The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-02-21
piled gently. II hope you ha

your promise. "
The man laughed savagely. Then he
struck his hand against the fence with
such sudden passion that he drew blood
kept it! I was drunk inside Of a
week. I've been drinking ever since,
but I've never forgotten you or your
prayer. Do you remember, the morning
after I came to your house and after
breakfast, you had prayers and asked
me to come in and sit with the rest
That got me. But my mother used to
pray. can see her now kneeling down
by my bed when I was lad. Father
came in one night drunk and kicked
her while she was kneeling there by
ne. but I never forgot that prayer of
YOURS that morning You prayed for
ms Just as mother used to. and you did
not seem to take count Of the fact that
was ragged and tough looking and
more than half drunk when l rung your
doorbell Ny God, what a life I've
livedl The saloon has housed me and
homed me and made he'll on earth for
me. But that prayer stuck to me all the
time. My promise not to drink was
broken in thousand pieces inside OF
two Sundays. and I lost the job you
found for me and landed in police sta
ton two days afterward. but | never
forgot you or your prayer don
know what good it's done me. but
never forgot it, and l won't 90 any
harm to you nor let any one else So
you re free to go That's why
The bishop did not stir. Somewhere
a church clock struck The man had
put on his hat and gone back to his seat
on the stone The bishop was thinking
hard
How long is it since you had work.
he asked. and the man standing up
answered for the other
.'More,n six months since either OF
Us did anything to tell OF, unless you
count holding up work. call it pretty
wearing kind of a job myself, especially
when we put in night like this one
and don't make nothing
Suppose | found good jobs for both
of you Would you quit this and begin
all overs'
Whats the use?' The man on the
stone spoke sullenly I've reformed
hundred times Every time go down
deeper The devils begun to forcelose
on me already It's too late
NO. said the bishop, and never be-
fore the most entranced audience had
he felt the desire for souls burn up IN
him so strongly All the time he sat
there during the remarkable scene ne
prayed 20 Lord Jesus, give me the
souls of these two for thee am hun
cry for them. Give them to me-!
.sNo!" the bishop repeated. What
does God want of you two men: 1t
doesn't so much matter what | want.
but be wants just what do in this
case. You two men are of infinite value
to him = And then the bishops Won
derful memory came to his aid in an
appeal such as no one else on earth
among men could make under such cir
cumstances He had remembered the
man S name in spite of the wonderfully
busy years that lay between his coming
to the house and the present moment
Burns be said and be yearned
over the men with an unspeakable long,
ing for them both, ''if you and your
friend here will go home with me TO-
night | will find you both places OF
honorable employment | will believe
in you and trust you You are both
comparatively young men Why should
God lose your 1t is a great thing to
win the love of the great Father 1t is
a small thing that I should love you.
but if you need to feel again that there
is love in the world you will believe
me when say my brothers, that | love
you. and in the name Of him who was
crucihed for our sins cannot bear to
see you miss the glory of the human
life. Come! Be men! Make another try
for it. God helping you No one but
God and you and myself need ever
know anything oe this tonight He has
forgiven it, The minute you ask him to
you will find that true Come! we, Ii
fight it out together. YOU two and |
It's worth fighting for Everlasting life
is 1t was the sinner that Christ came
to help III do what l can for you .
God. give ne the souls Of these two
men!
The bishop broke into prayer to
God that was continuation of his ap-
peal to the men His pent UP feeling
had no other outlet Before he had
prayed many moments Burns was Sit.
ting with mis- face buried in his hands
sobbing Where We're his mother S
prayers now They were adding to the
power of the bishops And the other
man. harder. less moved. without a
previous knowledge Of the bishop. leaned
back against the fence stolid at first.
but as the prayer went on he was moved
by it What force Of the Holy SPIRIT
swept over his dulled. brutal. coarsened
life nothing bat the eternal records OF
the recording angel can ever disclose.
H., .,,,,o CT, ya,.no .,1Jn) presence "A [