The Preacher of Cedar Mountain: A Tale of the Open Country

by Ernest Thompson Seton

  CHAPTER L

  The Call to Chicago

  "Get up, you lazy giant; the breakfast is ready," she called from thedining room. In truth, he had been up to light the fire and chop somewood, but was now reading in bed.

  "Jim, I want you to be prepared for something very important to-day. Ihave a presentiment that this means something." She held up the cardthat had been presented after the service the evening before, and read:

  MR. JOHN HOPKINS, ENGLEWOOD, CHICAGO

  "If he comes with a proposition, don't accept it off-hand. Ask for alittle while to consider."

  Belle put on her smartest frock that morning and pressed Jim's trousersand tied his necktie repeatedly till its form was right. With a verycritical eye she studied his appearance and her own, and that of thehouse, from every angle. Why? Would any business man make note of suchthings? Detailed note, no; perhaps not. But the sum total of suchtrifles--expressing decorum, experience, worldly wisdom of the kind thatmakes itself felt as tact, and judgment that is better than genius asguarantee of success--would unquestionably produce its effect.

  Promptly at ten thirty A.M., Mr. John Hopkins called. He apologized forthe unseemly hour, but said he was leaving town at noon. His firstimpression of Belle was a very delightful one. He found her refined andcultured and he recalled the advice of a certain old bishop: "Never givea call to a clergyman unless you are satisfied to call his wife aswell." There was no use denying it, the wife was as important as thepreacher; she could build up or disrupt the congregation, and so shemade a double problem; that is why Rome ruled the wives out altogether.

  Mr. Hopkins was a citizen of the world; he approached the object of thevisit gracefully, but without loss of time. The Evangelical Allianceneeded a man of personality and power to carry on its work in the slumsof South Chicago among the iron-workers. The church cared nothing aboutcreeds or methods--applied no gauge but results; the best result was adiffusion of human kindness. The salary was twenty-five hundred a year,with one week vacation at Christmas and one month at midsummer. He, JohnHopkins, as President of the Board of Deacons, was empowered to select aman, and now made formal offer of the post to the Rev. James Hartigan.Mr. Hartigan might have a week to decide; but Mr. Hopkins would greatlyprefer it if Mr. Hartigan could decide before noon that day when Mr.Hopkins was leaving town. Until stage time he could be found at theTemperance House.

  He rose quickly to go. Belle asked if he would, at his convenience, putthe offer in writing, so that they might be clear as to details,indicating whether it was understood to be by the year and permanent, orfor a time on approbation.

  "I'll do that now," he replied. Taking the writing materials that shebrought, he wrote and signed the formal call, with the intimation thatit was for one year, subject to renewal.

  As soon as their caller was safely gone, Jim picked up Belle in his armsand, marching up and down with her as if she had been a baby, he fairlygasped: "You are a wonder! You are a wonder! If I had gone my way, whereshould I be now? A drunkard or a cowboy; maybe in jail; or, at best, adoorkeeper in the Salvation Army. Oh, Belle, I swear I'll never pick atrail or open my mouth--never do a thing--without first consulting you."And the elation of the moment exploded into a burst of Irish humour."_Now_, please ma'am, what am I to do?"

  "What are _we_ to do, you mean," retorted Belle. "Well, in view of thefact that we haven't got the cash the folks here think we have, we mustdo something. Twenty-five hundred dollars a year is an improvement onthree hundred a year, and as there is no other positive offer in sight,I vote for accepting."

  "That settles it. What right has a worm like me to vote?"

  "That's a poor metaphor, Jim; try again."

  "All right! The mighty Captain of this warship accepts the advice of theinsignificant pilot--who happens to know the channel. How is that?"

  "It can't be done, Jim. I may help the guiding, but without you I'd havenothing to guide. Each of us gives his best to the combine--each is ahalf of the arch; not simply are we twice as strong together, but twentytimes as strong as we should be singly."

  "Now for the call. Do you realize, Jim, that it means good-bye to theprairies, good-bye to the hills, and good-bye to Midnight?"

  Jim nodded and looked grave. Belle went on: "But it also means livingthe life that you long ago elected to live--being a chosen instrument ofgood to bring blessings to those whose lives are black with sorrow anddespair. It means giving up all the physical pleasures you love sodeeply and rightly; but it also means following the Master. Which is itto be?"

  "I know," he responded, "I know. But Belle, dear, I never had a momentof doubt when I had to decide between Belle and Blazing Star; why shouldI hesitate now when it's Midnight or Christ?"

  So the letter was written and delivered forthwith at the TemperanceHotel. One week later Belle and Jim were driving again toward CedarMountain, headed for the railway which was to take them to Chicago. Asthey swung down the trail Belle looked out on the familiar objects andsaid:

  "Here we are again at the beginning of a new chapter; and again itstarts on the old Deadwood trail."