That Printer of Udell's: A Story of the Middle WestWright, Harold Bell
General
That Printer of Udell's: A Story of the Middle West
Wright, Harold Bell
Christian fiction; Middle West -- Fiction; Printers -- Fiction; Young men -- Fiction
As for Clara, she was not insensible to the good points in Mr. Udell's
character, of which money-making was by no means the most important,
for she had known him ever since the time, when as a long, lank, awkward
boy, he had brought her picture cards and bits of bright-colored
printing. She was a wee bit of a girl then, but somehow, her heart
told her that her friend was more honest than most boys, and, as she
grew older, in spite of her religious convictions, she had never been
forced to change her mind.
But George Udell was not a Christian. Some said he was an infidel; at
least he was not a member of any church; and when approached on the
subject, always insisted that he did not know what he believed; and
that he doubted very much if many church members knew more of their
beliefs. Furthermore; he had been heard upon several occasions to make
slighting remarks about the church, contrasting its present standing
and work with the law of love and helpfulness as laid down by the
Master they professed to follow.
True, no one had ever heard him say that he did not believe in Christ
or God. But what of that? Had he not said that he did not believe in
the church? And was not that enough to mark him as an infidel?
Clara, in spite of her home training, was, as has been shown, a strong
church member, a zealous Christian, and an earnest worker for the cause
of Christ. Being a practical girl, she admitted that there were many
faults in the church of today; and that Christians did not always live
up to their professions. But, bless you, you could not expect people
to be perfect; and the faults that existed in the church were there
because all churches were not the same, which really means, you of
course understand-"all churches are not of _my_ denomination." And so,
in spite of her regard for the printer, she could not bring herself
to link her destiny with one whose eternal future was so insecure, and
whose life did not chord with that which was to her, the one great
keynote of the universe, the church. And then, too, does not the good
book say: "Be ye not unequally yoked with unbelievers." What could
that mean if not, "Do not marry an infidel?"
While Clara was thinking of all these things and making her way through
the mud of Boyd City streets, Udell, at the printing office, was having
a particularly trying time. To begin with, his one printer had gone
off on a spree the Saturday before and failed to return. Then several
rush jobs had come in; he had tried in vain to get help; the boy had
come late to the office, and, altogether it seemed as though everything
had happened that could happen to make things uncomfortable.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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