the chair and stroked her head, and thus they did not
look full in each other s faces, and Mrs. Guthrie was
free from the feeling that she was being closely ob
served. " My dear Adeline, I will say plainly that I
fear that he did, in at least one sermon, use a few
paragraphs which he should not have used. I speak
plainly. That is the only way for me."
" And and how sure are you about what you say ?
And what if he did? Oh, Rebecca, dear," and she
hid her tearful face on her trusted friend s shoulder.
" Talk to me ! Tell me all about it ! And and what
you think, yourself, about it."
Then Mrs. Freeman took up the clew, and spoke
carefully, sympathetically, telling the facts in the case,
yet adding her own softening comments and her hus
band s. She knew, now, that Mrs. Guthrie loved Car-
naquay, but she knew, also, that this wilful woman
was capable of forswearing all the happiness of which
she might be dreaming, and binding herself irrecover
ably to her loneliness of life. " Lawrence has a high
opinion of Dr. Carnaquay, I know. We have often
talked the matter over," she continued, in a soft and
comforting and reassuring way. " Lawrence says that
it was wrong, and that it was a wrong a sin
which grew partly out of Dr. Carnaquay s lack of clerical
training, and his lack of association with ministers and
"THOU ART THE MAN" 361
the professional standards. Not that such an interpre
tation excuses the wrong, but it does, in a measure,
palliate it. I know, moreover, that Mr. Marshall, who
is the soul of business honor, has actually offered Dr.
Carnaquay a very important position as agent for
his mills in the West, and I have heard him say, with
reference to the matter of of the plagiarism, that
Dr. Carnaquay was a much better man than minister.
A rough-handed compliment, one might say, but genu
ine and significant."
Mrs. Freeman continued to stroke her friend s head,
in a gentle, loving way, and there was entire confidence
between the two, and much comfort to one of them.
Mrs. Guthrie s breathing grew quieter, and her body re
laxed more and more, and presently she said, lifting her
head and wiping her eyes, " I wish very much that
Dr. Carnaquay were not a minister." Then she
sighed, and added, as if in soliloquy, " He wishes so,
too."
Again, after another long pause, she continued, ear
nestly, " Oh, Rebecca, dear, you don t know how lonely
I am. You have such a true and noble husband, to talk
over everything with ; but I am alone. Oh, if I only
had some one, as you have, to trust and lean upon, and
and love and to love me. There ! I really don t
know," she broke in impulsively, smiling through her
tears, with that mixture of pathos and humor which was
so characteristic of her, when with a trusted friend, "I
really don t know whether I wish to love or to be loved.
Anyhow, I m a wretched, lonely, loveless woman."
There was a step on the stairs, and Freeman came in.
Mrs. Guthrie made an instinctive feminine start toward
concealing signs of her disorder and distress, but as
quickly gave up, and with a smile, when she discovered
who it was.
362 RONALD CARNAQUAY
Lawrence saw at once that he had stumbled in upon a
" scene," but he showed no consciousness of it ; however,
Mrs. Guthrie said promptly and gayly, drying her eyes
with a bit of dainty linen beautifully embroidered a
handkerchief, or better, a finger-kerchief, " Well, there
is no concealing the fact; some one has been babyish,
but now she won t cry any more ; she is now grown up."
And she arose, lightly, throwing off her mood of de
spondency, and began questioning Lawrence about his
work.
But one could see and the two watchful, sympa
thetic friends did see that her gayety was forced, and
they were not surprised, as they followed her vivacious
lead in the conversation, to see how easily she recurred
to the subject of Emmanuel Church, and without di
rectly naming him to Ronald Carnaquay. Presently
she remarked, in an impersonal but slightly labored way:
" I wish you would come, Mr. Freeman, and be the min
ister of Emmanuel Church. Hasn t this Babylonish
exile of yours lasted about long enough ? "
Lawrence took the suggestion good-naturedly. " Ah,
but you have one clergyman already. What do you
wish ? A curate also ? " That was modest of him, but
he always assumed that Ronald Carnaquay was his su
perior, in pulpit power, really not appreciating how much
strength, in public speech, he himself had developed.
But he saw that there was more behind her light words
than at first appeared, for Mrs. Freeman took up the
thread of conversation hastily. " Adeline was telling
me, just before you came in, that Dr. Carnaquay has
had serious intentions of giving up the ministry."
" Ah, indeed ! " responded Freeman, and then added,
mischievously, speaking to Mrs. Guthrie, " hence these
tears sorrow at the prospect of losing a pastor ? " But
he saw that although this charming young widow at-
"THOU ART THE MAN" 363
tempted to meet his thrust with a smile, the attempt was
not very successful. So, in default of any other retreat,
he began a more serious discussion of the situation of
the church.
" I am well occupied with my present work," he re
marked, laying down some books which he had brought
in, and seating himself. " I believe I am better fitted
for just the kind of work I am doing, than for the more
conventional churches. You see, I have some peculiar
notions." He crossed his legs comfortably, and smiled
as he spoke. "And those notions seem from what
I read in the New Testament to have been held
also by a Great Leader, and by his immediate followers ;
they are ideas of an aggressive sort ; a theory and ideal
of an active, earnest kind of Christianity, which shall
not only search out and remedy individual cases of want
and distress, but shall grapple boldly, intellectually, and
morally, with the principles and problems and customs
of human society, underlying these myriad cases of indi
vidual need. I would rather have a small number of
brave, earnest adherents than a multitude of luxurious
followers. I see how wise the old Jewish leader Gideon
was, in weeding out the inefficients from his army, by
that ingenious water-test of his."
" I don t quite catch the drift and force of your allu
sion," interposed Mrs. Guthrie, nonchalantly ; " but I
fancy that water-tests might be used to-day, and would
result in very sound moral and social classifications,
according as the water were given internal or external
application."
Lawrence noticed that she spoke more calmly, more
like her old, piquant self, and he was pleased. He
therefore retorted : " Oh, you are quite astray in your
understanding of my illustration. You must look up
the matter." Then he continued, for she seemed inter-
364 RONALD CARNAQUAY
ested : " Somehow the Christian church almost always
loses its spiritual vitality and moral earnestness, yes,
and moral courage, when it becomes opulent and power
ful. Christian history shows us countless illustrations
of that ebb and flow in spiritual life, with the ebb and
flow of worldly position. There are, however, other
reasons for desiring wealth ; and one is, that if a church
has the independence which comes from an assured in
come, its leaders and its members can more boldly attack
many forms of sin and ignorance, which otherwise they
would not dare to touch. While I see the strength and
loyalty which grow from a congregation s contributing
to the support of its church edifice and leadership
and activities, I believe also that a strongly endowed
church, in the control of a few high-minded, earnest
men, can be more effective and aggressive against
many kinds of sin and injustice, than any church is
likely to be which is obliged to constantly defer to the
whims and worldly standards of those who furnish its
financial support. Moreover, the sordid commercial
ism, which so threatens to eat out the life of many
churches, grows in part out of the intense competition
among churches and sects ; if there were fewer churches,
this struggle for existence would be less fierce, and the
higher aims of church life would not be so sacrificed to
the material necessities."
While Lawrence was speaking, growing more and
more interested, himself, as he went on, the door quietly
opened, and Mr. Marshall came in, unperceived. He
stood, in uncertainty, for a moment, then, trusting to his
easy, friendly footing in the family, he sank softly into a
chair near the door and listened.
" I more and more class churches," continued the
minister, " with educational organizations ; and, together
with them and philanthropic institutions and reformatory
"THOU ART THE MAN" 365
movements, I believe they should be independent, largely,
of support from the people whom they seek to influence
and educate. No college is annually supported by the
fees of those who are passing through its curriculum,
nor is a home or a hospital maintained by the pay
ments of its inmates ; all these institutions depend on
the large gifts of persons who are not directly benefited
by them, at least at the time when they are giving the
money. And churches, also, which are established on
the same basis, and are well administered, do far more
effective work, in their several communities, than do such
churches as subsist on annual collections, and are seri
ously embarrassed by the need of satisfying the passing
whims and prejudices of the people who hold the purse-
strings, people who loose them only on condition that
their own business methods be not attacked, or their
social ease be not disturbed."
The earnest speaker lowered his voice a little, as he
continued, even more earnestly and as if reflecting
aloud, " I have never, until the past year, desired money ;
that is, more money than I need to live comfortably as
now." And he smiled, as he remembered his exact
social surroundings. " But of late I have wished that
I were the possessor of wealth. I see not only a multi
tude of individual needs which I would like to meet,
but, as a minister, I have an increasingly clear ideal of
what sort of church I would like to direct, if it could
be financially independent, and if I could " here he
smiled again, " could have my own way about its
work."
Here, as he paused, a slight noise from near the door
drew the attention of the three friends ; and, looking
that way, they discovered their silent listener, who at
once came forward, smiling and apologizing for this in
trusion. " I did knock," said he, " but the master of the
366 RONALD CARNAQUAY
house was holding forth so vigorously that I received
no welcome. So I just came right in."
They all shook hands, pleasantly, and the group-atmos
phere of the room underwent that change which a social
atmosphere always undergoes, as one or more new per
sons enter it. Still, in this case, the change was not
great, because the four were good friends, and much
in sympathy, despite the apparent differences in their
habits of life.
Mr. Marshall expressed his satisfaction at Lawrence s
remark, and then his face became quite serious, as he
said : " I had a definite errand, in coming here to-day, at
this hour. A sad errand it is, too." And he looked
from one to the other. " It is about our strange old
friend, Uncle Ben Birch."
" What ! " exclaimed Mrs. Freeman, impulsively. " Is
he " And she did not finish the sentence.
Mr. Marshall nodded his head slowly, sadly. " He is
dead. I have just come from his home, I suppose
we must call it. I went there, this morning, to see him,
on a matter of business. He had looked to rne, as
you know, for various things of late. I found the door
of the old loft partly open, and I went in. And there
was poor old Uncle Ben, half reclining on the rough
bench that was his table, his head on his arm, and
quite gone, the body cold. He must have died yester
day."
A gloom fell upon all, as the kind-hearted mill-owner
delivered his sad message.
" How we shall miss him ! " sighed Lawrence. " He
really filled an important place, in our chapel life ; and
all the people had come to understand and love him. I
never knew such single-mindedness as his. Simple,
gentle, and sincere, in a marvellous degree, he seemed
incapable of varying from the exact truth. I have
"THOU ART THE MAN" 367
sometimes thought, with shame, that the amusement
he sometimes afforded us, by his literal understanding
and expressions of feelings, was the measure of our own
mendacity, conventional or personal."
The conversation was carried on, in a sombre key, for
some time. The news of Uncle Ben s death threw a
cloud over all their hearts. Presently, Mr. Marshall,
who seemed to have something of importance on his
mind, turned toward Lawrence, and spoke in a very delib
erate and even formal tone of voice : " Mr. Freeman,
do you realize how much this death of Benjamin Symmes
Birch means to you ? "
Lawrence was surprised at the interrogation, and said
so at once. Whereupon Mr. Marshall continued, in the
same serious way : " My friend, I believe you. But
it is my duty to remind you that Benjamin Symmes
Birch left a will."
" Yes I recollect his saying something about that,"
responded Lawrence, in a hesitating way. " I think I
sent him to you, did I not ? "
" You did. And I drew up a will for him. As you
know, I have had some training and experience in such
matters."
Lawrence was about to say something, his face still
wearing an expression of perplexity ; but the mill-owner
motioned to him to be silent.
"I drew up the old man s will," he continued. "It
was simple enough. In it he left everything to you.
Very well. At the time when that will was drawn up,
he was only poor old Uncle Ben, without ten dollars
worth of property in the world. But when he died,
he was the surviving husband of Mrs. Elvira Snow,
widow, a woman of large property ; when she died, sev
eral weeks ago, Uncle Ben became her heir and the
possessor of considerable wealth."
368 RONALD CARNAQUAY
The faces of the three listeners were indicative of the
astonishment which filled their breasts. Mrs. Guthrie
was leaning forward in her chair, her eyes fixed upon
the mill-owner, her whole attitude showing an eager,
joyous excitement. Mrs. Freeman, with face pale,
glided softly over to her husband, who was seated near
a table, and put her arm about his neck, while her gaze
still remained riveted on Mr. Marshall s lips. As for
Lawrence, as the flood of this strange and joyous intel
ligence swept over him, his lips moved, as if in prayer,
and then he leaned forward on the table, and buried his
face in his hands.
When he lifted his head, in a few moments, he arose ;
saying, in a low and earnest voice that was husky with
emotion : " The dear, gentle, generous old man ! God
give him rest and love, in the home of many mansions ! "
Even the sturdy mill-owner himself was much moved
by the scene, and his strong, earnest face (so much of it
as could be seen above the dense, bushy, black beard)
gave evidence of profound and noble satisfaction in the
good fortune which had come to his friend. He went
on, after a while, to explain that the Snow estate had
not been settled, but that there was no question about
the direct transferal of the property. And then, his
voice and manner changing to a more ordinary matter-
of-fact tone, he said presently, " I think you were saying
when I came in, Mr. Freeman, that if you had a large
amount of money if you had it, you would like to put
some of it into your ideal church."
" I said so, just that," replied Lawrence, firmly but
inquiringly, and wondering what was coming next.
" Very well ! Then what say you to making of our new
Emmanuel Church your ideal church, putting into it a part
of your new wealth, and I know what I am saying
exercising with me and one other man, each giving a
"THOU ART THE MAN" 369
sum equal to your own, exercising complete control
of the entire property, and directing all its services of
worship and its philanthropic and reformatory work ? "
The two men looked straight at each other. Law
rence began, " But there is "
"Dr. Carnaquay ? " broke in the mill-owner. And
Lawrence nodded.
" Dr. Carnaquay will be only too glad to be relieved
of his charge, in order to become my agent," said Mr.
Marshall, promptly, like one who had carefully thought
out a problem, and had his answers, adequate and con
vincing. I have long wished I could secure such char
acter and capacity as he possesses. With an agent like
him, in the South and the West, I can double my busi
ness. Dr. Carnaquay has consented to remain the pas
tor of Emmanuel Church, only from a sense of duty,
in this crisis which has come."
At this prospect of a prolonged discussion of Em
manuel Church and its pastor, the young widow s
cheeks were observed, by watchful Mrs. Freeman, to be
growing deeper and deeper in rosy coloring, and in a
moment more Mrs. Guthrie sprang hastily up, went
over and kissed Mrs. Freeman in a fervid manner, then
passed to Lawrence and took his hand. She seemed on
the point of saying something, but, instead, gave his hand
a warm, lingering, almost entreating pressure, and went
out, saying good-by, quietly, to each, as she opened the
door.
" I have presented this matter to you," began Mr.
Marshall at once, in the same determined and business
like tone, " only after full deliberation and consultation.
With Dr. Carnaquay as our minister, Emmanuel Church
can undoubtedly rebuild and again prosper. But what
sort of prosperity will it be ? You know as well as I do.
And there are scores of sensible, devout people in our
2B
370 RONALD CARNAQUAY
society, who have tired of that commercial kind of suc
cess. We want our church to be a religious organiza
tion, not a bureau of entertainments. You have ideas
of worship, and of philanthropic, reformatory methods
which I like. And now is the opportunity of your life
to put them into practice. What say you, Mr. Free
man, what say you ? "
Lawrence had been pacing the narrow diameter of
the room, restlessly, while the mill-owner was delivering
this long speech. When Mr. Marshall ceased speaking,
and stood erect, looking toward him, awaiting his
answer, Lawrence stopped short in his restless walking,
gazed directly at the mill-owner, and the two pairs of
eyes, honest, earnest eyes, exchanged that look with
which brave, self-reliant men give their hearts into each
other s keeping. Then the minister strode across the
intervening space, put out his hand, and said, quietly,
resolutely : " I will back my word with my act. If all
details can be arranged, for both church and chapel, as
you affirm, I will give of my wealth and of myself, to
build and develop a true Christian church, which
God helping us shall do more than exist in lukewarm
sinlessness, but shall lay hold of neglected, down-trodden
human life, and lift it, and teach it, and save it from
its own lower self."
CHAPTER XXV
GATHERED FRAGMENTS
" Earth owns, at last, untrod
By sect, or caste, or clan,
The fatherhood of God,
The brotherhood of man.
" Fraud fail, craft perish, forth
The money-changers driven,
And God n s will done on earth,
As now in heaven."
JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER.
THERE now remains but little to say, regarding the
new life upon which Emmanuel Church soon entered.
Since there was little or no insurance money, the church,
as an organization, was practically bankrupt. And its
future lay in the hands of whoever could furnish the
money for rebuilding. Mr. Marshall had not spoken
without warrant, and knew where at least two-thirds of
the necessary sum was coming from, under the condi
tions named by him to Lawrence Freeman.
Accordingly the work went forward. Lawrence made
his assignment of property, as he had agreed ; and he,
together with Thomas Marshall and Mr. Marshall s
friend, who had so liberally contributed to maintain the
chapel these three as trustees, owned the entire church
property. Mr. Pidge was made clerk and treasurer ;
whereat his depression of spirits, which had been sad
to behold, was straightway removed. " Doctor " Mixer
was "excused " from his duties as chairman of the trus-
372 RONALD CARNAQUAY
tees, and was not likely to attain any official position
whatever, in the new organization. Dr. Carnaquay
(now become Mr. Ronald Carnaquay) " pushed " the
Marshall mills, all through the West, with remarkable
success, and seems likely to become soon a member of
the firm. He also contributed five thousand dollars,
instead of two thousand dollars, to the building of the
new edifice. (He calls it "a quit-claim payment") And
whenever he is at home from his business trips, he
attends divine service in the hall which the church
temporarily has rented, and sometimes he gives "talks,"
over at the chapel on the North Side, and fairly electri
fies those plain people by his " wonderful command of
language."
As to Carnaquay s relations with Adeline Guthrie,
people are not " quite sure " (even after giving the
matter that careful, conscientious attention which people
so kindly give, under such circumstances). It is noted
that she is gradually leaving off the sombre hues, in
which she was accustomed to dress, and that she
has recently appeared, in a very becoming hat with a
large white ostrich feather. Also, she receives letters
regularly, when Ronald Carnaquay is "travelling";
also it is known that he carries a photograph (a female
face it is) fastened upon the inside of his watch-case ;
but nobody has obtained a sufficiently clear look at it
to be able to identify it, although Sister Train and Sister
Moulton and Sister Jennings all three asked him, one
Sunday after service, what time it was and the big
clock in the hall facing them, admonishing them all the
time.
One word, in passing, about Olive Marshall. She
does not peruse such dark and dreary volumes as she
did, and she read aloud to her brother Ned, one evening,
not long ago, a poem in masculine-looking manuscript,
GATHERED FRAGMENTS 373
which she thought very "lovely," but she would not
give the author s name. Moreover, she has been seen,
of late, to have, each Sunday, a fresh bunch of violets,
fastened at her belt. In short, she seems quite restored
in spirits, and takes a very optimistic view of the
universe.
As for Miss Metcalf she comes to church irreg
ularly, but she avoids Mrs. Guthrie, and merely bows
to Ronald Carnaquay in passing. Her reign in the
sewing-circle is over. That was one of the stipula
tions which Lawrence made. Mrs. Bellaire is now
president, and manages the affairs of the society with
good judgment. Athough there is very little need of
their frantic assistance, a group of loyal old ladies meet,
twice a week, and sew and sew and talk. But they
do not discuss the minister, because he is quite indepen
dent of their comments and their votes. Poor confused
Matilda Fifield has never fully recovered from the shock
of the church conflagration. People are patient and
considerate with her, and never even faintly suggest
that she was in any way responsible for the not
calamity, but " blessing in disguise."
Yes, "blessing in disguise." For the fire burned up
many things beside wood and paint, pews and carpets.
It burned up many Pharisaic ideas and commercial
standards, and impeding habits and customs. The con
gregation is only about two-thirds as large as when
Ronald Carnaquay strode up and down the platform,
but it is a living forceful organism now, and not an
assemblage of idle, curious spectators.
Several persons, of real intelligence and power and
refinement, who were kept in the background, during the
Carnaquay supremacy, have now came to the front, and
take a more active part in affairs. Also there are many
individuals, men and women of diverse and various
374 RONALD CARNAQUAY
callings, who have gradually found their way to the hall,
from all parts of the city, drawn there because the simple
earnestness of the place appeals strongly to them. And,
in the affairs of the city, Emmanuel Church is already
making its power felt : it opposes frauds in the munici
pal government, pushes for reforms in existing laws,
fights the cause of any who are unjustly attacked, and
has become a veritable "church militant," hated by
some, respected by most, recognized as a power by all.
It has opened a coffee-house ; and it offers rooms for
labor-union meetings, where the odor of whiskey does
not tempt the nostrils of honest men.
In short, Emmanuel Church is a live organization,
whose ideal is not ease, but action ; and when it enters
its new edifice, its work will become still more efficient,