The Washington times., 1908-03-16
(Continued from Ninth 20


to fight the flesh and the devil without
knowledge Of either
The Chureh's Weakness
Since coming out OF the srcerdotai
world and viewing life from the stand
point Of one of the masses ] think /
have begun to understand why II Is
that the church inds itself falling be
Lind; why. in a Christian land. the
Overwhelming majority Of its inhabi-
tants 90 not attend a church from one
years end to another and in their IN
nermost hearts scOrn the men VINO are
supposed to be the pastors aud Leaders;
The physician is allowed 10 study al
the horrors Of diseases. the lawyer
must understand the baseness OF the
human mind; the man OF business must
be acquainted with the trickery OF a
dishonest rival; but the minister must
be ignorant Of sinners and their ways
He must lead his flock from the snares
Of sin and yet know less about SIN
than 10 those IN his spiritual care
Should he dare investigate should
he examine mankind for himself. he IS
CANNED on the spot. Lies and runors
asset him at every turn. ana the net
result is that while some ministers OF
the Gospel know nothing or SIN OIheis
know far TOO much.
From Baltimore 1 was appointed rec
tor of st. Georges Church IN Hemp
stead. L. /. The position was good one
and one that highly pleased my wife
She had there an opportunity 30 further
her social aims. and was pleasing 10
me also inasmuch as 10 was In accord
with my personal ambition TO succeed
In a measure l did. 1 reOrganiZed the
church: bishops dined at my house; L
spoke on the same platform as the
President Of the United States, and !
was promised the degree Of doctor or
divinity. Such things are alluring even
to a minister, and the man who says
he is not Captivated by them Is either
a lofty soul or common liar.
The Child Floretta Whaley.
As a rector Of St Georges 1 met
FIoretta WhaIey. She was mere
child then, and grew up under my eyes.
I always regarded her as child until,
one day, I awoke 10 the fact that she
was a woman and that 1 loved her At
this stage / might say that. though six
teen years OF age. Floretta Whaley was
one of the type that natures early
Her orphan life and surroundings mad
made her remarkably precOCiOus, even
as a child, and at eighteen she was IN
her womanhood. l say this IN the face
of the criticism heaped on me In re-
gard TO clipping with one so young.
OF course, II would have been easy for
me TO have lived a double life and
escaped trouble Dg loItl4lB AllE EilA on
the streets or into one OF the houses in
New York city. SuCu n course the
world would probably have received
with approval: but 1 differed from the
ways OF the world.
I wish IL 20 be remembered that at
this time 1 was at the height OF my
success. The near future promised for
me all the sacerdOtal world hau to Of
fer. Like other men, 1 could have
lived my dual existence ana escaped
detection. and eventually wandered
down the road OF life with a perfectly
respectable skeleton in my cupboard.
taking all the world had To offer IN
stead. 1 threw aside everything and
;Onk tie girl.
7 dc not boast Of II as a sacrifice. but
state Il as a fact, and ask how many
OF my fcllow-sinnerS would have done
the Same under similar circumstances
l threw aside everythiug-name, fame,
houorS-alL 1 knew exactly what the
payment would be. / knew the storm
that would follow. I knew I became a
criminal; knew IL all; and / did IT,
Went First to Los Angeles.
We fled from Hampstead 10 Los
Angeles. From the pulpit 7 turned to
the paint brush of my early days In
the West I was accepted at my worth
as a painter. No one asked questions,
no one troubled me. I was paid TO do
2 certain work. and I did IL. There
were times when We missed the little
refinements Of the old days. the books
and pictures and kuick-knacks, but in
their place we were blessed with the