Pittston Gazette

              0: V A - lie WW. ===  1 Oldest Newspaper li 1 1 iil OF HI On 1 'C ► • mmm • • mmam • C : OK By REV. CHARLE8 M. SHEk C m ; Author of "la Hia Stop*: What Would Jaaru Xirk," "Robert Hardy's Seven D»jr»,' 1 N ► 4n\ C ►: * Copyright, 1899, by The Adtxmc* PubUMng CHAPTER IY. I  Pursuing the plan be bad originally I 8 the Wvomine Vallev PITTSTON, LUZERNE COUNTY, PA., FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1900. A Weekly Local and Family Journal. J»1 OOaYaftr , to AdTUN, we noia aear id cnnrcn, none ana state. I know there are honest business men who have long writhed In secret at the Ignominy of the halter about their necks by which they have been led. There are citizens who have the best Interests of the community at heart who have hung their heads in shame of American politics, seeing this brutal whisky element dictating the government of the towns and parceling out thffelr patronage and managing their fundi and enormous stealings of the people's money. I know there are church members who have felt In their hearts the deep shame of bowing the knee to this rum god In order to make advancement in political life. And I call on all these today to rise with me and begin a fight against the entire saloon business and whisky rule in Milton until by the help of the Lord of Hosts we have got us the victory. Men, women, brothers, sisters in the great family of God on earth, will you sit tamely down and worship the great beast of this country? Will you not rather gird your swords upon your thighs and go out to battle against this blasphemous Philistine who has defied the armies of the living God? I have spoken my message. Let us ask the Wisdom and power of the Divine to lie sentiment for once condemned the source of the cowardly attempt to murder."Well, Mr. Strong, I have got the man, and here be Is," said the officer, wondering what Philip could want of him. "I ran him down In the 'crow's nest* below the mills, and_ g- pped him into a hack and drov it up here with him. And a  specimen he is, I can tell yon! Take off your hat and let the gentleman have another look at the brave chap who fired at him In ambush." Wednesday of that week he was surprised in an unexpected manner by an event which did more than anything else to hasten his recovery. He was still confined to bed down stairs when in the afternoon the bell rang, and Mrs. Strong went to the door, supposing it was one of the church people come to inquire about the minister. She found instead Alfred Burke, Philip's old college chum and seminary classmate. Mrs. Strong welcomed him heartily, and In answer to his eager inquiry concerning Philip's condition she brought him into the room, knowing her patient quite well and feeling sure the sight of his old chum would do him more good than harm. The first thing Alfred said was: be said. And so Philip limped Into his Pulpit the third Sunday of the month and preached on a general theme, to the disappointment of a great crowd almost as large as the last one he had faced. And yet his very appearance was a sermon In Itself against the institution he had held up to public condemnation on that occasion. His knee wound proved very stubborn, and he limped badly. That in Itself spoke eloquently of the dastardly attempt on his life. His face was pale, and he had grown thin. His shoulder was stiff, and the enforced quietness of his delivery contrasted strangely with his customary tieT appearance on the platform. Altogether that first Sunday of his reappearance in his pulpit was n stronger sermon against the saloon than anything he could have spoken or written. men. Let me illustrate. er witn tne common people, toia ine' story of his night vigils with the Christ he adored. "Take, for example, the case of the Sunday paper as it pours into Milton every Sunday morning on the special newspaper train. Now, there may not be anything in the contents of the Sunday papers that is any worse than can be found In any weekday edition. Granted, for the sake of the illustration, that the matter found in the Sunday paper is just like that in the Saturday issue—politics, locals, fashion, personals, dramatic and sporting news, literary articles by well known writers, fatality, etc., anywhere from 20 to 40 pages—an amount of reading matter that will take the average man a whole forenoon to read. Various rumors were flying about. It was said that Mr. Strong had been stabbed in the back while out making parish calls In company with his wife and that she bad been wounded by a pistol shot herself. It was also said that he had been shot through the heart and Instantly killed. But all these confused reports were finally set at rest when those calling at the parsonage brought away the exact truth. It was at this particular time that av special event occurred which put ita' mark on Philip's work in Milton and became a part of its web and woof, ak" hard thing to tell, but necessary to re-' late as best one may. He came home late one evening from1 church meeting, letting himself into' the parsonage with his night key, and,' not seeing his wife in the sitting room, where she was in the habit of  and sewing, he walked on into the' small sewing room, where she sometimes sat at special work, thinking to find her there. She was not there, and Philip opened the kitchen door and Inquired of the servant, who sat there1 reading, where hla wife was. "I think she went up stairs a little" while ago," was the reply. Philip went at once up stairs Into hla* study and to his alarm found that his wife had fainted. She lay on the floor in front of his desk. As Philip stooped to raise her he noticed two pieces of paper, one of them addressed to The' Preacher" and the other to "The Preacher's Wife." They were anonymous scrawls, threatening the lives of the minister and his wife. On his desk, driven deep Into the wood, was a large knife. Then said Philip with a prayer, "Verily an enemy hath done this." DON, Dor "Xftloom Etc. The officer Bpoke almost brutally, forgetting for a moment that the prisoner's hands were manacled. Remembering it the next Instant, be pulled off the man's hat, while Philip looked calmly at the feature*. Yes, it was the same hideous, brutal face, with the harelip, which had shone up in the rays of the street lamp that night There was no mistaking it for any other. The first shot fired by the man from behind the tree struck Philip in the knee, but the ball glanced off. He felt the blow and staggered, but his next Impulse was to rush in the direction of the sound and disarm his assailant. That was the reason he had leaped Into the street. But the second shot was better aimed, and the bullet crashed Into his upper-arm and shoulder, shattering the bone and producing an exceedingly painful, though not fatal, wound. CA ' A- , a terrible commentary on the boasted Christianity of the century. (Ike a travesty or tree "I say, granted all this vast quantity of material Is harmless in itself to moral life, yet here is the reason why it seems to me Christ would, as I am doing now, advise this church and the people of Milton to avoid reading the Sunday paper, because it forces upon the thought of the community the very same things which have been crowding in upon it all the week and in doing this necessarily distracts the man and makes the elevation of his spiritual nature exceedingly doubtful or difficult. I defy any preacher In this town to make much Impression on the average man who has come to chnrch saturated through and through with 40 pages of Sunday newspaper— "Old man, I hardly expected to see you again this side of heaven. How does It happen that yon are alive here after all the times the papers have had you killed?" mapped oat when be came to Milton, be spent much of his time tn the afternoons studying the social and civic life So when he walked Into the pulpit the first Sunday of the month be felt his message burning In bis heart andi on his 11 pe as never before. It seemed' beyond all Question that if Christ was pastor of Calvary church he would speak out In plain denunciation of the whisky poWta. And so, after the opening part of the service, Philip rose to speak, facing an immense audience that overflowed the galleries and in- "Why did you want to kill me?" asked Philip after a significant pause. "1 never did yon any harm." When the first Sunday in the next month came on, Philip was more like his old self. He had gathered strength enough to go around two Sunday afternoons and note for himself the desecration of the day as It went on recklessly. As he saw it all It seemed to him that the church in Milton was practically doing nothing to stop the evil. All the ministers complained of the difficulty of getting an evening congregation. Yet hundreds of young people walked past all the churches every Sunday night, bent on pleasure, going to the theaters or concerts or parties, which seemed to have no trouble in attracting the crowd. Especially was this trne of the foreign population, the working element connected with the mills. It was a common occurrence for dog fights, cock fights and shooting matches of various kinds to be going on in the tenement district on Sunday, and the police seemed powerless or careless In the matter. of the town. As the first Sunday of the next movtb drew near, when be was to speak again on the attitude of Christ to some aspect of modern society, be determined to select the saloon as one of the prominent features of modern life that would naturally be noticed by Christ and doubtless be de• • ■ • C* "I would like to kill all the cursed preachers," replied the man hoarsely. "Bad marksmanship principally. I used to think 1 was a big man. But after the shooting I came to the conclusion that I must be rather smalL" The shock caused Philip to fall, and he fainted away, but not before the face of the man who bad shot him was clearly stamped on his mind. He knew that he was one of the saloon proprietors whose establishment Philip bad visited the week before. He was a man with a harelip, and there was no mlataking his countenance. "You confess, then, that you are the man who fired at me. do you?" "Your heart is so big it's a wonder to me that you weren't shot through It, no matter where you were hit. But I tell you It seems good to see you In the flesh once more." "1 don't confess anything. What are you talking to me for? Take me to the lockup If you're going to!" the man exclaimed fiercely, turning to the offi eer. " vaded the choir aad even sat upon the pulpit platform. Such a %rowd bad never been seen in Calvary church before. ' Philip's prayer was almost painful In Its intensity of feeling and expression. The audience sat In deathly silence, and when he pronounced the amen of the benediction It was several moments before any one stirred to leave the church. "Why didn't you come and preach for me last Sunday?" asked Philip «m!zzleally. thing which he had never dose e, and then only after very much sraAlon and prayer. He went Into iloons themseflfes on different celt. He had never done such a before. He wanted to know from When the people of Milton learned that Philip was not fatally wounded, their excitement cooled a little. A wave of Indignation, however, swept over the town when it was learned that the would be murderer was recognized by the minister, and It was rumored that he had openly threatened that be would "fix the cursed preacher so that he would not be able to preach again." "Philip." cried his wife, turning to him with a gesture of appeal, "semi them away! It will do no good to talk to this man!" 1 C Philip had not announced his subject, bat there vu an expectation on the part of many that he wai going to denounce the aaloon. In the two months that be had been preaching in Milton be bad attracted great attention. His audience this morning represented a great many different kinds of people Some came out of curiosity. Others came because the crowd was going that way. So It happened that Philip faced a truly representative audience of Milton people. As his eye swept over the house be saw four of "Why, haven't you hearu? I did not get news of the affair until last Saturday in my western parish, and I was just In the throes of packing up to come on to Elmdale." that Is, supposing the man who has read that much is In a frame of mind to go to church. But that is not the point. It is not a question of press versus pulpit The press and the pulpit are units of our modern life which ought to work hand in hand. And the mere matter of church attendance might not count if it was a question with the average man whether he would go to church and hear a dull sermon or stay at home and read au Interesting newspaper. That is not the point. The point is whether the day of rest and worship shall be like every other day; whether we shall let our minds go right on as they have been going, to the choking up of avenues of spiritual growth and religious service. Is it right for us to allow in Milton the occurrence of baseball games and Sunday racing and evening theaters? How far Is all this demoralizing to our better life? What would Christ say, do you think? Even supposing he would advise this church to take and read the big Sunday daily sent in on the special Sunday train that keeps a small army of men at work and away from all Sunday privileges; Philip raised bis hand in a gesture toward the man that made every onC in the room feel a little awed. Th« officer, in speaking of It afterward said: "I tell you. boys. I never fel quite the same except once, when tbold Catbolic priest stepped up on tb platform with old man Gower time hi was banged at Millville. .Somehow then I felt as if, when the priest raised his band *nd began to pray, maybe we might all be glad to have some one pray for us If we get into a tight Rjace." CHAPTER VII. The anonymous letters, or rather scrawls, which Philip found by the side of his unconscious wife as he' stooped to raise her np read as follows: Preacher—Better pack op and leave. HQ ton la not big enough to hold jou alive. Take warning !■ time. Preacher*! Wile—Aa long aa you atajr in Hilton then ia danger of two funeral*. Dynamite killa women a* well ai men. Philip sat by the study lounge holding these scrawls in his hand as 1" ' wife recovered from her fainting after he had applied restoratives. I heart was filled with horror at 1 thought of the complete cow which could threaten the life of nocent woman. There was wit] feeling of intense contempt of childish, dime novel methods C timidation as that of sticking a iiito the study desk. If it ha been for its effect on his wife, : would have laughed at the thing. As it was, he was and alarmed that she r ' actual knowledge what sort of places the saloons were. What he saw after • dozen visits to as qpany different groggeries added fuel to the flame of Indignation that burned already hot In him. The sight of the vast army of men turning into beasts in these dens created in him a loathing and 1 hatred of the whole iniquitous institution that Philip went home completely exhausted. He had put into his sermon all of himself and had called up all bis reserve power—a thing he was not often guilty of doing and for which be condemned himself on this occasion. But It was past, and he could not recall It He waa not concerned as to the results of his sermon. He had long believed that If he spoke the message God gave him he was not to grow anxious over the outcome of it "Elm dale?" "Yes; I've had a call there. So we shall be neighbors. Mrs. Burke is up there now getting the house straightened out, and } came right down here." Philip, however, felt more full of fight against the rum devil than ever. As be lay on the bed the morning after the shooting be had nothing to regret or fear. The surgeon bad been called at once, as soon as his wife and the alarmed neighbors bad been able to carry him into tbe parsonage. The ball had been renioved and the wounds dressed. By he had recovered somewhat from the effects of the operation and was resting, although very weak from the shock and suffering considerable pain. "So you are pastor of the Chapel Hill church? It's a splendid opening for a young preacher. Congratulations, Alfred." language failed to express. He wondered with unspeakable astonishment In bis soul that a civilized community In the nineteenth century would tolerate for one moment the public sale of an article that led, on the confession of society Itself, to countless crimes against the law of the land and of God. His Indignant astonishment deepened All this burned into Philip like molten metal, and when he faced bis people on the Sunday which was becoming a noted Sunday for them he quivered with the earnestness and thrill which always come to a sensitive man when he feels sure he has a sermon which must be preached and a message which the people must hear for their lives. tbe six members of his church who were up for office at the coming elec- "Thank you, Philip. By the way, I saw by tbe paper that you bad declined a call to Elmdale, so I suppose they pitched on me for a second choice. You never wrote me of their call to you," he said, a little reproachfully. But tbe people of Milton were deeply stirred by tbe address. They were not In tbe babit of bearing that kind of preaching. And what waa more, tbe "Whisky element was roused. It was not In the habit of having its authority attacked in that bold, almost savage manner. For years its sway bad been undisturbed. It bad Insolently established Itself in power until even those citizens who knew its thoroughly evil character were deceived into the belief that nothing better than licensing it was possible. Tbe idea that the saloon could be banished, removed, driven out altogether., had never before been advocated in Milton. Tbe conviction that whether it could be it ougbt to be suppressed had never gained ground with any number of people. Tbey bad endured It as a necessary evil. Philip's sermon, therefore, fell something like a bomb Into tbe whisky camp. Before night tbe report of the sermon had spread all over the town. Tbe saloon men were enraged. Ordinarily tbey would have paid no attention to anything a church or a preacher might say or do. But Philip spoke from tbe pulpit of tbe largest church in Milton. The whisky men knew that if the large churches should all unite to fight them tbey would make It very uncomfortable for them and In the end probably drive them out Philip went home that Sunday night after the evening service with several bitter enemies. Tbe whisky men contributed one element. Some Philip spoke directly to tbe man, whose look fell beneath that of the minister. tion In two weeks. For an btfbr Philip spoke as he had sever spoken In all his life before. His subject, the cause it represented, the immense audience, the entire occa- "You know well enough that you are the man who shot me Tuesday night. I know you are the man. for I saw your face very plainly by the light of the street lamp. Now, all that I wanted to see you here for before you were taken to jail was to let you know that 1 do not bear any hatred toward you. The thing you have done Is against the law of God and man. The injury you have Inflicted upon me Is very slight compared with that against your own loul. Oh. my brother man, why should you try to harm me because I denounced your business? Do you not know In your heart of beuru mat the suloon Ws so evfl in Its effects that a man who loves his home and his country must speafc out against It? And yet I love you. That is possible because you are human. Oh, my Father," Philip continued, changing his appeal to the man by an almost natural manner into a petition to tbe Infinite, "make this soul dear to thee, to behold thy love for him, and make him see that it is not against me, a mere man, that he has sinned, but against thyself—against the purity and holiness and affection! Oh. my God, thou who didst come In tbe likeness of sinful men to seek and save that which was lost, stretch out tbe arms of thy salvation now to this child and save him from himself, from bis own disbelief, his hatred of me or of what I have said! ThotrUrt" all merciful and all loving. We leave all souls of men In the protecting, Infolding embrace of thy boundless compassion and Infinite mercy." "It didn't occur to me," replied Philip truthfully. "But how are you going to like It? Isn't It rather a dull old place?" yet more, if that were possible, when he found that the license of $500 a year for each saloon was used by the town to support the public school system. That, to Philip's mind, was an awful sarcasm on Christian civilization. It seemed to him like setting a man poison according tt Swr and then taking the money from the sale to help slon caught him up in a genuine burst of eloquent fury, and his sermon swept through the house like a prairie fire "What is that stain on the floor, Sarah?' be asked as his wife came in with some article for his comfort Philip lay where he could see into the other room. He took for a text Christ's words, "The Sabbatb was made for man," and at once defined Its meaning as a special day. driven by a high gale. At the close be spoke of the power of the church compared with the saloon and showed how easily it could win the victory against any kind of evil If it were only united and determined. "Yes, I suspect It Is, compared with Milton. I suppose you couldn't live without the excitement of dodging as- "The true meaning of our modern Sunday may be summed up In two words—rest and worship. Under the head of rest may be gathered whatever is needful for the proper and healthful recuperation of one's physical and mental powers, always regarding not simply our own ease and comfort, but also the same right to rest on the part of the remainder of the community. D"4er the head of worship may be gathered all those facta which, either through distinct religious service or work or thought, tend to bring men Into closer and dearer relation to spiritual life, to teach men larger, sweeter truths of existence and of God and leave them better fitted to take up the duties of everyday business. "It is your blood, Philip," replied his wife, with a shudder. "It dripped like a stream from your shoulder as we carried you in last night Ob, Philip, it Is dreadful! It seems to me like an awful nightmare. Let us move away from this terrible place. You will be killed If we stay here." thing be ] and as bo be listeneC "Men and women of Milton, fathers, mothers and cltisens," he said, "this even supposing he would say It was all right to sell fruit and cigars and meat on Sunday and perfectly proper for church members to those things on that day, what would Christ say was the real meaning and purpose of this day In the thought of the Divine Creator when he made the day for mail? "I cannot conceive that he would say anything else than this to the people of this town and this church: He would say It our duty to make this day different from all other days in the two particulars of rest and worship. He would say that we owe it to «■*_ i.i .a •  to purchase mourning. It i ghastly as that would be. t to see some of the other i, hoping to unite them In a d attack on the saloon power, id to him that if the church as s entered the crusade against i it could be driven out even an, where it had been so long d. To his surprise, he found churches unwilling to unite e battle against whisky men. f the ministers openly deense as the only practicable dealing with the saloon. Alt Dnf eased It was evil, and only under the circumstances would do little good to aglsubject Philip came away i several Interviews with the minis sad and sick at heart i approached several qt the proml- n m evil is one which cannot be driven oat anlen the Christian people of this place unite to condemn It and fight it regardless of results. It Is too firmly established. It has Its clutch on business, the municipal life, and even the church itself. It is a fact that the churches in Mil too have been afraid to take the right stand in this matter. Members of the churches have become involved in the terrible entanglement of the long established rum power, until today you witness a condition of IffMrs which ought to stir the righteous Indignation of every citizen and father. What is ft you are enduring? An institution which blasts with its poisonous breath every soul that enters It, which ruins young manhood, which kills more citizens in times of peace than the most bloody war ever slew In times of revolution; an institution that is established for the open and declared purpose of getting money from the people by the sale of stuff that creates criminals; an Institution that robs the honest worklngman of his savings and looks with indifference on the tears of the wife, the sobs of the mother; an Institution that never "There Isn't much danger If the rest of 'em are as poor shots as this fellow," replied Philip. "Now, little woman," he went on cheerfully, "don't worry. I don't believe they'll try It again." Mrs. Strong controlled herself. She did not want to break down while Philip was In his present condition. "You must not talk," she said as she smoothed his hair back from the pale forehead. "Now, It Is plain to me that If Christ were here today and pastor of Calvary church he would feel compelled to say A Si but "That's pretty hard on a preacher, don't you think, Sarah? My occupation Is gone If I can't talk." some very plain words about the desC cration of Sunday in Milton. TakC for example, the opening of the frui stands and cigar stores and meat mai kets every Sunday morning. What i the one reason why these places at open this very minute while I ai "Then 1*11 talk for two. They say that moat women can do that." "I hardly txpetied to tee you again." sasslns and murderers every time you go out to jjrayer meeting or make parish calls. How do you like your work so far?" "Will you preach for me next Sunday T* "What, and make myself"a*farget for saloon keepers? No, thank you. I have half a mind to forbid you ever preaching again. It will be the death of you." ; he \n ru speaking? There is only one reasonso that the owners of the places may sell their goods and make money. They are not satisfied with what they can make six days in the week. Their greed seizes on the one day which ought to be used (or the rest and worship men need and turns that also into a day of merchandise. Do we need any other fact to convince us of the terrible selfishness of the human heart? ; In a form prominent /•n un- "There is plenty of it," answered Philip gravety. "A minister must be made of cast iron and fire brick in order to stand the wear and tear of these should stop, so as to give possible, every seven days day of rest and communion said: Strong, you will rain your i here If yon attack the saloons savage manner, and I'll tell yon ! "he whisky men held a tremeniflnence in Milton In the mattei; deal power. The city election off the middle of next month, efi up for office are dependent rtion on the vote* of the saloon id their following. Yon will cut ead off sure if you come oat ; them in public. Why, there's - and so on (he named half a nen) In your church who are up d© In the coming election. Thej « elected without the votes of nmies, and l~- thing better than the * "It is the life of me, Sarah. I would not ask anything better than to die with the armor on, fighting evil. Well, all right I won't talk any more. I suppose there's no objection to my thinking a little 7** There was a moment of entire quiet In the room, and then Philip said faintly: "Sarah, 1 cannot say more. Only tell the man I bear him no hatred and commend him to the love of God." with the using. { times in which we live. I'd like a week to trade ideas with you* and talk over the work, Alfred." church and the church me Christian everywhere she his power to make the gives one cent of its "You'd get the worst of the bargain." '* "1 don't know about that I'm not doing any thinking lately. But now, as we're going to be only 50 miles apart, what's to binder an exchange once in awhile?" powerful, useful, restful. to build churches, colleges or homes for the needy; an institution that has thai brand of the murderer, the harlot, the gambler burned into it with a brand of the devil's own forging in the furnace of his hottest helL This institution so rules and governs this town of Milton today that honest citizens tremble before it, business men dare not oppose It for fear of losing money, church members fawn before it In order to gain (dace In politics, and ministers of the gospel confront Its hideous Influence and say nothing! It is high time we faced this monster of Iniquity and drove It out of the stronghold it has occupied so long. Mrs. Strong was alarmed at Philip's appearance. The scene had been too much for his strength. She hastily commanded the officer to take his prisoner away and with the help of her friend cared for the minister, who, after the first faintness, rallied and then gradually sank Into sleep that proved more refreshing than any he had yet enjoyed since the night of the shooting. 24 hours, looked forward-to with i "Thinking is the worst thing you can do. Tou Just want to lie there and do nothing but get welL" ant longing by little children and "Or take the case of the saloons. What right have they to open their doors in direct contradiction to the town ordinance forbidding it? And yet this ordinance is held by them in such contempt that this very morning as I came to this church I passed more than half a dozen of these sections of hell, wide open to any poor sinning soul that might be enticed therein. Citizens of Milton, where does the responsibility rest for this violation of law? Does it rest with the churches and the preachers to see that the few Sunday laws we have are enforced by them, while the business men and the police lazily dodge the issue and care not how the matter goes, saying it is none of their business? boring men and railroad men and street car men as the one day of all. the week, the happiest and best because different in its use. And so dlf- j "All right. I'll qun everything except eating and sleeping. Put up a little placard on the head of the bed saying: 'Biggest curiosity in Milton! A live minister who has stopped thinking and talking! Admission 10 cents! Proceeds to be devoted to teach saloon keepers how to shoot straight!'" Philip was still somewhat uqder the Influence of the doctors anaesthetic, and as be faintly murmured this absurd sentence he fell Into a slumber which lasted several hours, from which he awoke very feeble and realizing that be would be confined to the bouse some time, but feeling in good spirits and thankful out of the depths of his vigorous nature that be was stHl spared to do God's will on earth. "I'm agreeable to that," replied Philip's cbum; "on condition, however, that you furnish me with a gun and pay all surgeon's bills when I occupy your pulpit." ferent that when Monday's toll begins the man feels refreshed in body and in soul because he has paused a little while in the mad whirl of his struggle for bread or fame and has fellowshiped with heavenly things and heard out i I Li. they know It Bet Mr ~ The The next day found Philip improving more rapidly than Mrs. Strong had thought possible. She forbade him the sight of all callers, however, and Insisted that be must keep quiet His wounds were healing satisfactorily, and when the surgeon called he expressed himself much pleased with bis patient's appearance. "Done," said Philip, with a grin. And Just then Mrs. Strong forbade any more talk. Alfred staid until the evening train, and when he left he stooped down and kissed Philip's cheek. "It's a custom we Warned when in the German universities together that summer after college, you know," he explained, with the slightest possible blush, when Mrs. Strong came in and caught him in the act It seemed to her, however, like an affecting thing that two big, grown up men like her husband and his old chum showed such tender affection for each other. The love of men for men In the strong friendship of school and college life is one of the marks of human divinity. i eye 01 i tar steer clear of It, strong.  saloon has been a regular thing In Mil ton for over 66 years. It Is as much i P«t of the town as the churches 01 schools, and I tell you It Is a powerr "What!" cried Philip, In onboundeC astonishment "do yon tell me, you, i leading citizen of this town of 50,0(X Infinite souls, that the saloon powei has Its grip to this extent on the civlC and social life of the place, and yot are willing to sit down and let thii deril of crime and ruin throttle yoi and not raise a finger to expel thi monsterf Is it possible? It Is not li Christian America that such a state 91 affairs In our political life should bC endured." "Nevertheless," replied the business man, "these are the facts. And you will simply dash jour own life out Ugalnst a wall of solid rock If you try tp fight this eril. You have my warning,"something diviner than the jangling discords of this narrow, selfish earth. Philip listened In amazement "Sarah, you must hare dreamed all that. It isn't likely that any man would do such a thing." "Philip, I did not dream. I was terribly wide awake and so scared that I couldn't even scream. My tongue seemed to be entirely useless. But I felt compelled to read what was written, and the man held the papers there until the words seemed to burn my eyes. He then walked over to the desk and with one blow drove the knife down into the wood, and then I fainted away, and that is all I can renember."le of the man?" inclined to think in some way falleB d at least a part of , perhaps before she discovered _ know; maybe be yet Philip, I am alfor myself, but "If this thought of Sunday is bigotry or narrowness, then I stand convicted as a bigot living outside of the nineteenth century. But I am not concerned about that What I am concerned about Is Christ's thought of this day. If I understand his spirit right, I believe he would say what I have said. He would say that it is not a right use of this day for the men and women of this generation to buy and sell merchandise, to attend or countenance yuicea or syecuioes 01 amusement, 10 engage in card parties at their homes, to fill thelf thoughts full of the ordinary affairs of business or the events of the world. He would say that It was the Christian's duty and privilege in this age to elevate the uses of this day so that everything done and said should tend to lift the race higher and make it better acquainted with the nature of God and its own eternal destiny."I with you could have gone with me this past week and witnessed some of the sights I hare seen. Not I retract that statement I would not wish that any father or mother had had the heartache that I have felt as I contemplated the ruins of young lives crumbling Into the decay of premature debility, mocking the manhood that God gave them in the intoxicating curse of debauchery. What have I seen? O ye fathers! O ye mothers! Do you know what is going on in this place of 00 saloons licensed by your own act and made legal by your own will? You, madam, and you, sir, who have covenanted together In the fellowship and dlacipleship pf the purest Institution Of God Oh earfh, who have sat here in front of this pulpit and partaken of the emblems which remind you of your Redeemer, where are your sons, your brothers, your lovers, your friends? They are not here this, morning. The church does not have any bold on them. They are growing up to disregard the duties at good citizenship. They are walking down the broad avenue of destruction, and what is this town doing to prevent It? 1 have seen young men from what are called the beat homes In this town reel in and out of gilded temples of evil, oaths on their lips: and passion In their fooks, and the cry of my soul has gone up to Almighty God that the church and the home might combine their mighty force to drive the whisky demon out of our municipal life so that we might feel the curse of It again never more. ThU time Philip fOl. of his own church members made up another. He had struck again at the same sore spot which he had wounded the month before. In his attack on the saloon as an institution he had again necessarily condemned all those members of his church who rented property to the whisky element Again, as a month ago, these property holders went from the bearing of the sermon angry that they as well as the saloon power were under Indictment "Say, doctor, do you really think it would set me Mick any to think a little?""But suppose you say the saloons are beyond your power. That does not release you from doing what is in your power, easily, to prevent this day from being trampled under foot and made like every other day In its scramble after money and pleasure. Who own these fruit stands and cigar stores and meat markets and who patronize them? Is it not true, that church members encourage all these places by purchasing of them on the Lord's day? I have been told by one of these fruit dealers with whom I have talked lately that among his best customers on Sunday are some of the most respected members of this church. It has also been told me that in the summer time the heaviest patronage of the Sunday ice cream business Is from the church members of Milton. Of what value is it that we place on our ordinance rules forbidding the sale of these things covered by the law? How far are we responsible for our example for encouraging the breaking of the day on the part of those who would find it unprofitable to keep their business going if we did not purchase of them on this day? "No. I never heard of thinking hurting people. I have generally considered it a healthy habit" The next day he felt strong enough to receive a few visitors. Among them was the chief of police, who came to inquire concerning the identity of the man who had done the shooting. Philip showed some reluctance to witness against his enemy. It was only when he remembered that he owed a duty to society as well as to himself that be described the man and related minutely the entire affair exactly aa It occurred."The reason I asked," continued Philip gravely, "was because my wife absolutely forbade it and I was wondering how long I could keep It up and fool anybody." "And what becanu asked Philip, still that his wife had asleep and dreamed this strange scene, went up to the the letters. "I don't is In the house most dead for fear—not for your life." "I never had any fear of anonymouf letters or of threats," replied Philip, contemptuously eying the knife, which was still sticking in the desk. "Evidently the saloon men think I am a child to be frightened with these bugaboos, which have figured in every sensational story since the time of Captain Kidd." k As Philip entered on the week's work-.after that eventful sermon he began to feel the pressure of public feeling against him. Be began to realise the bitterness of championing a just cause aloue. He felt the burden of the community's sin In the matter, and more than once be felt obliged to come In from his parish work and go up into his study, Viure to couiiiuuie v, nu his Father. He was growing old very fast In these first few weeks In his new parish. CHAPTER VI. "That's a specimen of his stubbornness, doctor," said the minister's wife, smiling. "Why, only a few minutes before you came in he was insisting that he could preach tomorrow. Think of it, a man with a shattered shoulder, who would have to stand on one leg and do all his gesturing with his left hand; a man who can't preach without the use of seven or eight arms and as many pockets and has to walk up and down the platform like a lion when he gets started on his delivery! And yet he wants to preach tomorrow! He's that stubborn that I don't know that I can keep him at home. You would better leave some powders to put him tq sleep, and we will keep htm In a stpte ot unconsciousness until Monday morning," In spite of his determination to get out and occupy his pulpit the first Sunday of the next month Philip was reluctantly obliged to let five Sundays go by before he was able to preach. During those six weeks bis attention was called to a subject which he felt ought to be made tbe theme of one of his talks on "Christ and Modern Society." The leisure which he had for reading opened his eyes to the fact that Sunday in Milton was terribly desecrated. Shops of all kinds stood wide open. Excursion trains ran Into tbe large city 40 miles away, two theaters were always running with some variety show, and the saloons, In violation of an ordinance forbidding It, unblushlngly flung their doors open and did more business on that day than any other. As Philip read the papers he noticed that every Monday morning the police court was more crowded with "drunks" and "disorderlies" than on any other day In the week, and tbe plain cause of it was the abuse of the day before. --i;- "May I not also have your beipY" cried Philip, hungry of soul for companionship In tbe struggle which be hv vu coming. "It would ruin my business to come oat against tbe saloon," replied tbe man frankly. "And what Is that?" cried Philip earnestly. "It bas already ruined far more that ougbt to be dear to you. Man, man, what are money &nC business.-orcvoared with your owt flesh know where your pwn soi) was two nights ago? In one pf the vilest of pie yije holes In this 0ty, which yon, a father, license to another man to destroy the Mfe of your «wn child! I saw him there myself, and my heart ached for him and you, it Is the necessary truth. Will yon not Join with me to wipe out this curse In society r "Is tbe man In town?" asked Philip. "Has he not fled?" "I think I know where he Is," replied tbe officer. "He's In hiding, but I can find him. In fact, we have been hunting for him since the shooting. He is wanted on several other charges." "II! Christ would not take that view of this great question, thqp I have totally misconceived and misunderstood his character. 'The Sabbath was made for man.' It was made for him that he might make of it a shining Jewel in the string of pearls which Bhould adorn all the days of the week, every day speaking of divine things to the man, but Sunday opening up the beauty and grandeur of the eternal life a little wider yet Tuesday evening of that week PKlllp had been writing a little while In his study, where he had gone immediately after supper. It was nearly 8 o'clock when he happened to remember that he had promised a sick child fp the home of one of his parishioners that he would come and see him that far- Hip came down stairs, put on his hat and overcoat and told his wife where be was going, Philip was pondering something in wllence. At last he said: "When you bare arrested him, 1 wish you would bring him here if it can be done without violating any ordinance or statute." "Then you think this is the work of the saloon men?" "Who else can it be? We have no other enemies of this sort in Milton." The officer stared it the request, and |he minister's wife exclaimed: "PhiUp, you will not have that man come into the house! Besides, you are not well enough to endure • meeting with the wretch!" "This, dear friends all, has been my message to you this morning. May God forgive whatever has been spoken contrary to the heart and spirit of our dear Lord." "Now. doctor. Just listen to me awhile. Mrs. Strong la talking for two women, as she ifcreed to do. and that puts me In a bard position. But 1 want to know how soon I can get to work again." "It Is possible there are very m,any persons here in this house thlB morning who are ready to exclaim: "This is Intolerable bigotry and puritanical narrowness. This is not the attitude Christ would take on this question. He was too large minded. He was too far advanced in thought to make the day to mean anything of that sort.' "But they will kill you. Oh, Philip, [ cannot bear the thought of llying here in this way! Let us leave this dreadful place." "It's not far. I shall be back In about half an hour, Sarah." If Philip's sermon two months before made him enemies, this sermon made even more. He had unconsciously this time struck two of his members very hard. One of them was part owner In a meat market which his partner kept open on Sunday. The other leased one of the parks where the baseball games had been played. Other persons in the congregation felt more or less hurt by the plain way Philip had spoken, especially the members who took and read the Sunday paper. They went away feeling that, while much that he said was true, there was too much strictness in the minister's view of the whole subject This feeling grew as days went on. People said Philip did not know all the facts in regard to people's business and the complications which necessitated Sunday work and so forth. "Little woman," said Philip, while he bravely drove away any slight anxiety he may have had for himself, "don't • yon think it woold be cowardly to run away so Soon?" He went out, and bis wife held the door open until he was down the steps. She was Just on the point of shutting the door as be started down the sidewalk wheq a sharp report rang out close by. She screamed and flung the door open again, as by the Hght of the street lamp she saw Philip stagger and then leap into the street toward an elm tree which grew almost opposite the parsonage. When he was about in the middle of the street, she was horrified to see a man step out boldly from behind the tree, raise a gun and deliberately 41re at Philip again. This time Philip fell and did not rise. His tall form lay where the rays of the street lamp shone on it, and be had fallen so that aa his arms stretched out there he made the figure of a buge and prostrate cfoss. "Sarah, I have a good reason for it Really, I am well enough. You will bring him, won't you? I do not wish to make any mistake in the matter. Before the man is really confined under a criminal charge of attempt to murder I would like to confront, him here. There can be no objection to that, can there?" "I speak to you today In the name of my Lord aad Master. It is Impossible for ma to believe that If that Christ of God, were standing here this morning he woud advise the licensing of this corruption as the most feasible or expedient method of dealing with It I cannot Imagine him using the argu- "You will have to lie there a month," said the doctor bluntly. In the summer time baseball games were played in Milton on Sunday. In the fall and winter very many people spent their evenings In card playing or aimlessly strolling up and dowq the main street. These facts came to FhH-1rCs knowledge gradually, and he was pot long iq making up his mind that Christ would not keep silent before the facts. So he carefully prepared a plain statement of his belief in Christ's standing on the modern use of Sunday, and as on the other occasions when he had spoken the first Sunday In the month he cast out of his reckoning all thought of the consequences. His one purpose was to do just as, in his thought of Christ, he would do with that subject. The merchant trembled, and his lips quivered at mention of his son, but he "Impossible! I never lied that time in my life!" said Philip soberly. replied: "It would serve him right to perform a surgical operation on him for that, wouldn't It, Mrs. Strong?" the surgeon appealed to her. "But let us consider what Is meant by the Sunday of our modern life as Christ would view it. There is no disputing the fact that the age Is material, mercantile, money making. For six eager, rushing days it is absorbed in the pursuit of money or fame or pleasure. Then God strikes the note of his silence in among the clashing sounds of earth's Babel and calls mankind to make a day unlike the other days. It is his merciful thoughtfulness for the race which has created this special day for men. Is It too much (o ask that on this one day men think of something else besides politics, stocks, business, amusement? Is God grudging the man the pleasure of life when here he gives the man six days for labor and then asks for only one (lay specially set apart for him? The objection to very many things commonly mentioned by the pulpit as harmful to Sunday is not an objection necessarily based on the harmfulness of the things themselves, but upon the fact that these things are repetitions of the working day and so are distracting to the observance of the Sunday as a day of rest and worship, undisturbed by the things that have already tor si*. «tay» wwded the UKtoght of "Wouldn't it be better to run away so soon than to be killed? Is there any bravery in staving in a place where Ponttanad on put four. "I cannot do what you want, Mr. Strong, but you can count on my sympathy If you make the fight" Philip Anally went away, his soul tossed on a wave of mountain proportions and foywlng more and more crested with foam anCJ wr*th as the first Sunday of We month drew near and be  {hat the battle was one that he must wage single handed in a town of 50,- The officer finally promised that if he could do so without attracting toq much attention, }ie would comply witb the request, ft was a tWn8 toe bad never done before. He was not quite easy in his mind about it Nevertheless Philip exercised a winning influence over all sorts and conditions of men, and he felt quite sure that if the officer could arrest his man quietly he would bring him to the parsonage. think he deserves the worst you ran do, doctor." ment that the saloon must be licensed for tbe revenue that may be  from it to support tbe school  I cannot' imagine Christ taking |U»ji other position before the whisky power than that of uncompromising condemnation. He would say It was evil and "But say. dear people, I can't stay here a mouth. I must be about my Master's business. What will the church do for supplies?" Dr. World "Don't worry, Philip. The church will take care of that." 000 people He was not so destitute of support aa he thought There were many mothers' hearts In Milton that had ached and prayed In agony long years that the Al- only evil auiu But Philip was already eager to get to work. Only the assurance of the surgeon that he might possibly get out In a little over three weeks satisfied him. Sunday came and passed. Some one from a neighboring town who happened to be visiting in Mlltoq occupied the pulpit, and Philip had a quiet, restful day. He started In the week determined to beat the doctor's time for recovery, and, having a remarkably strong constitution and a tremendous will, he bade fair to be limping about the house in two weeks. His shoulder wound healed very fast. His knee bothered him, and it seemed likely that he would go lame for a long time. But he was not concerned about that If only he could go about Ml any sort of by every legal and moral restriction that society could rear against It In his name, speaking as I believe he This was Thursday night Tbe next evening, Just after dark, the bell rang, and one of tbe church members who had been staying with Mr. Strong during the day went to the door. There stood two men. One of them was the of police. He inquired bow the minister was and said that he had $ man with him whom the minister was anxious to see. The people iq Milton thought that fhe first Sunday Philip appeared In his pulpit he would naturally denounce the saloon again. But when he finally recovered sufficiently to preach he determined that for awhile he would say nothing in the way of sermons against the whisky evil. He had a great horror of seeming to ride a hobby, of being a man ef one Idea a!id making people tired of him because he hari»ed on one string. He had uttered his denunciation, and he would wait a little before he spoke again. The whisky power was not the only bad thing In Milton (hat needed to be attacked. Tharft van «*!»» tiit— mhicb mini mm hu proren to mighty would come with bis power and sweep the curse away. But Philip had not been long enough In Milton to would speak If he were here this moment, solemnly declare the necessity on the part of every disciple of Christ in every church In Milton of placing himself decidedly and persistently and at once in open battle against tbe saloon uhtll It Is destroyed, until its power iq business, politics and society Is a thing of the past, until we have rtd ourselved of tbe foul viper which has so many years trailed Its slimy folds through our homes and our schools. "Citizens, Christians, church membp, \ call on yon today to take u^ These were the beginnings of troublesome times for Philip. The trial of the saloon keeper was coming on In a few days, and Philip would be called to witness in the case. He dreaded it with a nervous dread peculiar to his sensitive temper. Nevertheless he went on with his church work, studying the problem ci the town, endearing himself to very many in and out of his church by his manly, courageous life and feeling the heartache grow in him as the sin burden of the place weighed heavier on him. Those were days .when Philip did much praying, and his [regular preaching, whichgrewia pam- CHAPTER V As people waked up in Milton tbe Wednesday morning after the shooting of Philip Strong they grew conscious of the fact, as the news came to their knowledge, that tbey had been nursing for 50 years one of the most brutal and cowardly institutions on earth and licensing it to do the very thing which at last It had done. For the time being Milton suffered a genuine shock. Long pent np feeling against Iht whisky power burst, not, and pub- know the entire sentiment of the people. Be had so far touched only file church through its representative pulpits and a few of the leading business men, and the result had been almost to convince him that very .little help could be expected from the public generally. He tn«s appalled to find ouf 9 tremendous hold the whisky pen had on the business and politics af the place. It was a revelation tq Philip heard them talking and guewwho they were. He sent his wife put to haw the men come In. offleer with bis niaR came into the bedfooip where PhlUp lay. still weak and •offering, but at hta request propped ■» a Utile wttb DlUow*. i F.MI k an