John Wesley, Jr.: The Story of an ExperimentBrummitt, Dan B. (Dan Brearley)
Religion
John Wesley, Jr.: The Story of an Experiment
Brummitt, Dan B. (Dan Brearley)
Christian fiction; Methodists -- Fiction
The rest is detail. The trip determined on, preparations were hastened.
A month before the date of starting J.W. had time for no more than a
hurried visit to Delafield, to say good-by to the home folk and to the
preacher whom he had come to think of as Timothy might have thought of
Paul. Then he had something else to say to Jeannette. His prospects were
becoming so promising that he could ask her a very definite question,
and he dared to hope for a definite answer.
Jeannette, troubled at the thought of his long absence in strange lands,
consoled herself by her promise, which was his promise also. As soon as
he came home again they would be married. Brother Drury should
officiate, assisted by "the Rev. Martin Luther Shenk, brother of the
charming bride," as J.W. put it.
Walter Drury was not his usual alert self, J.W. thought, and it hurt him
to see his much-loved friend touched even a little by the years. But
the pastor brightened up, and grew visibly better as J.W. told him all
his plans.
"Just think, Mr. Drury," he said with animation, "I'm to be a
missionary, after all. Once long ago I remember you suggested I might go
to China and see for myself the difference between their religion and
ours; and now I'm going to China. Who knows, maybe I'll see Joe Carbrook
at his work. And then I'm to go all over the East, to preach the gospel
of better tools." Then he became thoughtful. "Don't you think that's
almost as good as the gospel of better bodies--Joe's gospel?"
"Surely, I do," said the pastor, "if you and Joe preach in the same
spirit, knowing that China won't be saved even by hospitals and modern
hardware. They help. But remember our understanding; you have your
chance now to see the religions of the East. Going right among the
people, as you will, you can find out more in a week than the average
tourist ever discovers. I'll give you the names of some people who will
gladly help you. And we shall want a full report when you come back. God
bless you, J.W."
It was a tired preacher who went to bed that night. This new adventure
of his boy's; what would it mean to the Experiment? He had done his best
to keep that long-ago pledge to himself. Not always had the project been
easy; he could not control all its circumstances, but in the main it had
gone well.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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