Monongalia mirror. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1855, 1853-11-12
AN AFFECTING NARRATIVE.

British and Foreign Bible Society, at
the anniversary of,hc birmingham Sun
day School union;--
In the county Of Kent lives, or lived
a Clergyman and his lady, VIII" took a
very active part in the Sunday School
connected with his church. They had
in the school boy, the only son OF q
widow, who was VIGOROUSLY wicked,
lespising all the earnest prayers and
almouitions Of the Clergyman, who, ou'
Of pity for his widowed mother, kept
him in the school eighteeI,sspa9n'i's at
leng,h he found it ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY
10 dismiss the lad as warning to "tN'
srs. He soon after enlisted as soldier
in n regimen, that was soon ordered TO
America, it being during the last Amer
lean war. Some time aiIcr' the poor
widow called supon the clergyman I"
beg Bible Of the smallest size. Sur
prised a, such request from an ind'
yilnal who was on the verge of eter'i'
", and who he knew had one or Two
Bibles of large print, which she had
long used to good purpose, he inquired
~ what she wanted i, fol. She answered
"a regimen, is going nut to America
and wan, to send it to my poor boy;
and OIL sir, who knows what it may
dog rs
She sen, the Bible which the clergy
man gave her by pisas soldier who
.pon his arrival attheir destination,
found the widows soh'the very nng 'ea'
der of ,heregiment in every doSefip'lo"
of vice. After tho soldier had made
himself known he said, James, your
mother has sen, you her last present
.Ah!' he replied in careless man,
ner, is she gone at las'l lhope she
has sent me some cash.
< The pious soldier told him he bellev'
ed the poor widow was dead; but
sail he, she has sen, you something OF
more value than gold or silver, present
ing him with the Bible) and James, il.
was her dying request that you would
read one verse, at least, of this book
every day; aud ca" you refuse her dy'
ing charge
Wen said james, il i is Hot,2mae II
TO ask, (opcning the Bible, 60 bore
goes
Come unto me all ye that arc weary
aud heavy laden, and will give you
rest
S.well,' said he, this is very odd. y
have opened to the only verse in the
Bible that | could ever learn by heart
when l was in the Sunday School; !
never could, for the life Of me, commit
another. 1t is very strange! But who
is this inc that is mentioned in the
vcrsel'
The pious soldier asked him if he
did not know.
He replied that he did not.
The good man then explained it TO
him; spokcto him of Jesus and ,exl'Hlo'
tied tho truth and invitations of the Cos,
pei. They walked TO the house of the
benevolent chaplain, where they had
further conversation; the result was
that from That l,@,r'hc became chan
o,l man and was Is noted for excm'
plary conduct, as before he had bee"
for his wickcdncss.
Sumo time after this conversation, the
rspime,tin which he was, engaged the
enemy, at the close Of which the pions
soldier, in walking through tho field OF
blood. bcheld, under large spreading
oak, the dead body of james, his head
reclining on his Bible, which was open,
ed a, the passage, Come unto me MI
We that are weary &c. Poor james
had gone 10 his eternal rest
Mr.. Dudley said he had frequently
held the Bible in his hand there were
no less than fifty pages stained with the
blood of poor James, How cncoura'
sins, said Mr.. Dudley, is this for Sab
bath School teachers to persevere; Tor
should there be but one seed sown, it
might, US in case Of the widows SON.
pcoiuco plentiful harvest, The only
verse he ever committed to memory was
the means in the hand of the Holy splr'
IL, Of bringing him out Of darkness i"'o
marvellous light; and Jamesis now we
trust, joining the song of the redeemed
in Heaven.
H.. ,o,,o ,hbt when he who |