St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1902-10-29
BLACK ROCK.
rContinued from 18th page. ]

fellow must go in for straight, steady
work. self denial and that sort of thing
and I'm too bohemian for that, and too
lazy. But that fellow Craig makes one
feel horribly uncomfortable"
Graeme put his head on one side and
examined me curiously.
81 believe you're right about your
self. You always were luxurious beg
gar. But that's not where it catches
me-"
We sat and smoked and talked of
other things for an hour and then turn
ed in. AS l was dropping off l was
reused by Graeme's voice:
care you going to the preparatory
service on Friday night"
Don't know, l replied rather sleep
lily.
81 say, do you remember the prepare
tory service at home" There was
something in his voice that set me wide
awake.
"Yes. Rather terrific, wasn't it? But
| always felt better after it" l replied.
ITO me"-he was sitting up in bed
now-'to me it was like a call to arms,
or, rather, like a call for a forlOrn
hope-none but volunteers wanted. Do
YOU remember the thrill in the old gov
ernor's voice as he dared any but the
right stuff to come on"
"We'll go in on Friday night" I said.
a nf
men with his team, and Graeme and l
drove in the light Sleigh
The meeting was in the church, and
over a hundred men were present.
There was some singing Of familiar
hymns at first, and then Mr.. Craig
read the same story as we had heard
in the stable, that most perfect of all
parallels, the prodigal son. Baptiste
nudged Sandy in delight and whisper
ed something, but Sandy held his face
so absolutely eXpressiOnless that
Graeme was moved to say:
"Look at Sandy Did you ever see
such a craven image? Something has
hit him hard"
The men were held fast by the story.
The voice of the reader, low, earnest
and thrilling with the tender pathos
of the tale, carried the words to our
hearts, while a glance, a gesture, a
movement of the body, gave us the
vision of it all as he was seeing it.
Then, in simplest of words, he told
us what the story meant, holding us
the while with eyes and voice and ges-
| ture.
He compelled us to scorn the gay,
heartess selfshness Of the young fool
| setting forth so jauntily from the bro
| ken home; he moved our pity and our
sympathy for the young profiigate,
who broken and deserted, had still
pluck enough to determine to work his
way back, and who, in utter despera-
ton, at last gave it up, and then he
showed us the homecoming-the rag
ged, heartsick tramp, with hesitatlng
steps, stumbling along the dusty road,
and then the rush of the old father, his
garments fiuttering and his voice heard
| III DrOken CITES. ste anu HCttl II al
now whenever the words are read.
He announced the hymn, Gust as
Am" read the first verse, and then went
on: There you are, men, every man OF
you, somewhere on the road. Some OF
you are too lazy''-here Graeme nudged
me-"and some of you haven't got
enough yet of the far country to come
back. May there be a chance for yor
when you want to come! Men, you al
want to go back home, and when yor
go you'll want to put on your soft
clothes. and you won't go till you can &c
in good style. But where did the prodi
gal get his good clothes?"
Quick came the answer in Baptiste''
shrill voice:
"From de old fadderw
No one was surprised, and the minis
ter went on:
Eyes, and that's where we must &c
the good, clean heart-the good, clean
brave heart-from our Father. Don
wait; but, just are you are, come
Sing"
They sang, not loud, as they woul
"Stand Up" or even "The Sweet b
and By" but in voices subdued, hold
ing down the power in them.
After the singing Craig stood me
ment gazing down at the men and the
said quietly:
"Any man want to come? You a
might come. We all must come"
Then, sweeping his arm over the al
dience and turning half round as if t
move off, he cried in voice that thrill
ed to the hearts core:
ooh, come on! Let's go backw
The effect was overpowering.
= seemed to me that the whole compan
half rose to their feet. OF the prayt
that Immediately followed | onl
caught the opening sentence, "Fathe
we are coming back" for my attentio
was gaddenly absorbed by Abe, tn
stage driver, who was sitting next M
l could hear him swearing approv5
and admiration, saying to himself;
'Ain't he Il cinker? I'll be gee VIII.
ely COL busted if he amt Il malleabl
iron, double back action, self adjustin
corn cracker"
And the prayer continued, to b
punctuatod with like admiring an
even more sulphurous eXpletives.
was an homogeneous medley. The ca
nest, reverent prayer and the earnes