Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-05-29
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yourself, you see?"
"Non; das so. sure huff. Ah"' AS IL
light broke in upon him. You go in
your own self. You make one lcetle
prayer. You say. lie bon Faddcr, oh, l
want come back, l so tire, so hongree,
so sorree! he shy, 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 wo were, if we only came to him.
o Jesus Christ" and his old iron face
began to work. and two big tears slow
ly came from under his eyeids. 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"
Bon" said Baptiste. "Das fetch
him sure"
Graeme pulled ME away and with
Iout 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 a lot Of
men"
Before God" could not help say
Ing for the thing seemed very real to
me. The old man evidently felt himself
talking to some one.
"Ies, | suppose you're right" said
Graeme doubtfully, "but there's a lot
Of stuff can't swallow"
when you take medicine, you don't
swallow the bottle" | replied, for his
trouble was not mine.
III | were sure of the medicine. I
wouldn't mind the bottle. and yet it
acts we'll enough" he went on. Il don't
mind Lachlan. He's highland mystic
and has visions. And Sandy's 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 a lot
has better head than have and is as
hot blooded. and yet he is living and
Shaving away in that hole and really
enjoys it. There must be something in
it."
ooh, look here. Graeme." l burst out
impatiently. Whats the use of your
talking like that? or course there's
something in it. There's everything in
il. The trouble with me is | can't face
the music. 1t calls for life where a
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
Il believe you're right about your
self. You always were a 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 | was dropping off ] WAS
reused by Graeme's voice
Are you going to the preparatory
service on Friday night"
/ Don't know, l replied rather sleep.
lily.
Il 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
l always felt better after it," replied.
"To me"-he was sitting up in bed
now-"to me it was like call to arms,
or, rather, like a call for n forlorn
hope-none hut volunteers wanted. Do
you remember the thrill in the old gov
ernors voice as he dared any but the
right stuff to come on?'
'We'll 30 in on Friday night" said.
And so we did. Sandy took load OF
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 proGigal son. Baptiste
i''S'' f'Nhty ~ hNi-'A anu W hlHl'NiT
ed something, but Sandy held his face
80 absolutely eXprcssiOnless that
Graeme was moved to say:
"Look at Sandy, Did you ever see
such craven image? Something has
hit him hard"
The men We're 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 MS 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 GEES
ture.
He compelled us to scorn the gay,
heartless sefishness of the young fool
setting forth so iauntily from the bro
ken home; he moved our pity and our
sympathy for the young prohgate,
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 hesitating
steps, stumbling along the dusty road,
and then the rush of the old father, his