Daily Kennebec journal., 1901-12-20
MATTERS OF LOCAL INTEREST

We'll jammed the paper in his pocket
and started for the newspaper office.
What. he asked himself would the
church authorities think of his utter
! acces as published? He must secure
/ Il retraction in the next issue or he was
APT 10 be left without a position and Il
family to support. Getting off the
/ cable car at Madison street he was
| about to cross State street when he
was seized by the arm and found him
self looking into Jim Bottoms face
which was illumined by quiet ex-
preston of amusement.
Hello, 1yn old chap. i'm quite
! hurry amt you--where are you going"
Why Jim Bolton. what in the name
Of heaven are you doing out here. |
am more than glad 10 see you. But
come with me and after | get Il little
matter cleared up We will 80 out t" the
parsonage and talk over old times
come on"
w here are YOU going" asked jim.
Il am going to get this retracted,
was th, reply as Letiinswell. his ire
aa;,in rising. pulled the paper from his
pocket and showed it in front OF Jims
face. these fellows have me credited
with that and never thought let
alone uttered. those sentiments. and |
want II corrected"
NO YOU don't. was .Jim's emphatic
answer. Il wrote that sermon myself
and YOU have got to stand for il. Why.
look here Lyn. you're already being
talked about on the streets and in the
clubs. Not twenty minutes ago Frazer
of the News told me he was glad to see
that one man in the city had the nerve
10 speak his thoughts and the other
afternoon papers are going To comment
iaNorably on ii editorially. Now YOU
don't want to throw us both down on
il. Let il alone and il won't hurt YOU
bit"
L"t!ingWell Gained down under .Jims
grooming and after they had eaten
lunch together began to feel quite
proud OF his sermon. But as he went
home he wondered at the change in his
classmate. who had always been the
soul of honor at school.
That week was a busy one for the
Rev. I.lewellyn Leffingwell. 1t seemed
as if every paper in the country had
taken his. or rather Bottoms sermon
under discussion. The result was that
in four short days LefiingweA jumped
! from an obscure parson to a prominent
thcologian of advanced ideas. Nor
did it end there. Ten days after the
first publication vacancy occurred in
,, a fashionable New York pulpit and he
was called to occupy it at $4,000 per
year. But here a new trouble arose.
Try as he might. he could not write a
no, h..I f,r., Nf hat nf NJ
tons. In this predicament he called
on Jim. for it was too late to back
out. Jim responded nobly and from
that time on wrote the soul stirring
addresses delivered before the fash
ionable New York congregation by his
old claSSmate.
AS the years rolled by. each Christ
! mas Jim received in his mail a check
fer $500 Frequently he visited at the
Leiringwell home and on such occa-
Sions would hear one of his sermons
delivered. 1T was while listening to
Jnt. ot them that the beginning of the
end came. Jim caught cold. 1t de-
veloped into pneumonia and he died in
three weeks. Leffingwelrs resignation
followed. He knew only too well that
his congregation would not accept his
sermons and there was no one To whom
he could turn for a supply. Pleading
i'll health he bought a ranch at Cali
fo:-nia This was two years ago and
III. is row rounding out his life in peace
and uuietness. His sons are approach
ing that age when they must decide on
d career. 1t is needless to say that
neither will enter the ministry. The
! story was told by LeffingweI the
ranchman. as he lounsed in a ham
mock on his ranch. and told how easy
! II is to succeed in life if one only has
| the right kind of a friend and the op-
: portunity.