and Lawrence gave himself to their strengthening and
expansion, with joyous zeal.
As for Uncle Ben Birch, he was as good as his word;
and presented himself, one Sunday morning, at the
chapel, with his violin wrapped up in a piece of brown
paper, tied with a cord large enough to hang an under
sized murderer. Lawrence was a little anxious, as he
discerned the solemn, red, rotund visage of the old man
at the door. He did not dare to endanger the order
and seriousness of his morning service, by allowing
FREEMAN S CHAPEL 151
Uncle Ben to take part in it. How good or ill the
violin playing would be he had no idea. Still, he would
not, for the world, have hurt the kind old creature s
feelings, if it possibly could be avoided ; and, as he
walked down the aisle to meet him, he resolved to sug
gest that the violin help be given to the Sunday-school,
which would come directly after the regular service.
This transfer of auxiliary force was successfully accom
plished ; and Uncle Ben sat through the service, violin
beside him, and seemed much edified. Lawrence, who
was himself musical, could hear the old man sing, dur
ing the hymns, and, although his voice was cracked and
thin, he certainly sang on the key. Mrs. Freeman, who
played the small cabinet organ, which alone sustained
the singing, was much relieved to note this evidence of
musical ear in the would-be violin accompanist. So,
when the Sunday-school hour arrived, both the minister
and his wife called upon Uncle Ben, with confidence, to
lend his aid ; and he proved to be a passably good
player, keeping perfect time, though sometimes ending
up one of the more rapid tunes, a note or so behind the
organ and school.
From that time on, Uncle Ben became one of the
most regular helpers at the chapel. He was ready to
do any kind of work that was needed. Here was
opened up to him a new field for his work and his inter
est. Lawrence was assured that the old man sounded
the praises and the needs of the chapel, as well
among his group of aged friends, when one day there
was brought to the chapel a large and excellent electric
stereopticon. With it came a note from old Mrs. Snow ;
and the wavering, wandering lines of chirography in
formed Mr. Freeman of her great interest in his work,
and begged him to accept the stereopticon, adding that
if he would direct the arranging of connecting wires to
152 RONALD CARNAQUAY
bring in the electricity from the street wire, she would
settle for this work. Also she added that she would
pay for twenty-five dollars worth of slides for the lantern,
if he would select such as he desired.
This unexpected gift was easily traceable to Uncle
Ben s earnestness and activity. When directly charged
with the responsibility of the extremely welcome appa
ratus, the old man made no response to the humorous
vein in which Mr. Freeman spoke. He had, seemingly,
no sense of humor, whatever ; but he answered, with
candid deliberation : " Wall, yer see, I d heern yer say,
a number er times, thet yer wished yer hed one er them
things fer yer lectures, an so I jest tole Mis Snow thet
I reckoned she d better git yer one. I says to her, says
I, Now, Mis Snow, yer can afford it, an he s a raal
good man, an he s a-doin of a fust-rate work. An
she said she d see baout it. An I said ter her, jest
afore I come away, I says, Naow, don t you forgit that
marter, Mis Snow, will yer ? And she didn t."
It was like finding one s self in some other world
than this complex and selfish one, to hear Uncle Ben
narrate that interview. Mr. Freeman was vastly
amused, as well as deeply grateful, at the picture of
this impoverished old man coolly advising and ingenu
ously urging the rich old widow to give away some of
her money. Evidently the two old white heads had
understood each other perfectly. There was great con
fidence on both sides, that confidence which can come
with many years of friendship, but does not always ;
the old dame taking the advice concerning her purse,
in exactly the way it was offered, and Uncle Ben
reasonably sure that " Mis " Snow needed only to be
told by him of a good opportunity to give away a hun
dred or two dollars, and she would straightway respond.
So the stereopticon was duly installed in the chapel,
FREEMAN S CHAPEL 153
and was very serviceable in lectures and talks not
only on science and history and art, but even with
subjects of an industrial and sociological character. Mr.
Freeman had some inward debate, at first, as to whether
he would give these lectures and talks in the one large
room or auditorium of the chapel. There were several
small rooms, below stairs, and at the back ; but the
chapel hall itself was the only large space available.
The minister had certain ritualistic or ceremonial fibres
in his nature, which made him shrink, somewhat, from
using one and the same room for both secular instruc
tion and divine worship; but he felt that he had no
choice in the matter the one large hall was his only
available space. He was too delicately devout to say,
as do some, that all God s truth whether in science or
poetry is divine, and therefore one kind should be as
sacredly treated as another. Mr. Freeman s own fine
instincts told him that, although in some moments of
chemical research or anthropological inquiry, a student
might be lifted into a worshipful frame of mind, yet,
during the larger portion of the time, the student s
mind is on a level distinctly less fervent and spirit
ual than the level of worship and communion with
God. Therefore, while the minister welcomed truth,
as a message of God, in whatever field of inquiry it was
attained, yet he was guided by his own experience and
his own laws of soul impression, and knew that pure,
heartfelt worship was higher than the most earnest
intellectual search for facts.
Accordingly, it was with a degree of reluctance that
he gave up his finer preference, and used the chapel
for purposes of instruction as well as worship. As a
rule, the meetings, both those for worship and those for
talks and discussions, were orderly. Lawrence was
greatly pleased when he found, among the men who
154 RONALD CARNAQUAY
came to the chapel, one or two who would act as pre
siding officer, at the debates on theological and ethical
and economic themes. The minister rejoiced to see
that the men all of them hard workers had grown,
in a sense of order and self-control, enough to manage
their own meeting ; and he preferred sitting off at one
side, and taking part, exactly like the others, in arguing
or elucidating some point of morals or government or
theology. It was really from these free open meetings
that he drew many of his suggestions about sermons ;
he saw the prejudices and irrationalities of these men s
thought, and the aims and ambitions of their hearts, so
clearly, that he was constrained to preach to them lov
ingly, on the higher interpretation of their own daily
lives. A text, which he had once seen on the front of
a pulpit in an Italian Protestant church at Bologna,
had strongly appealed to him ; and he had himself
painted it on the front panel of his own little pulpit.
"Veritas in Carita" was now publicly his standard, as
a preacher ; and he was surprised, many times over, to
see what severely admonitory forms of address these
people would receive, both in the mass and as individ
uals, so long as a really disinterested good-will and
affection went with the words. Yet how easy for the
preacher to mistake a peevish, fretful, fault-finding
mood, in himself, for one of disinterested pastoral
counsel! Several times Mr. Freeman fell into this
error, and was warned against it by the expression of
some antagonism in a face before him, or some tone in
the voice of the man or woman whom he was advising.
But loving sympathy, warm and self-forgetful and
ready to sacrifice for the person counselled this
would carry words of plainest and most unwelcome
advice.
With regard to the formal organization of the people
FREEMAN S CHAPEL 155
into some kind of society or church, Freeman waited
half a year before seeing his path plainly. He was
aware that there was no pressing need of taking this
step of organizing, and he much preferred to wait until
the people knew and trusted him. When the time did
come for forming some organization, Freeman followed,
as closely as possible, the simplicity of the early church.
The extraordinary divergences that had come about, in
the modern Christian churches, from the simple group
life of the churches founded at Jerusalem and Corinth
and Ephesus these always had troubled him.
In those early days of the new religion, men and
women who enrolled themselves in one group, as be
lievers, as followers of Christ, were largely of similar
education and taste and even of wealth. Therefore
they were congenial, one with another ; they were of
one great family ; they thought in similar ways, and felt
in similar ways, and knew and could minister to one
another s needs. In short they were as we would
express it to-day on one social and mental plane;
and intercourse among them was natural and easy.
But to-day the churches comprise very diverse kinds
of tastes and temperaments and degrees of education.
Diversity in the possession of wealth is not an intrinsic
vital difference which should separate men ; but taste
and manners and education are. And Mr. Freeman saw
that the hypocrisy and absurdity, which honeycombed
many of the so-called Christian churches, lay chiefly in
this : that they were made up of persons who, theoreti
cally, were brethren and in close sympathy, but were
really diverse and out of touch with one another, in
real and unavoidable ways, quite as much as in artificial
and wilfully selfish ways.
In times of great emotion, in crises of fear or pain
or joy, individuals who are very diverse can temporarily
156 RONALD CARNAQUAY
unite, as at the time of an accident, or in a public
rejoicing over a military victory, or at a death-bed ; but
these unusual unions of diverse natures are necessarily
brief, and cease when the strong emotion which held
them dies out. One great altruistic emotion, like that
of Christ s for human beings, can break down these
separating walls of division; but so great a force,
so full a measure of the "passion of humanity," is
not to be expected of most people ; and it exists in but
few churches which have attained any considerable
age. With the beginners of a sect, and under the zeal
of founding the society, a brief period of entire corporate
sympathy may be expected ; but it soon dies out, as
divergences in taste and education creep in.
Freeman was influenced, considerably, in the form
which he gave his organization, by the excellent order
known as " Odd Fellows." And the members of the
" Freeman Chapel League " took pledges upon them
selves to maintain public worship and to minister to
one another s needs ; and they took this pledge each
new year, and paid quarterly fees of two dollars. Since
Mr. Marshall and his friend bore the expenses of the
chapel itself, and Mr. and Mrs. Freeman supported
themselves by teaching and writing and on Mrs. Free
man s little income, this money paid in made up a fund
which was drawn upon by sick members. Thus the
society took on the manly character of a mutually
helpful order, and yet gave opportunity for the cultiva
tion of the religious aspirations as well.
Interesting as was this part of Lawrence s work, he
had had enough experience with people, young and old,
to know that for really appreciable growth in character
moral and religious the work among boys and girls,
under fifteen or sixteen years of age, was far more im
portant than that among their elders. Such work is
FREEMAN S CHAPEL 157
often deemed less dignified, and is less highly honored
than many " reforms " among grown-up people, which
absorb much time and money, give rise to many public
meetings, and never really reform anybody. Any can
did person, who has carefully studied reform-work,
among grown-up people, and compared it with a true
educational work among children, cannot fail to see how
vastly more productive is the work among the children ;
surprising changes for the better can be noticed among
the latter, in habits and speech and points of view, in
a very short time. Of course, the wisest method of
reforming and regenerating the world at least the
so-called civilized world would be to go straight down
to the physiological basis, and apply, first of all, most
of the rules and restrictions to the human species, which
cattle-breeders already apply to lower species. Such
methods, evolved from medical science, would solve
fundamentally many of the problems of vice and dis
ease, with which human energy now hopelessly wrestles,
and for which it pours out torrents of gold.
But such fundamental reforms are impossible at pres
ent ; people in general are too irrational, and too closely
wedded to old Hebraistic ideals, and time-honoured
customs, and morbid sentiments. Failing this radical
method, therefore, the method which comes nearest to
it must serve the world s purpose ; and that is none
other than to take each new generation, at as early a
period as possible, and remake it, fighting heredity,
and beating off and out-witting environment, while
the young natures are still "in the green fibre," as is
said of plants and twigs.
Looking at these matters in this way, Lawrence Free
man believed that while, in his work, certain results
among the older people might make a showing in
chapel attendance or savings-bank accounts or improved
i 5 8 RONALD CARNAQUAY
homes, yet the really permanent good, in largest meas
ure to the world, was to come out in the later lives of
the children whom he could awaken to higher aims, and
arouse to purer and nobler conduct. Therefore, he gave
much thought to the children and young people, and
counted his time and strength well expended, when used
in their service. He believed that it was not enough to
gather those dirty, rough, noisy, profane children in
large groups in some hall ; that was but a small part of
what he aimed to do. He had found, by previous ex
perience, that children, like grown people, when gathered
in a mass, remain intrenched in their accustomed habits
of thought and will ; but if separated into small groups
of five, or three, or best of all two, and put under
the wholesome influence of an older, wiser, more loving
nature that is the situation which carries the great
est possibilities of reform, of regeneration ; that union
of two kinds of atoms weak evil with strong good,
feeble depravity with earnest virtue, vacillating down
ward purpose with fixed upward will that union of
those two sociological atoms forms the molecule of po
tential reform for all social ills and diseases.
Therefore, Lawrence had arranged a half dozen small
rooms, well lighted, back of the chapel hall and below
it ; and here were gathered, on certain appointed even
ings in the week, little groups two, three, or perhaps
four in number of boys or girls around a table and a
leader. These leaders were himself, his wife, Mrs.
Guthrie, Ned and Olive Marshall, and several more per
sons, a part from Emmanuel Church and a part from
the North Side itself. The minister actually refused
one or two zealous applicants for enrolment in the work,
because he believed they were not fitted to properly im
press the young people, whom they sought to instruct
and influence. Thus there were never to be seen such
FREEMAN S CHAPEL 159
riotous demonstrations, in and near "Freeman s Chapel,"
as often are seen in or near many "boys clubs," mob-
like demonstrations, which serve only to deepen the
lawless instincts in those boys hearts, and to make in
effective all appeals to the finer feelings, which might be
successfully made, if the lads were taken separately or
in very small groups.
Lawrence Freeman had a real faculty for getting on
with children. This faculty is not, as many people
falsely fancy, a faculty based on goodness and earnest
ness of disposition, and on the child s perception of this ;
it may exist in natures that are selfish and deceitful
and brutish. It is largely a matter of sympathy and the
absence of self-consciousness ; and Freeman, who had
been shy and even self-distrustful in the pulpit, before
adult people, here, among children, was singularly free
and confident. So he knew scores of boys and girls,
and had their respect and confidence. The self-control
which he had gained stood him in good stead also.
There is no quality which more commands the respect
of young people, themselves prone to yield to passing
emotions, than firm self-control. The older person, who
carries himself calmly and equably through a scene
of passion, wins high praise from his juniors. He may
have few strong and noble emotions, and older people,
perceiving this, may shun or hate him ; but, for youth s
approval, equanimity is one of the highest qualities, and
when wedded to intelligent sympathy, can lead the chil
dren as persuasively as did the Pied Piper of Hamelin.
When Freeman went along the street, he frequently
was greeted, frankly and confidently, by one and
another boy or girl ; and this naive testimony to his
natural and friendly relations with them was much
enjoyed by him. One evening, as he was approaching
the neighborhood where he lived, he passed a small lad
160 RONALD CARNAQUAY
who had tears in his eyes, and an expression of anxiety
on his face. So soon as the boy recognized the minis
ter, he ran up to him and burst out impulsively, " Oh,
Mr. Freeman, can t you go and stop daddy ? Can t you
stop him ? "
" Why, my child, what is the matter ? What do you
mean ? " asked Lawrence, stopping and putting his
hand affectionately on the child s head.
The boy had burst out afresh into weeping, so soon
as he had spoken, evidently transferring his burden of
anxiety to his trusted older friend. But now, realizing
that he had not made clear what his trouble was, he
curbed his grief and sobbed, " Daddy s been beating
mammy, and now he s gone back to the saloon ; and
he s took Nelly with him. Oh oh ! "
Lawrence was too familiar with the lower phases of
local life to need further explanation of the boy s tears.
" Which saloon has he gone to ? " he asked ; for, alas,
there were many in the neighborhood.
"That one down there!" sobbed the child. "That
one at the corner of Pig Alley."
"Very well!" said Lawrence, in a comforting tone
of voice. " Now you go back home, and I will see
what can be done."
The child at once started, on the run, and seemed to
feel sure that the right thing would now be done by the
minister. Lawrence knew the family, and was aware
that the man often drank heavily, and sometimes was
abusive to his wife and children. Evidently he had
already drunk too much, and was now reckless and
brutal. His taking his little girl with him, as he went
to get more liquor, was indicative of this. The minis
ter saw his duty clearly. He must go straight down
to that den and try to get the man away.
He walked rapidly along the street, toward the
FREEMAN S CHAPEL 161
saloon. A little group of people had gathered near
the boy as the minister had talked with him, and this
group now scattered, going their various ways, with the
exception of one man. That man was the big fellow,
Jim Kelsey, who followed the minister, with a vague
protective interest in his grateful heart, and, unperceived,
he entered the saloon just behind Lawrence.
The bar-room was one of the lowest of its kind, and
made very little pretence at display of gaudy furnish
ings. A bar ran across one end, several casks stood in
a row at the back, and the proprietor, a huge, pimply-
faced fellow in shirt-sleeves and with disordered hair,
was serving beer and whiskey to the half dozen seedy-
looking customers who lounged on the counter. Law
rence at once saw his man ; he knew him, somewhat,
personally, and the little girl, whom the man held by
the hand, served additionally to indicate him. He had
just finished a glass of some strong stuff, and was call
ing for more. "Pass it along!" he growled; "I ve
got the rocks." And he flipped a silver piece on to the
bar.
Although he was plainly the worse for liquor, already,
the barkeeper did not hesitate, but took the money
and was about to replenish the empty glass. At this
point Lawrence stepped forward and said quietly, but
with decision in his voice, " You mustn t give that man
any more." And he looked the proprietor straight in
the eyes, and waited.
He hoped that the matter could be settled without
any disturbance; but the barkeeper was an unscrupu
lous and violent man, and flamed up in an instant.
" Who in hell are you ? " he exclaimed, savagely, glar
ing at the minister, who was fully six inches shorter
than himself, but of an unmistakable " square-built,"
athletic appearance. " Comin in here an meddlin ?"
1 62 RONALD CARNAQUAY
" This man has had enough," replied Lawrence.
"You know the law about selling to a person in his
condition." And he laid his hand gently on the drunk
ard s arm and said, in a low tone, " Now, come along,
won t you ? Let s take little Nelly back home ! "
The man s face softened, as he recognized Freeman,
and he stood rather stupidly quiet and undecided. The
other drinkers now took notice of the situation, and
evinced a growing interest. The bar-keeper s wrath
increased. " You damned, meddlin parson," he roared,
"I ll learn you to mind your own business." And he
strode out around the end of the bar, and came up to
the minister, with red face purpling, and eyes full of
wrath.
Lawrence knew that he was on the verge of serious
trouble. His heart beat rapidly, and his face felt hot ;
but, as he wheeled about, letting go his hold on the
drunken man s arm, and faced his assailant, nobody
could detect and most of those present were skilled
observers in such matters any sign of undue excite
ment in his manner.
The two faced each other, without a word, for a few
seconds. Lawrence s unflinching eye and unexpected
self-poise rather puzzled the ruffian ; but he was bent
on mischief, and felt that he had easy work before him.
Luckily he was a bit slow in his muscles, and when
he drew back his fist, which he now did, Lawrence s
quick, sure eye and his college athletics gave him ample
warning of the character of the blow. There was a
clumsy feint with the left, and then a straight-out blow
with the right, which, if it had hit its mark, would have
badly battered the clergyman s countenance. But when
the arm, with its rolled-up, soiled shirt, reached its full
extension, Lawrence s head was about four inches away
on one side ; and, in that moment of expended energy
FREEMAN S CHAPEL 163
and disturbed equilibrium, the bloated bar-keeper was
open to a counter-blow, which Lawrence knew well how
to give ; and all his self-control was needed to restrain
him from giving it. The old sparring habit asserted
itself, and he would have liked greatly to give the
"counter" which the open situation invited. But he
must not. He must not. He felt all his muscles rise
into nervous tension. His right arm grew rigid, and
his hand closed on itself, despite all his efforts to restrain
it. But no more. He stepped back, a pace or two. He
earnestly desired to get out of this dreadful fracas, with
out disgracing himself, and defeating the purpose with
which he had come. Still, there was no telling what
would happen next. He believed he could protect him
self from this big, clumsy, drink-soaked ruffian ; but to
do it by blows that he deeply dreaded.
The other inmates of the room stood looking on, with
much apparent delight. Street fights and bar-room
rows were not of themselves novelties, but this one,
with a bar-keeper and a parson as principals this
offered a pleasing variation on the usual kinds.
At this point one of the loafers called out, " Say,
Mike, the feller s game ; better leave him alone ! "
" Curse him ! " spluttered the bar-keeper, boiling with
perplexity and fury. "I ll learn him. I ll give him
wot he ll carry away with him." And, casting a glance
at the counter, he stepped back, snatched a big black
bottle from it, and came at the minister with a rush.
Matters looked threatening for "the cloth," in that
instant. There was no question of the brute s intention.
One more second and his shorter antagonist would need
to evolve some very clever lines of defence, or be bat
tered to the floor.
But something happened. It was Jim Kelsey who
happened. He had already happened in, as we have