News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1901-05-01

with what 1t would like to do,'' said
Rhena sadly.
''Do you know what It would like to
do" asked Stuart, who was only Just
beginning to comprehend how great
and pressing was the need since the
fire and three weeks more of the
strike.
I'm afraid it's not much use for me
to say" answered Rhena, with added
sadness.
You forget answered Stuart
What is all my money for? Why have
you not been spending it all this timer"
he asked almost fercely, turning to
Erie, who still paced the room and
who had not yet spoken
''I've spent plenty of other peoples
money in my mind" answered Eric
as bitterly as he ever spoke, 'but
never spent it in reality. and when it
comes to the suffering we face now
wouldn't know where to stop. What
right have people to go on wasting
Gods property so wickedly while there
is so much sufferingP
lie looked at Andrew as ne spoke,
R1d Andrew, who seldom made a re-
tort of any kind, replied:
ASK the devil. He knows more
about it thar / do"
"And then there is the church," con-
tinued Eric, who was irritable and
nervous on this occasion, for his long
watching with Stuart had been great
strain on him. what is it doing in
comparison with what it ought to do?
Stuart, you asked me quite awhile ago
why | Joined the Salvation Army. I'll
tell you why. There was nowhere
else | could go for the religious express
sion of my life. st. Johns church is a
curious mixture of workingmen and
tradesmen, and I'm not saying any
thing of its ariStOcracy, for it hasn't
any, but if | do say it, and | am sorry
to have to say it, the whole object of
the church before Andrew came here
to it seemed to be to meet together
for meetings which gave occasion for
a good deal of feeling and emotion,
but never realized anything of a prac-
teal nature in helping to relieve the
pressure of the physical needs of men.
The whole thing evaporated in feeling
and psalm singing and prayers that
never really got much outside the walls
of the vestry.
'I'm not crying down the Christian
lives of the church members. There
T
am, but the expression of their Chris
tianity through the structure of the
church seemed to me almost nothing.
One may be just as strong as another,
but if one of them is using a dull ak
and the other one a sharp ak to cut
down tree the strength of the two
men is not being equally spent so far
as getting results goes, and the man
with the sharp tool will do the best
work, not because he has more muscle,
but a better ak. 1t came upon me
with the force of a conversion that
never could do much through the
church as an instrument. That's the
reason | went into the Salvation Ar
my. 1t represented the sacrificial spirit
of Christianity to me hundred times
where the church did not represent it
at all. Take the Church of st. Peter
here in Champion. 1t is always spoken
of in the papers as the most fashiona
bic church in town. Think of that!
So The News Crier stated in giving
the account of it's annual meeting.
What do those people know of sacri-
fee or of the spirit Of Christ, who
gave up all his riches to become poor
for the sake of dying humanity? Pm
sitting in judgment on them, and
shall some time be called to account
for doing it, but if | was a Catholic
I'd be willing to sit on the hottest fire
in purgatory to say what think about
an 'aristocratic church, And this one
here in Champion is only one out OF
thousands all over the country. What
is the church, as an institution, doing
to obey the command of Christ, to
deny itself, take up its cross. forsake
its ease and pleasure and follow him?'
Again Eric turned in his walk ano
confronted Andrew. Stuart and Rhena
watched him almost sorrowfully after
listening to Eric's outburst. Over An
drew's jolly, good natured face crep,
a gray shadow Of seriousness that
showed how deeply Eric's sharp con.
demnation had pierced.
CONTINUED next week