other miners, and it was
one of many plans he determined to
try in the near future. He was being
hindered in his efforts to exercise what
he had come to call his stewardship
by the very men he was most eager to
help. Many of the miners would not
consent to any Improvement in their
cabins, and did not take kindly to
Stuart's attempt Mt drainage. Added
to all the rest was the ever present fac
tor of the saloon, which never paused
in its work of destruction, and stood as
a constant force to tear down any and
every good work.
But as the fall came on and the great
building began to take form and the
possibilities of the future for Cham
pion grew upon him Stuart settled one
fact very firmly and without vague
ness. Whatever his plans might be
and however much he might stumble
and make mistakes in the days to come,
be knew that his use of money or
bro,ns or property or whatever he pos
sessed was q use the account Of which
he owed to God. He was fully persuad-
ed that his stewardship was sacred
thing and very vital part of his Chris
tian faith, and he finally had feeling
Of great peace us he rested on the con-
viction that he had dedicated all pos
sessions to unselfish purposes for the
good of humanity as far as God gave
him strength and wisdom to work out
the details. The special ways and
means by which he was to dispense
Gods money was matter which must
be left to experiment and trial. The
way in which the money should be used
was not an important thing in COM
parison with his entire willingness to
use it as his brothers keeper. He ar
gued, and rlghtfully, that If men Of
capital once acknowledged that they
were Gods stewards and once were
willing and eager to use money and
talents to the glory of Gods kingdom
in the earth 1t would not be difficult
thing to find how best to do 1t. If q
man wants to do Gods will, the way to
do 1t will very soon be found. The
great need Is that the man should first
be eager to do the will.
The home he was building for Rhena
and himself was built with the same
idea which now pervaded his entire
life. 1t was built for n home, but in
such way that its use would bless all
Champion. If you visit Champion some
day very soon, you will understand this
better. No one can ever charge Stuart
and Rhenn with selfish or needless lux
ury. But every cent used In the build
ing of their home was spent as If they
were planning to receive as their most
honored guest the Lord Jesus Christ
and offer him a restful hospitality Mt
er n weary day spent in the world.
That was n memorable day in the
history of Champion when the Hail OF
Humanity was completed. The miners
had holiday, and all day long the
building was thronged in all its parts
by the men and their families. In the
evening Stuart had planned, with the
help of Andrew and Eric, to have some
exercises In the nature of dedicatory
services in the great hall. He had
gone down early, leaving Rhena with
Louise. who had been more restless
than usual that day. She had, rs the
doctor thought she might, fingered on
through tie summer. gradually failing
No one had noted her condition more
carefully than Rhena. She staid with
her until she became quiet, and at last
left her III charge Of a nurse and went
down to join Stuart ut the hall.
The miners band had been preparing
for some time. at Stuart's request, to