The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-12-26
Friday. December 26,19O2.

to help you. II you expect an angel to
come along and give you page of his
daily to boost your reforms, youth have
to wait till angels are thicker in the
newspaper business than they are now.
l don't know any myself. My ac-
quaintance so far has been In the other
direction"
There's another reason I haven't
given for refusing Harris" John Cor
don spoke thoughtfully. 81 want to
know the people before I begin to talk
or write about them. And I ought to
spend at least ten years Of my life In
seeing, hearing, thinking, knowing, but
not much in writing-not yet. Do you
know what the bishop of London said
awhile agoY
"No; l don't know the bishop"
"He said: Il have found that isola-
ton of one class from another is the
root of all social evils. Contact with
the neglected people and the lapsed
masses was the method Of Christs
reclamation Of the lost. It is the only
method that can succeed now Isn't
that quite remarkable for bishop? l
met him in London. He Is the most
all around Christian 1 ever saw
wish they had bishop like that here
Now, you see 1 don't want to go into
the newspaper business in the sensa-
tional way that Harris wants. need
to live among the people for period,
at least until am able to talk and
write with some sort Of knowledge.
Harris idea is to burst out with
page of denunciation and hysterical
pictorial exposure of human conditions.
partly for political reasons, but more
especially to get the News before the
public and do big advertising bust
ness"
"You wrong Harris, even at his
worst" said Barton decidedly. IT can't
help thinking he's got some human
kindness in him. He may be all ego
tism, but he's not all bad There's the
money offer. You haven't considered
that"
John Gordon seemed troubled for
moment
all the things we plan. Miss Andrews
was wishing she might secure $4,000
for the new dormitory. She goes out
and lectures every winter to make ex-
penses."
eyes. The city will kill her 1t will
kill her, tell your cried out Barton
In q genuine burst Of rage.
'"The world kills all its prophets and
reformers in one way or another" said
John Gordon sadly. 1.-THE blood of
the martyrs is the seed Of the church.
The very people that applaud Miss An
drews and say she is doing grand
work don't come to her rescue in any
great numbers. And she is in sore
need right now"
Then why don't you let Harris
help?
"He can help If he wants to. If he's
sincere, he will do it without my going
on the paper. I've made up my mind"
Gordon hastily added as Barton made
a gesture. 81 think l can secure some
money from men in the city"
"Let me know how much, so we can
publish the amount, will your" Barton
said dryly.
John Gordon did not answer, and
after quite long silence Barton said
suddenly:
"By the way, suppose Miss Marsh
will help you, Of course. You'll be mar
ried and set up residence together in
Hope House? How did you win her
over to your extreme viewsr'
81 didn't. We are not going to be
married. She refuses to go with me
into Hope House. Oh, David, do you
think that was mistaken?
1t all poured out at once, because all
the evening John Gordon had been
longing to confide in the one nau in all
the city whom he loyed and trusted.
Everything they had been talking
about so far had seemed in one sense
Of small Importance compared with his
hearts hunger for her, which had
deepened with every moments absence
from her. His immediate resolve to go
to Hope House, his talk with Miss An
drews, his visit with his friend, the in
cident of Harris and his offer were not
evidence of his insensibility to that re-
solve on her part to refuse his choice
Of life work. 1t was only Characters
tic of him to go straight on with the
details of his life no matter what oc-
Cured. John Gordon was the last man
in the world to withdraw into sullen
or moody isolation on account of great
private trouble or sorrow.
But he longed for sympathetic coun-
sci. And his impulsive cutlery simply
voiced another fact of his nature, the
fact of his affectionate trust in friend
ship, trust that kept no event secret
that a friend might wish to know and
share.
David Barton sat up and exclaimed
sharply:
"Do you mean to say that Miss
Marsh refuses to live with you in Hope
House?"
"She does refuse, but 1 did not give
her time, am afraid, to give her rea-
sons"
"Time for reasons! How much time
does she want?' Barton went on saw
agely. Hope House is not good
enough for her, Ell? She is not willing
to go with the man who loves her into
such burden bearing life! She loves
her nice, clean, soft, easy, social posi-
ton more than she loves the mani No
I ten you," Barton silenced his friend,
who made gesture of dissent. "The
girls Of this age are not like those Of
our fathers. They are not willing to
begin in a small, economical way and
share their husbands privations. They
want big, expensive Establishments
YdChf off Thou have M fdoa NJ INV