470 



GL:BAKmGS In b:Be culture. 



Aug, 



that he was once a member of a Christian 

 Chnrch. 



" And why, Mr. S.," said I, " are you not 

 still a professing Christian ?" 



It was some little time before he replied. 

 Then he said something about having lost 

 all his property, and he got into a complain- 

 ing spnit, and with his property went his 

 religion. After that he went home, and I 

 saw no more of him for several days. When 

 he came to me again he consented to give up 

 tobacco entirely, and said, in fact, that he 

 had not used any for several days ; and, of 

 course, he went to work. I hope this friend 

 will pardon me for saying here that others 

 besides myself had been somewhat preju- 

 diced against him. I gave him work in the 

 saw-room, but it was not very long before 

 Mr. Gray informed me that the foreman of 

 the saw-room declared that, if this man was 

 going to work there, he was not. I felt bad- 

 ly to hear this, on two accounts : First, I 

 did not know what to do with our new friend, 

 because I new it must hurt his feelings if 1 

 told what had happened. I also felt sad to 

 know that the foreman of the saw-room 

 should speak in that way ; for he has a re- 

 markably mild and gentle way, and I had 

 never known him to make such a speech be- 

 fore in all my acquaintance with him. I 

 turned away slowly and sadly. All 1 could 

 do was to breathe the oft-repeated words, 

 " God help me to do what is wisest and best 

 for all parties." And then, as has happened 

 so many times before, a place was opened for 

 him in another room, where he is still at 

 work. I met the foreman of the saw- room 

 several times during the day, but I made no 

 allusion to the incident of the morning, for 

 the very good reason that I had not settled 

 in my own mind what I had best do. Ter- 

 heps the very best thing in the world to do 

 was to say nothing ; for it transpired not 

 very long afterward, that he came to me 

 with his usual frank, pleasant look, and told 

 me that he wanted to apologize for what he 

 had said, and to assure me that he would do 

 all in his power to help any one in the work, 

 whom I might think proper to send into his 

 department, lie also added that he did not 

 mean to forget himself so far as to speak as 

 he did that morning. Do you see how it 

 works, friends y "Not by might nor by 

 power, but by my Spirit." To my great 

 comfort and joy, pretty soon it began to be 

 talked about, that, instead of friend y. being 

 hard to get along with, he was remarkably 

 pleasant to all, and unusually handy in any 

 work he picked up, even though the work 

 seemed new to him. AVhen we had texts at 

 the noon service, my heart was rejoiced to 

 hear his voice among the rest, and to feel 

 that his texts were generally well and wisely 

 chosen. 



l^ast Thursday evening I started for 

 prayer-meeting again. Many cares pressed, 

 and I was a little late ; and to tell the truth, 

 friends, so many things were on hand that 

 needed attention, I felt a little as though I 

 would rather not go. May God forgive me 

 for giving way to such a feeling. When on 

 the way to church, a good sister met me and 

 pleasantly inquired if I was going to prayer- 

 meeting. I told her I was, and was going to 



ask her if she hadn't better turn around and 

 go with us. 



"Mr. Boot, I have been reckoning on this 

 prayer-meeting all the week, and I have 

 been thinking much of going; and, in fact, 

 I had got almost to the church when I felt 

 that my health demanded that I should turn 

 and go back home. It was a cross to bear, 

 but 1 guess it is best. I will pray for you ; 

 in fact, I have been praying, and I tnink 

 you will have a blessing to-night. Yes, 1 

 am sure you will." 



I was a little surprised to see her so posi- 

 tive ; and even with all my faith, if you will 

 excuse the expression, 1 began wondering if 

 it was not a little bit of a notion she had got. 

 Satan had not quite let go of me, you see, 

 and uncharitableness was lurking in my 

 heart. 



1 think I shall make a little further confes- 

 sion here to-day. May be it will keep me from 

 such sins if 1 do. Have you not noticed, 

 dear friends, the tendency in me to think 

 folks need not be sick quite as much as they 

 are V My health is remarkably good, and I 

 presume my powers of endurance are more 

 than usual ; and yet, instead of being thank- 

 ful for this, and having a loving sympathy 

 and charity for all those in ill health, I let 

 this ungenerous, unchristianlike feeling 

 come in. And I was wondering whether it 

 were not a little bit of a notion she had that 

 she could not go into the meeting and sit 

 down, when she was almost there. If her 

 eyes ever meec these words, I want to ask 

 her to forgive me ; and I hope God will for- 

 give me too. The meeting passed off as our 

 meetings usually do. When I got warmed 

 up by the hymns and texts and experiences 

 of others, 1 felt ashamed of my ungenerous 

 thoughts, and began wondering if that bless- 

 ing she spoke of were really to be ours. The 

 meeting was so nearly out I had decided she 

 was mistaken, when 1 noticed friend S., who 

 was present at the meetiug, look as though 

 he was considerably agitated. To my great 

 surprise and joy he rose up. I can not re- 

 member his words, but they were some- 

 thing to tliis effect : 



" Friends," said he, " a few days ago a 

 man asked me if I had ever been a professor 

 of religion. I have been several years a re- 

 sident of your State of Ohio ; but I can not 

 remember that any one has ever before 

 spoken to me on the subject of religion. I 

 was obliged to confess that I had once been 

 a professor. The next question was a much 

 harder one to answer: 'And why, then, 

 friend S., are you not one now V I finally 

 attempted an excuse ; but the utter tlimsi- 

 ness of that excuse troubled me still more, 

 after thinking the matter over, i went home 

 and took up my Bible. The first thiug I 

 opened to was another reproof ; and, friends, 

 I had no peace till I resolved to come back 

 to my Savior." 



I am quite sure that I have not used his 

 exact words in the above, but it gives the 

 leading thought, any way. He quoted a 

 good text which he found on opening his 

 l)ible,butl can not recall it now. A breath- 

 less stillness pervaded the room while he 

 spoke, and as he sat down, nearly overcome 

 with emotion, I am sure an inward prayer 



