After some general remarks, he said to the man, “I almost fancy that I have seen you before to-day.”
“I suppose you have,” the man replied, with considerable agitation3; and continued, “Do you not remember some time ago, standing4 at a gate and requesting a farmer to[99] allow you to stay all night, and being refused, and that there was another man there beside the owner of the place?”
The missionary said he did.
“And you remember, also, that you gave a little boy and girl some picture-cards and tracts5?”
“I do,” said the missionary.
“And one for each of the men at the barn?”
“Yes, I well remember that.”
“I was that man,” said he, somewhat confused, “and when Mr. Steele refused to let you stay, I, like a coward, approved of it. Don’t you remember?”
“Yes, I believe you did,” gently replied the missionary.
“Yes, I did that very wicked thing, and now ask your pardon. I have had no rest since, on account of it,” said the man with emotion.
“I have long since forgiven you,” calmly[100] replied the missionary. “Such things do not move me; I count them as nothing.”
“If you had suffered what I did from them, you would count them a good deal. I heard you preach last Sunday, and if I had not been ashamed, I would have made a public confession6 of my wickedness. I thank God that you have come this way,” continued the humbled7 man with faltering8 voice, and stretching out his hand for reconciliation9 and forgiveness.
Joyfully10 the servant of Christ gave Mr. Kerr (whom our readers must have recognized) his hand, and their friendship was sealed.
Mrs. Kerr, who had been absent at the time of the missionary’s arrival, now came in. She recognized him at once, and welcomed him with unfeigned kindness.
“Where in the world have you been since you were here last month?” inquired the free-spoken woman. “I wondered and wondered,”[101] she continued, “what had become of you in the big storm. I expected nothing else than to hear that you got killed in that dreadful rain. It was awful! I declare I thought our house would go!”
“Oh,” pleasantly replied the missionary, “I put up without ‘leave or license,’ at a hut out on Walnut13 Creek, where I was taken care of.”
“Why, nobody lives out there that I know of,” said Mr. Kerr. “Let me see; was it about due west from where you left us?”
“Very nearly, I think,” said the missionary, at the same time smiling.
“Well, sir, I know of but one family that ever lived in that swampy14, sickly, mosquito hole, and two or three of them died there and the rest moved away long ago,” replied Mr. Kerr, instantly adding, “What is the man’s name that lives there?”
“Indeed I cannot give the name,” answered the missionary, with such a look of mischief[102] that Mrs. Kerr declared that he was only joking. “It was at the place you mention, no doubt, that I staid. There were two graves on a hill near the house, which was in a very dilapidated condition, and the yard was overgrown with weeds and briars; indeed, everything presented the appearance of having been long deserted15.”
“That was Mr. Kelly’s home once, but the mosquitoes and chills drove him out. It was well he left, or the whole family would soon have perished there. It is a poor country compared with this,” explained Mr. Kerr.
“But you said that you were well taken care of; I’d like to know who took care of you,” said Mrs. Kerr, with a mischievous16 twinkle in her eyes.
“The Lord took care of me,” he replied.
“Oh, yes, I did not think of that;” said she. “Did you keep dry in the old hut in that dreadful storm?” she added; and in the same breath continued, “Didn’t you think the[103] whole thing would blow down over your head?”
“I was pretty well sheltered from the wind and rain, but I really did think more than once that all would go down.”
“I was sure our house was gone,” earnestly resumed Mrs. Kerr, “and I expected nothing else than the death of all of us.”
“When we are ready,” he replied, “death is no evil.”
This practical reply rather embarrassed her, and for a moment she was at a loss to know what to say next; so he continued:
“To crush the body is a matter of little consequence; but the soul, the immortal17 being that inhabits this house of clay, is of immense value. Could we fully11 realize the fact that nothing dies but the clay we inhabit, we would not dread12 the change.”
Mrs. Kerr listened attentively18, but made no reply.
“Will you be so kind as to give us an[104] account of your troubles on that dreadful night?” asked Mr. Kerr.
“Certainly,” said he, and he related to them the long list of trials, dangers and privations through which he had passed.
Tears more than once filled the eyes of the eager listeners. “And now,” said Mr. Kerr, after the missionary had finished, “I must give you some of my experience since we parted. If you remember one of the cards you gave the children, read, ‘And these shall go away into everlasting19 punishment, but the righteous into life eternal;’ that fell into my hands. When I read those words the irresistible20 conviction struck me that I would be one of ‘these,’ and a fearful looking for judgment21 to come took hold of me. All the way home I seemed to hear the words, ‘And these shall go away into everlasting punishment.’ I wished again and again that I had only taken you with me; or at least have defended you against the unreasonableness22 of Mr. Steele.[105] But that was now too late, and I groaned23 under the lashes24 of my guilty conscience. Upon reaching home, my wife told me that you had been here and prayed with the family. I suffered greatly, and was at length compelled to ‘own up’ to my wife, who soon discovered that all was not right with me—and she strongly condemned25 my action.” Mr. Kerr did not cease speaking until he had made a full confession of the humiliation26 he had experienced from a guilty conscience.
The missionary could not but be moved at the penitent27 recital28; yet he rejoiced that Mr. Kerr was at last led to the true and only source of comfort.
After uniting in prayer with the family, the missionary inquired if they had been to the Sunday-school.
“Oh yes,” heartily29 replied Mr. Kerr, “we were all over last Sunday, and had a delightful30 time.”
“No doubt; indeed, no one with proper[106] feelings, and a regard for the eternal interests of his children or the children of others, can help being benefited and highly delighted in a well-ordered Sunday-school,” said the good man with emphasis; adding, “have the books and papers for which they sent, come?”
“They have,” rejoined Mr. Kerr, “and I verily thought the whole school would go wild when the box was opened. Indeed, I was myself considerably31 excited; and when each one received a book and a paper, I really could not refrain from shedding tears, in witnessing the uncontrollable delight that filled every heart; and I reproached myself with bitterness for having been so cowardly as not to defend this noble institution, when you and it were assailed32 by Mr. Steele. To-day, I thank God for the Sunday-school! and I know that every family that attends it thanks God for it.”
“May God, the Divine Author of this institution, foster and bless it to the salvation[107] of all who attend it, or are within its holy influence!” said the delighted missionary; adding, “how is that gentleman who was with you at the gate getting along?”
“Oh, pretty well; but he doesn’t take any stock in Sunday-schools—he is very angry at me for attending, and won’t speak to me.”
“We must pray God to give us grace to bear with him, and try to gain him to our confidence,” said the missionary.
The day was passing, and the good man would have gone on, but Mr. Kerr and his wife would not hear to it, insisting that he should remain, at least over night; so he consented to remain until morning.
By the side of the looking-glass, in the room which he occupied, he found hanging a framed card, containing the text, “And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal.” Underneath33 was written in a plain hand, “Saved by grace, through this little card. James Kerr.”
[108]Here was a secret. Mr. Kerr attributed his conversion34 to the teaching of this silent monitor. What a momentous35 result can hang upon an insignificant36 cause! It is said, that “the obstruction37 of a straw at the fountain-head, may change the channel of a mighty38 river.” Never should we despise the day of small things.
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1
missionary
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| adj.教会的，传教(士)的；n.传教士 | |
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creek
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| n.小溪，小河，小湾 | |
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agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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tracts
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| 大片土地( tract的名词复数 )； 地带； （体内的）道； （尤指宣扬宗教、伦理或政治的）短文 | |
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confession
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| n.自白，供认，承认 | |
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humbled
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| adj. 卑下的，谦逊的，粗陋的 vt. 使 ... 卑下，贬低 | |
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faltering
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| 犹豫的，支吾的，蹒跚的 | |
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reconciliation
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| n.和解，和谐，一致 | |
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joyfully
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| adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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walnut
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| n.胡桃，胡桃木，胡桃色，茶色 | |
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swampy
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| adj.沼泽的，湿地的 | |
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deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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mischievous
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| adj.调皮的，恶作剧的，有害的，伤人的 | |
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immortal
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| adj.不朽的；永生的，不死的；神的 | |
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attentively
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| adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神 | |
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everlasting
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| adj.永恒的，持久的，无止境的 | |
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irresistible
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| adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的 | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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unreasonableness
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| 无理性； 横逆 | |
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groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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lashes
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| n.鞭挞( lash的名词复数 )；鞭子；突然猛烈的一击；急速挥动v.鞭打( lash的第三人称单数 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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condemned
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| adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 | |
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humiliation
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| n.羞辱 | |
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penitent
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| adj.后悔的；n.后悔者；忏悔者 | |
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recital
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| n.朗诵，独奏会，独唱会 | |
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heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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assailed
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| v.攻击( assail的过去式和过去分词 )；困扰；质问；毅然应对 | |
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underneath
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| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
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conversion
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| n.转化，转换，转变 | |
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momentous
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| adj.重要的，重大的 | |
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insignificant
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| adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的 | |
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obstruction
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| n.阻塞，堵塞；障碍物 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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