The High Calling
A novel written in the early 20th century. The story revolves around the Douglas family, particularly their eldest son, Walter, as he navigates the challenges of pursuing an education in electrical engineering while grappling with issues of integrity, family values, and social pressures. Through the struggles faced by Walter, the book touches on themes of moral character and the choices between personal ambition and ethical conduct. At the start of the narrative, readers are introduced to Paul Douglas, who is concerned about his son Walter's decision to attend Burrton Electrical and Engineering School instead of joining the family newspaper business. Paul abounds with hope that Walter will adhere to the principles of hard work and humility, especially as Walter shows an inclination toward a more luxurious lifestyle—a conflict that becomes evident when he expresses envy toward the wealthier students. Additionally, the opening chapters delve into the character dynamics of the Douglas family, providing a glimpse into their home life, particularly the strong moral training provided by Paul and Esther. As Walter's decisions lead to complications involving gambling debts and an invention he arrives at through morally questionable means, his journey underscores the importance of genuine character and the potential pitfalls of ambition unchecked by ethical considerations.
Editions
X-Ray
“We must know Jesus before we can imitate Him.””
— Charles M. Sheldon
“But if our definition of being a Christian is simply to enjoy the privileges of worship, be generous at no expense to ourselves, have a good, easy time surrounded by pleasant friends and by comfortable things, live respectably and at the same time avoid the world's great stress of sin and trouble because it is too much pain to bear it”
— Charles M. Sheldon
“The greatest question in all of human life is summed up when we ask, 'What would Jesus do?' if, as we ask it, we also try to answer it from a growth in knowledge of Jesus himself. We must know Jesus before we can imitate Him.””
— Charles M. Sheldon
“Must Jesus bear the cross alone And all the world go free? No, there's a cross for every one, And there's a cross for me.””
— Charles M. Sheldon
“Our Christianity loves its ease and comfort too well to take up anything so rough and heavy as a cross. And””
— Charles M. Sheldon
“No man can tell until he is moved by the Divine Spirit what he may do, or how he may change the current of a lifetime of fixed habits of thought and speech and action.””
— Charles M. Sheldon
“The bishop thought that night, while Rachel was singing, that if the world of sinful, diseased, depraved, lost humanity could only have the Gospel preached to it by consecrated sopranos and professional tenors and altos and basses, he believed it would hasten the coming of the Kingdom quicker than any other one force.””
— Charles M. Sheldon
“Somehow I get puzzled when I see so many Christians living in luxury and singing 'Jesus, I my cross have taken, all to leave and follow Thee,' and remember how my wife died in a tenement in New York City, gasping for air and asking God to take the little girl too. Of course I don't expect you people can prevent every one from dying of starvation, lack of proper nourishment and tenement air, but what does following Jesus mean?””
— Charles M. Sheldon
“He had made money his god. As soon as that god was gone out of his little world there was nothing more to worship; and when a man's object of worship is gone he has no more to live for.””
— Charles M. Sheldon
