He that is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in much.— Luke 16:10. 



MYSELF AND MY NEIGHBOBS. 



Thou Shalt neither vex a strang-er, nor oppress 

 him; for ve were strangers in the land of Egypt. 

 —Ex. 2-2:21. 



1^ NE day wliile I was sitting at my desk 

 ^ui I'eading letters, I think it was about 

 ^ tlie middle of February, a stranger 

 ^^ came up to me and asked for work. 

 Request has been made so many times 

 during this past winter, that I have got into 

 the habit of being perhaps a little short and 

 a little positive in telling them I had no 

 need of any more help. This man bore very 

 plain evidences of belonging to the class 

 called " tramps ;" and one's first impressions 

 were that he was an intemperate man. His 

 clothes were ragged, and he was a pitiful- 

 looking object. After I had told him posi- 

 tively that there was no possible cliance, 

 and that old hands had been Avaiting all win- 

 ter for a place, he started off with a dejected 

 look that touched my heart. lie was quick 

 and keen, however, for he glanced back, and, 

 seeing that, my eye was on him he turned 

 around and approached again. 



" Mr. Root, could you not give me some 

 kind of work to do, to pay for some sort of 

 an old coatV My coat is very ragged, as you 

 see, and I should be very glad to pay in 

 work for a better one. I don't want to beg ; 

 and if you will give me a chance, I think I 

 can show you that I am willing to work for 

 all I ask for.'' 



The appeal was more than I could stand. 

 I replied, " Why, yes, friend, I will give you 



something to do, to pay for an old coat," 

 and I set him at work piling green bass- 

 wood plank. Perhaps I need not tell you 

 that this was a job that the average tramp 

 would soon slip out of. But our friend 

 didn't slip out of any thing. lie took hold 

 and worked so well that the men with whom 

 he was working wished me to let him keep 

 on a while. I asked his name, and told him 

 that, if he worked as well as he had so far 

 done, we could probably use him for a week 

 or two, provided he could comply with the 

 conditions of our establishment. 



" Mr. Lewis, am I right in judging that 

 you are or have been a drinking man V" 



" Mr. Root, you have been very kind to 

 me, and I will tell you tlie truth. 1 do get 

 on a spree occasionally." 



'' Well, my friend, you probably use tobac- 

 co." 



"'■ Why, Mr. Root, I do when I can get it ; 

 but I have been so very low down lately, 

 that I have not had any money to buy it." 



'' Well, now, perhaps you won't like to 

 work for us when I tell you that we employ 

 no man who uses whisky or tobacco in any 

 form. If you think, however, it would be a 

 good thing to break off all these things, and 

 try to be a temperate and upright man be- 

 fore God and your fellow-men, we shall be 

 glad to have you stay." 



He promised to try it, and said he had 

 worked at places before where they had 

 the same rules. When I suggested that he 

 lost his place by his habit getting the better 

 of him, he acknowledged it. Sunday after- 



