The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-03-21


Burke in Chicago he was as fine q
looking man as he ever knew. l can
not help thinking itwas the Lord who
did it for him, in answer to his child
like faith. Shifting to and fro, want
ing much to find steady work, Burke
went 20 New York, hoping far from
his old haunts to 6nd peace and hon
est labor. He did not succeed, and
after six months came back to ST..
Louis, much discouraged, but still
holding fast to the God he had found
in his prison cell. One day there
came message from the sheriff that
he was wanted at the courthouse, and
Burke obeyed with heavy heart.
"Some old case they've got against
me-" he said; "but if I'm guilty I'll
tell them 80. I've done lying"
The sheriff greeted him kindly.
"Where have you been, Burke?'
"In New York"
"What have you been doing therc?"
Trying to find decent job"
Have you kept good grip on the
religion you told me about?"
eyes," answered Burke, looking
him steadily in the eye. eve had a
hard time, sheriff, but I haven't lost
my religion"
1t was then the tide began to turn.
Burke" said the sheriff, II have
had you shadowed every day you were
in New York. I suspected that your
religion was fraud. But I want to
say to you that know you We lived an
honest Christian life, and I have sent
for you to offer you deputyship un-
me. You can begiu at nce."
He began. He set his face like a
flint. Steadily, and with logged
faithfulness, the old burglar went
about his duties until men high in
business began to tip their hats to him
and to talk of him at their clubs.
Moody was passing through the city
and stopped off an hour to meet Burke
who loved nobody as he did the man
who converted him. Moody told how
he found him in q close room upstairs
in the courthouse serving as q trusted
guard over a bag of diamonds. Burke
sat with sack of gems in his lap and
q gun on the table. There were
$50, 900 worth of diamonds in the
sack.
Moody he said, ''see what the
grace Of God can do for burglar.
Look at this! The sheriff picked me
out of his force to guard it,
Then he cried like child as he
held up the glittering stones for Moody
to see. Years afterwards the Church
es Of st. Louis had made ready aud
were waiting for the coming Of an
evangelist "ho was TO lead the meeting
but something happened and he did
not come. The pastors were in sore
trouble. until one Of them suggested
that they send for Valentine Burke to
lead the meetings fo= them. Burke
led night after night, and many hard
men of the city came to hear him, and
many hearts were turned, as Burke's
had been, from lives of crime and shame
to clean Christian living. There is
no more beautiful or pathetic story
than that of Burkc's gentle and faith
ful life and service in the city where
he had been chief Of sinners. How
long he lived l do not recall, but
Moody told me OF his funeral, and how
the rich and poor, the saints and the
came to it; and how the big
men Of the city could not say enough
over the coffin Of Valentine Burke.
AND TO this day there are not few in
that city whose hearts soften with q
strange tenderness when the name of
the burglar is recalled. And now
Moody and Burke are met, no more to
be separated. When I was q boy, an
Did black nanny" that I greatly
loved used to sing for me song with
words like these:
Through all depths of sin and loss,
Sinks the plummet of thy Cross"
Prof. Fl. NJ. HamiN, ID. d., in Ep-
lcorM Herald.
1t is very hard to stand idly by and
see our dear ones suffer while awaiting
the doctor. An Albany IN. Y. dairy