New-York tribune., 1919-06-23
DR.. Malcolm James Mcleod
Puts Whole Effort Into
Comforting Heartbroken
Among His Congregation
Son Mysteriously Lost
His ''Songs of the Night"
Basedo ON His Own TRAGEDY.
Help Others in Distress

In the pulpit OF the historic Col
legiate Church Of St. Nicholas. at Fifth
Avenue and Forty-eighth Street. is n
pastor whose ministry Is unique in
these days of militant Christianity.
He is the Rev Malcolm James Mcleod,
His church is one of the hallowed
places OF the city, where those who
seem 20 find no comfort anywhere else
come away almost exalted Measured
by this test of his preaching. DR.. Nc
Iced stands as a man apart He said
recently that Ian Maclaren toward the
close Of his life made the statement
that II he were beginning his ministry
again he would make it more than
ever one of comfort.
In the last few years DR.. Mcleod
GEMS to have centred his every ef-
fort upon the injunction, Comfort We.
comfort ye, my people"
Because of the circumstances Of his
own recent sorrow his words have the
weight Of authority; they are born of
. soul struggle
Son Mysteriously Disappeared
HIS son entered the army to fight in
she world war. When his regiment
sached the port of embarkation the
on disappeared. The mystery of his
Ding has never been solved. Recently
ord came from France that the boy
aad been found in the expeditionary
forces. An exchange of ~cablegrams
failed to confirm the Identification and
led to the belief that the hoy might be
soldier who had previously been re-
ported dead. DR.. Mcleod and his wife,
III company with the mother Of the
soldier supposed to be dead, went to
the transport pier and there met the
-outh whom General Pershing had
Mt home. 1t turned out that the SOL
er came from the West. The grief of
Or. Mcleod was intensified.
Throughput his trial Dr.. Mcleod
centirued his preaching, pitching it in
key that reached to the hearts of
ether parents. So tender was the note
ne struck that he was asked to publish
his sermons, so that parents who could
not hear his voice might find comfort
IN his written words.
His Songs in the Night"
This is a passage from his little
volume called Songs in the Night:
Have you ever been lost in the maze
You are bewildered. You do not know
which way to go, which corner to turn
yoG have lost your bearings. Every
thing is inexplicable and puzzling.
Light is what you want and all is dark
ness. You wait for the word that never
comes. You look for the letter that the
postman never brings. Perhaps you
are standing by the bedside Of one
u love and life is fitting in the bal
--ce And the cruel anxiety drags
en- for days, for weeks. Oh. it is ter
rib.ei No anxiety is so nerve-wrack-
ing as the anxiety that is shrouded in
mystery. When you can understand
your trouble you are saved the torture
of the imagination, but when you can
not understand it it acts like an infec-
tion in the wound.
The saddest experience of to-day
is where family learns that their
rened? Nobody knows. Fancy plays
terrible havoc with the heart and sug-
gests all sorts of cruel possibilities
Application of Lessons
This was a statement of his own
heartache. Then followed his applica-
ton Of his own lesson to the yearnings
Of uncertainty" He said: God is the
God of the valley as we'll as of the
hilltop. To whom else can we turn
To whom shall we go? When we are
IN trouble we cry out to God. That
would seem to imply some connecting
link between US. Between the soul and
God there must surely be great deal
Ia common If there were not bond
Of affinity between US would we SO In
t1it.vely cry out for Him n the hour
o.: our deepest concern?
the Psalmist not only cried; he
tied and hoped and trusted. And
itlng does not simply mean being
ssive. 1t means that when a man
Is ne waits for the answer, waits
netirnes long time, and Is ready to
what the answer bids him. 4 waited
iently for the Lord; and ne inclined
% me, and heard my cry. He
'ught me up also out Of an horrible
out Of the miry clay, and set my
upon rock, and established my
'.ngs And he hath put new song
my mouth. even praise unto our
d. Then said 1, 10, come
the volume of the book it is writ