By REV. CHARLES M. SHELDON ,
Author of "In His Stops : What Would Jesus DoP" "Malcom
Kirk , " "Eobert Hardy's Savon Days , " Etc.
Cajrurioht , 1SSO , by The Advance PvbUthing Co.
*
tual s"eff 'SuUlnTon fCe part of" society
for the brotherhood of man. What Is
society doing now ? What sacrifice is
It making ? When It gives a charity
ball , does It not spend twice as much
in getting up the entertainment to
please itself as it makes for the poor
in whose behalf the ball is given ? Do
you think I am severe ? Ask yourself ,
0 member of Calvary church , what
has been the extent of your sacrifice
for the world this year before you con
demn me for being too strict or par
ticular. It is because we live in such
times that the law of service presses
upon us with greater insistence than
ever. And now more than during any
of the ages gone Christ's words ring In
our ears with 20 centuries of reverber
ation , 'Whosoever will not deny him
self and take up his cross , he cannot
be my disciple. ' "
Of all the sermons on Christ and
modern society which Philip had thus
far preached none had hit so hard or
was applied so personally as this. The
Goldcns went home from the service
In a towering rage. "That settles Cal
vary church for me ! " said Mrs. Golden
as she flung herself out of the building
after the service was over. " 1 consid
er that the most insulting sermon I
ever heard from any minister. It Is
simply outlandish , and how the church
can endure such preaching much lon
ger is a wonder to me. I don't go near
it again while Mr. Strong is the minis
ter ! " Philip did not know It yet , but
he was destined to find out that society
carries a tremendous power in its use
of the word "outlandish" applied ei
ther to persons or things.
When the evening service was over ,
Philip , as his habit was , lay down on
the couch In front of the open fire un
til the day's excitement had subsided a
little. It was almost the only evening
In the week when he gave himself up
to complete rest of mind and body.
He had been lying there about a
quarter of an hour Avhen Mrs. Strong ,
who had been moving a plant back
from one of the front windows and had
been obliged to raise a curtain , stepped
bactc into the room with an exclama
tion.
"Philip , there Is some one vtalking
back- And forth In front of the house !
1 hare heard the steps ever since we
came home. And just now I saw a
man stop and look In here. Who can
it be ? "
"Maybe it's the man with the bur
glar's lantern come back to get his
knife , " said Philip , who had always
made a little fun of that Incident as
his wife had told it. However , he rose
and went over to the window. Sure
enough , there was a man out on the
sidewalk looking straight at the house.
He was standing perfectly still.
Philip and his wife stood by the win
dow looking at the figure outside , and ,
as it did not move away , at last Philip
grew a little impatient and went to the
door to open it and ask the man what
he meant by staring into people's
houses in that fashion.
"Now , do be careful , won't you ? " en
treated his wife anxiously.
"Yes. I presume It is some tramp or
other wanting food. There's no dan
ger , I know. "
He flung the door wide open and call
ed out in his clear , hearty voice :
"Anything you want , friend ? Come
up and ring the bell if you want to get
In and kuovj * us instead of standing
there on the walk catching cold and
making us wonder who you are. "
In response to this frank and inform
al invitation the figure came forward
and slowly mounted the steps of the
porch. As the face came into view
more clearly Philip started and fell
back a little.
It was not because the face was that
of an enemy nor because it was re
pulsive nor because he recognized an
old acquaintance. It was a face he
had never to his knowledge seen be
fore. Yet the impulse to start back be
fore it seemed to spring from the rec
ollection of just such a countenance
moving over his spirit when he was in
prayer or in trouble. It all passed in a
second's time , and then he confronted
the man as a complete stranger.
There was nothing remarkable about
him. He was poorly dressed and car
ried a small bundle. He looked cold
and tired. Philip , who could never re
sist the mute appeal of distress in any
form , reached out his hand and said
kindly : "Come in , my brother ; you
look cold and weary. Come in and
sit down before the fire , and we'll have
a bite of lunch. I was just beginning
to think of having something to eat
myself. "
Philip's wife looked a little remon
strance , but Philip did not see it , and
wheeling an easy chair before the fire
he made the man sit down , and , pullIng -
Ing up a rocker , he placed himself op
posite.
The stranger seemed a little surpris
ed at the action of the minister , but
made no resistance. He took off his
hat and disclosed a head of hair white
as snow and said In a voice that
sounded singularly sweet and true :
"You do me much honor , sir. The
fire feels good this chilly evening , and
the food will be very acceptable. And
I have no doubt you have a good ,
warm bed that I could occupy for the
night. "
Philip stared hard at his unexpected
guest , and his wife , who had started
out of the room to get the lunch , shook
Ju r > JiamU-vicnrmiKlv na film Ktnnd ho-
hind thb vIsiF6"airn"sign" f hat her hus
band should refuse such a strange re
quest , lie was taken aback a little ,
and he looked puzzled. The words
were uttered In the utmost simplicity.
"Why , yes , we can arrange that all
right , " he said. "There is a spare
room , and excuse me for a moment
while I go and help to get our lunch. "
Philip's wife was telegraphing to him
to come into the other room , and he
obediently got up and went.
"Now , Philip , " she whispered when
they were out in the dining room , "you
know that is a risky thing to do. You
are all the time inviting all kinds of
characters In here. We can't keep
this man all night. Who ever heard of
such a thing as a perfect stranger com
ing out with a request like that ? 1
believe the man Is crazy. It certainly
will not do to let him stay here all
night. "
Philip looked puzzled.
"I declare it Is strange ! He doesn't
appear like an ordinary tramp. But
somehow I don't think he's crazy.
Why shouldn't we let him have the
bed in the room off the east parlor. I
can light the fire in the stove there
and make him comfortable. "
"But we don't know who he is. You
let your sympathies run away with
your judgment. "
"Well , little woman , let me go in and
talk with him awhile. You get the
lunch , and we'll see about the rest
afterward. "
So he went back and sat down again.
He was hardly seated when his visitor
said :
"If your wife objects to my staying
here tonight , of course , I don't wish to.
I don't feel comfortable to remain
where I'm not welcome. "
"Oh , j'ou're perfectly welcome , " said
Philip hastily , with some embarrass
ment , while his strange visitor went
on :
"I'm not crazy , only a 3ittle odd , you
know. Perfectly harmless. It will be
perfectly safe for you to keep me over
night. "
The man spread his thin hands out
before the fire , while Philip sat and
watched him with a certain fascination
new to his interest in all sorts and
conditions of men.
Mrs. Strong brought in a substantial
lunch of cold meat , bread and butter ,
milk and fruit and then placed it on
a table in front of the open fire , where
he and his remarkable guest ate like
hungry men.
It was after this lunch had been eat
en and the table removed that a scene
occurred which would be incredible if
its reality and truthfulness did not
compel us to record it as a part of the.
life of Philip Strong. No one will wish
to deny the power and significance of
this event as it is unfolded In the
movement of this story.
CHAPTER XL
"I heard your sermon this morning , "
said Philip's guest while Mrs. Strong
was removing the small table to the
jining room.
"Did you ? " asked Philip , because he
could not think of anything wiser to
say.
say."Yes
"Yes , " said the strange visitor sim
ply. He was so silent after s. ing this
one word that Philip did what he nev
er was in the habit of doing. He al
ways shrank back sensitively from
asking for an opinion of his preaching
from any one except his wife. But now
he could not help saying :
"What did you think of it ? "
"It was one of the best sermons 1
ever heard. But somehow it did not
sound sincere. "
"What ? " exclaimed Philip almost an
grily. If there was one thing he felt
sure about , it was the sincerity of his
preaching. Then he checked his feel
ing as he thought how foolish it would
be to get angry at a passing tramp
who was probably a little out of his
mind. Yet the man's remark had a
strange power over him. He tried to
shake it off as lie looked harder at
him. The man looked over at Philip
and repeated gravely , shaking his head.
"Not sincere. "
Mrs. Strong came back into the room ,
and Philip motioned her to sit down
near him while he said , "And what
makes you think I was not sincere ? "
"You said the age in which we lived
demanded that people live in a far sim
pler , less extravagant style. "
"Yes , that is what I said. I believe
it , too. " replied Philip , clasping his
hands over his knee and gazing at his
singular guest with earnestness. The
man's thick white hair glistened in the
open firelight like spun glass.
"And you said that Christ would not
approve of people spending money for
flowers , food and dress on those who
did not need it when it could more wise
ly be expended for the benefit of those
who were in want. "
"Yes. Those were not my exact
words , but that was my idea. "
"Your Idea. Just so. And yet we
have had here in this little lunch , or ,
as you called It , a 'bite of something , '
three different kinds of meat , two kinds
of bread , hothouse grapes and the rich
est kind of milk. "
The man said all-this in the quietest ,
calmest manner possible , and Philip
stared at him , more assured than ever
that he was a little crazy. Mrs. Strong
looked amused and said , "You seemed
to enjoy the lunch pretty well. " The
man had eaten with a zest that was
tfenCacy4of''mah5er tliaT rib framp ever
possessed.
"My dear madam , " said the man
"perhaps this was a case where the
food was given to one who stood reall >
in need of it. "
Philip started as if he had suddenly
caught a meaning from the man's
words which he had not before hoard
in them.
"Do you think It was an extravagant
lunch then ? " he asked , with a very
slight luugli.
The man looked straight nt Phllii
and replied slowly. "Yes , for the times
in .which we live ! "
A sudden silence fell on the group of
three In the parlor of the parsonage ,
lighted up by the soft glow of the coal
fire. No one except a person thorough
ly familiar with the real character of
Philip Strong could have told why that
silence fell on him instead of a careless
laugh : it the crazy remark of a half
witted stranger tramp. Just how long
the silence lasted he did not know ;
only , when it was broken , he found
himself saying :
"Man , who are you'/ Where are you
from ? And what is your name ? "
His guest turned his head a little and
replied : "When you called me in here ,
you stretched out your hand and called
me 'brother. ' Just now you called me
by the great term , 'man. ' These are
ray names. You may call me 'Brother
Man. ' "
"Well , then , 'Brother Man , ' " said
Philip , smiling a little to think of .the
very strangeness of the whole affair ,
"your reason for thinking 1 was not
sincere in my sermon this morning was
because of the extravagant lunch this
evening ? "
"Not altogether. There are other
reasons. " The man suddenly bowed
his head between his hands , and Phil
ip's wife whispered to him : 'Philip ,
what is the use of talking with a crazy
man ? You are tired , and it is time to
put out the lights and go to bed. Get
him out of the house now as soon as
you can. "
The stranger raised his head and
went on talking just as if he had not
broken off abruptly.
"Other reasons. In your sermon you
tell the people they ought to live less
luxuriously. You point them to the
situation in this town where thousaads
of men are out of work. You call at
tention to the great poverty and dis
tress all over the world , and you say
the times demand that people live far
simpler , less extravagant lives. And
yet here you live yourself like a prince.
Like a prince , " he repeated after a pe
culiar gesture , which seemed to include
not only what was in the room , but all
that was in the house.
Philip glanced at his wife as people
do when they suspect a third person
being out of his mind and saw that her
expression was very much like 1 is own
feeling , although not exactly. Thou
they both glanced around the room.
It certainly did look luxurious , even
if not princely. The parsonage was
an old mansion which had once be
longed to a wealthy but eccentric
sea captain. He had built to please
himself , something after the colonial
fashion , and large square rooms , gen
erous fireplaces , with quaint mantels
nnd tiling and hard wood floors gave
the house an appearance of solid com
fort that approached luxury. The
church in Milton had purchased the
property from the heirs , who had be
come involved in ruinous speculation
and parted with the house for a sum
little representing its real worth. It
had been changed a little and modern
ized , although the old fireplaces still re
mained , and one spare room , an annex
to the house proper , had been added
recently. There was an air of decided
comfort , bordering on luxury , in the
different pieces of furniture aad the
whole appearance of the room.
"You understand , " said Philip , as his
glance traveled back to his visitor ,
"that this house is not mine. It be
longs to my church. It is the parson
age , and I .am simply living in it as
the minister. "
"Yes , I understand. You , a minister ,
are living in this princely house while
other people have not where to lay
their heads. "
Again Philip felt the same tempta
tion to anger steal into him , and again
he checked himself at the thought :
"The man is certainly insane. The
whole thing is simply absurd. I will
get rid of him. And yet"
He could not shake off a strange and
powerful impression which the stran
ger's words had made upon him. Crazy
or not , the man had hinted at the pos
sibility of an insincerity on his part
which made him restless. He deter
mined to question him and see if he
really would develop a streak of in
sanity that would justify him in get
ting rid of him for the night.
"Brother Man. " he said , using the
term his guest had given him , "do you
think I aiu living too extravagantly to
live as I do ? "
"Yes , in these times and after such a
sermon. "
"What would you have me do ? " Phil
ip asked the question half seriously ,
half amused at himself for asking ad
vice from such a source. v
"Do as you preach that others ought
to. "
Again that silence fell over the room.
And again Philip felt the same im
pression of power in the strange man's
words.
The "Brother Man , " as he wished to
be called , bowed his head between his
hands again , and Mrs. Strong whisper
ed to her husband : "Now it is certainly
worse than foolish to keep this up any
longer. The man is evidently insane.
We cannot keep him here all night.
He will certainly do something terri
ble. Get rid of him , Philip. This may
be a trick on the part of the whisky
men. "
Never in all his life had Philip been
so puzzled to know what to do with a
human being. Here was one , the
strangest he had ever met , who had
come into his house ; it is true he had
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