The Washington times., 1920-11-09
By Winston Churchill.
\ UT Of tho waters of the prole-
y tariat they fshed. assidu-
, ously, and benignly, but at


tariat they fished. assidu-
~ ously, and benignly, but at
random, strange specimens! Brought
them, as 1t were. blinking to the
Light, and held them by sheer strug-
cling. And sometimes, when they
slipped away, dived after them The
young curate. Mr.. Tomkinson. for
the most part did the diving; or. In
Sertptural language. the searching
after tho lost sheep.
The results accomplished seemed,
, indeed, as Mr.. Parr had remarked,
strangely disproportioDate to the
sfforts-for they labored abundant
+, ~. The Italian mothers appeared
stolidly appreciative of the altru-
ism of Miss Ramsey, who taught
the kindergarten, in taking their
charges or their hands for three
hours of q morning. and the same
might be said of the Jews and Ger
mans and Russians.
The newsboys enjoyed the gym
nasium and reading-rooms: some OF
them were drafted into the choir,
yet the singing OF 'Te Deums" failed
to accomplish the miracle of regen-
eration- The boys, as a rule, were
happier. no doubt; the new environ
But the rector was an idealist.
He strove hard to become their
best friend, and that Of the men:
20 win their confidence. and with a
considerable measure Of success.
On moro than one occasion he
threw aside his clerical coat and
put on boxing gloves. and he gave
q series Of lectures, with lantern
slides, collected during the six
months he had once spent in Eu-
rope. The Irish-Americans and the
Germans were the readiest to re-
spond. and these were for the most
part young workingmen and youths.
When they were out of a place he
would often run across them in the
reading-room or sitting among the
lockers beside the gymnasium, and
they would rise and talk to him
cordially and even Familiarity about
their. affairs They liked and
trusted him-on a tacit condition.
There was q boundary he might
not cross. And the existence of
that boundary did not seem to
trouble McCrae.
One night as he stood with his
assistant In the hall after the men
had gone, Holder could contain
himself no longer.
THE BIG QUESTION.
Look here, McCrae," he broke out,
"these men never come to church
or only 4 very few Of them"
.'No moro they do" Mccrae
agreed.
= "Why don't they?"
% 'Ye've asked them. perhaps"
Awe spoken to one or two OF
them" admitted the rector.
"And what do they tell you?"
Holder smiled.
"They don't tell me anything.
They dodge"
precisely" said McCrae.
Were not making Christians OF
them" said Holder. beginning to
walk up and down. "Why is it?"
"It's a big question"
'Tt is a big question. It's the
question of all questions, 1t seems
to me. The function Of the
Christians"
"Try to teach them religion"
said McCrae-he almost pronounced
1t releegion-"and see what hap
pens. Yell have no classes at all.
They only come, the best of them.
because ye let them alone that way,
and they get little decency and
society help. It's somewhat to keep
them out Of the dance halls and
saloons maybe"
ats not enough" the rector as
serted. you've had a great deal
of experience with them. And I
want to know why, in your view,
more of them don't come into the
church"
would we put Jimmy Flanagan
and Otto Bauer and Tony Baldas-
saro in Mr.. PARIS pew?." McCrae
inquired. with a slight flavor Of
irony that was not ill-natured. "Or
perhaps Mrs. Larrabbee would make
room for themT'
1--WE considered that, of course"
replied Holder. thoughtfully,
though he was a little surprised
that McCrae should haye mentioned
IL. "You think their reasons are