Baxter Springs news., 1910-05-19

physician, and then he turned and
asked for my verdict. Say. Little
Mother, will you have me in Hope
hall. Is 1t worth having try at me?
/ don't know that I'll like straight
life, don't know that I'll want to stay.
I don't know as can be honest, but
I am willing to let you try II you think
it's any use" / assured him that l
did think 1t we'll worth while. / des.
cribed the Home We had opened for
just such men. told how well many
Of them were doing, and then / wrote
letter Of introduction to the super.
intendent in charge of Hope hall
which would insure him q welcome.
Before he left, as he stretched out his
hand to bid me good-by, ! said, Now,
before you go, want you to kneel
down with me; we will pray for Gods
blessing in the step you are taking"
A look Of bewildered terror swept
across his face. Evidently this was
not in his line. for he gasped out, "oh
no! couldn't, l never prayed in my
whole life" But seeing the look Of
resolution in my face, he added polite
ly, well, I'll kneel down, but you will
have to do the praying" So we knelt
together In the presence of the One
who can gather in his tender and Low.
ing hands the broken and contrite
hearts Of men, changing them and
Citing them with the wondrous new
things Of life. My friend knelt hold.
ing tight to his hat for moral support.
while his eyes, wide open, were fixed
upon my face, ready to take alarm at
, any unexpected religious manifesto.
tion, and tried to talk as simply and
naturally as l could to the God whom
l knew to be very near at hand.
When he left me, knew that Jumbo
would turn up at Hope hall, and that
he would give the new life at least a
fair trial. What a wonderful change
was wrought in the next few months.
Jumbo became very earnest, indus
trious member Of our Hope hall fam.
lily. He came forth a truly converted
man. and his heart was filled with a
simple, earnest faith which made him
realize that after all, religion was very
much In his line, when that line was
to lead him to straight path and
honest work for a living.
The day came at last when Jumbo
was to graduate and take a new place
in the world, and l might say that
now he was known by his own name,
and his prison nickname dropped from
him to be used only by q few Of those
whom he had known in the old life.
Again he was announced at my office.
Again / wrote him q letter Of intro
duction, this time to the employer
who was to give him his first chance,
and then as he arose to leave me, he
held me tightly In his clasp, and tears
gathered in his eyes as he said, Little
Mother, can't tell you all the dear
Home has meant to me, or how crate.
full am, but l am going out to my
new life to prove 1t. / tell you the
Hope Hall boys shan't be ashamed of
me. / will be worthy Of the trust
: placed in me; will be a credit to the
Home, and make 1t easier for those
that come after me-" Again said
as l had said before, "Shall we kneel
together and ask Gods blessing on
this new step you are taking?" His
face lit up with JOY. Indeed we will,
Little Mother" he responded, and az
we knelt to pray he opened his heart
to his God with the simple. unstudied
fervor OF a child. He went to his new
place full Of hope and ambition, and
letters full Of his new experience came
to me through the mails. Very orig
inal and very earnest reports they
proved to be.
i was starting for a visit to Sing
Sing one day about six months later,
and for lack of time at the Office, |
brought quite a batch OF mail to read
on the train. It so happened that in
tho mail there were two letters about
Jumbo, one from his employer, one
from himself, both Of them such a
revelation Of his new life that | de.
termined 10 share them with my Vol.
unteer League Boys" who would be
gathered in the prison chapel TO meet
me. When the time came, told the
story as have told 1t here, of the man.
ner OF the mans coming, avoiding
only the name. Then | read the letter
from his employers in which they
thanked me for sending them such a
man, so earnest, so hard-working. so
Christian In his life, that, they added,
he had been a blessing to them all.
Then came the letter from the man
himself. It was written as q Bowery
boy would write, with plenty of quaint
humor between the lines. But there
was one sentence especially calculated
to strike that audience. He was speak.
Of what It meant to be trusted after
all his years Of haunting distrust, and
then said, lust think, Little Mother,
what happened to me to-day! was
working with my employer at a far.
away part Of the farm, and he had TO
I go in before me. but wanted me 70
be on time for the noon meal, and
| what do vou .auppogo he did9 Vbv he