CHAPTER II

WILLIAM DURHAM HAS A CALLER

On the Sabbath following the incidents related in the previous chapter William Durham preached his annual missionary sermon. It was an eloquent and convincing appeal, and the large congregation listened with intense interest. William Durham was a late convert to the foreign mission cause of his church, but he had become an enthusiastic advocate for world-wide missions in recent years, especially after the Ecumenical Missionary Conference held in New York City in 1900.

Benjamin Harrison, ex-President of the United States, presided at this remarkable gathering, which included Christian leaders from almost every church and every land, and in his opening speech he made some statements which clung to William Durham's mind like the flavor of wine to a vessel. "With the increase of commerce and wealth," exclaimed that statesman, "the stress of social difficulties is not relieved, but increases in all the great nations. The tendency is not to one brotherhood, but to many. Christ in the heart and his gospel of love and ministry in all the activities of life are the only cure."

Mr. Durham repeated these words in his sermon, and eloquently pleaded with the congregation to support the spread of Christ's Gospel everywhere. "The nineteenth century has made the world one neighborhood," he cried

out in prophetic tones. "It is the Christian duty of the twentieth century to make the world one brotherhood."

It was a fashionable audience that greeted the minister that day. Dothan society attended Calvary Church almost exclusively. All were following the sermon with attention, but soon after he began Mr. Durham noticed a stranger eagerly listening to him from the Waynor pew. The Waynors were the leaders in Dothan's best society. -wealthy, cultured and devout. Accompanying them this morning was a young lady of prepossessing appearance, with fresh, young face, bright eyes and ruby lips. At a glance one could tell she was a Northerner, for her beauty was altogether distinct from the Southern type.

If Mr. Durham had been a younger man the earnest gaze with which she watched his every movement and the eagerness with which she listened to his discourse would have flattered him, but, as it was, he was perplexed. During the sermon he kept asking himself, when he looked her way, "Who is she?"

At the close of the service he pressed forward to the Waynor pew, and was soon introduced to the interesting stranger.

"Mr. Durham," said Mrs. Waynor, "this is my niece, Miss Rose Atkinson, from Pittsburg, Pa." There was a shade of embarrassment, unusual in Mrs. Waynor's manner, which did not escape Mr. Durham's notice, and which naturally increased his perplexity.

"You seem to be able to enjoy a missionary sermon," he remarked, after Miss Atkinson had expressed her pleasure at being permitted to be present on the occasion.

"I certainly enjoyed your sermon to-day. Your sentiments are beautiful, so beautiful. I want to thank you

for them. I am pleased to hear such sermons in the South."

Mr. Durham's perplexity was turning to pleasure. “I hope your niece will make you a long visit," he said to Mrs. Waynor in parting.

Mrs. Waynor blushed and replied with some confusion, "We do not have much control over Rose."

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There's some mystery here," said Mr. Durham to himself, as he passed on to greet the other members of his church.

Among others he met Jefferson Lilly, who thanked the minister warmly for his message. "I am not a churchman," said the young fellow, "but your sermon has set me to thinking. I will come again."

Jefferson had left Dothan on the very evening of his exciting experience with the hotel keeper, making a short visit to Montgomery, and had just returned early that Sabbath morning. As he confessed to Mr. Durham, he was not a churchman. In college he began to doubt the value of religion, and being an honest fellow he had dropped out of all church connections. But that morning he felt something within him urging him to attend Calvary Church. It may only have been a desire to see Florence Ashley, who sang in the choir, but at any rate the service and sermon impressed him as no church service had done since his boyhood days.

Like Mr. Durham and many others in the congregation, he had noticed the young Northern beauty in the Waynor pew, and as he passed out Mrs. Waynor, who had met him at a social function, greeted him cordially and introduced him to Miss Atkinson.

"I am glad to see you here to-day," said Mrs. Waynor. "I was told you never attended church, but I knew that it must be a mistake."

"I am glad to be here to-day," he responded. “That sermon had a ring about it which attracts me."

"How delighted I am to hear you say so!" said Rose Atkinson with enthusiasm.

"My niece is fanatical on missionary subjects," said Mrs. Waynor with the same kind of embarrassment that puzzled Mr. Durham.

Jefferson noticed it also and wondered. It increased his interest in Miss Atkinson.

The next day Rev. William Durham was surprised and pleased to receive a call from the Northern girl. One of the younger Waynor girls accompanied her, and the maid ushered them up to the minister's study.

"This is an unexpected pleasure," said Mr. Durham, as he bowed his visitors to their seats.

"I told aunt that I wanted to come to see you first of all," began the girl abruptly. "You see I had not expected to join any Southern church during my stay in Alabama, but your sermon showed me I will be welcomed by you at least as a fellow-member in the Calvary Church."

"Do you expect to make Dothan your home for some time?" asked Mr. Durham in surprise.

"That is my present intention, although auntie says she hopes it is only a temporary fad of mine."

Mr. Durham of course at once concluded that Miss Atkinson had come South to make her home with her aunt for some time, and he was naturally desirous of adding such an enthusiastic personality to the membership of Calvary Church.

"We shall be delighted to receive you as a member of our church," he exclaimed with enthusiasm. "We need your help here. Most of our young ladies are too much interested in social matters to give the spiritual side of

their lives adequate attention, and on such girls as Florence Ashley your influence is just what is needed."

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How delightful of you to say so! Why, auntie didn't think you would want to receive me as a member at all." "Mrs. Waynor was mistaken. You know, Miss Atkinson, after all the Church of Christ is one everywhere. We have the same Bible, the same Gospel and the same God."

"You are not like another Rev. Durham I met some time ago in Hambright, North Carolina," said the girl with some surprise.

"Have you ever been in Hambright?" responded the minister quickly. "Why, that was my older brother, John, whom you met there. He has been a pastor in Hambright for over half a century."

"I am sorry to hear you say he is your brother," answered the girl frankly. "He seemed to me to have a poor influence over that village, judging from the spirit of the people. I thought him a bitter, narrow and altogether antiquated failure. Pardon me for saying this, but I have hard work to keep from despising him. I cannot imagine him to be really a brother of yours."

Mr. Durham laughed heartily, and replied, "You must have mentioned the word 'negro' to brother John or you would not have formed such an awful opinion about him. 'Apart from that subject he is a genial and lovable man, but I acknowledge," added the minister, growing serious in his tone, "that the very word 'negro' of late has seemed to sour all the milk of human kindness in his nature."

"Of course, I talked to him about the negro," said the girl with spirit.

Mr. Durham saw that he had for the moment forgotten that Miss Atkinson was from Pittsburg, Pa., where a