The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1905-06-20

a stones throw Of our homes, under the
shadow cf the ''lni:Way church, of a
large city, General I,aWton said in
reference to the regular soldier. These
are not heroes; they are only regul:lrs.'
These young inen and Young women
arc our regulars. There is nothing he
role about them. There is none Of the
glamour in work for them that there Is
in converting cannilals, but they are
near to US. and they have an eternal
future before them.
What That Church Needs.
The 'halfWay church, must have the
best Of music, the best Of prearhing
the best Of church organization 1t
also must have money to alleviate such
poverty and suffering as may exist
among it., Worshipcrs. 1t must be
bread to the hungry and medicine to
the sick; fire and clothes to the Naked
and rent for the homeless as we'll as
administer the BREAD Of Life" for all
1t literally must be all things to all
men. For the Bible commandment
distinctly and emphatcally says that
we should do good unto all men, es-
pecially unto the household Of faith"
And here the ''llousehold Of faith"
| means the members of Aour own
church.
what do you mean by thnt:' says
some one t., me. SIS the halfway
church to become bureau of char
tiles? With it are you going to bride
men and women to come to church?
If you do, you will only reach mems
stonachs and develop their mercenary
spirit and not their hearts, Oh, no, |
would not bride men to become Chris
tians But l would take care Of them
if they are members Of the "halfWay
churches' and have been tripped up by
misfortune. And, Furthermore, my
brother, If you cannot teach Christian
men that the best friends they have
on earth in time Of distress are the
men will after awhile cease to revere
the church, and, perhaps, in time cease
to love Jesus Christ himself.
If the church of the Lord Jesus Christ
will not look after it's members, who
will? Here, for instance, IS that farm.
ers boy about whom we were talking.
He goes to business one stormy winter
day without his rubbcrs. He takes
cold; pneumonia sets In. What Is to
become Of him? lie has no friends.
He eats in a little restaurant five
blocks from his boarding house. Shall
be be hustled of to the county hospital!
Shall he have no one to write to his
mother and father, miles away: Here
is poor widow struggling to be broth
er, father and mother to her three
little girls. Sunday comes around, and
there are no decent shoes in the house
and no proper clothing. Shall that
widowed mother not have those shoes
provided? Here is young husband
taken sick You call at the house and
the wife meets you at the door with
shawl about her shoulders. 1t Is
freezing cold in that room. What is
the matter? Coal is $40 ton. No
credit. The salary Of that young man
is stopped. Has not the halfway
church, a mission in every one of those
homes? | tell you it has, and, further
more, tell you that where there is one
case of poverty which should be allie
waited in the boulevard church there
are fifty-aye, Il hundred-cases Of dis
| tress under the shadow Of the half
| way church." Christ told the phari-
see to go and be a good Samaritan to
the Jew who had fallen among the
thieves. Christ also tells the half
way church, to be practical financial
helper on it's Jericho road.
Must Always Be Open.
The halfway church, must have
consecrateu leaders too. 1t must have
outside financial aid. 1t must also
have a church building which is open
every night Of the week. Monday,
| Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Fri
day and Saturday as well as Sunday.
1t must appeal to its people through
| their social as we'll as. their spiritual
natures. Two preaching services on
| Sunday, a midweek prayer meeting
and a short hour for Sunday school
| will not be the work Of a halfway
church" -Four weekly sessions Of
prayer and praise service cannot sue
cessfully cope with saloon and billiard
and dance halls and low variety thea
ters which compete with the vim and
the vitals Of halfway church's" par
| ish.
| The way church should be conduct
ed for the boarding house element is
entirely different from how one should
be conducted for residential district
of boulevard. Let us compare them.
| How are you, Mr.. Soand-so? Where
are you going tonight?' l greet you
thus i'll the electric car on your way
home from business. "Oh," you say,
Il am going home. l am going to
spend the happiest part Of my daily
existence with my family. l am going
to spend an evening at home with my
wife and children. Come up and take
dinner with me-" Eyes, l WILL" an
swer We alight from the car on a
fine street. You say How are you
to almost every one you meet. Here
all the neighbors know each other. A
dear wife greets you at the door. Your