The times., 1897-12-12
TEE STANDARD BEARER.
BY S. r. CROCKETT.
Continued from Last Sandag.)
xXxv.
FARE YOU WELL.

had beel turned Lack
Now tney naa also uy hasJy process ap-
pointed one Atchie 10 succeed ine-a young
man that had been helper 10 one OF them,
ore nalnlsess enough, d good and quiet lad.
Him, Iur lne sake OF the stipend, they had
persuaded 10 be their cats paw.
1,ut tur IOiKs at DaGniaSule were clear
against giving hIm any loOUholu, 50 Ihat
n.s made ntise more Vi IL tnan ne mad done
al the first.
Inen l. ). 10 had striven SO lately with
the p1wers OF evil III high places, was
stricken 10 the heart at ali this strife,
ana resolved within me that there suoG1d
be an end to it.
VINO was /, that I should thus be q
trouoIer OF IsraeI, ana make the not
anger rise IN Unsse quiet hearts? Gould
/ stanu against al Scotland? Nay, could
i al1ae DC al Une right, ana all the others
III tne wrong? There was surely work Tor
me 10 Go outside the bounds OF one small
parish; al least, a few gouly folk OF The
ancient way u whom l could minister
50 I resolved then and there that after
the Sabbath service, at which l had bid
Gen Earlstoun to purge himself 10y oath
anu pughc confessiOn, would no more re-
main 10 star up wrath, but depart over
JordaH Win nO more than my pilgrim
staff in my hand
SO / caLed The people together and spoke
quietly To them.
Inns thing" said l, becomes q scan
cal aid a snanIing. Ihis Is surely not TIE
Kingdom of the Prince Of Peace True,
not we, Tut those who have come against
US, began the fray. But when men STUN
ble over a stone IN the path, IL is tliue
that the stone be removed.
Vow, l. YOUR minister, am the stone OF
stumbling-I, ana none other-the rock OF
orfense. / win, therefore, remove my
self. I viii cease to trouble Isreal.'
No, no, they cried. "Bde with US,
for You are our minister, ana We your
faithful ana willing folk"
Ana tnIs saying OF theirs, In which all
Joined, moved me much; nevertheless,
was uNeu IN my heart, and could make no
more OF il than that I must depart.
Which, when they heard, they were
grieved very sorely, and appointed GER
tain of them, uen Of weight and sin
cerity, TO combat my resolution.
But IL was not 10 be, for l had made UP
my mind.
1 saw that there might be an open door
elsewhere, and though / would not aban
don my work III BaImaghie, Yet neither
would 1 any more confine my ministrations
1 would 20 out TO the IIHl-Folk, who, before
had called me; and If they accepted Of me
well! and if not-why, there were heather
folk enOughin Scotland with none TO minis
ter TO them, and 1t would be strange If lie
who sent out His disciples two by two, bid.
ding them take neither purse nor scrip
would not find bread and water for a wan
dering teacher throughout broad Scotland
The fateful Sabbath came-a day OF in
finite stiffness, so that from beside thS
tOmbs Of the martyr, Hallidays, in the kirk
yard or Balmaghie You could hear the sheer
bleating on the hills of Crossmichael, tn
sound breaking mellow and thin upon tht
ear over the stiu and azure river.
Thefolk gathered early, clouds upon clOudi
Ofthem, so that think every man, woman
and child in the parish was there, save the
children that could not walk and the ageC
who dwelt too far away TO be carried.
Alexander Gordon sat at my right hand
Immediately beneath the pulpit.
There seemed an extraordinary gracious
ness IN the singing that day; a special feryo
IN the swell OF the voicess, q more excellen
sober sweetness in the Sabbath air. And
was 70 leave all this-to leave forever IN,
vale or blessing wherein 1 had hoped I,
spend my days.
Yes, / would adventure forth rather
than that loyal folk should suffer an
more because OF me. But first, 50 far a
IN me lay, / would set right the matter O
Alexander Gordon.
IL was the forty-siXth Psalm they yver
singing, and as they sang the people tel
that herds on the hill stood stil 10 lister
70 the chorus Of that mighty singing, and
without knowing why, the water stood Il
their eyes that day. There seemed TO b.
something 10y ordinarily moving in all tha
was done that day.
God is our refuge and our strength,
In straits a present aid,
Therefore although the earth remove,
We VIII not be AFRAID
.s .1g,.. -.
ing past ms with the glory OF the New Son,
IA her eyes. And 1 knew that her hearJ
too, was touched.
By the pillar in the arched nook by tn
door stood Hob my brother, and by mir
AIeXander-Jonfta. They looked upon on
Psalm book, and in that day 1 was glad .
tnInk that one man was happy. Poor lad
That which il was laid upon me TO Go cam
as a sad surprise TO him.
was ready 70 60 I knew not whittier
IL might be THAI there was work Create
and more enduring for me 10 do, my pfl
grim staff IN nay hand, among the rlowe
moses and peaty wilderness Is Of the South
West than here in the wen-sheItered strait
or Dee.
Now, at all events, l must face the blast
the buster and the bite OF il. but thoug
1 was 10 lock no moreon these Well -kenne
kiduly faces, / knew that their heart
would hold by me, and their lips breath
prayer for me each day at eventide.
And 50 / bade them farewell. What
said 10 them Is 10 mans business but tLeiI
and mine, and shall not be written here
but the tears flowed down and the vCic
OF mourning was heard.
Then ere l pronounced the benediction
told them that one dear to Inc and vel
known TO them had a certain matte
10 set before them.
IA the Hldst, looming great like hero.
put him TO tie solemn cath, and the
and there lie declared before them his il
nocence OF tie greaterevil, purging himsel
as the manner was, by solemn and bindin
oath which purgatlOn had been refuse
him by the PTesb ytery.
by The grace and kindness of Won
minister, /, Alexander Gordon OF EarIstour
beinE known to you all, declare mysel
wholly Innocent OF the crime laid to m
charge by the PresbyteTy OF Kirkcudbrjeh
May the Lord Ia whom 1 believe have n
mercy on my s0ulif speak not the truth.
But Is for the shame tso he continued
tnat 4 brought on myself and on the caus
Tor which have in the past been privilege
10 suffer, Ia that l was overcome wit
wine IN the change-house of St. John
1lachan, that much is true. With sham
% confess it, And 1 confess also to III
unloly ana heliish anger that descende
on my spirit, from which blackness @
darkness l was brought by your minister
For which l, unworthy, shall ever contfnu
u praise the Lord OF mercies, who did nc
cut me off with my sin unconfessed or m,
innocence unproclaimed'
Alexander Gordon sat down, and tber
went sigh and murmur over all tn
IoiS' IKE the wind over ripe wheat IN
large field.
1Een ] told them how that my resolv
was taken and that IL was necessary tina
should depart from the midst Of them tha
there might be peace.
but one and anot her throughout the kir
cried Nay, We viii not let YOU 20
We have fought for you Desert ms no