News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1900-11-21

she cared for me though. You said
she didn't"
Edward came very near getting an
CRY again. Nothing but his sense Of
Willis keen disappointment kept him
from it.
I'm going home this week." Willis
continued shortly. 'Ill skip exam
nations anyway"
Edward tried to persuade him to
stay and finish out the work of the
year.
whats the use? I'm going to New
York this summer anyhow. Your sis
ter will have good deal to answer for
if go to the bad when I get to the
city"
At that Edward boiled over With
righteous wrath.
Look here Willis! Don't you dare
to charge your own miserable selfish.
ness to my sister! It's all your own
fault that she couldn't marry you. And
if you go to the bad now it will be
your own fault and no ones else, be-
sides showing her that you never real
ly cared anything for her. If you did,
you would make a man of yourself"
Willis sat down and leaned his ell
bow on the old table and put his head
On his hand. Then he lifted a haggard
face to Edward and said:
You're right. I'm a poor misera-
bic, selfish fool, and | would wreck
| hon lifo if cbo cbo,,Id mt Il into NV
keeping. l know as l sit here that
shall go to the devil through drink, no
matter what happens. I've had the
tortures of hell to fight all these weeks.
Do you know when your sister told me
finally that her refusal was absolute
and that | had not the slightest hope
had horrible feeling Of something like
relief to think that now l had an ex-
cuge to go to drinking again. Just as
sure G3 | sit here, Ned, I'm certain
that I shall drink myself crazy drunk
in less than ten years. And yet grand
father always said drink never hurt
him any, He was one of these per-
sonal liberty fellows. He never thought
of the possibility that might go to the
devil even If he didn't. It's possible
though. that we shall meet in hell
Maybe in Gods sight he's as much to
blame as am"
DON'T cried Edward, shocked at
the reckless, savage manner in which
Willis spoke. The sight of the miSer
able face and the thought of Willis
possible future haunted him all the
rest of his college course.
God keep you FROM knowing any
thing about this feeling" said Willis
more gently, and then he rose suddenly
and came over to Edward.
Ned. old boy, I'm going away, and
may never see you again. owe you
a lot for the way you've borne with
me, and I'll never forget it. You and
Freeda have prompted the best feel
ings | ever had. Don't think too hard
of me, will you? | wish you'd write to
me once in awhile. Don't give me up,
even If | do seem to be past hope.
Maybe Wheaton's prayers will save me
yet"
Oh. Edward Blake, college student,
when the judgment day reveals the
secrets of the universe, will you see
then what you missed because you
were not Christian? What might
you have said or done at this time to
save this poor soul if you had really
had some higher standard of life than
your cold, moral standard, that never
warmed your heart or fired your soul
to help save another soul? The Lord
open your eyes to see not only the
great opportunity you missed, but also
the great sin of daring to live always
with no better purpose than the one
that has so far ruled you.
SO he let Willis go. and go out of his
life, at least for the time being, with
a kindly and even self reproachful
feeling, that in time became a vague
sort of hope that he might not turn out
quite so bad as he himself said he
would. And yet If the clutch OF his
grandfathers sins was on him, how is
it that even then you do not yet re-
alize, either of you, that there Is a
power even greater than hereditary
faint in the blood and that the blood
of Jesus Christ the Son of God can
cleanse even that faint of that other
blood? For he is able to save to the
uttermost those that put their trust in
him.
And now the commencement season
was on, and Edward realized that he
was through his junior year, and in a
few days, as soon as the graduating
class had received their diplomas, his
own class would be entitled to the dig
nifed name of seniors. He was not so
devoid of imagination as not to be
quite deeply moved at the thought.
He and Freeda were now classified to.
gether, for, although she had entered
six months earlier, Edward had ar
ranged his course so as to make up
certain studies, and Freeda had drop
ped back part of year in order to
be with him and take a special course
I'm music. SO they were glad to think
of the comradeship still possible for
them another year.
AS they sat together that commence
ment day and heard the charge to the
outgoing class they realized as never
before the value of their college life,
, The president never said very much at
commencement. Perhaps that is one