The Dolores star., 1924-11-14
Aged Minister
and the Crime
of His Youth
BY GEORGE MUNsoN
tftfFJ-j-tI.El4l

w. 1874. Western Newspaper Union
The Rev. Jed Williams sat in his
- eAair inside the tiny living room of
'"e parsonage, his wife by his side
"nu neither spoke for long time. AT
'"st tie Old man raised his head
Thy sins will find thee ont =, h..
,hufinured. well, Eliza, this means
Elmer" ou' vi
Jed Williams was ffty-fve. Five
anu thirty years before he had acci.
dentaiiy killed man. led was twn
months In prison; then he was found
Euity OF minor degree of man
slaughter and Imprisoned one month
longer
when he came out he began to study
'or tle ministry. Because he had
hiiled a man, he resolved to devote his
NE 10 saving men. He went to "A dis
'""' stare where he was unknown,
anu obtained Il pastOrship there. II
was there he met and wooed his first
ana only sweetheart. Before he asked
"ef Ia be his wife he told her the
story.
Two years later man who had
known Williams came to the town.
The story became public property. A
majority Of the congregation of the
FIRST church stood by him, but he re-
signed rather than cause a split.
Again lie started life anew, again
the story came to light Again he be-
gan in country parsonage. +
His seven years at Kingston had
passed uneventfuIly, and then followed
the three ut Elmer They were grow
ing old now; earnestly they prayed
that the secret might be allowed to
remain in its grave.
Then, the day before, a man of the
old Chicago congregation, who was Wis.
iting Elmer, had met Williams on the
street. In the mans embarrassed
looks and hesitating words the parson
read. not only the remembrance of his
secret, but the fact that he had al
ready made 1t public property.
Jed suggested his wife, don't you
suppose that if-if you hadn't resigned
from all those posts so precipitOusly
the people would have stood by you?'
He shook his head mOurnfully. at
may be-" he answered, but / couldn't
| be the cause of differences among my
people. No, my dear. we must leave
Elmer. Only there Is something to be
done first"
Yes, Jed dear"
The old man rose and stood before
her; fire burned beneath the patient
humility of his bearing.
Hitherto, my dear, | have-well
run away" he said. But this time
am going TO make my confession be
| fore God and to my people"
"Jed Not after all these years.
"WOuld that | had done so many
years ago" he answered.
Fortunately. for his resolution that
| day was Saturday. On the next morn
| ing the church was packed as ii had
never been since the beginning of vii
| llams' ministry. His wife, seated in
her new, could see the staring, eager
interest upon the faces of all. There
was Frances Minturn, the gossip OF
the town. the deacOn's wife; she had
plagued her constantly with her ques'
tioning. And there was Della James
the spinster sister of Peter James, the
trustee both of them sat wide awake
in their pews and apparently scentine
| something in the air.
The sermon began. 1t was said
afterward by those who recalled IL
that it was the best sermon Jed WIZ
liams had ever preached. But httle re-
membrance of that remained when the
sneaker, changing his tone to one OF
intense conviction, added:
"And now, friends, I have to make
clear to you some personal hhstor!
Years ago. when l was n boy, kliieo
n man I served term of imprison
ment for 1t. When ! came out re-
solved to devote my life to the service
of men, and thus to make atonement
il that were possible.
az went from pulpit to pulpit, ne
continued leach time thinking that
could live down the past. But there IL
only one way of living down the pasl
and that is by humbly confessing one
fauIts. not only to God, but TO one
felIowman. / should never nave
found the strength to do TINS todas
nod T not had reason to believe tha'
moo more nv old sin had come t'
ught But now before | go, before
Iaava Elmer forever, want to maE'
his explanation to you, my trlehus
trusting that you will pardon me u
rorr hearts and be mercitul I" o'''
who sorely needs mercy. -,
So saying, he stepped down from ''''
,u,uit and prepared to leave.
His wife was waiting for nun II, u"
,hurch door as they passed our a'on'
.nt,nd the silent congregation sh'
D,,nned her arm through his. Ihei
18th became aware that a throns o
noon,e was awaiting them, and a. ,n'
p,oa stood Frances Minturn and fete
Iames The latter advanced ana '"oi
| - a., tho hand.