andIsaidthemovertoher，holdingherhandsfirmlyinmine.Shegazedatmeasifinadream，andthelightslowlyfadedfromhereyesasshesaid，tearingherhandsfrommineandwavingthemtowardsthemountainsandthewoods——
’\"Butnevermorehere？Nevermorehere？\"
’Ibelieveinheavenandtheotherlife，butIconfessthatforamomentitallseemedshadowybesidetherealityofthiswarm，brightworld，fulloflifeandlove.Shewasveryillfortwonights，andwhenthecoffinwasclosedanewbabylayinthefather’sarms.
’Sheslowlycamebacktolife，buttherewerenomoresongs.Theminersstillcomeabouthershop，andtalktoherbaby，andbringhertheirsorrowsandtroubles;butthoughsheisalwaysgentle，almosttender，withthem，nomaneversays\"Sing.\"AndthatiswhyIamgladshesanglastweek;itwillbegoodforherandgoodforthem.’
’Whydoesshestay？’Iasked.
’Mavor’speoplewantedhertogotothem，’hereplied.
’Theyhavemoney——shetoldmeaboutit，butherheartisinthegraveupthereunderthepines;andbesides，shehopestodosomethingfortheminers，andshewillnotleavethem.’
IamafraidIsnortedalittleimpatientlyasIsaid，’Nonsense！
why，withherface，andmanner，andvoiceshecouldbeanythingshelikedinEdinburghorinLondon.’
’AndwhyEdinburghorLondon？’heaskedcoolly.
’Why？’Irepeatedalittlehotly.’Youthinkthisisbetter？’
’NazarethwasgoodenoughfortheLordofglory，’heanswered，withasmilenonetoobright;butitdrewmyhearttohim，andmyheatwasgone.
’Howlongwillshestay？’Iasked.
’Tillherworkisdone，’hereplied.
’Andwhenwillthatbe？’Iaskedimpatiently.
’WhenGodchooses，’heansweredgravely;’anddon’tyoueverthinkbutthatitisworthwhile.Onevalueofworkisnotthatcrowdsstareatit.Readhistory，man！’
Heroseabruptlyandbegantowalkabout.’Anddon’tmissthewholemeaningoftheLifethatliesatthefoundationofyourreligion.Yes，’headdedtohimself，’theworkisworthdoing——
worthevenherdoing.’
Icouldnotthinksothen，butthelightoftheafteryearsprovedhimwiserthanI.Aman，toseefar，mustclimbtosomeheight，andIwastoomuchupontheplaininthosedaystocatchevenaglimpseofdistantsunlituplandsoftriumphantachievementthatliebeyondthevalleyofself—sacrifice.
CHAPTERV
THEMAKINGOFTHELEAGUE
ThursdaymorningfoundCraiganxious，evengloomy，butwithfightineverylineofhisface.ItriedtocheerhiminmyclumsywaybychaffinghimabouthisLeague.Buthedidnotblazeupasheoftendid.Itwasathingtoonearhisheartforthat.Heonlyshrankalittlefrommystupidchaffandsaid——
’Don’t，oldchap;thisisagooddealtome.I’vetriedfortwoyearstogetthis，andifitfallsthroughnow，Ishallfindithardtobear.’
ThenIrepentedmylightwordsandsaid，’Why！thethingwillgosureenough：afterthatsceneinthechurchtheywon’tgoback.’
’Poorfellows！’hesaidasiftohimself;’whiskyisabouttheonlyexcitementtheyhave，andtheyfinditprettytoughtogiveitup;
andalotofthemenareagainstthetotalabstinenceidea.Itseemsrottothem.’
’Itisprettysteep，’Isaid.’Can’tyoudowithoutit？’
’No;Ifearnot.Thereisnothingelseforit.Someofthemtalkofcompromise.Theywanttoquitthesaloonanddrinkquietlyintheirshacks.Themoderatedrinkermayhavehisplaceinothercountries，thoughIcan’tseeit.Ihaven’tthoughtthatout，butheretheonlysafemanisthemanwhoquitsitdeadandfightsitstraight;anythingelseissheeresthumbugandnonsense.’
Ihadnotgoneinmuchfortotalabstinenceuptothistime，chieflybecauseitsadvocatesseemedforthemostparttobesomewhatill—balanced;butasIlistenedtoCraig，Ibegantofeelthatperhapstherewasatotalabstinencesidetothetemperancequestion;andastoBlackRock，Icouldseehowitmustbeonethingortheother.
WefoundMrs.Mavorbraveandbright.ShesharedMr.Craig’sanxietybutnothisgloom.Hercouragewasofthatserenekindthatrefusestobelievedefeatpossible，andliftsthespiritintothetriumphoffinalvictory.Throughthepastweekshehadbeencarefullydisposingherforcesandwinningrecruits.Andyetsheneverseemedtourgeorpersuadethemen;butaseveningaftereveningtheminersdroppedintothecosyroomdownstairs，withhertalkandhersongsshecharmedthemtilltheywerewhollyhers.
Shetookforgrantedtheirloyalty，trustedthemutterly，andsomadeitdifficultforthemtobeotherthantruemen.
ThatnightMrs.Mavor’slargestoreroom，whichhadbeenfittedupwithseats，wascrowdedwithminerswhenMr.CraigandIentered.
Afteraglanceoverthecrowd，Craigsaid，’There’sthemanager;
thatmeanswar.’AndIsawatallman，veryfair，whosechinfellawaytothevanishingpoint，andwhosehairwaspartedinthemiddle，talkingtoMrs.Mavor.Shewasdressedinsomerichsoftstuffthatbecameherwell.Shewaslookingbeautifulasever，buttherewassomethingquitenewinhermanner.Herairofgood—
fellowshipwasgone，andshewasthehigh—bredlady，whosegentledignityandsweetgrace，whileverywinning，madefamiliarityimpossible.
Themanagerwasdoinghisbest，andappearedtobewellpleasedwithhimself.’She’llgethimifanyonecan.Ifailed，’saidCraig.
Istoodlookingatthemen，andafinelotoffellowstheywere.
Free，easy，boldintheirbearing，theygavenosignofrudeness;
and，fromtheirfrequentglancestowardMrs.Mavor，Icouldseetheywerealwaysconsciousofherpresence.NomenaresotrulygentleasaretheWesternersinthepresenceofagoodwoman.Theywereevidentlyofallclassesandranksoriginally，butnow，andinthiscountryofrealmeasurements，theyrankedsimplyaccordingtothe’man’inthem.’Seethathandsome，youngchapofdissipatedappearance？’saidCraig;’that’sVernonWinton，anOxfordgraduate，blueblood，awfullyplucky，butquitegone.Whenhegetsrepentant，insteadofshootinghimself，hecomestoMrs.Mavor.
Fact.’
’FromOxfordUniversitytoBlackRockminingcampissomethingofastep，’Ireplied.
’Thatqueer—lookinglittlechapinthecornerisBillyBreen.Howintheworldhashegothere？’wentonMr.Craig.Queer—lookinghewas.Alittleman，withasmallheadsetonheavysquareshoulders，longarms，andhugehandsthatsprawledalloverhisbody;altogetheramostungainlyspecimenofhumanity.
BythistimeMrs.Mavorhadfinishedwiththemanager，andwasinthecentreofagroupofminers.Hergrandairwasallgone，andshewastheircomrade，theirfriend，oneofthemselves.Nordidsheassumetheroleofentertainer，butratherdidshe，withhalf—
shyair，castherselfupontheirchivalry，andtheyweretootrulygentlementofailher.ItishardtomakeWesternmen，andespeciallyold—timers，talk.Butthisgiftwashers，anditstirredmyadmirationtoseeherdrawonagrizzledveterantotellhow，twentyyearsago，hehadcrossedtheGreatDivide，andhadseenanddonewhatnolongerfelltomentoseeordointhesenewdays.Andsoshewontheold—timer.ButitwasbeautifultoseetheinnocentguilewithwhichshecaughtBillyBreen，anddrewhimtohercornerneartheorgan.WhatshewassayingIknewnot，butpoorBillywasprotesting，wavinghisbighands.
Themeetingcametoorder，withShawinthechair，andthehandsomeyoungOxfordmansecretary.Shawstatedtheobjectofthemeetinginafewhaltingwords;butwhenhecametospeakofthepleasureheandallfeltinbeingtogetherinthatroom，hiswordsflowedinastream，warmandfull.Thentherewasapause，andMr.Craigwascalled.Butheknewbetterthantospeakatthatpoint.FinallyNixonrosehesitatingly;but，ashecaughtabrightsmilefromMrs.
Mavor，hestraightenedhimselfasifforafight.
’Iain’tnogoodatmakin’speeches，’hebegan;’butitain’tspeecheswewant.We’vegotsomethin’todo，andwhatwewanttoknowishowtodoit.Andtoberightplain，wewanttoknowhowtodrivethiscursedwhiskyoutofBlackRock.Youallknowwhatit’sdoingforus——atleastforsomeofus.Andit’stimetostopitnow，orforsomeofusit’llmightysoonbetoolate.Andtheonlywaytostopitsworkistoquitdrinkin’itandhelpotherstoquit.IhearsometalkofaLeague，andwhatIsayis，ifit’saLeagueoutandoutagainstwhisky，aTotalAbstinencerighttotheground，thenI’mwithit——that’smytalk——ImovewemakethatkindofLeague.’
Nixonsatdownamidcheersandachorusofremarks，’Goodman！’
’That’sthetalk！’’Staywithit！’buthewaitedforthesmileandtheglancethatcametohimfromthebeautifulfaceinthecorner，andwiththatheseemedcontent.
Againtherewassilence.Thenthesecretaryrosewithaslightflushuponhishandsome，delicateface，andsecondedthemotion.
Iftheywouldpardonapersonalreferencehewouldgivethemhisreasons.Hehadcometothiscountrytomakehisfortune;nowhewasanxioustomakeenoughtoenablehimtogohomewithsomedegreeofhonour.Hishomeheldeverythingthatwasdeartohim.
Betweenhimandthathome，betweenhimandallthatwasgoodandbeautifulandhonourable，stoodwhisky.’Iamashamedtoconfess，’
andtheflushdeepenedonhischeek，andhislipsgrewthinner，’thatIfeeltheneedofsomesuchleague.’Hishandsomeface，hisperfectstyleofaddress，learnedpossiblyinthe’Union，’but，morethanall，hisshowofnerve——forthesemenknewhowtovaluethat——madeastrongimpressiononhisaudience;buttherewerenofollowingcheers.
Mr.Craigappearedhopeful;butonMrs.Mavor’sfacetherewasalookofwistful，tenderpity，forsheknewhowmuchthewordshadcostthelad.
Thenuproseasturdy，hard—featuredman，withaburrinhisvoicethatproclaimedhisbirth.HisnamewasGeorgeCrawford，I
afterwardslearned，buteveryonecalledhimGeordie.Hewasacharacterinhisway，fondofhisglass;butthoughhewasneverknowntorefuseadrink，hewasneverknowntobedrunk.Hetookhisdrink，forthemostpart，withbreadandcheeseinhisownshack，orwithafriendortwoinasober，respectableway，butnevercouldbeinducedtojointhewildcarousalsinSlavin’ssaloon.Hemadethehighestwages，butwasfartootrueaScottospendhismoneyrecklessly.EveryonewaitedeagerlytohearGeordie’smind.Hespokesolemnly，asbefittedaScotsmanexpressingadeliberateopinion，andcarefully，asifchoosinghisbestEnglish，forwhenGeordiebecameexcitednooneinBlackRockcouldunderstandhim.
’MaisterChairman，’saidGeordie，’I’mayefortemperanceina’
things.’Therewasashoutoflaughter，atwhichGeordiegazedroundinpainedsurprise.’I’llno’deny，’hewentoninanexplanatorytone，’thatItakmamornin’，an’maybeanipatnoon;
an’aweedrapaifterwarkintheevenin’，an’whilesasipo’
toddywi’afreenthaecauldnichts.ButI’mno’aguzzler，an’I
dinnaganginwi’thaeloonsflingin’abootguidmoney.’
’Andthat’sthrueforyou，mebye，’interruptedarichIrishbrogue，tothedelightofthecrowdandtheamazementofGeordie，whowentcalmlyon——
’An’Icannabideyonsaloonwhaurtheysellsicawfu’—likestuff——
it’smairlikelyenorguidwhisky，——andwhaurye’reneversureo’
yerrichtchange.It’sanawfu’—likeplace;man！’——andGeordiebegantowarmup——’yecanjuistsmellthesulphurwhenyegangin.
ButIdinnacareabootthaeTemperanceSoceeities，wi’theirpledgesan’havers;an’Icannaseewhathairmcancometillamanbytakin’abottleo’guidGlenlivethamewi’him.Icannabidethaeteetotalbuddies.’
Geordie’sspeechwasfollowedbyloudapplause，partlyappreciativeofGeordiehimself，butlargelysympatheticwithhisposition.
Twoorthreemenfollowedinthesamestrainadvocatingaleagueformutualimprovementandsocialpurposes，butwithouttheteetotalpledge;theywereagainstthesaloon，butdidn’tseewhytheyshouldnottakeadrinknowandthen.
Finallythemanagerrosetosupporthis’friend，Mistah——ah——
Cwafoad，’ridiculingtheideaofatotalabstinencepledgeasfanaticalandindeed’absuad.’Hewasopposedtothesaloon，andwouldliketoseeaclubformed，withacomfortableclub—room，books，magazines，pictures，games，anything，’dontcheknow，tomakethetimepasspleasantly’;butitwas’absuadtoaskmentoabstainfwomapwopahuseof——aw——nouwishingdwinks，’becausesomemenmadebeastsofthemselves.Heconcludedbyoffering$50.00towardsthesupportofsuchaclub.
Thecurrentoffeelingwassettingstronglyagainstthetotalabstinenceidea，andCraig’sfacewashardandhiseyesgleamedlikecoals.Thenhedidabitofgeneralship.Heproposedthatsincetheyhadthetwoplansclearlybeforethemtheyshouldtakeafewminutes’intermissioninwhichtomakeuptheirminds，andhewassuretheywouldbegladtohaveMrs.Mavorsing.Intheintervalthementalkedingroups，eagerly，evenfiercely，hamperedseriouslyintheforcefulexpressionoftheiropinionbythepresenceofMrs.Mavor，whoglidedfromgrouptogroup，droppingawordhereandasmilethere.Sheremindedmeofageneralridingalongtheranks，bracinghismenforthecomingbattle.ShepausedbesideGeordie，spokeearnestlyforafewmoments，whileGeordiegazedsolemnlyather，andthenshecamebacktoBillyinthecornernearme.WhatshewassayingIcouldnothear，butpoorBillywasprotesting，spreadinghishandsoutaimlesslybeforehim，butgazingatherthewhileindumbadmiration.Thenshecametome.’PoorBilly，hewasgoodtomyhusband，’shesaidsoftly，’andhehasagoodheart.’
’He’snotmuchtolookat，’Icouldnothelpsaying.
’Theoysterhidesitspearl，’sheanswered，alittlereproachfully.
’Theshellisapparentenough，’Ireplied，forthemischiefwasinme.
’Ahyes，’sherepliedsoftly，’butitisthepearlwelove.’
ImovedoverbesideBilly，whoseeyeswerefollowingMrs.MavorasshewenttospeaktoMr.Craig.’Well，’Isaid;’youallseemtohaveahighopinionofher.’
’An’ighhopinion，’hereplied，indeepscorn.’An’ighhopinion，youcallsit.’
’Whatwouldyoucallit？’Iasked，wishingtodrawhimout.
’Oidon’tcallitnothink，’hereplied，spreadingouthisroughhands.
’Sheseemsverynice，’Isaidindifferently.
HedrewhiseyesawayfromMrs.Mavor，andgaveattentiontomeforthefirsttime.
’Nice！’herepeatedwithfinecontempt;andthenheaddedimpressively，’Themasdon’tknowshouldn’tsaynothink.’
’Youareright，’Iansweredearnestly，’andIamquiteofyouropinion.’
Hegavemeaquickglanceoutofhislittle，deep—set，dark—blueeyes，andopenedhishearttome.Hetoldme，inhisquaintspeech，howagainandagainshehadtakenhiminandnursedhim，andencouragedhim，andsenthimoutwithanewheartforhisbattle，until，forveryshame’ssakeathisownmiserableweakness，hehadkeptoutofherwayformanymonths，goingsteadilydown.
’Now，oihain’tgotnogrip;butwhenshesaystometo—night，saysshe，\"Oh，Billy\"——shecallsmeBillytomyself’（thiswithatouchofpride）——’\"oh，Billy，\"saysshe，\"wemust’aveatotalhabstinenceleagueto—night，andoiwantyouto’elp！\"andshekeepsa—lookin’atmewiththoseheyeso’herntill，ifyoubelieveme，sir，’loweringhisvoicetoanemphaticwhisper，’thoughoiknowedoicouldn’t’elpnone，aforeoiknowedoipromised’eroiwould.It’s’erheyes.Whenthemheyessays\"do，\"hupyoustepsand\"does.\"’
Irememberedmyfirstlookintohereyes，andIcouldquiteunderstandBilly’ssubmission.JustasshebegantosingIwentovertoGeordieandtookmyseatbesidehim.ShebeganwithanEnglishslumbersong，’Sleep，Baby，Sleep’——oneofBarryCornwall’s，Ithink，——andthensangalove—songwiththerefrain，’Loveonceagain’;butnothrillscametome，andIbegantowonderifherspellovermewasbroken.Geordie，whohadbeenlisteningsomewhatindifferently，encouragedme，however，bysaying，’She’sjustpittin’afftimewiththaefecklesssangs;man，there’snaegruptillthem.’Butwhen，afterafewminutes’pause，shebegan’MyAinFireside，’Geordiegaveasighofsatisfaction.’Ay，that’ssomethin’like，’andwhenshefinishedthefirstversehegavemeadigintheribswithhiselbowthattookmybreathaway，sayinginawhisper，’Man，heartillyon，wullye？’AndagainI
foundthespelluponme.Itwasnotthevoiceafterall，butthegreatsoulbehindthatthrilledandcompelled.Shewasseeing，feeling，livingwhatshesang，andhervoiceshowedusherheart.
Thecosyfireside，withitsbonnie，blitheblink，wherenocarecouldabide，butonlypeaceandlove，wasvividlypresenttoher，andasshesangwesawittoo.Whenshecametothelastverse——
’WhenIdrawinmystoolOnmycosyhearth—stane，MyheartloupssaelichtIscarceken’tformyain，’
therewasafeelingoftearsintheflowingsong，andweknewthewordshadbroughtherapictureofthefiresidethatwouldalwaysseemempty.Ifeltthetearsinmyeyes，and，wonderingatmyself，Icastastealthyglanceatthemenaboutme;andIsawthatthey，too，werelookingthroughtheirhearts’windowsuponfiresidesandingle—neuksthatgleamedfromfar.
Andthenshesang’TheAuldHoose，’andGeordie，givingmeanotherpoke，said，’That’smaainsang，’andwhenIaskedhimwhathemeant，hewhisperedfiercely，’Wheesht，man！’andIdid，forhisfacelookeddangerous.
InapausebetweentheversesIheardGeordiesayingtohimself，’Ay，Imaungieitup，Idoot.’
’What？’Iventured.
’Naethingava.’Andthenheaddedimpatiently，’Man，butye’reaninqueesitivebuddie，’afterwhichIsubsidedintosilence.
Immediatelyuponthemeetingbeingcalledtoorder，Mr.Craigmadehisspeech，anditwasafinebitofwork.Beginningwithaclearstatementoftheobjectinview，hesetincontrastthetwokindsofleaguesproposed.One，aleagueofmenwhowouldtakewhiskyinmoderation;theother，aleagueofmenwhowerepledgedtodrinknonethemselves，andtopreventineveryhonourablewayothersfromdrinking.Therewasnolongargument，buthespokeatwhiteheat;
andasheappealedtothementothink，eachnotofhimselfalone，butoftheothersaswell，theyearning，bornofhislongmonthsofdesireandoftoil，vibratedinhisvoiceandreachedtotheheart.
Manymenlookeduncomfortableanduncertain，andeventhemanagerlookednonetoocheerful.
Atthiscriticalmomentthecrowdgotashock.BillyBreenshuffledouttothefront，and，inavoiceshakingwithnervousnessandemotion，begantospeak，hislarge，coarsehandswanderingtremulouslyabout.
’Oihain’tnobloomin’temperancehorator，andmayhapoihain’tnorighttospeak’ere，butoigotsomethin’tosaigh（say）andoi’magoin’tosaighit.
’Parson，’eesaysisitwiskyornowiskyinthis’ereclub？Ifyehaskme，wich（which）yedon’t，thennowisky，saysoi;andifyehaskwhy？——lookatme！Onceoicouldminemorecoalthanhanymaninthecamp;nowoihain’tfittobeasorter.Onceoi’adsomeprideandhambition;nowoi’angsroundawaitin’forsomeonetosaigh，\"Ere，Billy，’avesummat.\"Onceoimadegoodpaigh（pay），andsentit’omeregulartomypooroldmother（she’sinthewukusnow，sheis）;oihain’tsent’erhanyforayearanda’alf.OnceBillywasagoodfellowand’adplentyo’friends;nowSlavin’isselfkicksunhout，’eedoes.Why？why？’Hisvoicerosetoashriek.’BecausewhenBilly’admoneyin’ispocket，heverymaninthisbloomin’campasmeetsunatheverycornersays，\"’Ello，Billy，wat’llye’ave？\"Andthere’swiskyatSlavin’s，andthere’swiskyintheshacks，andhevery’olidayandheverySundaythere’swisky，andw’enyefeelbadit’swisky，andw’enyefeelgoodit’swisky，andheverywhereandhalwaysit’swisky，wisky，wisky！Andnowye’regoin’tostopit，and’ow？T’manager，’eesayspictersandmagazines.’Eetakes’iswineand’isbeerlikeagentleman，’eedoes，and’eedon’t’avenouseforBillyBreen.Billy，’ee’sabeast，andt’manager，’eekicksunhout.Butsupposin’Billywantstostopbein’abeast，andstartsa—tryin’tobeamanagain，andw’en’eegetsgoodan’dry，alongcomessomeunandsays，\"’Ello，Billy，’aveasmile，\"ithain’tpictersnormagazines’udstopunthen.Pictersandmagazines！Gawd’elpthemanashain’tnothin’butpictersandmagazinesto’elpunw’en’ee’sgotadevilhinsideandadevilhoutsidea—shovin’anda—drawin’ofundownto’ell.Andthat’sw’ereoi’ma—goin’straight，andyerbloomin’
League，wiskyornowisky，can’thelpme.But，’andheliftedhistremblinghandsabovehishead，’ifyestopthewiskya—flowin’
roundthiscamp，ye’llstopsomeoftheseladsthat’sa—followin’
me’ard.Yes，you！andyou！andyou！’andhisvoicerosetoawildscreamasheshookatremblingfingeratoneandanother.
’Man，it’sfairgruesometaehearhim，’saidGeordie;’he’sno’
canny’;andreachingoutforBillyashewentstumblingpast，hepulledhimdowntoaseatbesidehim，saying，’Sitdoon，lad，sitdoon.We’llmakamano’yeyet.’Thenheroseand，usingmanyr’s，said，’MaisterChairman，a’dootwe’lljuisthaetogieitup.’
’Giveitup？’calledoutNixon.’GiveuptheLeague？’
’Na！na！lad，butjuisttheweedrapwhusky.It’snaethatguidonyway，andit’saterribleprice.Man，ginyegangtaeHenderson’sinBuchananStreet，inGleska，yeken，ye’llgetmairforthree—an’—saxpencethanyewullatSlavin’sforfivedollars.
An’it’llno’pityemadlikeyonstuff，butitgangsdoonsmoothan’saft—like.But’（regretfully）’ye’llno’cangetithere;an’
a’mthinkin’a’lljuistsignyonteetotalthing.’AnduphestrodetothetableandputhisnamedowninthebookCraighadready.
ThentoBillyhesaid，’Come’awa，lad！pityernamedoon，an’
we’llstan’byye.’
PoorBillylookedaroundhelplessly，hisnerveallgone，andsatstill.Therewasaswiftrustleofgarments，andMrs.Mavorwasbesidehim，and，inavoicethatonlyBillyandIcouldhear，said，’You’llsignwith，me，Billy？’
Billygazedatherwithahopelesslookinhiseyes，andshookhislittle，head.Sheleanedslightlytowardhim，smilingbrightly，and，touchinghisarmgently，said——
’Come，Billy，there’snofear，’andinalowervoice，’Godwillhelpyou.’
AsBillywentup，followingMrs.Mavorclose，ahushfellonthemenuntilhehadputhisnametothepledge;thentheycameup，manbyman，andsigned.ButCraigsatwithhisheaddowntillI
touchedhisshoulder.Hetookmyhandandhelditfast，sayingoverandover，underhisbreath，’ThankGod，thankGod！’
AndsotheLeaguewasmade.
CHAPTERVI
BLACKROCKRELIGION
WhenIgrowwearywiththeconventionsofreligion，andsickinmysoulfromfeedinguponhusks，thatthechurchestoooftenofferme，intheshapeofelaborateserviceandeloquentdiscourses，sothatinmysicknessIdoubtanddoubt，thenIgobacktothecommunioninBlackRockandthedaysprecedingit，andthefeverandthewearinessleaveme，andIgrowhumbleandstrong.Thesimplicityandruggedgrandeurofthefaith，thehumblegratitudeoftheroughmenIseeaboutthetable，andthecalmradianceofonesaintlyface，restandrecallme.
NotitsmostenthusiasticapologistwouldcallBlackRockareligiouscommunity，butitpossessedinamarkeddegreethateminentChristianvirtueoftolerance.Allcreeds，allshadesofreligiousopinion，wereallowed，anditwasgenerallyconcededthatonewasasgoodasanother.Itisfairtosay，however，thatBlackRock’scatholicitywasnegativeratherthanpositive.Theonlyreligionobjectionablewasthatinsisteduponasanecessity.Itneveroccurredtoanyonetoconsiderreligionotherthanasarespectable，ifnotornamental，additiontolifeinolderlands.
DuringtheweeksfollowingthemakingoftheLeague，however，thisnegativeattitudetowardsthingsreligiousgaveplacetooneofkeeninvestigationandcriticism.Theindifferencepassedaway，andwithit，inalargemeasure，thetolerance.Mr.Craigwasresponsiblefortheformerofthesechanges，buthardly，infairness，couldhebeheldresponsibleforthelatter.Ifanyone，morethananother，wastobeblamedfortheriseofintoleranceinthevillage，thatmanwasGeordieCrawford.Hehadhis’lines’
fromtheEstablishedKirkofScotland，andwhenMr.CraigannouncedhisintentionofhavingtheSacramentoftheLord’sSupperobserved，Geordieproducedhis’lines’andpromptlyhandedthemin.
Asnoothermaninthevillagewasequippedwithlikespiritualcredentials，Geordieconstitutedhimselfakindofkirk—session，chargedwiththedoubledutyofguardingtheentrancetotheLord’sTable，andofkeepinganeyeuponthetheologicalopinionsofthecommunity，andmoreparticularlyuponsuchmembersofitasgaveevidenceofpossessinganyopinionsdefiniteenoughforstatement.
ItcametobeMr.Craig’shabittodropintotheLeague—room，andtowardthecloseoftheeveningtohaveashortScripturelessonfromtheGospels.Geordie’sopportunitycameafterthemeetingwasoverandMr.Craighadgoneaway.Themenwouldhangaboutandtalkthelessonover，expressingopinionsfavourableorunfavourableasappearedtothemgood.Thenitwasthatallsortsofviews，religiousandotherwise，wereairedandexamined.Theoriginalityoftheideas，theabsolutedisregardoftheauthorityofchurchorcreed，thefranknesswithwhichopinionswerestated，andtheforcefulnessofthelanguageinwhichtheywereexpressed，combinedtomakethediscussionsaltogethermarvellous.ThepassagebetweenAbeBaker，thestage—driver，andGeordiewasparticularlyrich.ItfolloweduponaverytellinglessonontheparableofthePhariseeandthePublican.
ThechiefactorsinthatwonderfulstoryweretransferredtotheBlackRockstage，andwerepresentedinminer’scostume.Abewasparticularlywellpleasedwiththescoringofthe’blankedoldroosterwhocrowedsoblankedhigh，’andsomewhatincensedatthequietremarkinterjectedbyGeordie，’thatitwasnaecredittillamantaebeasinner’;andwhenGeordiewentontourgetheimportanceofrightconductandrespectability，AbewasledtopourforthvialsofcontemptuouswrathuponthePhariseesandhypocriteswhothoughtthemselvesbetterthanotherpeople.ButGeordiewasquiteunruffled，andlamentedtheignoranceofmenwho，broughtupin’EpeescopawlyunorMethody’churches，couldhardlybeexpectedtodetecttheAntinomianorArminianheresies.
’AuntyNomyunorUncleNomyun，’repliedAbe，boilinghot，’mymotherwasaMethodist，andI’llbackanyblankedMethodistagainstanyblanketyblanklong—faced，lantern—jawed，skinflintPresbyterian，’andthishewaseagertomaintaintoanyman’ssatisfactionifhewouldstepoutside.
Geordiewasquiteunmoved，buthastenedtoassureAbethathemeantnodisrespecttohismother，whohehad’naedootwasacleverenoughbuddie，taejudgebyherson.’Abewasspeedilyappeased，andofferedtosetupthedrinksallround.ButGeordie，withevidentreluctance，hadtodecline，saying，’Na，na，lad，I’maLeaguemanyeken，’andIwassurethatGeordieatthatmomentfeltthatmembershipintheLeaguehaditsdrawbacks.
NorwasGeordietoosureofCraig’sorthodoxy;whileastoMrs.
Mavor，whoseslavehewas，hewasinthehabitoflamentingherdoctrinalcondition——
’She’safinewumman，naedoot;but，puircratur，she’sfaircarriedawawi’theerrorso’thaeEpeescopawlyuns.’
ItfelltoGeordie，therefore，asasacredduty，inviewofthelaxityofthosewhoseemedtobethepillarsoftheChurch，tobeallthemorewatchfulandunyielding.Buthewasdelightfullyinconsistentwhenconfrontedwithparticulars.Inconversationwithhimonenightafteroneofthemeetings，whenhehadbeenspeciallyhardupontheignorantandgodless，IinnocentlychangedthesubjecttoBillyBreen，whomGeordiehadtakentohisshacksincethenightoftheLeague.HewasveryproudofBilly’ssuccessinthefightagainstwhisky，thecreditofwhichhedividedunevenlybetweenMrs.Mavorandhimself.
’He’sfairdaftaboother，’heexplainedtome，’an’I’llno’denybutshe’sagreathelp，ay，averraconseederableasseestance;but，man，shedoesnakenthewhusky，an’theinsideo’amanthat’swantin’it.Ay，puirbuddie，shedizherpairt，an’whenye’reabitrestlessanthrawnaifteryerday’swark，it’slikeawalkinabonnieglenonasimmereve，withthebirdsliltin’aboot，taesitinyonroomieandhearhersing;butwhenthenightison，an’yecannasleep，butwaukenwi’an’awfu’thurstandwi’dreamso’cosyfiresides，andthebonniesparklin’glosses，asitiswi’puirBilly，ay，it’sthenyeneedamanwi’aguidgrupbesideye.’
’Whatdoyoudothen，Geordie？’Iasked.
’Ooay，Ijuistgangforabitwalkwi’thelad，andthenpitsthekettleonan’maksacupo’teaorcoffee，an’affhegangstaesleeplikeabairn.’
’PoorBilly，’Isaidpityingly，’there’snohopeforhiminthefuture，Ifear.’
’Hootawa，man，’saidGeordiequickly.’Yewadnakeepootapuircraturfraecreepin’in，that’sdaein’hisbest？’
’But，Geordie，’Iremonstrated，’hedoesn’tknowanythingofthedoctrines.Idon’tbelievehecouldgiveus\"TheChiefEndofMan.\"’
’An’wha’staeblameforthat？’saidGeordie，withfineindignation.’An’maybeyouremembertheproodPhariseeandthepuirwummanthatcam’creepin’inahinttheMaister.’
ThemingledtendernessandindignationinGeordie’sfacewerebeautifultosee，soImeeklyanswered，’Well，IhopeMr.Craigwon’tbetoostrictwiththeboys.’
Geordieshotasuspiciousglanceatme，butIkeptmyfacelikeasummermorn，andherepliedcautiously——
’Ay，he’sno’thatstreect：buthemaunexerceesediscreemination.’
Geordiewasnonethelessdetermined，however，thatBillyshould’comeforrit’;butastothemanager，whowasamemberoftheEnglishChurch，andsomeotherswhohadbeenconfirmedyearsago，andhadforgottenmuchanddeniedmore，hewasextremelydoubtful，andexpressedhimselfinverydecidedwordstotheminister——
’Ye’llno’beaskin’forritthaeEpeescopawlyunbuddies.Theyjuistkennaethingava.’
ButMr.Craiglookedathimforamomentandsaid，\"HimthatcomethuntoMeIwillinnowisecastout，\"’andGeordiewassilent，thoughhecontinueddoubtful.
Withallthesesomewhatfantasticfeatures，however，therewasnomistakingtheearnestspiritofthemen.Themeetingsgrewlargereverynight，andtheinterestbecamemoreintense.Thesingingbecamedifferent.Themennolongersimplyshouted，butasMr.
Craigwouldcallattentiontothesentimentofthehymn，thevoiceswouldattunethemselvestothewords.Insteadofencouraginganythinglikeemotionalexcitement，Mr.Craigseemedtofearit.
’Thesechapsareeasilystirredup，’hewouldsay，’andIamanxiousthattheyshouldknowexactlywhattheyaredoing.Itisfartooseriousabusinesstotriflewith.’
AlthoughGraemedidnotgodownstairstothemeetings，hecouldnotbutfeelthethroboftheemotionbeatingintheheartofthecommunity.Iusedtodetailforhisbenefit，andsometimesforhisamusement，theincidentsofeachnight.ButIneverfeltquiteeasyindwellinguponthehumorousfeaturesinMrs.Mavor’spresence，althoughCraigdidnotappeartomind.HismannerwithGraemewasperfect.Openlyanxioustowinhimtohisside，hedidnotimprovetheoccasionandvexhimwithexhortation.Hewouldnottakehimatadisadvantage，though，asIafterwardsfound，thiswasnothissolereasonforhismethod.Mrs.Mavor，too，showedherselfinwiseandtenderlight.Shemighthavebeenhissister，sofrankwassheandsoopenlyaffectionate，laughingathisfretfulnessandsoothinghisweariness.
Neverwerebettercomradesthanwefour，andthebrightdaysspeedingsoswiftlyondrewusnearertooneanother.
Butthebrightdayscametoanend;forGraeme，whenoncehewasabletogoabout，becameanxioustogetbacktothecamp.Andsothelastdaycame，adayIrememberwell.Itwasabright，crispwinterday.
Theairwasshimmeringinthefrostylight.Themountains，withtheirshiningheadspiercingthroughlightcloudsintothatwonderfulblueofthewesternsky，andtheirfeetpushedintothepinemasses，gazeddownuponBlackRockwithcalm，kindlylooksontheiroldgreyfaces.Howonegrowstolovethem，steadfastoldfriends！Farupamongthepineswecouldseethesmokeoftheengineattheworks，andsostillandsoclearwasthemountainairthatwecouldhearthepuffofthesteam，andfromfardowntheriverthemurmuroftherapids.Themajesticsilence，thetenderbeauty，thepeace，theloneliness，too，camestealinginuponus，aswethree，leavingMrs.Mavorbehindus，marchedarm—in—armdownthestreet.Wehadnotgonefaronourway，whenGraeme，turninground，stoodamomentlookingback，thenwavedhishandinfarewell.Mrs.Mavorwasatherwindow，smilingandwavinginreturn.Theyhadgrowntobegreatfriendsthesetwo;andseemedtohavearrivedatsomeunderstanding.Certainly，Graeme’smannertoherwasnotthatheboretootherwomen.Hishalf—quizzical，somewhatsuperiorairofmockingdevotiongaveplacetoasimple，earnest，almosttender，respect，verynewtohim，butverywinning.
Ashestoodtherewavinghisfarewell，IglancedathisfaceandsawforamomentwhatIhadnotseenforyears，afaintflushonGraeme’scheekandalightofsimple，earnestfaithinhiseyes.
Itremindedmeofmyfirstlookofhimwhenhehadcomeupforhismatriculationtothe’Varsity.Hestoodonthecampuslookingupatthenobleoldpile，andtherewasthesamebright，trustful，earnestlookonhisboyishface.
Iknownotwhatspiritpossessedme;itmayhavebeenthepainofthememoryworkinginme，butIsaid，coarselyenough，’It’snouse，Graeme，myboy;Iwouldfallinlovewithhermyself，buttherewouldbenochanceevenforme.’
Theflushslowlydarkenedasheturnedandsaiddeliberately——
’It’snotlikeyou，Connor，tobeanassofthatpeculiarkind.
Love！——notexactly！Shewon’tfallinloveunless——’andhestoppedabruptlywithhiseyesuponCraig.
ButCraigmethimwithunshrinkinggaze，quietlyremarking，’Herheartisunderthepines’;andwemovedon，eachthinkinghisownthoughts，andguessingatthethoughtsoftheothers.
WewereonourwaytoCraig’sshack，andaswepassedthesaloonSlavinsteppedfromthedoorwithasalutation.Graemepaused.
’Hello，Slavin！Igotrathertheworstofit，didn’tI？’
Slavincamenear，andsaidearnestly，’Itwasadirtythrickaltogether;you’llnotthinkitwasmoine，Mr.Graeme.’
’No，no，Slavin！youstooduplikeaman，’saidGraemecheerfully.
’Andyoubatemefair;an’bedaditwasanateonethatlaidmeout;an’there’snogrudgeinmehearttillye.’
’Allright，Slavin;we’llperhapsunderstandeachotherbetterafterthis.’
’An’that’sthrueforyez，sor;an’I’llseethatyourbyesdon’tgetanymorethantheyaskfor，’repliedSlavin，backingaway.
’AndIhopethatwon’tbemuch，’putinMr.Craig;butSlavinonlygrinned.
WhenwecametoCraig’sshackGraemewasgladtorestinthebigchair.
Craigmadehimacupoftea，whileIsmoked，admiringmuchthedeftneatnessoftheminister’shousekeeping，andthegentle，almostmotherly，wayhehadwithGraeme.
Inourtalkwedriftedintothefuture，andCraigletusseewhatwerehisambitions.Therailwaywassoontocome;theresourceswere，asyet，unexplored，butenoughwasknowntoassureagreatfutureforBritishColumbia.Ashetalkedhisenthusiasmgrew，andcarriedusaway.Withtheeyeofageneralhesurveyedthecountry，fixedthestrategicpointswhichtheChurchmustseizeupon.EightgoodmenwouldholdthecountryfromFortSteeletothecoast，andfromKootenaytoCariboo.
’TheChurchmustbeinwiththerailway;shemusthaveahandintheshapingofthecountry.Ifsocietycrystalliseswithoutherinfluence，thecountryislost，andBritishColumbiawillbeanothertrap—doortothebottomlesspit.’
’Whatdoyoupropose？’Iasked.
’OrganisingalittlecongregationhereinBlackRock.’
’Howmanywillyouget？’
’Don’tknow.’
’Prettyhopelessbusiness，’Isaid.
’Hopeless！hopeless！’hecried;’therewereonlytwelveofusatfirsttofollowHim，andratherapoorlottheywere.ButHebracedthemup，andtheyconqueredtheworld.’
’Butsurelythingsaredifferent，’saidGraeme.
’Things？Yes！yes！ButHeisthesame.’Hisfacehadanexaltedlook，andhiseyesweregazingintofar—awayplaces.
’AdozenmeninBlackRockwithsomerealgripofHimwouldmakethingsgo.We’llgetthem，too，’hewentoningrowingexcitement.
’Ibelieveinmysoulwe’llgetthem.’
’Lookhere，Craig;ifyouorganiseI’dliketojoin，’saidGraemeimpulsively.’Idon’tbelievemuchinyourcreedoryourChurch，butI’llbeblowedifIdon’tbelieveinyou.’
Craiglookedathimwithwistfuleyes，andshookhishead.’Itwon’tdo，oldchap，youknow.Ican’tholdyou.You’vegottohaveagripofsomeonebetterthanIam;andthen，besides，I
hardlylikeaskingyounow’;hehesitated——’well，tobeout—and—
out，thisstepmustbetakennotformysake，norforanyman’ssake，andIfancythatperhapsyoufeellikepleasingmejustnowalittle.’
’ThatIdo，oldfellow，’saidGraeme，puttingouthishand.’I’llbehangedifIwon’tdoanythingyousay.’
’That’swhyIwon’tsay，’repliedCraig.Thenreverentlyheadded，’theorganisationisnotmine.ItismyMaster’s.’
’Whenareyougoingtobegin？’askedGraeme.
’Weshallhaveourcommunionserviceintwoweeks，andthatwillbeourroll—call.’
’Howmanywillanswer？’Iaskeddoubtfully.
’Iknowofthree，’hesaidquietly.
’Three！Therearetwohundredminersandonehundredandfiftylumbermen！Three！’andGraemelookedathiminamazement.’Youthinkitworthwhiletoorganisethree？’
’Well，’repliedCraig，smilingforthefirsttime，’theorganisationwon’tbeelaborate，butitwillbeeffective，and，besides，loyaltydemandsobedience.’
Wesatlongthatafternoontalking，shrinkingfromthebreakingup;
forweknewthatwewereabouttoturndownachapterinourliveswhichweshoulddelighttolingeroverinafterdays.Andinmylifethereisbutonebrighter.Atlastwesaidgood—byeanddroveaway;andthoughmanyfarewellshavecomeinbetweenthatdayandthis，noneissovividlypresenttomeasthatbetweenusthreemen.Craig’smannerwithmewassolemnenough.’\"Hethatlovethhislife\";good—bye，don’tfoolwiththis，’waswhathesaidtome.
ButwhenheturnedtoGraemehiswholefacelitup.Hetookhimbytheshouldersandgavehimalittleshake，lookingintohiseyes，andsayingoverandoverinalow，sweettone——
’You’llcome，oldchap，you’llcome，you’llcome.Tellmeyou’llcome.’
AndGraemecouldsaynothinginreply，butonlylookedathim.
Thentheysilentlyshookhands，andwedroveoff.Butlongafterwehadgotoverthemountainandintothewindingforestroadonthewaytothelumber—campthevoicekeptvibratinginmyheart，’You’llcome，you’llcome，’andtherewasahotpaininmythroat.
Wesaidlittleduringthedrivetothecamp.Graemewasthinkinghard，andmadenoanswerwhenIspoketohimtwoorthreetimes，tillwecametothedeepshadowsofthepineforest，whenwithalittleshiverhesaid——
’Itisallatangle——ahopelesstangle.’
’Meaningwhat？’Iasked.
’Thisbusinessofreligion——whatquaintvarieties——Nelson’s，Geordie’s，BillyBreen’s——ifhehasany——thenMrs.Mavor’s——sheisasaint，ofcourse——andthatfellowCraig’s.Whatatrumpheis！——
andwithouthisreligionhe’dbeprettymuchliketherestofus.
Itistoomuchforme.’
Hismysterywasnotmine.TheBlackRockvarietiesofreligionwerecertainlystartling;buttherewasundoubtedlythestreakofrealitythoughthemall，andthatdiscoveryIfelttobeadistinctgain.
CHAPTERVII
THEFIRSTBLACKROCKCOMMUNION
Thegleamofthegreatfirethroughthewindowsofthegreatcampgaveakindlywelcomeaswedroveintotheclearinginwhichtheshantiesstood.Graemewasgreatlytouchedathisenthusiasticwelcomebythemen.Atthesupper—tablehemadealittlespeechofthanksfortheirfaithfulnessduringhisabsence，speciallycommendingthecareandefficiencyofMr.Nelson，whohadhadchargeofthecamp.Themencheeredwildly，Baptiste’sshrillvoiceleadingall.Nelsonbeingcalledupon，expressedinafewwordshispleasureatseeingtheBossback，andthankedthemenfortheirsupportwhilehehadbeenincharge.
Themenwereformakinganightofit;butfearingtheeffectuponGraeme，IspoketoNelson，whopassedtheword，andinashorttimethecampwasquiet.Aswesaunteredfromthegrub—camptotheofficewherewasourbed，wepausedtotakeinthebeautyofthenight.Themoonrodehighoverthepeaksofthemountains，floodingthenarrowvalleywithmellowlight.Underhermagictheruggedpeakssoftenedtheirharshlinesandseemedtoleanlovinglytowardus.Thedarkpinemassesstoodsilentasinbreathlessadoration;thedazzlingsnowlaylikeagarmentoveralltheopenspacesinsoft，wavingfolds，andcrownedeverystumpwithaquaintlyshapednightcap.Abovethecampsthesmokecurledupfromthecamp—fires，standinglikepillarsofcloudthatkeptwatchwhilemenslept.Andhighoverallthedeepbluenightsky，withitsstarjewels，sprangliketheroofofagreatcathedralfromrangetorange，coveringusinitskindlyshelter.Howhomelikeandsafeseemedthevalleywithitsmountain—sides，itssentineltreesandarchingroofofjewelledsky！Eventhenightseemedkindly，andfriendlythestars;andthelonecryofthewolffromthedeepforestseemedlikethevoiceofacomrade.
’Howbeautiful！toobeautiful！’saidGraeme，stretchingouthisarms.’Anightlikethistakestheheartoutofme.’
Istoodsilent，drinkinginateverysensethenightwithitswealthofloveliness.
’WhatisitIwant？’hewenton.’Whydoesthenightmakemyheartache？Therearethingstoseeandthingstohearjustbeyondme;I
cannotgettothem.’Thegay，carelesslookwasgonefromhisface，hisdarkeyeswerewistfulwithyearning.
’Ioftenwonderiflifehasnothingbetterforme，’hecontinuedwithhisheartachevoice.
Isaidnoword，butputmyarmwithinhis.Alightappearedinthestable.Gladofadiversion，Isaid，’Whatisthelight？Letusgoandsee.’
’Sandy，takingalastlookathisteam，likeenough.’
Wewalkedslowlytowardthestable，speakingnoword.Aswenearedthedoorweheardthesoundofavoiceinthemonotoneofonereading.Isteppedforwardandlookedthroughachinkbetweenthelogs.Graemewasabouttoopenthedoor，butIheldupmyhandandbeckonedhimtome.Inavacantstall，wherewasapileofstraw，anumberofmenweregrouped.Sandy，leaningagainstthetying—
postuponwhichthestable—lanternhung，wasreading;Nelsonwaskneelinginfrontofhimandgazingintothegloombeyond;Baptistelayuponhisstomach，hischininhishandsandhisupturnedeyesfasteneduponSandy’sface;LachlanCampbellsatwithhishandsclaspedabouthisknees，andtwoothermensatnearhim.SandywasreadingtheundyingstoryoftheProdigal，Nelsonnowandthenstoppinghimtomakearemark.ItwasasceneIhaveneverbeenabletoforget.To—dayIpauseinmytale，andseeitasclearlyaswhenIlookedthroughthechinkuponityearsago.Thelong，lowstable，withlogwallsanduprighthitching—poles;thedimoutlinesofthehorsesinthegloomofthebackground，andthelittlegroupofrough，almostsavage—lookingmen，withfaceswonderingandreverent，litbythemistylightofthestable—
lantern.
Afterthereading，SandyhandedthebooktoNelson，whoputitinhispocket，saying，’That’sforus，boys，ain’tit？’
’Ay，’saidLachlan;’itisoftenthathasbeenreadinmyhearing，butIamafraiditwillnotbeformewhatever，’andheswayedhimselfslightlyashespoke，andhisvoicewasfullofpain.
’TheministersaidImightcome，’saidoldNelson，earnestlyandhopefully.
’Ay，butyouarenotLachlanCampbell，andyouhefnothadhisprivileges.MyfatherwasagodlyelderintheFreeChurchofScotland，andneveranightormorningbutwetooktheBooks.’
’Yes，butHesaid\"anyman，\"’persistedNelson，puttinghishandonLachlan’sknee.ButLachlanshookhishead.
’Datyoungfeller，’saidBaptiste;’wha’sheesnem，heh？’
’Hehasnoname.Itisjustaparable，’explainedSandy.
’He’sgotnonem？He’sjustaparom’ble？Dasnoyoungfeller？’
askedBaptisteanxiously;’dasmeannoting？’
ThenNelsontookhiminhandandexplainedtohimthemeaning，whileBaptistelistenedevenmoreeagerly，ejaculatingsoftly，’ah，voila！bon！bygar！’WhenNelsonhadfinishedhebrokeout，’Datyoungfeller，hisnameBaptiste，heh？anddeoldFadderhe’slebonDieu？Bon！dasgoodstoryforme.Howyougoback？Yougotodepries’？’
’Thebookdoesn’tsaypriestoranyoneelse，’saidNelson.’Yougobackinyourself，yousee？’
’Non;dasso，surenuff.Ah！’——asifalightbrokeinuponhim——
’yougoinyourownself.Youmakeoneleetleprayer.Yousay，\"LebonFadder，oh！Iwantcomeback，Isotire，sohongree，sosorree\"？He，say，\"Comeright’long.\"Ah！dasfuss—rate.Nelson，youmakeoneleetleprayerforSandyandme.’
AndNelsonlifteduphisfaceandsaid：’Father，we’reallgonefaraway;wehavespentall，wearepoor，wearetiredofitall;wewanttofeeldifferent，tobedifferent;wewanttocomeback.
Jesuscametosaveusfromoursins;andhesaidifwecameHewouldn’tcastusout，nomatterhowbadwewere，ifweonlycametoHim.Oh，JesusChrist’——andhisold，ironfacebegantowork，andtwobigtearsslowlycamefromunderhiseyelids——’weareapoorlot，andI’mtheworstofthelot，andwearetryingtofindtheway.Showushowtogetback.Amen.’
’Bon！’saidBaptiste.’DasfetchHimsure！’
Graemepulledmeaway，andwithoutawordwewentintotheofficeanddrewuptothelittlestove.Graemewasgreatlymoved.
’Didyoueverseeanythinglikethat？’heasked.’OldNelson！thehardest，savagest，toughestoldsinnerinthecamp，onhiskneesbeforealotofmen！’
’BeforeGod，’Icouldnothelpsaying，forthethingseemedveryrealtome.Theoldmanevidentlyfelthimselftalkingtosomeone.
’Yes，Isupposeyou’reright，’saidGraemedoubtfully;’butthere’salotofstuffIcan’tswallow.’
’Whenyoutakemedicineyoudon’tswallowthebottle，’Ireplied，forhistroublewasnotmine.
’IfIweresureofthemedicine，Iwouldn’tmindthebottle，andyetitactswellenough，’hewenton.’Idon’tmindLachlan;he’saHighlandmystic，andhasvisions，andSandy’salmostasbad，andBaptisteisanimpulsivelittlechap.Thosedon’tcountmuch.ButoldmanNelsonisacool—blooded，level—headedoldfellow;hasseenalotoflife，too.Andthenthere’sCraig.HehasabetterheadthanIhave，andisashot—blooded，andyetheislivingandslavingawayinthathole，andreallyenjoysit.Theremustbesomethinginit.’
’Oh，lookhere，Graeme，’Iburstoutimpatiently;’what’stheuseofyourtalkinglikethat？Ofcoursethere’ssomethinginit.I
here’severythinginit.ThetroublewithmeisIcan’tfacethemusic.Itcallsforalifewhereafellowmustgoinforstraight，steadywork，self—denial，andthatsortofthing;andI’mtooBohemianforthat，andtoolazy.ButthatfellowCraigmakesonefeelhorriblyuncomfortable.’
Graemeputhisheadononeside，andexaminedmecuriously.
’Ibelieveyou’rerightaboutyourself.Youalwayswerealuxuriousbeggar.Butthat’snotwhereitcatchesme.’
Wesatandsmokedandtalkedofotherthingsforanhour，andthenturnedin.AsIwasdroppingoffIwasrousedbyGraeme’svoice——
’AreyougoingtothepreparatoryserviceonFridaynight？’
’Don’tknow，’Irepliedrathersleepily.
’Isay，doyourememberthepreparatoryserviceathome？’Therewassomethinginhisvoicethatsetmewideawake.
’Yes.Ratherterrific，wasn’tit？ButIalwaysfeltbetterafterit，’Ireplied.
’Tome’——hewassittingupinbednow——’tomeitwaslikeacalltoarms，orratherlikeacallforaforlornhope.Nonebutvolunteerswanted.Doyourememberthethrillintheoldgovernor’svoiceashedaredanybuttherightstufftocomeon？’
’We’llgoinonFridaynight，’Isaid.
Andsowedid.Sandytookaloadofmenwithhisteam，andGraemeandIdroveinthelightsleigh.
Themeetingwasinthechurch，andoverahundredmenwerepresent.
Therewassomesingingoffamiliarhymnsatfirst，andthenMr.
Craigreadthesamestoryaswehadheardinthestable，thatmostperfectofallparables，theProdigalSon.BaptistenudgedSandyindelight，andwhisperedsomething，butSandyheldhisfacesoabsolutelyexpressionlessthatGraemewasmovedtosay——
’LookatSandy！Didyoueverseesuchagravenimage？Somethinghashithimhard.’
Themenwereheldfastbythestory.Thevoiceofthereader，low，earnest，andthrillingwiththetenderpathosofthetale，carriedthewordstoourhearts，whileaglance，agesture，amovementofthebodygaveusthevisionofitallashewasseeingit.
Then，insimplestofwords，hetolduswhatthestorymeant，holdingusthewhilewitheyes，andvoice，andgesture.Hecompelledusscornthegay，heartlessselfishnessoftheyoungfoolsettingforthsojauntilyfromthebrokenhome;hemovedourpityandoursympathyfortheyoungprofligate，who，brokenanddeserted，hadstillpluckenoughtodeterminetoworkhiswayback，andwho，inutterdesperation，atlastgaveitup;andthenheshowedusthehomecoming——theragged，heart—sicktramp，withhesitatingsteps，stumblingalongthedustyroad，andthentherushoftheoldfather，hisgarmentsfluttering，andhisvoiceheardinbrokencries.Iseeandhearitallnow，wheneverthewordsareread.
Heannouncedthehymn，’JustasIam，’readthefirstverse，andthenwenton：’Thereyouare，men，everymanofyou，somewhereontheroad.Someofyouaretoolazy’——hereGraemenudgedme——’andsomeofyouhaven’tgotenoughyetofthefarcountrytocomeback.
Maytherebeachanceforyouwhenyouwanttocome！Men，youallwanttogobackhome，andwhenyougoyou’llwanttoputonyoursoftclothes，andyouwon’tgotillyoucangoingoodstyle;butwheredidtheprodigalgethisgoodclothes？’QuickcametheanswerinBaptiste’sshrillvoice——
’Fromdeoldfadder！’
Noonewassurprised，andtheministerwenton——
’Yes！andthat’swherewemustgetthegood，cleanheart，thegood，clean，braveheart，fromourFather.Don’twait，but，justasyouare，come.Sing.’
Theysang，notloud，astheywould’StandUp，’oreven’TheSweetByandBy，’butinvoicessubdued，holdingdownthepowerinthem.
Afterthesinging，Craigstoodamomentgazingdownatthemen，andthensaidquietly——
’Anymanwanttocome？Youallmightcome.Weallmustcome.’
Then，sweepinghisarmovertheaudience，andturninghalfroundasiftomoveoff，hecried，inavoicethatthrilledtotheheart’score——
’Oh！comeon！Let’sgoback！’
Theeffectwasoverpowering.Itseemedtomethatthewholecompanyhalfrosetotheirfeet.Oftheprayerthatimmediatelyfollowed，Ionlycaughttheopeningsentence，’Father，wearecomingback，’formyattentionwassuddenlyabsorbedbyAbe，thestage—driver，whowassittingnextme.Icouldhearhimswearingapprovalandadmiration，sayingtohimself——
’Ain’theaclinker！I’llbegee—whizzly—gol—dustedifheain’tamalleable—iron—double—back—actionself—adjustingcorn—cracker.’
Andtheprayercontinuedtobepunctuatedwithlikeadmiringandevenmoresulphurousexpletives.Itwasanincongruousmedley.
Theearnest，reverentprayer，andtheearnest，admiringprofanity，renderedchaoticone’sideasofreligiouspropriety.Thefeelingsinbothwereakin;themethodofexpressionsomewhatwidelydiverse.
Afterprayer，Craig’stonechangedutterly.Inaquiet，matter—of—
fact，businesslikewayhestatedhisplanoforganisation，andcalledforallwhowishedtojointoremainafterthebenediction.
Somefiftymenwereleft，amongthemNelson，Sandy，LachlanCampbell，Baptiste，Shaw，Nixon，Geordie，andBillyBreen，whotriedtogetout，butwasheldfastbyGeordie.
Graemewaspassingout，butIsignedhimtoremain，sayingthatI
wished’toseethethingout.’Abesatstillbesideme，swearingdisgustedlyatthefellows’whoweregoingbackonthepreacher.’
Craigappearedamazedatthenumberofmenremaining，andseemedtofearthatsomethingwaswrong.Heputbeforethemthetermsofdiscipleship，astheMasterputthemtotheeagerscribe，andhedidnotmakethemeasy.Hepicturedthekindofworktobedone，andthekindofmenneededforthedoingofit.Abegrewuneasyastheministerwentontodescribethecompletenessofthesurrender，theintensityoftheloyaltydemanded.
