Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1926-03-11


n waters edge, 1T Is indeed
a very strsage coincidence that the
Grsf pers0n yea are 10 bGptize Is the
$40 OF the man who killed your ia,
NAer,"
The MINISTER'S foot splashed Into
the water as he strobe forward A
thrill ran over his body As bresze
over still water and stirred his inner
calm. He moved his neck within the
soft collar band Ike Il man who would
breathe more freely.
There never lived better man
than your father. and the horror OF
his murder fingers with me yet the
deacon paused as If To blot out the
awful memory before he continued his
story.
Though without. the minister Se<m~e
calm enough; within, the words OF
the deacon had caused a mighty tn
mutt 1t WAS az il two great forces
were engaged in deadly conflict
The cid paths of response sought to
assert themselves, while the higher
ideals of recent origin struggled 10
gain supremacy II took all his power
to maintain calm exterior. Perhaps
had the deacon been more observing
he might have noted the failure on
the minister's part TO wholly suppress
the outward expression Of the strife
within, but he was altogether en-
.sst 4 .I., ~. IL
the relating Of them AS he pushed
himself along in the water a little in
advance of the minister.
The minister's father had been a
missionary 10 Burma, and had been
killed by an angry Burmese official
Since then the Burmese official had
died leaving an only son, who was the
idol of the people. The Son was now
old enough to fIl The vacancy left by
the death of his father, and 81 great
celebration was in preparation. He
had embraced the Christian faith and
today, with some other natives, was
to be baptized. He was the first to
he immersed, as his rank gave him
precedence over the others. The lit
tie group of Christians stood apart on
the bank OF the river.
II shall never forget your face
the deacon continued, when your
mother told you your father had been
killed--you just stared oh, here We
are"
The water swept up to the knees OF
the minister as he followed the dea,
con to the place indicated for the
solemn service; while Swayed by the
passion Of the deac0n's words. his
whole life flashed before him in few
brief pictures
First. he saw his early childhood
spent by his fathers side. full Of rich.
ness. beauty. and happiuess--trien the
awful wrench Ia his bOyhoOd when
his father was killed. Even now the
terrible grief that followed, that dried
his eyes, blanched his face and
gnawed its way into the very marrow
of his bones. folded itself about him
again with renewed force, and the
thirst for revenge, the thirst that had
eaten Its way all through his growing
years, came back. Then he remem
bered his vow; then, after another
lapse OF time. his mothers death in
America; after that, his conversion
his resolution for a new life--to take
up the work his father left off-this
he determined to do as a test of his
repentance forgiveness of the
crime-that henceforth his work
should be living monument to his
martyred father!
SO he stood in the water, his head
erect with a queer beating of his eye
lids Ever since his conversion he
had fought every inch of the way, the
long, long way, In the steady struggle
to overcome all thoughts of revenge
to sail to Burma until he was sure
he had conquered. Then a vivid pic
ture came when he had believed he
had broken the power Of the desire
to murder and the thirst that had
lain so close to his heart was slaked,
and he was thankful! But standing
there II awOke in him SO strong that
1t sang Ike itching music in his ears,
it Quickened a rush of blood to his
brain that sickened him and filled his
nostriis to suffocation. The anguish
of the cid frenzy was coming back,
holding him in terrOrized suspense
Drops of sweat sprang from every
pore In his body with the same i'm.
petus as the mad impulse that filled
his heart and brain, and blinded his
eyes b. the throng oil the rivers
bank, and dulled his ears to the sweet
voice of the singer that called the
young converts to the river. The
mon@rous call for murder came back
He managed to straighten himself up
ia last struggle of his deserving will
power. The horrible thirst was
awake Awake! Life was nothing
A beautiful youth stepped into the
water, and came slowly toward the
miniater His rich brown skin
Aeamed In the sunlight, his 1et-black
hair waved away from his brow, his
white teeth shone between his smil-
ing lips, his luminous brown eyes, up
lifted. were radiant with the Joy of
his resignation to a Christian faith.
He was clothed in white from neck to
ankle.
The minister stood erect, his arms
folded tight across his heaying chest.
his veins swelling as he looked at the
advancing, beautiful youth; but he
eaw only the son of the man who had
killed his father and FASTENED the
death of his mother. He turned b
Ithe deacon:
"You are sureT' he asked, hcarseay