St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1902-10-29

preacher" Craig appeared amazed at
the number of men remaining and
seemed to fear that something was
wrong He put before them the terms
of discipleship, as the Maker put them
| to the eager scribe and he did not
make them easy. He pictured the kind
of work to be done and the kind of
men needed for the doing of it. Abe
grew uneasy as the minister went on
| to describe the completeness of the sur
render, the intensity of the loyalty de-
manded.
"That knocks me out l reckon" he
muttered in disappointed tone. 81
amt up to that grade" And as Craig
described the heroism called for, the
magnificence of the fight, the worth Of
it and the outcome of it all Abe ground
out "Ill be BANKED if | wouldn't like
to take hand, but guess I'm not in
! it."
Craig finished by saying:
II want to put this quite fairly. 1t Is
not any league of mine. You're not
joining my company. 1t is no easy
business, and it is for your whole life.
What do you say? Do put it fairly?
What do you say, Nelson?"
Nelson rose slowly and with difficulty
began:
81 may be all wrong, but you made it
easier for me, Mr.. Craig. You said he
would see me through, or | should new
er have risked it. Perhaps | am
wrong" And the old man looked
troubled.
Craig sprang up.
"No, no! Thank God, no! He will
see every man through who will trust
his life to him-every man, no matter
how tough he is, no matter how bro
ken"
Then Nelson Strengthened himself up
and said:
"Well, sir, believe lot of the men
would go in for this if they were dead
sure they would get through"
Get through said Craig. "Never
fear of it, 1t is a hard fight, long
fight a glorious fight" throwing up his
head, but every man who squarely
trusts him and takes him as Lord and
Master comes out victor.'
"Bonw said Baptiste. "Das me. You
tink he's take me in dat fight, M'sieu
Craig, heh?'
His eyes were blazing.
"You mean it," asked Craig almost
sternly.
Eyes, by gar" said the little French
man eagerly.
"Hear what he says, then" And
Craig, turning over the leaves of his
Testament, read solemnly the words,
"Swear not at ALL"
mon! For sure! Den l stop him."
replied Baptiste earnestly, and Craig
wrote his name down.
Poor Abe looked amazed and dis
tressed, rose slowly and, saying, "That
jars my whisky jug" passed out.
There was a slight movement near
the organ, and, glancing up, l saw
Mrs. Mayor put her face hastily in her
hands. The mems faces were anxious
and troubled and Nelson said in a
voice that broke:
Tell them what you told me, sir"
But Craig was troubled too and re-
piled, you tell them, Neson" And
Nelson told the men the story Of how
he began just five weeks ago. The old
mans voice steadied as he went on,
and he grew eager as he told how he
had been helped and how the world
was all different and his heart seemed
new. He spoke of his Friend as if he
were some one that could be seen out
at camp that he knew well and met
every day.
But as he tried to say how deeply he
regretted that he had not known all
this years before, the old, hard face be-
gan to culver, and the steady voice
wavered. Then he pulled himself to-
gether and said:
81 begin to feel sure he'll pull me
through-me, the hardest man in the
mountains! So don't you fear, boys.
He's all right"
Then the men gave in their names