The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1877-05-16

Z
bis knees. what . change had taken
place. The raging lion bad become
| q lamb. The strong, wicked con-
temner of the good, was gentle and
| teacbable as child. d.
Once more the colporteur read from
! the holy book, while the man and wo-
man listened With bent heads, and
Earnest, thoughtful faces.
| "Shall / leave you this Bible ~
said be. rising at length and making
. motion to retire.
'If you will sell it to u.s." said
Dick Jones.
at is yours on aDy terms you
please. The price is low. / have
other good books but this is the best
Iof all, for it ia Gods own Book, in
which be speaks to his erring. uuhap-
py children. saying to them, Come
unto me ell ye that labor and are
heavy laden, and / will give you
rest.' Read this 6rst, my friends ;
road it in the morning, as soon
Isas you rise. and in the evening
| befose 800 retire. Read it. together,
and. .lsgou feel an impulse to pray,
kneel down, and silently, if you can
not speak aloud, say over the words
of the beautiful prayer the Savior
taught bis disciples-the prayer your
mother taught you when you were
innocent children,-'Our Father who
art in heaven.n In q few weeks /
will pass this way again. Shall l
call to see you 7"
30 yes. Do call" said Jones, his
voice trembling. thought it was plain
to see that be struggled hard with
the food of emotions that was sweep
ing over him.
May Gods peace rest upon this
house!D The stranger stood with
lifted hands and head bent reverently
for q moment Then, turning away,
be passed from the door, and in a few
moments was out of sight.
A month later the colporteur came
again that way. How different was
his reception at the house OF Dick
Jones. The moment the eyes of the
latter rested upon him, it seemed as
if sun beam fell suddenly upon bis
rugged features.
"AIl is well, / see.r The colpor-
teur spoke cheerfully. and with ra-
diant smile. "a Bible in the house
is blessing to its inmates
at has been blessing to as" said
the happy wife, her eyes full of tears.
80, sir, we can never be done read
ing the good Book 1t seems, some
times, as if the words were written
just for US. And the children ask
me, many times day, if | won't
read 10 them about Joseph and bis
brethren, the three Hebrew children
or Daniel 10 the lions den. Often
when they have been so ill-natured
aud quarrelsome that l could do
nothing with them have | stopped my
work, and sat down among them
with the Bible, and begun to read one
of its beautiful stories. o, it acted
like charm All anger would die
instantly; and when closed the
book, and theE~went- to their play
again. would not bear an ugly word
among them, maybe for hours. And
Richard too" she glanced toward
her husband, who smiled, and she
went on "And Richard tool
haven't heard him swear an oath since
you were here; and be isn't angry
with things that can't be helped.
near as often as he used to be. O.,
yes, indeed, sir it ls true. A Bible
in the house is blessing to its in
mates"
"If that were tie only fruit Of my
labor" said the colporteur, as he
walked slowly aud thoughtfully
away from the house of Dick Jones,
an hour later, sit would be worth all
the toll and sacrifice 1 have given 20
the work. But this is not the only
good ground into which the seed l
am scattering broadcast, as it were,
has fallen. God'srain. and dew, and
sunshine, are upon it, and it must
spring up, and grow, and ripen TO the
harvest. Let me not grow faint and
weary"
And with a stronger heart aud
more earnest purpose, be went on his
way.