The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-01-14
CHAPTER XXI.

When the Brother Man had finished
his prayer he rose. and. STOPPING over
his son, he kissed him. Then he turned
about and faced Philip and Sarah. who
almost felt guilty OF intrusion I'm look
ing at such a scene. But the Brother
Man wore a radiant look. To Philips
surprise he was not excited. The same
ineffable peace brea thed from his entire
person To that peace was now added
fathomless JOY
Yes" he said very simply II have
found my son which was lost. God is
good 20 me. He is good to all His chill
dren. He is the All Father He is
Love"
Did YOU know your son was here?'
Philip asked.
No: / found him here. You have
saved his life. That was doing as He
would"
1T was very little We could do" said
Philip with a sigh He had seen so
much trouble and suffering that day that
his soul was sick within him. Yet he
welcomed this event in his home. II
seemed like little brightness OF heaven
on earth.
Il have not seen him for years He
was my youngest son. We auarreled.
All that Is past. He did not know that
10 give up all that one has was the VIII
OF God. Now he knows. When he Is
we'll. We will go away together-yes. to-
gether" He spread out his palms In nls
favorite gesture. with plent''ui content
in his face and voice
AS spring had blossomed into sum-
,.tt, AI intn NJ N
every one had predicted better times
But the predictions did not bring them.
The suffering and sickness and help
lessness of the tenement district grew
every day more desperate. To Phillp
Il seemed like the ulcer OF Milton. All
the surface remedies proposed and
adopted by the city council and the
churches and the benevolent societ as
had not touched the problem. The mills
were going on part time. Thousands of
men vet fingered in the place hoping 10
get work Even II the mills had be an
running as usual that would not have
diminished one particle Of the sin and
vice and drunkenness that saturated the
place. And as Philip studied the matter
with brain and soul he came to con-
cIusion regarding the duty OF the church.
He did not pretend TO go beyond that
but as the weeks went by and fall came
on and another winter stared tho people
coldly In the face he knew that he must
speak out what burned In him.
He had been year IN Milton. Every
month OF that year had impressed him
with the deep and apparently hopeless
chasm that yawned between the work
ing world and the church. There was
no point of contact. One was suspicious.
the other was Indifferent. Something
was radically wrong. and something rad
icaIly positive and Christian must be done
10 right the condition that faced the
churches Of Milton. That was In his
soul as he went his way like one OF the
old prophets imbued with the love OF
God as he saw II In the heart Of Christ.
with infinite longing he yearned to
bring the church TO q sense OF her great
power and opportunity. So matters had
| finally drawn to a point I'm the month OF
| November The Brother Man had come
| I'm October The sick man recovered
1 slowly. Philip and his wife found room
| for the father and son and shared witt
them what comforts they had. II shoulc
| be said that after moving out OF the par
| sonsge into his house I'm the tenement
| dictrict Philip had more than given th'
extra thousand dollars the church in
sisted OH paying him. The demands OF
| him were so urgent, the perfect impos
| sibilty of providing men with work an'
| so relieving them had been such n bar q
giving help I'm that direction. that on
OF sheer necessity, as IL seemed 10 him
| Philip had given fully half OF the thou
sand dollars reserved for his own salary
His entire expenses were reduced TO IN
| smallest possible amount. Tverythin
| above that went where II was absolutel
| needed. He was literally sharing wha
he had with the people who did not hav
| anything IL seemed 70 him that n
| could not consistently do anything less !
view OF what he had preached and In
| tended TO preach.
One evening IN the middle Of the mont
| he was invited TO a social gathering q
| the house OF Mr.. Winter The mi
owner had OF late been experiencing
revolution OF thought His attitude tc
ward Philip had grown more and NOR
friendly.
Ii was a gathering Of personal friend
of Mr.. Winter. including some OF IN
church people. The moment that Phil
stepped into the spacious hall and caugf
q glimpse OF the furnishings OF the room
| beyond. the contrast between all the con
fort and brightness of this house and III
, | last place he had visited in tho tenemer
district smote him with a sense of pail
| pe drove IL back and blamed himse
with an inward reproach that he wa