Year: 1861

ed so silently that he stood WITHIN q lew
feet of me before | was aware of hi,
presence.


You appear to be very busy this after.
noon, he said, calling my name.


looked up, and was not little aston
ished to see standing before me with al
embarrassed air, one of the most worldly
minded and irreverent characters in the
village.


Yes, Capt, Ball, 1 answered, l was Civ
ing these young pea vines something to
climb upon.


And very busy thinking also?


Yes, neighbor, was thinking how
much we are like these pea vines-how
much we need something to climb upon
spiritual staff to lift us above the tan
giles of worldliness.


Mr.. Ransford, said the visitor in a
choked voice, IL am-trying TO find
such staff.


My brother l exclaimed full of sym
pathy and JOY, there is but one staff
that Christ planted for US. We may all
rest upon him as pillar Of support, and
love, and truth. You have not far to
seek-you have only to reach out the
tendrils of your heart in aspiration and
faith and they will clasp it. The COM
mand is, Repent, and believe


He was a middle-aged man whose hair
had grown early gray with worldly cares /;
whose eyes were unaccustomed to tears,
and it was affecting to see that hard face
soften, and melt at last almost TO tears as
he grasped my hand.


| have had a strange experience, be
said, recovering himself, but still speak
ing with much emotion. 1t began about
three weeks ago. / had lately been ma
King very good trades, and one night as
was walking home, reckoning on my
gains, and feeling pride and triumph in
the start | had got in the world by my
own shrewdness and exertions--it was
starlight and very still could scarcely
hear noise but the field crckets and the
tramp of my horse on the dark road,
when suddenly a voice said, "What shall
il profit a man if he gain the a0hole 'corid
and lose his otca soul?"


Was it actually voice questioned,
as he hesitated.


No; / knew it want at the time. 1t
was, have no doubt, my own mind
But the expression was just as distinct
and unexpected as if it had been spoken
by some person in my ear. The words
| probably learned when l was a child,
but had forgotten them, and had to look
10 the bible afterwards to see if they
were there. l found them, and found
good many things besides, which seemed
to have been intended expressly for me,
TO break up entirely my way Of life and
trouble all my calculations. The thing
has been working ever since, and can't
stop its working. | have come to the
conclusion that MUST be different man,
and live for a different purpose, and ]
have come to talk with you about it.


Having commenced giving the Cap
tain's story as he related it, l shall con-
tinue it in his own words, as well as / can
remember them. The reader, however,
must imagine several weeks TO have
elapsed since my first conversation with
him, the scene to be changed to an even
ing meeting where the Captain, after a
long struggle with himself got up to re-
late his experience.


went to talk with the minister, he
continued, after having astonished many
others as much as he had me with repeti-
ton of the above narration. l wanted
to get into the church where l thought l
should be safe. ] had no conception of
and change of heart sup
posed our pastor would commence ques-
tioning me about doctrines and so forth,
to let me know what / would have to un-
derstand AMI believe before could be-
come a church member. But he didn't
take any such course. He made me go
into the house and sit down in his study,
where he talked with me a long time
about the blessedness of religion, and its
value above all things o! this world, in
dependently of Its rewards hereafter
Then he said;


Capt. Ball, do you know the first thing
requisite to be done if you would be a
Christian?


did not know.


The Christian life-the life of faith
full follower of Jesus Christ, said he, can
be founded only upon repentance. Now
IL is easy TO saw we repent of sins. and