The Washington herald., 1909-06-06
HARD WORK LIVING
AS JESUS WOULD
Movement Started in CleYe-
land Losing Enthusiasm.
ITS SUCCESSES AND FAILURES
1Inss Meetings No Longer Held.
Young Woman Who Originated the
Plan Tired of Giving Experience
10 Reporters, Who Fail TO Send
Her Copy of Paper with story.

Cleveland, Ohio. June 5.-The movement
called What Would Jesus Do?' has lost
the enthusiasm with which # started last
winter. Then mass meetings were held
on Sunday afternoons in Cleveland
churches. at which hundreds Of young
people rose together and took the pledge
10 do as Jesus would" Experience
meetings were held. at which scores rose
and told their experiences in doing as
Jesus would in the various circumstances
Of life. The principle was that when any
question Of conduct arose the person who
had taken the pledge should stop and ask
himself. What would Jesus do?'' and
then do the same.
Mass meetings are held no longer In
Quiry reveals the fact that the movement
has settled down into regular branch
OF the work of various religious societies
of young people in this country and
Canada. and that hereafter one Sunday
a year would be set aside for sermons
and mass meetings wherever the move
ment has taken root.
An inquirer visited several Of the young
people who took the pledge, in search of
experience which might be helpful 10 the
world at large. II was somewhat diff
cult to find a matter Of this kind
one young man said that ne went home
one evening tired and desirous Of going
Immediately 20 bed His mother wanted
him to go to a drug store for medicine.
and he went cheerfully. He seemed to
think this a fair sample OF what Jesus
would have done and worthy Of a place
IN the chronicles Of the movement
A young woman said that she washed
the dishes three times for her mother
when she didn't have 10. and another
that she got UP and helped her mother 70
get breakfast when she had not been so
accustomed. Still another. credited with
having originated the movement, re
marked somewhat tartly that she had
given her experiences TO twelve report
ters. each Of whom had promised 10 send
her q copy Of the paper containing them.
and only one had ever done It. and she
wasn't going 10 give out any more expe-
riences.
Worked on n Book Agent.
A dentist said that book agent called
at his offices one day and he was about
10 tell the man gruffly 10 get out, when
the question What would Jesus do?'
came 10 him. and instead he spoke to the
man c0urteously, as he would 10 a Gus
toner. The next day the book agent
brought his wife and ordered a large
amount of work done on her teeth This.
the dentist said. encouraged him, and he
had decided TO make the principle a rule
OF business. at least so FAR as treating
every one who came to his Office court
eOusly was concerned.
s4f int
seem 10 have had any special expert
ences. They said that living as Jesus
would was merely the ordinary Christian
life: they were not conscious. they said.
OF not living as Jesus would all the time.
One man had had more definite expert
ences. He took the pledge TO 1--we as
Jesus would. apparently tried sincerely
to live UP 20 Il In daily life, and discussed
the subject with a matter OF fact frank
ness which was rather paralyzing
you know" said he. confidenually.
sitting in his place Of business with his
knees crossed and his arms folded, lots
OF sins are no temptation to me at all
and never have been I don't care for
drink and I never played game Of cards
in my life.
7 remember once. when was a medi-
cal student in Chicago. l went out one
evening with a crowd OF the fellows who
were going 10 make a night Of It. When
I started out had SO in my pocket and
wore one watch When got back had
$3.50 and eleven watches on me. I was
tho only one IN the lot that didn't drink,
and the fellows loaded me up one by one
as they felt themselves getting too full
for safety.
The open door OF the saloon is no
temptation 10 me. II some one asked me