The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-05-22
By CHARLES NJ. SHELDON,
AsA9 4 - % SHEA. .eohot HaH's Sou Du4. a.


swer and she walked slowly toward
the door. There she turned and looked
back at him. He was looking out Of
the window gravely. His face, thin
and pale. ennobled in every line by
suffering and service, seemed to her
for a moment TO be more than earthly
in its beauty and power. She hesitated.
What she was renouncing began to be
dimly made real to her. And yet to
lose the things
Slowly she turned her head and
opened the door, stepped out into the
hall, shut the door and went down into
the library. With a sense of relief she
found the room empty and quietly
went out of the archway and back to
her fathers house.
But the man that she had left had
cried her name just as she closed the
door. 1t was just one cry. Then he
struggled down upon his knees, and
dark for help. crying and sobbing in its
poor human weakness over what was
gone. Finally God drew near and COM
forted him. When he got up again, he
felt something like a sudden illumina-
ton of his spirit. This woman-was
she not right? How could two walk to-
gether except they were agreed? Could
tain over the future and be love? Did
he care for heart that must be driven
to his by force or lured to it by pity?
Was the hunger of life ever satisfied
with the husks of reality? Up from
the lowly place of his spirits depres-
sion he rose step by step until he rested
his affections in his growing fate that
the future would satisfy him with a
human love that knew no such thing as
doubt or fear.
During the day that followed this
growing strength that looked into the
future with confidence he had several
interviews with friends who came to
Hope House to congratulate him ON his
recovery and talk over the work Of the
settlement.
Among these callers one day was Mr..
Marsh.
Gordon" he said frankly after he
had expressed his interest in the pro-
posed use of the property he had turned
over to the settlement, II am deeply
sorry that you and Luella have decided
to go your ways apart. She needs just
your strength. She is going to lead a
life of aimless effort" =
at is best as it is, SIR" Gordon had
answered.
''There is no possibility of any recon
Citation, them"
mo; we have not Quarreled; we have
simply understood. There can be no
other way for her or me-"
II am sorry" Mr.. Marsh sighed.
"She needed you, and so do l."
He spoke wistfully. Gordon read in
it whole history of human weakness,
struggling up toward light and
strength.
He put his hand into the older mans.
''If my friendship is of any value to
you, Mr.. Marsh, you have it,"
Marsh went away, and Gordon unused
over his future. How far would the
man use his wealth, his education, his
responsibility, to help the weak and
overcome his horror of humanity's sin
and trouble because he learned to love
instead Of tremble?
Paul Falmouth was welcome visit
or. He was much encouraged over the
results of the city campaign.
Il learned my share from it," he said
after giving Gordon his experience
with the young peoples civic league in
his church. The church is not all bad.
There is great hope IN its young life.
There is where l am going to put my
own strength and enthusiasm. I have
stopped preaching great sermons &c old
people. | have begun to teach my chill
dren. have begun to learn that the
office of the ministry is not to draw the
crowd, but to instruct a handful and
make disciples. Gordon, see some
ture."
Glad to hear it" Gordon answered
gladly. 81 always believed the church
contained leaven. There is always
hope for any institution that has leav
en- in it,"
THE leaven of the church of this
century is it's children" the minister
said and went his way. leaving Gordon
to muse over the power of that force
that represented through all the ages
the love of Jesus, an organization OBJ
scured and at times almost extinct,
but glowing yet with an inward illumi-
nation that has not forgotten the COM
mands of a Master who loved the
church and gave himself for it, that he
might sanctify if and make of il an in.