Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1912-02-06
DAN MATTHEWs-QUITTER

Dan Matthews was a gutter. He
was looking for some excuse to get
out of the ministry Rev. Edgar w
Miles in sermon on The Calling
of Dan Matthews" at Presbyterian
church Sunday night.
The world hates a gutter. To-
cal litertary critic, who is not a
churchman, in conversation with
Rev. Miles last week, voiced the opin-
ion that Dan Matthews had a big
yellow streak in him"
That's the popular view of a quit
ter--quitters and yellow streaks are
inseparable. There is no excuse for
the gutter.
The Observer doesn't propose at
this time to attempt any criticism of
Harold Bell Wright's enhancing
story, nor it will deny or affirm the
right of Dan Matthews to give up
the ministry, once he had entered
upon it, Taking the broader posi-
tiOn that Dan Matthews, having en-
tered the ministry, found customs
and things inside the church not to
his liking, things which he could not
condone or excuse, he had, we sup
pose, a perfect right to quit. But
the world doesn't expect a clergyman
to give up his calling under such a
plea If he finds manners and GUS
toms in his church which are not
i'm accord with his ideas of religious
work, it lis his business to institute
reforms even though his congrega-
tion, firmly entrenched in the usages
of long years of habit, shall look un-
favorably upon his methods.
The Observer does not believe that
a gutter ever scored a success in this
world. But how many of this species
we see in our every day life. Men
who have adopted some calling or
profession and who are anxious to
get out of it. Inatheir zeal to quit
they exaggerate every possible flaw
and transform it into an excuse for
leaving the profession. They see diff
iiculties ahead but, rather than face
them like men, and overcome them
by strength of their characters, they
side step the issue and become quit |
ters. They are towards, They fail TO .
meet the test and their yellow streaks |
are seen at glance.
Friends of Harold Bell Wrights |
hero declare that there was nothing
else for Dan Matthews to do. lie
could not successfully represent the
Master in that village i'm the Ozark
hills, nor teach his Word to the peo-
pie when his heart was not in SYM
pathy with the customs and manners
that surrounded him The writer
must frankly confess that he hasn't
read this celebrated book and hence
speak from his own knowl- /
edge but it appears that IL the cler-
syman really loved his work, and was
mindful of the good that he might
To- his proper course would have \
been TO overcome the difficulties he !
ound In his pathway. Speaking of :
he clergyman in fiction we recall
he difficulties that surrounded Thom- q
Is Nelson's Pages hero in John q
Marvel, Assistant" But John wasn't $
quitter. He faced innumerable OBJ j
tacles and saw all the hypocrisy and u
he llttleness Of life both inside and d
outside the church, yet he persever- f
d. and surmounted every obstacle J.
nd. through a life consecrated To the q
iaster's work, he grew stronger day a
~ day and did much to overthrow q
he Objectionable features which he s.
ound In his religious life. lie was "
infused with his calling and. mind e
al OF the good that he might do.
nd of the opportunities which sur
ounded him John Marvel steadfastly $
dhered 90 his ideals and made the W
orld brighter and better FOR his r,
aving lived I'm 10. nj
The moral We find IN this story C.,
in the position which we take al
hereto. is. do not be a gutter. stick a
whatever YOU undertake and II u.
hculues appear. overcome them. OF
on can De true 90 yourself and your N,
anhood In no other way. In
Remember the world hates a quit "a
r. n,