River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1915-12-23
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ByGT0RGf RANDOLPH QI[ST[R.
and LILLIAN CHESTER w.
3 $. :5s:s ILLUSTRATED &~CDR1ODES /,
I92 3. 81 ILLUSTRATED NCDRTIODES


rected Rufus Manning, turning to
Chisholm with sharpness in his deep
blue eyes. IF you will remember, l
told you this same thing before Doc
tor Boyd came to US. l have waited
ever since his arrival for him to de-
velop to this point, and l wish to an
nounce myself as solidly supporting
his views"
Your own will not bear inspec-
tom" charged Clark, turning to Man
ming with scowl
'Ill range up at the judgment seat
with you" famed Manning. Were
both old enough to think about that"
Joseph G. Clark jumped to his feet
and, leaning across the table. shook
thin forefinger at Manning.
Il have been attacked enough on the
point of my moral standing!" he de-
clared, his high-pitched nasal voice
quavering with an anger he had held
below the explosive point during the
most of his life. II can stand the at
lacks of a sensational press, but when
spiteful criticism follows me into my
own vestry, almost in the sacred
shadow Of the altar itself, I am COM
PEELED to protest! l wish to state to
this vestry, once and for all, that my
moral status is above reproach, and
that my conduct has been such as to
receive the commentator Of my Ma
ker! Because it has pleased Divine
- 81 t. ,I~ 4In
distribution OF the grain Of the fields,
am constantly subject to the attacks
Of envy and malice 1t has gone SO
far that |, last night, received from
Rev. Smith Boyd, request to resign
from this vestry!" He paused in tri-
umph on that, as if he had made
against Rev. Smith Boyd a charge of
such CHASTITY infamy that the young
rector must shrivel before his eyes.
Il have led blameless life. / have
never smoked nor drunk! | have paid
every penny | ever owed and fulfilled
every promise | ever made. | have
obeyed the gospel and partaken of the
sacraments, and the Divine Being has
rewarded me abundantly! He has
chosen me, because Of my faithful
stewardship, TO gather the food Of
earth from it's sources and feed it to
the mouths of the hungry; and i shall
not depart from my stewardship in
this church, because | am here, as
am everywhere, by the will of Cod"
Perhaps W. T. Chisholm was not
shocked by this blasphemy. but the
dismay of it sat on every other face,
even on that of Nicholas Van Ploon,
who was compelled to dig deep to find
his ethics.
''You Internal old thief" wondered
Manning, recovering from his amaze
ment "Was 1t Divine Providence
which directed you to devise the
scheme whereby the railroads paid
you two dollars rebate on every car
Of wheat you shipped, and a dollar
bonus on every car of wheat your com
petitors shipped? ! could give you
string of sins as long as the catechism
and you dare not deny one Of them,
because | can prove them on you! And
yet you have the effrontery to say
that a Divine Providence would estab-
lish you in your monopoly, by such
scoundrelly means as you have risen
to become the greatest dispenser of
self-advertising charities in the world!
You propose to ride into heaven on
your universities and your libraries
and on the fact that you never smoked
nor drank nor swore nor gambled;
but when you come face to face with
this horrible new god you have Gre
ated, a deity who would permit you
to attain wealth by the vile methods
YOU have used, you will find him with
a pitchfork in his hands! l am glad
that Doctor Boyd, though knowing
your vindictive record, has had brav-
cry enough to demand your reSigna-
ton from this vestry! / hope he re-
ceives it,"
Joseph G. Clark had remained
standing. and his head shook, as with
palsy. while he listened to the charge
Of Manning He was very old man,
and it had been quite necessary for
him to restrain his passions through
out his life.
You will go first" he shouted at
Manning Il am impregnable; but
you have no business on this vestry!
You can be removed at any time an
examination is ordered, for / have
heard you, we have all heard you,
deny the immaculate conception, and
thereby the divinity Of Christ, in
whom alone there is salvation!"
A hush like death fell on the vestry.
Rev. Smith Boyd was the first to
break the CHASTITY silence.
Gentlemen" said he, Il do not
think that we are in mood today for
further discussion. suggest that we
adjourn"
His voice seemed to distract the at
tention of Clark from Manning. at
whom he had been glowering He
turned on Rev. Smith Boyd the re-
mainder of the wrath which marked
his first break into senility.
las for you'll" he snarled, you will