The Press., 1893-02-23
Number AZ.

four hours but this he could bear, for he chuckled, Brown never'll come again, and he'd better not"
 "Flower mission Sunday had come. What it meant no one seemed to know "only they'd heard the women were com- ing;' and, sure enough, on Sunday morn- ing as they filed into the chapel there sat several women, and great baskets of flow CTS filled the dreary place with perfume. Not man, old or young, but felt that he had company come to see him.
 Ben's whole being started into life with the very first words of the service,-for they fell from the same lips which had said goodbye" to him that day when he was ''ironed and carried off,"
 After brief prayer and singing the speaker took into her hands some of the flowers, called attention to the white rib bon which fastened them, and held the card with it's gospel message, and then told the story of the "fower mission" It grew very still as the sick room was pictured where, for so many years, the
 
 pain, and from whom had come the in- | spiration for the work which white-rib- boners loved so well.
 Then the scripture texts were read over and explained, d,-another hymn sung, and the big baskets were placed before the speaker. She gave out to the ladies until their arms were full, then said, "Wait,- and let every head be bowed for just moment of prayer" The words, so sim pie, so fearful so pleading, fell upon eve- ry heart, and, as the heads were lifted, al- most every one brushed hand across the face. Eager hands reached out for the flowers, and the texts were read by many through tears.
 | Ben looked at the young lady coming down this row." and, as he held out his hands, gave start, then set his teeth and dropped the flowers upon the floor.
 The lady turned and picked them up, and as her eyes met his, she exclaimed "Why, Ben, is this you? I was wishing to see you, for Eve always wanted to tell you that did not believe that you meant to burn my fathers barn-you were all ways so kind when you worked for fath- CT. Keep up good heart, better times will come. Read your text and believe it." Ben looked dazed, then, straighten- ing up, he lifted his right hand.
 All this took only a moment, but it meant more than can be computed by fig ures. The distribution was over, again they sung, few words of hope and cheer were given, a brief prayer offered, and 'they fell into lfne." True, they took the same miserable lock-step, but the faces wore a different expression, and though the flowers were carried little awkwardly, no one seemed careless of what had been received.
 Ben walked his cell that day, stopping once in while to put his face down on the flowers, but all the time he carried in a tight grasp his ''text card" "God SC loved the world that he gave his only be- gotten Son that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life"
 It was one of the texts the lady had read, and she looked at him as she ad. ded, "This means you, my friend, just put your name in there and say it over until you believe it, that God promises you eternal life." Then followed a little talk, which made it plain that "eterna life" was not far-off, distant blessing but something each might enter upor that very day.
 Ben had found out for the first tim, that he had soul and the women though it worth saving. How they cried wheI they talked and prayed, and even whel they sung. Browns girl had grown st much, but she remembered him ant didn't believe him guilty. "What if sh, and that other woman knew how he mean to burn Browns house! He'd have t, look out that she wasn't inside. How, . house. burning and eternal life go togeth CT? He'd burn the house and then ge , eternal life!" He read the text again
 plan! For the first time in his life he lief , his food untouched. "Must he give u :, everything because some women ha !, come. there and talked and cried, an
 brought flowers ?'' and with the though
 he threw his little bouquet to the end C
 his cell, followed and put his foot upon il
 Just then the Keeper looked in as he wer his rounds. Later he said, "Some of tn
 men put their flowers in their cups, br :, there's Stuart, he flung them down an
 stood on them-an obtuse, sullen fello r that."., , 't If he could have looked in few hour u later he would have understood as little for he would have seen Stuart lying upo
 the floor with his face upon the flower p Sometime afterwards Stuart told "tI e flower-woman" Che had come to think
 her that way, not knowing her name :. Somewhere between midnight and morl le ing I gayeup burning Browns house, ar y lots of other things, and took eternal Tiff y It was the first chance I'd had, and i' couldn't ford to lose it."
 <. .Ei Two years had come and gone, ar ia ''sfower mission day'' has become an e ,n tablished feature of w. c. T. U. wor 7 and hundreds of pathetic stories could l le related of its gentle ministry, but no be ter trophy could be shown than Benjam
 Stuart, a plain, silent man, whose fideli to principle and heroism in time of tii .s would put to shame the majority of pr ... fessing christians. H Deacon Brown says, '.There's lots \ nonsense about the women carrying flo CTS and setting up to preach," but B
 says, "It pays to do it."
 A LEADER.-Since it's first introductio