, 1923-04-15
"SOUZS FOR SALE"A Great Nove

AAtA L mIokG
in my haste. I repented my
hardness OF heart and bowed my
head in humble shame when I
read your angry reply. I had lost
your love and your admiration,
but that was deserved punish
ment for the idolatry that had
grown up in my heart toward
you; and for the mistakes 1
must have made in not giving
u erring daughter a better care.
But now 1t has pleased the
Lord to pour out the walls of his
wrath on my gray hairs. The old
mortgage on the church fell due
long ago but foreclosure had been
postponed from time to time.
We gave a beneht to pay 1t on,
but everybody was too poor to
respond. and 1t did not pay ex-
penses.
The manager of the motion. pic
ture house here offered to share
the profits on the showing of a
picture in which. ms he had the
fmpudence to tell me. my daugh-
ter played a part But while IL
would have drawn money for cur
iosity that would not have res
pended to a christian appeal. 1
felt that It would be a compound.
ing with evil. and ! put Satan be.
hind me and ordered the fellow
out of the house.
Then I made a desperate appeal
to our banker, Mr.. Seipp, and
he promised to do what he could
for US. But the other day his
bank was closed after a run upon
it. He had previously mortgaged
his house and sold his automo.
bile-the one that killed the poor
boy. Elwood Farnaby. whom you
will remember as one of our choir.
The banker was the only wealthy
member and with him failed our
last hope. The crops have been
poor and the hard times have af-
the local merchants so that
pew rents have not been paid and
the usual donations have been
withheld.
There were no conversions at
the last communion. Even the
baptisms and the weddings that
brought me an occasional little
fee have been wanting. .
The campaign we made to close
the motion picture houses on
Sunday was lost at the last eiec.
ton. We are fallen on evil days.
What small religious enthus-
iasm IS left in the town has been
drawn away TO other churches
where there are younger ministers
with more fashinable creeds and
fresher oratory. i have not been
spared, o~verhenring carelessly
cruel remarks that I was too old
to hold the pulpit any longer and
should give way to a fresher
mind; but I have not known
where else to go. as I have had
no calls from outside. And 1
could not-God forgive my vanity
i could not believe that 1 vas
yet too old to toll in the vineyard
of the Lord. I have endured
every other loss but that. and
new the vineyard is closed.
The curch is to be closed. We
had no fire in the stove last Sun
day and almost no worshIpers
were present. The sexton was Ill
and his graceless son refused 10
leave his bed.
What / shall do next or haw
take car of the little children
that stlll cling to u home. the
Lord has not yet told me in ans
wer to my prayers. I still have
faith that IN hfa r4%I 4tw.o H.
will provide n way or call his ser
want home. and I hope you will
not take this letter as a plea for
pity. 1t is only to explain to you
that II you should plan a return
TO the fold you will find the fold
a ruin. I could not even send
you the money for your railroad
fare.
There was a piece in the paper
saying hat the moving.picture
studios were also closing for lack
OF funds. and 7 wonder II my poor
daughter has been turned out
of the City of Pleasure in which
she elected to spend her life. The
rain falleth alike on the just and
the unjust.
My cup is full and running
over. but my chief dread is that
unhappiness and van may be
your portion as well as mine, and
that l shall fail you utterly after
providing so scantlly for you all
your days. I can only pray that
my fears are the result OF lone
liness and age and WEAKNESS.
1t has not been easy TO write
this, but it would have been dis
honest not to let you know. For
months I used to think. every
time 1 heard the train whistle;
Perhaps It brings my loved ones
home. For the last weeks I have
feared that It might. lest I should
have 10 welcome you to utter pow
erty. Even the oil IS wanting to
keep burning the lamp 1 used to
set in the window every evening.
And now may the Lord shield
you with his e~ver-present mercy.
or at least give us the strength
to understand that in all things
he knoweth best.
Your loving
HUSBAND.
As she read this letter and sa'
back Of the lines the heavy brows c
her old father. saw the bald spot oh
had stared at from the choir lof'
saw all tho sweet wrong-headednes
- fha veteran saint. Mems hear