Produced by Carl D. DuBois
THE CRUCIFIXION OF PHILIP STRONG
BY
REV. CHARLES M. SHELDON
AUTHOR OF
"In His Steps: What Would Jesus Do?" "His Brother's Keeper," "Robert
Hardy's Seven Days," etc.
NEW YORK AND LONDON
STREET & SMITH, PUBLISHERS
Copyright 1899
By STREET & SMITH
THE CRUCIFIXION OF PHILIP STRONG.
CHAPTER I.
Philip Strong could not decide what was best to do.
The postman that evening had brought him two letters and he had justfinished reading them. He sat with his hands clasped over his knee,leaning back in his chair and looking out through his study window. Hewas evidently thinking very hard and the two letters were the cause ofit.
Finally he rose, went to his study door and called down the stairs,
"Sarah, I wish you would come up here. I want your help."
"All right, Philip, I'll be up in a minute," responded a voice frombelow, and very soon the minister's wife came upstairs into herhusband's study.
"What's the matter?" she said, as she came into the room. "It must besomething very serious, for you don't call me up here unless you are ingreat distress. You remember the last time you called me, you had shutthe tassel of your dressing-gown under the lid of your writing desk andI had to cut you loose. You aren't fast anywhere now, are you?"
Philip smiled quaintly. "Yes, I am. I'm in a strait betwixt two. Let meread these letters and you will see." So he began at once, and we willcopy the letters, omitting dates.
CALVARY CHURCH, MILTON.
REV. PHILIP STRONG.
DEAR SIR:—At a meeting of the Milton Calvary Church, held last week, itwas voted unanimously to extend you a call to become pastor of thischurch at a salary of two thousand dollars a year. We trust that youwill find it in accordance with the will of the Head of the Church toaccept this decision on the part of Calvary Church and become itspastor. The church is in good condition and has the hearty support ofmost of the leading families in the town. It is the strongest inmembership and financially of the seven principal churches here. Weawait your reply, confidently hoping you will decide to come to us. Wehave been without a settled pastor now for nearly a year, since thedeath of Dr. Brown, and we have united upon you as the person mosteminently fitted to fill the pulpit of Calvary Church. The grace of ourLord be with you. In behalf of the Church,
WILLIAM WINTER,Chairman of the Board of Trustees.
"What do you think of that, Sarah?" asked Philip Strong, as he finishedthe letter.
"Two thousand dollars is twice as much as you are getting now, Philip."
"What, you mercenary little creature, do you think of the salary first?"
"If I did not think of it once in a while, I doubt if you would have adecent meal or a good suit of clothes," replied the minister's wife,looking at him with a smile.
"Oh, well, that may be, Sarah. But let me read you the other letter," hewent on without discussing the salary matter.
CHAPEL HILL, CHURCH, ELMDALE
REV. PHILIP STRONG,
DEAR BROTHER:—At a meeting of the Elmdale Chapel Hill Church, held lastweek Thursday, it was unanimously voted to extend you a call to becomep