The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1907-05-30
PHg :9 I i
V S
HI. Life work.


/ came back to your place here"
q Stephen Phelps read and reread thi
I paragraph in his college chum's lates
I letter. There had been many such let
, tiers from his friends aud his famil.
! during the four years he had spent IL
| Georgia, and Of late they had becom,
, 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 wildly his first I'M
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 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
awakened interest at once and com
manded a sort of qualified respect. AS
he learned more of their barren, IN
taught, uncared for lives, he came to
understand why these folk were suspi-
clous and ignorant why life was held
cheap and law desplsed.
Here, too, was a 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 I'M
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 rhis
people" warmed his heart and seemed
worth many gay dinner and theater
party.
Come down and see for yourself |
why l am needed here" Phelps replied |
to his friend Makepeace; then you'll
my decision to remain"
Then he planned to do still better for
his people. He moved his own piano
into a large hall over one of the new
storehouses, and gave an invitation to
a Sunday afternoon service. The music
attracted many; the man more. People
came by the hundred to listen to this
young 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
4 new meaning for them ala mean
ing and a fulness which was not lost
even when Stephen Phelps laid down
his work.
He's a great loss" said a friend to
as they walked up the ave-
lue. splendid fellow! Too bad to
nave thrown himself away and lost
hese FIVE years In that forsaken
,lace."
Have you ever been down there?
.sked Makepeace, rather shortly.
mo"
"Well, have; and I'd be obliged II
-ou wouldn't repeat that remark.
lsed to think that way myself, but
When I'd seen the work he accom-
lished and the change he'd brought
bout through all that region, and the :
Oye and devotion OF those people to {
i'm, it made his life seem about as {
I'LL and worth while as some of ours" {
why, Of course" apologized his
riend. ''.You see, didn't understand"
"Oh, that's all right" said Make
eace; and then he added, efficiently, I
1t says something somewhere, you '
now, about he that loseth his life
hall find It, and somehow 1t seems to
lie Phelps found hls."-Youth's Com
anion. J