The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-12-27
CHAPTER VI.

Obliged To let five Sundays go by before
ne was able TO preach During those six
weeks his attention was called to sub
feet which he felt ought 70 he made the
theme OF one OF his talks on Christ ana
Modern Society," The leisure which he
had for reading opened his eyes To the
fact that Sunday I'm Milton was terribly
desecrated. Shops of all kinds stood
wide open Excursion trains ran into
the large city 40 miles away. two theatres
were always running with some variety
show. and the saloons. In violation or an
ordinance forbidding IT, unblushinGy
flung their doors open and did more bust
ness on that DAY than any other. As
Philip read the papers he noticed that
every Monday morning the police court
was more crowded with 'drunks ana
.'disorderlies" than on any other day I'm
the week. and the plain cause OF 1t was
the abuse Of the day before.
In the summer time baseball games
were played In Milton on Sunday. In
tho fall and winter very many people
spent their evenings In card playing or
aimlessly stroling up and down the main
street These facts came To Philips
knowledge gradually. and he was not
long In making up his mind that Christ
would not keep silent before the facts
SO he carefully prepared "A plain state
ment OF his belief In Christs standing
on the modern use of Sunday. and as on
the other occasions when he had spoken
the first Sunday In the month he cast out
of his reckoning all thought OF the conse-
quences. His one purpose was 10 do just
as. in his thought of Christ. he would do
with that subject
The people In Milton thought that the
first Sunday Philip appeared In his pulpit
he would naturally dcaounce the saloon
again. But when he finally recovered
sufficiently TO preach he determined that
ha cox ~
way of sermons against the whisky evil
He had great horror OF seeming 10 ride
q hobby, of being a man OF one idea and
making people tired of him because he
harped on one string. He had uttered
his denunciation. and he would wait
little before he spoke again. The whisky
power was not the only bad thing In
Milton that needed 10 be attacked. There
were other things which must be said
And so Philip limped into his pulpit the
third Sunday of the month and preached
on a general theme to the disappointment
Of a great crowd almost as large as the
last one he had faced. And yet his very
appearance was sermon In Itself
against the institution he had held up To
public condemnation on that occasion.
His knee wound proved very stubborn,
and he limped badly. That In Itself
spoke eloquently OF the dastardly attempt
on his life. His face was pale, and he
and the enforced quetness OF his de-
livery contrasted strangely with his Gus
tomary fiery appearance on the platform.
Altogether that first Sunday OF his re-
appearance In his pulpit was stronger
sermon against the saloon than anything
he could have spoken or written.
When the first Sunday In the next
month came on. Philip was more like
his old self He had gathered strength
enough TO 20 around two Sunday after
moons and note for himself the desecra-
ton of the day as 1t went on reckessly.
rs he saw IL all II seemed TO him that
the church In Milton was practically do
ing nothing TO stop the evil. All the
ministers complained OF the difficulty of
getting an evening congregation. Yet
hundreds OF young people walked past all
the churches every Sunday night bent on
pleasure, going to the theaters or con-
certs or parties. which seemed to have
no trouble In attracting the crowd Es-
pecially was this true OF the foreign pop
ulation. the working element connected
with the mills. IL was a common occur
renee for dog fights. cock fights and
shooting matches OF various kinds to be
going on in the tenement district on Sun
day, and the police seemed poweriess or
careless in the matter.
All this burned into Philip like molten
metal, and when he faced his people on
the Sunday which was becoming a noted
Sunday for them he quivered with the
earnestness and thrill which always come
TO a sensitive man when he feels sure he
has a sermon which must be preached
and a message which the people must
hear for their lives
He took for a text Christ's words, "Tho
Sabbath was made for man" and at once
defined Its meaning as "A special day.
'The true meaning of our modern Sun.
day may be summed up In two words
rest and worship. Under the head of rest
may be gathered whatever Is needful fol
the proper and healthful recuperation o
ones physical and mental powers, always
regarding not simply our own ease anC
comfort, but also the same right TO res
on the part OF the remainder of the com
munity. Under the head OF worship ma,
be gathered all those facts which. eithe
through distinct religious service or worl
or thought. tend TO bring men into close
and dearer relation 10 spiritual life. L
teach men larger. sweeter truths Of eX
istence and OF God and leave them bet
ter fitted to take up the duties of every
day business.
Now, IL Is plain to me that II Chris
were here today and pastor OF Calyar,
church he would feel compelled 10 sa'
some very plain words about the desecra
tion 81 Sunday In Milton. Take. for ex
ample. the opening of the fruit stands an'
cigar stores and meat markets every sun
day morning. What Is the one reason
why these places are open this YER
minute while I am speaking There 1
only one reason--so that the owners u
the places may sell their goods and max
money. They are not satisfied with wha
they can make six days I'm the week
Their greed seizcs on the one day whic
ought 10 be used for the rest and worshi
men need and turns that also into n da
of merchandise. DO We need any othc
hshness of the human heait7
'Or take the case of the saloons. Wha
right have they To open their doors !
direct contradiction 90 the town ordlnsnc
forbiddlng it7 And yet this ordinance
held by them IN such contempt that thi
very morning as I came 60 this church
passed more than half n dozen Of thes
sections Of hell. wide open To any poo
SHINING soul that might be enticed there
in Citizens OF Milton. where does th
responsibility rest for this violation =
law Does II rest with the churches an