William P. Chipman

“ Ray took an afternoon train for Wenton because his work called him, rather than because he desired to go. Both Edward and Daisy had accompanied him to the depot, and as he bade them good-bye and took his seat in the cars, he felt there was nothing now to mar his happiness or lessen his usefulness. But in spite of himself the divine words would come to his mind with a persistency that was almost startling: "He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." ”

“ She is a rare scholar, a fine musician, and possesses a voice that would bring her a fortune if she cared to use it for the public. She and Ray are as good friends as ever, and his fine tenor and her soprano blend in wondrous harmony as they sing some of those old matchless hymns of praise unto God. This is not her first visit to Wenton with Ray, and Nettie Branford and she are fast friends, for one tie binds them close together: they are both members of the same royal family, are both daughters of the King. ”

“ I for one am tired of being ground under the heel of a soulless corporation."
"You have a right to leave any time, I believe," George quietly answered. "No one compels you to work here. The corporation tells you what they can afford to give for your work; you may take it or not as you choose. I have faith in the statement of the directors. They are all Christian men, and I don't believe they intend to grind us under their heels. Rather, I believe, did we know the whole truth, we should find that they, even with this reduction in our wages, will sacrifice somewhat to keep us in work." ”

“ Mr. Carleton was the first to speak after he had finished. "Your mistake, Ray," he said, "was perhaps a natural one; it certainly was one many an older person might have made. But you can now see that, after all, it was a course of deception. You were living a lie; for you were saying by your silence that you did not know who the criminals were."
"Those men must fear your testimony greatly, Ray, to offer you such an inducement to preserve silence," remarked Mr. Woodhull. "You say their names were Wilson and Gregory? I thought Hyde's lawyer was named Sanford." ”

“ Ray gave a deep sigh. How he wished for Mr. Carleton, or even Mr. Gage, to have been there just then! He felt so unable to cope with this great truth, and make it plain to this haughty inquirer; and yet it is doubtful if any one else could have helped the great man at all. He would not have listened to any one as he did to that lad.
"I admit," said Ray, slowly, as though measuring every word, "that there are difficulties in the way of our comprehending just how such a thing could be; but shall we for that reason reject it? We have the fact. ”

“ The Spirit taking the circumstances, the place, the hearers, and the instrument under his control, moved on with a quiet but irresistible power to the accomplishment of his work. And when, at the close of a half hour of testimony and prayer, Ray asked: "Isn't there some one here to-night who wants Jesus for his Saviour?" the fruit of the Spirit began to appear.
From one of the forward seats a great, burly, rough man slowly arose, and electrified those present by the emphatic declaration: "I'm tired of sin. I want to believe in my mother's God." ”

“ Gasque, Edward, and Ray—all here by me," she said, feebly. Then to Ray: "Darling, I have had such a sweet dream; Jesus came himself to me, and said: 'It is enough; thou shalt live'; and really I feel stronger and better. I know you have prayed for me, and God has heard your prayer."
Dr. Gasque had been feeling her pulse, and now passed his hand over her brow. "Be perfectly quiet, Miss Daisy," he said; "you are better." To Edward and Ray he added, as they followed him into the hall way, "She will live." ”

“ You will have to go alone, Ray. The doctors say mother can never be any better, but she may live in this condition for years. My duty, then, is clear. I must remain here by mother's side until all is over. I cannot tell you, nor can you ever know what this decision has cost me. To give you up, Ray; to feel that thousands of miles separate us; to know that you may be sick, or may even die there, and I cannot be with you! Oh, my Saviour, how can I, how can I! ”

“ But the quick eye of Daisy Lawton had noticed his pale and excited face, and a glance at the skates as he tucked them under his arm told her the cause. She hurried from the schoolroom as quickly as he, and then ran breathlessly up the street.
With mingled feelings of indignation and sorrow, Ray walked slowly down the street. He was indignant that any one had dared to perpetrate so dastardly an act, and sorrowful that any one could find it in their heart to do him so great a wrong. ”

“ Things he would readily see were he trying to comfort others are hid from his eyes; promises so rich and full and sure when recalled to console others have an empty sound to his ears; faith strong and steadfast when he has been striving to cheer other hearts has grown feeble in his own soul. This, too, many times when there is not the slightest need of it. God is really leading and blessing the work done for him; but it is in his way, and not in man's way—and there is where the trouble lies.
This was the only trouble with Mr. Carleton now. ”

“ Edward and Sadye went off on their ride, while Ray and Daisy talked and prayed over the offer Edward and his companion had so unexpectedly made.
"If I could only feel it was right to delegate my duty to another," Daisy said, "that would end the matter. But no one can care for a mother as a daughter can. I know Sadye would see that mother was comfortable in every way. That is not the chief trouble It is that mother will not see me, and I cannot bear to give her this pain; she has so little now to comfort her." ”

“ But during the weeks that Ray had been growing in favor with his teachers and the majority of his schoolmates, there was one who steadily refused to like him. Edward Lawton at first treated Ray with a cool indifference, while he tried, by hard study, to keep the lead over him. Had he studied as conscientiously as Ray, and with the same desire to thoroughly master each lesson, he might easily have kept the supremacy he already held; for he was naturally a talented and gifted boy. But he cared nothing for knowledge in itself, and studied only for the honor of leading his class. ”

“ It was a helpful, comforting, all-powerful Saviour whom he presented to those listening ears, and not one went away without feeling, that to that young Christian heart, at least, he was all he had pictured him. At the close of the service a number of those who had risen on Wednesday, stayed behind to tell of a new-found hope; but though Sailor Jack tarried with the rest, he, to every question asked him, only answered: "I am shut up in a darkness that is blacker than night. Not a ray of light comes to me. I can only feel I am fast sinking in despair." ”

“ First of all, it is astonishing how fast evil tidings will travel. Ray Branford was not arrested until Saturday evening, and it was well on toward midnight when he was locked up in the Afton jail; yet by far the greater portion of the citizens of that thriving town knew of his arrest, and were discussing it, when at their Sunday morning breakfast tables.
Then it is astonishing how ready the average human mind is to accept all evil tidings, and especially those that are injurious to one's character, as the unvarnished truth. ”

“ The little village of Wenton lay nestling white and beautiful among its surrounding hills. The words white and beautiful are meant literally. For the mill and cottages and stores and schoolhouse and chapel were all as white as fresh paint could make them, and the village was beautiful because every cottage had its garden, and green plot, and shrubs and flowers; while the mill was surrounded with tasteful lawns and tall shade trees and climbing vines.
George Branford firmly believed that there was a moral and an elevating influence in the beauties God has thrown around us. ”

“ How often had he gone up that bay to Afton! Just down around that point Edward Lawton had come on the night of the storm, and he had gone out to save him. How good God had been to Edward and himself! How gracious God had been to his loved ones! George and the girls were all serving Christ. The father had died trusting in the Saviour. Where were Tom and Dick? Nothing had been heard of them since they, four years before, had escaped from the county jail. Were they alive? Had God reached and saved them also? ”

“ So early the next evening Ray found himself face to face with Mr. George Woodhull, and listened with glowing cheeks to that gentleman's proposition.
"Your work will be entirely about the house and barns," he said, "and there will be nothing you cannot easily learn to do. What I want is to have some one at the farm when I am away, who I know is thoroughly trustworthy, and who will see that everything is kept up in proper order. You may go to just as many meetings as you please, as long as your duties are not neglected; and we'll give you every opportunity to read and study that is possible. ”

“ Love is sometimes keen-eyed, and detects readily what other eyes have not begun to discern. It was so now. A great hope came to that young girl at his words, simple as they were. Her heart was thrilled with a joy that no words could express, and a great light came into the eyes that looked up into his, as she answered, so tremulously as not to escape his notice: "Certainly, Ray, if you wish it." And then she turned, and quickly fled into the cottage. ”

“ Ray sat upright, and grasped Edward's hand. "God bless you, Ned," he exclaimed, "for thinking of this, even if it is not practicable." And he looked wistfully over at Daisy.
A sudden hope had come into her heart; her eyes danced with joy; but controlling herself she turned to Sadye, saying: "I have no right to ask this of you. It would put heavy burdens upon you, such as you have not been accustomed to, and it would be selfish of me to allow it."
"Why?" said Sadye, low and earnestly. "She will be my mother as well as yours. She has a good nurse, and there is a good girl in the house. ”

“ He sketched rapidly the boy's progress until he had reached a position of trust with his employer, and had gained the confidence of many more. He described the boy as he left Long Point Farm on that Friday night for Afton. All grew hushed. Even the heaving breath of the vast audience was still, as he told of the scene in the prayer room, when the lad had talked with God. Then, with sudden transition, he pictured the boy's arrest, and his Sunday in the lockup, while all Afton gave him no word of cheer, no look of sympathy, no thought of his innocence. ”

“ Then a sudden resolve came to Ray. He would settle this important question before he returned to Wenton on the morrow.
"Daisy," he said, "I have not been upon the hills for several years, and to-morrow, before I return to Wenton, I believe I will go up there. Could you arrange to go with me?"
Was there something in his tones that revealed the purpose hidden in his heart? Or had that address, "Daisy," instead of "Miss Daisy," as he had always addressed her before, suggested to the young girl why it was he asked this favor? They are wrong who say, "Love is always blind." ”

“ He had grown wonderfully in grace also, and he and Sailor Jack had become fast friends, and had more than once knelt together and prayed for the Master's blessing upon the Black Forge people.
What a difference it makes in a man when he is "clothed and in his right mind?" Betsy Branford would have told you that she could scarcely believe herself that this strong, manly, sober, industrious George Branford, was the wild, reckless, drinking, ungodly man whom she had called husband so short a time before. ”

“ The door of the saloon was now open, and in the light that streamed forth he recognized the four men who suddenly came out and went on up the alley toward the mills. They were his father, a man named Smith, and Blake and Hyde, the leaders of the strike. He also heard some one in the groggery call out to the men as they hastened away: "Come back here, boys, as quick as possible."
What could the men be going to do? A dark foreboding of some great evil came to Ray's heart, as he noiselessly followed on after the four men. Were they about to commit some crime? ”

“ That old heathen motto, 'Nothing pertaining to humanity do I deem foreign,' in its widest and fullest sense should be the sentiment of every church of Christ, and of every Christian heart. Wherever there is a human soul without Jesus, there the gospel should be sent; there some preacher should go. Not because it is at home or abroad; but because it is Christ's command, and because it is a human soul needing his salvation."
As he drew near the close of his seminary course, however, he had felt a yearning toward the work abroad. "There is the most need of preachers there. ”

“ Tom, in his turn, was delighted to learn that all were now Christians, and that the father, sad and recent as his death was, had not died without a hope.
"God has led us all to himself, Ray," he said, with deep emotion; "and what a change even in our worldly surroundings it makes to be followers of Jesus. George is superintendent of a mill; Nettie is a bookkeeper; you are nearly through with an academic course on your way to college; the two older girls are in Christian homes of their own, and I am first officer of as fine a ship as sails the ocean. ”

“ Wardwell, arose, and having congratulated the teachers upon the successful issue of the school year, called, "Ray Branford!"
Ray would hardly have been human had there not been some exultation in his heart, as he went forward to receive the silver medal, the highest honor of his class; but when he turned to retrace his steps to his seat, and saw Edward Lawton's bright, happy look, he felt he would have gladly surrendered it, were it possible, to the boy who once had hated, but now so loved him. ”

“ I cannot tell you how unworthy I feel to help you in your life work; but truly, darling, I will be the best little wife and helpmeet for you that I, with God's help, can be."
For answer, he pressed the first kiss he had ever given her upon her lips; and then he said, gently: "Shall we not ask Jesus to bless us in our love, and to grant us many years together in his work, Daisy?" Then they knelt while Ray prayed with a fervor and faith he had never manifested before, after which they slowly started down the hillside on their return to the village. ”

“ With no intentional disparagement of Edward's abilities, permit me to say of Ray: His Christian purpose is one of the remarkable things about him. His talents, work, everything, appears to be subject to this Christian aim. He most strikingly illustrates in his daily life Paul's words: "God, whose I am and whom I serve." I feel that he, if spared, will make a power in the world.
In conclusion I can only add: If there are more boys in the Afton Graded School like the two you have sent us, we shall be more than glad to welcome them at Clinton Academy at any time. ”

“ At a signal from Ray, the squad came to a halt just on the edge of the woods, and then he said:
"We'll have to wait awhile, boys. The berries are just back of the barn, but old Woodhull is in the house. By-and-by he will come out of the house to do his chores, before going up town to the evening service. He'll go into that crib yonder for grain, and I'll slip up and shut him in. Then we can pick the berries at our leisure, without fear of being disturbed. When we get all we want, we'll let the old fellow out—but hardly in time for him to go up to the meeting to-night." ”