Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1902-06-23

ing?"
Then Nelson took him in hand and
explained to him the meaning, while
Baptiste listened even more eagerly,
calculating softly: "Ah, VOLTA! Bon!
BY garw When Nelson had finished,
he broke out: dat young feller-his
name Baptiste, heb? And de old Fad
der-hes lie bon Dieu? Boni Das good
story for me. How you go back? You
go to de pries'?"
'"The book doesn't say priest or any
one else" said Nelson. "You go back in
yourself, you see?"
mon; das so, sure huff. Ah!' AS If
a light broke in upon him. "You go in
your own self. You make one leetle
prayer. You say, LIE bon Fadder, oh,
want come back, | so tire, so hongree,
so sorreev He say, Come right long
All, das fuss rate! Nelson, you make
one leetle prayer for Sandy and me-"
Nelson lifted up his face and said:
"Father, we're all gone far away; we
have spent all; we are poor; we are
tired of it all; we want to feel differ
ent, to be different; we want to come
back. Jesus came to save us from our
sins, and he said If we came he
wouldn't cast us out, no matter how
bad we were, if we only came to him.
10 Jesus Christ" and his old iron face
began to work, and two big tears slow
ly came from under his eyelids, 1--WE
are poor lot, and I'm the worst of the
lot. and we are trying to find the way.
Show us how to get back. Amen"
"Bonv' said Baptiste. "Das fetch
him surev'
Graeme pulled me away, and with
out a word we went into the office and
drew up to the little stove. Graeme
was greatly annoyed.
did you ever see anything like
that?" he asked-"old Nelson, the hard
est, savagest, toughest old sinner in the
camp, on his knees before lot Of
menu
Before God,' 1 could not help say
ing, for the thing seemed very real to
me. The old man evidently felt himself
| talking to some one.
'Yes, l suppose you're right" said
Graeme doubtfully, "but there's lot
| of stuff | can't swallow"
when you take medicine, you don't
swallow the bottle" l replied, for his
trouble was not mine.
eff l were sure of the medicine,
wouldn't mind the bottle, and yet il
acts well enough" he went on. Il don't
mind Lachlan. He's highland mystic
and has visions. And Sandys almost
as bad, and Baptiste is an impulsive
little chap. Those don't count much
But old man Nelson is a cool blooded
level headed old fellow has seen Il lot
of life too. And then there's Craig. He
has better head than have and is az
hot blooded, and yet he is living an(
shaving away in that hole and reall!
enjoys it, There must be something ii
it,"
ooh, look here, Graemev' l burst ou
impatiently. What's the use of YOU
talking like that? OF course there:
something in it. There's everything il
it. The trouble with me is l can't face
the music. 1t calls for life where ;
fellow must go in for straight, stead.
work. self denial and that sort of thing
and I'm too bohemian for that, and TOT
lazy. But that fellow Craig makes on
feel horribly uncomfortable"
Graeme put his head on one side an
examined me curiously.
81 believe you're right about your
self. You always were a luxurious beg
gar. But that's not where it catche
me-"
We sat and smoked and talked Q
, other things for an hour and then turf
ed in. AS l was dropping off | wa
reused by Graeme's voice:
, care you going to the preparation
, service on Friday night?'
Don't know. l replied rather sleeI
lily.
, 81 say, do you remember the prepar;
tory service at home? There wa
+ something in his voice that set me wild
, awake.
Eyes. Rather terrific, wasn't it? BIZ
, l always felt better after it, l replied
: "To me"-he was sitting upa in be
+ now-''to me it was like a call to arm
or, rather, like q call for forlor
hope-none but volunteers wanted. L
! you remember the thrill in the old go
~. errors voice as he dared any but tt
$ right stuff to come on?'
r well go in on Friday night" l sal
y And so we did. Sandy took load I
! men with his team, and Graeme and
D drove in the light sleigh.
o The meeting was in the church, ar
| over a hundred men were presen
v There was some singing of famili;
k hymns at first. and then Mr.. era
, read the same story as we had heal
o in the stable, that most perfect of &
n parallels, the prodigal son. Baptis
@ nudged Sandy in delight and whispe
e ed something, but Sandy held his fa
o so absolutely eXpressionless tn
Il Graeme was moved to say:
Look at Sandy Did you ever s.
e such a craven image? Something h
z hit him hard"
The men were held fast by the stor