Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1880-06-10
Sowing and Reaping.

Katy Brooks was the child of minis
ter whose failing health had made it ne
ceSSary for him to visit warmer eli
mate. His wife accompanied him, while
Katy went to live with her Uncle Az
thur, in Washington.
One pleasant evening during her stay,
Katy and her uncle took stroll after
dinner. They were in the habit of do
ing SO, for they took great delight in
each others society, and would linger
hand in hand in the walks of the many
beautiful parks which adorn the city.
Seated on one of the benches, they would
watch the fat little sparrowS, who hop
ped briskly and fearlessly about; or
they would stop to listen to the musical
splash and murmur of the fountains, to
feed the goldfish which sported in the
basins, or to inhale tt , fragrance of the
flowers which bloOmed in southern pro-
fusion.
On the evening of which 1 write. the
uncle and niece were returning from
one of those delightful rambles. AS
they drew near home, they passed their
own church, from which the sound
of singing was issuing.
.
asked Mr.. Raymond, stopping to listen.
"A prayer-meeting, l believe" she an
swered. Hank" The strains of the
well-known hymn, 81 know that my Re-
deemer lives" ioated out on the evening
air, sung by many earnest voices.
Let us go in, uncle, do," pleaded the
eager child.
Mr. Raymond hesitated. 1t was many
years since he had attended gathering
of this kind, and memories of the far
off past rose in his mind. But who can
resist the gentle persausiveneSs of a
child's soft hand? Not Mr. Raymond,
surely, when the hand is that of his be-
loved niece. He followed where she led,
and they entered and seated themselves
quietly near the door, i'll order not to
disturb the exercises.
Soon there was little commotion
near them, and good man who believed
in the command
"In the highways and hedges
Go seek for the lost
entered, followed by six roughly dressed,
unkempt men.
At the noise made by heavy boots,
many well-to-do persons shrugged their
shoulders and whispered to their neigh
bors, Brother Hayward is a good man,
but l do not believe in his bringing the
the scum of the city among us"
When quiet was restored, Mr.. Hay
ward addressed the meeting, and said
that he had found these poor souls
roaming the streets, ready to become
the prey of any temptation which might
offer itself; they were about to enter a
drinking den, when he accosted them,
and after much pleading he prevailed
upon them to accompany him to the
prayer-meeting.
"And now,' he concluded, 81 want
you to tell these poor hungry souls that
Jesus died for them as well as for us,
that they have only to ask and they
shall receive"
Earnest were the prayers that follow
ed, simple and eloquent were tbs short
addresses in which the goodness, pity
and love of the Savior were portrayed
The strangers listened with interest,
and even emotion, and at the close one
Of the ragged, uncouth fellows rose and
said: 81 haven't been in church be-
fore for twenty years. I'm going down
to the fishing grounds tomorrow, and
shant come back until fall. We are
rough down there; we swear, and some-
times we fight. l shall not hear any
praying again for a long time. l should