Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1901-09-08

In the quiet country neighborhood
his return, the projected weddtng,
such prospects for a lad OF nv rcperty
caused the widest eNcitemeA via
villa. from scarce more than a "a va
NJ once became the most enyied vi
the township. Her setteing-out wa
discussed far and near, She had many
presents from women who thought
that by helping her. they gave direct
ly TO the Lord. Meetings were held q
help her sew and IL was from Shese
grew that idea that afterwards caused
such a sensation at the College.
The neighborhood religion had been
for years a dead letter. The small
country church with its pulpit reached
ply a winding stair. its benches black
with age, had not been opened for
many years. Now a sentiment grew
to open 1t on Sunday during the sum
mer and Gideon was asked to conduct
a service by a committee of grave men.
Il am but entering college, he cried,
this lad who had plowed from sunrise,
Il know nothing yet OF what | expect
to learn. Men. 1t will be seven years
before | am ut to teach the word of the
Lord
"fhe Lord viii tell you what to say"
said a very old man who remembered
his grandfather, "and we have no 9TH
er to speak to us, Gideon
He promised to give them an an
swer on the morrow and went to see
FIavilla. There was no happier wom-
an than she those days. She was sit
ting at her sewing when Gideon came
in, humming a quaint country ditty.
He thought her a changed woman.
Surely she had never seemed so hand
some in the olden days of toll and anx-
iety. He told ner what the people
asked. Its full meaning dawned upon
her.
you must do this thing. Gideon"
she said, after a pause, 1T will help
both you and the people
Flayvilla struggled with the thought.
To her mind a sermon meant deep
knowledge. research, feeling, convic-
ton. Had not she talked these things
over with Gideon since they were boy
and girl together? The very fact of
long. continued thought upon these
subjects served we'll now.
"There will be nothing expected of
you that you are not ready for" she
told him after a time" and since you
cannot talk of great things, would It
not be as well to speak of those at
hand?' Don't preach. You aint fit.
you're Just a common man now. ialk
man to man."
"And, Gideon dear" she went on,
don't forget to talk a little to us wom-
en-. We need lots o God. It's n God
for every day we want"
He only said, after a silence. Fla
villa. | guess I'll go on home
She understood him. They walked
down to the gate together. There was
a dark evergreen tree there and he
kissed her solemnly.
"Flavilla, you must wear your bride
dress. And sit all alone on the front
= bench"
He still had his missgivings as to the
propriety Of his proceeding. The next
morning he wrote "A ~misspelled letter to
the college president asking him for
q advice. Sunday came and no reply had
reached him.
The interest in.the meeting was wide.
spread. 1t was a Sunday in late Ati-
gust and the little church was filed
. the overflow standing about the doors
and windows. Flavilla had chosen
some of her old schoolmates to prae-
tice hymns with her. Their musical
knowledge was limited but II would
help. They sat on the second bench In
their clean summer array. On the
first bench. alone, sat Fiavilla. She
wore the white dress she was to be
IL married In, and a simple hat. When
le the house was full, Gideon walked in.
, He wore his new black suit, but looked
- like a true son OF toll, a lad from the
, very midst of the people. tlavilla
started a hymn, all sang who could
b then Gideon read, not any too well, a
portion of the Scriptures. Afterwards
he stepped down from the pulpit and
. stood almost among them.
Gideon will never preach such a SER
:. mon again. He has zone from field
and wood n pasture to more eonyen-
tional paths. Never again will he walk
between an actual living, human Christ
u and an actual, breathing community as
u on that day of his boyhood. He talked.
. God-life in common life in common
ways was made real. In the morning,
at noon, in the tired hours of the even
q ing, at toll, in dealing, in birth, life
o and death Christ-life was depicted.
Then Gideon spoke a few sentences of
his own future hopes and asked all to
keep him in ~prayerful remembrance.
= .ll 1919 "a