The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1915-09-16
| puzzled.
No word came from Adam Carr.

Sunday was at hand. The Satur-
day Courier had the pros
gram for the services at the First Con-
gregational church. There was to be
a solo In the morning by the popular
Miss Smith, with flute and cello OBJ
lfgato. More wonderful still, a cello
solo during the collection" by the ia
nous Professor Parker, of Boston. In
n evening a song service, with q
short sermon by the minister, the Rev.
Mr.. King.
And all this in the First Congrega-
tional church Of Corinth. Horace Blag-
den'S church!
AT 1890 o'clock Mr.. Blagdon put on
his tall hat, took up his gold headed
cane and announced to the two Mid
thornes that it was time to be off to
church. Mrs. Blagden was not up to
1t, SO they were leaving her behind.
The bell hasn't rung yet, Uncle
Horace" observed Eric, who had been
waiting for the ~resounding peals OF
that well known summoner Of the
faithful.
Mr.. Kings orders. my dear boy"
SAID Horace as calmly as il the silence
ing OF that venerable and never fail
ing bell was the most trivial thing in
the world. He ~pondered a moment and
the added, with q queer little shake
of his head: "Mr. King Is really a hu-
man sort of a Christian. A sensible
one, L might say. Come along, please.
wv q I dILOTu 10 DC ldCS AFTER what
lie SAID at the board meeting las week"
He seemed nervous and quite anx-
ious to be off.
You see, my dears, there's a very
sick child across the street from the
church. Assesses in the ears, 1 under
stand. They've got tan bark along the
entire block. Last week I attended to
having the heavy teaming stopped on
that part Of the street. The child,s
mother informed Mr.. King that the
frightful Changing Of the church bell
almost set the little girl wild with pain.
So'-here he took a long breath-"Mr.
King promised her that-er, ahem-it
should not ring until the little sufferer
was quite fully recovered. Most I'M
usual. Most extraordinary. The bell
hasn't missed a service, morning or
night, in 60 years"
Good for Mr.. King" cried Mary.
He Is the right kind of a Christian.
| don't see why the foolish old thing
has to ring, anyway"
Mr.. Blagden looked hurt. really,
Mary, that isn't just the proper" He
caught himself up with one Of his rare
smiles, albeit was rather a shame faced
effort. Mr.. King did not put it In Just
that a my dear, but he was quite
convincing and-er, ahem-very posi-
tive, He said that If the members of
the First Congregational church did
not know the hours for service, 1t was
high time they were learning them. 1T
isn't necessary to ring a bell in order
to pet the people to the theater on time,
said he, SO why bring them to church
in that way. Really, he raj quite en-
phatic about 1T. Somehow, we agreed
with him. / believe it is his intention
to make note of the tardy ones today,
for-er, ahem-missionary purposes, as
he put it to the board"
Mr.. Blagden looked at his watch, and
accelerated his speed quite noticeably,
Eric and Mary could scarcely credit
their senses. Truly, a wonderful thing
had happened In Corinth. A new gos-
pei had supplanted the old. A rock
bound, .half-dead spirituality had been
shaker Into life by a process of en-
lightenment that was positively be-
wildering. An up to date minister,
with an up to date gospel, had COM
pletely upset the religious calculations
Of 100 years, and Corinth was sur
yiving the shockl
Eric could not help wondering how
long 1t would be before one Of the
great, progressive and covetous met
ropolitan congregations would extend
q call to this amazing Mr.. King-and
get him at a vastly increased salary,
with perhaps a pension for his wife
when he became too old to preach, or
1t got tired Of him and wanted a
change.
The new Congregationalism had at
last forced Its way into Corinth. It
had taken many years. / venture the
opinion that the First Congregational
church did more toward proving the
blindness of faith when it called Mr..
King than anything that has been lone
In the name or the history Of religion.
A congregation SO settled and stead
fast In Its ways could not have ac-
complished a transition SO complete as
this except by accident. Mr.. King was
truly an accident, quite as much of an
accident as the stroke of Hphtninr