St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1900-01-03

The two men followed the bishop
silence. When they reached the settle
ment. it was after 2 o'clock. The bisho
g let them in and led them to a room. A
the door he paused a moment His tall
commanding figure stood in the door
way and his Iale face, worn with hi
e. recent experiences, was illuminated
III with the divine glory.
lg "God bless you, my brothersl" h
ar said, and, leaving them his benediction
I'd he went away.
!? In the morning he almost dreaded to
% face the men, but the impression of the
n night had not worn away. True to his
r promise, the bishop secured work for
d them The janitor at the settlement
2 needed an assistant, owing to the growth
f of the work there So Burns was given
r the place The bishop succeeded in get
ting his companion position as driver
for firm Of warehouse dray manufac-
turers not far from the settlement
And the Holy Spirit, struggling in
these two darkened sinful men, began
his marvellous work of regeneration.
1t was the afternoon following that
morning when Burns was installed in
his new position as assistant ianitor
that he was cleaning off the front steps
Of the settlement when he paused a
moment and stood up to look about him.
The first thing he noticed was beer
sign just across the alley. He could al
most touch it with his broom from
where he stood Over the street imme-
diately opposite were two large saloons. |
and little farther down were three
more.
Suddenly the door of the nearest sa-
loon opened, and man came out. At
the same time two more went in. A
strong odor of beer foated up to Burns
as he stood on the steps of the settle
ment. He clutched his broom handle
tight and began to sweep again. He
had one foot on the porch and another
on the step just below. He took another
step down, still sweeping The sweat
stood out on his forehead although the
day was frosty and the air chill. The
saloon door opened again, and three or
four men came out. A child went in
with pail and came out a moment
later with a quart Of beer. The child
went by on the sidewalk just below him,
and the odOr of the beer came up to
him. He took another step down, still
sweeping desperately. His fingers were
purple as he clutched the handle of the
broom.
Then suddenly he pulled himself up
one step and swept over the spot he had :
just cleaned. He then dragged himself :
by tremendous effort back to the floor
OF the porch and went over into the cor
ner of it farthest from the saloon and
began to sweep there. 80 God" he !:
cried, eff the bishop would only come !
oack?' The bishop had gone out with J
Dr.. Bruce somewhere, and there was =
40 one about the settlement that he
Knew }
He swept in the corner for two or -
hree minutes, His face was drawn i
With the agony Of the conflict Gradu- -
lily he edged out again toward the steps e.
md began to go down them He looked =,
oward the sidewalk and saw that he >,
lad left one step unswept The sight E,
eemed to give him reasonable excuse b
or going down there to finish his sweep -
ng. lie was on the sidewalk now, :,
weeping the last step, with his face q,
oWard the settlement and his back al
urned partly on the saloon across the J.,
Hey He swept the step a dozen times. r.
he sweat rolled over his face and drop 81
ed down at his feet By degrees he fult ",
hat he was drawn over toward that n
nd OF the step nearest the saloon He .,
Ould smell the beer and rum now as :.
he fumes rose around him. 1t was like ~,
he Internal sulphur of the lowest hell 81
nd yet 1t dragged him, as by a giants -,
and nearer its source. -:
he was down in the middle of the 90,
dewalk now, still sweeping He clear m
i the space in front of the settlement ~
nd even went out into the gutter and III
wept that He took off his hat and rub -,
ed his sleeve over his face. His lips no
ere palid and his teeth chartered. He ho
embed all over like a palsied man D,
nd staggered back and forth, as if he A.
ere already drunk. His soul shook ~,
ithin him. m
He had crossed over the little piece of tb
one tagging that measured the width No
the alley, and now he stood in front
the saloon looking at the sign and 90
airing into the window at the pile of ~
'hlsky and beer bottles arranged in ~,
reat pyramid inside. He moistened his ~,
ps with his tongue and took step -
'rward, looking around him stealthily. AZ
he door suddenly opened again, and 10,
1me one came out Again the hot, a;
smell of the liquor swept w,
ut into the cold air, and he took an ~
ther step toward the saloon door, ~,
hitch had shut behind the customer.
IS he laid his fingers on the door handle ~,
tall figure came around the corner. 1t =,
ras the bishop.
lie seized Burns by the arm and drag bo
ed him back upon the sidewalk. The ~
renzled man, now mad for drink. ~,
lrleked out curse and struck at the e.
lshop savagely. 1t is doubtful if he ~,
eally knew at first who was snatching d.
I'm away from his ruin. The blow fell A.
pom the bishops face and cut a cash W. "
q his cheek VII
lie never altered word, but over ~ ~
Is face a look Of majestic sorrow swept. a. a.