ed
in an immense amount of suffering and trouble. As spring came on some
few of the mills had opened, and men had found work in them at a
reduction of wages. The entire history of the enforced idleness of
thousands of men in Milton during that eventful winter would make a
large volume of thrilling narrative. Philip's story but touches on this
other. He had grown rapidly familiar with the different phases of life
which loafed and idled and drank itself away during that period of
inaction. Hundreds of men had drifted away to other places in search of
work. Almost as many more had taken to the road to swell the
ever-increasing number of professional tramps, and, in time, to develop
into petty thieves and criminals. But those who remained had a desperate
struggle with poverty. Philip grew sick at heart as he went among the
people and saw the complete helplessness, the utter estrangement of
sympathy and community of feeling between the church people and these
representatives of the physical labor of the world. Every time he went
out to do his visiting this feeling deepened in him. This Sunday
afternoon in particular it seemed to him as if the depression and
discouragement of the tenement district weighed on him like a great
burden, bearing him down to the earth with sorrow and heart-ache.

He had been in the habit of going out to Communion Sunday with the
emblems of Christ to observe the rite by the bedsides of the aged or
ill, or those who could not get out to church. He carried with him this
time a basket containing a part of the communion service. After going to
the homes of one or two invalid church-members, he thought of the person
who had been mentioned by the man in the morning as living in the
tenement district and in a critical condition. He had secured his
address, and after a little inquiry he soon found himself in a part of
the tenements near to him.

He climbed up three flights of stairs and knocked at the door. It was
opened by the sexton. He greeted Philip with glad surprise.

The minister smiled sadly.

"So, my brother, it is true you are serving your Master here? My heart
is grieved at the action of the church this morning."

"Don't say anything, Mr. Strong. You did all you could. But you are just
in time to see him." The sexton pointed into a small back room. "He is
going fast. I didn't suppose he was so near. I would have asked you to
come, but I didn't think he was failing so."

Philip followed the