Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1892-05-20
PATS LOYALTY.


pected to die there. He hoped to do
so at any rate. for to him there was
no place on earth that could vie with
that alley in all that makes life worth
the living.
Such glorious times as he had had
there! What a wonderfully large
amount of fun had been crowded into
the nineteen years of his existence!
He had been in various parts of the
city. bot he always returned to Rat
row with a feeling of gratitude in his
heart that there was his home. No
place else were the families SO closely
huddled together. No place else did
the men get so gloriously drunk and
beat their wives so brutally. No
place else did the women swear so
loud and so much and fight so fierce
ly. and in no other place did the
children. from the mere toddlers OF
years to the lad and lass OF Is. give
utterance to such vile language as
could be heard at any time in Rat row.
Oh. yes, it was a delightful place to
live ir.
He had breathed the atmosphere of
the narrow thorouGhfare for so long
that the elements of which it was coih-
posed had been infused into his very
life blood and had become part OF
himself He couldn't imagine what
any other life could be like and he
didn't want to find out. Give him Rat
row forever.
Often in the evening he and two or
three of his boon companions would
stroll up South Clark street. trying to
find some amusement there but it was
so dull in comparison with the scenes
to which they had been accustomed
that they always went home with in
creased affection for their own noisy,
crowded alley.
But one night he went out alone
and as he stood on a corner looking
vacantly before him his attention was
attracted by the sound of approaching
music and soon the Salvation army
went marching by.
Mechanically he followed them. and
when they entered the barracks he
hesitated a moment then made his
way into the crowded room and went
forward not stopping until the front
seat was reached.
1t was the first time that he had
ever been in any place of worship in
his life. and as he looked at his dirty
hands bare feet. and torn. dirty
clothes sense of shame hitherto for
eign to his nature brought flush to
his face. and for few moments he
heartily wished himself away.
But when they commenced to sing,
joyfully
fare you washed9 Are you washedl
Are you washed in the blood of the lamb
Though your sins are crimson, they may be
like snow,
II you'll wash in the blood Of the lamb"
all personality was forgotten and he
leaned forward to catch every word
that was uttered by the happy choir
de did not know what organization
1t was He had never heard of the
Salvation army More than that he
did not care what 1t was. He only
knew that the music which to more
cultivated ears was oftimes EARRING
and discordant brought to his hear
sense OF sweet happiness and exulta.
ton. as though it had been harmony
waited to him from the spheres.
Really it was almost rs good as any
thing he had ever heard at Rat row.
And then. so great did his excitemen,
become, that he wanted to sing too.
So when the pretty brown-eyed girl
in front of him shouted forth trium
phantly ''Hallelujah! Hallelujahr
he clapping his hands and keeping
time with his bare feet repeated the
words with vim that brought ar
amused smile to the lips OF those who
sat near him.
The brown-eyed girl heard him and
smiled, too, but not derisively. Leav
ing her place in the ranks she went
up to him. and taking the grimy HAND
in hers she said:
Pm glad that you are enjoying oul
meeting. Don't you want to join the
srmy"
What armyP"
'Our army"
This ant no army, is itP"
why. yes. Didn't you know W.
are the Salvation army. Didn't yol
read it on the uniformP'
No" he replied doggedly, blush
ing with the wave of shame that again
surged over him as his thoughts wer
brought back to their ordinary level
II can't read"
Cant your" she exclaimed. look
ing at him wonderingly. '.How dit
you happen to come to the barracksP
Il saw yer on the streets, an
follered. Gee-whiz but it's nice!
never seen anything like it before. "
Where do you liveP" she asked
pityingly.
On Rat row."
Rat row! Where's thatp"
why. don't yer know" he said
surprised that anyone should be igno
rant as to the whereabouts OF tina
famous locality.
mo, | am sorry to say that neve
heard OF it,"
well, that beats
ua etnppad oaa,rtc~ A. .~1~oo,xxo