The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1899-10-26

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 rung your
doorbell My God, what life I've.
livedl 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 I lost the job you
found for me- and landed In police sta
ton two days afterward. but never
forgot you or your prayer. l 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"
The bishop did not stir. Somewhere
church clock struck 1. 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 you had workp'
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. l call it pretty
wearing kind Of a job myself, especially
when we put in a night like this one
and don't make nothing"
Suppose found good jobs for both
Of you. Would you quit this and begin
all overP"
whats the use2" The man on the
stone spoke sullenly i've reformed a
hundred times. Every time I 20 down
deeper. The DEVILS begun to forcelose
on me already. It's too late
'Nor" 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: 20 Lord Jesus, give me the
souls Of these two for theel I am hun
cry for theml Give them to mel''
mo" the bishop repeated. "What
does God want Of you two mens It
doesn't so much matter what I want.
but he wants just what do in this
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 man 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 I will find you both places of
honorable employment. I will believe
in you and trust you. You are both
comparatively young men. Why should
God lose your It is great thing to
win the love Of the great Father. It is
small thing that 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
crucifed for our sins I cannot bear to
" see you miss the glory Of the human
life. Comet Be men! 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 l.
It's worth fighting for: Everlasting life
is It was the sinner that Christ came
to help I'll do what can for you O
God. give me the souls Of these two
menu
The bishop broke into a prayer to
God that was continuation of his ap-
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 mothers
prayers now2 They were adding to the
power of the bishops. And the other
man, harder. less moved, without a
previous knowledge Of the bishop, leaned
back against the fence, stolid at first,
but as the prayer went on he was moved
by it. What force Of the Holy Spirit
swept over his dulled, brutal, coarsened
life nothing but the eternal records Of
the recording angel can ever disclose
but that same superna tural presence that
smote Paul on the road to Damascus
and poured through Henry Maxwell q
church the morning he asked disciples
to follow in Jesus steps and had again
broken irresistibly over the Nazareth
Avenue congregation now manifested
himself in this foul corner of the mighty
city and over the natures of these two
sinful. sunken men, apparently lost to
all the pleadings Of conscience and
memory Of God. The bishops prayer
seemed to break open the crust that had
for years surrounded these two men and
shut them off from divine communica-
ton, and they themselves were thor
oughly startled by the event.
The bishop ceased, and at first he
himself did not realize what had hap
pened. Neither did the two men. Burns
still sat with his head bowed between
his hands. The man leaning against the
fence looked at the bishop with a face
in which new emotions Of awe, repent
ance, establishment and broken CLEAN
of iov STRUGGLED for exnression