Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1898-12-22
A BURGLAR Z CONVERTED.
IN Absolutely True Story Which Has Be-
come q Family Tradition.

come Famly TradfttOn.
This is a true burglar story. It
was told, in the first place, by the
mother Of the family herself; it is
now told by her daughter, and it
will probably be told in years to
come by generations still unborn.
as the veracity of every one con-
cerned in it-including that of the
burglar himself, in his regenerate
conditions quite unimpeachable,
the facts can be vouched for.
1t was the mother of the family
to whom the adventure occurred.
She was woman of devout charac-
ter, believing above all things in the
efficacy Of prayer, and at the same
time in deeds as well as prayer. So
it CHANGED that one of her nightly
duties, as good housekeeper, was
to look under her bed before retir-
ing. She looked, of course, for the
devastating burglar.
One night she found him.
Under her bed was the shadowy
outline of the figure of a man.
There could be no mistake about it.
Bhe had found her burglar at last.
The next problem was what to do
with him.
The story, as it is related, does not
state if there was no one i'll the
house to whom she might have gone
for help, but it implies that the
mother of the family was obliged to
rely upon her own resources and
supernatural aid alone.
In a hurried review of the situa-
ton she came to the conclusion that
the latter was her only resource,
that alone she was helpless. So she
quickly resolved to do in every way
as she would have done if the long
looked for burglar had not been
found.
She locked her door-she always
did that-undressed and made her
preparations for bed as she was in
the habit of doing on ordinary and
uneventful occasions. Then she
knelt by her bedside to perform her
nightly devotions. Long and fer
vently she prayed. praying for the
members of her family, her friends
and for the direction of her daily
life. Then she offered special pc
tition for the unfortunate men led
from the paths of honesty and recti-
tude, for those who had no respect
for the rights and possessions of
others-she was praying for the
burglar. Having done this, she
arose and laid herself peacefully
down upon the bed, as was her won't
That was the cue for the burglar
Crawling from under the bed, he
stood beside it and addressed the &C.
cupant:
Madam" he said, II came here
with the intention of robbing you
and of numbering you if necessary.
Your cries for help would have been
of no avail, for have two accom-
plices outside. But l have heard
your prayer, and am going to leave
you unmolested. And he did.
That was the end of the first part
of the burglar story. Truth being
stranger than fiction, there was a
second part, and the mother of the
family saw her burglar again.
1t was at camp meeting some
time after the first part of the story
had been brought to so happy con-
clusiop. The mother Of the family
was listening with o devout and
grateful interest to the testimony
being given when a man arose and
told his eXperience-the history of
his conversion-and he told the bur.
glar story and the effect of the pray
er from the burglars standpoint
II was that man." he said, with
emphasis, as he concluded his re-
marks.
And / can vouch for the truth of
the story" said the mother of the
family, rising, while her face shone
with the light of great spiritual
rejoicing. "for I was that woman.