The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-06-29
CHAPTER x.

DOROTHY PROVES HERSELF A HELPMEE1.
Next day Malcolm Kirk had the mel
ancholy pleasure of taking Philip Bar
ton out to THE Forks" He had re-
covered sufficiently to be moved. and
Malcolm borrowed a spring wagon and
placed him in it comfortably. He com
planned of feeling queer in his back
and the doctor told Kirk before he
started that it would not be at all I'M
expected if Barton should be paralyz-
ed. I'm fact, Mr.. Kirk, my examina.
ton makes it almost certain that the
boy will probably never recover so as
to use the lower part of his body. 1t
seems probable that the wheels of the
hay wagon passed over him after he
fell out"
The prairie was one vast burned
stretch of plain, with the road gray
and distinct through it. Philip Barton
lay back on the cot that had been ar
ranged in the wagon box and looked up
at Malcolm with a white. strained face
as he drove slowly along over the
smooth, elastic prairie road.
AZ HISt hd1cCul ulONe Oh silently.
The boy seemed to be quite comforta.
hle. but unwilling to talk. and during
the first two miles hardly word was
spoken. Then Malcolm stopped the
horses and bent down to arrange some
part of the cot. When he had finished
and gathered up the lines to go on
again, young Barton spoke.
You We're one OF the men that found
me and brought me into the town, Mr..
hirk?' The boy had asked IL twice
before.
Yes" replied Malcolm, smiling. You
can't imagine what great joy it was
to me when we found YOU"
And Carver was the other man?"
Yes
THAT seems queer to me. How did
he happen to so with you?"
WELL | don't know exactly He
seemed eager to 60
WAS he-had he been drinking?"
The question came with evident pain
full effort
Yes, l think he had" replied NAL
com frankly. But he was sober enough
when we found you
There was silence, and Malcolm gath
cred up the lines again and started on.
The day was very stiH. and there was
great cloud coming up in the south
west which promised rain before night
ut was great thing for you to do, .
said Philip slowly. "Ill never forget
it, Mr.. Kirk"
1T was very little thing, my boy,
compared with what was done for me
once" said Malcolm gravely.
what was that?''
Il was lost once in great wilder
ness and surrounded with wild beasts
was sick and starving and unable to
save myself Night was coming on,
and every minute added to my danger
Just when | had given myself up as
lost and the wild beasts had gathered
around me in the growing darkness a
friend suddenly appeared. He saved
me, but in doing it he lost his own life.
That is a good deal more than did for
YOU"
Philip had listened intently. But
oOl1lctlilS III AldlcOUl MANNER kCDL
him silent.
That wilderness where l was lost"
continued Malcolm softly as his early
life before he entered the seminary
came back to him, was the wilder
ness of sin, and the wild beasts were
my passions, and the friend who saved
me was Jesus Christ, the Saviour Of
the lost, who gave himself a ransom
for many
There was not particle of cant or
attempt at preaching in what Malcolm
had said. ltWas so simple, SO natural,
that the boy on the cot hardly realized
at first what the minister had said
When it dawned upon him that Mai
com had spoken of his own conversion,
he closed his eyes, and his face twitch-
ed under his emotion. When he looked
up again, Malcolm had turned and was
looking down at him
DO you mind if we pray here?" said
Malcolm.
Philip mo7ed his head, and in his
eyes a look If expectant wonder grew.
Malcolm stopped the horses. The prai-
rie was wide and desolate and black.
not sign of life anywhere; the at
mosphere was still; the sun shone over
it all; the town lay distinct in the rear
distance And somehow it seemed as
II MIX spoke TO God close by He sat
with his hands on his knee and looked
out INTO the line of the horizon.
Father in heaven" he said. I'VE do
not know what it all meant when the
Lord came to this earth and lived and
suffered and died, but we know enough
to feel sure that love for us was what
made him do it-love for sinners. We
are alWaIS asking something, Father,
but what we want now is what thou
doSt want. Save another life-this one
mere that is in so much need His body
mas been saved for Il little while from
physical death Save his life for all
time, from eternal loss. His mother is
praying for him. All heaven is any
lous for his salvation. If thou wilt
show us what more we can do, dear
Lord, we will do it, But lead him to
myself. for we cannot forgive his sins
OF keep him from them 'HboII canct