The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1907-05-17
PH:!|I1fI,ylys ] i
His Life work.

do leave those Georgia crackers,
my boy, and come home. Your sisters
need you, and it's high time you left
the starved life you're leading and
came back to your place here"
| Stephen Phelps read and reread this
paragraph in his college chum's latest
letter. There had been many such let
ters from his friends and his family
during the four years he had spent in
Georgia, and Of late they had become
more frequent and insistent.
His thoughts went back to the time
when he had arrived there, just out Of
college, to recuperate from nervous
strain, and incidentally to look after
his fathers business interests. 1t had
indeed seemed a lonely, starved" sort
of existence that he was entering upon.
He remembered viyidly his first inn
preston when he found himself sur
rounded by suspicion and hatred be-
cause Of his Northern connections, in
the midst of ignorance and lawless-
ness, in what was known as the dark
est corner of Georgia.
The situation held something of a
challenge for a nature like Stephen
Phelps, and his first determination
was to show his fearless disregard of
threats by going unarmed and unat-
tended among the people. His bearing
/ ox i1Nto "a nd
manded sort of qualified respect. As
he learned more of their barren, un-
taught, uncared for lives, he came to
understand why these folk were suspi-
cious and ignorant, why life was held
cheap and law desplsed.
Here, too, was challenge for Ste
phen Phelps. 1t seemed that his was
not the only starved life, and he deter
mined to win these people to better
sort of living.
He asked their advice, and took It /;
he discussed his plans with them, and
little by little his honest friendliness
won their confidence. In spite of deep
prejudice, they entered into his plans
for Industrial work, for improved hous-
ing, and even trusted to his newly es-
tablished Yankee" school their un-
taught children.
With more and more enthusiasm he
threw himself into the work he had
undertaken; he made new plans, he
worked early and late.
OF course there were for him occa-
slonal visits to the Northern home,
when he gave himself up to the pleas
ures and activities Of his old "set' for
time, and listened to fine business
offers and to many pleadings for per-
manent stay. But each time that he
returned to Georgia the new look of
hope and life in the faces of "his
people" warmed his heart and seemed
worth many gay dinner and theater
party.
"Come down and see for yourself
why am needed here" Phelps replied
to his friend Makepeace; then you'll
understand my decision to remain"
Then he planned to do still better for
his people. He moved his own piano
into large hall over one of the new
storehouses, and gave an invitation to
Sunday afternoon service. The music
attracted many; the man more. People
came by the hundred to listen to this
Iyoung man of splendid optimism and
unselfish life, who talked to them sim
ply and earnestly of the love of God
and the brotherhood of man. Life had
a new meaning for them ala mean
ing and a fulness which was not lost
even when stephen Phelps laid down
his work.
Hes great loss" said a friend to
Makepeaee, as they walked up the ave-
nue.. Splendid fellow! Too bad to
have thrown himself away and lost
these five years in that forsaken
lplace,"
"Have you ever been down there p
asked Makepeace, rather shortly.
mo"
"Well, have; and I'd be obliged II
Iyou wouldn't repeat that remark. l
used to think that way myself, but
when I'd seen the work he accom-
Iplished and the change he'd brought
about through all that region, and the
love and devotion of those people to
him, 1t made his life seem about as
full and worth while as some of ours" !"
"Why, of course" apologized his
friend. "You see, didn't understand .
"Oh, that's all right" said Make
peace; and then he added, diffidently,
sit says something somewhere, you
know, about he that loseth his life
shall find It, and somehow it seems to
me Phelps found his."--Youth's Com.
panion.
Looking Beyond.
: Whatever be your condition or call
/ ing In life, keep In view the whole Of
. your existence. Act not for the little
span of time allotted you in this world
but act for eternity. Look beyond the
narrow limits of earth, to the scenes Of
that p4arnnl world m uhloh xo,, N -