Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-11-02
IN HIS STEPS.
6 Tat,at n1nuln
Jesus nna''
Copyrighted and published In book form BIZ the
Advance Publishing Co. of Chicago


eyes; begin to recall now," muir
INJURED the bishop The other man
seemed to be interested. He ceased dig
ging his stake in the ground and stood
still, listening.
"Do you remember how you took me
into your own house that night and
spent all the next day trying to find me
o job and how, when you succeeded in
getting me place in warehouse as
foreman, I promised to quit drinking
because you asked me tor"
II remember it now" the bishop re-
piled gently. 81 hope you have kept
your promise"
The man laughed savagely. Then he
struck his hand against the fence with
Euch sudden passion that he drew blood.
kept it! I was drunk inside of a
week. I've been drinking ever since.
but I've never forgotten you or your
prayer. Do you remember, the morning
utter I came to your house and after
breakfast, you had prayers and asked
me to come in and sit with the rest2
That got me. But my mother used to
pray. / can see her now kneeling down
by my bed when was led. Father
came in one night drunk and kicked
her while she was kneeling there by
me, but never forgot that prayer Of
yours that morning. You prayed for
me just as mother used to, and you did
not seem to take count of the fact that
I was ragged and tough looking and
more than half drunk when I rnng your
doorbell. My God, what a life I've
lived! The saloon has housed me and
homed me and made hell on earth for
me. But that prayer stuck to me all the
time. My promise not to drink was
broken in thousand pieces inside of
two Sundays, and lost the job you
found for me and landed in police sta
ton two days afterward, but I never
forgot you or your prayer. / don't
know what good it's done me, but
never forgot it, and I won't do any
harm to you nor let any one else. So
you're free to go That's why
heSbishop did not stir. Somewhere
a church clock struck L. The man had
| put on his hat and gone back to his seat
on the stone. The bishop was thinking
hard.
"How long is it since youth work %
| he asked. and the man standing up
answered for the other.
'More'n six months since either of
us did anything to tell of, unless you
count holding up work. call it pretty
wearing kind Of a job myself, especially
when we put in night like this one
and don't make nothing"
| Suppose found good jobs for both
of you. Wouldyou quit this and begin
| all over2"
Whats the use?" The man on the
stone spoke sullenly. GIVE reformed a
hundred times. Every time / go down
deeper. The DEVILS begun to forcelose
on me already. It's too late"
"Nol" said the bishop, and never be-
fore the most entranced audience had
he felt the desire for souls burn up in
him SO strongly. All the time he sat
there during the remarkable scene he
prayed: 80 Lord Jesus, give me the
souls of these two for thee I am hun
CRY for theml Give them to mel"
"No!" the bishop repeated. "What
does God want of you two men? 1t
doesn't so much matter what I want,
but he wants just what do in this
J case You two men are Of infinite value
to him. And then the bishops Won
derful memory came to his aid in an
appeal such as no one else on earth
among men could make under such cir
cumstances. He had remembered the
mans name in spite of the wonderfully
! busy years that lay between his coming
to the house and the present moment.
Burns, /" he said, and he yearned
over the men with an unspeakable long
ing for them both, ''if you and your
friend here will go home with me to-
night will find You both places of
honorable employment. I will believe
in you and trust Won. You are both
comparatively young men. Why should
! God lose you? 1t % great thing to
win the love Of the great Father. It is
small thing that I should love you,
but if you need to feel again that there
is love in the world you will believe
me when 1 say, my brothers, that love
you, and in the name of him who was
crucified for our sins cannot bear to
see you miss the glory of the human
life. Comet Be menl Make another try
for it, God helping you. No one but
God and you and myself need ever
know anything of this tonight. He has
forgiven it. The minute you ask him to
you will find that true. Comet Well
fight it out together, you two and 1.
It's worth fighting for. Everlasting life
is. 1t was the sinner that Christ came
to help. I'll do what can for you. o
God, give me the souls Of these two
men p.
The bishop broke into prayer to
God that was continuation Of his APP
peal to the men. His pent up feeling
! had no other outlet. Before he had
prayed many moments Burns was sit
ting with his face buried in his hands,
sobbing Where were his mother s
| prayers nows They were adding to the
power Of the bishops. And the other