The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1883-03-14
" That's You Jim!'

A band of young men In an English
town, with hands and faces blackened,
and dressed in very grotesque costumes,
stood at Mr. Carr's door one day. After
they had sung some comic songs, with
strange gestures and grimaces, one of the
party. tall and interesting young man,
stepped up to the door, tambourine in
hand, to ask for few'pennies
Mr. Carr, taking one of the Bibles out
of the shop-window, said, "See here,
young man. will give you a shilling
and this book besides, if you will read
portion of it, that shall select, to your
comrades and in the hearing of the by
ISLANDERS.
Here's shilling for an easy job |" he
chuckled out to his mates, I'm going to
give you public reading"
Mr.. Carr opened to the fifteenth chap
ter of Luke, pointing to the eleventh
verse, requesting the young man to COM
mence reading
Now, Jim, speak up" said one of
the party, and earn your shilling like a
man.
And Jim took the book and read !:
"And he said, A certain man had two
sons; and the younger of them said to his
father, Father, give me the portion of
goods that falleth to me. And he di-
videth unto them his living"
There was something in the voice OF
the reader, as well as the strangeness OF
the circumstances, that lulled all to ST.
lence, while an air of seriousness took
possession of the youth, which still furth-
er commanded the rapt attention of the
crowd.
He read on And not many days
after, the young son gathered all togeth
er, and took his Journey into far coun-
try, and there wasted his substance with
riotous living"
That's you JIM" cried one of his
comrades. Its just what you told me
Of yourself and your father"
He continued: "And when he had
spent all, there arose mighty famine
in the land. and he began to be in want.
Why that's you again, Jim J. said
the voice. "Go onl''
"And he went and joined himself to a
citizen of that country and he sent him
into his fields to feed swine. And he
would fain have filed his belly with the
husks that the swine did eat; and nc
man gave unto him.
"That's like us all p said the voice
once more interrupting. We're al
beggars, and might be better than We
are. Go on let us hear what came o.
il"
And the young man read on, and as
he read, his voice trembled a" And when
he came to himself he said, How many
hired servants of my fathers have bread
enough, and to spare, and l perish with
hunger | will arise and go to my faith
er.
At this point he fairly broke down
and could read no more. All were i'm
pressed and moved. The whole reality
of the past rose up to view, and in the
clear story of the Gospel, ray of hope
dawned upon him for his future. His
father, his father house, and his mother,
too, and the plenty and the love ever be-
slowed upon him there, and the hired
servants all having enough, and then
himself, his fathers son, and his present
state, his companionships, his Incorporate
habits, his SINS his proverty, his outcast
condition, his questionable mode of liv-
ing-all these came climbing into the
citadel of his mind and fairly overcame
him.
That day proved the turning point in
his life 1t resulted in his long-lost and
yet dearly loved son returning to his
home, and, still better, to his Heavenly
Father.