The true northerner., 1900-03-07

| VIII tue ti\lIt kloIy
"6od bless you. my brothers," he
said. and. leaving them his benediction.
he went away.
In the morning he almost dreaded TO
face the men. but the impression of the
night had not worn away True to his
promise. the bishop secured work for
them. The janitor at the settlement
needed an assistant. owing to the growth
of the work there. So Burns was given
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 janitor
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
tign just across the alley. He could al
most touch it with his broom from
where he stood. Over the street imme-
liately opposite were two large saloons,
and little farther down were three
more.
/ Suddenly the door of the nearest sa-
loon opened, and a man came out. At
the same time two more went in. A
strong odor Of beer floated 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 a pail and came out moment
later with quart Of beer. The child
went by on the sidewalk just below him,
,nd the odor of the beer came up to
him He took another step down, still
sweeping despesately 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. so God" he
cried, eff the bishop would only come
backl" The bishop had gone out with
DIR. Bruce somewhere, and there was
no one about the settlement that he
knew.
He swept in the corner for two or
three minutes. His face was drawn
with the agony of the conflict Gradu
ally he edged out again toward the steps
and began to go down them. He looked
toward the sidewalk and saw that he
had left one step unswept. The sight
seemed to give him reasonable excuse
for going down there to finish his sweep
ing He was on the sidewalk now,
sweeping the last step, with his face
toward the settlement and mis- back
turned partly on the saloon across the
alley. He swept the step dozen times.
The sweat rolled over his face and drop
ped down at his feet. BY degrees he felt
that he was drawn over toward that
end of the step nearest the saloon. He
could smell the beer and rum now as
the fumes rose around him. 1t was like
the internal sulphur of the lowest hell,
and yet it dragged him, as by giants
hand, nearer its source.
He was down in the middle of the
sidewalk now, still sweeping. He clear
ed the space in front Of the settlement
and even went out into the gutter and
swept that. He took off his hat and rub
bed his sleeve over his face. His lips
were paid, and his teeth chartered. He
trembled all over like a palsied man
and staggered back and forth, as if he
were already drunk. His soul shook
within him.
He had crossed over the little piece Of
stone tagging that measured the width
of the alley, and now he stood in front
of the saloon, looking at the sign and
staring into the window at the pile of
whisky and beer bottles arranged in a
great pyramid inside. He moistened his
! lips with his tongue and took a step
forward, looking around him stealthily.
The door suddenly opened again, and
some one came out. Again the hot,
penetrating smell of the liquor swept
out into the cold air, and he took an
other step toward the saloon door,
which had shut behind the customer.
As he laid his fingers on the door handle
a tall figure came around the corner. 1t
was the bishop.
He seized Burns by the arm and drag
ged him back upon the sidewalk. The
frenzied man, now mad for drink,
shrieked out a curse and struck at the
bishop savagely. 1t is doubtful If he
really knew at first who was snatching
him away from his ruin. The blow fell
upon the bishops face and cut cash
in his cheek
He never uttered a word, but over
his face look of majestic sorrow swept.
He picked Burns up as if he had been a
child and actually carried him up the
steps into the settlement. He placed
him down in the hall and then shut the
door and put his back against it.
Burns fell on his knees, sobbing and
praying. The bishop stood there, pant