GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Nov. 



ance. I had had some very frank, friendly 

 talks with him, and he recognized that it 

 was almost his only hope. There was at 

 this time only one more inmate of the jail; 

 and, although the paper was offered him to 

 sign too, he declined. Before I went away, 

 M. expressed a wish to see our minister. I 

 promised to have him come, and went away 

 happy, feeling that my prayer was answered. 

 I met our pastor afterward, and he agreed 

 with me in thinking M. was almost on the 

 point of accepting Christ as his Savior. An- 

 other Sabbath came, and I found, on going 

 to the jail, that M. was out, and another 

 young man in his place. Very soon one of 

 them began to laugh at me about M.'s pledge. 



" What about M.'s pledge, boys? is it not 

 all right? *' 



" Right! He broke it the minute he got 

 out" 



"And he borrowed my hat," exclaimed the 

 new comer, " so that he might make a re- 

 spectable appearance in the court-room, and 

 he has left town with that too." 



I tried to beg a little charity for him, and 

 to suggest that he would return the hat. 

 But, 1 confess my faith in him and in hu- 

 manity took a considerable fall. I began to 

 feel that it is in reality a terrible thing to 

 get once into the service of Satan, and to 

 look back through the years to see how many 

 there were who had started, and who had 

 never for one instant turned back. O 

 Lord, have mercy on poor, weak humanity! 

 I was thinking of his solemn oath, and how 

 sure I was that he would keep it. 



" Mr. Root, do you not think it was better 

 that I did not sign that pledge? " said one of 

 the men; and I was aroused to the thoughts 

 of those still in jail. 



" It was better, Mr. IT., that you did not 

 sign it, if you were going to break it; but, 

 my friend, would it not have been far better 

 still, had you signed it and kept it? " 



So, poor M., with his bright, hopeful face, 

 is gone, after all, was my thought, as, with a 

 heavy heart, I went away. But the week 

 before I had felt so sorry for him that I had 

 been planning to carry a case and some type 

 to him, that he might pass the time more 

 tolerably, while in confinement. It was all 

 over now. 



The next morning, while working here at 

 my type-writer, I was surprised by our pas- 

 tor. 



" Mr. Root, we must do something for M." 



" Why, he has broken his pledge, and there 

 is nothing we can do." 



"But we must pull him away from his 

 present associates, — get him work, and make 

 him keep it." 



1 looked up into his bright, hopeful eye, 

 and took courage at once. 



" Can you not give him work, and keep him 

 here among you? " 



" Why, I have all the printers I can possi- 

 bly use; but, I will go with you and see what 

 can be done." 



As we walked up street, I unburdened 

 myself, as it were, and told him how dis- 

 couraged I was, but added: 



"My friend, I will confide to you, that I 

 will set M. to work, or any other boy or girl, 

 man or woman, who will kneel down with 



me and ask God to help us and them to lead 

 a thorough, consistent Christian life after- 

 ward.- I have always done this, and I have 

 never yet failed in finding work. But in 

 this case, our friend has not even promised 

 to be a Christian, but, on the contrary, has 

 seemingly gone the other way. Those whom 

 I have helped have come to me, and I must 

 confess I have very little faith in going after 

 him." 



" Perhaps you are right; but when I met 

 him this morning, he looked so bad I felt 

 that I could not pass him by. In answer to 

 my questions, he said he had fared badly 

 since his release." 



We did not find him, and I undertook the 

 task alone. I went into all the places where 

 1 thought he might possibly be; but, al- 

 though they said he had been around, I did 

 not tind him. On the way home, however, I 

 caught sight of him in one of our livery sta- 

 bles. He went at once with me to our min- 

 ister's, and we had a long talk. He at first 

 seemed inclined to excuse himself by saying 

 he had drank only beer and cider; but when 

 he was reminded that it was before God he 

 was to be held accountable, and that God, 

 and God only, was to judge him, he was si- 

 lent. I told him that it seemed to me that 

 the decisive point in his life had arrived, and 

 it was in his power, and his alone, to decide 

 whether he would serve God or Satan. Aft- 

 er some time, apparently spent in consider- 

 ing the subject, he declared it as his inten- 

 tion to be a Christian if it were possible for 

 him to be. When asked if he would kneel 

 with us in prayer, he expressed himself as 

 willing. I led, and our pastor asked him to 

 follow. After a short interval he com- 

 menced, but almost immediately broke 

 down, and the sobs that convulsed his frame 

 for the time rendered it almost impossible 

 for him to utter another word. At length, in 

 broken sentences, lie implored God to for- 

 give him for his hitherto broken and wasted 

 life; and there on his knees he virtually ac- 

 cepted Jesus as his Savior. 



As he arose, I took him by the hand, and 

 told him I was now ready to "give him work, 

 and, although I had nothing in view for him 

 to do, I knew God would help us both if we 

 came to him in that attitude. 



"Friend M.," said I, "you have started 

 out right; but you now come face to face 

 with real trials. You have resolved to 

 live the life of a Christian; but what price 

 are you willing to nay for a pure Christian 

 life? How much can you endure, and how 

 much will you give up for ChrisCs sake? " 



" Why. 1 will give up everything; what is 

 it? " 



" You use tobacco, do you not?" 



" Yes; I have used it almost all my life/' 



" The conditions of our establishment are, 

 that no one shall be employed who uses to- 

 bacco. I feel sorry. Friend M., to ask so 

 much of one who is just starting out, and 

 the thought of it was troubling me while we 

 knelt in prayer; but, to do justice to the oth- 

 ers who are there at work, I see no way in 

 which you can be spared this trial at the 

 very outset, at it were. God knows I would 

 excuse you if I could consistently, or that I 

 would bear the fearful trial myself if I 



