St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1876-06-30
ST. cJomsburp Galedunian.
Johnsbury. VT. Friday. June 80. 1876.
My Wife never Gave me Up"
ny F. PAYSoN HAMMOND.


BY f. PAYSoN HAMMOND.
Major Hall is IL man we'll known i'll |
the District of Columbia. During the
war he maintained an honorable posi- /
ton. doing valiant service for his coun-
try. and since that time he has held
offices of trust under the government.
Being naturally an hail fellow. we'll
met" he fell in with so-called sporting
men. spending much of his time gam
bling and occasionally drinking To eX-
cess. One of his friends, Gen. Crltten-
den, WAS induced 10y his wife and
daughter to attend the union evangtll>-
tie meetings here in Washington, and
after "A severe Struggl lie, NIelicd his heal
to the Saviour. Through his influence,
Major Hall was induced to attend the
meetings. protes>edly t"r the purpose
of hearing his friend. the General, re-
late his experience. He WAS much I'M
pressed with the clear evidence al con
version which he exhibited III his
remarkab address. The Spirit OF God
struve with him, but he resisted the
influence. and in a tit oI desperation
left his PRAYING wife abruptly during
the inquiry meeting, and sought To
drown his convictions amid the excite
ment of the gaming table. There all
night long he continued.
At nine o'clock on Saturday morning.
instead of returning home to relieve the
anxiety of his wife. who had set apart
the dav 10 fast and pray for him. he
went to the ST. james Hotel and slept
till three o'clock. when he again hct""k
himself to the same place, continuing
there until daylight on Sunday morn
ing. Suddenly he exclaimed. Il have
played INV last card and drank my last
glass of whisky" His devoted wites
PRAYERS were beginning to he answered.
He went to his office. and resolved II
possible to become Il Christian before
he left it, There he remained until h>t
o'clock in the evening i'll terrible agony
of soul. The burden of sin all the time
grew so heavily upon him that at last
he felt he must have help. He first
went to three different churches hoping
to find meetings at them. but II WAS
not the houl of service. He then sought
the home of Il Christian gentleman, and
there. with the assistance al Rev. l)r.
Black, who WAS called i'll. he WAS en-
abled to look away with the eyes at
faith to the Saviour bleeding on the
cross for him. The burden at once
rolled of ~ he SAN that divine Justice
had been satisfied 10y the finished work
of Christ. Peace and joy at once filled
his soul, and he saw clearly that he
cause the Lord Jesus had loved him
and given Himself tuI him. and because.
he had confessed his sins and believed
on Him, God the Father had forgiven
him his sins and cltan>-d him from all
iniquity.
lie then went home to his wife and
told her that her prayers had been AN
swered. At first it WAS too good news
to believe. She had not known his
Whereabouts for two days, but she WIS
confident that tod 10y his Holy Spirit
could search him ont and lead him to
cIN tor mercy. Without stopping for
food, though he had taken nothing tor
thirty-siX hours, he at once repaired
with his wife To Rev. DIR. Rankin ;
church. where observed him weeping
like a little child. But between his
sob> he said to me: ''ThOUgh all my
friends gaze me up, get she Herer tOrs0ok
me: she nerer ceased praying for me. and
nOT her prayers are ansTered. soon
after he told his experience t" tw"
thousand five hundred people in the
same church. and his wife invnluntarilN
arose and said, Il am the happlrst
woman III WaShingtnn.
For two weeks he has been address
ing meetings nearly every night i'll this
and adjoining cities. The experience
gained 10y him III Years past III speaking
at political gatherings has been of great
advantage to him. He has already been
the means of leading numbers To Christ.
He is only one of many here who at
tribute their conversion to woman ;
influence.
Ex-senator Nye'> son. from the steps
of the Capitol, recently related to eight
OF ten thousand people the story of his
recent conversion. attrihutlug it largely
to the influence of his PRAYING mother
and godly wife he said that until these
meetings commenced he had hardly
been sober for seven Years. A. i'll diff
ferent places he has related his expert
tucr, hundreds have been melted tu
tears. Wives. mothers and daughters
are realizing as they never did before
the mighty influence foI good they WELD
over the sterncr sex.
About one hundred ladies arose in
the morning meeting III DIR. Newman
church to day and said (many of them
with tears.) pray for my husband
They also We're asked To promise. a.
far as possible, that they would pray
with them this very day. - The Wash
mutton, II. e., 1drnHce