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Loraqua la document eat trap grand pour *tra reproduit en un aaul clichA. il aat filma t partir da Tangle aupiriaur gauche, da gauche i droita, at da haut an baa. an pranant la nombra d'imagea ndcaaaaire. Lea diagrammaa auivanta llluauent la mdthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 ^•Kxocorr risoiution tkt chakt (ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No. 2) ^ ^^PPLIED IIVMSE Inc Z 1653 £Mt Main StrMt - Rochntw. N«« Yofk !4609 USA (7ie) «2-0M0-Phon« (716) lU - 9999 - F-j« THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST yhe Apostles of the South East. By Frank T. Bullen, Author of 'The Cruise of the Cachalot.' 'With Christ at Sea/ etc. TORONTO WILLIAM BRIGGS LONDON: HODDER AND STOUGHTON t PREFAr: In the following pages it has been my endeavour to present a picture of a phase of London life that is not very widely understood, or indeed realised. The AposMes of the South East have been drawn from real laracters, only the usual literary licence being taken with them. Due allowance must be made for the difficulty of dealing with living characters, especially when i jnging to a class that is keenly sensitive to any remarks that it construes as ridicule. It should not be necessary to say that no ridicule has been intended. Nothing but an earnest desire to set forth the difficulties, the dangers, and the triumphs, attendant upon the labours of the humble class of Christians mentioned has actuated the Writer, and if any person feels that he or she has been too closely depicted in these pages, they are implored to believe that only the kindest motives, and most sincere desire to advance the cause we all have at heart, have h>^> ^ *^ -^>...;— production vi THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST One word more. It has been suggested in various quarters, without, I am bound to say, any adequate reason, that ' Saul Andrews is intended to represent the Writer. This is, of course, not so—' Saul Andrews' was a far better man, and has long gone to his well- earned reward. F. T. B. DULWICH: October \yai. CONTENTS CHAPTBR I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. X. XI. XII. XIII. XIV. XV. XVI. XVII. XVIII. XIX. Th« Field . '^'"' ^"""'"' o" THE Campaign Bruasting the Tide . The Daiiy Rodnd. The Pleasdres of Service A Sunday Morning A Sunday Evening . . ' ' Pmparing the Sanctuary . ' A Bdsy Week . . ' THE FIRST Sunday IN THE New HOME ■ THE FIRST SUNDAY IN THE NEW HA..-APTER. NOON AND Evening Saul's Departure . TheSealopApostleship. " ■ ■ Progress . A Baptismal Service. Gathering Clouds. Faith's Opportunity . Calcutta and Home Clouds and Sdn^i rAoa I 7 'S 19 36 3« 45 58 66 77 • 90 104 118 '33 146 'S9 17a 187 300 viii THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST __ rACi CHAFTm XX. DiBPBR AND Deefbk Still *1 XXI. Saul's Return "^ XXII. A Catastkophb at thb Mission . . • • »3S XXIII. A Briohtbr Day Dawns 'Sf> XXIV. Saul's Wooing and Wedding . . »63 XXV. Saul Descends into Dark Places . . . 2j6 XXVI. The Night Falls '9' XXVII. The Mission Prospers 3PS XXVIII. Saul Comes Home 3«S XXIX. And Last • 3*7 CHAPTER I THE FIELD . when slu„,„i„g was inX hStTf '" "^^ ^^^ people in search of a new s2« ''°'"' ""°"g discovered slum was imZJTT''''' '*"'^ * "^wly Jadya„dgent]en,eTvfSf f i' r'™" '^'^ ««« doubts whetheranyoHtenh k".""*^' ^''^ «« g,^ve felt «'"channoyed';fsi4?„t™;^"°"^^ '«'*'-- st««t wherein so many of tJer^Tw "^ ^^"" ^'^ the Several of the courts and bHn7 ^, 'P^"* 'h'^'' ''ves. >t. and ending abruption j^"*^ r'^' '"^'"g «« of well, there couM l^Sodouhr?!?'' ^"I^^^''^'^'^ ^^^ tut Lupin StrluX M-s"»;'^"'«'n^ slums; wife, who lived at NoTw^, . u"' ^^ ^""^^^ threedaughterswereasweTldr:^*' '^'^y- ^-"l her as any Blackheath gentSlm^^'^Tr' "^V'*"^«' Lupin Street was its mixture " nf ^^'""^'y °f decidedly disrespectable nh/v. /*'P^*hle ^nd witha„economy'^nthe^f^^'J"tf- The houses, painfully evidenj^ wcTbo^d^d 3^.^?"^ ?^' "'^ ment-you passed out of the fl^n'' "" *" P""*' -".Honeofthesafd^rSrCLr/^S a THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST cupboard with a copper in it, usually known among the population as the 'wash-'us.' At the back each house was provided with a sort of gloomy bin which was dignified by the title of the 'back-yard,' and sometimes (by mild lunatics) as 'the garden.' It was really about ten feet square, with walls six feet high, and into it fell on most days a steady fine shower of ' blacks,' which made all washing hung out therein to dry to assume a speckled greyish colour that no amount of blue could ever overcome. Yet, in spite of the drawbacks incidental to living in such'houses and in such a neighbourhood, of which more presently, there were to be found sprinkled up and down Lupin Street houses whose tenants would not be defeated in their never-ending warfare against dirt and gloom. Their windows were clean and whole ; the curtains, cheap enough in all conscience (you can get a very good curtaining, warranted to wash at least twice, at the local draper's for a ' penny- three ' a yard), were always white. They must have been washed and dried indoors to keep them so. Some plants, carefully attended, mostly geraniums and fuchsias, formed a bright background to the windows and hid the interior from prying eyes whose owners thought nothing, bless you, of stopping as they passed and flattening their noses against the panes. The front doors of these houses were always closed, and the threshold was as white as hearthstone (three irregular fragments a penny) lavishly applied every morning could make it. Inside those houses the same determined warfare was waged against grime and darkness. The threadbare carpets were neatly patched, the worn oilcloth was kept as clean as soap THE FIELD *nd water could make ,> ^ . ^ Board School aWavslLlJ"^ *''^ children gofn.. .« -ll^bnaahed ha^ri^d'Sea^ "--Clean pinaf^^^^^^^ out of'';;! "^"^ ""y-t-oTous'^rS ?"" "'^''*^ "^''^ out of them all ten were fl ^"P'" Street and deanliness, the otLr fo^ "' conspicuous by th"r "™ open, with a fc, ' ,"*?, SfreM ^.o| ■«»'««ry2T.f,::r/"*-^".e , THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST of Lupin Strert and *e ~^ J„ ^^ppUcd its practice of <^'-^}ir'^,^^TAn^y,ioJ^cocc^^ religioussavour. ThcSalvaU ^e eyes of Lupin reason, had nev« ^d^J^ j^ ^^ the Roman Streeters. The ^^''™" tut a very sVort walk Catholic Chapel, bc^l«»° J J^ of its in- distant from the '^-/'^-^^^rns. and the Rev. habitants »'"°^8^"L!to?^ Established Church, Andrew Mack, mcumben^: of « ^^^^ put down L«P|n^t^J^,ol^,ntso. Itformed was not, and the P«»P«»°' . , rt concerning a special item in a «rU.n bjhops^ ^^ ^^ ^ Godless Soud. London ^^X jo^ ^^ ^^ fiercely ^««="*;1^J^°^ °orancc concerning the v«t ru^ror^-"^^^^'^-^^^^^"^"^^' therefore. **^ '«JXr^ad at one time been a large down Lupm Street, there na ^^ ^^^^^.^^ cowshed and stable combm^-iJJ . j ,,d once shel^^ --J-tmadeagre^^^^ dairyman in the High ^"ee ' ^^ in his advertisements ^"^ ^'^ f tte^^^'y^ own cows- windows of his vending only milk Uo , ^^^ ' P-* ^"^ tXriTn *a"hS where the light unhappy cows shut up m tn ^^^ ^^ of day hardly P«jJjJ^.--f^^^"^^ THE FIELD i-v Soft., •-S5,'.'>s; f™'b^"r' was a preacher of r.>x! ^ hard-working man ; he of no Std:"iJ?S'-'^«P-«- thereof fellow worshipper had h^h 1 k^ ^'' ^^ *"'' ^s their gospels2?Jres in th. "^^ •'^" *^"^''" *« hold g~und n'TarTTsort „^^^^^^ """T " P'*'="f^-te forum for all sSs of «lil • *",'^ °P"" *'««="^'°" questions on .ZnLy S ^^ ^^ ' ""' ''""' had been conduct^ Tn /''"'\°7 P">ate worship wherein the do"el brethren'"''^^'^^^ ''""^ P*'^°"^ the .Church'couSjus"maTa.e"tosr'" ^"'"^'"-^ with a good deal of diL^St ^1'. h''"^';^^ ever daunted these eam«f , ^^ • **' discomfort physical condiS-Tt ttilTS ^It^ ''^^'^ "°^™»' tical .people in Sadr L! ' '^.'r^ *°"'^' '''j' P'^<=- were Jeady to av^'i tJ . "'^"' """P'^ ="'' they that p-„^ted i?s:tnrpX°eith7thr^^^^ or spiritual position if ft r«„u ^ ,5 ''^^"" ^"'"•dly they considered to L a ChSf °"'^ ''''^°"'= '" ^^at Therefore, when JemmyfrdTrTH cowshed was goine a-En the quondam nominal rent ds/ a yearW^K ?\f..*° ^P^*"^' ^^^ ^ -«^£?'^s^^"^-^SS:^ -thanthe^cqS^— rlsL^::-- 6 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST wherein the brethren might not only hold thdr Sgs for worship.but where they might gaUver in such as should be saved from among the.r open-a^r l^diences; where they might in winter, when Ae inclement weather forbade them from any lengAy holding forth on the cc nmon, »n"°»"« *° *! world that the Gospel of the grace of God should be preached under cover. CHAPTER II THE BEGINNING OF THE CAMPAIGN The next morning Jemmy, with the clean face which w«"S ^ ^T"u'^ °" ^""^'^y" '«'* ^^i'^es only, WM abnormally busy hunting up »:,e brethren and sisters wherever they might I* foMnd. It took some i h ir" "i' .'^''^ ""'^ *•'" *«> '■"'■«* them with his own enthusiasm on the subject of a hall for they were all. like himself, obliged to look atboA sides of a penny before spending it, and as for binding Aemselves to make periodical payments, well, they a school where it was accounted the last extremity of f uJ? 1 1."° ^°' *" '^'^''- *»« n«t thus to be choked off his. pet idea. He hammered away with smilmg and voluble perseverance until he had actually communicated some of his own enthusiasm to the majonty of the brethren and all the sisters, and had won from them a staid adherence to his scheme so far as it came within the narrow compass of their means. Flushed with success, he had not noted the time -what was time in comparison with eternity, that roseate never-ending future to which he and all his co-workers looked with a longing only heightened eacn day by the hopelessness of their present sur- 8 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST foundings ? He strode towards his hoi ,ie, murmuring softly to himself, 'They shall mount up on wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint' The squalor of Lupin Street had no power to make him miserable; his body moved therein, but he, the inner rnan of him, was uplifted, for the time supremely happy in his vision. So rapt was he, that a heavy hand smiting him on the back brought him down to common things with quite a jerk, and he neard, uncomprehendingly at first, a cheery voice saying, 'What cheer, Jemmy, old man? How's things?' A bep-^ai, stalwart man of about thirty-five, with a fine flavour of briny freshness abou i him, was standing by His Aide with out- stretched hand and a merry twinkle in his dark eyes. Knowing Jemmy of old, he was not surprised at the dull, just awakened look on the worthy sweep's face. It quic'Jy gave place to a wide smiie of glad recc^i- tion as be said, ' Why, Saul, you're actually home again, glory be to God ! ' 'Amen!' said the seafarer reverently. 'The Lord's giv' me another look at the ole show, an' I tell ye I am glad to be here. But how is it y' ain't at work ? ' Jemmy hooked his arm into Saul's, and knot- ting his ten grimy fingers over it, burst out into his absorbing theme— the conversion of the cowshed into a sanctuary. Saul listened intently, and as soon as Jemmy paused for breath, he burst in with : •Why, that's what I call a great scheme. I'm in it, an' don't you forget it. Lookyherel' And dis- engaging himself with a jerk from Jemmy's ham- •H^n^tthfa^denedeyeL "'"^ ''°^" from ^ fn your fn)„7piuu""t»r«I found the •bout it; n,akc me Kwe?°"' ">' "° "ore ■T:u«i;;r'"^/'^-"?nr ;. "^^^^-«^o,v —^ jJ«;;:r; J.V- you steppe, .e. stm-in- up th' cLi on thS"s'" "" *»>« «on«V ; WU2 filled right up JS ,^'* .''«"<«. 'n' I thought *e you did an' doing wot ^^l ^"' y°" ~"""' O" me just damce I'ke Davfd *d^" *"! '^'^^' '^^'L I c'd a-ninnin- over B«f / f''"* ^''^ A'i. mv cun'. •'-^fus, , - „, ^"^t rjn fe''-« '" w ss: ^" right. Jemtnv rn ""^ y'^'"' ."o brekfuss. I^^i^^^^^^^ "« ^ don' want Howj the missus, an' the C'T '^•' '"''^ S«"'- We'v^h^""' «""'»• brother-ttat i, .^ Weve had a goodish bit o' Jii^ "' .^^^^^ *« "ow. »way_w'y, it „„3t . ^J> '"ness since you ben -l^ I 'ad the w,-fe S Wa^L""""" '"^ •"-- «"~but there, God's £ i ""P''' °' months neve, wanted fur noS^vlo^f k^°^ *° "«• -e've' »n ourwater'sben shore :^"'^/f''d's »^" g'Ve us th promise, ain't it?' ^*^ *° "^ "-"ow ; there's lo THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST But the lart word* brought the pair to Jemmy'* door, with Its .poUess iemlclrcle of white hearthstone described on the pavement from door-post to d<»r- post Over the lintel protruded despondently U»e sign of Jemmy's profession-a cylinder-headed brush- not at a fierce angle, as it usually l" H such cases, but in consequence of the attentions p» it ^ the youth of Lupin Street, drooping out of the horizontal. The door stood wide open, revealing a dim passage -quite dark. In fact, against the hot glare of morning sun that was ruthlessly exposing all the «nlovellness of Lupin Street. Carefully stepping over the whitened patch. Jemmy and his visitor entered, but thejr (tet were stayed on the mat Midway of the short passage stood Mrs. Maskery, spotlessly clean to the last observable detail of her poor dress. , , „ . • I-ooky -ere, ole dear,' burst out Jemmy, ' ere s Sau Andrews comet' see yer. On'y seems like larst week et went away, does It ? Don't bother about any brckfuss fur me I don't feel 'slf I could eat any this raornin , an- -but by this time Mrs. Maskery had ^covered her breath, and turn ng from her conciliatory husband to Saul, took hhn into her confiden ■• She concluded her harangue by looking ap^al- Inely at Saul for confirmation of her views, and at the same time handing him In after her husband to the front parlour. That sanctuary was clean as labour could make It, and as exquisitely uncom- fortable as an utter absence of all lde« about making a room habitable could effect. The floor w« Covered by a cheap oilcloth, a rag hearth-rug stood before the brunswlck-blacked fender, a bunch of manlla fibre decorated the cold grate. For tU= rest. THE BEGINNING OF THE CAMPAIGN „ • smaU loo-toble covered with slippeiy America doth «dg«rni.hed with gaudy booS^S^^u*^ J^ m«^n at regular interval,, a honehair- covered nofa, looking as if a vindictive antipathy to reit was woven into its very substance, halfT dozen angular 'occasional chairs,' prinly arranged so as t< give the rocrni an appearance of being really furnished, and over the baclcs of chair, and sofa neatly laid snow-white oblongs of crochet work-antimacassars by courtesy-that were ready to slide floorwards at 'J^ ,^' ** mantelpiece hung two perfectly atrocious libels upon Jemmy and his wife-oil paint- ings, if you please-misrepresenting that worthy pair Mtwo beings of an imbecility beyond description, but the choicest treasures of the household. Around the other walls framed Christmas supplements-framed, that IS, by a local tradesman at about a shilling each, and looking as if they were all that money too dear. But to Jemmy that room was a sacred apartment to be entered only with a sense of Sundaj upon one. Upon week-days it was never used except for a mteting on Thumday evening, or when Jemmy, with the last vestige of soot scalded off himself (ex- cept, mdeed, that which still ornamented the ends of his finger-nails), and a spotless white shirt on, came in and sat solemnly down to the table to make certain entries concerning the funds of the church within a black-covered twopenny memorandum book. And that, being in the worthy sweep's eyes a sacred luncuon, did not ir the least alter the tabernacle-like character of his besv parlour. Having shown her guest in. Mrs. Maskery said, with a significant toss of the head, 'You'll 'ave t' 12 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST excuse me, Saul. There's the boy's dinner t' get An' don't you forgit,' turning to her husband, ' 'at there's three orders in as you must attend to.' And with this parting salute she departed. ' An' now, Saul,' said Jemmy, as if in continua ■ tion of a conversation that had only just been momen- tarily interrupted, 'you know how, afore you went away to the Heast Hinjies this voy'ge, we was alwus a-strivin' with the Lord ter let us git inter a temple of our own, where we could arsk in the sinners out er the rain an' the cold. Well, some o' the brethring do sef m to 'ave grown look warm in this matter ; but 1 ben a-believin' for it, an', praise the Lord, it's almost come.' At the last word his voice rose ecstatically, but suddenly he dropped his head upon his hand, and said solemnly, almost wearily : ' Saul, my son in the faith, I know how you love the Lord's work and also His peepul— how ever since you found Him at our open-air you've ben our joy an' crown. I ain't got no fear but wot you'll 'elp us all you know 'ow w'ile you're 'ome- But we must pray in faith, nothin' doubtin', as well as do all He shows us ter do. Let's 'ave a word o' pray'r now.' And without further preamble Jemmy dropped from his chair to his knees, followed immediately by the sailor, and thus raised his petition : 'Ho Gord, hour Father, Thou knowest 'ow our 'earts is set on 'avin' a place where we can come apart an' rest awhile. Thou knowest 'ow 'ard it is in our little 'omes to 'ave the quiet wusship we wants, the separatin' of ourselves to Thee for the breakin' of bread. An' Thou knowest, too. Lord, 'at we ain't THE BEGINNING OF THE CAMPAIGN ,3 do believe, ySu J rh!f- '"'""''""^«'^- But we •0.y Na„e'-irU°strt SruVet^- J'' *° ^'^^^ a place for to wusship hin I PfT.? ^ *•"' ^^^ "« let it be soon. We donvV '"*= '°°"' "° Go«i. we've got Ctain-rmul rr T " '°"*^ «^-^" weVe got ai. a„ le^rfis xte'""^^^^' ^-'^)-" an' love of Tb^ tl^^^Z 7 T T' ^'-"'t'' a pillar in Thy 'ouse Ts ^11 ^"^^ *" ""^^^ '™ cheerer-upof u^s a" Ho'^e" ' f"'*-- -' us sp^deHy. fer Jees„s ChLts^^l;!: '™-' waitS iler/t^a 1^^'^''"^'"'^ P^-^-t. echo of JemmyV A " ^'"* " "^^ ^'^^^ h« hearty up his vice? '"' ^'^ *^^" '■" Ws turn liftej all ZZ^lV^^i^^'t't^f' ^ thank You with worse than dead JL a "el '' ./ ^"' ^^^''' «"' harm to everS.d?i r calkin' about doin' You, through vSeLT"" ~"'"'* ^'*- An' touched mfas S d J tt"i ''"' °^^°"^ '^^"^ «"■ to life. You' male Je clean You^- """^ '""^'^' "^ appetite, an' now I only I^^ IZh^vr'^Z ' ^^'^'^^ me. All I am an- =11 ■ ^ *^ '''^ Y°u ve give know its weight to a hTun'e «„• You'I, ""' ^T ^'°" carried right to the journey's end Z """ ^^ '''' who know an- love hirTto ,!« k "^ ^" "^ "^ can't do weknow You'll Lkeun r "it'"' "^ desire of 'is 'eart-a I^i^ • ^L ^'■*"* *""" the eart a httle ouse, where we shall be 14 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST at 'ome with You and shut out from the hard world. Tell him that it's all right, that You ain't likely to let Your work suffer from want of anything, an' let us see great things. Do, Father, for Jesus' sake. Amen.' CHAPTER III BREASTING THE TIDE quiM way, roiero;! i,i„^f ^ '^ i6 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST further exposition by Mrs. Maskety of the failings of her husband. Yet after she had ' run on ' for a few minutes, she suddenly seemed smitten with a sense of having done her meek spouse an injustice, for, leaning forward toward the listener, she said, 'Ye know, Saul, if he has got aggravatin' ways, and I'd like to know who hasn't, he's a good man. I'm sure I try him enough, for I haven't got a bit o' patience with people that's got so full of the next world that they forgets this. But when I'm laid by and feels ready to fret myself to death with the way things is goin' on without me to manage 'em, it does put new life into me to see his happy face as noth!"k seems to darken for more than a minute or two at a time 'ceptin' the sut 'ee gets on it w'ile 'ee's at work.' And a few big tears rolled silently down Mrs. Maskery's care-worn cheeks. Wiping them away with her apron, and by a strong effort subduing the working of that rebellious mouth, she said, as she sprang to her feet, ' There 'ee goes,' and rushin|: out into the passage as he passed along it she called loudly, ' An' don't for- get the Simmons's chimbley after you're done the Williams's.' But the last few words were lost upon Jemmy, who was half-way up Lupin Street at his peculiar shuffling trot, the uneasy gait of a man who can always feel the chill or damp of the footway in con- tact with his feet through the vacancies in his boot soles. He was a quaint yet pathetic figure when equipped for work. He always wore an old cloth cap, tight-fitting, with a downward sloping leathern peak, a cap that had served him so long and faithfully that it was nov as shiny as a piece of oiled silk. A BREASTING THE TIDE ,, S^n'Tolj„"''"'=''r'r ««• tightly round his r^h the su„n,,t of any chimney in the neighbour! Swhin:? i'"l'^ ^'"P^' ^ '■^^ fibres ofX Sinrha^nXshi-vef ^t S^ f^--^^ Jore the next momm'? Corse they wood I ' beaf uZ a'tJ^ot""'^ "^'*- ^'^^ "^^"^^ "^"^ '"at S buTr- ur " " P"''^^^ ''^'f compared with may live their life •% „°'^"'ry> *■"*" or woman j^ vc uieir me m London's poor streets ur,», boldlv^r' '*'=" * ■"*" °^ ^oman comes the Lr '' ' '"*"'^' '■"' ^'°^ ^'^ H'« t™th under the same circumstances, eveo^ action of their Jves c i8 THE A^-^STLES OF THE SOUTH EAST immediately becomes a matter of public interest, to be discussed with the most minute attention to detail at every street comer, on every doorstep, over every public-house bar; often with a wealth of lund em- bellishment when those taking part in the discussion are what they are pleased to call * a bit on,' otherwise more or less drunk. But, leaving Jemmy for a moment, let us re- turn to Saul and Mrs. Maskery. The conversation, momentarily interrupted by the passing of Jemmy out into the street, was resumed with some difficulty. And at last Saul said, rising, ' I got ter be on the move. I've a-kep you talkin' quite long enough, but don't you forget to let your ole fren' know if there's a southerly wind in the bread-barge [if the cup- board is getting empty]. If I was to give ye all I earn I couldn't ever pay back wot I owe Jemmy. You don't see it in the same light as I do, of course ; but I can't forget that it was a-Hssnin' to 'im a-preachin' the Word that set me free from the dreadful misery I was in. God bless 'im an' you, and the kids, an' the mission. So long fur the present,' and with a hearty handshake Saul passed out of the little parlour and set his face dockward. CHAPTER IV THE DAILY ROUND They were chapel pZe R T ^'"""^ ' '^«''- consciousness of Lfe^n^K-^"^"!,''' ^^""^ P™"^ daily performing, by tin/^^et'^ -"d ^ere way and holding their ol /^''^,'='^*^'>'' P^^ng their niarily far abovf the^ 'JJ Sf '' """^ ^^^P'' P^'^"" them for the incessant' st^g^ ' t " «>"? *° --" they professed. For it «nn^fi!. ^ '■^''8;«on that large stratuip of oJrpl?,Sr«'^'''^ toreligious bodies PrS:i^ tSlf 't.'jf'T"^ who are consciously new creature K^ ' ^"* *°^'= to be considered as Chri^f ' ^^''^ "° '^'l elaim assuming, of c^rse that ^rr.^'^"*"^"'"- Always from a professo^of' «lSiL ;r'''"' f '^'^*'"^«hed the.essential requiLnenfof CM^ atd\'" '""'"^ *gaia They have been hJL f/ ^ ''^'=°'"^ ^^ respectability f^;%^P.^~"8,^^^ "P '" the aroma of seat in the chapel „ostS£°^ "^'^ '^"^^ ^'"^ * their level lives and thli^ " ''^ ^^«'- disturbed -toimporta:^r;:"„'betof -^^ '"'"^"^ '^-<='°P«» ^v.gonceas.edSrmi.fr.-Sr,uir; lo THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST ' Am I really acquainted with God ? ' Yet notwith- standing all this, such people are a power for good. Good citizens, good parents, good exemplars, how shall anyone dare to cavil at them for their lack of spirituality? Most of the loss is their own. They feel heavily the obligations of religion without enjoy- ing its consolations, the conscious delights that are summed up in the personal friendship of the Son of God. Naturally, and very properly too, Mrs. Williams, a fair example of this class, was a great stickler for punctuality, the acciirate performance of engage- ments made, and a due recc^ition of what wm owing to herself and her husband as living embodi- ments of these useful virtues. So when Jemmy, panting with his haste, appeared at her door, she met him with a countenance expressive of the most severe displeasure. Ostentatiously rubbing his decrepit shoes upon the door-mat until the soles of his feet burned again, he said hurriedly, 'Good momin', Misses Willyums, thenk yer, mum, kindly. 1 'ardly know 'ow t' er 'poUergize fur my frightful bad memory. I clean fergot all about your order, I did indeed. Ye see ' But lifting a warning hand, Mrs. Williams froze the rushing torrent of his eloquence by saying, ' That will do, Mr. Maskery. Now that you are here, pr'aps you'll be good enough to get t' - work done as soon as possible.' Meekly Jemmy replied, ' Yes, 'um, cert'ny, mum,' following with bowed head as she led the way into the living-room, where all had been ready for his operations since six o'clock that morning. Down went his bundle of canes on the bare boards with a crash, THE DAILY ROUND *i and hastily unfolding from his bae a «,..»« r some mysterious material t- * square of to pin it uTaTthl/ ~"P'« of forks wherewith o«ifr thit VdterdSrso: t™'"^''::'"" '■" should not fly about tl^^^rZ tT '^^''"""'^y dcred hole in the n,idd e Tthis J^l' r' *"" thrust the first joint of his rnll- J""™'' a brief struggle amid a """^ "f hine, and after screwing on ^t.Zll ^ ^S ^r^^' '" vigorous thrust of the cane ntlJ^ ! ^^ ^y » By the time hu .^n^ '^ ^^'^ "P *•»« chimney. the passage as he w2" £„?r '/"'^ '"**""^ '»'™ '« pa«&L o'tsWe fn thelln '" ^^"'"^'^ benevolent smile. 'Won't Jofhr ""' '"''^ ^'* * lunch. Mr Maske;yp Tfl rea^Hor^r '''"' °' Pride rberi-tt^j '^r ^-^ ^^^ ^^ ^^^^ from his hands hp f«ii^, j\ . "^ *^ s°ot chair for his reeenf;«„ ,- I , , "^ Windsor I It THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST together of the Lord's people, along with such u should be saved, pointed to a bewildering condiUon of things. Yet dimly and afar off, as it were, she could not help realising that she was in the presence of a rare and beautiful soul, shining superior to its hampering, disfiguring environment. In some non-expressible way she was aware that here was one of God's chosen ones, possessed of the faith that removed mountains and bridges and oceans, the faith that refuses to recognise any hindrance to God's work but sin among His own people. It had been in her mind to read him a small lesson upon minding his own business better, to reprove him gently for his forgetfulness of mundane affairs, but, somehow, the woridly-wise remarks would not come, and when, his hunger satisfied, he lay back in his chair, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm, and told her of how great things the Lord had done for him, she was so moved that, forgetting her own household duties, she listened spell-bound. And she could not help contrasting his over-bubbling fervour with < « sleek pomposity of certain deacons whom she knew, greatly to their disadvantage. At last, with a sudden start, he sprang to his feet, saying as he did so, 'Please forgive me. Misses Willyums, fur hindrin' ye from yer work. My head's so gallus thick I k'n only think o' one thing at a time, an' I'm so full of this here business that everythink else's got ter take a back seat. The Lord bless ye, mum, an' pay ye a thousan' times fur yer kindness.' ' Her uplifted hand stayed his thanks until she pro- duced half-a-crown from her purse, saying, ' There's my mite towards your mission hall. It's all I can THE DAILY ROUND queer patches upon hi, X t^Thc'^n^'i!'"'^ away, and In a voice broken ^a ''^*'«^«^ *ein good-bye. He%''";L?''„^'1-G"^,-«>ye, sister another worf he madeTdaah 'for theT ^''^°"* gon. hi h^art a nest of sin^^U^S^ '"'' '"'' ""» ^ow"V' wh^a l^^^^tr ;nV *^" '^ : Oh. Mr. Maslceo.. ou™thtb"Vr a^J^; '"r"^' just a-runnine f yore hoii«. ""^^ ^"n. 1 wos in such a way^ Off ?k ^°'"f »'°"g J mother's than five n^inu^Js arriv^tt'thet"'' ""' '" '^ poor woman. half-distSj by the° n*^ ""*« *« gaping crowd outside w^tMn^KuJ"^''''' °f » fe yellow smoke tg^t^^'^'' -""»« of out of the chimney, arTdTdSi f *" P*'"""8 •~ring she could he«wal t^f?^ '""" '"* «>e the soot in the chimn^ JTth^K m- '^''^'''"e: <■"•= a pitiable condition Ch^e atl ^^ ''^''- """ ■" violent activity lemZ «^ V^ "*=* '"to a state of 'los.-ngregilSJn'tnh^dSTbef'"/'"" *° '-- and. almost stifl;d by the !„?« r^""^" *"' '"*"■' Wnding a sack tightfy oL X , f' t"""«'^^ '" fimney, thus efff ct^ sta^n JX *'' °''^"^'"^ S-^-.^uch to the dissaKcJ^o^r^^""^*''" -«>de. who seemed to consider ^LX '■«g'"nufBns 'heated out of a spectacle whfl ^^ ^^'^ •^ I>escendi„g toStchl ^ """l^"'' "^^'■ -^. Jemmy found thtmis^V'''*'''''"^'^"'^ ^-'•na..Ieofcoli:jL.rd";^-;t^W 14 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST the congenial tuk ot comforting her. Here he shone. In a very short time her cheerfiilness had returned. But when she timidly asked Jemmy how much she was in his debt, he with a quick apprecia- tion of the circumstances, said seriously, ' Well, Mrs. Fitch, the reglar price for puttin' out a chimbley is 'arf-a-suvrin', but bless yer 'art, if I was to go hinsistin' on my rights alwus I sh'd feel more un- worthy of all the Lord's blessin's than I da Wot can /afford?' ' Oh, Mr. Maskery, I'm ashamed t' tell you that I've only got eighteeiipence in the 'ouse, but if you amid wait till Friday night w'en my 'iisban' get 'is wages I'll pay / 'arf-a-crown an' be very thankful. I can't pay any more than that, fur 'ee's only eamin' twenty-five shillin's a week now, an' there's five of us in fambly.' ' Looky 'ere. Misses Fitch, don't you worry abou that; you pay me w'en you can. I shan't lose nothin", I know. Why, bless /r 'art, that's what the Lord does with me hevery day of my life. I'm always a-gettin' in His debt, I'm alwas 'avin' nothing to pay 'im with, I'm alwus a-feelin' as if I was just a wuthless loafin' rascal, but in spite of all that He' always a-makin' me so 'appy I c'd damce for joy. Now are / shore you're all right ? Cawse if y' are 111 get along 'ome. Yes ; well, good afternoon, an' Gawd bless yer.' And shouldering his impedimenta, Jemmy resumed his peculiar shuiHing trot, heading straight for Lupin Street When he reached his home he was overjoyed to find waiting at his door a big van, the appearance of which told him at once that a most welcome re- THE DAILY IIOUNU plenWiment of hi. exchequer w«.tK ^ . '' t»» waggon of • vx>t ZJ^.* "*"* ^' »«• Jemmy, \ca,n.m.tio^*J"*^'""t «"« to carry « Jemmy mouS^iit S^Zn't^"' "'^"^ ter be; I „i„d ^^„ ^ «"^;^ Sut aJ„t wot It „,ed *Q^«aHioj„gyvaft;„;7,/;'»'' f°*' **«y ««i»k» • «ck,' yet. knoiini thThe hi'^ '^'''' ^'^ " »"'""' W» back yaitl, and ^at the „^!^ *"" '"''' »*°«d •" coming on th^ -pot he fSrir"'J!f '''"'>" '■°'^- *«th great fervour Se 1^^™'""' '° ""'' '«'"" f**-P«mo« fre^iemfyon W ''r' ""T^' *""' '^«'"' endureth for eve" " «^ ' ^°' "» mercy CHAPTER V THE PLEASURES OF SERVICE SATURDAY evening in all the poor quarters of London .s a time of tribulation, of hard Trk of much anx.ety for the great „,ajority of housewives For they are few indeed who do not adhere to Ihe senseless, hateful custom of leaving all the rlsidle of the week's housework, a sort of special prepSn for Sunday, until Saturday; and fewer st« arTtSeJ attemoon and evening, even if they have had th^ gumption to keep their other work up to date Em ployers of labour have done their be^to Sunte^a" th.sg,ant evl of late Saturday shopping by pIX wages to their workpeople on Friday but lil,; f^ "^ spoken of by the po'et,^t has a^ S '^f emb'ce" by .ts victims. And many of them even go to S length of waiting until the wearied shopkeeper or costermonger, unable to hold his or her poorbody erect any longer makes a move to cease business for the n,gh , or rather morning, as it is usually well afte midnight. Then do these witlessly cruel on'ls descend upon the over-borne tradesman in the hope of thereby securing a bargain, and keep him wearily serSng permyworths of this. that, and the other LtiloSf THK PLEASURES OP SERVICE a nrpll.l..- » jj . — "^ SERVICE th'rty ; after the hL S" '^"^«" *« and eleven, and IS usually a. ,>,s .,W ' ''"^^^ begins to freshen « notthewom D .-,,;"?.? '"^"tmidn/ght Bu^f!"' ^^Ithe poorer Ifasteru^;;^-;^^^^^^^^ the poor quarters of London f^P*"'- ^" "-any of practice to shop on Sundl" ' ^'^ ^''°'^^ a rlJar gn^engrocers being the trad '"°''"'"^' ''"^^hers^aid A"dthis is the vfriest JSor^" '='"'*=«>' ^ff^cS' P'tiless oppression, not ofThe '''• ^* '^ the most ^' poor by the p^or it ^S ''J' the rich, buTof ^ said that the pSr wome„ 7" "" "''^" ^'^^^ 't wJl these fames are not to Zm" 1°'"^ '^"^^ «hoppi„„ i*: h-sbands, who, as soon ^ iJ'? " ^''^ '"^"Khe « over, line the publfc h^, l"''^^ morning's work ;P the wretched'remn?„rrf S '"' '° "°' <^S Je.r waiting wives unrti £^1 ' """^^'^ '^ages to dnnk,ngbarsatmidn?ght '1^"^ «J«<=ted fro^ th° to a certain extent, bVt „/• . ""* *^ t™th of this Recount for about twenti ^ ^'" **"* '* ^"l oX Saturday and early IZt l ^' *=^"t. of the Z - If in all thecie^^ibfetr"^ '''' '^ th's cruel system of shoDDfnf '^ '' "° "^ed fori? ;t -uld be pn.ctical,yS:j ^^^o be discontinue^ ■ 2 ''y"^S from hearsay, but fro ^"'^ '^'^ ^ am B^rr-^"'^ -'Sof" ^^'"^^ ''''--tio^ r^ -veSs tr:^ f ,' ^^e'metbTj oT^ 28 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST their fellow-citizens. 'How,' they ask, 'is a poor tradesman who is on his feet from as early as four A.M. till the following morning at one A.M. to summon sufficient energy to come to meeting at eleven a.m. ? How can any man or woman, compelled to crowd the bulk of a week's work into one long, long day, be fit for anything else on Sunday but to He in bed and rest?' So they usually hold a little prayer-meeting on Saturday evening about nine o'clock, whereunto the bulk of the members gather and pray for grace to use the day of rest well, for strength to go forth among the pleasure-seekers and holiday-makers bear- ing the glad tidings of the Kingdom of God. Many mistakes are made, of course, much wild talk is in- dulged in, many libels upon the character of our loving Father given utterance to, but let it be grate- fully recorded that all the efforts of these earnest, simple souls make for the righteousness that exalteth a nation. So at the close of that ordinary Saturday Jemmy might have been seen sitting in state at his own table, his big Bible open before him, awaiting the coming of the brethren and sisters, and hunting up a ' portion ' while so doing. Thoroughly tired, Mrs. Maskerydid not feel disposed to join in the exercises presently to be engaged in by her husband and his guests in the parlour, although she had a distinct feeling of pride in being their hostess. Had she been able to express herself she would no doubt have said that ' to labour was to pray," or something of that kind, and that having made ready the place of meeting she had done her part— all that could reasonably be expected of her. ^ THE PLEASURES OF SERVICE a high, do^e-h-keTad fSr^f^'T-''^^'"^ prominent blue eyes and.t^ u ''""^'y- ""a^er to the third buttroV h?s wiS'*'^^-^'' ^-'^-S clad in an ancient bkrlT? 7 "^ "^^ "«% that had prese^S^^he^tdTetrS ^"' ^^°"^^^' through many years of m! . J of respectabihty alone they ^r^ned 'iThf "'''■'=;? P^^'^ slightly hesitating and ntvous i,T"'^ '^•^ "^ sentences as if anxious to Z?' l-^ "-epeating his been heard, and he wL ,1 ' ^'"'"'^ ^''^^ ^"^ had the conflic between hi ir,'"'''""^ *°™ ^'th stem, merciless Calvin 2 vkT"^ '^"^^' ^^d the wife was a fem . upLTi^'l u" '"°'''''''- "- virtues accentua. st t ' '^r'"''' "'**' ^" '>- words, hovered aoout the outskirts Vth'"'""* meeting, ready to press homl f ^^ ^P*"""*"" the words of love orte'cnZT ^"^ ^'^''^l ''^art before whose 2nTal visTo" 'radT"''*"^'' ^°"' exhibited the eternal tlrmenfs of ^e T '"j;'''^ practice much appreciated h,;7i! .. damned, a For over thirty ^ars hi M '"*''" ''^^^r^"- trodden the ru'ggJd "ays of [ '."' f^ ^^""°" never with moreVan sTffic.ent ?o"r °^ •"' *°^^*^'' needs-that is to sav • .1 *^"' ""mediate with real pov 2° 'X, ^Jl^^^ "?«" '"timate terms a large family^, J^ lo J ^""^^^f""/ reared most creditaU; to°he?un h"'''^'" '"''*^^'' ^^^ •^Ider girls had de^S Jnto £"^' "''"^ *^ *-° who would have SaS 11 '"'^^*y°»nff women Bot beyond and aC this r/"^ '**'^°" '" '•'■'=• above this, this dear couple of hard- 30 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST working people had never faltered from their con- sistent following of Christ. They were, in a word eminent Christians in the true sense, although out of their own tiny circle utterly unknown to the great world that seethed around them. I speak feelingly, or Mrs. Salmon has just gone to her reward, and I know of a surety that many a -nan mighty in learn- ing, m devoutness, and position in his Church will hereafter rejoice if haply he may attain to a place by her side. Five more members followed. The tugboat skip- per, a broad, led-faced man, bringing in with him a breezy flavour of brine, his meek little wife, with a wistful look in her eyes and her head always just a little inclined to one side as if she were listening for her husband's steam-whistle on his return, Saul Andrews, Joseph Jimson the stevedore, and Peter Burn the rigger-all of them possessing characters well worthy of analysis, but willing, I know, to await their turn until later on. To each of them Jemmy gave a hearty handshake o: fellowship and a beam- ing smile as he motioned them to a seat When it appeared as if the full extent of the evening's congre- gation had been reached, Jemmy rose and said 'We will commence by singin' that beautiful lymn "O Jesus, O Jrsus, how vast Thy love to m&' I don't know the number, but some brother or sister please give it out if they know it' Sister Salmon, who was the 'memory' of the little gathering, immedi- ately supplied the number, 68 in the appendix, and Jemmy, with a courteous ' Thankee, Sister,' turned to It and read the first verse. Then Saul, who was shantyman ' of his ship, being possessed of a tuneful THE PLEASURES OF SERVICE voice and a eood «, r tune. ^*^ '" '^^ """^-c. at once raised the A musical critic wouM i. ^"Itant strains e^nadat' 7 P'°"°"'"=^ «^-e- fe ^etto. Brother sZT^UT^^, "'* "- %h mto byways of discord and <;t- "^'""^ ''""y^^S Ws l^eculiar ideas of bass co„,n- •^^'' ^'"^^"« '-'th strangest possible co^nZT'^^ '° '""^'"=' *« these simple, fervent T^"sTL' '°""''^- ="* 'o «"th the exception perhaps IT ^ ?'°" ^'^ '^^''^'^t. considerably in his eaVbrf^fhlrH' ^'° ^"''^'•^'^ The praise ended, ]^mrny\rih l u^"" *" ^e'"'^- open Bible, lifted his fTce wS d ^''""'^ "P°" *he Ho. hour Farther.give us Tn^ u'^t "^^^ ^"^ ^aid, Word. We're vei^f 'un.^ to r'"''°'" ^V dear ben a-feedin' on ThyZ^ Sl'7'''' ^i'^ough we've nest o' young birds we've a«'^t '"'"''' ""^ "''^ ^ open waitin' for Ye to rfro,, .u? , ""^ ™°"ths wide he refreshed after our^/^f.;"";"! '"• We wants to ;he flesh, an' the devT We " ^•'^' *^^ ^°^W, fo^ -r meetin- arou"' ' T^i"*^, '' «- P-pared "'Wts our faith stren'thenedonri *°-"'°"-^'-- We JS °P«"ed Wider, ourrrt^uchr thaf "'' °"' near Thy voice. An' wp t„„ ' "** "'^ may things done for us only^p ThT ^" ^'"'* ^'' '^'^ Spirit then take the Word l^T' T^ ^'>' ^'^J' ""'^ f each of our needs, an^we T^a^ZVl "" ''^~^'^'"' Jesus Christe's sake. Inre^ ' ^^ '"'^^'^- ^or pC^n^hrsuSs^rti:'"''"^ *^ ^^^^^r Hebrews. Kis readi^'tf to' '""''^ ^'P'«^ °f ^' the best, even if cnL I, ° P"* '* «""ldly, not "-cle^men;" LZ^.^^.Tch'''' °' ^°-"^ sr!,i,shed Church, who supply 3» THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST us with, probably, the very worst readers in the world Nevertheless, as his hearers were not critics, as they were all carefully following the words' from their own Bibles, and, above all, as they were each convinced of the absolute sincerity and love of the reader, his quaint rendering of the Divine Word gave them no pain. And when he had finished, Skipper Stevens led in prayer. His deep, hoarse tones, reminding one of the muttering of a distant storm, his very conventional phraseology and many repetitions, from his poverty of words wherein to express what he felt, would doubt- less have caused a sarcastic smiW to curl the lip of many a cultured religionist, had such an one so far forgotten himself as to be present at such a humble meeting. But to those poor folks it was as sweet incense ascending to the throne of the Most High God, and by its means they became uplifted energised, made glad. ' For an hour the meeting continued, everyone present joining in the service of prayer and praise until Sister Salmon, who had hitherto held her peace' supplied the closing petition. ' • Dear Father,' she said, 'we've come again out of the noise of the world and the struggle for daily bread to You for that which we can't get anywhere else, your smile. Your encouragement to go on. Your words of joy, and peace and love, if it wasn't for You, dear Saviour, there wouldn't be any sunshine in our lives at all, for the sorrow of the world around us IS very great But bless Your Holy Name, You ve given us a sure and certain hope, a knowledge that nothing can shake, of Your wisdom and low THE PLEASURES OF SERVICE which sets our souls in a. mo „<• kno,v that You wil^tali^^^^l"^ If we didn't yet be acknowledge?a?^Z°"«'"8'>!.«jat You will You,creatures.that Yo"^, J-°l.f <^''"y ^ «" by Your Son7u7javiour^iH i.'"'*'.^"*^ '" *» *»&« be able to go on seLw^J f"'^^' ^* ^J*""" "ot up in Your wisdom our m.^? f ^" ^^^ swallowed faith, our weakJSit e"S "'i''^"" ">' ^our and so, in spite of all our LVnt °"' '*''^"&th ; indeed happy with a ZnP^ ^ ""soundings, we are -of. Bf5S14tJrrnk*^^rY"^--•' to-morrow; give us each somlfu' '" ^°"' ««""'« with grace sufficient forte dofnf- *° ''° ^°' ^ou. tl>atinall work hones l^dotT^^^^ guided and sanctified by Sr°iJ°%*^'''>*" be rest to the wear^ ones arou^^ ^ ^^'"^ ^'^e dirty, soberness tTthedru^ke^hn' ^'"""''"^ *° ">e gentleness to the cruel. S to Jhef *° "''' *''^^«'' among ourselves, for Jest^slkf l^' ^^ -V sac4\th':;rrSc""'" ^'="^' ^- - ^ of the Holy of HolUldT'^">'-:\h"«b like that pain that they rose stiffl^r u" ""* * "'gh as of of return to leTorSZ'^^'^''' '"^''' ^« P^i" strident ydling of a riSl?*";; '^""'^"''"^ by the and female royster^s ftat ^f^"? ^^ » ''*°d of male comer into Lupi„1S ^^ '"'* ''^"^^ """^ the JemmJ'^^frotrTLf "^ ^"^ *'••«'' -^X. an- Sisten,. th' Lawd t^'"" '^'^' Bothering about our 'all. ftZ ve t' ^If ""' *""«« f"' as lorwud an- securin' th' place^^T ""^ "°'^ '" »°'" P'ace afore somebody else D 34 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST snaps it up. I ain't much of a business man, as ye know, but I knows enough to feel shore 'at a place like that there in the neighbourwood ain't agoin' beggin' long. I've got the fust 'arf-year's r^t 'ere [producing it], an' I ain't even 'ad t' ask for it. An' I'm shore 'at th' Lawd's agoin' to do more 'n ever we er.pect about it We sh'U 'ave t' wuk, of course. Our Farther don't want any lazy children, an' 'e ain't got 'em, bless 'is 'oly Name, in this mission. Now wot I arsks is this : You let me, in the name of th' Church, go an' take th' place, and then promise, each one of ye, t' be a shillin' a week to'rds the rent, 'sides wot you've alwus been willin' t' give as y' could afford it As fur wot it'll want doin' to : well, we're none of us afraid of 'ard work, an' I perpose 'at we do wot's wanted with our own 'ands, only spendin' wot's necessary t' buy materials. Brother Jenkins and Brother Soames ain't 'ere, but I feels shore we can count on 'em fur all they can possible do in a matter o' this kind. Wot d' ye say ? ' He paused and lool^ed round upon the care-lined faces somewhat anxiously, his whole heart shining in his eyes. In reply, Saul Andrews spoke first He said: 'Brothers an' Sisters, I'm only a child among ye, but I feels very grateful fur wot the Lord 'as let ye do for me. I got a big ship t'-day fur a Colonial voy'ge as bo'sun, an' th' wages is 4/. lor. a month. As most of ye know, I ain't got a soul in th' world but myself to pervide for, an' I'll leave my 'arf-pay, 2/. s*. a month, fur this voy'ge, anyhow. I'm shore it'll be the 'appiest voy'ge I ever made. Use the 2/. a month fur necessary expenses and THE. PLEASURES OF SERVICE 35 the 5^. fur my conterbution to the rent Gawd bless th' Wren Lane Mission'AU.' With such a lead as that, what could the others do, even had they been lukewarm instead of full of love to God and man? Their promises were soon all made, Jemmy was fully authorised to proceed, and with a sense of joy in service that an archbishop might vainly endeavour to attain unto. Jemmy rose again to offer a final word of praise. ' Ho, Farther Gord," he sobbed, ' this is almost more'n we c'n bear. We're all a-ninnin' over with gladness of 'cart. Give us wisdom to walk worthy of Your kindness, give us grace t'remember wot You've bei>n, and done, to us. Accept hour praise for all Thy wonderous love an' mercy in th' name of Jesus. Amen.' And then he burst into the Doxology of the Brethren : Glory, honour, praise, and power Be unto the Lamb for ever. Jesus Christ is our Redeemer ! Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah I Praise ye the Lord. ■i CHAPTER VI A SUNDAY MORNING Amid the enormous number of critical, cynical, and earnest remarks that have been passed about the British Sunday in general, and the London Sunday in particular, I do not remember having seen one that looked as if made with intimate knowledge of the lives of the people about whom it was written. And this is especially true of the great mass of God- Tearing people in London who, being just below the Class denominated ' respectable,' i.e. well-dressed, find an infinite delight in offering up their lives on that day in personal service to a loving Father. Herein it is my inestimable privilege to offer a few personal details in confirmation of the remarks I am maki- For fifteen years I lived in London one of the rnosL strenuous lives possible with pecuniary results the most trivial. Employed from nine till fivt in a quasi- Govemment oflice at a meagre salary, I tried to eke out, in the hours that should have been devoted to recreation and reading, that salary by working at the trade of a picture-franser, a trade I had taught myself. When business was brisk this often necessitated my being in my workshop at 2 A.M. in order to fulfil the contracts I had made to deliver frames at a certain time. It also meant my working up till sometimes A SUNDAY MORKING 3, u late «. II p.„. So that when Sunday came, with ^pl«: d. restful morning, I always fel^^^ndj^ patefu^ not only for the bodily rest, but for the wav in which I was able to throw off th; meSl worteJ of the week and let the sunshine of the fX^s We .llummate the desert places of my hear? ^' But r never felt the slightest desire to spend those p«c.ous hours in bed. Feeling renewed irvrgo^S rtren^, I was up at about seven, helping to pfepale the dmner and doing such odd household joSw would reieve my wife, and at ,0.30 away tTth^ 1.30. 1 spent the afternoon at home usually unlike many of my brethren, who had their Sunday ^t to attend. After tea. or say at 6 p.m.. I ^\T^^ *e most eager, joyous anticipation to the open^S S*a^Vh^ •^'' *•"' *•■* * P«a«thatwas dc^-^nl hke a mighty river, at about 10.30 p.m. The idt- of «lf-sacnfice never occurred to me. Nor did it I am pe«uaded. to any of my colleagues, many of i^S m^elf"' *°'"''" '■" '" humbler 'positions 'han good"'ve.l"K "^^"""^ '° "^ that we were veo. good very holy, because we did these things we «hamed, because we knew full well that the W soever; ™*" "P**" *"y terms 38 THK APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST with the new wine of the Kingdom, heartening us and uplifting us to meet the hardness of the new week None of us felt any desire for a Continental Sunday, neither, as far as I am aware, did the masses of uoopl'e among whom we laboured The vast majority of them did not go to any church or chapel at all ; the constraint galled them, and something, they could not explain what, made them feel that the man who preached from a pulpit to rows of ex- pensively clothed, decorous worshippers, was only ^tradesman who was doing business under false pretences. But for all that, there were none of them. I am sure, who would not have fought with all their might against such an abolition of one days rest m seven as may be seen on the Continent. Sunday morning, then, found Jemmy up at 7 a.m. helping to prepare his numerous progeny for Sunday school. And as the boys, who went to work, could not be expected to sacrifice their one day a week. Jemmy might have been seen, had anyone popped in, busy peeling potatoes, cutting cabbages^ boning and rolling flank of beef, so that .t should look like ribs, &c. What, some of my readers will say. this righteous man cooking on Sunday ! Oh, yes. please remember that to the majority of poor Londoners Sunday's dinner-table is a sort of fami y altar Around it gathers once a week a united family who look forward to it with pathetic interest as a relief from scrambling meals at cook-shops or in darksome comers off fragments they are shamed to let their fellows see. It has often been said that the cockney starves all the week so that he may gorge on a Sunday. I don't admit its truth, but I do know A SUNDAY MORNING j, that the Sunday dinner-table is a potent influence In keeping unrelaxed the family bond, and I am a determined opponent of anyone who would destroy the institution. ' But as the hands of the clock approached 10.30 Jemmy became noticeably perturbed. At last Mrs. Maskery's voice rang out, ' I see wofs the matter with ye. It's time you was off. Well, get alone 'r else you 11 be late. You'll find a clean shirt and coL an »ndkercher on th' bed. an' ycr close is all ready bnwhed. Billy! did ye clean farther's best boots?' Yes, muwer,' piped up Billy (aged eight), -an' farver gimme a penny.' ' Did he ? ' said the prudent mother, • then let me put it in yer money box an' I'll give ye a beautiful orange, better'n old Walker 'd let ye have for it' Off darted Jemmy, and in a very short time reappeared, clad in his well-known canonicals, a full suitof black given to him years ago by a Christian Tfy, ""w r^^J"^ '■°' **'" "'■'"P'" exposition of the Word, and h,s sweet happy disposition, tntenng his parlour with a reverent air, he went to the couch, whereon lay a brown paper parcel con- tainmg a carefully got-up table-cloth. This he spread over the table with careful hands, and upon it exactly m the centre, he placed a bottle containing wine, a tumbler, and a loaf on a blue dinner-plate Then around the margin of the table, at regular intervals, he placed copies of the ' Hymns and bpintual Songs with Appendix,' without which no meeting of the 'Brethren' for worship could be considered complete. And this holds good, no matter how many slightly varying congregations 40 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST that decidedly fissiparous body becomes divided inta The chairs placed in position, all preparations were complete, and Jemmy, a big Bible in hand and collection box at his side, seated himself to await the coming of the Church. The members dropped in one by one until the little apartment was full, and when it appeared that all were present who would be that morning. Jemmy opened the meeting with prayer. And now might be seen the secret of power possessed by those humble, primitive followers of the Humblest of Men. There were no adjuncts to tickle the senses, no exteWial influences acting with subtle force upon the worshippers and mislead- ing them into the belief that their feelings were evidence of their being truly in touch with the invisible things of God. Jemmy's face was trans- figured. Big tears rolled down his cheeks and glistened in his russet beard like diamonds. His voice shook, his body trembled, and when he sat down, no one in the room had '»ny doubt whatever that, as in the days of the Master upon earth, so He was in very deed and truth present with them. Head of this table spread in the wilderness. A song followed the prayer : Praise the Saviour, ye who know Him ; Think, oh think, how much wt owe Him ; Gladly let us render to Him All we ue and have. Then a reading by Brother Salmon of an appro- priate portion. Then another prayer, another song, and so on, without calling upon individuals, but each one rising and doing his or her part spon- A SUNDAY MORNING 41 taneously until at last there was an expectant hush For several minutes no one stirred, all sa^uS heat stu^jstjS' '\*-^^-<=''- ~:rs the Inaf o«j i-a- 7. . ' P'**^^ Ws hand upon tte loaf, and hfbng his face with eyes fast closed! your''Sle''?J„"',i"v' "«*'" ^'^'^ -»*"-"d I our taoie r remember Your broken Jwi,, v n.ui I ou, as uiis loaf is one now an' wb sakes, was broken fur us. An- „ ? °"' 'an,» jf J . '^^ "°*^ we're a-eoin' t' »d,t round an' eat of it accordin' f Thy^L Tbs do m remembrance of Me ti'll I come? ' ^^er Salmon, for f^ rbr^e o'^t", J,f 43 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST all ate— did not merely taste one crumb, but ate as if they were actually consuming the sweetest morsel they had ever tasted in their lives. When the plate had completed its round there was another period of solemn silence, during which each member either communed with God in the secret places of his own soul, or sat dumbly with his mind a blank, as many dear earnest ones do who find it impossible to con- centrate their thoughts on their petitions or praises unless they utter them aloud. Again Jemmy rose from his knees, and with trembling hands took up the bottle and glass. He poured out about a quarter' of a glassful, and then gently replacing the bottle on the middle of the table, held his hand over the glass and said, ' Lord, knowin' that without sheddin' of blood there is no remission of sins, we remember with thankful 'earts 'at Your Precious blood was shed for us. Don't let us ever fergit fur one minute 'at it cost Thee Thy 'cart's blood t' redeem us from our sins. We re- member, dear Lord, 'at You was just a 'ard-workin' Man on earth like we are, only we're a great deal better off than ever You was. An' please don't let us fergit 'at although You did pour out Your soul unto death, an' this wine, which is the type of life to us, is also the type of death to You, the death of Your 'uman 'ouse, yet Glory be toThy 'oly Name, the grave could.i't 'old You, You made a show of it, an' like Samson a-carryin' away the Gates of Gazer, You took captivity captive, an' You're alive for evermore. An' more 'an that, dear Saviour, we want alwus to hold in our 'cart of 'carts 'at You're not a long way away from us, but 'at here an' now You're wiv us A SUNDAY MORNING 43 a-sayin' unto us, « Lo, I am wiv you alwus.even unto the end of the world." ' The cup of blessin' which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? As often as ye drink this cup in obedience to Christ's word an' ker- marnment ye do show forf the Lord's death till He come.' Every member present murmuringly repeated the solemn words, 'Till He come,' and the glass cir- culated until all had taken a sip. Then with a perceptible change, a manifest lightening of the solemnity, Skipper Stevens gave out the much-loved hymn, 'Come, ye that love the Lord, and let your joys be known.' It was sung with most earnest enthusiasm, if without much melody, and at its close Brother Salmon rose immediately after all had re- sumed their seats, and opening his well-worn Bible at a place where several leaves had been turned down in readiness, delivered a little sermon. Put him in an open-air meeting, give him five minutes in which to te'l the stoiy of thp Cross, and you would get a glorious result But give him a chance to attempt oratory, to essay exegesis, and presently you would, if you were a stranger to such meetings, wonder which of you were mad, the speaker or the listener. Still, there is no doubt that such speeches do these simple souls little or no harm. Having been bom again, their lives are fruit.ul, not of words but of deeds, and they cannot be injurtd by any floundering interpreter of difficult passages in God's Word. A few prayers and hymns followed in quick suc- cession, until each member of the little gathering bad spoken or read, and then came the Benediction 44 THE APOSn.ES OF THE SOUTH EAST from Jemmy, the sweet old form of words hallowed by many centuries of use: ■ The grace of our Lord jMUs Christ, and the love of God, and the fellow- ship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen. The contribution box passed from hand to hand, never without some addition to its store of corns, and when it had made the circuit, Jemmy emptied it on the table, counted it in sight of the members as they were putting on their hats and overcoats, and entered the amount in his little book Meanwhile there was a pleasant clatter of talk • absent members were discussed, the unpleasant incidents of the previous evertitag up and down Lupin btreet, of which a rank crop was always forthcoming every Saturday night, were mournfully touched upon, and the bright prospects of the new hall alluded to. Then out into Lupin Street they drifted, not without much warm hand-shaking, to enjcy their well-earned Sunday dinner, and look forward eagerly to thv^ open- air service of the evening. CHAPTER VII A SUNDAY EVENING sidcrcd anTndSetaKt^j?**^ not what they con- Sunday schoS To" ttt S'""'r' ,f '""^^ ^°'^- «» sion workers in Lond„„ ^ Z '^" '^^"' *" »" ««- beutter,ygo<;?eir;;aS«^t^t^^^^^^ T^ ^xto^sr'"^"-^^^^^-"^^^^^^^^^ But if these humble brethren hoj school of their own thJ "?f'*",'"^ "<> Sunday Sunday sch^Js^het^^.h^"''^' '^.'^ '^'^' ''"'' """er accept^. 07 h^ couwTndTr "'"* ^'^'^ Mrmaries, hospitals ^^ J t """'* ^'O'khouse bearing wiaSSeir^^"^"'*?""''' ^^^^i^^re the blL of Chris? v^U^^' °'^^«°" *«"«» tion of His proffiertovt^H- '^^**' °' «J'«- tortures never- ndin?ofr7J^/''l? '^^'S^** *» *» immediately Ift^r dfa* wT ' ""'"' ''•^" "^ «« ^th their sU/r.oon:x-rt;:?s 46 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST not waste them, but strove earnestly to glorify the God in whom they believed. It was not, however, until after tea, that fa to say, about 6 P.M., that they rose to the full height of their enjoyment of God's service. Then they mustered in full force at Jemmy's door, bearing with them from Brother Salmon's house the most precious of all their worldly possessions — ^a small portable harmo- nium, carried l^ two sticks passed through rings on its sides, as Levites carried the Ark. It represented to them the self-denial of many weeks before the 8/. which it cost could be collected, and in their eyes it was a perfect instrument, specially made and dedi- cated to the service of soul-winning from the begin- ning of its career by the great Maker of all good things. Its advent never failed to interest the youth of Lupin Street and its vicinity, who, leaving their elvish play, to the great relief of the householders the front of whose premises they honoured with their presence, disported themselves around the little pro- cession and made swift occasional rushes behind to touch the instrument, pleased beyond bearing if they succeeded in so doing. Thus escorted, the band of workers made their stately way towards the ' Waste' whereon they held their evening service, taking no notice of passing remarks by saunterers, but doing nothing by voice or gesture to excite aggression from malevolently disposed passers-by. Arriving at their pitch, which, thanks to a local guardian appointed by the authorities for the purpose of keeping order, was reserved to them, they found awaiting them a middle-aged, plainly dressed woman who always attended for the purpose of playing the A SUNDAY EVENING ^ u«^^ent a duty none of the other, were able to perform. She was a member of a ' brethren ' meeting s^ed h r.r^' *''•'* "*''^'"8 would have per^ suaded h«a- to take any oart, even the smallest. in\he worship of Jemmy's. Nor have I ever been able to unde«tand how it was that she escaped Snl Id a"Z?a. H^ ' '"°^'"''^- ^"""^^ she had S^ u„S ."^T'°u*°P'*y''°'*'''''P°««es.'onthe understandmg that she took no other part whatever The nsason why I say this is because Imyself live U«> warned off three ' gatherings ' where I wa?! member, simply because I would reserve my right to mvited at Umes when my own band did not require nde more mflexible than that wielded by the elderaof thosetinygatherings. If a member does not s2"ve to jewith the ..al ruler of the meeting.^ ^ tC must leave even when, as sometimes does happen thev take half of the other members with them ' ^ The harmonium having been up«ared and a camp- gj srt for the player, a little hand-shaking e^S teh^een the members and a few unattached sym- P^tiusers whose habit it was to come to this piS- &"Tr*'^'^'''^^"'"'«y- Thenarin^i «S f ^'."""^ °'^"«' "P '^ ''hort. emS ^Jton for guidance, for wisdom, for success. ThaS «d«l. he looked round and said. 'Brother Saul ^e g,ve out a 'ymn?' Immediately Sau Sff^T";:- ' "^^ '" * *"* '«"■*«»>«' voice, with ^^tt^book hjs whole face aglow, recited th'e fim " « emphatic announcement of the number. One 48 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST chord on the hannonium, and all the memben struck at once Into the song, the meeting waa fairly under wdgfa. As each verse was sung Saul redted the next, so that if by any chance the singing should make the words indistinct, no one present might have any excuse for saying they did not know what they were singing about Then Jemmy produced his b'g Bible and read the 5SU1 chapter of Isaiah, It was a great mistake which he always committed, but which nothing would induce him to forego— a mistake because in the first place it undid all that had been done in the way of getting an audience together. At the com- mencement curiosity had led a few passers-by to stand and look on while the harmonium war '. -ing set up, the singing of the first hymn had attracted more, and by the time the singing was finished quite a compact little crowd had gathered. But it is a peculiarity of open- air audiences that you must not read to them. No, not even if you be that very rare bird, a good reader. You commence with a laige crowd of hearers, and when you lower your book from your eyes they have melted away. And Jemmy, as I have before noted, was not a good reader. So that when he had finished, the audience had departed as usual, and in order to collect another it was necessary to sing again. Then Saul, being again invited to give out a hymn, because he would presently be gone from their midst for another long voyage, volunteered to sing alone. He chose that most touching and tender little song from Sankey's collection, ' Jesus, Saviour, pilot me,' and sang it with all his heart in his voice. The lovely words might have been heard from end to end of die A SUNDAY EVENING ^ ~mmon, so clearly were they enunciated. It wa. «.y losee that the singer had no thought of paLZ the beauty of his voice; .11 he desirSwM^ h! WO.XJ. might sink into the souls^T^Z^^^, .tone dropped into water. When he c«SS^"re thousand people were standing spellbound listening on^brother : speak to 'em now. Vile you've «^ thSr 'tenUoniinthenameofGod.' ""gotineir inte^SoI: ^*^i"^ ^PP^^ntly token no notice of any fater^ption. followed up his song immediately by earllf r^M'"' '"*""' ^^'^ ^""^ ^'^ here on earth, a poor Man among poor men, He went about among the people doing good. He dS t^X Jbem w,th much talk, but He was always ready to JTh^; f ^'^ *" '»""e^' ^though to do this K^had to put out all the power that wL in hLIs God. When it came to gettin' food or lodgin' for Him- ^f. He was always dependenton other pLple; yo"ll tbSlfi."T\*'^ His mighty works'^^on^fo ., i ™ *'»**'' '''hy I'm here to-night Jesus has «ved me from my sins, has made me happy, though « poor as any one of you. has comforted^meTn ^ knehness. and is always teachin' me some new S b«iut.ful way of happiness ; an' how canTnStquS m .^boardin'-house or go out t' enjoy S^?'S «>ousan s of men an' women an' children in this great 50 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST London of ours that's utterly cast down, hopeless and despairin' because they don't know anyttiin' about the love of God for them, as shown in the sendin' of Jesus Christ His Son t' live and die for us ? Now, what I want you t' listen to about my Master is this. First of all. He loves you with an everlastin' love. Next, He wants you to know that He does. He's made all your sorrows His own ; there isn't anything that you suffer, whether yca've brought it on youi- selves or not, that He don't feel an' long t' help you bear or get free from. He wants you to come to Him ; He don't want you to go to a church or to a clergyman — that'll come in its right place if neces- sary ; but first of all He wants you to come to Him, and if any or all of you are thinkin' as I did, " Ah, that's all very well, but it don't mean me," I can only tell jrou what the Master says Himself, " Come unto Me, aU ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" You all know very well that I'm not talking about somethin' I ain't f< I'm one of yourselves, a man that's been pretty . i\\ knocked about, not only here in my n^i've towi., but all over the world. I know what it is to b^ out of work an' hungry, to be lonely an' ready to fling myself into the river to get out of my misery. An' I know somethin' about the lot of the poor woman that has to toil early an' late to keep a lazy, drunken husband, an' the \ildreii he's begotten as well. Besides all these, I know what the life of a forlorn an' friendless child itself is. But I don't know anjrlhin' about these things like the Lord Himself does. I can't feci anythin' like the sympathy that He feels for the weary, the sick, an' the sorrowful. An' as to love. AJ SUNDAY EVENING ^ the Ro„,a„ i" seSht "T^ u'"" ''^^' His heart broke when hI '^"^}^ " *>*!> h« spear, ones He ca«e to LTcI."!'*? ""' '^^'3' »"ff«rin' fc,m Him, for. my di o„« ?i „ P^.'"™^'' **»y verenceforHisaJi^SS ^ "^'^ *"* »" «>- do He can't »ave"?„' ^„tj;;^;"'„r"«"!««'» only one person stands bet" 1 " '"* "'™- There', one here an' salvaSm ^Zt^^"!^ ^' ^'"derin' 111 go further tSn it ,„^''' ^'T'^ "^ h«"elt that there's only one Zy into 7 *"^ *" "^ '»«« utter sepa«Uon frem SS a^ t£^. °"'" I"'"''" °f the crucified Son of God ' ****'«''«• th« body of 'But some of von L-.. i gettin'savedmeanrw^fl.::'' T' "^''»* ''°« man. wanting wo«is badly to Zl?lC ^'^""^^ far as I've been able to^u^^ u ^y^^^' »>« " Men an- women. WiX n T"' ^'"' '^''*'« <■««• fond of talkin' liut^hS ^^"k'''""*'^' "» ^ ""^n? I can see now ^L "f '^^ ''"* '^''»t do thej ««« thing. and^Ck^l "T* ^^^^ ^ '"*' ^^e 0' felier. I meantT^ I " !^' *" °">«'^ Wnd felt inclined to i th^ L^^ "^ *" ''^ '^''•t^ver I an' I couldn't see^Z- Lh f" '""'" ""^'^y- "ot only was IwS . ".^ 'T**"'* t^^t I was, that ■ny own'^^vii d JreX thlr '^ '"''"* ^'^^-y ^ "•bbin' ^v.rybo^yT^V' "om' so I would be •'ftheirlibe^rTheSs J°"'r* '^'^^ °' «"»« ,1^ fit to beTrusted JS SiZ'' "*"' **■"'* "°"« «f '|8''t of God, unders^d J^r*" *'*' ^''t'^out the Jfek&ramiUw^Sl L ' "^ ^^^JT ^*°P »"* 51 THB APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST rulen an' overcome thetn do as soon as ever the victory's won ? Why, choose another ruler. Because they know that without some strong one to rule over them, no one would ever dare to go to sleep, for fear of what some of his unruled and unruly neighbours would be up ta Now what Jesus means by salvation U, first of all, being set free ' om the terrible slavery of sin. An' He does this in the only possible way, by puttin' His owi. life into you, His own nature, which, instead oi lovin' sin and bein' its groanin', achin', yet willin' slave, hates it, shrinks from it, can't put up with it, can't allow of its presence any more han light and dark can exist together. Next He sets us free from the fear of life, thortal life. I useter think that the fear of death was greatest, but when I see how many men an' women fly to death because they're afraid f live, I come to the conclusion that it isn't dyin', but livin', that's the most terrible. As to dyin', well, when we have been bom agen, death becomes a word without any meanin' as far as we're concerned, because we know that as soon as our little bit of mortal life is done down here, and we're set free from this poor shaky house of ours with all its aches an' pains, ve shall enter upon a new career of glorious usefulness fai the other world. ' I put that side of salvation last because it right- fully comes last There's no Christian worth callin' one that comes to Christ for the sake of his or her own safety, just because there's heaven on the other side of the dark river. Christian, I believe, means Christ's man, Christ-like, and if we are that, we want to do the work among our poor brothers and sisters down here, not because we're goin' to get paid for it A SUNDAY EVENING with heaven, but becuM His love b .heH oK j / our hearts, and we can no ™ c . "^"^ '" "Other tin we r„SpWfr Him '^'T» ''"« •nd gave Himself for J AnvLS, k'"''" ''^'■"' "» self that they'll come toCl2t1^^u^T^ " '«"• i. in a bad wa •. ?^£ S^ J" ^'»« ^''^X can get byrepe„tance',brS^wCan'?h ' '^V^^'^^^ long deaf to the call ot^SZu '^l^' ^'"« »" take up any more le b^ul^,? "",»"'"'' waitin' to tell ve hert«'n ♦•. , *' others a- that Jesu. i.hjrdin-?ut to '" 'S"iu1t"'' ^T^^""- ;^n. ye that If ye don't un^ersU^ TZ'i^^ you should be^illing o forsakt 1^^-''""*'' " *^' to Him. If you tell'nimTjnCk hLT "T the way clear to ve H.'it - i • ., """ *o make else caa The^rno 1^'' '""^^ '•""«'' ""^bod/ ignorant or iZVt?edTat°i,e7ert "h''"" ^ how to come to Jesus wh^ t "*'^„?" * understand ^wtocom. iT:nt^}T^p^';'''^^^? P«>p ecan do for.you is to point th ^^.'u^ « v °^' He ,s the ^y an' the truth an' th, I-fr f/,. man cometh unto the Father bu. n S^cS.I'.^.-.-r- - "» »^ ■ . Now while Saul had been speaking there h«H k-^ v« «». p^« »^, .^ .» »o:^^„":^ 'hat : 10 Afay t on, 54 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST in what was being said, could nowhere have been found. Upon these people the problems of life press with an almost crushing weight, and it is one of the most pathetic as well as one of the most hopeful signs that tiiey are so eager to listen to the Gospel from anyone in whom they feel confidence and who will not talk dreary nonsense to them in a conventionally lugubrious voice. But had it not been for Jemmy's tact many of them would have edged away as soon as Saul's address was over. That experienced tactician, however, had, while Saul was speaking, chosen a sacred song with a rousing chorus, and the moment the speaker ended there was ah outburst of song which held many of those who were minded to depcut and attracted more from the steady stream of passers- by. As soon as the last chorus died away Jemmy sprang to the front, casting his hat recklessly upon the ground at his feet, and cried, ' Glory be to God for His precious promises, an' fur th' big way He fulfils of 'em ! Don't go fur just a minute, w'ile I tells ye somefink as'U interest ye. There's lots of ye 'ere as knows me an' my farver, knows what we useter be. Knows, too, wot manner o' men we ben sence Jesus saved our souls, an' 'ow we ain't never ben tired o' comin' out 'ere t' tell ye 'ow great fings th' Lord 'as done fer us. An' I'm shore there isn't many of ye wot thinks, after all these years, 'at we've ever made any money out of our labours among ye. Well, the reason w'y I says this is becos we're a-goin' t' 'ave a 'all, a place where, w'en it's a-rainin,' or too cole f expect ye f stan' out 'ere an' lissen to us, we k'n invite ye in aui' give y' a seat But we're all like yerselves, pore workin' people, an' unless y' 'elp us, A SUNDAY EVENING 55 aioney. An if any of you can't afford even a oennv wy come an' do a bite- graft. We're SnTS so as there sha'n't be any money spem^?S laS' ony matenal, an' we',1 give ye a'e^y J^f^m ^n" Sild'^^er'' -- ^" ^-^- ^- t?em ^ca:? h,lf^!l^ "?«'''" ha- hardly concluded before a brieht half-crown cameflyingover the heads of those nearest ^^e«,rsor of a shower of coins whose jSgle 3 TJ2t ^^"^ ^ ^*^"°"'' """P^. Women and ch Idren on the outskirts of the crowd besought no'sfn : • °^^y ^^ t''*" because they had nohiagtog.ve. And when the hymn ceased ani ^a. SifuiTe."""*"'' J"""'"^' "^ f-« ^-^t ma joyful tears, announced to the crowd that .ndth"«stofT.' '*"'*''°" ^""""^ ^« *''«^'"'=e. and the rest of that meeting was a time to remember Whi e one brother or sister was busy sinrin^ «; ^k.ng of the boundless love of tTe Sef Z ^r^ '" *'f """"'"^ "^ «'^ Son, the ofte« i^ iSt'^^'^r" '" ''"'""^ "™«t appeal's ^aJS^ " ** ^^y- °'°«' knowledge of this wonderful salvation for all. And the S of it^ S6 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST was the utter absence of noise, of factitious excite- ment such as, alas 1 too often disfigures meetings of the kind and b^uilesmen and women into mistaking it for a change of heart And when, after nearly three hours of preaching, prayer, and singing, the almost exhausted little group invited all present to sing ' Praise God, from whom all blessings flow,' there was hardly one of all the great crowd assembled who did not attempt to add his or her voice to the swell of thanksgiving. But, better still, six new adherents signified in unmistakable terms their willingness to become members of the company of God's children, only asking humbly for such help and teaching as the preachers could give them. Their names and addresses were teken. Alas ! there was no room in Jemmy's little front parlour to invite them there for further talk on the all-important subject, but that hindrance only stimulated the resolve of all the dis- ciples to spare no effort in order to get the ' Hall ' ready soon for the reception of worshippers. So the little band moved off the fast-darkening common, weary almost to dropping in body, but in soul so happy, so uplifted, that it may well be doubted whether among all London's seething millions there were aay hearts lighter than theirs. When they reached Jemmy's door and shook hands before separating for the n^ht, they were nearly speechless, almost unable to murmur the usual 'Good-night, and God bless ye." And long after they had departed little groups of their late hearers still remained eagerly discussing the wonderful things they had seen and heard. Besides these things, there were in six poor homes A SUNDAY EVENING j, adjacent that night to be found a man or woman to whom the doon, of the Kingdom had ^n oZe? who for the first time in their lives had rellisSZ: franscendentfactofthe Fatherhood ^GSTh^! mumate witi» them looked upon them cuS^sly ^r ^Jng mightily what st^nge thing had come to Z^ But to such mquiries as we« made-inquirL wC returned brief, quiet answers, speaking like Jmi- under tiie influence of a great a,^^ a f -T ^^ * might weU do, seeing thatT;Sbutn.;ltt?r:j one wh, more mysterious ti,an ordiniy bS and2 li^ul ''"""^ '" "*^"«^ "^^ as birthTs to th^ CHAPTER VIII PREPARING THE SANCTUARY Long and loudly knocked the policeman at Jemmy's door the next morning before his assault upon die knocker per.etrated the heavy slumbers of that worthy disciple. For it had. l>een close upon mid- night before he sought his bed, having sat long over his frugal supper, telling enthusiastically to his wife the glorious happenings of the day. It was a peculiarity of Mrs. Maskery's that while, as we have seen, occasionally sarcastic at her husband's expense and a severe critic of his obvious shortcomings, she yet took a certain proprietorial delight in his successes in the Gospel field. Doubtless she felt in some dim, indefinable manner she enjoyed a vicarious goodness, that Jemmy's unquestionable merit in a Christian direction partly communicated itself to her as his wife. She listened with much interest on Sunday nights to his fervent, joyful descriptions of the meet- ing, putting in a shrewd remark at intervals, and occasionally uttering some condemnation upon a brother or sister whose proceedings had met with her disapproval. About the new departure she offered no opinion ; she was evidently taking time to con- sider it in all its bearings. And this was rather disconcerting to Jemmy, who was evidently anxious mPARmO THE SANCTUARY „ Bang, bang, crash, crash, went th« u , Jemmy ro led out of heA=.„^.V uf . "* ""locker, throwing the lower sS T T^l*^ '° *' ^'''dow. right. jL' 'ZiTiZ^f calh-ngsleepily, < All' - • We,,, that's' a";X Tlc'^r ?rT you was dead Tf. fi,„. . i . ' ' thought much timeTo w«tl rvo„' °"''.^' y°" '^"'t got boiler-tubes afor^^x G^'* ^"'i' *' ""'"P *««« went the sp^ker to ^ "T'"*^" ^nd away some other !S;y ^^^^7 ¥h '"""t •"-" activity. Jemm/ was out S the J"' ^^ '''*° minutes, and onlv ,torl- r ''°"'"' '" twenty 'or a h^'porth ys<:SSS"^co£e Utl?' *- w^ IX;- -r- - tt cimt^ss; thc.es. 4etitarar^-rt.ir^^ bcfo«hTre^"i^rhTL'" ';"-■- •'-^«'*t struck, and h^was K^lSf'T.''''^^^" **'''*^J' had black that a pi^o{^fZ^''^L'^ ^^ '^'^' ^ -k on him'; v<:;'ti:ed:"tutrtarSl V'"* because, having done such a <,r^ - "^ J°y- felt free to devote the^ J^, T""""^' '""^' ^^ all. was the main busi^ „?? f7 '° what, after the Master. Th" very S„fh. r "^'' ** ^'"•'=« ^^ without waitingforM^Sn^^?f" "^^ '*'•»• ««d of orde«, he ■ dSnS w™l!^*°"°P "P '" ^^''^^V ciothes. TJZJ^TlXrs'^uV'' "^^ out doing some small ,L- f' ^^^^''^'y was ?«>»Ptiy'to The p.iUr or\'; "^^^ ^/ -y in a voice unsteady ^^th .* ''°*'^^*'> «"d, unsteady with emotion, professed his 6o THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST readiness to become the tenant of the premises at an annual rental of lil, payable quarterly, and to do all that might be necessary to make the place fit for his purpose. But at the outset of the nqrotiations Jemmy's faith was put to a somewhat severe test The landlord refused to listen to any less term being entered upon than seven years, and he also required two other persons to associate themselves with Jemmy in the responsibility of finding the rent This latter demand was made, of course, because he knew Jemmy well, and did not for one moment believe in his ability to pay another 15/. yearly. The strain only lasted for a minute, thtn Jemmy's face cleared again, and he agreed to the proposals, feeling sure that he could find easily two brethren who would become his co-trustees. Handsel money was at once paid, and the bargain so far concluded. Armed with the key of the place. Jemmy hastened thither at once, as if treading the clouds. We had better accompany him and view the premises. In their entirety they consisted of an oblong brick building with a slated roof, rising from both sides to a ridge in the centre. One end of it abutted upon the back-yard walls of the houses in Wren Lane, the other was bounded by ao open yard fenced in by tall palings and prolonged to a sharp angle. It was approached on either side from Wren Lane by narrow alleys, at the entrances to which rooms had been built across from the adjacent houses, forming low archways and making the place gloomy in the extreme. Of course, it was no part of the Vestry's duty to either clean or repair these alleys, equally of course they did not need lighting out of the parish PREPARING THE SANCTUARY 6, Attds. Inside, the buUding was divided by a brick for aevend horses and a donkey. There ,JL at^! door admitting into either sidT of the stebTrh^ T one small door opening into the 'uli^^ ' ^"* °"'^ ^ tte'swL^W !!i*u""''P^"^"'= «»•''*"« that s^ anrs^;rTb'si'r'""«^ 'pp*'**"^ p™- leaving the d^r^deoiL^ Sk"'''"' '■°' * *"'«• able to enterTfonndXj'thrfl'" ^"^""^ ''^ "^ the walls were SlXt S'^-^n'^"'"^ powths of hideous apL«nce ^J.h ^^ ""^''' «n ♦!._ „ r\ "f pcarance, and the one window (m the roof) was so encrusted with dirt that it w« "° *^y "«««• to distinguish it <« a wS?ow Tn C £m?s- bJT "^^u"" ~"'^«^ »"J , Jemmys. But he saw beyond the filth fK- squalor, and the gloom. The oIa«. 1 '"'th the as it woulrf r..^- *i V P *^* appeared to him 6» THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST man, you got yer work cut aht for ye 'ere, an' no mistake. Fust of all we mus' git this yere muck dug aht from underfoot an' carted away somewheres ; blessed if I know where ever we sh'll shoot it Oh, yus I do, though ; Sammy Corkran, the gardener, '11 be glad of it if we'll shoot it w'ere 'e wants it, for it's almost pure cowdung. These yere walls '11 'ave ter be scraped right inter the very bricks, well lime- washed, an' then, if it'll run to it, we mus' have 'em clap-boarded. Cost about thirty bob at six bob a square, I s'pose. Then we'll want a lot o' soda for that there roof ; that'll be th' wust job of all, I reckon, 'cause it's reglar 'ung wiv dirt But, bless th' Lord, if our 'earts is in th' work we'll soon alter the look o' th' place. Lord, stir up th' brethring, yus, an' th' sisters too, like Ne'emyer did of old, and don't let there be any 'angin' back wotever. Now, lemme see, I mus' go an' borry some barters, an' shovels, an' scrapers, an' planks, an' buckets, 'an see about a 'orse and cart for th' dung. Got no time t' mooch about 'ere any longer.' So saying he sprang outside, locked the door and trotted off at his best gait For the next two hours, then, Jemmy was full • of business, borrowing such tools as he knew were necessary, and ordering materials against the grand onslaught to be made that evening. Anri it was not until everything was fairly in train ; he was suddenly aware of a certain vacant feeling, at the pit of his stomach, warning him that his healthy body required a little attention as well as his soul. Having threepence of his own about him, he turned into a coffee shop and ordered a 'pint o' corfee an' three slices ' for his refreshment His order was filled by a PREPARING THE SANCTUARY 63 her hands? and shouted «rS!'^^ "P* *"«• Lord !■ so loudfy STtlS; o^SL'Sr ""^ ** .ho^.to,id J reedi„rin\t;jur^:,rr :: Md peered over to see what the noise wT A^th^ 8irf felt full of cn-barrassm^^^^' PL^-- certain ivii>f oi._ l ^ ' experienced a «pSatiof ?,1°' 1'" ""'^ "P'^*^^^- ^^^i sh™;t!!l u,? J^"""y' '*° customers and the »hor?eeper. while disclaiming stoutly anv id«. «f 64 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST evening, and to acquaint them with the progress he had made. By the time he had done so it was six o'clock, and he must needs hurry home to change his clothes and get some tea. During that meal the happy little fellow heard his wife's conversa- tion unheedingly— it might have been a bumble-bee droning in his ear for all he knew of the import of her words. Suddenly, as if awaking from a dream, he said, 'Well, dear, I'm off. Gord bless ye, ole dear, Gord bless ye;' and making a dash at the door he vanished. Straight as a homing bee, he made for the cow- shed off Wren Lane, only stopping at an oil-shop to buy a pound of candles. When he arrived he was delighted to find, blocking up the door of the newly taken premises, a collection of shovels, barrows, buckets, and planks. Hardly had he noticed them before several figures, four men and one woman, emerged from the gloom and approached him, saying timidly, ' We're come t' 'elp if there's anything we can do.' 'Do!' shouted Jemmy, ' I should fink ye could do somefink. You just wait till I gets inside an' makes a light, an' then you'll see.' As he spoke he was exceedingly busy unlocking the door, and having gained admission he soon lit up the den with his candles, stuck wherever a projection could be found. Then mustering his forces, he set them to work excavating the filthy flooring and wheeling it out to where a waggon was waiting to receive it. The helpers, both men and women, toiled like beavers, and the work, unsavoury as it was, went on with marvellous celerity, so tlat in less than two hours the overlying mass of dung had been removed and a PREPAWNG THE SANCTUARY 65 the wall, as ifX ^oufd "nSeT'*^'' ""P'"^ those who had any S ^T " "'^"''' ""^'^ measuring the floJ? for " „, ?^"*'^ '""* '""V matchboarding '** "''"'" '^'^ *« *»"» for apparentir Bv J" !?7 ^*'*' *** *'''" ''"^^ delight bSZught InTc Li^ ' *«'«"dous change had the «moSo;tt!?r"^r.°^'^'=P'^« through welLlhe^wa: a io^Srfl^' '* """^ ''" '^»>' -« But just as some oTt^^ ^'"^ '" *«' '=«■"''*'• thex^might n^J Xl'^.^ atthLr^ *•- home, a crv 6f H»i;„k* ^^'"'*7*s at liberty to go younger me^ml1teXn?f "' °"^ °' *'= the neighbourine fish sh^!u •'""'**'>' ^o"" stewed eels a I^H Sk • '^ ^"^ * *'" P*^' f"" of of sTes of b^' 'l^^f'"^ '"'J ^P-ns.and a basket up. and in fit^;„„t ST.^^t ^^^ .^^^^ Saul's bounty A «h„^ 1 ^ • ^ ''"*>' enjoying Jemmy folded Th^ ^«>Phftic thanksgiving from and i r^^y h,^" *; ^'^^ Doxology was sung. their several homes °'""*""" '''''P^'^d to CHAPTER IX A BUSY WEEK However Jemmy got through the week that followed I cannot tell you. Never in all his life had he been engaged in an operation of such magnitude before, never had he realised how mlHaey melts away like snow under a blazing sun when one is renovating the interior of a long-neglected building, and transforming it into something that it was never intended for. He was up every morning at four, and from then until he sank into his bed at eleven or thereabouts, he seemed to be crowding into each hour ninety minutes of hard labour. For although he did not dare to say so to anyone— pooh-poohed the idea, in fact, when other people only so much as hinted at it— he had high hopes of seeing the sanctuary ready for worship by Saturday evening. And by dint mainly of the self- sacrificing labours of himself and Saul, it came about that on Saturday the bright sunshine of the autumn morning shone down through the limpid panes of the roof window on to a place so transformed that one of its ancient denizens would certainly have refused to enter it, much less have given any milk there. The once fetid quagmire of the floor, cleansed even down to the gravel that underlay it, was neatly boarded in with well-fitting planks, the aforetime A BUSY WEEK ^ needed. As the ll^ *"*' " ^ 'Church' Sounds rathe, cJp.lS?„t '" ^h"' °' """ "«"• what I mean. That s.vnJrr ■' ^ ,"' ^°" *'*" «» of pitch-pine by . ioc i cTrp 'n^:^,:^"^' ^^^'^ »««•'» offering towards the rew i^ ^ ^^/^"«''* " W» delight of Jemmy's h^u TL"h ' "'*''' "«• forms for seats, four WinrfJ^ u • *'"* **« e'ght « Uny erectio/Si^d 17 ''r '^'^ *« P'«tfo^. 'Table 'consistedlf half a do "«'■*'"''' *'»"« «" joined and a couple of tin T" "'«'*'»»rds neat- it could ^ly^p^o^^^:TV' "'P^"- T'' ^ « .t o^lna^^ofpe, mLl'J^mr'" "°* "^-' wwCsc.riXrjr-rd'"'^- ■>•«. "'as, 11 must be admitteH tu/t. ^l- 'tem was a serious one after 7^^ k * **"" Jemmy consoled himself with IheLr^"''^'' outlay was well worth tL , /**''"& that the ■"^ht gleam of X sec^LT !,f "" '"' »* *«= door, and .pe,ledo*ttriyt^J'?P '''"''' ^^^ Mnonncing to all who chtl t^ J^ "P**" ** the ' Wren Une gTi^I m^- f*' '^** *« «^ AfriendintheC^iSL^Sr J' M«keo., Supt' «« Church a presSt^f tw!^J '" T** """^^ ""^e present of two dozen Sankey's Hymn- »a 68 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST books and a dozen Bibles, and behold, the 'Hall' was an accomplished fact Five shillings more than the whole amount which had been collected was spent, but that deficiency was made up by Saul with great goodwill, delighted, as he said, to be able to put his money to so good a use. I must not foi^et to state also that the first quarter's rent, 3I i5f., had been paid in advance by the mutual agreement of the three trustees. Jemmy, Brother Salmon, and Jemmy's father, old Bill Maskery, who now appears on the scene for the first time. And as he and his brother are destined to play an important part in our humble narrative, it may not be amiss to devote a fw lines to describing them upon their introduction to the reader. Thirty-five years before the time of which I am writing, there had been i. he purlieus of Walworth an area of so vile a character that it was not sur- passed in its bad eminence by any of the other London Alsatias. Into its precincts a single police- man never ventured ; even two did not dare to visit its intricacies except by day. The inhabitants were principally half-bred gipsies and Irish, with a sprink- ling of low Londoners ripe for anything, from rat- hunting to robbery and murder. I am not going to specify its whereabouts particularly, but those devoted missionaries by whose labours it has been greatly altered for the better will know it full well without my being more explicit. Conspicuous among the inhabitants of this terrible neighbourhood were the two brothers, Bill and Jack Maskery. They were both undersized men, Bill especiaHy, and, unless you were skilled in A BUSY WEEK 69 pfaysaognomy rather insignificant-looking. Now w«e I to tell the stoo^ of these fonnidablf broS as I have often heard it told by themselves .Vi S ^u|d no doubt be intensely interesting, but Uie ««tel nught prove to be highly inconvenient for me since to this class of man the written word seems o^ loS rX"""^'^'"^ "' '"'^'^^"^ -'- ^^^^ It must then suffice to say that they were both men much in need of regeneration, boTh f^S own sakes and that of their children, and with ttL mn^ous hint I must perfon:e be content. chf.«n! *^'^.«'°rthies were sweeps-at least, chimney sweepmg was their ostensible means of hvelAood. Both had been climbing-boysT the ^i«S"^''^T'"'='"**'"''>'*°*"^^<=h.?dre"wa; penmtted, and both earned a great many pounds in other ways than chimney sweeping ta T,;Ji ^ Weaver came to conduct a mission ui Penrose Street, Walworth, and was wonder- ful Messed of God in getting hold of some T te m^ dangerous characters in the neighbourhood Tbs conversion of tigers into lambs, for it las noS J^. caused «,me J,i„g like a panic to seize upon Sf to Peckham. It was the theme of nightly discussion m hundreds of low drinking dens, but the d1 JSe" wrc gomg over to the enemy and becomine— well it « .mpossible to set down here what Tdr I^y 70 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST chagrined fellows called them. At last, after a pro- longed and lurid argument, in which Bill had dis- tributed at least a dozen blue marks of his disagree- ment upon the faces of his cronies, the two brothers suddenly announced their intention of visiting the scene of Richard Weaver's labours and putting a complete stop to his strange doings. Fired by their example, a large number of their acquaintances followed them, and in due course, after refreshing themselves at several public-houses in the Walworth Road on the way, the company reached the hall just as Richard Weaver was pouring out his soul in prayer to the Most High God for the salvation of the sinners that had gathered to hear. The tumultuous entry of that ribald crowd created, necessarily, a g^eat disturbance, but the speaker only raised his voice and grew more emphatically fervent in his petition, until, as at a master word, the uproar died away, and the savages, for they were hardly to be designated by any other name, wriggl6d un- easily into seats and remained in stupefied silence. Suddenly the speaker passed from a loud 'Amen' into the announcement of a hymn : Come, Thou Fount of eyery blessing, Tune my heart to ang Thy pnue, and, without waiting for any fumbling among hymn books or preliminary playing of the tune, broke into the song itself, being instantly joined by a large number of his audience to whom both words and music were quite familiar. Spellbound, the new- comers sat and listened to the unfamiliar strains. Apparently their purpose in coming was quite A BTT3Y WEEK y, forgotten, and when the singing ceawd, and Ae preacher immediately plunged into a red-hot ton^nt of eloquence upon the subject of God's love for man STe ^esSnr "^"^ ""^ '^''^'^^ ^'^^^^'^ ''V For nearly an hour, the sweat streaming down his shming face he pleaded, warned, exhoi^ed, until suddenly as he had begun, he ceased his addr;ss aad began to pn»y that his hearers might then and there Everlasting Life. He did not finish that prayer StYft' " *^ ««^-*"« °f 't - voice aK.se fZZ midst of his audience, a curious hoarse cry of 'God save my soul.' It was Bill Maskery, smitJn to tte himself. Leaping to the occasion, the preacher spread outh« arms, calling in tones of melting sweeSi^ Come, my poor brother; come and be cleansed God wants you, Christ died for you, heaven waits for y|«.; come and be happy.' And. lite«lly obeying which he had often shown in bursting through a race owed by his brother, and. falling upon their knees ^pair confessed their acceptance of the mercy of Many more of their intimates followed their ex- rwir .ITl*'?'^''' """^ '°"g *° ^ remembered m Walworth, but of all the tn>phies of grace collected Their desertion from the devil's army caused soml wl^Jjh! ^ r!f ^ '^^ ^in-blighted neighbourhood where they lived, especially when they both showed ■J 2 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST the same sturdy regardlessness of all consequences in the New Way as they had always manifested in the old. They were both of them utterly illiterate, unable to read or scrawl so much as their own names ; but what of that? They set about learning. But mean- while they preached ; they gave evidence everywhere of the great change that had come over them. And before many days had gone by Bill had actually rented a small iron building that had been erected as a mission hall near his cottage, but had been given up in despair, and in it commenced nightly services on his own account, defraying all charges out of his own pocket. This he was well able to do, since he was a tremendous worker, besides being a bom money- getter, and as his usual expenditure on drink had been at the rate of nearly 2/. per week, he had nearly the whole of that sum to devote to the purposes of his new life. Jack, on the other hand, although decidedly more intellectual than Bill, had never been able to do more than make a bare living, no matter how he schemed. So, unable to set up a place of his own, and feeling for some reason that Bill ought to be permitted his own sphere of labour. Jack went about preaching independently wherever he was invited, and invitations were soon so plentiful that he had much ado to keep pace with them and to do his daily work also. He developed a wonderful power of exposition. Even before he had got into words of two ' sinnables,' as he always called them, his handling of a Scripture theme was the amazement of many of his hosts, who, wiA all their education, could not come anywhere near the utterly uneducated sweep. But we must here leave these two worthies for a A BUSY WEEK 73 Lttle and return to Jemmy. When Saturday came he found, to his almost speechless deUght, that all thmgs bemg now ready the Saturday evening prayer meeting could be held in the new sanctuary. As if fatigue was a meaningless word, he rushed hither and thither issuing invitations, his visage shining with such joy that only to catch sight of it as he trotted past made strangers feel a glow at their hearts. Eight ©dock came, and with it the congregation. The whole 'Church' turned up, as well as sufficient visitors to fill the little place to its utmost seating capacity, which was fifty-two. When all had found seats Jemmy sprang to his place upon the platform and, leaning over the reading desk, while the big tears of perfect happiness streamed down his face, gave out I i!?* **"'=-'*°no»"«d hymn, ' All hail the power of Jesus' >^ame.' But it had no sooner been started than the ^"^ accumulated strain deprived him of all power of singing, and he could only cling to the reading-desk and feebly murmur between his sobs, ' Glory I Praise the Lord, praise the Lord ! ' I know how easy it is to look down from a serene philosophic height and analyse poor little Jemmy's ecstasy; so easy to define it as a combination of fanaticism, nervous excitement, and ignorance ; but it came as near per- fect happiness as anything can do in this world. And in spite of scofis, of disbelief in such heart-quaking worship, the tremendous fact remains of the good hves being lived behind it. Now and then we find it spurious, now and then we find scoundrels, male and female, simulating it for profit ; but what does that prove? Only that cunning people consider it to be well worth simulating. We do not make imitations of 74 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST the false, but of the true. And I have no doubt what- ever that the superior persons who dislike any such exhibition as Jemmy was making of himself would have been highly offended at the self-sacrificing enthusiasm of the martyrs, at the fellowship with the Lord that has so often led men and women and children to follow Him whithersotvtr He led. The opening prayer was uttered by Bill Maskery, who, with his brother Jack, had come in during the singing of the hymn. He had a peculiar voice, that, beginning quietly in the male raster, suddenly jumped an octave as the speaker became mora fer- vent, and remained in that wonderfully penetrating falsetto until he had finished." ' Ho Lord,' he cried, ' oo is like hunto Thee hin Thy 'oly Temple I 'Ow marvellous are Thy works, arid Thy goodness to'rds Thy people. Thou 'ast pemutted Thy children to set hup hanother Tabbinacle hin the Wilderness. Yus, even hout ov the dung 'caps they 'ave bin able to build up a sanchuaty w'ere the light of Thy wus- shup shall be kep' a-bumin'. May the door of it ever be opened fur wusshup but wot Thy child'en shall git a personal 'old of Thee ; may Thy glory alwus be revealed unto 'em in 'ere, so as they sha'n't faint by the way, a-knowing wot you've got in store for them 'at loves Thee. Han' when the bread is broke an' the wine poured aht, may those 'oo eat an' drink know fur a certainty that You Yourself's ben a-breakin' an' a-pourin' for 'em. May they see Thee by the heye an' feel Thee by the 'and of faith so astinckly 'at their faith shall become certing know- ledge. May these yer doors never be hopened for A BUSY WEEK 75 the preacUn' hof the blessed Gorspel of Jesus wivout sobIs bdn' bom again ; in the years to come may thoosan's look back to ttua 'ere cow-shed as was an' say this is none bother than the gate of 'eaven. An', Lord, don't let anybody as works for Thee e'er do it fur money. We knows an' luvs lots o* Your dear child'en as do preach for money, but we don't want 'em 'ere. We all on us feels 'at we owes You all the light of our lives. We're Yours fur service, an' if You gives us souls for our 'ire we're mightily overpaid Fill all Thy people 'ere so full of love that it'll keep on a-bubblin' up an' runnin' over all round 'em. An' don't let any of 'em be mean. Keep 'em all a-payin' just a little more'n their share, so's t'elp any pore brother or sister 'at's dahn on their luck. An' don't let's 'ave no tattlin' er miscUef^naking 'ere. Do, dear Farther Gord, keep Thy people sweet, keep "em knit together in the bon's of love, and make this 'ere little 'ouse a centre of sunshine for all Rovcrhive For Christe's dear sake. Amen.' His voice had hardly ceased when Saul's splendid baritone rose with • Come, Thou fount of every bless- ing,' and the volume of sound as all joined in was so great that it seemed as if the walls must give way. Then the old tugboat man prayed, and so without a pause tte glorious spontaneous upheaval of praise and pr^er went on until lasa And when the door was opened to let the glad worshippers out, behold I the lane was full of people, who, attracted by the un- familiar sounds in such a place, had come to see what it was all about, and stayed, unable to go away. Then might you have seen Mrs. Salmon and the two 76 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST brothers Maskery, and Jemmy, intenKly busy. The outsiders were almost dragged within, an impromptu meeting was held, which lasted until midnight, and four unhappy ones professed to be cut loose from their sins and started on the starry way of Life Eternal. CHAPTER X THE FIRST SUNDAY IN THE NEW HOME Hi:.iPPiNESS being an entirely relative expression, meaning something diiTerent to almost every indi- vidual who sighs for it, there may be little use in attempting to explain how entirely happy were the various members of the Wren Lane Mission when they retired to their humble beds on that eventful Saturday night or Sunday morning. Jemmy was probably the happiest of all. First, because his sunny soul seemed always capable of absorbing more delight at any given time than the majority of his fellows ; secondly, because the dream of his whole Christian life had been realised, and he was nt w in charge of an actual ' Hall,' wherein soul-saving and soul- strengthening might be carried on free from the hampering hindrances of a small home ; and thirdly, because he honestly felt that he had been permitted to occupy a prominent place among those shining souls who loved God and panted to do Him service. Perhaps it rather added to than detracted from the intensity of his delight that when he returned to his home at 12.15 on Sunday morning, Mrs. Maskery, overburdened with her long day's struggle, met him with foo! words. His bounding step and bright face made her feel resentful. And we must sympathise 7« THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST with her. Only those who have managed a small house and a large family on a few precarious shillings a week in a great town know how heavy is the strain upon human endurance, to say nothing of temper. And after a while even a good wonuui, such as Mrs. Mask':^ undoubtedly was, is apt to forget the vast difference between a husband that has been out besotting himself at a bar and a husband who has been spreading the glad tidinga of the Kingdom of God. The one salient fact that the husband has been out of the stuffy, work-full home enjoying him- self amid congenial surroutgtflings overtops all the others, and the resultant complaints, generally unjust and always repented of, are of a severe character. And on this particular Sunday morning Mrs. Maskery, in addition to her physical wearine.ss, was fiercely enduring the penalty of overtaxed nerves, neuralgia. So that when Jemmy, all aglow with heavenly enthusiasm, burst into their stuffy little kitchen, ready to pour out his happy soul in glowing words, Mrs. Maskery, looking straightly at him, said: 'I sh'd like t' know w'ere you'vt been to till this 'ere time on a Sunday momin'?' The rest of the interview we must leave because of its private character, but it bore hardly upon the two actors in it Old Bill Maskery had borne his cross, too, and found it far heavier than hi? son's. He was eking out a greatly lessened income in his old age by act- ing as resident collector of rents and general care- taker of a local slum, a cul-de-sac bdiind a great flaunting public-house, consisting of about twenty mean little dwellings, not one of which was ever THE flRST SUNDAY IN THE NEW HOME 79 wnpty for a day. The inhabitants, male and female, were addicted to orgies, generally on Saturday nighte, of a particularly unpleasant and bloodthirsty nature. Hi^J'f'.'^r "^ »elf.contained as it were, they i!^ !"''"'^' "• *** »*^« exercises without i!?S^'l^ *' •*!''' '^ '*'"« " * fighting fringe did not overflow into the main thoroughfare. All the denizens looked to Bill as the arbiter of their dis- putes, the visible maintainer of order; but alas I only too frequently while he was endeavouring to carry out his onerous and thankless duties he got impartially banged and bruised by botii parties to whatever fray was going on. So on tills Sunday morning, when, with his heart as full of spring as his I>oor lower limbs were of sciatica, he came limping mto tiie court, he found it a seetiiing mass of riot, made hideous by the shrieking blasphemies of drunken women, tiie hoarse growHngs of dehumanised men and the wailing of neglected and trodden-upon duldren. His entrance was tiie signal for tiie atten- tion of all to be turned upon him, and it was not unhl he had received several ugly bruises and cuts that the uproar died down, anu the listening police- man m tiie street outside strode away witii a sigh of relief. ° Yet upon Bill's soul tiiese external troubles made no impression. True, he had been used to such scenes during the whole of his stormy career, and was. therefore, perhaps less liable to be horrified at them tiian even tiie most unsympatiietic outsider • but apart altogetiier from tiiat fact, he had arrived at ttat point of intimacy witii his Master when the things tiiat are not seen are tiie only realities, and tiie »«'C»OeOfY UBOUmON tbt chact (ANSI ond ISO TEST CHART No. 2) /APPLIED IM^GE In 165 J Ent Main StrMt Rpch««t»r. Ntm York 14609 USA (716) 483 - 0300 - Phorw (716) 288- 5989 -FoM 8o THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST things that are seen and felt physically are mere fleeting phantoms. To none of the other brethren or sisters had it been given to suffer in this wise on that Sunday morning. Brother Salmon turned up at the door of the Wren Lane Mission at about lOiS, a bottle of British port sticking bulkily out at the tail of his frock-coat, a newspaper-enwrapped bundle under one arm and a broom and duster in one hand. His face wore an expression of perfect contentment, of supremest satisfaction. It was the face of one who had by the sublime force of God's indwelling power completely laid aside all the worrying hindrances of life that affect the children of men from the gutter to the throne, who moved serenely in an atmosphere of eternity entirely permeated by the peace of God. Unlocking the door, which he fastened wide open, so that some at least of the stable smell mighi. exhale, he carefully laid aside his coat, murmuring as he did so, ' Must have some pegs put up for the brethren's gstfmente.' Then, solemnly as any Levite cleansing the sanctuary on Mount Zion, he plied broom and duster until all traces of last night's occupancy had disappeared. Carefully he arranged the forms along the sides of the ' hall ;' then bringing forward the trestles and placing them in position, he gently laid the ' table' upon them, brought the forms up to its sides, and, stepping back, contemplated the effect with a face that positively shone. The table was exactly similar to the arrangement he always erected for the purpose of his business of paper-hanging in any room that he might be decorating. But no comparison between the two found a place m hts THE FIRST SUNDAY IN THE NEW HOME 8, mind. ReverenUy he undid his newspaper parcel and unfolded a snowy white tablecloth, which he spread over the board. Upon it he placed the loaf he had brought, a fat tumbler from his coat-tail pocket, and the bottle of wine. Hymn-books were arranged around the table's edge, and then, all preparations completed, he resumed his co&t and fell upon his knees to enjoy a restful time of silent communion with his Master before the arrival of his brethren and sisters. Presently they began to come in, and at eleven the whole congregation was there, fourteen of them. Jemmy busUed in last, and after greetings had been exchanged the humble worshippers settled down into their places, with a feeling of much content, to commence their first worship hour in a new building. But they were not allowed to feel too complacent and comfortable. During the giving out of the first hymn an uneasy donkey in the adjoining stable lifted up his voice, and for a time rendered the reader inaudible. His un- tuneful vocal effort was almost immediately followed by a tremendous crash, some mischievous urchin, seeking an outlet for his superabundant energy] having huried a huge stone at the door with all his might The noise made all the worshippers jump and feel uneasy, but except for the momentary and mvoluntary movement not the slightest notice was taken of the interruption, and the service proceeded on the old familiar lines. But no sooner had the solemn eating and drinking ended than old Bill Maskery arose, with his well-worn Bible open in his hand, and announced that he would read a portion from the Word and say a word thereon G 82 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST for the brethren and sisters' behoof. He chose the chap- ter setting forth the dedication of Solomon's temple (I Kings viii.), and in spite of his painfully manifest limitations in the matter of reading, his extraordinary floundering and belling over unfamiliar words, suc- ceeded in riveting the attention of his hearers upon the wonderful description of the coming of the Lord God to His glorious habitation in Jerusalem. Then laying down the book and taking off his spectacles, the once truculent old man looked round upon his fellows and said : ' Beloved brethren an' sisters, we ain't got a temple like Solomon's was, but we've a-got a better one. Not, mind yer, as I means ter say anythin' agin Solomon, or 'is temple either ; but you know as 'ow we all believes as the day is jme w'en it don't matter a row er pins w'ere we wusshups God, so long as we does wusshup 'Im. I believe 'at we all feels 'at if it wam't fur the cold an' th' wet we wouldn't want no better templet' wusshup 'Im in than 'Is own great temple out o' doors, the bootiful sky over'ead and th' lovely green grass underfoot, an' th' sweet incense of fresh growin"crbshof th' field a-blessin' our nosterels. But seein' as 'Ee's placed us 'ere, thet cam't be— any- ways, not in th' winter time ; neither, seein' 'ow 'Is enemies feels tords us, can we remember th' Lord's death till 'E comes, in public. There ain't no shadder of doubt in our minds, though— is they ?— that th' Lord 'Isself 'ave made 'Is temple in our 'earts, our poor misbul little shrivelled-up 'earts, an' that there temple 's as much more glorious than Solomon's as a man's better'n a piece of hallybarster, er hany bother precious stone. 'Nother thing, bless 'Is 'Oly THE FIRST SUNDAY IN THE NEW HOME 83 Name, 'Ee knows 'at we shouWn' be able to wusshup Im in a bootiful buildin' at all ; we ain't ben used to .t We sha be a-lookin' roun' at the fineo' an' reckomn up ow many pore 'ungry people the cost on It all ud feed, an wen we got over that we sh'd begin to f^i stuck up corse we'd got such a grand place, thmkm more o' wot we could see that was temporal Osan wot we coodn't see that was eternal. Blesfthe dear Lord, brethring an' sisters, 'at we've got a water- tight roof ovei our 'eads, a snug place w'ere we can all come apart an' rest a while 'thout a-disturbin' of our pore little 'omes an' p'raps a-makin' unpleasant- ness. We are thankful, ain't we?' (Loud chorus of Amen 's and ' Bless the Lord 's.) K i.f ?u"T ^ **"*^ *•"■ **" y« *^ot's in my mind 7^}J^ *'** P'*"*- ^ ^'P°^ "'"> "ke hall the rest o th folks, more I gets more I wants ; 'n' it's bore in on me at this place ain't a-goin' t' be near big 'nuf !S w . ^^" *f .*''«=' "«t P»*« «^n- -Corse ^yf Were a goin' f get the people in 'ere werry noomrus,-an' lots on 'em '11 want baptisin', an' we'll want our own pool, an', an' Oh, glory, Hi don't see no end ner limit t' wot th' Lord's a-goin' t' do fur us an' wiv us s'long-s we're faithful. That's it. Thet's the word Hi ben a-wrastlin' fur. "Be ye faithful unter death 'n' I will give ye a crahn o' life." Yus ttat means as we've got ter be faUhful t' 'Im fust' Uien t hour brethring an' sisters, then t' hourselves' ' 1 ve a-seen so many bright 'opes fade just 'cause men an women wasn't faithful. They got 'fraid lest some- bcdy else would be a-comin' th' double over 'em in some way or other, 'r else they got some maggit m their eads concerning justification er saactif5cation. 84 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST er somethin' with a long 'ard name 'at they didn't know th' meanin' of, an' they went an' bu&ted up the 'ole meetin' 'cause they couldn't git other people ter see same as they thought they did. Now, brethring an' sisters, don't you get thinkin' 'at I'm a-losin' 'ope 'cause m talking like this. I ain't. I'm a-gettin' old nah, an' fur many, many yeers th' goodness an' mercy of God 'as foUered me all my ways. But I've a-leamed 'at God's childun ain't never left to 'emselves to do wot's wrong. They gits pulled up sharp w'en- ever they makes mischief, an' if they ain't, w'y ter me that proves as they ain*t God's childun at all An' so I says ter you, dear ones, be keerful. Don't lissen t' houtsiders, don't believe hany hevil hof a brother 'less you can't 'elp yoreself, an' then go ter the brother fust an' see wot 'ee's got ter say afore you makes a rah. Don't be mean. God's genrus, an' God's childun orter take arter their Farther. If yore mean, you know very well wot'U 'appen ; two or free of us '11 'ave 'eaps o' truboel a-scrapin' the rent o' th' place tergewer. You ain't got no minister t' pay, y' ain't got no pew rents ter pay, y' gits yer Gospel mighty cheap. Jist see t' it 'at y' don't try t' git it fur nothink, 'cos y' know 'as well 's I do 'at wot don't corst y" nothin' y' don't value much, unless it's the salvation wot y' cam't buy. Don't think I'm too 'ard, please don't, fur I love yer with all my pore 'art, I do hindeed. An' p'raps all I've tried ter s'y might be better said in th' words o' John, " Little childun, love one another, fur God is love." ' The old man sat down, tears flooded his scarred and rugged red face, and even had there been any resentment at his outspokenness, it must have been THEnKSTSUN..vXKTHB.HWHOMKs, They all k„e. hfsTtoZtw"*,,^ !"'^ "^''"«- his words were the outcome of 7' '^' '^'* ""« *«» 'edge ; and doubtless Ee we- ^'^f '''"^' ^"-^- made that by thehelp o/gSS'^^""' "'«"^« would never give God cause to"".*'"*' '''^"'^'"ff them in their present Ssh.£,"'^'"'j"""&P'»«d. mmutes „o„e of them^S"' "S" ^% '°'"'' ^'^ diffidently to his feet said^.p P*" ^'*"'' "■*'"» old brother's said we ™„sT?eckeS""' '" ""''*'«' but wisdom. Anvhou, T. ^*''**"'"e as not only truth 'Vc got f leave ye'Sie'elcT"' *' *'^ " *' ''-^■ a long voyage, but I've d?te™!^J^T "i^^' "^""^'fo^ «y a word fur Him evet Tav no ^ ^'' ""'^P ^ costes me. An' I'm a-eS t-7' r *"*"•"■ "''''t it the little mission here aL \ ^"^^ '^' *" °^y°». an' -know I've left it S; the^"' ^ half-pay, you k^oi P'rap^Ioughttoivfor^' benefit of the mission, oT ■•'-■iIdom'ehe%To'a°-„^"f.;causeIkC come back terfind the W«„ ut J- •" ""'"■*' ^ '"'all I'ke a green bay tree^ nl^ J*"''°" «-«°"rishin' waters. An' if I don^ '^"1"', ''^ « ''"ver of livin' claimed me for a part oJt^e ??'• """ ""^ ''«-'n* workers-well, it's all ril. k. °" " '^''es of its SO where I ca^ do ever fo'm 'S' /'' ''°^'' '^ ' ""-" can do here.' """='* better than ever I wusship by singin' 86 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST « All hail th' power hof Jesus' Name.'" Swiftly all present sprang to their feet, and under Saul's leader- ship sang the grand old hymn with tremendous vigour, if with little attention to time or tune. Then old Bill pronounced the benediction as solemnly, and doubt- less as effectively, as if he had been the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the first Sunday meeting in the Wren Lane Mission Hall was over. The collection from sixteen people amounted to twelve and sixpence, half-a-crown of which came from Saul and two shillings from Bill. But the members ' could not so readily disperse. They must needs discuss the establishment of a Sunday school in the afternoon and a Band of Hope for some week evening. There were no original thinkers among them, and so, although perfectly independent, they were compelled to proceed on orthodox lines. And if any suggestion had been made to Bill of innovation in any direction whatever, he would certainly have discountenanced it vigor- ously, having had some dire experiences in th?t line during his Christian career. So it came co be nearly one o'clock before they separated for their several homes, that little band of worshippers, whose ideas were as simple, whose motives were aa pure, as those of the first disciples of our Lord. Not very respect- able, not very knowing, but intensely in earnest to know God and keep His commandments in Biblical fashion. Moreover, all v :;re looking forward with eager desire to the evening, when, in the strength of this close communion of theirs, they should go out to carry the war into the enemy's country, unaided by man, ill equipped in every human detail, bat with at) THE „MT SO»MV m THE mw HOME ., Most High God. '^"^ *^* '«""«' of the -cc^mpaS^^rrLl^rnt ^^^ ^"""">'* ««" odour of nMst.n^wL.S' ""^ '^'»'^ '>>' »« Saul saad. wouId'alt^tX^^S m'"^ "''^' " The passage was full of fount lS?i^ *^ ''PP**^'*'- stages of growth h,,f =n ^?^,^ Maskerys in various the darksome but JSesstvdernt^^^'"''"^"'*'""' family spent most o^SS^Hl'^Mrf M " r'"*'" *" her heated face from the To^L7!'h ^^"""^ ""'^^ ing, and said : ^ '"* '^'^ '^'" diligenUy carv- worZ°?hira;"ai:;?vnr"' J ^■'"' ^^ --^ don't git none put aw^ t" rtmi^oh^T r'"'^^'^'' "Otice yer; sit rieht do^l. ■0''.Saul, I didn't •ome. No; the" SaSv «^' "" ""'' ^^^'^ «* there was an fnit fih""; Se? 'r'^' ^"'^ quite still in vrb^t.^%%^''l;^'^'^y'^''^ning occupy at the moment Td M *^?' ,*='>«noed to standing with one TnH^ .i*'"- ^^''*»y h^self stuck in^theToinTa„d^L^h*^'"5.*' "^"^ ^rk ' Thank (V^ f fte other shading her ey«, ^-ugt^jL^^hS'tr'L^d "^J! ^ ^"^ "'■"-• Sally, a mite of six^ and i.^'^i'- ^T""' ""mured gan to circulate ^^i^erh^"-'*' *^ ^"'''^ '^■ portion of beef. potato^V^i ^.f^"^ '*" ''"« P'o- gnivy, whirthrSS^SM'^°^*^«)'^"n«a„d younger could^n'puTatftitr J- "^ "^ *^* «^« manipulate their portions with spoons. 88 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUT "^ The plates were odd ones, the knives and . .ks we' r of all shapes, sizes, and dates ; there was no cruet or glasses, only mugs to drink water out of; but in spite of all these drawbacks it was a good mea!, heartily enjoyed, and served with as much care and neatness as was possible under the circumstances. If only some of our woU-fed clubmen could appreciate any of their costly meals half as much as the Maskety family and their guest did that day, I am sure they would never Ix grudge a doubling of the fairly high prices cLarged them. But enjoyment is not to be bought A temporary diversion of a skirmishing kind took place while the pudding, a I uge ball of dough studded sparsely with raisins, succeeded the meat and vegetables, for nearly all hands were pressed into the service of clearing away, washing up such phtes as were required for the second course, and settling down into their places again. Bu' ->resently that pleasant lassitude that succeeds a goud meal supervened, while Jemmy mentally calculated how much longer time remained to him before it would be necessary to set out for the ' Hall,' to make ready for the embryo Sunday school. Then up spake Mrs. Maskery: 'You two men better git inter th' f ont parlour w'tle we clear the things orf th' table ; yore only in th' way 'ere, 's men gen'Uy are 'bout a 'owse.' But if her words were rough, her manner was genial, bringing quick response from Jemmy, whose sunny nature was always on the alert to re- spond to a loving word or look from anyone. So he and Saul removed themselves into the best room, and there, to the unmusical accompaniment of dish-clattering and incessant shrill orders to the THE i^IRST SUNDAY IN THE NEW HOME 89 juvenile wsfatants from Mrs. Maskery. they sat in Jemmy suddenly sprang energetieallj to his Z hej^ng the chimin? of the half-hou^ aSd n five mnmes they were both making .apid way toward CHAPTER XI THE FIRST SUNDAY IN THE NEW HALL- AFTERNOON AND EVENING Commencing the last chapter with the full intention of living up to its title, and comprising within its limits all the doings of this memprable first Sunday, I soon found that, unless I made up my mind to prolong it to a most inordinate length, my idea was impracticable. For reminiscences of the period about which I am writing are revived so rapidly by one another that embarrassment of riches soon sets in, and the difficulty of select'->n becomes even greater. Howevrr, I am fntitetul to know that hitherto no one has hirited at the possibility of my using padding ; the complaint has always been that I have com- pressed too much, and so I hope it will continue to be. Therefore, let us at once repair to the ' Hall ' with those two earnest apostles, Saul and Jemmy, whose minds were full of the possibilities of extended service opened up, of fresh opportunities of well-doing. But they were hardly prepared to find their most sanguine expectations overtopped. To begin a Sun- day school v'ith about a dozen youngsters, and gradually by careful working to increase the number until tue < Hall ' should be full, had been their idea. And lo 1 when they arrived, there were over thirty THE FIRST SUNDAY IN THE NEW HALL 9, childrcj, clustered jiround the door waiting, not too patiently, for it to be opened, although it wanted full S^h2T', °^ ^^t "PP ''""^ time-three o'clock. Delighted almost beyond bearing. Jemmy bunt in among them, unlocked the door, and in five minute- by the children's xwlling aid, he had got the t^Mo cleared away, the forms set in order, hymn-bo, given out. and the portable harmonium placed in a promineiv position. Punctually to the moment arrived the player, that willing worker whose pecu- liar loyalty to her own people did not permit her to u>crs*i/> with the Wren Lane folk, while leaving her free to assist them in r ays like the present Being the first o ision of the meeting of the school, the accommodation was very incomplete- but this, so far from causing the children any annoy' an-e. only heightened their enjoyn it of the gip.y. bke character of the proceedings. \ chapter from Jemmy, a short prayer from Brother Salmon, and a couple of hymns, with rousing choruses, made a spinted opening to the proceedings, and then, step- ping forward to the verge of the little platform Jemmy said: 'Deer childun. I don' know 'ow To tell ye ow gl«l I am ter see so many of yer a-comin' ere this fust Sunday we've had the " 'All " It's like the deer Farther 'Imself a-tellin' me 'at th' place wos badly wanted. An', please Gord. we'll 'ave some more forms by next Sunday. None of yer sham't avet set on the flore (though I b'lieve ye likes it better n a good seat). Nc, we'll 'ave heverythink ngged up all right for ye be nex' Sunday. An' nah our dear Brother Saul 'ere '11 tork f yer. Ee's agoin' away acrost the great oshun, an' weny likely 'e wn't 9a THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST be able to meet wiv any feller Chrischuns for r/usshup until Gord brings 'im back agen safely t' bus. 'N so I wornt ye t' lissen t' 'im wiv all yore 'earts, an' re- member wot 'e sez t' ye. Bruwer Saul, will ye speak nah?' Saul in reply made one step from his lowly seat on the floor to the platform, lifting with him the fair-haired little son (four years old) of Jemmy Maskery. For the child had gone to sleep, and Saul would not relinquish him to his father. Thus he stood before his expectant audience, his face shining with love and sympathy for the youthful pilgrims confronting him. When he spoke it was in a falter- ing voice, for his feelings almost overcame his ability to put them into words such as children use. At last he b^an. 'Dear little boys an' gr'-, as your Superintendent has said, I'm a-goin' at. ./ from ye fur a very long time, perhaps for always. An' I don't feel as if I could go 'thout sayin' a few words t' ye fust For the chance of speakin' I thank your Superintendent with all my heart. An' now, what shall 1 say ? Shall I tell you to be good children, to read your Bibles, and to come to Sunday school reglar? Anyone can tell you to be an' do that, an' you 11 feel that the)r're only a-tel!in' ye something y' know all about as well as they do, ~n' that, try as hard as ye may, ye can't do what they tell ye. More'n that, y" don' believe, if ye think at all about the matter, that they can do themselves what they asks you t' do. But I want t' say this t' ye, that the Lord Jesus Christ, the lover of little people like you, wants, oh, so much, to make you able to do right, to make you able not to do wrong. Only He can do THE FIRST SUNDAY IN THE NEW HALL 93 this for you. All kinds of people have tried to do nght without Him, but they can't because we're all bom with our hearts full of wishes to do wrong and hate for what is right. And as soon as ever we're old enough to do what we want, we begin to do wrong if we're allowed to, and we never do anything right unless we're made to. But if we only do rights because we're made to, we're not a bit better than those poor children who do wrong because nobody makes em do right. Doing wrong, whether we're beat for it or not, makes us unhappy ; but we can't help ourselves, and we go on getting unhappier because we do wrong more and more, until we feel as if there was no hope that we should ever be any- thing but bad. • All over the ^yorid people have tried for thousands of years all kinds of things to please the gods they thought ruled over 'em, but usually only because they were 'fraid of being punished for their wrong-doing not because they wanted to be put right and made better. And even now, when we think we're so wise we often see men who have made lots of money by all kinds of wickedness, when they come near their time to die, they'll spend nearly all they've got on building churches or something like that because they re afraid they'll be punished after death But they forget that God knows so well what they've been doing all their lives, and that they never did a bit of good with their money until they found that all the pleasure of life was gone. And so we may be sure that all the good they try to do with that wickedly got money when it is of no more use to them will not be of any benefit to themselves. Why, it's 94 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST just like the robbers in some countries I know of, who always take some of the money they have stolen from poor travellers and give some of it to their priests, so that they may say some prayers for them to God, not only to get them off proper punishment for doing wrong, but what is much more silly, to imagine that they may soon be able to steal plenty more. ' Now, dear little people, God's way is so simple that you will all be able to understand it ; more. He has made it so plain that you can all, if you will, walk in it and be Ij^py. First He sent His Son to bear the punishment for the sins of everybody, then He offers to all who believe in His Son Jesus the power to do right and not to do wrong. He does this by putting His Spirit into our hearts, the Spirit that hates wickedness and loves good, so that we poor helpless people shall find it easy to do right and hard to do wrong. This makes us happy, it makes us useful, and it makes dear gentle Jesus happy too. Oh, children, never forget that God loves you ; that He wants to see you good and happy ; that He is able to do all for you that you want ; that He's a Friend that's always near, so near that if you only believe in His love you will never be lonely or forsaken any more. ' What I am telling you I am telling myself ; for I, like you, forget so quickly, and presently, when I'm out on the sea, and perhaps there may not be another man on board my big ship that loves God, if I don't remember His love and His promises, I shall feel very lonely. But I sha'n't forget this afternoon and all your dear little faces listening to what I've been able to tell you about the dear Master. I shall think of you 95 THE FIRST SUNDAY IN THE NEW HALL And I hope thatVrwm rp:ajtt Z l""^^" live a faithful hfe, doing what rlJ V ^ """y and that if it may beTfhln L "*" ""*= '° '^°' back and see you V'l! *'«^Pt™'«ed to come lowing in theCsLs^f' *"'' ^."^ ''°" ^"■" '■°'- Maiter Jesus ChStrLt/""'' ''"^^ ^"*="^ «'«1 Amen.' *" ^ W«s«youalI, for His sake. floof irSdl "'* "^'^ ^'^^P'"S •'-den to the Iustilysung,ofcourser„HH, ''"'?/='"'''«"•' It was theiirt]eon';sisrsi?r„r^ts''' ^ a pood HmI «f k "^^^ '"to the sunshme With ap?e^a„t^„tl';Sett;'t;''^,*^'^P^»^ ^« ^^ But thosewhohav«tSth,r^'.it'''""*"''^°f Saul fully .mpressionsTthlt ea.^^^^^^^^ knowho. wonder- 96 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST good thing to have. It is so pleasant to see youngsters polishing off slice after slice of the plain, profitable food, that I make no apology for alluding to that im- promptu tea-party. True the tea was not of the strongest, Mrs. Maskery doled out milk and sugar somewhat sparingly, but there was plenty of the rather mawkish decoction to assuage thirst, and what more did anyone there want? Nothing. By the time the meal was over, so fast had the minutes flown by tliat it was necessary for Jemmy and Saul to prepare for the open-air meeting on the Waste. Now, during the week the news of the establish- ment of the Wren Lane Mission Hall had been widely discussed in the immediate neighbourhood. A large number of those who lived and worked around Lupin Street and belonged to no place of worship whatever had long felt a sort of proprietary interest in the meetings of Jemmy's little crowd on the Waste, and indeed it is not at all unlikely that they had some dim and indefinite idea that the neighbourhood was in some mysterious way bettered by the labours of Jemmy and his helpers in its midst And now that a definite forward movement had been made, and that, too, upon such happily unorthodox lines as the conversion of the cowshed, the interest was greatly heightened, and in the queerest out-of-the-way comers the work of the Wren Lane Mission was discussed with much eagerness. Then, too, the weather of this particular Sunday was perfect Even the mean houses took on a tender glow from the declining rays of the afternoon sun. The sky was of a sweet grey blue, undefiled by thecloudsof smoke so heavily ascending on, weekdays. And the glorious old river close at THE FIRST SUNDAY IN THE|NEW| HALL 97 hand lay basking, gilded and tinted by the slanting rays, while every ugly corner, as well as eveiy curious shape of vessel lying quieUy moored, was touched and transfigured. . IT ^.^T^i!*' ** '^ ^* *''°'* ^"'^ gathered at the Hall, finding to their amazement and gratification quite a crowd of interested folk waiting to accompany them to the field. Less than ten minutes sufficed for - the preliminaries, the brief, almost ejaculatoiy prayer sent up for the souls of the hearers, for wisdom and power to the speakers, and for a good upheaval all round. Then the warriors sallied forth with bright faces, all except Jimson the stevedore. Prob^ly h« hver was out of order, or something of that kind, for had anyone listened closely by his side they would have heard mutterings and grumblings some- thmg after this style : • Ho, yers, 'tsall very well, but some on us s gitting stuck up, Hi think. Hi haint been harsked t' speak, ner pray, ner do anyfing, in fee Hi know the time when it was Bruwer Joe here, aii' Bruwer Joe there, an' Hi was alwus busy abaht somefing er anuwer. An' nah Joe Jimson's only wanted when th' collection's a goin' on. Sham't Stan' much more on it. Hi know.' Poor fellow h was yielding to one of the commonest forms of temp- tation used by the common enemy, in not merely these gatherings, but large and influential churches. Itis a disease of all the more dangerous character becau^ it is a virtue becoming a vice. The surest s«n of a hvmg diurch that is justifying its existence is that Its members are all eager for service, all un- wlhng to sit Idly by and let officials do all the work of the chureh in a perfunctory, official way. And H 98 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST yet how often it is seen that energetic brothers and sisters are extremely prone to take a fit of the sulks if any portion of the work they have been doing (perhaps but poorly, owing to personal limitations) is del^ated to another, very likely a newcomer. Then they need special grace to overcome the temp- tation to make things desperately unpleasant for their friends and themselves. Jimson had been somewhat shelved of late because of the fiery zeal and energy of Saul, and his masterful mind (he was a foreman stevedore) was hard put to it to bear what he considered to be unjust neglect So he glowered and fumed, making himself unhappy after our foolish manner. Instead of putting the best construction upon the actions of others whereby we appear to be slighted or aggrieved, we hug our grievances, real or fancied, to our hearts until we have reared them to an abnormal g^rowth, and a matter that was really not worth more than a passing thought becomes an offence not to be pardoned. Fortunately for the work this evening poor Jim- son's mood passed unnot-'ced. The band arrived at their pitch, a ring was formed, and a hymn given out, ' Work, for the night is coming.' Before it was started the audience numbered several hundreds, all working men and women, indefinitely eager for something, they knew not what Their care-lined faces looked with pathetic earnestness at the speaker, when, the ! ymn over. Jemmy came forward to tell for the five-hundredth time the stories of his father's conversion and his own. So mp.ny of them had beard it before, but it never seemed to pall, and their unuttered sympathy was so manifest that Jemmy THE nilST SOSDAV ra THE mw HAIL „ and family, came forwani, as if drawn bvL™ binkng upon his knees he said softly 'GoH £ merciful to me a sinner.' The« w « i d^ . t^nl . , • *" y°" " ''ne '!«», as I 'ave the fe ^^^''''^'y ''ceding, the man n^e to hiTfee^ and ttt^rrg^'':Sh-;^h"^r^°-^^^ BiH^Harrop? bee^f Si^^--' '- ^ f^^ - An bverybody thought I didn't care. Well ,r„t" cause I couldn't I'd a liked to, and I did L t^^h yuss, I did, 'underds o' times. Bu^ at iZ? ^^ Kn ralf "° T ^"'' ^ ^■''^ '- -elflo'-eSon^^ t ell as all on ye know. An' nah it's eotter tW ^ «».«„«, I J„„ fifcve to tt., S ™ „T lee THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH BAST old Bin Maskery was, but I do b'lieve I ain't too bad to be saved. I blieve Gord 'as saved me.' A long, loud cry, of 'Glory to God' arose from the little gathering, and Mrs. Salmon, her worn features all aglow with heavenly light, stole softly to the side of the penitent and led him to the rear of the meeting. For she, with a wisdom that is often sadly lacking to earnest revivalists, dreaded intensely the noisy outburst of religious excitement, a ftate of mind contagious in the extreme among large masses of people, and often as utterly destitute of the Spirit of God as is a cratherifig of howling dervishes. Saul the iook up his place es speaker at the beck of Jemmy, who, with the keen perception bom of long practice in these matters, saw perfectly how Saul's utter unconventionality, deep Christian sympathy of look and tune, and abundantly manifested love of his fellow-n.en would appeal to an audience already prepared for such a message by the solemn proof of the Gospel's power which they had just witnessed. ' Dear friends,' began the sailor, ' Jesus Christ is longin' to bless ye. Just as a mother^s heart yearns over her baby, only infinitely more tender, infinitely stronger than that poor human effort, so does the loving heart of God's Son yearn over ye now. He, seein' into all hearts here, knows what we can only dimly feel — that His Spirit is workin' mightily with ye to bring ye to Him. Ignorance, shyness, fear, shame — these are some of the things that's holdin' ye back. But if ye have one thing, the desire to come to Him, He can and will remove all these paltry hindrances. If ye are ignorant. He is all-wise ; if ye be cruel cross, before ishy, up THE FIRST SUNDAY IN THE NEW HALL ,o. the tyM of a mocking world, for your sokes • if «. «^afr.id of ridicule, of penecution'^ffZ^kehS m^ and co.,que«d the most awful shapes^" fSJ the^fht wjl tii, allTour"Ll"dow'„"S ^^^ ^t^'^MvT ~v "^ '»«''^-t against Hi, 3^! f^ after Se C* ?^ 'J^'^'" °"* "'""'^ "andsTd fteHc^lt •"•■'J"^«^/°"Pany of heaven 4S ?h"is Love J ,rreeSrL '^ ?"^""^ ^'^-- Jesus as hT .„ffJl^ v *** "" S'"™"" <"*« from wfr "" " V'^^d because your sin was laid uoon Him, and who can sav whaf fi,<,f ~ T^ , *^" Ali'fhi. . '^i say wnat that meant to Jesus? " note^r;uX"ir f^^ ^^'^^'^ -•> J. ^- , "npenect man can feel, to Durchav «. AnH ♦K-T "^' '"*'*"*'''^" *at you should occudv «e taKmg. He 11 provide all things— cleansing we^ ""yiail Tli,t„,febfcpiM„„„fu„t^„j 10* THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST of blessing Jesus his for you. h isn't only th«t there is a well to which you may go whenever you like, and draw as much as you like, out within your very souls a fresh spring shall spout up, an inexhaustible supply, not only for you, but all around. ' You stond ready for this blessin', but you are in much danger of losin' it For the tempter is whis- perin', " Don't be rash, take your time, reflect" to some ; while to others he imparts a certain stolid attitude of dull wonder, against which the simple mesjage of " Come to Jesus " beats vainly.' Suddenly the speaker's voice ceased, his btmzcd face took on a deeper flush, big tears burst irom his eyes and rolled rapidly down his cheeks, as, with dumb appeal, he spread out his arms to the people. He saw how inadequate his words were to express what was so apparent to his mental vision, he felt some- thing of the Master's burden of the woes of others, he heard reverberating through the air the cries of the overloaded and hopeless victims of the world's harsh ways. And these things overcame him, took from him aU power of speech, but left him what, under the circumstances, was far more effectual— the mag- netic attraction of deepest sympathy with his hearers plainly to be seen and felt by them alL The results were amazing. Men and women in dozens, their last defences of insular reserve broken down, pressed forward claiming the gift of God. The patch of shabby, hard-trampled common became a sanctuary, r;here rows of returning prodigals were embraced by the long-suffering Father, and the whole atmosphere was surcharged with happiness. A praise meeting was immediately h-Jd, in which THE nRST SUNDAY IN THE NEW HALL 103 many joiued who had never jpnisec' dod before, and afterwards, breaking up into little groups, men and women exchas J confidences and experiences with a freedom and overflowing sympathy entirely new and strange, while bursts of song aroite ftom hearts whose music could not be restrained. Into those grey lives the rainbow hues of the breaking of God's day had penetrated, and like song-birds at sunrise they must needs lift up their voices and welcome the light Gladly would Jemmy have welcomed the con- course into the 'Hall,' but it was impossible— there was not room for the half of them. But, singing as they went, the happy crowd accompanied the instru- ments of their release to the door of the little place, and there, with many handshakings and ' God bless you' s, they parted for the night, each to go his or her own way and meditate upon the wonderful work wrought by the love of God CHAPTER XII SAUL'S DBPARTURB There was a touching little gathering in Jemmy's parlour the next evening. All day long the hearts of those concerned in the work of the little mission had been like a choif of tiny angels, in spite of the numberless fretting annoyances of their daii, life Even Joe Jimson, the captious stevedore, found him- self less disposed to feel aggrieved at th lall active part he had taken in the recent open- work, and occasionally moved to lift up his voice n strident song, an inclination which he i anfuUy te^.essed for fear of the eflTect which it might have upon his ir- revere; t gang of cargo-handlers. Captain Stevens of the tug started oft hat morning at 4 A.M. on a seeking cruise down the river, with a face that fairly glowed with delight, while from his bearded lips there issued a strange series of sounds not unlike the buzz- ing of a hive of itwarming bees under the hot sunshine of a July noon. But when the litMe parlour was full of all those who could come to bid Saul Andrews farewell, there was a notable fall in ;he spiritual barometer. They all, not excluding Jimson, loved him well, and felt the parting with him sorely. He was, they felt, one of their own prizes, won fron out of the gape of the SAUL'S DEPARTURE ,05 dragon by thdr own humble InitrumentaHty. And •fncehli conversion he had walked so humbly and comjUtently with hi. God. hi. help and teaching had good, that all felt en his departure a sen- of bereave- ment that was very hard to bear. Jemmy, of course, was hardest hit, for he and Saul had jrraoDlf^lel^h ^ to thdr heart, with hoolc. S^rtS'a « bond none the lew enduring becauK Saul was fully •live to Jemmy*, many weaknesses The pair Mt side by side, hand in hand at Jemmy s ubie. while Saul haltingly uttered a f-w fade when at daybreak the great portaU of the East India Dock would open and let out the huge AstntM ^ru '=?°!™"f«»«'t of her long voyage round the world. Solemnly he exhorted his brethren to fight •gainst the devil of envy, the dc i of jealousy, fhe temptations to spiritual pride. Touchingly he be- »ught them to abide in love one toward another, and then inviting them all to kneel with him, he lifted up Ws heart in tendcrest. simplest supplication that the Loid would mightily bless each and all of them in «U their ways. And then one by one they passed out mto the gloom of Lupin Street, each leavinVS m^^ '*"^'' ''*"d" """""^ ""J« token of regard -^book, a pair of socks or mittens, a muffler, and M«. Maskeiy. The latter, moved to tears, took hi. few quietly uttered words in submissive silcnct Jemmy s got his faults, like all of us,' he said- io6 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST 'but you know better'n any of us how close he has got to the mind of our Father. Don't forget that, specially when he tries your temper. God bless you both, and make you very helpful to each other, bearing each other's burdens and looking for- ward to the glory a-foUerin'. I know I ain't very clear in my expressions, but I believe you know what I mean. Now I must go. I won't ask ye to think of me, 'cause I'm sure y' always do, but I do ask you t' pray for me, 'cause I've got a long heavy job ahead, an' it cheers me to know 'at there's dear ones at home liftin' up their 'earts t' God for me. No' — as Jemmy made to get his coat and hat — ' no, you musn't come with me. What's th' use of making th' partin' any harder than it need be ? I'll say, God be with you all evermore. Amen ! here.' And wring- ing their hands, Saul stepped out into the night I should like, if mental analysis were my forte, to give a word-picture of Saul's feelings as he threaded the squalid maze of streets that lay between him and Rotherhithe station on the East London line : how the foul language flowing so glibly between the members of the various groups of boys and girls he passed affected him; what his mental attitude was towards the future — the long, long voyage, with all its human loneliness, that lay before him ; how— for he was naturally both sympathetic and imaginative —he glanced up at the rabbit-hutches of houses he passed and wondered what tragedies of life, death, and resurrection were being enacted within ; — but to what good end? Such subtle disquisition, even in the most skilful hands, is of very little value, since humanity, whether in its mental or physical aspects, SAUL'S DEPARTURE 107 is individually diversified, and the experience of one is never the duplicate of the experience of another ; neither can it be taken as a guide without danger. Perhaps the best way in which to describe what was in the mind of Saul would be to say that all these external things were to him as the chips and straws which float and whirl upon the surface of the swiftly rushing river. The voyager sees them, apprehends them more clearly than he does the deep resistless force of the current beneaJi, but although they en- gage his attention, they do not affect his purpose or his destination. Slinking forms, both male and female, waylaid Saul without hindering him. Their muttered re- marks passed his ears without entering, and one hour after leaving his friends at Lupin Street he climbed on board the Asteroid and entered the berth he was to share for the voyage with the carpenter and sail- maker. A feeling of disgust, immediately suppressed, swept over him as he opened the door and struck a match, for the atmosphere within was foul with the horrible smells of drunkenness, his two berth-mates being ' stretched, fully clothed, in their respective bunks, stertorously exhaling the fumes of their last debauch. And as he looked at them he remembered how he, too, had so recently been as they were, tied and bound by an awful chain which he had no power to break, but which at the touch of the Loving One had fallen from him as did Peter's bonds in the prison of old. Very deftly and quickly he arranged his sleeping- place, and prepared his working rig for the morning ; then lighting his own little candle-lamp that he had io8 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST rigged up that day, he turned in, and with a sigh of contentment as the sweetness of the rest to his body stole over him, he opened his well-worn Bible at the best loved chapter, i Peter i. Its clear-cut state- ments of fact, its glimpses into the all-wise, all-loving purposes of the Father, were to his soul like the tender nursing motions of a mother to her babe, and a great peace flooded his whole being. It is in this wise that Goc often reveals Himself to the unlearned but simply trusting children of His love. With every mental hindrance, as well as physical disability, arrayed against them, they are yet endowed with a faculty of enjoyment in His presence ; thf hear the accents of His voice far, far more clearly uian those who have every external facility granted unto them. It is the extension into the spiritual world of the great law of compensation. His eyes grew tired, and sleep came stealing gently over him, so he laid his book upon the shelf over his head, and in a few simple sentences claimed once more his Father's blessing and protection for the dear ones he was leaving, confidently asked for grace and courage to fulfil his appointed tasks, and offered up his glad tribute of praise. Then with the murmured ' Thank God, thank God,' exhaling from his bearded lips like sweet perfume, he sank into child-like sleep, an utterly happy man. Before the pale and cheerless dawn broke with an accompaniment of furious squalls of bitter rain, Saul started up from his pleasant, dreamless sleep at the voice of the watchman, whose duty it was to rouse the officers at the appointed time for getting under weigh. With a cheery ' All right,' he sprang out of SAUL'S DEPARTURE 109 his bunk, ht his pipe, and dressed with marvellous celerity, smoking vigorously the while. His move- ments, no less than the bright cheerfulness of his face made him a strong contrast to his two most wretched berth-mates. For not only were their recent excesses clamouring for renewal, but the sudden awakening out of that deep slumber into which they had fallen overnight with their brains all awhiri, had set all their nerves jumping so that their fingers could hardly fasten up their clothing. Their eyes were dim and- gummy, their faces drawn and twitching, while every few seconds their leathery tongues roamed fruitlessly round their dried-up mouths, vainly seeking a little moisture. With their energetic and cheery ship- mate they exchanged not a word after the sullen •Gmomin" with which they had replied to his first salutation, and he, wisely, did not press conversation upon them, seeing that it was almost necessary
" '^'" work pr^ ffi; a^ ^.-^^P' ^°'^""'''' ^"^ * "»" *i" find Se t iC''"*''*''! *?P'°''*^ *° •''^ "W" detriment ; he will have every inducement held out to him to ^S'ti hi tr* ''"''• ""• '"*'=''g"-d'y. and if he cnoose to be the reverse, he will not only find him- £fo?slf °n^' f-t'.y the officers, buJhislifeTn swakinf^hT >^'""' 1^' ""'^ wretched, humanly speaking, that it is possible to conceive of .™II ^'^!'"=^ «"»* Perfectly well known to Saul, of course, and ever since his conversion he had been promising himself that when, if ever, he attained To J mT. °f "'""""*^- ^'^ «'°"''^' by God's help, usJ f^\fr°''V'' P''""'^"* '^'^ * ^tate of £ings from existing under him. This he resolved, being ng that he would be guided aright as well as helped Ir favoTSJ"'''''°"" *° '"' ■'■"'''■'^^ '^•■^hout fear B.h^W i,-^**" ""^ *"'' "*" «"der his orders. Behold him then, face to face with the facts ; and ?f ho^r".' ^°' y°" ^''*' ^'''^ "I'^ltered Ives on *ore to undersund something of his difficulties, you anv2 ^?'\^"" y°" admiration and sympathy ?efu J^T *\" ^'^ '■"""'^^ "* ^^"^ W,«n Lane Mission ffis iT *^' '°"'' '"PP°" °^ "^'^'^ regular prayers. His keen eyes soon detected the absence of n6 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST certain members of Ws staff whom he had mentally noted before as being ' sUck in stoys.' And leaving those who were at work to get on with their tasks by themselves for awhile, he went in search of the black sheep. The first one he found was reclining com- forUbly in a comer of the foVsle, with pipe in full blast, and a look of utter indifference on his face. To him Saul suddenly entered with the crisp remark, • Now then, ;^unp man, you're in the wrong place, I want the work i\nished, and -vhen it's knock-off time I'll let you k.iow.' He was a big Liverpool Irishman, a peculiar breed of men found in consider- able numbers at sea, and hardly to be matched on the wide earth's surface for truculencc, insubordina- tion, or laziness when they give their minds to the practice of these things, as so many of them do. He looked up nonchalantly at Saul, sayirg, 'Me nairves demand a verse o' th' poipe at regular intervals t' kape em in orrdher, an' ef yez don't like me little ways yez k'n just git t' 'ell out ov it, an' lave me recover. Me name's Larry Doolan, an' I come from Scotland Road, an' I don't take any nigger-drivin' frum any limejuicer afloat, d'ye moind." Saul listened patiently, and, when he had finished, for all answer, took two steps towards him, seized him by waist and neck, and hurled him on deck. He fell in a heap, dazed. When he recovered he struggled to his feet and made a blind rush at the quiet man before him, his mouth full of cursing and red murder in his heart. But he was met by two fists as grimly irresistible as a stone wall would have been. And as he staggered back once more, Saul's quiet certain voice penetrated his ears. 'You'd better get on with the work, and SAUL'S DEPARTURE „, I2S.I*"? 'H!^ *•? y°^ »Wpn«tes. You'll only S^jLttJ''*^'''^°""'~"'~K«>"'8' This r!S T ""• ~ "^ •=■'*' »« »''«' that, after where a HtUe group of men were busy lashing some ^ n the Starboard scupper,, and ith^l f„re word he joined in the work. r^f^Tu?^/^'^^/ "*""*• ^ «" »"<» ^^ for the rest of his flock, Saul was confronted by the mate his face bright with smiles. ' in 1^'aT' t •*'.*'' 'y^"'" « •"««. If ever you are in any difficulty with these chaps (but I don't th.-nt don t know how the old man is, for this i, my fi,« and I believe that you and he and I can make a- zrhff:^?^-^*'^*^'-'-*"'-"-^'-^ 'Thank ye, sir,' replied Saul. ' I'll do mv h«t ^•**h^ht°^^' *" "'»•'« things go smLS • f hi °K''*i "" ^" *^»' '^^y^ things Xo arou„r^ '\""' T'»««'««'°t'"orechfpslifiJg «ound somewhere, I'm sure. I'm goin' f'look fof em. An if you don't mind, sir, I'd like you just f stand around and wait till they come out' .•n» .u ^j"^"" J"^t "odded assent, and Saul dived into the darksome den. Presently sounds of trouble figures appeared, muttering cursesfbut making S oobey. F-allySaulreappearedsmiling. ApprS em, sir; an from what I can see they won't give much more trouble.' *"^* CHAPTER XIII THE SEAL OF APOSTLESHIF By this time the AtUroid had halted at Gravesend for the exchange of pilots, and there was a temporary :m11 in the work, the decks being beautifully clean. Saul's comprehensive glance having satisfied him that he might safely allow it, he permitted his gang to go and smoke while he himself mounted the top-gallant fo'c'sle in the hope of getting a word with his fellow Christian, the skipper of the tug. For the human heart, whether it be icg urate or no, clings to its affinities, loves fellowship with its like, and Saul knew already that on board the Asteroid he was utterly alone as far as Christian fellowship went So he was intensely gratified when the tug drifted slowly near enough for him to get speech of his brother Stevens, and presently the passing watermen and crews of barges were stiffened with amazement to hear language being exchanged between two such men as Saul and Skipper Stevens as they had hitherto only associated with Hallelujah Bands or the Salvation Army. The colloquy was brief but most valuable to both, especially so to Saul, who, by the time Stevens' parting 'God be with ye, brother, an' make ye' a blessin' aboard yer ship,' had cose pealing across the water, was ineifaceably stamped in the sight of all on THE SEAL OP AP08TLESHIP n, boMd M a piufeuing Chrfatlan. And even while his hMrt beat high with the knowledge that he had Just taken the opportunity of most publicly confessing his Master, he was being discussed in the foVsle under his feet with a vigour of epithet and bitterness of hatred that seemed as if nothing short of seeing the tast drop of his blood drained from his body would satisfy it They were a mixed crowd, of course, but for a wwider mostly British. And, as usual, it was the British part that was most intractable, also that nad been the worst for drink when turned out There wwe a couple of Swedes who had been long in British ships who were as drunken, as voluble, and as truculent as any Briton could possibly be, but he who knows much of the ways of men before the mast in our country's ships will know that while the Scandi- navian is usually the most tractable of men, a few years of sailing in British ships under our peculiarly soft system or want of system will often convert him into as truculent a ruffian as can be found. It may sound harsh and unpatriotic to say these things ; but if one knows them to be true, as I certainly do, is it not kinder to state the truth than to prophesy smooth things falsely ? British seamen under proper con- trol, firm and just, with every breach of discipline followed with automatic certainty by its appropriate punishment, have no equals in the worid. The proof of this may be found by spending a few days on board any man-o*-war. But where, a^ usual in the British sailing ship on a long voyage, .i.en are really too few for the work that is to be done, food is of poor quality and without change, accommodation 130 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST much worse than that given in prison, and the main- tenance of order and discipline is rendered impossible by the state of the laws unless the officers choose to risk their certificates by the use of physical force, there the British seaman often deteriorates into an un- tamable, worthless blackguard. His virtues of self- reliance, courage, doggedness, and resourcefulness, all become vices by being perverted to wrong uses, and his hapless officers would be ready to exchange him gladly for almost any other countryman whatever. It is this general characteristic of crews which makes the Christian teaman ache and long to relinquish a sea-life. It is true that nowhere else in the world is there such scope for really valuable missionary work as may be found on board ship, but on the other hand it is equally true that no other missionaries in the world are made to live under such terrible con- ditions. Therefore it would be unreasonable in the last degree to expect seamen who have been converted to remain willing denizens of a ship's fo'c'sle for one day longer than they could help, or even to strive very eagerly after an officer's position when they know what manner of men they are expected to rule with- out even the shadow of disciplinary force to aid them. And so the very means that are taken by philan- thropists ashore for the raising of the sailor become, as did the late Mr. Thomas Gray's most admirable ' Midge ' scheme of remitting money home from the port of arrival, the reasons why life on board mer- chant ships still remains of so pagan a character — because the best men use their newly acquired freedom from vice and waste to seek for occupation ashore. But I fear I am leaving Saul too long. He was THE SEAL OF APOSTLESHIP 121 now by his own deliberate act stamped ,as I have said, with the stigma of Christianity. For the time eJnar he was the most discussed man in the ship. The mat ; and second mate, having a little leisure as the ship was being towed down the lower reaches of the Tha.nes, held a most serious consultation about him. • Well,' said the mate with a sigh, as if giving up a too difficult problem, * I knew he was a " tote " 'cause I offered him a drink before " turn to " an' he wouldn't have it, but after seein' him yank that long beast out o' th' fo'c'sle, as if he'd been a truss o' straw, an' block him like a prize-lighter when he tried to rush him afterwards, I certainly wasn't prepared to find him a Holy Joe. Must be a totally new kind I've always had an idea that when a man got con- verted, as they call it, all he was iit for afterwards was goin' about with a face on him like a kite, moumin' over everybody's sins an' preachin' all sorts o' funny things that couldn't possibly be practised, besides being so soft that he'd let everybody do just what they lilced with him for fear of losing his character. But if this chap's got a soft spot about him I ain't seen it yet If he goes on as he's goin' I shall begin to feel that there's somethin' more in the business than I've got any idea of.' Mr. Kenton, the second mate, gnawed his moustache awhile thoughtfully, and then replied, ' I can't imagine how it is, but although I know there are Christians ashore who ain't soft a bit, that is silly soft, that kind don't seem to thrive aboard ship. I remember when I was serving my time our old man got converted one trip. The previous voyage he was as good a man as I want to be shipmates with. He got a little fresh now and 133 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST I then, bnt never to do any harm, and he ruled the ship in such a fashion that a man no more dare give cheek to an officer than he dare jump overboard. As for us boys, well, we did pretty much as we liked below, but on deck he made us toe the mark, now I tell you. An' he taught us our biz too — we wasn't kept grubbin' about doin' all sort of dirty jobs be- cause the men might growl at 'em. Then, as I say, he got converted, an' you never saw such a change in your life. He had a prayer meeting in the saloon twice a week an' service twice on a Sunday, an' the fellows, artfuf devils that they were, just played him for all he was worth. They skulked and got saucy, and when the officers tried to stop 'em they lodged comnlaints with the old man, lying like clocks to make their case good, and the poor old chap be- lieved 'em and told the officers to deal gently with 'em. Result was there was anarchy aboard that ship, and when we got to Melbourne she was so bad that the mate and second mate left her. Owing to the slack way things was done we made an awful passage, both out and home, and when we did get back the poor old fellow left, broken-hearted, I think, because his system of brotherly love didn't work.' Just then the steward called the mate to dinner, and telling the second mate to see whether all hands were getting their midday meal in proper order, Mr. Carroll went below to renew the subject with the captain. Mr. Kenton, having passed a word or two with the pilot, strolled away forrard in obedience to his orders, and as it happened passed the door of the berth in which lived the bo'sun, carpenter, and sail- maker. As he did so, his quick ear caught the sound THE SEAL OF APOSTLESHIP ,,3 of a hoarse voice raised in anger. 'Lookyhere' it said, 'afore we goes any farrther, let's unnersht'an' ance an' fur a', that thur's gaun tae be nae daum ipocreetical carrins-on in this hauf-deck. Aam a Scoetchmin masel', an' ma forbears, daft eedits, wur Covenanters, sae ah ken fine the haill meseerable peck o' shupersteeshun, idolatry an' humbug uts ca'ud Christyaneety. I'll hae nane o't, I tell ye, whaur Ah leev, an' it may's weel be settelt noo an' dune w'it as gae ony farrther.' Interested in spite of himself, Kenton paused just out of sight. He heard the strong clear voice of Saul replying, ' Chips, my lad, you're making a big mistake. If I hadn't felt that God's hand would uphold me against the whole ship's company if necessary, I wouldn't be here. I know very well that when you do ^et a bad Scotchman, which isn't often, you get a mighty bad man, but' (here his voice rose a little) 'if you were twenty bad Scotchmen rolled into one you wouldn't force me to do what I didn't like as far as my conscience is concerned.' Crash ! and the firm tones were succeeded by the panting of two strong men fiercely struggling. Chips had flung himself like a wild cat at Saul, and by the force of impact unexpected had borne him to the deck But Saul's muscles were not relaxed by weeks of dissipa- tion, and slowly but certainly he twisted his body round until he was uppermost. Then by a great effort he rose, dragging with him his assailant, and tt^ether sUU fiercely struggling they emerged on deck, leaving the floor of their apartment bestrewn with the' fragments of their dinner. The second mate, as in duty bound, interfered, but Saul cried cheerily, ' Plea.se let it go through, sir, it will save lots of trouble later.' 184 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST But by this time the crew had left their dinner and clustered aft, while hoarse voices among them ejaculated, ' Kill the , Chips, knife him, cut his liver out, choke the canting ,' and similar kindly encouragements. Alas for their hopes, it was imme- diately evident that Chips was but as a babe in the hands of a giant. Suddenly his body, a confused looking heap, flew across the deck, struck against the bulwarks and lay there motionless. Without an instant's pause Saul leapt in among the blaspheming crowd, singling out the most eager potential murderer of them all, 'and seized him by the throat with so fell a grip that he hung limply backward on the moment. The rest dispersed as Saul's voice rang out, 'Get forrard every one of you an' finish yer grub ; ii'U be turn-to time directly.' By this time the skipper had arrived on the scene. And as Saul, somewhat ilushed but still smiling pleasantly, faced him, he inquired sternly whot was meant by all this riotous behaviour. To which question Saul answered, 'Sir, I shipped as bo'sun of this fine ship of yours fully capable of carrying on the work, and I'll abide by your officers' evidence whether T have done so up till now. But I am a Christian m;in, and can't bear injustice. So because I've mad<; the loafers work in order that the decent fellows sha'n't be worked to death, the loafers want to kill me. Please take no notice of that, sir, I'll look out for them and get plenty of .sleep. Then because J thank my dear Father for my food in the presence of my two berth-mates, the carpenter (poor fellow, I'm afraid he's hurt) flings himself at me like a wild beast That's all, sir, and if I have oflended you THE SEAL OF APOSTLESHIP „s I am Sony. But I think you know as well as I do sSbiJatr ""^ " ""^ «"' °^'- -- « '- o^ The skipper, a hale bright-looking man of about fifty years laid a hand upon Saul's shoulder, saying Bosun, I m proud to have you on board my ship and I'msu^ if all Christians were to behave as you've done there d be more of 'em about than there are. I don t profess to be a Christian myself, but I'll back you HT "t!" 1. '" "^y P°*^'- Mr. Carroll, see that Uie bosun has every assistance possible at all times.' and Saul also finding that for the present things had straightened themselves out somewhat, stepped into his apartment to see if there still remained an^ wS which to satisfy his legitimate hunger. He found the ^rl-maker m an exceedingly amiable frame of mind, ready to talk upon any subject whatever; but the c^penter, poor man, sat upon the spars outside, his headbuned m his hands in an attitude of dee^st dejection. As soon as Saul had completed his i^al ^ well as he was able.he lit his pipe and stepped out IT T *'"P^"*'' '**• ^^y'"S his hand tenderly upon the stooping man's shoulder, he said, 'Chips, my boy, don't mind me, go an' get a smoke. Tm done"?" *?t "^i"' ''''""' y^'- There's no harm done « there ? Chips answered never a word, but rwe to his feet and went into the berth, leaving Saul sitting in the placid enjoyment of his tobacco, an expression on his face as of a man who had not a «^le care or worry in the worid, as the ship sped steadily onward out to sea. *^ In the fo'c'sle there was a great ferment For the ia6 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST decent fellows, feeling that they had a powerful auxi- liary in the bo'sun, began to assert themselves. In many ships these willing workers lead a dog's life al! the voyage through, for the sole reason that those in authority do not do their duty. But in the fo'c'sle of the Asteroid there was felt to be a new influence at work, casting its weight on the side of right and justice, and the men who under unjust conditions would have suffered silently, now felt compelled to take a firm stand. So, when the wastrels renewed their curses upon the man whom they hated, dis- sentient voices arose. One man in particular, a fair- haired little Scotchman, boldly said, ' Weel, boys, I don't know fhat ye think aboot this bizness, but ah'm of opingon at if every men '11 dae fhat he signed fur, we'll hae a daum comforrtable ship. Ah'm no vara much in luve wi' nigger-drivin' masel, deed a'hm no ower fond o' wark ava, bit the wark hes tae be dune, an' if hauf o's hae made up oor min's ta dae's as little's we can, an' th' ither hauf s tryin' to dae fhat thae signed for, why 'tU be hard on the willin' anes. Ah don't think yon bo'sun's hauf a bad yin. He on'y seems tae want all hands tae hev aiqual richts, an' ah'm with'm ther ivery time.' At this outspoken speech there was a muttered volley of cursing, amidst which various unprintable epithets applied to sneaks, tale-bearers, toadies, &c., were heard frequently. But there was no direct reply. No man dared say boldly that for his part he had shipped with the full intention of doing the least possible amount of work quite regardless of the fact that some of his shipmates must make up for his deficiencies. No, all that was heard was a series of THE SEAL OF APOSTLESHIP nj vague generalities, and it was quite a relief when in the midst of it all Saul's clear voice was heard crying * Turn to.' It was quite refreshing to see the alacrity with which the time-honoured summons to labour was obeyed. Even those who had growled the loudest did not seem to think it expedient to hang back. So within five minutes of the call having been given -ot only were all hands on deck but they were at work A^gorously engaged in making all things ready for the sail-sctting that would presently be demanded. The mate strolled about with an expression of perfect contentment upon his face, watching with calm delight the unerring certainty of all his bo'sun's orders, the way in which one job fitted into another, and the utter absence of that waste of time so often seen where two men stand watching a third at work because he in authority has not skill to keep them all employed at once. And all the while through gradually worsening weather the AsUrotd sped steadily seaward through the intricacies of the Thames estuaiy where to the uninitiated eye all seems such plain and easy sailing, while in reality beneath that vast extent of water surface the navigable channels run like the paths m a maze, and great breadths of ever- shifting sands lurk deadly for the hapless vessel that chances to get out of one of those tortuous passages of deep water. But in spite of the chill in the air searching their impoverished blood, notwithstanding uie steady downpour of sleety rain soaking their poor garb and giving grim premonition of future rheumatism, all hands felt hopeful, for they knew Wat presently, once round the North Foreland, the wind, now dead ahead, or due east, would be on 1 38 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOXJTH EAST the port beam, allowing them to Uke ful' -idvantage of it, and the farther along they went thf. iiirer would the wind be, until it was almost dead aft. This, of course, owing to the configuration of the English Channel. And a fair wind makes up for many other drawbacks, more especially to the shivering outward- bounder on board of a huge modem sailing ship. Work was proceeding thu:; steadily when suddenly there was heard a loud splash, and almost at the same moment Saul's voice thunderously exclaimed, ' Man overboard I ' With one gigantic leap from the top-gallant fo'c'sle he reached the main deck far abaft the foremast, and in half a dozen bounds, as it seemed, he was on the poop, had torn a life-buoy from its lashings, and hurled it with wonderful accuracy of aim close by the side of Larry Doolan, the recalcitrant A.B. of the morning, who was now just on the edge of eternity's abyss. A sharp blast on the mate's whistle had arrested the tug, which was dropping astern fast, her skipper having a good notion of what was the matter. But Saul and half a dozen of his men were tearing like madmen at the port quarter-boat, striving to free it from its paint- encrusted gripes, trying to move the rusted-in chocks, trying, in a word, to undo in one frantic minute the results of months of neglect. Yet during these toils Saul's keen glance never for a moment lost sight of the struggling man in the wide waste of waters. He was no great distance away, and yet to Saul it seemed certain that before their boat could be lowered he would be gone — he did not appear able to gain the life-buoy. So seeing that the ship's way was stopped, and that th^ tug was coming, Saul ripped THE SEAL OF APOSTLESHIP 129 off his oilskin coat and trousers, kicked off his boots, and sprang from the quarter into the sea. With bated breath his shipmates watched him as he swam with splendid vigour towards the drowning man, watched him tenderly handling him when he reached him, saw the tug's handy little boat dropped from her davits and pulled swiftly towards the pair, and finally, with a rousing cheer that came from the very depths of their hearts, they hailed the boat's return with their shipmates both alive. Wearily Saul mounted the side, for the physical strain upon him had been very great. But his face was bright with the consciousness of having nobly done a Christian part, and a feeling he could not suppress took possession of him, that he had been granted, and had taken advantage of, an opportunity of justifying his Christian standpoint, that would have more weight with his shipmates than all the sermons ever written. He was calling up his reserves of strength to go on with his work, for there was much . to be done in readjusting the great towing hawser slipped by the tug, when Mr. Carroll peremptorily ordered him below for a change of clothes and rest. He made but a feeble remonstrance, for even his great fresh strength had felt the strain upon it, and soon he was in his berth, donning a suit of dry clothes and softly crooning to hi.-nself one cf his favourite songs, ' My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine.' And then sUnding by the side of his bunk with his head dropped on his hands he unpacked his heart of Its overload of thanks. Broken, ungrammattcal, dis- connected ; as unlike ' made up ' praise as could well be, but fragrant with the true incense of a grateful 130 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST soul. He lay down in great peace, and in two minutes was asleep. Meanwhile po ""iversal. Well, they have, most of them, a small steam engine but Its use is confined to working cargo in port it is' not used at all at sea The working of the ship is now, as It always was, a matter of muscle. But this is an old grievance, and one perhaps somewhat out of place here Feeling that they had a man over them, not only one that would stand no nonsense, but one that knew his business most thoroughly, the fast recovering men worked well, even the duffers (about half of their number) doing their best to gain, as they xa t3* THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST snppoaed, hU goodwill. And when off DungeneM the pilot left, and the tug, unable longer to keep ahead of the stotely craft now asMrting herself, slipped the hawser, all hands were in a much more comfortable frame of mind than any of them, with the exception of Saul, could have conceived possible four hours earlier. Sail after sail was added until every avail- able stitch was set, in spite of the threatening appear- ance of the weather. For while the master was undoubtedly a prudent seaman, he realised that this splendid opportunity for getting out of narrow waters must be utilised even at a little risk, and his evident courage raised him greatly in the estimation of his crew. And so it came about that when the hands had been mustered, the watches set, and the true sea routine entered upon, there were two men on board the Asteroid who could safely count upon getting all out of the crew they had to give, unconscious tribute to real worth. Those two men were Saul and Cap- tain Vaughan. CHAPTER XIV PROGRESS From Saul with hi, voyage well begun in a double •ense. speeding westward for the bright braTn „ ness of the deep blue sea. back to RolJh^t Tb^ no means a pleasant transitm„ vr . ^ adaptability to'h^„lo^r°Lk«\t^^^^^^ sordid conditions of life endurabre n^d^en wLr ful as ,t may seem, by some unna ural plrjS o^ are accustomed to spend ^e most If'^i h.:^^^^^^^^^ r"al°^"^"''^'""''™-''-.t'>--d7 a^^^^^ ■ «llar »'Jh .Y ^'"' "'""" *'^'» ^ ''"fl'-ng as any oti^Sfef' "'" '"'' ^^^" ^''"-^ the veof fS What amount of loving, helpfol recognition, then. 134 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST can be considered too much to tender to the earnest souls, of whatever church or no-church they profess to be members, who live in the midst of squalor, air- lessness,and riot, earning their own living, and devot- ing all their scanty leisure to the Master's work in the Master's way, as far as they are able to under- stand it ? Yet by one of the strangest, most pitiful perversions of good to evil which, alas I is so cha- racteristic of humanity, an enormous amount of energy generated among those humble servants of God has been dissipated in squabbles with one another about non-essentials. Not merely that one ' gathering ' or ' chu^h ' squabbles with another, but that internecine strife arises and often ends in a disruption. This fissiparous tendency is almost entirely confined to the smallest of conventicles, which are, most of them, in turn, offshoots from that body which is usually known as the 'Plymouth Brethren.' The great bodies, such as the Baptists, Congregationalists, Wesleyans, &c. (I do not mention the Established Church or the Roman Catholics in this connection for obvious reasons), have long re- garded such small gatherings as I have described with distrust and dislike, feeling, what is no doubt in a certain measure true, that small bodies of unedu- cated men and women like these, without any visible head possessed of a certain definite knowledge of theolt^y, are apt to drift into all sorts of strange bye-paths of heresy from which a little grounding in theology would have saved them. In other words, it is felt that so long as they confine themselves to preaching the Gospel that has been the Power of God unto their salvation, they do a mighty work in PROGRESS Sr.!!!t^!l-^?''''*' '^'y'- ''"' *«t*he„ they take o expounding Scripture in the seclusion of the Hall to members of the Church, they do a great dS of harm, not merely by the dissemination^? faUe doctnnes but by the generation of mudx he«S angry feeling one towards another anvothV" '°"^r^« ''fth». perhaps, more than for any other reason, that gatherings like that of the Wren Lane Mission have been so much ignored by the laS Chnsuan bodies, who have been Tompell.^ to uS the Salvation Army into serious account nS Sat they love the Salvation Army methods more or te at all impressed by its peculiar system o7aXratic gov«.ment. sti 1 less do they admire the Se ciIs. But Its organisation is so splendid, its discipline so perfect, and so great the hold it hi obtSn^Ta hold always making for righteousness.be rt Sed) upon great masses of humble peoole thaf VfK compell«i recognition which is dS 'to tt wea" and scattered little conventicles such as I have I2n attempting to describe. But a broader ^d mTre an tianspint of toleration is manifest amo. r„s anj Churehl^°""'"?'>'*^">'- T**^ Union of the Vr^ Sn^fl'%*""^''*^ '*"■'•" *°*"''« *at concent r tion of the forces of good against the forces of evH l^^i7 S r^'^ '^ ^•^•' ^°*'- With this s^motom, nf^ . '"°^""""* ™«"' pronounced adopton of those first principlL inculcatS LVJesus a«d the consequent cleansing of Christian tLihlng y6 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST from the deadening incrustation it has gathered through the centuries by the interested efforts of professional religionists, until the Christ of the Gospels had been entirely hidden away from the sight of the common people unless they got outside of the Churches and sought Him individually. These matters, however, though entirely relevant to my story, must not be allowed to hinder its progress. Without touching upon thtm it would be almost impossible to understand the position of Jemmy Maskery and his adherents, who, as I hope I have made clear, are typical representatives of an enormous number of such bodies. So that in giving, as I hope to do, a history of the Wren Lane Mission over a goodly portion of its career, I hope to let that great reading public which is interested in the uplifting of the people have some reason to hope that even in the darkest comers of our cities God has not left His work to be carried on altogether by the overburdened clergy, but that unpaid and unrecognised missionaries are ever busy telling the story of the God-Man of Nazareth, and by their lives endeavouring to commend Him to their fellows. After Saul's departure. Jemmy for a time felt as if he had lost his main support For he, like most of us, however strong our faiUi in God, loved to have some visible friend in whose wisdom and love he had much confidence, loved to look up to him, and unconsciously lean on him more than was quite prudent or justifiable. But, as Bill Maskery had foretold, the influx of those who had been converted on the memorable evening immediately before Saul's departure necessitated an almost immediate enlargement of their premises if PROGRESS ,jy S™.!^'""''^' """, '° ^ '^"'"^ *°^*''«- Besides. Jemmy was a profound believer in and practiser of baptism by immersion, and he wanted a pool of their Tt^^' *" ! P"u'*- ■^''"*'"°« ""gotiations were at once opened with the owner of the property for the leasing of the adjoining stable. He, likeTpnident more than double the rent he had hitherto received stipulating, as before, that all alterations, repairs, &c ' must be carried out by the lessees. This brought toe rent up to 40/. a yea fortunately without taxes teing a building for religious services only,andS addition It meant at least another 20/. at onw being laid out upon the necessa^^ alterations and cleansing Now, trivial as these sums may sound to some of u! they were to the restricted ideas of Jemmy and his' fnends prodigious, and even Brother Salmon shook his head despondently. But, as so often happens it was tte new Wood that provided the needed sCiil Bill Harrop. the new convert, whose sudden restora- h6n had paved the way for such a great ingathering on the night just referred to, rose in the Church meeting and spoke for the first time. • Bruwers an' I don t know whether I sh'l git much chance, but I ope I shall. , don-t know W ter tell yer W glad am an ow much good you've done me. but if Ly of ?.Zwh" v":.^**" ^° ''"' a^k-nynissusan. Id ony keep sober long enough-well, the bloke I ^k) rir . '" ''^ \"' "" '°' y^'^ (-■-» J 'I'd work;, ce ses t me on the Monday momin' arter I 138 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOXTTH EAST got converted, 'ee ses, ses 'ee, " I 'ear you've j'ined the Salvation Army." " No, I ain't," I ses, ses I, « I've on'y come t' Jesus, th' workin' man's Friend, an' I believe 'Ee's got 'old of me so solid 'at 'Ee'U never let me go any more." « Oh, well, if s all the same," 'ee ses. " Any'ow, I'm jolly glad f ear of it, 'cause I wants a lot o' work done, an' if this ere business is goin' f keep y' orf th' oozeboo, w'y I'll be delighted. An' more," 'ee ses, ses 'ee, " I'll tell yer wot I'll do, jus' for a lark ; every day 'at you keeps orf it, I'll give them people wot's got 'old of yer a tanner." Well, all I got ter say more is 'at as I useter spend at least three bob a day in tiddley ' w'en I was at work, I think I can spare a kiyah* a day t' make the governor's tanner two c^.* An' I'll come an' do my bit o' graft in the 'All too, w'enever I got any time orC Gord bless yer.' This was a clincher. It changed the tone of the meeting directly, and it was at once liecided that every brother and sister in the meeting should make themselves responsible to God for a shilling a week over their ordinary contributions. And as there were now twenty-two members that meant twenty- two shillings per week additional, for it was almost certain that they would starve before allowing their contribution to lapse. It is wonderful to see how such poor people as these are not only pride them- selves upon keeping their obligations, but in how many little ways they are helped by one another to do so. Jemmy and the brethren being thus reinvigorated bestirred themselves mightily, and the begging that went on at the bi-weekly open airs was phenomenal ' Drink. * Eighteenpence. * Two ibillingB. PROGRESS ,j5 ♦^M '•t»Pf"«tency and its results. As Jemmy told Ws auditors. 'Th' bad wewer '11 soon be 'J w «. we sham't be able f git out f ye wiv th' glS A' L^d^». ^ "^*''- ^'^ ^*'^«' a-promised th Lord at we won't go back t' that state o' fines cause we bin so blessed an' encouraged of late so 'ave anuwer feel rahnd in them thfre pocS ? S'Ur r'''"^'' «'«*'"»'^«* stiverfput in this bank. In response to his fervid appeals the coppers simply rained in. but it was resei^^ for an old seller of firewood, who had recently been brought Woody -he was never called anything else and had almost forgotten his real nanielhad been a con- sistently walking Christian for many yTs. Sur^ng the most severe pressure, entered a public-house, nor told oT"^"^ '^ V *'* ^-^ "•'^^ '='="-"-'' ~"w "; SaJ^ oW^h'!!"'"'"** "" *^" •'^""•"^ °f ">e same aay, his o d horse, representing almost the whole of Jus capital, died also. The t^o blows foUoZJng i «P'dly upon one another must have temporarily un- Junged h.s m,nd. for aftera period of dumVcrouching Lt f^Lf I""*' '^ "^ "P' -^"* '''-g»>t to S! nT^o S^. 1 r'*' *"'• ^°* ''™"''- A policeman new to the beat arrested him and locked him up. £l{ ■?• ^ '**^«»°'*' "^^ him being marched off S aJSi ^;^'^'°^''' °»t'' »"d although Jimson uThT ' "''"'''y P*^ •«* *"« "n«We to follow it »P by pouring oil and wine into the wounds of that 140 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST poor bleeding old heart. And as he had thus openly backslidden after being a shining light at open-air meetings for so long, his fall was grievously felt and the open hand of fellowship was tight shut against him. Even Jemmy, though in open meeting he always invited the general backslider to return, never sought out this particular one who was so well known to him, and indeed had never once shaken hands with him since his fall. It fell out, however, that on the great evening above referred to, something— he did not attempt to realise what — had drawn poor old Woody to the out- skirts of the meetirfg. Things had been bitterly bad with him. For six months he had hardly been able to keep body and soul together by dragging his little truck of firewood about the streets, and often he was at starvation point because he would not make known his need to anyone. While, then, he prowled around the fringe of the crowd, one of the latest adherents to the band, Mary Seton, the coffee-house waitress, saw him, and catching his eye said, ' Oh, Woody, I am glad to see you 'ere. You know I've joined 'em, don't yer ? ' Woody shook his head but looked his astonishment, while she in her eagerness and simplicity told him her story. Now Woody had known her from a child, and had often in his days of service for God warned and advised her only to be roundly abused in the current vernacular for his pains. It was the psychological moment also, although of course neither of them was aware of it At any rate the immediate and blessed result was that Woody came back from his wander- ings outside the fold, and at the first opportunity confessed his wrongdoing in the sight of all assembled PROGRESS ,^, on the Wwte. He made no excwes for himself w« unsparing i„ his condemnation of his own tuy " thus voluntarily shutting himself out from the Sw ^.p W.U, tn. Father, and rejoiced exceedingly St Sen^ontT'' "' * """' •^'^ •" Christ he ^ been won back m sp.te of the shame that had so long kept him away. After the meeting was over all the meml^ ofthe Mission crowdedSound him and Ranked God that they could have fellowsJip S hin. once more; but everyone felt in greater or 1^ Ll^' *^~^^> '- *«' capacity fof feeling i" had they acted a brother or sister's part towards ^e Thf mrht'^™^? '°"^ agohavrbeeSrll- nay. he might never have backslidden. But he had no reproach^ for them, his cup was brimmtg w^S gladnes^ and as if to put the final touch u^n W^ toy an old customer of his lent him a iny a^ ca^ tin. next day telling him that he had^St'S Of ht MLsrtrerwt,ri:^'°"^ "^•- 3iry-i:sj:-tt^ as if thV ?^' ? *'" °<=<=asion, when it appeared i4» THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST before, of his falling away, and his recent retura His words were of the roughest, his voice rusty and broken, but his transparent sincerity was sc manifest that he swayed the people as the wind sways the corn. And when at last he drew out a crown piece knotted in the comer of a piece of r.'\g, expectation, wonder, ..iterest were almost painful in their intensity. Holding the coin up between his right forefinger and thumb he said, ' Dear peepul, this 'ere dollar's my market-money. Most on yer know wot I means. If I ain't got it I cam't buy no wood, an' kinsequontly I cam't sell none. That means no grub for me nor the pony neither. Means no ' t, too. But I'm so shors 'at th' Lord loves me ter trust 'Im, I'm so shore 'at 'Ee womts me ter give yer a lead in this 'ere bizness, 'at I'm a goin' f drop it right inter this ring an' trost 'Im f pervide me wiv all I wants fer ter- morrer. 'Ert it goes,' and he spun the coin into the middle of the circle. ' Nah 'oos a-goin' t' foller suit ? ' When you read of the effect of Girolamo Savonarola's preaching in Florence your hearts are touched, the glamour of mediaeval religion seizes upon your imagination ; but in Rotherhithe in the nineteenth century, in the midst of mean streets and sordid environment, and above and beyond all in matters contemporary with yourself, you may remain un- moved. So did not Woody's hearers. They gave, yes, they gave up all they had retained for what they had considered essential necessaries, and those who had nothing to give wept with vexation. And in spite of the poverty of the neighbourhood, when the meeting was closed 9/. i^r. had been collected by the band, which, as Jemmy said exultantly, would go 'a PROGRESS ,^ i^gKt^ finishin. the littic place if U didn't do what you've done foi me. TT'hJ *"" * ^"°^ * It's iust like n^-u . ™* *'™P'e remark. ^^^the«d hps crooning the refrain of • The Pearly the said p«mises for Tte1„*^of tfvm^^ '"''" twenty^ne years cnv-„ ?^ ""' '<>"rteen. or Iterations anHoTrS"^ '° "''^^ »^' »"^h necessary. "^ "P*'" '«' "^ight be when therecoS^rmTLttt^^ttti^ ''^"■«^" more a swarm of m«„ '"^X was collected, saw once ,44 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST fitting matchboarding. But in the very nattre of things such a task as this could not be earned through in quite the same time as the previous one. For one thing it was four times as heavy, without the addi- tional labour of digging out the pool. The ardour of the toilers, however, knew no abatement, and on the third Sunday after the appeal had been made the Wren Lane Mission was .n pos- session of quite a large hall, seated for 30O peop^. well ventilated, but not well warmed. Jhe walls were matchboarded half-way up and prettily distem- pered for the other half, while the overhead beams were scraped and varnished, and the great centre support was elaborately lettered by a brother from a di^t^ce, who was a facia writer, v^th Ae tef Oh enter into His gates with praise.' And,best of all.the only bill left unpaid was for the torms. But they had been supplied by a friend at -«t price, and as he was in no hurry for his monc .le mmds of the brethren were quite at ease. .u.h.H There were no opening ceremonies when the Hal was finished, only a meeting cf all those who had lent a wilUng hand in the building of it, and a prolonged service of the usual character. But all who took part were really in earnest, and especially so the mmister c- a Dissenting chapel some little distance away, wno partly from curiosity and partly from goodwill, S consented to be present and ^-^^"-y^'2' He was certainly interested but undoubtedly some- wUt chagrined also because his ««cfully Prepared ;Sods fdV quite flat His auditory had b«.>me Customed to a much more primitive style of dis^ course, and did not appreciate his address at all. He PROGRESS ,^j could not. however, withhold a tribute of admiwtion for the way in which Jemmy and his coadjutors held their audience, neither could he refrain from on- trasting the whole-hearted service rendered by the Church members here with the ulL-a-respectable and to fact, condescending manner in which his own deacons moved throughout the sc.Wces at his chapel In fact, everything he saw impressed him with its freshness and spontaneity, and from thenceforward he was one of the Mission's heartiest Wends and supporters. Behold, then, the enlargement of the Wren Lane Mission an accomplished fact, all in train for a really grwt work to be carried on, and that too without the subscnption of a penny from any external body of Chnstians. It is true that the cost of the whole affair was not very large measured by the expendi- ture usually mcurred in such matte.^, but it was large for the people who had carried it through and every penny subscribed had been properly spent and duly amounted for. And when at last the long day's services were brought to a close. Jemmy made an announcement in a broken voice from the platform He was overcome because what he was saying repre- sented the summit of his ambition. He gave out among other notices the momentous one that on Ihureday next a baptismal service would be held, at which twenty believers had signified their intention or being immersed and thus bearing witness to the •aith they held, an announcement which was received *rth the liveliest satisfaction by all present, but a wscnption of which must be deferred until the next chapter. CHAPTER XV A BAPTISMAL SERVICE It had always been one of Jemmy's favourite pieces of eloquence, and one that never faUed to move a crowd either to laughter or tears— the telling of the story of his baptism. I am not going to attempt to reproduce the story here for several reasons, the chief one being that without his inimitable personality, joined to the relation of it, most of its interest would be lost, even to the most sympathetic reader. But in spite of his joyful recollections he was desperately dissatisfied at the idea of others going through the same hole-and-corner business, neither did he like appealing to Baptist hospitality ; and, therefore, now that his great over-mastering desire was about to be fulfilled, he seemed to grow visibly dignified. There were still difficulties to be overcome. In the first place the accommodation for dressing and changing was exceedingly scanty, neither was there much likelihood of the converts being able to provide their own special robes for the occasion, whUe the Church possessed none. And while the pool, as a pool, through the labours of Jemmy and Woody, was all that could be desired, being ten feet long by six feet wide and five feet deep, carefully cemented all round, and provided with a good set of steps at one A BAPTISMAL SERVICE M7 *fter the filling of the pool there were , lean. of drain ng it away, so that the men phy .. - ,abour of canying backwards and forwards over a thousand large paiis of water was sufficiently formidable to have daunted less earnest souls than these. Needless to say, perhaps, that to Jemmy and Woody the fact of being able to render unto the Lord (as they be- Heved) some bodily service, was entirely delightful, rherefore, the service being fixed for a Thursday evening, on the Wednesday at about 7 p.m., the day's work being well over. Jemmy. Woody, and Bill made their way to the < Hall ' provided with two buckets and Krae cloths for wiping up the slop sure to be made. Bill 8 presence was avowedly in the character of the Indian ' shabash-wallah.' an indispensable adjunct to all work carried on in India. He contributes no labour himself, but wanders round among the workers occasionally exclaiming 'Shabash hyj.' which may be freely interpreted as, ' Coun>^. . ;,rxj . • ' or- Cheer up. brothers,' or, indeed, an othc-r w. a rou may fancy that would be likely , ,,. .,/ lagging spirits of a gang of workers. So r.f„ ,r isthe custom that it is almost impossible t- >■ ork done without a ' shabash-wallah ' or • chee, !ng-up man.' Now since Bill Maskery had fallen into the pain- ful grip of sciatica it was as much as he could do to hobble about with the aid of a stick, so that carrying water was out of the question, although he did at infinite pains, forcing many groans from his brave Old heart, still go on with his business of chimney •weeing. But that was really necessary for his living, "e had made a business contract whereby in con- L3 m8 the apostles of the south east sideration of handing over his long and hardly earned connection he was to receive a stated sum per week —enough to live upon. Unfortunately, he soon found that if he did not wish to starve, by reason of his share remaining unpaid, it would be absolutely neces- sary for him to attend to business as usual, having no means of coercing his partner, who would work or not, and pay or not, as it pleased him. In Christian work like the present, however, all Bill's sympathies were engaged. His contributions in money were only limited by the shallowness of his purse, while ii gave him unalloyed pleasure to come on such occasions and sit in the midst of the workers, telling them story after story from his rich experience : the moral of every one of which was that while nine out of every ten men were sure to fail you at a critical moment, if you put your whole trust in God you were bound to be all right Your very mistakes seemed to be the right thing unconsciously done And so, while Jemmy and Woody toiled back and forth to the adjoining stable bringing water. Bill sat and 'shabashed ' them, so that when relief came m the shape of Brother Salmon and Brother Burn, the rigger, both of whom turned up at about 9.30, quite two-thirds of the work was finished. Then, whUe the two new-comers took up the task of water-canying. Jemmy and Woody rushed off to borrow a portable copper with which to temper the undoubted chill of the water, lest any of the converts, not be>ng upheld by sufficiently forceful faith, should catch a severe cold and thereby have the edge of their new en- thusiasm dulled. So it came about that, in spite of the zest they A BAPTISMAL SERVICE ,^5 brought to their labours, it was past eleven o'clock be put to what Jemmy grandiloquently called the dressing-rooms, one of which was a sort of triangulat cupboard -towhich four persons might with diffifJhy ^hir* . 'J*"* *'" y°" '=°"""'' ^hut the doo^ This was to be arranged for the sisters. The neSy baptised bn^thren would have to change in a S ^n" ^11"^ '"'° *■= "PP*' P"'* °f *« h^l by a A?d1^; '"'./f * '""^ ''y ^° f"^ ^'^ wide And great care would be necessary in using this place U f^m TTIT' '''•«=^*«P"t'«on which diSded It from the hall proper was so thin .Iwt leaning ^nst .t unaware the neophyte would. bS ^ugh. be precipitated among the spectetorrS f sUte of extreme d^sAahm^d cause mVhconfu L not to say scandalous hilarity, which would be Stel' L^e'°^T"^*''*^*^P'°^'^'""S'^ These deSl Brother Sdmon promised to attend to in time ^^d then an adpumment to the neighbouring stew^llS .hop was suggested by Bill for a little much-nS3 refreshmentbefore going home, heofferingatthe^ time to treat the party, since he had not been ablHo assist them at their labours. ° »,hl^'^'!K*'?'^''°'*''^*"'*''«"'''*«t«^«'theplaindeal table ,n the.r favourite shop, with a steaming pl^te of stewed eels and mashed potatoes before each of tS.° not much eel. but plentTof thick paisley sprfntled aquor)w.th healthy appetites and keeTappStof ?L^mT ?"'"'' Londoner's favourite sup^^. a reminiscence of his first chapel (as A, called it> At "^ 1 li m 150 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST the risk of stripping himself of all he pos'-csicd he had fitted it up out of the ruins of a bankrupt carpenter's workshop, had provided seats, platform, pool, hymn- books, and all minor details. Then to his sorrow he found that he was not able to provide all the preach- ing required himself. So, in an evil hour, he was induced to subsidise (at ten shillings weekly) an eloquent man to take his Sunday evening services. Let him give the sequel in his own words : ' Brevren, •ee was the finest torker, that man, 'at ever I'yeard. An' "is knowledge o* Scripsher, well I never knoo any- fink like it 'Ee seemed Jer know 'is Bible frum Genesis to Revelation by 'eart An' I thort, pore innercent as I was (if it'd ben a 'orse deal er a corsin' match I wouldn't a-thort so), 'at I'd a got a bargin such as no missioner ever 'ad before. Well, I useter lissen to 'im wiv such pleasure, I camt tell ye. An' gradjuUy I let 'im 'ave more an' more control of it, seein' as 'ow 'ee could do it so much better'n me, w'ile I went to uwer places w'ere I was invited to speak. I'd oughter known— only there's some kinds er knowin' ye camt get wivout 'sperience— I'd oughter known better'n ter leave me own gardin' an' go 'elpin ter cultivate uwer peoples.' This kinder fing went on fer abaht six monfs until one day, w'en I was a-goin' frooth' accounts wiv 'im, 'ee ses, sorter bashful like, " Mister Maskery " ('ee'd alwus called me bruwer 'afore), " Mr. Maskery," ses 'ee, " I got somefin' f say t' ye." " Say away, ole man," ses I, quite cheerful, little finkin' what wos comin'. " Well," 'ee ses, " th' congre- gashun 'ere seems f fink 'at yore not quite orthydox on several pints of doctrine ; an' 'sides, they've ccane to th' conclushion 'at you an't a-doin' the right fing A BAPTISMAL SERVICE ,5, by 'em. They're tnos'ly of opinion 'at yore a-goin' abaht too much an' neglecktin' their sperritooal in- terests." Then, brevren, I see it all in a minit My ole bisness 'sperience come in straight, 'n I 'eld up me 'and ter stop 'im 'cause 'ee was goin' t' say some more. " 'Old on," ses I, « wos they a-perposin' t' make you the parstor of this 'ere chapel 'n shunt me I " 'Ee didn't amser for a minit, but I waited till 'ec pulls 'isself tergeweran' ses, "Well, I don't quite like yore way o' putten' it, Mr. Maskery, but I mus' say thet's abaht wot it comes ter," ses 'ee. " Ha, I thort as much," ses I ; " well, looky 'ere, Mr. Brahn, I'm a child of Gord nah, an' so I camt take yer be the neck 'n fling yer froo that there winder as me fingers itch ter do, but fur Gord's sake don' you go 'n temp' me too fur. Now lissen ; I ben pret^ sleepy I know, but I'm wide awake nah. I'm payin' fur th' ole o' this show, 'cause I love Gord 'n I want t' do for uwers wot uwers's done fur me. 'N if I didn't see wot I do see, 'at yore a mean sneak 'at wants ter get somefin' aht o' me an' somefin;. aht o' th' people, 'n then w'en you've got all you kin, do a guy somewheres else 'n begin agen, I'd give the 'ole fing up an' feel 'at I was on'y doin' wot wos right an' 'onest 'n true. But seein' wot I do see, I tell yer wot I'm a-goin' t' do, I'm a- goin' t' arsk you t' come dahn t' th' chapel a Sunday night I'll git a lot er bills aht so's we can 'ave a full 'ouse, an' then I'll put th' matter afore the people. An' if they wants ter git rid o' me and 'ave you— all right, they're welcome ; but you an' them '11 'ave ter give me substanshul security fur repayment of all I've a-laid aht on th" chapel." 'Ee didn't say any more. Just walked orf, an' w'en Sunday night come i5» THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST 'es didn't show up, an' in abaht five minits I found 'at the people was all sound enough — it was 'im as wasn't sound. W'y, 'ee was a Shaker, er a Mormon or somefin' o' that kind, or at least 'eed got a thin varnish o' some kind o' tommy rot on top of a solid foundation o' lookin' arter Number One. An' 'ee'd faked the 'counts too, so 'at 'is ten bob a week come aht nearer firty 'an ten. But I thenked Gord I'd got orf as cheap as I did, an' ? thenked Gord a good menny times 'at sech a wolf in sheep's dovin' 'adn't ben able t' rooin the work I giv' not only me money to, but me 'art's blood almost/ ' Yes, brother,' said Brother Salmon, ' it was ter- rible. I orfen feel as if we don't think half enough about the way in which God keeps us from the harm the devil's always a-waitin' to do us in them kind o' ways. It's fairly easy to go on in the straight way o' righteousness when once He's set our feet in it, but when you think of all the pitfalls there is in our own work for Him, not only dug by wolves in sheep's clothin' but by our own sincere friends, our families, an' even ourselves, it do seem wonderful 'at ever we see any results from our work at all. But we do, bless God, we do [hearty Amens from the others, considerably disconcerting the shopkeeper]. I do feel for that poor wretch though, he must have been very near the Kingdom once. Did you ever hear. Brother Maskery ? ' ' Oh, yes,' chimed in Jemmy, ' 'ee 'eard all right Mr. Brahn got 'auled up fur obtainin' money an' goods under false pretences, an' farver went to try an' git him orf. He wasn't able to do that quite, although 'ee certinkly did get 'is sentence made less A BAPTISMAL SERVICE an gets im a chamce to go aht ter <;„.,<• a m ke^r. a «a„ whom he had known ly^^ ^T moffensive respectable citizen who paid wrwaJc^d his duty as far as could be seen n«« f^' ^ to refuse a monger of fooTtrt^'er'' ^^ '"°'"" lagged for it, but in eSurrS«i!"^'^ °"" '''*° unknown quiL,titylS»LT ''*" ''"'**' ^" Bill tacklp ^ with your whole heart ; but remember that man. ^Zl his professions may be. is a dece tfuHjmg and keep your eye on him. especially if he holds ^'^ The" 'outme'of this t^ble advice so utterly wrong in its conclusions, yet. alas 1 so awfully natural 3the circumstances, was as ^^ ^l."^'^ Sf^ ttiis statement poor old Bill retired discomfited. Sg^nriowever that he might return to thesu^^ o^ ^me future occasion, and bidding him good-n.ght StTSe utmost heartiness, making the simple words sound almost like a benediction. News of the proposed ceremony had spreaa throughout the neighbourhood with great thorough- rieVs and the result was a state of things entirely unfore- LenSanyofthebrethren. When Jemmy and Brothe Smon Jrived at 4 p-M. to heat the water for the S,ri^ey leading up to the « Hall ' was entody S^Wed-indeed. it looked as if no one ever came 2^r But when at seven o'clock, thoroughly tir^, SHwo workers opened the door to leave and sn^ a hmSed meal, they found the narrow passage ^aSS^tith e^gerl/ waiting folk who. as s^n a. £^ saw the pair, clamoured for «imiss.on,jdtho^^ Se time for commencing the cereihony was fixed A BAPTISMAL SERVICE ,55 at eight o'clock. Momentarily bewildered, Jemmy stammered out an almost incoherent appeal to the people to be patient. And as they listened to him quietly enough he gathered confidence, and went on to explam more lucidly that the preparations were not yet complete, neither were there any helpers present yet for the purpose of keeping order. With a docility that surprised him they raised no objection two or three would-be malcontents being speedily silenced and allowed him and his coadjutor topass out of the alley on their way home. When thqr arrived they were almost too excited to eat or dnnk, the possibilities of the evening seem- ing so tremendous to them. Poor Jemmy kept softly repeating to himself, • More than ye c'n arsk 'r even think. Bless th' Lord, so it is, so it is.' And after snatching a few hurried mouthfuls he started off again, pursued by his eldest boy with a parcel It contained a baptismal waterproof costume which he had obtained the loan of from a friend who was pastor of a sgiall Baptist congregation in the North Of London, and although it is certain that the lack of It would not have hindered him one moment from going on with the ceremony, yet its possession would doubtless add greatly to his comfort. Tucking the parcel under his arm he hurried off again, finding when he amved at the entrance to the alley that it was a niatter of the greatest difficulty to force his way in through the densely packed people. He was rZ?!*" ^"«' *^°"^'*' *^* C'^P^" Stevens. Bwjers Jimson. Bum, and Harrop, were there await- ZiT'l'i'! *J^ *•''' '^^ "* ^*'* '^*" ^«''« t° ™«"t»in «»nlw. AH the candidates for baptism had arrived ,56 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST observer »<^''"* " ^ ^ ^^^ emotions, "^I'^^lS'eSatitraint And when the working '« *e.f eflorts ^j^^ ,^tform, ""L'out his ^ot^S grimy Lds an'd said brokenly S Si liayrtS- w'as a'distinctly vjible v.ve^j. "^se'rmo^ettrbutasimplefervent appeal to theGod *^'^fa2uaintaSip with Himself. As soon LTS SS anothef hymn was given out^d 5mmraft« a hurried conference with h« helpers. A BAPTISMAL SERVICE '57 retired into the brethren's passage, from which he presently emerged robed in what appeared to be a diving-dress as far as the waist, but upwards had the full sleeves and bands of the ancient clerical garb- only in black waterproof. Giggles sternly ' s-s-shd ' down were heard here and there, and no wonder, for Jemmy was really a mirth-provoking figure. His very self-consciousness helped the hilarity, so that even those most impressed with the solemnity of the occa- sion were hard put to it to keep their countenances. Advancing to the brink of the pool, with his friends close by him, Jemmy held up one hand and said, ' Dear friends, it's easy to larf, 'specially w'en we won't fink. You can't 'ardly 'elp larfin' at me, I know, 'n I don't feel quite comf 'ble meself. But if you'll remember w-ot were a-goin' t' do, that all them that's a-goin' dahn inter this water is professin' ter be buried wiv Christ— that is, they're henceforf dead t' sin, an as they come up that they're risin' wiv 'Im to a life of righteousness, 'oliness, an' 'appiness— I'm shore you won't feel inclined ter larf any more'n you would at the funeral of yer muwer. Please, /&<«* don't foi^et 'at if this is on'y a altered cowshed, Jesus, th' King o* Glory, was homed in one, an' among the hanimals too. Bless' 'Im, 'Ee's ere nah, may 'Ee give y' all th' spirit of rev'rence an' godly fear." All was now quite silent The ftrst candidate, the waitress ftom the coflfee-shop, came forward neatiy attired in a white robe, pale as chalk, and visibly shaking. Jemmy descended into the pool and helped her down the ladder. Then, as soon as she had recovored the breath which the first chilly touch of the water had taken away. Jemmy, pronouncing 158 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOtJTH EAST the solemn words which mean so much to the adult being baptised, but which the sponsors of the infant often hear quite unmoved, by a dexterous movement immersed her entirely, and before she quite realised what had happened, she was being assisted up the ladder neatly covered, and was hurried out of sight to change her garb. And so the whole ceremony proceeded without a hitch, although the anxiety of those behind to see was so great that at times it appeared as if there would be trouble. It was promptly prevented by Captain Stevens, who was in his element ; and, indeed, s^ well was order kept that, although one woman fainted in the pool, no one but those handling her knew of it And so the whole great business passed off satis- factorily and in utmost decency and order, until in an evil moment Jemmy essayed to ascend the ladder. As soon as he did so he found that by some unsuspected leak his waterproof dress had become quite filled, and was so weighty that he could by no means lift himself out of the water. It did not occur to him to slip it off or to remain where he was until the audience had gone, but asking for assistance he was forcibly dragged up the ladder, and stood there looking like a gigantic pair of sausages as to his lower limbs. CHAPTER XVI GATHERING CLOUDS Poor old Bill was much cast down at the unfortunate «,d.ng to the service. When the crowd had gone and the few elders of the 'Church' were discussing the evening's proceedings, he was moved to tears over the peat opportunity lost and the figure cut by his son at so critical a time. He said. • I looked thet we sh'd old a service o' praise arter this mectin', an' stid o' Hwt we must, yuss we must, 'old a service o' penitence. 1 Here s somethin' wrong somewheres. We ain't all nght wiv Gord, I'm shore, 'r we shouldn't 'a ben let go as wrong as we 'ave.' Then suddenly, to the unmitigated astonishment Of everybody present but himself, Jimson stepped forward, his face fiery red, and stammered ou^ Looky 'ere Mr. Maskery, I've 'ad enough o' yore tlT *" '"'i!;'** "'^''"'^ ^ =''"'' '-goin't'sfand «t no longer. If you've got anyfink agin me, ,y don t yer say it out an' 'ave done wiv it ? I'm m good a man as you are. an' I tell yer straight I don't ke th «^y things -as ben a-goin' on 'ere fur some iTf-n ,• ? '" ^'^ **'*^'''" '■""^ °' five year now, an' up till a httle while ago I 'ad my share of the wnrk itook my part in wotcver was goin' an' paid my bit tords everythink like a man. an' that's more'n j^^I i6e THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST can say, Mr. Jemmy Maikery, an' well you knowi it. An' then w'en^Mrchum comes along, a man like me 'as t' get out of 'is way ; stan' back an' 'old my peace, although I fink I 'as quite as much right an' 'sperience, an'— an' goodness too, if it comes ter that, as ever 'ee 'ad, or you either, fur the matter o' that' The speaker, having now apparently accom- plished his object of working himself up into a fury, paused for breath and glared around into the blank astonishment depicted on the faces he saw. For a minute there was an uneasy surcharged silence. Then Bill spoke slowly— thoughtfully, as one who felt that upon him rested great responsibilities — ' Joe, my lad, 'ow fur I'm ter blame fur wot you've jest said, I don't know. I only know this, that if I've said anythin', or done anythin', or even thought any- thin' wrong to'rds you or any bruwer in this gavrin', I arsks yoie pardin 'umbly as I arsks Gord's pardin, too. I can say, though, 'onest an' true, 'at I never meant any 'arm. An' if I was finkin' of anybody in perticler w'en I spoke as I did, it wos my son Jemmy Corse I knows 'im, p'rhaps, better'n any of yer. I knows at 'ee's alwus a rushin' at fings like a bull at a gate, an' 'ee don't often stop ter fink wot's a-goin' ter 'appen w'en 'ee's 'ad 'is way. But, in the sight of Gord, my only feelin' was 'at we'd missed a grand opportunity; th' henemy 'ad 'ad 'casion ter blars- pheme, and th' cause we're all wishin' ter see go forward as ben put back. An' I felt 'at per'aps th' fault was in ourselves somewheres. Joe, Jemmy, and brevren, if I've said wot I oughtn't to a-said, forgive me, I didn't mean no 'arm.' Upon Jemmy the effect of his father's appeal was GATHERING CLOUDS h«had done what he ,houS ^^^Sll ""' "'»' •poke, and when at la«t thJ.,. ,? ' """* "<> one it was by the newly tpttd""i^^;^'«"« *" '»«"'«" »t«ight.tJw/heS;;r.B,;t.,"„'7P- Looking among yer, but it seems /u- m^TV, ""'^ ' ^'"^ ^jnefin'. An' wot I w,u 1^.'^ ■^"?!''rr>' arter wot Gonl'a let ye dc- fur ^' *^ , " "' ^' ' """^ crn't undenund anyHt^el'^ r/" . "'" °^ """«• ' or finks 'ee W whv let'. =.ii il • ~ ' '" ^^ «>H Jore nobody intendeSriiSil^!!:!-- ,^'» Jimson burst in with, 'Looky 'ere Z./* ^ ^"* •*"* fcr all, don't you th nkl w.n? """■^' "»« you, cause I don't iVasT^.l''?"'™'*'"' '"«»» ">' I don't know w'ot Ti.'"'*"*'" * y°" an/ow, "•marks to mt l ZjliT\^^. ^'^"^''*' y"'* •fo«, an' nahyou ^e'T^w!-'' ** *' *"« '"''i"« that feeds me Lp an' Tn, ^ff - w?k ? "^ ^''^~ swiftly towanis the do^rU^^'^J". *"* '«' ''^e expo,tulato^^,3:£5„-eSrrr;t'^ the -M L : S:; 1^/-''' J'-^'^h^aWour "^vesaid L^.^'S:,::^^^^;^^ wou^ of capadty to do the LrkLf^ ^" °*" '^»"t bitterly resentful o^Ae ^wX '"? '°"^' ^^^ ^"^thNo„io4-and^£::b;s.s^i:re.-i: i6i THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST long as they hold some prominent position, occupy some place that gratifies their self-love, they are, if not content, not too discontented. But let any mem- ber of the same Church by any exhibition of useful qualities whatever come to the front, and imme- diately whispers of disaffection, slanderous disparaging rumours, and sometimes positively scandalous in- sinuations, will begin to crop up concerning the useful member. If these are traced to their source, a matter requiring much patience and perseverance, they will invariably be found to emanate from some such individual as I have sketched. Alas I it is almost always impossible ' to undo the harm thus done — it has often been a cancer eating out the very life of a most useful and flourishing Church. It should be dealt with in the same way as cancer — ^the knife should be used un ; -;ringly. This kind of people is a curse to society generally, but within the Church they are a greater curse than anywhere. They are the devil's most potent agents. In the world it is sometimes seen that one man will pursue another with most malevolent designs, will strive in every dark and detestable way to do him harm, not because of any harm the object of his hatred has done him, but because of envy — tliat hateful thing that would, if it could gain an entrance there, make a hell of heaven. I speak feelingly because I have mo.^t intimate knowledge of a man, highly gifted, indus- trious, and frugal, who, with splendid opportunities of making a great name and every prospect before him of being of immense service to his kind, has so allowed himself to become possessed of this devil of envy that he has alienated almost every friend he had, GATHERING CLOUDS began his caree^ becls^t'^'' r'"* *' ''^'" ^e sun„„g envy of any and everj bSf who H^ ' ~"- thing successful. But h,. 17 . . , ^°^ *"y- fession of religioa He t of "^ "'^^'' "° P^' hypocrite for Sa, bets'" he wiHC '*'" °' ' advocate of causes for which hJ P"** ** *" ping of his fingers, h^s olty Jbfeet E^^i "^^ "^P" he may possibly do to ^me ml 5 ^'^ '^*""«* «t«>ng views upo^n the sam^TubS" '" '*'"" of th";;2onTslt,,i'T 'r "«-" ^''^^ ^'<''' the Christian SdeHtLT? *^ '"nportance of holdly that whe«^eH^S "? t*' "" *''" '''>' « found spread^ ™L£L.[f *"''' *" ""^'°"^ ""a" worker, steps shoSd , ton« Z^^T *'^"* '>•" ~- him if he be found « h ^*" *° ^ret rid of impenitent or IZ^^ZLH"^' P™'^^'^ '^^ ^' he is doine .An?^ • .^ ""'"'»« "f the evil should n^i 4, S"7 °^ '^*^*» °f "i-ions eminent necess ty ft ^sS If '""""*" *^ P^ engaged in tiie work of the'^.K ""'t '"'°"& »" the lowest ground . mil gathering. To put it on ft«m its etSls^f ""'!"'""' "P*^ '''together unbusinessSe "ra sh"'r " :''1 °' '''•"^' ^ business of the Churdil ^ fiT" "^"""^S^- ^he shapes and fo^s ; S .^tJf Ch^'t V '" «" exists a canker-worm J> • , Church's heart there What possib,;;es:rcar .^"^X Tori" H^ "' ^^• pastor preach the sweet rf^^- / """'^^n the i64 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST in his heart he knows that in the arcanum of his Church there are brethren and sisters ready to bite and devour one another ? The only answer is that if he does continue to do so, it must be with a sense of hypocrisy and unreality about him that cannot fail to have a dreadfully demoralising influence upon his own soul, like that of a man who, drinking in secret, is at the same time an ardent advocate of the cause of total abstinence. Jimson's sudden exit seemed to lift the embargo laid upon Jemmy's tongue. He sig^ heavily and said, 'Well, farver an' brevren, we must go 'ome. I'me a-goin' 'ome wiv a 'eavy 'eart, not 'at I c'n quite understand wot I've done wrong. But after wot farver 'as said, an' the way Bruwer Jimson's left erse, I cam't feel 'appy. No matter ; my 'eart don't con- demn me, an' if it did, I sh'd arst pardon an' be fergiven, as I've b'en so many times. Good-night, an Gord bless all of ye.' A general hand-shakii^ and series of good-nights followed, and in five minutes all had separated and gone to their several homes. The Saturday evening prayer-meeting was marked by a most unusual incident. As a rule no one ever came to that meeting save the members of the Mission, but on this occasion a man was present who made all the members feel uneasy. He was a coster- monger if he was anything, but neither as a street tradesman nor a general labourer was he ever a regular worker. Nowadays he would be called a Hooligan, but then the only term that could be applied to him with any sense of propriety was that of ' rough.' He was undoubtedly rough, and wherever any trouble was afoot it was alniost certain that GATHERINC CLOUDS ,65 Paterson would be found in the midst of it He was 6.Unctiy one of the da„ge„>us cla«e. of whom. aS^ Acre are so many in our great towns, ^«d in Ae fou ness of the slums and without any ^o^Jnse of Ae.r duty towards their neighbour than a^imalTof the fiercest type. He had been at the baptismal sef v.ce. and was then ' spotted - by Brother Sa^^l who fora moment felt full of fear lest he should h^ve ^ote Aere to create a disturbance, but was consoS ^Z he found that as the service proceeded pVt^Jl . quite.«l,apparently.-mpre«eJby:h'a?JiSgr W>en. however, he put in an appearance on S^ -.Its of their preaching alXSsr/m^'.-SS themselves, they were always received Jith wond« ^.f results were the last thing they expected ThTs' may seem a sort of acrid comment u^ the Sh fidently. knowing its truth, and knowintr too h ally all trulyhonest Christians wiFa^L' Z mT It IS no matter for wonder that God shfuld kZ Su wo^ to us but the great majority of us act ?if were. And so, when the terror of Rotherh,>hr. shamblingly forward at the close of the S.„T' evening's prayer meeting and p^offsJl^'r^^J terms h,s desire to seek the Lord, he was LZT^t fi^t w.th a considerable amount of res^r^ ??/' when the situation adjusted itself, all w7m tl^l opposite extreme and vied with ol \u * Jeir welcome to the new^mer Vtel^S'th "t he was Ured to death of his way of liZgZZ i.'A.-*W4 .1- i66 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST words of Jemmy on the Waste the previous Sunday evening had gone right home to his heart, and that never again could he do or say or even think as he had done. But specially he had been moved by the baptismal service. That had settled the matter for him, and he only longed for the time to come when he, too, might testify in public that he was a lover of the Lord. Much moic he said also in the same strain, and at last, such was the agony of conviction in which he found himself, that he burst into tears and for some time refused to be comforted. Great was the rejoicing among Ijhe brethren and sisters. All felt, and justifiably so, that such a brand plucked from the burning was worth any amount of labour and pains to secure. They yearned over the re- pentant one with an intensity of affection that can nowhere else be witnessed in the world's scheme of things. He was at once a trophy of grace, a proof of their ministry, and a Divine sealing of their charter of apostleship. When they left the hall that night they trod the clouds, and for a little while even the disquieting episode of Jimson's defection was foi^otten. At the very time when this delightful season was being enjoyed by the members of the Mission, Jimson was closeted with three chosen chums, fellow foremen, in the dim and somewhat strong-smelling little bar- sanctum of one of those waterside taverns which still survive on both sides of the Thames. A bottle of rum stood on the rickety table, flanked by a sugar basin and a plate containing a sliced lemon. Four passes also, filled to the brim with a comforting com- ponad, rtood one in front of each member of the quartette. Each in turn gave his solemn opinion of GATHERING CLOUDS jgy Ae state of affairs at the Wren Lane Mission. Forti- fied as well as consoled by the potent spirit, the cronies said many things without the least idea of the value of words, but dMp down in the minds of every TT-^' °^ *' ""'« company was a somewhat devihsh satisfaction that at last Joe Jimson had seen how narrow and unsatisfying was the way of a Holy Joe, and had, gaining wisdom in time, returned to the w»ys of wi«lom-wisdom, that is, in making the best of the world which is, and leaving such esoteric con- siderations as the comfort of others, to say nothing of ones own comfort in the world which is to come to take care of themselves. ' Said Larkin Smith, as he cocked his opened pocket-knife into the hollow of his thumb and pro- ceeded to rub up the tobacco he had just shredded from a plug into fitting filling for his pipe, < I alwns dKi say as Jimson was aht o' place in that gang, didn't ) ? There was no answer, but a series of solemn nods, so he resumed. 'Vers, an' wot I say is, men like e«e wots getter git their livin', an' git it mighty ard too, ain't got no time fer fooUn' aroun' with biznew wot b longs ter th' parson. Eveiy man t' 'is trade, I ses. I don't go crabbin' no man's job, I don't ■ let th' parsons look aht fer men's speritooal matters, w-ile the men's a-doin' their bit o' graft ; an' s'longs they don't interfere with me I ain't a-goin' t' interfere wi' them Uye an let live's my motter. Wot do I know about religion ? Nothin' at all, an' I don't want ter know nothin, w'en I k'n get a man oo'se parients 'a' got plenty of brass ter sen' 'im ter college an' learn all Jcre ,s ter be lemed, t'U come round 'ere an' take ail the sponsibility orf my shoulders, fll come in w'en i«8 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST I peg aht an' read me the words wotll pars me froo an' make me all right fer th' nex' world — w'y sh'd I bother wr stoopid 'ead abaht things ? No, not me.' And with a shake of his head woithy of a Solon, Mr. Smith drained his glass and subsided into his chair, puffing vigorously at his pipe like a man who, having stated an unanswerable case, awaits a futile rejoinder in order that he may with a sentence or so crush the rash answerer into dust. No rejoinder came, how- ever, for neither of the other two strangers took sufficient interest in the conversation to rouse them from the pleasant lethargy induced by rum and tobacco, while Jimson himself, although passionately argumentative, was actually too much ashamed to say a word either against the faith he still secretly held, or in its favour when he was engaged in acting as if he had done with it for ever. And there for the present we will leave him to find that the old pleasures long desired in secret had somehow lost t^jcir savour ; that there was a dull cold sense of dis- :>atisfaction with everything and everybody, allied to a constantly haunting fear of having done irreparable injury to his chances of ultimate happiness, and an aching desire to get back among the people he had but recently been so eager to leave. There was, as I have before noted, in the enlarged ' Hall ' an angular cupboard-like apartment which was used as a vestry, and in this tiny place Jemmy was wont to keep in a little box the moneys collected until the treasurer, Brother Jenkins, who was by reason of his employment somewhat irregular in his attendance, should come and take it. Jemmy had adopted this plan since the amounts collected had GATHERING CLOUDS ,5, pown in Importance, for, „ he said with a mero' smile, he didn't want to be always under temptation to pay his rent or have a good feed out of the Mission money as he should if he kept it at home. On this Saturday evening the little box contained over 11/. tte proceeds of the baptismal service and the previous Sundays collection, and sundry other sums which were due to be paid away. But when Brother Salmon came as usual to set the ' Hall ' in order for the break- ing of bread on Sunday morning, he found to his horror that some one had been before him, not through the door but down through the skylight Further mvesbgation revealed the startling fact that Jemmy's Kh q'I'" ^°"' ' Q""^ *'"""«• by thediscoveor Brother Salmon sat down and tried tocoUect himself t„M »f°?!u °" .^'' ^"^ for his unfailing sotaceand told the Father all about it. He rose comforted, and M.d nothing to any of the brethren until Jemmy amvrf when taking him into the vestry he told the poor fellow the heavy tale. It was a crushing blow to Jemmy, disabling him from conducting the service, which was consequently left in the hands of Bajthe^ balmon And, although none else but these two knew of the loss, there was present to the minds of all !„hT1/°°^*'^ ^""^ '"~"?'» l»=k of the joy «id bnghtness usually felt at the Sunday morning A^rL ^',^'1 "^ 't *« over Jemmy called all fte brethren together who were, if one may call them », his deacons, and laid the loss before them, taking ^on. J^° "^ *° **''' *^" ™°"«y ^^-^y with him. peculiarly British suggestion of locking the stable m i>f ■| ■! I 170 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST 1 after the loss of the horse, but it was unanimously decided that Brother Jenkins be asked to resign his treasurei'ship as soon as he could be seen. All seemed aAaid to suspect anyone whom they knew, and no one had any suggestions to offer about raisit^ this large sum. They felt they dared not make the matter public, for they all knew how a censorious world '"ould receive such a statement It would cer- tainly be said that if any robberj' had been committed it was by one of themselves, and those persons who had not contributed a farthing toward the expenses would be the loudest in *.jeir condemnation and sinister suggestions of dishonesty. So that it was with heavy hearts that the little band prepared for the campaign of the evening, anticipating much trouble during the approaching winter in keep- ing out of debt, when open-air meetings could not be held and the collections would be confined to their own body. For they knew, none better, that in the open-air meetings their strength lay, and that such a congregation as they would get indoors during the winter would be quite unlikely to contribute enough to meet current expenses, much less make up such a loss as they had just sustained. In the open air that night a fairly good collection was taken, amounting to 3/., but there were no conversians and very little enthusiasm except on the part of Bill Harrop, who proved himself a tower of strength. But for him the meeting would have been dull indeed. And if you, reader, feel inclined to blame these poor apostles for their easily damped ardour, it will be well for you to remember some of the occasions on which ycHi have felt that, because some loss has confronted GATHERING CLOUDS ,,, you, or some of your well^tfranged plans have gone •gley, the sunshine of God's favour has been shut off «>d your heaven has been overcast with lowering clouds through which no gleam of blue has been dis- cernible. Since(and before) the days of Elijah thesame lAenomena have always been witnessed-Christians nsmg to the most sublime heights of faith in the pre- sence of truly terrible trials, and fainting before trifling setback., meeting joyfully the tremendous frontal assaults of the devil victoriously, and succumbing to small temptations to evil most ingloriously. It has ever been so, and presumably, unUl the day of God shall dawti, it will, in spite of its apparent paradox, so continue to be. «- ■-• CHAPTER XVII FAITH'S OPPORTUNITY From the hardly contested struggle of the brethren in dingy Rotherhithe It is doubtless a relief to return for a while to Saul, grandly justifying bis high calling upon the wide sea. It is no exaggeration to say that this one man's goodness of character, ability in his profession, and courage to do what he felt to be right, completely altered the lives of everybody on board. For if it be impossible for seamen to withhold their admiration for a brutal tyrant, providing he be a first-rate sailorman, how much more must they, are they, compelled to aidmire a perfect seamen who is at the same time fearless, just, and untiring. Saul dominated the whole ship, and although, as was inevitable, there were some evil spirits who hated him solely for his goodness, they did not dare to utter their sentiments for fear of what the majority might say or do. So the Asttroidvtas a perfectly peace- ful ship. From day to day the routine went on lilce clockwork, and there never was the slightest necessity for either of the mates to interfere in any way. Not only so, but the mate grew to repose such implicit confidence in Saul's sailorising qualities that his directions for work to be done only consisted of the merest outline, and any suggestion of alteration FAITH'S OPPORTUNITY ,73 made by Saul always met with a moat coidial welcome from him. When the ship reached the steady fine-weather region, Saul, having previously obtained the consent of the mate, held a class three nights a week in the second d<^-watch, to which he invited all the appren- tices and those members of the crew whose seaman- ship was of poor quality. At these times he taught his pupils, with a thoroughness and assiduity beyond ail praise, all the mysteries of knots, splices, seizings, and fancy work, in either hemp or wire rope. And this teaching business caught on so that soon you might see all hands in their watch on deck at night, or below in the dog-watches, busily engaged in demonstrating some knotty point of sailorising or arguing some detail of seamanship, such as the sending up or down of mast and yards, the fitting of rigging, &c. Side by side with this educational process, which, it may be remarked In passing, was not merely of the highest value to the crew practically, but kept their minds off the endless filthy gabble that is so charac- teristic of ship's forecastles, another form of instruc- tion was steadily going forward. None the less real because it was unobtrusive, it was not confined to one period of the day, but its beneficent influence was felt all day long. In Saul's presence at first none of his men dared to use bad language because of their fear of the consequences, but as they grew to know him better, they felt that it would be a much greater offence to swear before him than it would be else- ^re. As an instance of what I mean, the little Scotchman of whom I spoke was doing a small job Miatocorr msmution tbt chart (ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No. 2) 1.0 ^^ 1^ ■ 2.2 I.I Iti ili 14.0 y£ 1.8 1^ ^ ^ A 4 /1PPLIED IM/OE Inc 1653 East Main StrMt Rochtstw, Nm York 14609 USA (716) ♦ea -O300-Phon« (716) 2U- 5989 -Fox 174 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST one day under the bo'sun's eye, when the marlinespike he was using slipped and the point pierced his hand. As ninety out of a hundred sailors would have done, he uttered a fierce curse upon the tool. Saul gravely said, 'Did sayin' that do ye any good?' Scotty did not trust himself to answer, so Saul went on, ' I can tell ye from experience that, as far as words go, " Thank God " would have just the same effect on the smart as that foul talk, and it would sound ever so much better. But I can tell you more than that I can tell you that while it's cowardly to swear at a thing which you know can't give you back as bad as you send, cowardly to swear at something else for what is your own fault, it's bad for ye to give way to temper like that If ye only keep a hand on your- self and bridle your tongue, the good it'll do ye is beyond all count But I'll admit that to do so fully needs the grace of God, except one's born patient. It does come easier then.' Scotty looked up at the handsome grave face, his memory ran back along the various incidents of the voyage wherein what the bo'sun was now preaching had been practised by him, and in spite of the smarting of his injured hand he was convinced and ashamed of himself. For herein lies the supreme teaching value of a good man's life on board ship. Men live there in an intimacy unknown elsewhere, except in the family. All a man's faults and failings, no less than his virtues, are brought under the mental microscope, and every detail of his behaviour, even if it is never discussed in speech, is noted, has its influence. This it is that makes me so impatient with the foolish talk of people who speak of the FAITH'S OPPORTUNITY •7S Christian as if he or she were a creature whose mental and physical fibre were in some way relaxed. In the nature of things one has always a battle to fight when well-doing is his object, and even A-hen surrounded by Christian friends full of sympathy and willingness to help, that battle is a stem one, bringing out all that is most heroic in man. But when, by night and day, week in, week out, for months and itionths at a time, a man is surrounded by th. .se who are eager to trip him up, who would be delighted beyond measure at his fall, and whose keenness of criticism makes no allowances for temperament, or indeed difficulties of any sort, then the grandeur of the Christian character becomes manifest, the true hero stands revealed. But verily he has his reward : not merely in the contemplation of a theoretical Heaven to be by-and-by attained as a payment for patient endurance of sorrow, evil, and pain here, but in the growth of love, the closer affinity of the creature to the Creator, the gradual return to the originally conceived man before by disobedience he lost that fellowship with God wherein lay perfect peace and happiness. It was in this manner that Saul was silently edu- cating the crew of the Asteroid. Except that he was always ready with an encouraging or a warning word where he felt it might be fitly spoken, as at such times as I have just alluded to, he never attempted to preach directly, preferring to let his life do that for him, and fcelmg sure that if he only lived Christ, sooner or later he would be asked to preach Him directly. His two berthmates, Chips and Sails, were in great straits. His presence in the half-deck exercised a 176 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST restraint upon them that often became intolerable. Only his bright cheery presence, for never by a word did he attempt to force upon them what he thought they sorely needed. So, as a rule, whenever he was in the house they went out and conversed at their ease. They did not boycott him intentionally, feeling that fuch a proceeding would be futile, but they simply could not talk before him, their darkness could not stand his light. Then Chips was taken seriously ill. The food in the ship was of poor quality — poorer, so the two petty officers said, than it had ever been before and owing to a quantity of tinned fresh beef going bad there was very littl^ change of diet from the saltpetre-laden meat. This brought on an illness in the carpenter's case which, partly the long-delayed result of vicious habits, might have beer averted with proper food. And now the sufferer realised with many mental pangs how good a thing it was to have a tender-hearted untiring shipmate. Saul nursed him like a mother, prayed for him (but never intruded his prayers upon him), read his favourite books to him— for Chips, like most Scotchmen, was a great reader — and generally did for him what such a man might be expected to do. And at last, one Sunday afternoon, as the ship was sweetly breasting the bright waters of the Southern Ocean before a splendid westerly breeze, with a regular rhythmical swing as of an infant's cradle, although she was making a good ten knots, Chips suddenly turned his weary eyes full upon Saul as the latter sat by the bunkside reading the ' Heart of Midlothian ' to him, and said, ' Bo'su.i, hoo is ut ye've never offert tae read th' Bible tae me ? ' •Chips, my boy,' replied Saul, ' I've been waitin' an' FAITH'S OPPORTUNITY ,„ prayin- for ye f ask me. You know ^s well as I do that if I had offered you would have been offended, and perhaps scared as well, because some people have a queer notion that to offer to read the Bible to a man shows that you think he's goin" to die. Besides I do try, as far as He gives me grace to do it, to imitate my Master, Jesus Christ He was such a gentleman as the worid's never seen before or since. An He never forced Himself on people. When they wanted Him, He was, and is, always ready, but to come where He isn't wanted wouldn't be like Him But He went on livin' His perfect life in the sight of all men, and if that didn't make 'em love Him it was because the devil had so blinded 'em that they couldn't see the beauty of His splendid perfect man- hood. But tell me, wouU you like me to read to you ? Read the Bible, I mean.' Chips, with closed eyes, murmured, 'Yes. Not cause Ah think Aam gaein' f dee, fur Ah daen't. Bit Ah wou d laik fine t' see, if Ah can. hoo it is that a man can dae fhat ye'va ben daein' iver sin ye «in aboord this ship. Mahn, Ah've niver sin ony- thir -Ik ut in a' ma life. Mony an' mony a mahn ah vc oeen acquent wi' wha"^ profest tae be unco guid, bit thae wer a' rotten at hert an' ther professions but lees But ye seem tae be wut ma idee of a Christen mahn ought to be_read me some ooto'yer Bible, an' Ahll listen wi' all ma hairt.' Without another word Saul reached up for his Bible and opened it at Luke xv. From lack of «lucatjon many of his words were mispronounced in a fashion to make a critic writhe, but he had that supreme gift of a good reader, a sympathetic apprecia- N 178 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST tion of what he was reading, that made his hearer feel the words as the writer intended they should be felt. And as Chips lay and listened to the sublime parable, he saw, as if in a picture spread out before him, the nine pieces of silver safe in the bag while the sorrow- ing housev"'*"';, candle in hi>nd, swept and searched diligently t. ' she found the piere which was lost. He saw the ninety-nine sheep cosily nestling within the fold, while up and down the bleak mountain side the shepherd sought untiringly for the foolish straying one. And his interest grew poignant in its intensity as Saul, choking with emotion, reproduced the Divine picture of the Father i>n His lonely watch-tower straining His eyes out over the desert for the drooping wayworn figure of his returning son. So great was the power of sympathetic faith possessed by the reader, that Chips was one of the company of publicans and sinners drawn nigh to hear Him who spake as never man spake before or since, and it was with a sense of perfect realisation of that wonderful scene that he said, as Saul looked up at the story's close, ' Thankye, thankye, bo'sun, ye'll never know what ye've dune fer me this aefthemune. May God repay ye, fer Ah niver can. Noo Ah'U sleep, Ah think, fer Ah feel thet comforted ye caent imagine.' So Saul put down his book and went on deck, where leaning over the rail his eyes feasted upon the cool loveliness of the departing day, took in every detail of curving wave, diamond spray, delicate play of coloursabove and beneath, until his heart overflowed witli its upspringing fountain of joy, and the big tears of perfect happiness rolled ons by one down his bronzed face. There ar^ many people who cannot FAITH'S OPPORTUNITY ,„ dissociate the idea of tears from sorrow, many more who feel that for a man to weep proves him unmanly Poor people, what do they know of joy or manliness ? Jesus wept, and no man ever attained to His over- towering stature of true manliness ; while true full joy must have tears or the heart will burst, the joyfu! one will die. But Saul's greatest blessing was found in the transformation of the once truculent and worthless Larry Doolan. Larry's experience the first day out had been to him a revelation of what he was, and what this strong brave man was who had first mastered him and then saved his life. He was truly a changed man. Very silent and reserved, scarcely ever heard to speak unless absolutely compelled to do so wlhng, teachable, and obedient in the highest degree' Aere was as much difference between him and the' UrryDoolan of former days as between light and dark. And his dog-like affection for Saul was a pathetic thing to see. A deep content seemed to fill him if only he could work near his deliverer- he followed him wistfully with his eyes, and at' his lightest word the once dawdling loafer sprar.e to execute the order as if his life depended upo; his promptness. But speak to Saul, Larry could not except in the way of business. All his native voubihty seemed to have deserted him, and he could only express what he felt by his looks. But once or twice in the fo'c'sle, when some lewd fellow of the baser fort ventured a disparaging remark about the bosun, threw it out a sort of feeler like, Larry's dark eyes flashed, his fists clenched them.se)ves and he i8o THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST growled out a fierce warning that might not be safely disregarded. And so the passage drew near its close. Chips recovered, but was sadly altered in physique, from the tremendous demand made upon his enfeebled constitution. The sailmaker, a weak good-natured fellow, taking his cue from the penitent carpenter, now sat with him and listened while Saul read a chapter every night out of his beloved Bible and haaarded a few pithy comments at intervals. And then the trio suddenly became aware that during the reading there were listeners outside the ^oor. Some of the watch on deck took to creeping aft and listening to Saul's melodious voice as he read the Word. And presently cime that for which Saul had hungered ever since he came on board, an invitation to read to all hands that could attend one Sunday afternoon, at which his heart leapt for joy. Seated on the forehatch, with the chaps picturesquely disposed about him, the bo'sun read amid a silence so deep that you could almost hear the deep breathing. The impression made was very great, how great could only dimly be surmised; but the immediate results were evident. Only four fellows held aloof, men who had made up their minds to hate Saul, and whom no amount of admiration for his seamanship or manly character could alter, and Larry. But the latter only kept away from the reading f .om a mistaken idea that he would be held disloyal to his religion if he listened to a here tc's reading of the Bible. His conscience was becoming very tender, and he longed to do right at whatever cost to himself, and Saul, knowing his difficulty well, did not press him with invitations. He only remained instant in prayer that FAITH'S OPPORTUNITY ,8, ttis poor blind heart might be opened to receive the hght and be led by the great Guide into the way ofpeace. ' The readings were so great a success that they were renewed at every possible opportunity, and, strange as it may seem, Saul had much difficulty in remammg humble and not puffed up by this wonderful result. But it has ever been so: the gentle souls that could endure martyrdom, that under all adverse circumstances only shine brighter and more stead- festly, are often lulled to sleep or tempted to become well satisfied with themselves when the sunshine of Gods love beams upon them and their ministry is being blessed and accepted by all around them. Of course it is only a spiritual application of the uni- versal rule that there be Jew mortals who can properly endure success. Especially such as this of Saul's. It surpassed his most fervent hopes that he should find all hands, except of course the after-guard •istening patiently while out of the Book of books he read the grand old story in that language which is so plam that a child may apprehend it. He felt sure that tiiere would be a great ingathering presently, lookedforward to it confidently, and uie contemplation made him supremely happy. After a smart passage of eighty-seven days the Asttroid axrweA at Calcutta, and the way her crew worked unbending and stowing away sails as she was swiftly towed up the great river, extorted a few words of wondering praise from the pilot— one of those masterful chiefs of the piloting profession that only SMims to attain its foil development in Calcutta, f me crew you've got, Captain Vaughan,' said he, as t82 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST that gentleman and he promenaded the dec the sails fell around like autumn leaves. ' Ye' 'ou may well say that,' answered the skipper. ' I don't want a bett( r lot, more willing, or more cheerful. And yet they're being so is a profound mystery to me. Practically their smartness and willingness is the result of one man's work, for a more miserable set of wastrels than the majority looked like when first they showed up leaving London, you could hardly imagine. But that bo'sun of mine has workM miracles with 'em. He's got religion, has that fellow, the righ: kind, and he not only taught them to obey him, to look slippy when they're called, an' tov>'ork without growling, but he's got 'em to sit and listen to him while he reads and expounds the Bible to "em. I tell you he makes me feel mighty 'shamed of myself, especially as he's made my life a very easy one. I haven't had a thing to trouble my head about all the passage except the navigation, neither hat the mate. That fellow's done it all.' Th; pilot listened gravely until the skipper hid finished, and then -trith an air of wisdom such as might become a man who was fully qualified to say the last word on the _jbject, replied, ' Well, Captain Vaaghan, what you say is very interesting as a study in super- stitions. It :.. well worthy of attention, the manner in which these lower intelligences blindly attach themselves limpet-wise to some perfectly impossible farrago of jumbled-up ideas, and the lengths to which they will go in support of some theory for which they could not, if their lives depended upon it, bring one single reasonable proof But I confess that your tes- timony to this man's behaviour is quite outside the FAITH'S OPPORTUNITY .83 ordinary range of my experience. Religion, of what- ever brand, I have always found unfits a man or woman for the oidinary workaday business cf the world ; makes then- in fact, more or less idiotic, while endowing them with a plausible cunning that is a very common feiture of idiocy in general. That you should have a man here in such a positioii as bo'sun, an open professor of religion and withal a man whc can do his work and make others do theirs, can keep his place and his preaching for its proper time, when- ever that may be, and at the end of three months can command your unqualified good word, is enough to make one think that the age of miracles is not yet past.' ' You've exactly expressed my feelings on the matter. Pilot,' returned the captain, ' except that I de- tect in your tone a touch of incredulity. But I swear to you that I have studiously underrated the man to you, and I believe if you'll keep a clore eye upon him during the short time you are on board that you'll find it easier to believe me. Mind, I do believe that, whether he'd got religion or not he'd be a first-class man, but he's compelled me to believe that he cer- tainly is a v*ry much better man with religion than he would be without it He tells tlie chaps that before he was converted' — ' Bsfore he was rvhat}' interjected the pilot. ' Nc ^, you know what I said,' laughed the skipper ; ' I'r'i not responsible for his '.er- minology, neither am I going to enter into any dis- cussion as to tl.j meaning he attaches to the words he uses. Before he wts converted he says he wasn't anything like so good a workman as he is now, because he didn't take the same interest in his work. He was lazy and drunken whenever he could possibly indulge i84 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST in either of those habits, and in fact he lived the I'tc of an intelligent animal without the wise instincts which prevent an animal from doing harm to its own body. < I see,' sighed the pilot. ' I shall have to take a few days ofl* and study this phenomenon of yours, Captain ; and then if I'm any judge of the workings of a man's mind by what he says, I may as well study you as well, for I believe if your bo'sun dared to tell you what he's thinkin' about you he would say, " Thou art not far from the Kingdom of God." ' Startled beyond measure, the captain turned sharply, his face flushing crimson, upon the pilot, as if to say something in a hurry. But he could not find words apparently, for a(ter a pause he murmured, ' Ah, Pilot, although I am astonished to hear you quoting Scripture, I've got to say this— if getting into the Kingdom of God will make me half as good a n* it.-^ • ^ verities of life that is hid with Chnst .n Gk^. such as the world has not witnessed smce Apostolic days. CHAPTER XVIII CALCUTTA AND HOME The mooring of a big sailing-ship at Calcutta is a most interesting process, and one that I have often felt merited a detailed description. But I have grave doubts whether this is the place to give it, much as I should like to bring before my readers the natives diving to hook on the gigantic chain-moorings lying at the bottom, the great launches heaving those cables up, and all the complicated business of securing a huge ship fore and aft in such safety that when the ' bore,' or tidal wave, sweeps diagonally up the river, carrying devastation far and wide among the native craft,..it may beat in vain upon the long rows of Western ships riding near the banks of the Hooghly. As, however, the purpose of this history is con- cerned with quite other matters, I must reluctantly pass over so tempting a theme, merely pointing out that now Saul was, to his great delight, in a position to call in potent auxiliaries to complete the work he had so nobly begun in the minds of his crew. The behaviour of four of the latter gave him some little trouble, for they neglected no opportunity of getting fte worse for liquor ; but as they were discountenanced ly all the rest of the hands, their folly was not nearly ,88 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST so harassing to Saul as it was to themselves. And the change in Chips was simply bewildering to the captain. He seemed to have lost all desire for a debauch. Instead of, as in former times, seizing the first opportunity to get ashore with the sailmaker and return riotous with liquor as soon as his means of obtaining any more were exhausted, he did not now go ashore at all, remaining impervious to the hints of the sailmaker, who, apparently, could not go without him. Instead, he sought Saul's society as much as possible when off duty, as if he felt that he must draw strength fr6m him to resist the temp- tation that assailed hire, continuously. The ship was moored on Tuesday, and for the remainder of the week no one went ashore except the topers aforesaid ; and they, by the time Saturday night came, had met with so much contumely from their shipmates for the way in which they had earned on that th<^ seemed to have lost all desire to go ashore at all. Meanwhile Saul had been makmg inquiries quietly, and hid found that there was being conducted in the Radha Bazaar, at the Sailor's Rest a special mission for seamen by some Americans. Glowing accounts of their success among the sailors reached his ears, and he determined upon a bold step, having first long and earnestly besought God for a blessing upon what he was about to do. On Saturday night he sought the skipper privately, and asked for a small advance upon account of his wages earned. This the captain gave him readily, when he further asked whether the captain would approve of his taking all hands ashore in the afternoon to a me^ and a meeting afterwards. The old man professed CALCUTTA AND HOME ,89 himself delighted, and Saul after thanking him went forward and succeeded in getting the promise of all hands but four to come and share his hospitality at the Sailor's Rest at supper time, and stay to the meeting afterwards. He told them that he had gone bail, as it were, for their good behaviour, feeling sure that none of them would slip away and go on a private tear of their own, and so make him regret having invited them ashore. He was delighted at his success, and in the mom- mg went ashore by himself and had an interview with the Mission folks, finding to his intense satis- faction that they were men after his own heart, men whose company you could not be in five minutes without finding that they were real Christians, but whose particular denomination it would be quite beyond your power to discover. When he unfolded his plan they entered into the spirit of it at once, but vainly endeavoured to induce him to allow them to bear part of the cost There, however, he was im- movable ; feeling, as he said, that it was in the nature of a thankoffering for the wonderful way in which God had honoured him by making use of him throughout the passage. Then having made all his arrangements he returned on board, and at five o'clock the expedition set out from the ship, havmg been preceded, all unknown to them, by the skipper, who was simply burning with desire to know the secret of Saul's hold over the men. Somewhat sheepishly, with a feeling as if they were doing son.e- thing derogatory to their manhood, the little band rolled up the steps of the Ghat and across the Maidaa But it was not until they reached the ' Rest ' t9o THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST and sat down to the lai^e table reserved for them, that they b^an to shake off their shyness. Their eyes brightened at the sight of the crisp green salad lettuces, cucumbers, endive, and watercress; at the tasty dishes of sliced ham and beef, and the dainty rolls and pats of butter on ice. All sailors who have known that overpowering hunger for green earth- fruits bred of a long enforced abstinence from them, will appreciate their feelings. For my part I know that when I one morning went into the great bazaar at Calcutta, and saw the piarvellously beautiful array of green vegetables just down from the hills, I felt positively ill with desire— a desire as overwhelming as the traveller i.i the desert has for a drink of cool fresh water, not to be understood by anyone who has never been similarly placed. Gradually their reserve thawed out, and they laughed unrestrainedly at the quaint turns of speech given utterance to by that grave pair of American preachers who had sat down to supper with them. Oh, that heavenly gift of humour ! When it is allied to a sacred sense of the holiness with which God invests His children, when the man or woman of God is not afraid either to laugh themselves or to see others laugh, how good and pleasant and potent a thing it is to be sure ! Before the meal was ended not a man present there but felt that he could do anything for those two Americans. They were acknowledged to be real good fellows that anybody could feel at home with, and when at the close of the meal the elder of the two, a slender dark-eyed man of about forty with a flowing brown beard, stood up and said, ' Waal, boys, if you don't mind I sh'd like just f CALCUTTA AND HOME ,5, thank the dear Father for His abundant mercies' every head was at once bowed, and not a heart present but beat responsive to the short pithy thanks- giving that was offered up. Under these circumstances it was no wonder that the little company went into the hall set apart for the meeting with nearly all their shyness replaced by an eager desire to hear what their new-found friends would have to say to them from the vantage ground of Uie platform. A splendid frame of mind in which to find one's hearers, and one intensely helpful to the speaker, who should be keenly sensible of sympathy among his audience, should be able to see the heart- hunger in the-:- faces, and at once become the medium of communication between them and the Source of all supply for such needs as theirs. Before the time appointed for tiie commencement of the meeting seven o'clock, the room was full of sailors, and a better congregation it would have been hard to find. There was plenty pf singing, conducted by a littie group at the far end of the room remote from the door, and led by a harmonium— rousing choruses in which all could join and sing to tiieir hearts' content. Then came the praying and preaching, both done >n that eminentij common-sense way which seems to be the birtiiright of Americans, most of whom are bom orators. It was utterly impossible to suspect those men of pose or cant. Their language was the anguage of every day ; tiieir similes were drawn, like their Master's, from homeliest things; tiiey spoke with naked hearts to naked hearts ; and witii a full tender appreciation of the needs and limitations of Wieir hearers. And when they had delivered tiieir ,9, THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST „>essage. while yet the interest oj ^"^'^"^^^ j! highest tension, they paused, and in f"'^* ^«^^ i„i tones implored all present not to allow th.s prLLt opportunity of joining the noble army of cSs waLrs against the evil of the world to sUp away from them' There was - excitement no frantic endeavours to work upon the feehngs of their Us Tenertbut a calm, lucid, reasonable presentation of thi S to be faced. And then when the inevitable S iutoncameforallthosewho would decide to serve the King henceforth to itand up, there was an im_ m^iateresponse-not from scattered ones here and SSI but from almost everyone in the room, to the nSer of about one hundred and fifty. Then, when I public confession had been made, the preacher, Xr telling them all to sit down agam, said, Now, m; det chaps, those of you who are absolutely sin- Tere and who haven't risen because you saw others do so you've just enlisted in a conquering army, and 5:5 h^ve to goon fighting till yourlives end. You won't g't plain sailing on tha^ sea upon which you W & embarked, any more than you get it now; buirwhat kind of sailors would youbef the ocean t^ Swiys as smooth as a miUpond. if there -as Ilways just enough wind to fill your sails arid no morand that wind was always fair? One of your S:S friuently used words of praise is " He wa.. or Ta mS" Well, men are bred, as you know, m hard s^gde. in fierce fighting witii all the forces that to^ Ser tiiem from their goal, to keep them from Sven where they fain would be. Now I m going your ships with a desire you never had before. CALCUTTA AND HOME ,93 determination to serve God and therefore your fellow- men. And He, who is Almighty, will supply all your needs in Christ Jesus. Good-night' The words had hardly left his lips when a strong voice arose from near the platform, ' Hold on a minute, men.' All hands stopped in their tracks as if turned into stone, while a burly figure mounted the platform and faced them all. It was Captain Vaughan. There was a silence that might be felt as he said, ' Men, I very nearly lost an opportunity through bein' a coward, that might never have come to me any more. Some of you know me : I command a big ship here, the Asteroid. An' on my passage out from London :'ve seen a specimen ofwhat a Christian can be and do, that has simply broken down all my wrong ideas about Christians. Men, you all knawwhat a bo'sun can make of a ship. Well, my bo'sun bein' a Christian has made my ship one of the most com- fortable on the high seas. He's a man, among all ttie men I h^ve ever been shipmate with, the noblest. Through his example I am here to-night, but less brave than he, I nearly allowed my chance of stand- ing up for God slip past me. Thank God, I didn't do so. I call you all to witness that James Vaughan master of the British ship Asteroid, has signed on to serve God from to-night, come fair or foul ; and may He give me grace so to live that I shall never bring any discredit on His great cause.' There was a breathless pause as Captain Vaughan erased speaking, and then (who started it could not be told) a tremendous round of cheering ensued. • Hip, hip, hurrah I ' six times repeated, until the whole building rang again, and men from coflfee-bar and O ,94 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST reading-room came flocking in to see what strange Sng had happened. Then all hand, dispersed into Sight and ^ght their several ships singmg w.A stentorian voices such choruses as are you ' Th-re was a last flash of energy in Urol's answer'- V e mustn't do ut, sir, ye mustn't do ut. It's God's great mercy t' me. I'm as wake as wather, an' He knows ut; I haven't a friend on airth, nor anny place i can call a home, an' He knows that too. An' I've be'n a-layin' here askln' Him if in His great love fur a poor crathur like me He'll Uke me out av it all. There's some 'at could be of service to Him, like that graand bhoy, th' bo'sun, but I'm not wan o' them ; an' He, blessed be His Howly Name for iver, He knows ut I'm not a bit o' good here, but I'll maybe alther in the next worrld, whin He gits a closer howld an me, or I can get closer t' Him. No. sor, don't ye pray that I may be shpared for anny more av this worrlti, I've had all I want a-ut; but pray, a v ye plaze, that I .may have a good time goin' across. God bless ye ail, I'm glad I lived t' come across the ship an' all av yez. It's be'n a good time whoile ut lasted but I know I'd do somet'in' to make me a dishgrace to all of yez if I shtopped here, an' I'm hungry t' be gone.' For all answer the skipper pressed his hand and humed on deck, going straight to Saul's berth and asking him to come aft and see the sick man, I dare not tell you what passed between them, more especi- %asl feelthatperhaps you need -ie respitefrom these high matters; but I may sa ;r Saul came out ot the saloon with a shining face, us of one who had ,98 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST been lo clo«e to the Gate* u to catch iofne reflec- tion of the glory streaming through. That morning's service was a most memorable one to all there. According to Larry's request no prayer* were put up for his recovery, but very many for his abundant entrance ; and when the . .per went to see him at the close of the service he was no longer there : orOy the perishable tabernacle he had left behind bore upon its face the Imprint of a smile of complete satisfaction. They buried the clay in the grandest of all graves that evening, and as It sank »«««•»'»*« bright blue waves every one of those who had held out so long and sullenly against the sweet Influences brought to bear upon them, yielded unconditional, and announced that from henceforth they too wouW serve the best of all masters and friends, ♦ ' -ord Jesus Christ. .. «. w v. The record of that passage thereafter m W M, for some, very monotonous reading ' Happy 's the nation that has no history,' says the proverb, and its truth may e extended to the ship whose even, placid course of duty and progi is docs not lend Itself to lurid descriptions of mutiny, murder, fire, or ship- wreck. These things make startling reading, no doubt; but who among us is there who would not rather see our lives free from such painful cato- strophes, who would not raCier see the wheels of life revolve in orderly fashion than be continually breaking down or running furious, ungovernable, ana spreading devastation ar .und ? Few indeed, smdj thought the ciew of the Asteroid. Inst»d of thetf former discussions of debauchery, of hardly earned pay-days wasted in a few h..u«, of long months of CALCUTTA AND HOME «99 rafierinK from diieue, of brutality tuch u men ushore (peak of with bated breath, they tat In their night watchet discussing the glories of sea and sky, the mercies of God to His children, the good they would do in the future if spared. And, perhaps sweetest of all, there were several of them who recalled vivi'"v that in distant country homes old parents whuui they had not seen for many years, and whose eyes had not all that time been cheered by a written line from them, would be glad beyond measure to see them, and they would, God helping them, surely go home And Saul, as the good ship drew daily nearer and nearer her port, found himself wistfully wondering how Jemmy and the brethren had been faring in the little Mission, for which he had never foi'gotten to pray with all his heart almost without ceasing since he had left Not one line had reachid him of their welfare, but his hopes were high, his faith calmly secure. CHAPTER XIX CLOUDS AND SUNSHINE Difficult, indeed, it has been to return from the triumphant progress of God's work on board the Asteroid, to the accumulating troubles of the Apostles at Wren Lane. But it is filways salutary to remember that the Way has the Valley of Humiliation as well as the Delectable Mountains ; and especially to notice how, even in the most earnest Christian work, com- munities as well as individuals have their seasons of depression, dullness, and even disaster. Such a sea- son had now apparently set in for the Wren Lane Mission. The loss of the money was a great blow to so poor a gathering, for the reasons before given ; but worse than even the loss of the money was the suspicion, which would not be stifled, although none of them expressed it, that one of their number was the thief. Then on the Tuesday night after the loss Brother Jenkins turned up most unexpectedly, and as soon as ever Jemmy had put up the opening prayer, he bounced to his feet and excitedly demanded to know the name of the brother who had suggested his resigning the treasurership. Evidently labouring under an absurdly exaggerated sense of grievance, he poured forth a multitude of bitter words culminating in his flinging his book, vouchers, and money on the CLOUDS AND SUNSHINE 201 table and dramatically refusing to have anything more to do with the Mission at all. In vain did Brother Salmon endeavour to soothe him, in vain did Jemmy, taking all the responsibility of having hinted athisresignation.first,pointouttohim in the most lovable way how impossible it was for them to go on with a treasurer who only came on an average once m three weeks. All would not do. There are some people to whom the soft answer that turneth away wrath does not seem to apply. The more gentle, the tenderer the appeal made to them not to be angry or unreasonable, the fiercer they fulminate, until, if it happen that the appellant loses his temper and storms m his turn, they curiously enough quieten down, and often assume quite a bewildered air of injured inno- cence. as if they were puzzled beyond measure to know why they should be severely taken to task. However, in Jenkins's case it was evident that he considered his grievance so substantial that nothing would appease him, and after repeated efforts, shared by all except Skipper Stevens, the attempt was given up. Thenand not until then did that old sea-dog ^y a word that clinched matters. 'Looky here Brother Jenkins,' he said, 'it's not a bit o' good you're puttin' on frills over this matter. I seen at the out- set of to-night's meetin' that you'd made up yer mind t leave us, and all the appeals 'at was made t' you only tickled yer vanity. You an' Jimson 's a pair, and I think the Mission's well rid of ye. But, before you go less have a look at yer book.' There was a dead silence as Brother Stevens adjusted his spec- tac.es and calmly lifted the uppermost document One by one he looked at them, and then, opening the „2 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST book, essayed to follow up their entry tiiere and find, if possible, how the finances of the Mission stood. But it was impossible. Between Jenkins s incapacity and neglect there was a hopeless muddle, out of which none of them were able to find what the con- dition of things really was. But Jemmy came to the rescue. In his penny memorandum-book he had entered as of old the sums received and paid, more as a matter of habit than with any idea of checking the treasurer. Now. as it turned out, his action had saved the Mission from the very bad position of not knowing how the accounts stood, for in his little booW was a perfectly clear and lucid statement of affairs. This was the signal for Jenkins to gather up his documents, and gabbhng fiercely to no one in particular about the condition of things that he foresaw overshadowing the Mission he went out into the night without saying a word ot farewell. And who should rise to console the gnet- stricken brethren but Bill Harrop? 'Brevren he said. ' don't take this 'ere fing so much t eart it is 'ard o' corse, f see a bruwer leave like that, specially one'wofs be'n a-workin' wiv yer a long time Pore chap, 'ee'U be the loser. 'Ee's gone aht inter the dark wot I just come in from, an' gone knowin wot it is to ■ave the light Gord 'elp 'im, I says. But don t let s be discouraged. We ain't none of us puffick, ano. likely ter be in this world. I s'pose, an any of erse might backslide. That must make the backsliders brevren sorry, but I 'umbly fink it orter make em cling closer f the Lord wot never disappmts us or can be anyfink else but the Lord ar Righteousness. Fur my part, though Gord ferbid at sech a fing should CLOUDS AND SUNSHINE 203 I 'appen, if everyone of yer waster turn out wrong un's ter-morrer,it wouldn't make no difference ter my faith ; corse I ain't dependin' on yore keepin' faifful, but on the Master wot saved me. Less pray fer pore Jenkins wiv all ahr 'arts : ee'U need ahr pray'rs, 'im an' pore Jimson will, afore they finds their way back agen.' But, as was only natural and to be expected, a deep air of despondency was generally worn, and when the meeting broke up, after it had been agreed to commission Jemmy to pay all the outstanding liabilities, as far as the cash in hand went, first thing in the morning, each went his or her way heavily — especially those who had made themselves liable as trustees for all the payments due from the Mission. Perhaps the most cast down was Jemmy himself. He sighed heavily as he dropped the money into his tropsprs pocket, and almost unconsciously murmured, * If Saul was only back agen.' Almost instantly he was conscience-stricken, and as he trottr ;il along home- wards he said, ' Dear Lord, fei^ive me fer clingin' more t' the creechur than the Creitor. I didn't mean t' do it, Lord. I 'ave realised Yore Presence wor.-'.erful, an' I can tork t' Ye as I can't even tork t' Saul ; but if I could only touch Yer, shake hands wiv Yer, as I can wiv Saul, I could face anyfink. That can't be, of course, Lord ; but do make it up t' me. Lord. Make me strong t' face trouble, make me feel Thy presence wiv me all the time, more realler than anybody else's, won't Yer please, dear Jesus ? ' *I often wonder whether the people who write what are known as ' Society ' novels and ' Society ' plays have any idea of the tiiousands of unseen (save ao4 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST by God) tragedies that are being enacted in the lives of our respectable poor. Surely if they had, these writers would, for very shame's sake, desist from depicting the false, the shoddy scenes of sentiment and so-called love where inane youths and lazy well- fed young women, f'om sheer lack of wholesome occupation, conspire together to make life one hideous farce, usually degenerating into scarcely less hideous crime. And they call these kve stories ! Returning to Jemmy, when he ro'..e next morn- ing very early, it occurred to him that it would be ' comforting thing to go and spend a little time ii- meditation at the ' Hall' tiefore going to his first job. When he reached the street the thought was so inspiring that he broke into a trot and soon reached the ' Hall ' door. With trembling fingers he unlocked it and went in, the solemnity of the quiet place falling soothingly upon his fretted nerves ; until sud- denly, with an accelerated heart-beat, he caught sight of a man's body lying in an unnatural position on the floor in the middle of the ' Hall.' Springing for- ward. Jemmy laid hold of the body, which emitted a low moan of pain as he turned it over. In the strengthening light its face became visible, and Jemmy saw that it was the latest convert, Jemmy Paterson, the terror of Rotherhithe. Like a flash all sorts of trifling evidential links connected them- selves up, and Jemmy realised that this was the thief that had broken in before and had robbed the Mission of its sorely needed funds. But he had no time to think of that now. The man was evidently most seriously hurt, one of his legs being doubled under him in such a way as showed that it must be CLOUDS AND SUNSHINE 305 badly broken. So Jemmy rushed to the door, and darting out into the lane sought the nearest police- man, telling him the story and begging him to bring an ambulance at once, while he (Jemmy) returned to look after the poor wretch until the help should be forthcoming. When he got back he found the man still insensible, except that when Jemmy tried to move him a low sound of pain was heard. It was evident from the fact of the skylight overhead being open how he had got in, but not so easy to under- stand how he could have been so foolish as to imagine that he would find more spoil, assuming that he had been tha original robber. These speculations Jemmy dismissed at once as beyond him, and kneeling by the side of the silent figure offered up a fervent prayer that his life might be spared for repentance, also that the temptation assailing himself might by God's infinite grace be removed. He had only just risen from his knees when the door opened, and in tramped the two policemeii, bearing the ambulance. Very quickly and defUy they raised the poor wretch and placed him as comfortably as might be ; then, curtly telling Jemmy to follow, they bore the body out of the ' Hall ' and set off towards the station. Upon arrival the presiding inspector questioned Jemmy keenly, while the police surgeon examined the poor broken wretch. And when Jemmy's halting replies gave rise to a suspicion that his kindliness wanted to shield the suspect from the legal consequences of his act, the inspector, with a merry twinkle in his eye belying the sternness of Ws V % waiBf ; Jemmy that it would be a serious offe, -gainst the law to endeavour to protect io6 THE APOSTL " OF THE SOUTH EAST a criminal In any way. 'I know all about that money you lost from the Mission a while back. You thought you kep' it pretty quiet, of course, but I know all about it, an' how much it was, an' I've had a man givin' a eye to your place lately. HiU be in considerable trouble this momin', too, 'cause I sh'U want to know how it was he never see this man a-clim'in' up on the roof or heard 'im fall. But that don't matter to you. If you want f do this joker any good, you'll 'ave t' do it before the magistrate. I'm a-goin' to do my best to get 'im put away fur a stretch or two. I can do without him in my district very pleasantly, I give yi my word. Now run along, Jemmy, like a good little man.' CHAPTER XX DEEPER AND DEEPER STILL By the next morning the strange occurrence at the Wren Lane Mission Hall was the talk of the whole district Policemen are good sort of fellows, but they lead lonely lives, and a little conversation at night with a man they know is a boon they are truly grateful for. Thus it came about that the news of Jemmy Paterson's adventure buzzed from street to street, eclipsing in interest for the time that never- failing topic of conversation in certain circles — the winners. It was all the more interesting because now, for the first time, the fact of tlie robbery became generally known, and by common consent Jemmy Paterson was judged and found guilty of that, as well as of breaking into the • Hall ' the morning before. It is pleasant to record that, apart from the injustice of assuming his guilt while he was yet untried, his methods were universally condemned. On the whole, even men of the very lowest class shrink from pre- tending to the possession of religion in order to commit crime under its cloak. The men who do that kind of thing, whatever their station in life may b«^ are of an exceedingly bad kind— almost a special criminal class by themselves. Of them, it may be safely said, that they will stick at nothing. ao8 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST So it came to pass that, when evening came and with it the usual Thursday open-air »«t'n8; *"^ was a far larger gathering than usual around the httlc band on the Waste. And although the speakmg and singing was very poor, all the brethren and sisters being deeply depressed by recent evente, there w« a deeply sympathetic attention evident m all the hearers. This found expression at last when Bill Harrop came out to say his little piece. He w« deeply moved so deeply, that for some momenta, although his lips worked, he was unable to arUculate a sound. At last he sajd : ' Friends, it's no conjer t •ave f speak f ye ter-night, knowin' wot we all know abaht tbTfings wofs 'appened lately. 'Ere's a littie band o- men an' women come all in the.r own t,me^ at their own exes, f try an' do us good. Ow Gord s blessed an- encouraged 'em we all know ; we ve seen the Mission 'AH growin' up aht o' nothm, and weve seen men an' women bein' brort inter the JCmgd""; of Gord 'at we sh'd never athort 'd be worth a rotten tater. I'm one of 'em, an' I feel as .f I m^ight be some good some day, even me. Well, you all know now how Jemmy Paterson's be'aved tords 'em ; yell know now 'ow someuns pinched all the money they ■ad c'lected to pay some 'eavy expenses-over nine pound it was. An" it do seem 'ard 'at such a fing as this sh'd 'appen f pore workm' people, sam- as you In' me, b.KaSe they're a-tryin t' do their ov Jarse eood 'Tain't like 'sif they was a big chutch wiv lots o' wealthy people to gavver rahnd '<="' ^" Jf ^J up all they've lost No ; unless we buck up an elp "em, some on 'em 'U 'ave th' brokers in fur your an ^ysakes. don't fergit it. Well, I tell yer wot Im DEEPER AKD DEEPER STILL 109 »-goin't' do : I'm goin' f live same's they do In quod, and save the oof 'n give it to 'em t' make up wot's been snavelled. Wot er you goin' t' do ? I know it's Fursday.but you could all shake up th' price of arf o' sherry if/ thort you'd 'ave it Well, aht wiv it, an' come along Sunday night wiv a tanner each, two or free 'undred of yer, an' we sh'll make it up. We're none on us mean, are we ? ' The response was instant and surprising. For some minutes there was a perfect hail of bronze, with not one piece of silver amongst it, and when it was gathered up from the ground there was actually i/. is. worth. Jemmy wept for joy. But even this perfect proof of the hold that the Wren Lane Mission had obtained upon the minds of those who lived and laboured near, did not dispel much of the gloom that hung over its members. They had been too deeply stirred, the burden of responsibility, of possible failure in schemes that seemed to them gigantic, had been too heavy to be thus lightly shaken off, and it was a very solemn row of faces that bent over the table at the money-icounting. Old Bill Maskery looked in, having been away at Margate for a few days on an excursion for mission purposes which gave him a holiday at a nominal cost And when he heard all the news he looked grave, but soon brightened up, saying, ' Jemmy, my boy, you're young yet, an' don't know 'arf the tricks the devil get's up ter w'en 'ee finks 'is kingdom's likely ter git a 'eavy knock. That's wot I cam't ever understand. 'Ere we are in these latter days wiv abaht a 'undred servants of the •levil t' one real true servant of Gord, an' yit th' ole demon seems just as keen, just as 'ard upon all them P „o THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST •as is doin- anyfink .gin 'is kingdom as if "ee was just a-startin- in bisness. Nah look 'ere. my boy take it from yer ole farver wofs seen bofe sides-if you wasn't a-doin- no good, the devil woodn't bother you any Wy some o' the deadest Chutches I knows of is th' wealthiest. It don't matter to them ow th Chutch of Clirist is a-gettin- on, they "as spcculashms abaht oo bilt the pyramids, an' whewcr they was any people afore Adam, an' Were Cain got is wife, none STich fings trubbles the dwil a little bit. So they « gits on," that is, they gits p\enty o' mone, , an all .he swells in the aayburwood fini:s as 'ow it s a bit of a^l- Sht t' be amember of that there Chutch, cause Lady tWs, an' Sir somebody that, goes theer. Ah well. Jemmy, don't worry, verily they 'as their reward, an vou'U 'ave youm, safe, shore, cam't miss it The next morning Jemmy, having four or five orders to execute, was up at three o'clock, and as m the course of the morning he found severa^ more dSmneys to sweep, it was ten o'clock before he reached home for breakfast, very hungry and weary 3ut while he was resting and eating his plain and scanty meal he remembered the plight of Jemmy Paterson, the burglar, and he determined to go and sihim in the infirmary. This resolve. uU of k.n ^ ness and Christian spirit as it was. involved h.m m severe trouble with his wife. who. as soon as she sa* i,im nreoarine to go out dressed, demanded as usual tokSow'here he was going. When he told he. he was obliged to lay the whole story before her, and tLprevlous^omission to do so filled her with anger for she at once came to the conclusion that he must have had some motive for concealment, as it was n- DEEPER AND DEEPER STILL m usual practice to tell her all die news of the 'Hall ' Then when she had exhausted her stock of vexation upon that head, she found a new cause of offence in Jemmy's going to visit the robber ; why, it is diffi- cult to see, since he had often been to the infirmary before visiting. But reason was never woman's strong pomt If she thinks she does well to be angry she IS angry, and with an ingenuity that compels the admiration of everyone except the unfortunate object she never fails to find, for her own satisfaction, suffi- aent cause for anger. Mrs. Maskery had never yet failed to realise, however, that when once her husband had persuaded himself that a certain course was right it was impos- sible for him to be turned from it And as the storm- wmd of winter tiirashing about tiie branches of the young trees makes them sinewy and capable of sus- taining the stress of coming storms, so these wrestlings with his wife on points of duty doubtless did much to harden Jemmy's moral gristle. It is true tiiat the scene almost always ended in Jemmy's taking refuge in flight, but tiiat is in no wise derogatory to him, the only unwisdom he showed was in striving so long to change her views when opposed to his own. Upon reaching the infirmary Jemmy was at once shown into the ward where Paterson lay, looking wan with suffering. A compound fracture of the right leg. also of the left arm, and tiie breakage of three nbs, to say notiiing of many bruises, had brought the burly fellow very low. So low, in fact, that when he «w Jemmy he did what probably he had never done before he blushed with shame. But when Jemmy setued down by his side and said cheerily, ' Well ole ,„ THE APOffTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST •Thank ye. Jemmy. I am do.n weiw ev better 'n I spected or desen^«. I w»h Id ^ Willed. Now f "^,^„^:jy "^^Jo^.^^^^^^^ tm 1 K^r rm'eirJ y« or tha^th- mone^; that wos s y » sw^t^ , . ^l -t^ff An drum agcn. An' you know wot 'appen«l. I m gl of it. Only thing I wisht'da-beenwuss. »'° / Jit rn'r^' 'at Go^d-s got some great work fur y^ SdoSnobodyelse can do. Now 3- you d.e« up. We sham't appear agen ye. atle^^ '^ *^ „ DEEPER AND DEEPER STILL ,,3 'Im. We know 'at 'is punishment's quite 'eavy enough gen'lly, wivout us a-puttin' more on it Wotever it is they give yer fur wot ye did, don't >w fink as we 'ad any and in it We'll do ahr best f make fings lighter for ye.' • Oh, that's all right.' said Faterson, ■ I'm a-goin' t' make a clean breast o' th' ole thing, an' take wotever they gives me wiv a thankful 'eart I deserve it all, an' it'll do me good t' git it Nah go away. You're such a good little chap that I feel awful to fink I ever did ye so much 'arm, an' I really cam't bear f see ye a-sittin' there. Come agen, won't ye. sometime ? P'r'aps w'en ye do I'll feet better able to speak t' ve than I do nah.' ^ So Jemmy bade him good-bye and went back to his home with a light and gladsome heart, happy in the consciousness that he had done his duty. When Saturday night came he told the story in the prayer- meeting ; told it, too, v.ith such graphic power that everyone present was moved to tears and unanimously agreed that this was the way that the blessed Master Himself would have acted. Yet. strange to say, on tiiat very night a gang of Paterson's wild associates, having taken enough drink to make them reckless came up the Lane and amused themselves by breaking every window in the ' Hall,' utterly destroying the lamp hung over the entrance, and battering both doors with big stones until they looked more like a section of road than anything else. It was a pitiful sight that greeted Brother Salmon when he came on Sunday morning, and naturally it cast a gloom ovei *e Breaking of Bread; so much so that when Jemmy was strolling homeward with Brother and Sister Salmon after the meeting he said, in deepest „4 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST depression, ' Bruvver Salmon, it seems 'sif we never 'ave such blessed seasons of refreshm' Sunday mormn s as we useter. 'Sif nah we've got ahr 'All an a goodly lumber's joined the Chutch. 'at th' dear Lord wasn as comfble wiv erse as 'Ee useter be. Or is it, I wonder, as farver ses, 'at we've got «°'"«",^»'' midst as ain't right wiv 'Im ?-the Lord I mean. ■Oh, don't think that, brother,' exclaimed Sister Salmon, ' there's no need to, I'm sure. " Whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth," you know, an besides we've been permitted to do a great work among the people here lately, and you don't suppose the devil s a- ^n' to let us off without tryin' all he knows to make us suffer for it, do you.> Bless His Holy Name / ain't goin' to feel downhearted as long as I see souls bein' saved an' added to the Church every week an see how the young converts is a-comin on, too. That young Jackson, did you notice how he prayed this mon^n', and don't you remember how he spoke in the open air last Sunday ? ' . ,• j Temmy's face brightened up at once as he replied, . Yers, sister, I should fink I did. 'Ee's a fine speaker already, an' 'ow well 'ee knows 'is Bible ! W'y I cou d almost leave 'im to conduck a meetin'. But then, ye see 'ee's been well brort up, an' it's on'y sence ees be'n in London 'at 'ee's run wild.' The man of whom they spoke was a fine stalwart young policeman from Yorkshire, who had been gathered in at the memor- able meeting on the Waste when Bill Harrop was converted. The ways of the Mission folk apparently came quite natural to him, for he had never gone vety far astray, and the memory of his qi-^et country home and the serenity of his life there took but httle rt. DEEPER AND DEEPER STILL 215 viving. But there was one thing about him of which these simple < ::i\s seemed quite unconscious. He was a bom ader of m- r, and no subordinate position could long co-tent hii .. Already he had visions of the time v h'.n ht weald be the chief figure in the Wren Lane Mission. It may be thought puerile to aspire to such a lowly position as that ; but, dear reader, remember that it was a leadership, a place of authority, and such natures as his cannot but reach out after power, even though it be over as humble a band as this little gathering was. And all unconsciously, by their praise of him, their pushing him forward whenever possible, they were feeding the flame of his ambition. (Should that seem much too large a word wherewith to characterise such aims as his, remember that the quality is the same whether the object be great or small.) He it was who boldly came forward, and, with the ever-willing Bill Harrop's aid, determined to repair the extensive damage done to the building by Paterson's friends. In quite a patronising way he begged Jemmy not to worry hiniself about it. He (Jackson), Harrop, and a few others would do all that was to be done, without troubling the outside public with any details. And it was so. They worked like beavers, they stinted themselves of common necessaries of life, and before the next Sunday's meeting every broken pane had been replaced ; the door had been taken off its hinges, planed, and painted ; and the ' Hall ' looked quite fresh and bright again. The joy of the brethren at this energetic behaviour on the part of these new ad- herents may be imagined. It was in nowise lessened when, before the expiration of Paterson's short terra a, 6 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST of imprisonment-short because of the absolute refusal of the brethren to press any charge agamst him, and their pleading that he might be given the benefit of the doubt as to how he came to be on their premises in such a condition-Brother Jackson proposed that he should be met at the prison door, brought to the Mission, and there presented with a new barrow and donkey, as well as a sum of money to go to market with, so that he might resume his real calling as a costermonger with a fair chance of success But I am anticipating somewhat. Before rater- son's term had nearly expired Jackson had suggested and succeeded in establishing a Tuesday evening series of Bible readings and expoundings by himself. At the first two or three, well attended as they were Jemmy and his father were present, and were both delighted at the way in which Brother Jackson handled the sacred Word. Presently, however, they were not so sure as to his perfect orthodoxy. It seemed to them that he was straying away from the old paths in which they had long trodden, into strange no-thoroughfares of dogma. But as neither of them was a very keen disputant or able to dissect a ques- tion with any logical ability, they held their peace for the time. . , The finances of the ' Hall' did not improve, how- ever, and as it became necessary to discontinue the open-air meetings on account of the inclemency of the weather, the falling-off in the revenue at once developed into a matter for serious concern In vain did each speaker within the ' Hall' warn all the con- gregation of the danger of letting their contributions dwindle. All those who have ever had anythmg to DEEPER AND DEEPER STILL J17 do with Church finances know how difficult it is to arouse a sense of financial responsibility in the minds of the individual members of the congregation. Dimly, perhaps, they realise that they ought to give, and that not spasmodically but methodically, and that unless they do the Church will get into serious difficulties. But that is where the majority stop. The many warnings and entreaties addressed to them by the pastor glide fruitlessly over their heads, and the result is that a few members silently shoulder the bulk of the burden that rfiould be borne by all ; and the defaulters, I can call them nothing else, are well content that it should be so. Let it be recorded in justice to Brother Jackson that he left no stone unturned to keep the contribu- tions up to the required amount, giving himself really more t, • - could afford. But ae did not fail to drop hi.. casionally, to such as he thought dis- posed to receive them, that the superintendent was somewhat wanting in energy. In this unsatisfactory way matters went on for some weeks, until, Jackson having taken over the treasurership meanwhile, the storm, which had un- doubtedly been brewing for some time, suddenly burst. At the Tuesday Church-meeting, which Jack- son had taken care to have well attended, he suddenly brought a charge against Jemmy of having neglected his duty, or, at any rate, of having failed to perform It. Moreover, he went on to say that while Jemmy and his father were undoubtedly a draw in the open- air meetings, and had been signally blessed in the bringing in of such as should be saved, they were quite incapable of managing the affairs of such an „8 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST important gathering as the Wren Lane Mission had become, or of teaching the young converts the doc- trines it was so necessary they should know in order to become in their turn spreaders of the Light It was a long harangue, and it made a great impression. But it did Jemmy good. Deep down within him smoulderer. hidden fires of that dogged energy that his father was so notable for m the bad old days before his conversion. And this outspoken attempt to oust him from a position that he occupied by rir-ht divine, as he believed, aroused him effectually. He sprang to his feet at the close of Jackson's speech, and made so vigorous a« declaration of h.s views and of his awakening to the real aims of Mr. Jackson, as he called him now, that the audience visibly wavered. But while they were wondering to what this matter would grow, old Bill Maskery arose arid said • Brevren an' sisters, less adjum the meeu.i till Sunday night, tryin' then t' get all our members an friends here, an' then we'll ask 'em w'lch they 11 ave, my son or Bniwer Jackson fer superintendent We must settle it some'ow ; it's gone too fur to be patched ap it must be settled.' At that Brother Salmon at once pronounced the Benediction, and the audience dispersed to spread the news .>f the first split m the Wren Lane Mission. Meanwhile Jackson spent .ivery spare moment calling upon possible adherents, discussing the roseate prospects of the Mission under so energetic and capable a superintendent as he should be, and dis- mally dwelling upon the certain disaster impending if Jemmy, good Christian but incapable busiress man as he was, were allowed to continue in command- DEEPER AND DEEPER STILL 319 Altogether the very keenness of his interest and the flow of his persuasive talk mightily impressed people, and even those best affected towards Jemmy began to shake their heads and say, ' Well, it would be a pity to let the Mission run down, wouldn't it ? ' alto- gether forgetting that the principal sufferers in such an event would be the original members, who were trustees, and who would, of course, be called upon to find the rent for seven years in any event CHAPTER XXI SAUL'S RETURN In all the range of human experience I make bold to say that there is nothing more beautiful, and at the same time more W9nderful, to watch than the behaviour of a newly converted man or woman. They have a happiness far too deep for expression, but they have also so sensitive an appreciation of danger to that happiness through their failing to maintain the high standard they have set before themselves, that the way in which they walk through the wilderness of this world is most pathetic to watch. • Smit with a sudden and a sweet surprise,' they wel- come every blessing with a profound yet glad humility, and as in every circumstance of life, as far as it affects themselves, they are able to find blessing intended for them, their cup of thankfulness runs over all the time. Like infants learning to walk, you shall see the once selfish person totteringly practising unselfishness; the once foul tongue almost silent while its new language is being learned ; the flaccid muscles of the once indolent impudent loafer being braced to meet the new demands made upon them by this mighty indwelling force, which no amount of human reasoning or philosophy can ever satisfactorily account for or explain away. SAUL'S RETURN »„ But when, instead of an individual case, there is, as in the case of the crew of the Asteroid, a company of believers, all without the faintest tinge of hypocrisy or cant, clustered together in their little floating world, with an utter absence of all the evils by which folks ashore are continually being tempted to forsake the Lord, the sight is one that is as near an advance view of the joys of Heaven as can be witnessed while yet this hampering environment of flesh compasses us about There is nothing monastic about such a life, except in the enforced coarseness of the food. No rule of silence, no formal routine of mechanical prayers, no self-torture. His service is perfect freedom, because the will of Christ has become the will of the Christian. There is, however, deep down in every heart a dread of the time swiftly approaching when the loving company must separate, when new companions will by every wile that the devil can suggest endeavour to turn the released ones back into the loathsome dungeons they have been delivered from, until the trembling Christian is prone to pray that it may please God to set him free from the burden of the flesh, which he feels to be more than he can bear. In other words, that he may receive the crown without bearing the cross, a perfectly natural, and consequently purely selfish, desire. Therefore it was that, as the Asteroid, bounding homeward before a strong westerly gale at the rate of 300 miles per day, gave all her crew to understand that their time of refreshing was drawing to a close, they were one and all possessed by mingled feelings of joy and dread. Everyone loves to see the termina- tion of his long journey draw near, fervently desires ,2, THE APOSIXES OF THE SOUTH EAST the consummation of another voyage. So did theit but they dreaded the beginning of the fight as well as the parting from one another. Perhaps of all of them Saul had the most single eye. He loved tiiem all, as he was beloved by them, but upon his heart night and day was the welfare of the brethren at Wren Lane, and his impatience to be back again with them grew almost painful in its intensity. The cares of his position, however, kept him from becoming too much absorbed in anticipation ; and as they came into greener water betokening the shallow- ing sea and their neameb to land, all hands found quite sufficient in present duties and anxieties to occupy their minds fully. For, as often happens in the early spring, stormy weather unwilling to release its grip upon the year made a final desperate spurt, bring- ing dismay and much suffering to thousands of sea- farers ; howling squalls of snow swept down upon them from the leaden, low skies, enwrapping them in a whirling smother of white cold that seemed to freeze their very hearts. This is one of the greatest hardships that the sailor endures, yet one that he makes least fuss about The sudden leap out of a tropical temperature into the rigour of English Channel winter weather is so trying to that wonder- ful piece of machinery, the human body, that it is no wonder sailors become prematurely old. On shore we complain if the weather shows those peculiar vicissitudes and vacillations between heat and cold so peculiarly characteristic of our islands. But we can cope with it by sheltering ourselves, and by attention to clothir^, diet, &c. Moreover, the range is never very great But the sailor who for weeks has been SAUL'S RETURN 333 basking in tropical sunshine until his blood is thin as claret, suddenly finds himself beset by Arctic weather. He is wet and cannot dry his clothing. He is bitterly cold and has no means of warming himself, for a stove in his abode (a ' bogey,' as it is called) is said to be very uniiealthful. And so he must shiver and suffer, while from his food he gets no sensible degree of comfort as far as the raising of his temperature goes. As they drew nearer the land, and their deep-sea lead smelt bottom, bringing up in its 'arming' of tallow, sand, shells, and hake-teeth, down came the fog in vast eddying wreaths like smoke. With it came that terrible sense of proximity to danger which is peculiar to seamen in a fog. Even in the Channel, what is perhaps the most crowded arm of the sea in the world, ships always seem to have so much room when the weather is clear that the idea of collision is scouted as ridiculous. But when the fog shuts down, all those wide breadths seem to have closed up. The eye vainly tries to pierce through the dense yeil, the ear aches with listening for the hoot of syrens or the wailing shriek of whistles, while every fibre of the seaman's body tingles with ex- pectation of being suddenly called upon to battle for his life with the utmost energy. On board the Asteroid, however, there was less of this waste of nerve-force than usual, because all hands were imbued with the idea that they were under the peculiar and particular care of God. Whatever befell them would, they were sure, be the very best thing for their welfare. With this perfect panoply of faith to ward off those infirmities of fear or apprehension that so easily beset men engaged in dangerous callings. a»4 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST they were wondetfuUy light-hearted, and sprang to their duties in response to the calls made upon them with a cheerful alacrity delightful to see. As Captain Vaughan said to Mr. Carroll. ' I don t want to meet trouble half-way, but these dear fellows are spoiling me for the next lot I shall get^ I would to God I could keep them by the ship. But that s out ofthe question, of course.' So the Asteroid, her home wind holdmg steadily, ran swiftly up Channel in safety until she entered the narrowing waters off Beachy Head. The skipper had not taken steam becau^ he had not seen a tug. and bein? anxious to shorten the anxious period of his n-w ..4on was carrying a heavy press of sail, bud- denly the fog seemed to grow solid just Jiead, and out of that density leapt a huge steamship, her electric mast-head light glaring like the solitar>' eye of some suddenly awakened Cyclop. With both helms hard-a-port the ships slowly revolved as if upon an axis, but so close to each other that the agonised passengers on board the steamer could hear the dull booming ofthe sails of the Asteroid .is they sullenly beat against the masts. A few moments of terrible suspense and the ships swung clear of each other, not a splinter or a rope-yarn displaced, and al who thus escaped were entitled henceforth to say that they had been suspended over the grave by a single *' Owing to the smartness of the AsUroi^s crew but a very few minutes elapsed before all sai^ necessary was again set, and those no longer needed were furled. Then shone out the familiar low beam of Dungeness, invi ig the homeward-bounder to stay SAUL'S RETURN „, awhile and receive a pilot from the cutter cruising in the East Bay. Presently the burly form of their new guide appeared at the gangway, welcomed as a pilot always is by homeward-coming crews— as if now. mdeed, the perils of the voyage were all at an end. And hardly had the sails been filled and the ship gathered way, before out steamed a tug from Dover harbour and offered her services. They were immediately accepted, and the joyful news communi- cated to the watch below. There is no order more cheerfully obeyed on board ship than that to pass the hawser or tow-rope along to the tug, and it was a heart-lifting sight to see those dear chaps move Morning was just breaking, so that the pilot had a fun view of their actions. As soon as the tug was fast and steaming ahead, and the orders had been given to clew up and haul down the sails, the pilo turned to the skipper and said, 'Cap'n, you've got a splendid lot o' fellows here. 'Tain't often nowadays Tn ly, *^'' P'*»^"^« °f «««'■"' work done aboard ship as these fellows are doin' if CPotain Vaughan's face lit up with a proud smile as he' replied, ' Pilot you never said a truer word In your life. But you make me think of the last time such a remark was passed to me. and the change that's come over me !Zt?r; "^y'"?«>us got his opening theskipper told the story of his conversion in Calcutta, of Sie Wising Saul had been to them all, and the time o5 perfect peace they had all enjoyed since leaving port He wound up with streaming eyes, his heart run!iing over «,ntli gratitude as he remembered all the joys of the voyage, and finally said, 'Now, pilot, I don't know how you feel about it, but I feel that ^ith such Q „6 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST I K.«.. ffiven no sailorman ought to a testimony as I have given, n° ^ Messing hesitate for a moment ^'^^^ «"g"J.i2,y a pilot. ™lorA^tS»te«.th.to(«nth.t«»thy"«" M An- nVaos if you git half a chance before its :i latfyoui give me an opportunity of tellin' your S?e fellows as much before they go ashore. ' Im S gS yo'mentioned that, pilot,.because 't's jus SL'sSLraayspastthat^hasbip-s^ ^:-^;i^CS^c;Sre.e^t. SAUL'S RETURN „, enough up the river to be interrupted by visitor. Mr. Carroll I' as that officer came in sight, «.s soon a» the hands have had their breakfast let them muster aft for a few final words-everybody in the ship, ,f you please, and we'll gather on the poop, so that the man at the wheel can take part at the same xr..,. ' t^^' *''"• ""' ""^"'«''«' Carroll. ' I'll see to it. They'll all be very glad of the chance, I know ' All hands were sent to breakfast at seven bells breakfast that the skipper had personally super- mtended the preparation of, all that could be found worth having in the cuddy stores. And when it was over, the ship was steadily being towed up the Mouse Channel, passing all the old familiar landmarks one after the other, and overhead gleams of pale sun- shme were just breaking through the greyness of the overhanging clouds. At one bell (8.30) all hands came aft, no longer shamefacedly and awkwardly as would once have been the case, but brightly cheenly, and all at ease, as men who resf^ct^' themselves and knew the respect due to others They grouped themselves all about the poop in obedience to the skipper's gestures, and when all hands were present Captain Vaughan stood out in front of them and said, < My dear fellows, for the very first time in my life my heart is heavy at getting home. It's heavy in spite of the joy I naturally feel at the prospect of meeting my dear ones. Heavy because I am about to part with the best crew ever T! t?' u"' f^" ""^ """'y '^'^''^^ conditions o TT^"^' !?"'•"• ^'•"'^ •« "<' J^-'ble prospect give a good percentage of my pay to know that we Q3 „« XHE APOSTLES OF THE S0T3TH EAST .ere all goin' to make anotijer^vc^^' J^J J^ dear, but my »^«-* « r^m^fisfrm Lgettin' in you all. But V^'^^^J'^^J^Mi^o^^^^^'^ ^y desire for my ^'^"^.^'^^fZ real kitid should ■A that all y-^ -- :;!;rLny ships as possible be scatterco about ^^"e"*" ^^t {.^e called you aft . An' that brings me to wmt ^^^ for. Only as your ^^^^^,^'^^ J^X ^s subject that has the ^st^nght to U^^^ ^ man to whom. is the man we all love ana j „„, souk. under God. we all ^^ ^J^^^fsaul Andrews, our God Almighty bless a^JJ^cod bless him's and bo-sun.- A b^kenjhomsj^ ^^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^ . Amen's --^^^P;;;^;" :He lustre, the grateful tear shone a jewel of incompa j^.^.^^ j^^^ welling from a he«t ^^f^\ ^ear boys, that The skipper r^m^ • J ^.^^^ ^j ^i those snares presentiy we shall be in i ^^ ^^ j^t Lt our co"'^^/"?". J' Now we must all freeze on loose for a bnef ^^^^'^^-^.S^To be truly happy, not to the fact that 'f*;:^*";fterwards. we must never only while we're ashore bu ^ftej^^^ j^„ bought with forget for one «notnent tii^t ^ ^^^ .^^_ a price, we're «° ""^J . J'^f of the most difficult Wre witnesses for God >« ^^^e to you callings known to men. ^ ''^ , * ^omes aboard, is when the B.T- [B°ard °f^Trade^ ^^^ .^ ^^^.^^ all of you who ha'« » ^'^^J.e /most forgotten it. be been so long awj *^C^., ,„yhome. go and get :rS^f%-ttirrm;y bcthat we ^. all,or SAUL'S RETURN 999 nearly all, manage to make another voyage together. But for the dear Lord's sake don't forget that all the happy hours we've had since we left Calcutta have only been to fit us for the fiery trial that's about to try us. Now the pilot wants to say just a word or two to you.' Forthwith the pilot came forward and said, • Well, Captain Vaughan, officers, and men of this fine ship, I'm afraid I'm a bit tongue-tied. Ye see, I've neglected my opportunities of sayin' a word for thtr Master for so long that I don't know how to b^n now. But one thing I can say, an' that is, that what your skipper has told me about your wonderful voyage has made me feel dreadfully ashamed of myself, an' I take ye all to witness that from this out I intend to say something for the extendin' of the Kingdom of God in every ship I take out or bring in. After the example you've all set me I feel right down ashamed of myself And I must say this one thing more, which is, that of all the crews I've ever seen in my life you are the brightest, the smartest, and the happiest lookin'. God bless every one of ye,' ' Bo'sun,' said the skipper, when the ringing cheers which greeted the pilot's little speech had died away, ' we should all very much like, I know, to have a final word from you and also to have you give us a closing word of prayer. I know you'll be glad of the chance, so go ahead.' Saul, who had been drinking in every word with feelings indescribable, sprang to his feet and faced the ship's company. But for some moments he was unable to get a word out because of the hearty cheering of his shipmates. When at ,3o THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST last their afifectionate tributes had subsided, he began . Captain Vaughan, pilot, an' friends, what can I say ? MvheirfssofuU I can't hardly speak Just thmk ^f^t-Sd saved me, made my work a de ght to me ?t Id of a weary way of gettin' a liWn'. « «> - » full of His love that I had to show it. couldn t help t An- then, all these things, all these blessm s that would be well wuth any trouble or pains to get blessL which I never did nothin' for are Ueated « if they was good doin's o' mine, an' I m paid for em ke thil What is the use o' me tryin' to talk to you aSutit? I'msohappylcan'ttalk! If workin' chaps, a?spec ally sailormen, Qnly knew how good a thing t^waftoseL God. what an example to theChurches Ss an' workshops would be. to be sure. But the« ts one thing I'd like to say. an' that is that I m Lnected ,1th a litUe Mission over in Rotherhifte r I would dearly love for as many of you as am t f^av n'Lndon to come over an' attend some o the Sn's there. I promise ye a treat Besides that, rruke a7many of ye as 'aven't got no regular good placl to go to let me do what I can toget yerespect- SlTelSgin's away from sailor-town, as the captam says an' perhaps, if we keep in touch with Ae dear nKo we may make another voyage m her. If S S^eo^ four of us may get in a ship together Jn-'l'll warrant the Lord 'd make use of us. An now oh dear loving careful Father, do accep ;,r&e thanks of our full hearts. You've done a SAXJL'S RETURN «3> one towards another, an' brought us safe home. Now we're a-goin' into greater dangers than there is at sea. Lord, keep us. We 'aven't got the strength, we'll be just like children let loose, but You know all about us : keep us from doin' any harm to ourselves or anybody else, an' wherever we goes let us bear witness for Jesus. God bless our dear skipper, our officers, God bless us, every one, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.' It was all over, and back flowed the tide of work. Ah, how they worked, those Christian sailors. Men generally do put their backs into their duty when coming up the river homeward bound, if thpy have never done so all the voyage ; but these men, always alert and willing, laboured to-day as if each were a host in himself. Presently the ship reached Gravesend, and with a perfect hurricane of farewells the Channel pilot took his leave. He was succeeded by the river pilot, a totally different kind of man, who had not been on board five minutes before he rapped out a tremendous oath at one of his boat's crew who had in some way offended him. Captain Vaughan, who was standing near him at the moment, said, ' Pilot, that's the first swear-word I've heard for five months. I'd almost forgotten that men were such fools as to swear.' ' Look 'ere, cap'n,' retorted the • Mudlark,' ' I ain't under yore commawnd, an' if I feels like cussin' an' swearin' I'm a-goin' t' do it, see? Pretty fine thing w'en a man cawn't swear if he wants ta I wonder wot th' 'ell next.' ' Oh certainly,' replied the skipper, ' swear if you want to if you think it does you any good. I can't stop you, of course, though I should like to. I only said that I ,32 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST I'd almost forgotten that men were such fools as to '"'Sow, strange as it may appear to those who kn««, the painful and frequent and free language .ndulged Tnby river workers on the Thames, that pilot d.d not swear any more while he was on board the Asteroid until she reached the dock. He caused a good deal of harmless mirth among the crew^ by fssuing his orders sarcastically, saymg 'Wouldjer LTndly oblige me by trimmin- them yawds forrard? o . Will somebody 'ave th' goodness t se« whether the anchors is all clear for lettin' go? or Do yer SgSher a little stawbud 'ellum ?' but^lthough Tctxain must have b*en severe, not anoAer oath Shaped his lips until, just as the ship's he^ was Jeing pointed into the East India Dock basm a Sterman. xvhose aim of getting pushed mo the SsirXead of the Asteroid had been fn.st«ted Shed a perfectly tropical squall of profanity at STesuSring pilot. That burst the floodgates of his fp^ech. and'for the space of about three mmutes he ^e vent to his long pent-up feehngs. When f« TZ lack of breath he paused, the lighterman looked t at ht S a quizzical smile, saying. 'Lord love ;L m" anybod^d fink you'd be'n dum for a w^k^ I didn't fink you'd got it in yer. Yawt t keep a Sunday school, you awt.' To this remark he made Lt fy but ;Jth all the usual ^kUlo^^^^: -" saw the ship safely moored in her berth. As soon S'hewifLthefled ashore, muttering unmUn^iWy. r man that had met with a problem beyond his utmost skill to solve. ..no rar^ful The decks cleared up neatly and all as a careful SAUL'S RETURN 833 mate would have it, Mr. Carroll sang out for all hands. When they mustered he said, 'Boys, I'm goin' to say the usually welcome words that'll do every- body. But I feel I must say good-bye to everyone personally. I do hope with all my heart, and so does Mr. Kenton, that we shall all be shipmates again. Of course Captain Vaughan had to go, but before he went he told me he'd pay off at Green's Home the day after to-morrow, in the afternoon, and if any of you that are not goin' home by the Board o' Trade scheme want any money I've got it to give you.' Only four men stepped forward and asked for a sovereign each, the rest had all accepted the most welcome provision made by the laws for the pro- tection of the poor sailor from the swarming villainy along the river banks. The money was at once handed over, and then each man stepped forward and gave the two officers a hearty hand-shake and good-bye. On the quay there waited hungrily several in- dividuals whose faces alone should have been as a danger signal, warning homeward-bound sailors to shun thpm as they would an infected corpse. A wise law would not allow these fellows on board, but they came as near as they dared, and whenever they saw a face over the rail one of them would put on as amiable an expression as he knew how, half with- drawing a bottle from his pocket and beckoning the owner of the face ashore. It is difficult to imagine the chagrin experienced by these landsharks when they found that of all the crew not one was at all likely to fall into their nets. How savagely they cursed as they saw the homegoers leave under the carefiil ,34 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST supervision of the Board of Trade ««'. «'«Lti|f foiTremaining chaps sedately walk away wjth Saul. They spat out their opprobrium at the departing men as long as it was safe for them to do so. and Sen. baffled at every point, slunk away to await the coming in of another ship's company '^ho would ^ less e«efully prepared to meet and withsUnd the.r dUbolical wiles So happily ended the voyage of the Asurcid, inauspiciously begun, but by the courage ability, and Christian perseverance of one man brought to so beautiful an issue-never to be forgotten by anyone who belonged to her during that time. CHAPTER XXII A CATASTROPHE AT THE MISSION It is disagreeably necessary now to turn back for a time from the peaceful happy condition of things experienced on board the Asttroid to the turbid waters rapidly rising around the Mission. It will be remembered how high the tension had become on account of the desire of Brother Jackson to oust Jemmy from the position of superintendent On the Thursday following, the usual mid-week meeting was held— indoors, the weather being far too inclement now for open-air work— and there was a fairly good attendance. But the whole performance was perfunc- tory in the extreme. There was no life, no spirituality in the taeeting at all. How, indeed, could there be under the circumstances ? Outwardly, at all events, both parties observed the compact not to do anything until the question should be put to the gathering, as a whole, on Sunday night ; except, of course, the issue of emphatic invitations to all members to attend who possibly could. Yet it is undeniable that Jack- son did do a great deal of underhand work, aided by those who favoured his claims ; while Jemmy and his party, as far as they could, dismissed the whole matter from their minds for the present On Saturday night, however, the prayer-meeting, ,j6 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST which had been exceptionally well attended of late, was almost deserted. To the astonishment of Jemmy only the old members of the Mission were presen^ with the addition of Mary Seton, Woody, and Bill Harrop-and the omission, of course, of the defaultew Jimso^and Jenkins-and there was a no^^«»"e at. sen. . of fervour, except in the case of Bill Harrop and Woody. Indeed, the former bade fair to be one of these wonderful spiritual prodigies that from the outer darkness seem at once to s^ing into the most perfect light, liberty, and usefulness. Woody was as happy as usual, but., as he had ever been since his re^rn to the fold, v^r penitential over his backslid- ing, and overflowing with gratitude for tiie goodness of God in permitting him to come back to peace. But neitiier of these cheery souls made any allusion to tiie impending crisis. From anything they said a stranger might •-ave supposed that the affairs of the Mission were profoundly peaceful and Prosperoi^ Jemmy, for a marvel, prayed not at all. He wondered at himself, and with reason, for his spiritual experiences of late had been of a disturbing kind. Yet such is the perversity of poor human nature, that even wiUi the ^ospect before him of the work he had given so laree a slice of his life to being broken down, he could not bring himself to pray for the special Providence of God to interpose and avert the calamity. Just before the close of tiie meeting Jemmy's uncle, old Jack Maskery. quietly glided in and took his seat alongside of his brother. A whispered word or two passed between tlie two old warriors, and presently Jack stood up. There was a deep hush over all « he b^an. 'Dear Farver, we've be'n arskm Ye fur ^ A CATASTROPHE AT THE MISSION tjj blessin' on ahr comin' tergewer ter-morrer, arskin' Yer ter bless ahr effits t' exten' Thy Kingdom. An' all the Vile some on us 'at orter know better 'r feelin' 'fraid 'at, arter all these years o' blessin' th' wuk we bc'n tryin' t' do fur Thee, Yore a-goin' t' let up on erse, a-goin' t' let erse be put t' shame. No, Lord, that You ain't You never done it yit, an' You ain't goin' f begin nah. If there's goin' t' be a bust up 'ere in this Mission, it's 'corse it's wanted. Any'ow, You knows best. Lord, there ain't or ortn't t' be any doubts abaht thet Gord bless erse all. Keep erse stead- fast, unmovable, alwus abahndin' in th' wuk o' th' Lord, forasmuch as we know ahr labur is not in vain in th' Lord. Amen.' Then Bill pronounced the Benediction, and the little company passed out into the bleak night. All except the three Maskerys, who remained behind to discuss the situation. The two old brothers were very emphatic upon the ' all-right-ness ' of the Mission, while at the same time sympathising deeply with Jemmyj They knew what he must be feeling, much better than he thought they did — for had they not often gone through much the same experience many times ? But what they did not know was the suffering he was enduring by reason of that evil suggestion entertained about the money. The words of his father concerning the possible presence among them of one who was not all right with the Lord, clung to him and would not be got rid of. However, to his great relief the two rugged old Christians proceeded to discuss ways and means in case of a split, and this, turning his mind into another channel, did him good. At last it was decided that in the event of the ,38 THE APOSTLBS OF THE SOUTH EAST impending split being of a serious nature and draw- ing off a majority of the congregation, Bill and Jack should beat up their friends and endeavour to persuade them to Ude the little gathering over its temporary troubles. And with this resolve they parted for thetr several homes. Sunday evening saw the ' Hall ' packed to over- flowing, for not only were there no absentees among the members, but, allured by the prospect of a row, premonitions of which unseemly proceedmg had somehow got circulated in the neighbourhood, there was a goodly muster of those who had no Christian feeling whatever, only a wish to see what they termed a lark. After the preliminary hymn-singing and prayers, Jemmy rose, and, taking for his text the famUiar John iii. i6, launched into a fervent appeal to those present to hear the voice -f God, to come and be saved. Never had he spc .1 with so much fire blended with so much pathos Never apparently had his hearers manifesto.: such Keen interest in his remarks. But had he been ten times as ferventiy eloquent, it is doubtful whether he would have madt any real impression, because the majority of his audience, having come to hear something entirely d'^^erent, had a certain sense of grievance at Jemmy ui. Jarrantably taking up their time with what they felt they could hear whenever they liked. So when he suddenly brought his address to an end by an- nouncing that after a hymn had been sung Brother Jackson would address the meeting, there was per- ceptible intensifying of interest, all faces lost their somewhat dreamy look, and the hymn was sung with great vigour. A CATASTROPHE AT THE MISSION 039 While the last verse was proceeding Broths' Jackson made his way to the platform, being met at its break by BUI, who whispered something in his ear. He nodded and took a seat by Jemmy's side at the rear of the platform. As soon as the congregation had resumed their seats Bill limijed forward and said, ' Brevren an' sisters, most on ye know what's in the wind. I needn't remind ye of all that my son 'as be'n an' done in this 'ere nayburwood ; you all knows it as well as wot I do. But Bruwer Jackson 'ee finks as 'ow us old 'uns at the work in this Mis- sion's gittin' stale, an' that they ort t' be some fresh blood in the conduc' of matters 'ere. 'Ee's nah goin' f address yer on th' subjec', an' arterwards we'll 'ave a show of 'ands to see oose in favior of 'im being superintendent 'stead o' my son. I still 'ave a little more t' say arter 'ee's finished, but at present it's 'is show. Bruwer Jackson, will you Uke the mectin' ? ' The attention was now earnest enough to satisfy the most exacting speaker. Brother Jackson advanced to the rail, moistened his lips with his tongue twice or thrice, cleared his throat nervously, and at last said, ' Dear friends, my task to-night ain't a easy one God knows I shou'd be the last to say a word agen Jemmy or his father, or anybody else connected with Ais Mission. I owe 'em all too aiuch for that I don't believe that you could find, if you searched London through, a better lot than there is here. But we've all gotter remember that a man may be very godly, very lovable, and very kind, an' yet be a very bad business man. An' in a Mission like this you can't afford t' have a bad business man for a super- intendent There isn't any outside help ; all the funds ,40 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH BAST •a, got to come from the poorest of the P«>' ^^"^ l"m^.wearin' my .hirts till they «'^»y f'^' ° Pj^ >cLe of the drain the Mission is on me) an if these S Je not carefully ursed -<* /\f ^ "'"ff^S you know what-ll happen, don't you 1^ "f • » " »«j „.. Befor- 11 i^ winter's gone you'll have the land- S bundSn' ylu o^t and coUarin' the « Hall " that 'as SS^omuSSur and money' (* Neither of t yours ^tterS Jemmy). ' Well, what I propose U this, that Sfai eSon for »uperint«.dent.treasu«. s«=re- Zy, and deacons fa proper form, "^ery 'nember of S^ gathering being entitled to vote, and wh«i t^ election's over that we have a proper set of rules d~wn up. and auditors appointed to «a«»'« /" vSers'ind deeds and everything eUe Wo^g^JJ »^ Ihc Mission. All of you who think that what I prop! ought tobe done, please hold -P your^"^, •, Lm^iatelv the hands of everybody in the Hall iSirS only exceptions being the old members ISven? Salmon. Bum. and their wives, aided by Woody Bill Harrop. and the Masken^*- W'th J WwTsSilwe^^cKrSI^Jio:^''" '^'^^;m;:^lZT.^'^ front of the platform and Sy said, 'My friends, ahr Bruwer Jackson 'i irSSS y "f electV brevren ye choose ter nin ^i," rMlsion. But -ee's fergot ter men^n ^at four on us 'as made ahrsclvcs responsible fur th place, I7it falls f ahr lotf make up any deficits in pay me^ SU Lt bein' th' case I got ter remind im-^ t«r -at us four 'ave got the say in this matter. ZTmL^ that any of them what's come t^lt Mission sence we've borne th' burden an A CATASTROPHE AT THE MISSION ,4, 'Mt of th* day shall rob us of ahr interest in it We think we've eamt ahr right, an' we mean » s.u , to it Aw yore election if ye like, but understand, please, at if ye de.K!e t' put us aht, yer decides ter put yer- «lve. aht of this 'All-yer must go an' git som^ elset wusshupia It's very simple. It almost breaks my pore ole 'eart t' 'ave t' say this, but 'tain't th' fust time I ve ad f face th' same kind o' fing. I ain't got nuffink t say agin anybody ; I'm only a-tellin' yer th' plain facts. Now go a'ed wiv ytr votin'.' Jackson sprang to his feet instanUy, crving, ' I thought as much. These 'ere Maskerys are runnin' this place as a little private concern. I didn't say so afore; but now it's been so plainly put afore us all, that all weve got to do-those of us who don't agree with having a matter like this made a family affair of-is to go out an', as Mr. Maskery. senior, wggesto, get a place of our own. All them as are in favour of doing so, follow me onf A :, for the fickleness of human nature I Ir r.'jite oi . 'hat had gone before, notwithstanding t) bla. ,de.. .. ,rd of the Maskerys and the history 01 t..u Mi . :on there was such an exodus at Jackson's invi. r ( - Aat in five mmutes only twelve persons remaint „ support Je orjgmal members of the Wren Lane Mirsion. Why struggle to find an explanation ? Many vastly more important popular movements have been made With just as slender a foundation to go upon, and the ^rtue of true gratitude is one that is rarely exercised ty communities, much more rarely than it is by individuals. But what principally troubled Jemmy *ere the msulting remarks passed by sundry people as they passed out, reflections upon him which he ,42 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST SLSTai!^ p^ brfot. U» open J. »»p.«n « S.CU u»i. '"^jr^^.i^^ ^ in the Book "bout Gideon, an' I reckon ee ad a gooo parts let me remind yer at inai pu* Lmin- aht ---rrer-Jem ^t«soM -^^ ^N- I serjests as Jemmy an « /»'^«=' ^^ .^ ^-t got ■'•^ r tL" o'y°St efi- MiS funds, in sple ;°S^s?i°u'w^ in^; ^otes they set3 'im up w^va donkey an- barrer an' some market money Futy S 'l abaht do it. an' I know it ort ter be done^ "''*. s'y.'''almost shouted. Stevens, the tugboat s^p- ^ . ihy I say certainly. An' wofs "OT-Jj*^^; ^a^Z: flinU it on the platform. ' I brought A CATASTROPHE AT THE MISSION .43 it to-n.ght out of a bit of a bonus I had to make S Jll • u "^"^"^ *"'' difficulties they prayed with all their hearts that this man m.v,i,f vL ^ might be added to their tr^wro" gS • for'hl .' noted that, alt.ouga they^ould „orheIp\l' S:d^r„grTherr^ tX'^ r^ h^eT ^ *"'' '"P^'"* '° *•«'' ««P«tive littu _ !• o •• "^ uicrc also and cause soni<> r JoroTi'*'''"'- ?r ^^* ^"^•>* drawback to *yLwLmtwr """' "*^ •^'"°^«' -hen knew T,. hT %T^°"" P*"-**!'"? h« beat, and X «?e ToT f ^'>'.^"'P'°y«' f°^ some hoii. at c^b!ty.J^f r"^ J"'*'"' ''^ '••'' "°t know for JidTcLe of tJ^F"'' '"^ '"•■"^ "•'=* ^"d or hrinl ^- ,• ! '"'°" P^Pl** «ther forgetting ,44 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOOTH BAST SS that the bodily pain was not worth granting ItoSs consideration if haply the soul might be plucked from the everlasting buf'^p- . When the two unconventional philanthropists arril at Uie prison gates they found -uno" Catherine. Salvationists and members of the f nson Ste Brigade were tiiere. ready to welcome the pu^ihed one and to let him see that to ti«m a ^y Lehe was no pariah, that the P""' J"".*"* ^S undergone should not. if they <=°»ld J^J **• ^, nicrcilessly augmented by the prevenUon o * penitent getting honest work I\'*^ °"" °' ^^o Wackest blots on our police system, that a man who has according to our laws expiated h« mme (and legally no one can be punished tw'ce for the same offence) should be hunted down when t^^ingto^^m an honest living, should be shadowed by det«:tiv«, 'ie'o find hiS tripping, so that tiiey may be com- Jnded for their vigilance, and should mshe« despair of ever being able to ^^"^S^^^^^l*^ Till back into criminal courses agam. Of course, it wu SJ-it has been said-that this is an exaggerated a dUtorted view of the case, but unhappily itj nothing of the kind, and everyone who has ever had ;:S to do with the attempt.^ rec^aUon J discharged prisoners knows that it is not, to « bitter, bitter disappointment .,.,-„„„ and None of tiiese considerations tix,ubled Je'nmyaj his father. They were on that spot for a definite A CATASTROPHE AT THE MISSION ,45 present purpose, and the possible future frustration nf culations. They gazed understandingly upon HtUe forbve groups or shrinking individualsluportSeS^J her battery bo,on> with freest, fullest for^v^i" ^L7!u°''^^' °^ *^ all-covering love^?^d' Suddenly the small door, opening a little way al^«^^ a man to slip out, and cIosS agfin He melt^T? one of the groups and disappeS asTf hThl?.^ spirited away. One after^Ser eme^.^l'^^ -d^sWe for awhile the littirpiriLt^lVB-n.: And then came Paterson, hearty and healthv S^tfbv f .T^* ^>"=^ - S^e wisheS not £ thJT «^ ^ °^ ••" °'** associates who might be tTco^rS^i.T''''^:^'''''- ^-eTttem rZ, J V- Jemmy, m his impulsive way sorancr U)rd bless ye, ole man, yer look a fair t4.t Q' tteybe'na-feedin'yeup^thMa^t^eSor'^o nC mme come on outer this; ifs no plice foT'^pectbL people like you an- mc Now I wants ter WlyeJ ,46 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST somefin',' talking very fast, and beckoning his father Tnd the waif to come along, as if afraid he might not L able to hold his prisoner. ' We've got a bU o stuff Z yer. A friend of oum 'as put up abarrer an such fslap-up moke ; if yer try at all you'd orter take fust prize wiv 'im at the fust donkey show as ever is. An Lre's a few 'og lef f-n- market money so yer won t 'ave ter run inter debt fur anyfink. An if ye dont do wot you orter at fust, well come an' look us up ae-in We can feel for yer. yer know.' 'Jemmy, said the quivering man. ' I be'n tryin' f git a word m edge- ways, but y« won't let me ; I cam't jine yoremeetm 'Weill' ejaculated Jemmy, 'oo wants yer to? 1 don't, / know. I woodn't 'ave yer if yer d.dn t come free an' full o' yer own accord. Not me. No, you do wSJe like,an'go Ware ye Uke,only we'll all pray 'at ve may do wot's right, and go ware ye orter. That stopped the conversation, for Paterson was chok.ng. He Iw^ struck something quite beyond his compre- hension, and its incidence deprived him °J ^?^ And Jemmy was also much moved, for he felt in the very marrow of his bones that in what he was saying and doing he was most highly honoured, that his fall from grace, all unknown to anybody on earth, had b^n f^given and the joy of the reinstated ones **'ln due time they reached the ' Hall.' where punc- tually according to promise, Skipper Stevens had cSthe donkey and barrow to be in read.^ And then, handing over fifteen shilhngs for a nest-egg. tmiS and his father shook hands heartily wiA SnandbadeWm God-speed. Hedi^dnotr^y Scause he could not. but his face told its own A CATASTROPHE AT THE MISSION 247 story as he flung himself into the barrow and drove away. 'Jemmy, my son,' said Bill, 'the Lord's a-goin' t bless us. I ain't be'n so 'appy fur a long time as I am to-day. 'Ere we are, 'avin' been privileged to do a bit of 'Is own work 'asmomin', a bit o' wuk as ft bigges' Chutch on earth 'd be prahd f claim a and m. An' nah you run along 'ome w'ile I take ti»is pore lad t' my little drum an' giv' 'im somefink r eat. an arterwards see wot can be done t' keep 'im aht o trouble in th' future. Good-momin', boy, good- momm', an' Gord bless yer.' Heart full, Jemmy silently shook hands with his father and the boy, and turned his steps homeward. When he arrived he went straight in through the open door of his little house to his parlour, hoping that his wife would be too busy to notice his entrance and scold him for wasting so much time on an object of which she disapproved. And when he turned the handle of the parlour door and strode in, there was Saul sit ng m the arm-chair with Mrs. Maskery facing him on another, her arms folded and a beaming smile on her face. It would be a hopeless task for me to attempt a description of Jimmy's behaviour, much less his feel- ings on thus beholding his friend, whose presence had been so greatly longed for by him. The affection that one man often bears to another is one of the most sacred and beautiful things that it is possible to witness on earth. But it does not lend itself to writing about David's lament for Jonathan is the most beautiful and wonderful attempt to describe the glorious well-spring of pure love (nighest to ,48 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST God's) that one man may bear to another, but even that is powerful more by reason of what rt suggests than what it says. The story of Damon and Pythias may be myth, but it does not in the least exaggerate the depth of love felt and practised between many men to-day-a love that rises high above all earthly considerations, and touches the very heart of the Most High God. ..... For a few moments Saul and Jemmy stared at one another speechlessly. Saul recovered himself first, rose and seized Jemmy's outstretched hands m both his own, saying, ' Dear old chap. I cam t tell you how glad I am to see ye. I've been longm fur a sieht of ye all until I was half crazy, and the voyage wLn't a long one, either. How are ye ge"«n ^" ** the Mission? Mrs. Maskery here's been a-tellm me of yer health an' yer struggles, an' some troubles you been havin', but I want t' hear all about U from you •M right, Saul,' said Mrs. Maskery. 'I'll git yet excuse me. I got my work f do',an' it won'tbe pu orf like 'is will. 'Ee'U tork ye blind an' deaf if you 11 let 'im. But there, ye know 'ee will. HI see ye later on.' As she departed. Jemmy, drawmg a chair up to Saul's side, burst into a disconnected and no^ very lucid account of the happenings of the last few months. It is difficult to imagine the relief he felt Sbeingabletodothis. It should be remembered however, that since Saul's departure he had never enS such an opportunity, he had never been m any sympathetic person's company who did not know as much about these matters as he did himself But above all there was one matter which had long Srfened his heart, about which he had been unable A CATASTROPHE AT THE MISSION .49 to speak to a soul— a matter which cannot be put on record here. The recital made Saul's heart bleed, and unable to say a word he could only grip Jemmy's hand tighter and look into his face with humid eyes from which beamed perfect love. The story ended, Saul began Ais yam. His sole auditor was entranced, astounded ; Jemmy's breath came in short thick gasps, his mouth twitched with uttermost sympathy, and occasionally a whispered Bless the dear Lord ' broke from his lips. Such a listener would have been a treasure to any speaker but as a listener to such a story as Saul had to tell Jemmy was pre-eminent. Both the men were lost in the contemplation of what God had wrought, and fte time flew by utterly unnoticed, until at last Mrs Maskeiy burst in crying, 'There, Saul, wofd I tell yer? Once git 'im started you'd never make 'im leave orf 'cept by force. 'Ee's the orflest jaw-me-dead I ever see an' ' • Excuse me, Mrs. Maskety,' inter- poated Saul, 'let's be just I've be'n doin' all the talkm fur a long time, an' a better or more patient listener man never had. But let's see what tii' time w. And, looking at his watch, Saul exclaimed, ' Why, Jemmy, my lad, no wonder your wife got impatient to know what was goin' on. We've be'n a-talkin' fur three 'ours I ' CHAPTER XXIII A BRIGHTER DAY DAWNS Among the many interesting details which Saul had acquainted Jemmy with, was the determination of a portion of iht Asterwfs crew— those who had no homes— to come over to Rotiierhitiie and lodge with Saul for a time. To think that the little open- air meeting on the Waste would be reinforced by such a sturdy band of recruits to the good cause, won by his own child in the faith, too, was for Jemmy most delightful and uplifting. So much so, that he was hardly able to contain himself for joyful antici- pation of Sunday, or refrain from fear lest tiie weatiier should be, as it had been of late, utterly inclement He got the friend who had painted the motto on the centre beam of the ' Hall' to draw up a big flaring bill, which was stuck up outsH- the ' Hall,' and notified all and sundry that a banc converted sairjrs would be present at the meetings t .. Thursday and Sunday, both of which would be held on the Waste, weather permitting. And whereve. he went he spread the news and begged his hearers to do the same. In consequence of his efforts in this direction the ' Hall ' on Thursday was fairly well filled, much better indeed than he had hoped for. But many of the audience came from local chapels, moved by curiosity A BRIGHTER DAY DAWNS ,j, to see and hear a band of converted sailors. Saul of course was quite in his clement, and sMe wiS his usual fervour and force, but his friends C fte ,hfe rr "™'' ""'^ ^hy-" »ight naturally bTexirt J few of the malcontents who broke away with Jackson iouWno?^' **? "«*•" «l"'«ly. hoping that th^ would not bespoken to about their temporary diT *t the back and looking wistfully at Jemmy The U^r soon spied him, and at the firsi op^rtu Jt made his way towards him and entreat.^ hVm^ come to the front He firmly l^tld In r * importunities, saying in e^JcVSt tht^Jrhad proved by his life that he really was a ^h!noi f need be, but at present he felt that his place was J«t of one who was only just allowed Lide Th^ orto1emr""'-'°""- "" "-"^^ «- !i^i4 over to Jemmy as part repayment of what had been fhlttV^^HV^^'"'" '«*'■"•*"'' g-tefSy admS that he had been doing very well """uca Two incidents also occurred at this meeting well worth recording, not merely fo, their Sg^^^ importance. One was the coming out of a voun.r rSn ?:'■ ^r* "p ■" *« ^trilis ChnSiJl .;«"' ""'" **'^" "**^^'y case-hardenedT lic?^ wS. f"."^ ^'''"'^tr^s, of unimpeachable character, w,th baul. It may sound almostbrutally P-^natur. to state this feet in such an abrupt mTnner^ as* THE APOSTLES OF TH^ SOUTH EAST but I do not know that any good end would be served by making a mystery of It, or drawing »* o"* by slow degrees through half a dozen pages ; and of the two incidents mentioned, I have intentionally given it the second place, because I am as sure as it is possible to be of such a thing, that the conversion of that clerk had a far more widely reaching im- portance than Saul's first (and last) love story. Therefore I must go on to say that this young man, in the full vigour of manhood (he had just come of age), came deliberately forward and confessed his faith in Christ, and announced his determination to cast in his lot with God's people. And as an earnest of his sincerity he then and there handed in a goodly portion of his savings, five pounds, and offered to serve in any capacity that might be required of him. I do not wish to anticipate, but I feel compelled to say that William Maylie was and is the most perfect example of what the Grace of God can make of a man that ever I saw. He now holds a fairly high position in his business, worldly matters have pro- spered with him, but he is just the same humble Christian, eager to be doing good and caring not one jot for authority or fame, as he was the first night of his conversion. As I write these words I cannot help wondenng again how they will be received. Not that I should fear the world's hostile criticism at all, but whether impartial people will believe in the reality of the characters I have vainly been trying to give an im- ptession of Well, it is no wonder that, remembering the strange monsters that have been limned by p<^ular novelists of late and labelled ' Christians A BRIGHTER DAY DAWNS ,53 with or without qualifying prefixe., I should feel doubtful .bout the recepUon of real Chri»tian.-not Invented ones. All I can say is that if you who read will not believe that there do exist such people a> I have tried to portray, the loss will be yours, not T*: ^ u ^*" "'*"■ *~^ "f "y'nft t™th is un- 'f-!!'^ ^ *'"'^""'" '■" '^ B"t the unbeliever Is affected, for his disbelief in the truth may prevent his attainment of happiness. At the Saturday evening's prayer-meeting there was full muster. All day Friday and a good deal of Saturday. Saul and his four shipmates had been doing the historic sights of London, soaking up with a^ a novice's avidity the glories of South Kensington, Westmmster, St. Paul's, and the Zoo. Oh, how childish, some will say. Well, I can only reply. Except ye receive the Kingdom of God as a little child, ye can in no wistt enter therein.' And it is the merest platitude to say that the majority of civilised mankind deliberately shed their capacity for pure enjoyment, condemning things as childish which be- long to the highest development of man or woman hood and batten upon paltry debasing pleasures that the child would instinctively refuse, knowinp by Divine intuition that there could be no satisfactiou therein. Therefore these five came down to Wren Lane Hall ready not only to pray but to praise. Their tyes had seen many wonders of nature and art. and their souls had prompted them to thank God ; which >s as It should be, but, alas I seldom is. When they ^ved they found that their fame had preceded them (owing to the indefaUgable way in which Jemmy had made known their historyX «id there was >S4 THB APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST a record attendance for a Saturday evening prayer- meeting. There was also a swing, a go, in the pro- ceedings that no one present could remember as having obtained before. Now during the singing of one of the hymns, Saul, who sat with Jemmy facing the audience, suddenly caught the eyes of a young lady in the congregation fixed upon him with so earnest, so all-embracing a gaze, if I may use the word, that he was dumbfounded. His voice faltered and he ceased to sing^. That wistful beseeching look awoke in him something that until then had been in the chrysalis stage. For Saul, like many another grand man, was exceedingly modest about himself, and the idea of any woman loving him never occurred to him. Moreover, in spite of his sad experiences all round the world, he retained a most whole-hearted reverence and admiration for woman as a type of the higher aspects of humanity. To him woman per st was a lesser angel, in whose presence any decent man must be in something of the same mental attitude as he remembers he preserved at his mother's knee in early childhood. The poor debased ones he had met he always regarded as the excep- tions which proved the rule— they rather deepened and confirmed than shook his opinion. But now he could hardly help feeling, such was the magnetic power of Elizabeth Carter's eyes, that there might be a possibility of his being loved by some sweet girl who would by-and-by consent to become his wife. And he there and then determined to do what in him lay to find out whether or not the owner of those eyes really meant what he felt she did when she looked at him like that So at the moment the A BRIGHTER DAY DA\ ,55 meetinK doMd he whispered ; > ' mmy « . ^stion u to whethw he knew that yov .g lady, Minting a quivering finger at her back. a. die pasKd down the Hall toward, theexjt. No, Jemmy did not know her. but he would try and find out And with that scant oomfort Saul was rompelled to be content, and hope that some fortun..t... accident would bring him and the young wom:»r to^rether. H- -va., so wrapped in thought as he and his fojr ccn.panions strolled home- ward to their comJbrtihle 1 ^gii? through the crowded streets, that the latter coi.;d net :.-|p remarking upon his preoccupied air. So he shook it off and was soon his own cheerful self again. He was my glad though to be alone in his littie room, and there, in silent meditation with his Friend, bring this new andstarK r upheaval in the placid flow of his Christian life t : h" testing touch. Do what he would, he could £n. „ condemnation for the trend of his thoughts, and a '«• .^ he sank on his knees and fervently asked God to pude him. And if. he said, it was not contraiy to God s will concerning him. he would well love to be mamed, to look forward at his home-coming for a dear human face whose eyes would beam for him alone; who would wait for him, pray for him. and — ye^ there was an exquisite thrill in tiie tiiought— would perhaps give him a living pledge of love that should bind him closer than ever to tiie Lord and Giver of life, and enable him better to understand the heart of the /?a/A«r. Sunday dawned bright and clear. One of tiiose Jovely days in tiiis much-maligned London winter of ours that makes us wonder how far people are justified m saying the things they do about it Not a breatii of I «». Looky 'ere, people, most on yer knows s ,S8 THE AKJSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST me, but there ain't many on ye knows any good of me. I be'n a fair hot-un, I have, but I never done any- fink quite so bad as I did w'en I broke into these 'ere bloke's drum dahn Wren Lane an' pinched all tiie oof they collected t' pay the landlord wiv. I robbed a good many people that night, I know, but these poor chaps 'ad t' put up wiv the consequences. An wot did they do when I come agen an' broke meself all up tryin' t' do anuvver grab ? W'y, they looked arter me w'ile I was in th; Infirmary, they made it as light as they could tor me 'fore the madg-strate, an wen I come aht they met me at the gate o' th' jug an welcomed me 'sif I'd a-be'n their long-lorst bruwer. They set me up in bisness agen, an' I'll tell ye wot it is, my bisness pays me nah. I fine 'at cause I've learnt t' speak the trufe, to give good weight, an' be perlite an' puncshal, I'm gittin' more an' more work every day Th«e people put me on to that as a sorter reward for 'avin' robbed 'em, an' made 'em dreadful dahn in the mouth fur a time. ■ Then w'en they see I was sorry fur wot I done (1 was, too), they arsked me ter come in wiv 'em an' serve Gordsameastheydid. I ses " No." I ses « I don't feel 'sif I c'd stick it, an' I ain't a-goin' ter make a mock ol you ner Gord neither, 'f I k'n 'elp it." But on the q.t. I fort I would 'av' a try wivout s'yin' anyfink t any- body, so I screws up me eyes tight an' I ses, " Ho Gord, I don't know where Y' are, I carn't see Ye and feel Ye, but I can see wot them people's like wot ses at You makes 'em wot they are. Nah. I'm on'y a pore ignan coster, a bit of a gun. an' in gen'ral "o good. Try l^er 'and on mc. I'm wiUin', s'elp me Gord., I m wilho^ I'll put up wiv anyfink. go anywheres, do anyfink, ii A BRIGHTER DAY DAWNS ,59 on'y You'U make me as good as that lot wot's treated me as they 'ave." An' then I went on wiv me job. W en I was firsty I 'ad a drink er water ; w'en I was a-buyin- I didn't tell the lies I useter. er giv a bloke a pint t' rob his guvnor fur my benefit ; 'n w'en I wos a-sellin' I didn't tell everybody I was a-sellin' my goods fur less'n wot I giv fur 'em. At least I say I did or didn't do all these 'ere fings. i don't want f tell no lies, an'yit I cam't rightly 'splain t'yer wot I mean. I don't feel 'sif I did 'em 't all. I feel sif somefink inside of me wos a-doin' em w'ile J only 'ad f be quite still. Well, I fought I'd go on like that quite quiet-hke, an' not a-syin' anyfink fur fear I *'d break aht agen, until t' night I come dahn 'ere wiv . bit er braM t' pay back som'er what I stole, w'en I card that there bloke torkin' abaht wot 'ee calls bearin' witness fur Gord. An' ses I t' meself. ses I, you ain't a-dom' that, yore edgin', that's what yore a-doin' Yore a-leavin' a back door f slip out on, case you shou'd feel like 'avin' a fling bimeby. W'y you ain't arf a man, I ses, jest like that, 'sif I was a-torkin' t' some- body else Nah be a man, ses I ; wotever you do toe the mark an' tell the people, so's if ever you do go wrong arter this they'll be able to spot yer fer the dirty dorg y'are. Thet's w'y I'm-a standin' up ere I cam't tork t' yer like this fine bloke,' patting Saul on the shoulder, 'but I can say this, that all rahnd abaht everyone 'at wants to do right, be right, live nght, there's 'elpin' 'ands, aht o' sight but real. ' An' I believe they're the 'ands of Almighty Gord.' There was an aws-stricken sileii.e as Paterson retired. Such a frank outpouring of a man's inmost soul-struggUngs must have an immediate effect upon ate THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST such a promiscuous crowd as was gathered on the Waste that night. It is only in congregations case- hardened by the constant receipt of undeserved bless- ings that die most fervent outpourings of a man's inmost boul are often received unmoved. So that id-hen Bill Harrop took Paterson's place there were many weary ones panting with desir« to obtain a share of the blessings which the latter had indicated as having become his. Bill began to speak, and as he did so one of his heaiters whispered to his neighbour, • It's a fair-knock aht, ain't it ? W'y I remember we'n 'ee was a scorcher, an' no mistake. You'd on'y gotter look at 'im ter give 'im a wide berf. An' nah 'ee looks quite the gentlemin.' All unconscious of these remarks Bill was fervently inviting all and sundry to come and make the acquaintance of his newly found Friend. * If yer don't believe wot I say,' he cried, ' I'll tell yer wot ter do. You go an' arsk my wife 'n kids. They know the difference 'tween wot I was an wot I am. An' I b'lieve they knows too the trufe o' wot Bruwer Paterson's justbe'n a-tellin' yer— that I didn't do it ner yet these dear people 'ere, it was th' 'and of Gord wot did it, wot made me clean, 'onest,an' sober. Let Him 'ave a try at yerselves, those of yer 'oo knows 'at yer needs il. Gord bless yer.' Again there was a great scene. Unfortunately it was impossible to avoid the awkward effects of physical excitement altogether, and no doubt there were some who professed to find Eternal Life who were only temporarily carried away by the prevailing imoression. That, however, was not for the preachers to decide: theirs only to do as they were bidden, and afterwards to look for the fruits of their labours. •Blese Gord,' cried Jimmy, 'we got a 'All t'arsky A BRIGHTER DAY DAWNS 361 inter. Come along, all on yer, inter th' 'All. Less ave a praise- meetin'. Less give Gord fanks for all iie s done fur us. Praise 'Is 'Oly Name.' So they went in a body, and foremost among them went Miss Carter. Seeing that Saul was somewhat overloaded with books, chairs, &c., she said, • Let me take some of those books for you,' and that broke the ice. All the way to the ' Hall ' they chatted about the work that was being done, and before they parted they had made arrangements to see more of each other. This little episode must not, however, make me forget another matter that showed how deeply the words spoken on the Waste had struck home. After as many as could find admission had crowded the 'Hall,' and the impromptu service of praise was in full swing. Brother Salmon sidled up to Jemmy and whispered : ' There's a gal here that's in trouble We must 'elp er. My wife's just told me. She's under qotice to leave 'er place of service, because there's a baby comm' ; she's got nowhere to go, an' her friends are all up in the North. Now don't you think we must do something ? ' • Corse I do.' answered Jemmy ; tell er to stop be'ind an' give us the perticlers. We'll find 'er a place t' lie 'er pore 'ead dahn. Pore crechur, shell be punished enough for wot she's done Pore fing, pore fing.' So at the close of the meeting, when many rejoicing souls had gone their several ways, and many others, envious of the happiness they saw manifested, but unable to grasp its secret, had gone discontentedly homeward.s, there was a little committee meeting held of the brethren, with the poor shrinking girl sitting in their midst like one awaiting sentence. ^ In answer to questions, as delicately put as if i6> THE APOSTLES OF THE SOXTTH EAST their propounders had belonged to the hig^iest rank in society, she gave all the information required, and being promised all the aid the brethren could give, such as providing her with a retreat, fetching her box away, Ike, she departed lighter in heart than she had been for many a day. Then her new-found friends went their several ways homeward, rejoicing all in the blessed consciousness of a good day's work done for God. In fact, it would have been hard to find anywhere upoil earth so happy a lot of people as had emerged from the Wren Lane Mission Hall that night Obscure, unknown, unclassified among religious agencies, it had yet done more to justify its existence in that one day's work among the class that the Lord of Light came down to minister unto, than many a stately cathedral has done in all the centuries of its existence. Its value was to them as life is to stone. I must not close this chapter without one word about Saul. He had arranged to meet Miss Carter on the next evening and take her for a walk. In his own mind he had planned a course of action the out- come of which you shall learn in due time. To say that he was happy would be ineffectual. He was almost always happy. But this night his happiness had a special quality. His life seemed suddenly to acquire a greater significance, a higher value than ever before. In short, upon his placid pursuit of doing good to all from love to God, had been super- imposed the blessedness of doing good to one tor love of !?erself. Not a totally different thing, but rather an essence of the same, ' CHAPTER XXIV SAUL'S WOOING AND WEDDING Very punctually on the Monday, Saul was at the appointed trysting-place. He had satisfactorily dis- posed of his shipmates for tiM evening : not without some qualms at tlMs leaving them to themselves. It is a failing which most of us are prone to, an amiable weakness if you will, but nevertheless somewhat galling at times to the objects of our solicitude. I mean the way in which we will persist in shepherding pec^e who ought to be, if they are not, quite capable of taking care of themselves. Had Saul but realised it, those four fellows were rather relieved to be their own masters for a little while. They loved Saul intensely, but all the same the sensation of being con- tinually in leading strings is not a pleasant one for grown men -they love to feel that they are trusted ; so that Saul's fears were quite groundless, it was a little over-estimation of his own importance, not any needed self-condemnation. When he saw Miss Carter tripping along towards where he stood expectant, he noted with an ac- celerated heart-beat her fair fre«h face, her dainty dress and graceful movements, and he felt an intense delight that he was being thus favoured. Shyly he a64 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST oflered her his ann and felt her little hand fall upon his coat-sleeve with a sense of proprietorship — utterly unjustifiable, of course, after so short an acquaint- ance, but still most natural under the circumstances. A few platitudes of the usual kind followed— those con\ Lrsational vedettes that we all feel bound to throw out before the main body of our thoughts, as we skirmish for an opening through which we may march the horse, ibot, and artillery of our pet ideas. And now I feel a considerable difficulty con- fronting me. If I were to faithfully set down Saul's conversation here, most of my readers would call him a prig. But no man was ever less of a prig than Saul Andrews, and I dread to give a wrong impres- sion of him. May I, however, remind my readers of one essential fact — that the very core of Saul's existence, the pivot upon which all his thoughts, feelings, wishes, and wants revolved, was Christ I speak with (I hope) a due and solemn sense of the weight of my words, and I repeat that Saul Andrews, like every other man who has been touched by the hand of the Holy Spirit, could no more keep the name of His Master out of his mind in business, or out of his mouth in friendly talk, than he could help breath- ing. Therefore, before he and Miss Carter had gone a mile, he was telling her of his early pitiful struggle for life, of that unseen Father who, he was sure, had watched over him through all those trying days of his godless youth, and his hairbreadth escapes from death in many grim forms ; of his conviction and conversion, and his new-bom longing to live for the Lord who had bought him and was always training bim up to do what He needed to be done in the SAUL'S WOOING AND WEDDING »6s sphere of influence controlled by the particular speaker. It was an interesting, but to the great majority of people an utterly incomprehensible sort of con- versation to take place between a man and woman who, if not yet avowed lovers, were both on the brink of declaring themselves so. Miss Carter was. in some sort, overcome by this outburst on the part of Saul She did not understand it. She had, it is true that tender yearning towards religious manifestations which seems to be the special characteristic of women of all ages and all nations. But like the majority of women, also, she had not reasoned about these matters. She had been impressed more or less superficially and emotionally by what she had heard on the Waste and in the 'Hall,' and all she needed was an abiding influence, a Divine control over her thoughts, feelings emotions, what you will, to make her a great power for good, into whatever society she mi-jht be cast At • this present time she felt that such a power was needed by her, but made the perfectly natural mis- take of supposing that Saul could supply it— only another proof, by the way, of how frail human nature clings to the seen and tangible, as compared with Us difficulty of appreciating the unseen and spiritual But what could Saul know of this ? Man-like, he only saw a dainty, pretty young woman hanging upon his words, he only felt that here was an extension of his work for God into a pleasant region his access to which had hardly been dreamed of before, and the discovery wafted him into a very sea of delight. So he talked on and on, looking down fondly into those humid eyes that gazed up into his with so aM THE APOSTLES OF THE SOXJTH EAST much apparent appreciation of what he was iaying, although to tell the truth it was himself, not his words, that was bringing that gaze of all-embradng affection into them. Ey-and-by he said, ' Now, Miss Carter— but may I call you Lizzie?' She did not answer verbally, but her look and the slight pressure of her hand upon his arm was sufficient ' Now, Lizzie, I'm going to say to you, for you've encouraged me to, what I never said to any woman before. I love you, and if you can love me well enough to share my lot with me, be my wife. You'll make me very happy, for at present I have no home, and all my energies, almost all my earnings, go to the Wren Lane Mission. And I can't help feeling that God would like me to have a dear little wife (like you) and a home of my own. But, you know, I'm a sailor, earning my living away from home, and sometimes not seeing England for over a year. It's a poor lot I'm askin' you to share, but I promise you tiiat I'll do my best to find work ashore as soon as possible, if you'll only be my wife. Will you ? ' , u u J Of course he could not know how eagerly she had been longing for him to ask her the question, any mors tiian he could imagine how completely the present occupied her mentol horizon ; and so he was overjoyed, almost dizzy with delight, when she shyly, murmured, ' Yes, dear.' They were in a quiet street at the time, witii no passers-by, and witi» a sudden movement their lips met in tive betrothal kiss ; an act, to Saul's mind at any rate, as solemn and bmding as his baptism had been. They walked on for a while iii silence, till suddenly Saul broke it by saying, 'Tell me Lizzie dear, have you no friends or parents whom SAUL'S WOOING AND WEDDING 167 I ought to Me ? Surely you ate not like me, quite alone in the world except for my Lord's precious company ? ' ' Not quite, but very nearly,' she sighed. ' I have a father and a mother, separated from each other as so many are in this cruel London, and I do not Know where either of them are just now. I haven't seen mother for over six months I I live with an old cousin, a dear old soul who's got a little private dressmaking business, and we've been fairly happy together since the awful day I came to what was home then, from a machinist's place I'd got, and found the furniture all cleared out, and father an' mother gone, nobody knew where. She, my cousin Carrie, as soon as I went an' told her what had happened, invited me to come to her and share what she'd got, and as far as she could she'd be a mother to me now my own had deserted me. She has been all that ; I've been fairly fortunate ii\gettin' work when she hadn't enough to keep us both goin', and I've had no illnesses, thank God, or I don't know what we should have done.' Saul's face grew very grave as he drew a mental picture of what friendless girls have always before them in a great city when they can iind no work and no one feels that it is any part of their duty to look aiter them, and he drew the little hand, resting so confidingly upon his strong arm, closer and more firmly to his side as he made a vow to do what in him lay to be both father and mother to its owner. How very sudden, says some one, for such high affection to develop. It may be, but then sailors must be sudden in these matters, the time at their disposal being so short Moreover, there are many hearts MKMCOrV HSOtUTWN TBT CHART (ANSI ond ISO TEST CHART No. 2) E^ i^ I J. /^PPLIEa IN/MGE In 1653 Eoal Main StrMt S Rochmtar. Mw York 14609 USA (718) 462 - 0300 - Phon* (716) 2BB - 5989 - Fok 368 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOXTTH EAST wherein love has been long accumulating, like waters behind a dam, until it only needs a touch to release it and spread it in vast volume over all obstacles. But Saul, being, like most iine, brave, and gentle men, exceedingly diffident and modest as well as thoughtful for others, now said what many would consider a foolish thing, one at any rate quite uncalled for on his part. After declaring that it gave him the utmost joy to find that Lizzie could love him, he begged her to consult her own happiness before his in this wise : that if she should find during his absence that she had made a mistake, she was to have no compunc- tion in telling him so, since whatever pain it might and would cost him then would be infinitely better and easier to bear than the finding out of such a mis- take after marriage would be. He found to his surprise that such a view of possible change in her f)%lings towards him was very distasteful. She looked upon it as almost a personal slight, and with feminine in- genuity sharply suggested that perhaps he wished to leave a loophole for his own escape from an engage- ment Mildly he pointed out to her how foreign such an idea was to his mind, and reminded her that where- as she would always be seeing fresh faces and might easily find that her rapidly firing affection for him was misplaced, through meeting some one whom she loved better, he would be in quite a secluded position, where, if he were ever so fickle, he would have no chance of fixing his affections upon any other girl for the simple reason that he would meet none. Somewhat mollified, but still smarting from what she considered an unmerited suggestion, Lizzie at last consented to change the subject And Saul, suddenly SAUL'S WOOING AND WEDDING 169 conscience-stricken at the way in which he had walked her on and on, forgetting how different her strength must be to his, invited her to have a meal with him in a quiet restaurant near by, for they were now at Greenwich. The food was very welcome and the meal to Saul was almost a sacred one, the first of the kind in all his experience. His eyes, looking through love's glamour, invested her with a holy light : she was trans- figured, becomingabeing far uplifted from tne common herd of mortals. And he ! why should he be privileged to (delicious thought) kiss her .' Oh, meed past all deserving, how humble it made him feel ! Well, love (of this kind) and common-sense are seldom allied, and Saul only made the old, old mistake of erecting an impossible ideal, instead of the real woman before him, with all the ordinary stock of imperfections and weaknesses. Rather hard upon the woman to be thus transformed, because it so often happens that when the magic haze melts from before the lover's eyes and he sees his sweetheart as she really is, he is bitterly disappointed to find how far she is removed from the being his fancy has created. And it is not in any sense her fault. When that happy evening drew to a close and the lovers parted, Saul felt as if life, always holding a sense of want before, had now completed its full circle. Upon entering their snug lodgings hi.'; shipmates {greeted him noisily, being unfeignedly glad ic see him. They told him that they had visited the Asteroid, and had been informed that she was going round to Cardiff in a month's time to load coals for Hong Kong. That the mate had given them to understand that it was probable no one of her old 270 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST crew except the carpenter and sailmaker, who seemed to be as much a part of her as her stem post, would be likely to go in her again. For Captain Vaughan had received an appointment already to a fine large steamer, the mate and second mate had both been transferred to other ships, and, consequently, none of the day-dreams they had all indulged in about being again a united and happy ship's company were likely to be realised. For a moment, but only for a moment, Saul was saddened by this news, as he realised that he was, in place of tfce pleasant voyage he had looked forward to, booked for another uphill fight ; but Faith soon resumed her reign, and remembering his latest joys he was cheered again. While the five sat smoking and yarning happily, as sailors will when they are well fed and housed, and have nothing on their minds, Jemmy Maskery was announced. He was received uproariously and made specially welcome. He said he had only run over for a few minutes to speak to Saul, and could not stay. If Saul would come out with him for a few minutes he'd be glad. Truth to tell, he was anxious to escape from that tobacco-laden atmosphere, for in days past he had been a passionate lover of the weed, and having given it up because he thought it hindered him in his Christian work, he dreaded the temptation which the smell brought to bear upon him. Wherein he showed his wisdom in one direction at any rate, for no wise man courts temptation, however fortiHed against it he may feel himself to be. When he had got Saul to himself he told him that arrangements had been made to bring the poor girFs (she who had besought their help on the Sunday SAUL'S WOOING AND WEDDING 271 evening) box away from the place where she was in service to the ' Hall," and that he had obtained for her an order of admission into the infirmary for her confinement. She had refused to go home, fearing very naturally to face her poor parents under such miserable conditions. Would Saul help him to carry her box down to the ' Hall,' where it could rem^n in safe keeping until she could come and claim it again. Why, of course ; nothing could please Saul better than so practical a demonstration of his willingness to do all that a Christian man should da The next morning, nine o'clock beheld Saul and Jemmy (whose home crisis had happily ended during the night in the birth of a little daughter) waiting at the side entrance to one of those hideous suburban villas with which utterly unprincipled builders have defiled the beautiful outskirts of London : an erection of no known order of architecture, whose tawdry out- side ornaments of unseasoned wood were already iecaying, and dowu whose walls great cracks were already visible amid the dirty-green patches that -showed where the shoddy walls were sodden with damp. The door was opened to them by the girl, her eyes inflamed with weeping ; for her mistress, an ex-barmaid whose forenoons were spent in bed and her afternoons in the pursuit of what she understood as pleasure, had been venting upon her in no measured terms the wrath and scorn she felt at a creature ' like 'er, a low-Iyved drab like 'er, bringin' disgrace upon a respectabel 'ouse.' How is it, I wonder, that women whose past has been, to use a hackneyed expression, somewhat shady, are usually so merciless to any sister woman who has presently aya THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST been found sinning ? Perhaps it would be unprofitable to inquire, but that such is the fact let all bear witness who know anything about the matter at all. Saul and Temmy lost no time in man-handling the somewha. heavy box and staggering away with it to the road, where a truck they had brought with them was standing. With all possible expedition they made their way to the ' Hall,' and brought the box safely inside. The girl followed and there faced these two men, the one long married and conversant with all the mysteries and difficulties of female life, the other just entering into that blissful condition of life known as courtship, and, as has before been noted, deeply imbued with the idea of female sanctity. Jemmy it was that ended an awkward pause by falling uf)on his knees and saying, as he did so, ' Less 'ave a word o' prayer.' Saul immediately bent his knees, and the girl, albeit somewhat surprised, followed his example. Jemmy at once lifted up his voice in supplication : ' Ho Gord, hour Farther, look dahn on this 'ere poor gal. She's done wrong, an' she knows it She don't make no excuse for 'erself, ?.n' we ain't got no room t' condemn 'er. You knov/s all about 'er, bless Yore 'Oly name, an' k'n und»;rstan' as we never can wot 'er temptashuns was, an' w'y she fell. Forgive 'er, Lord, an' be with 'er in 'er time of trial. Wen she's a-sufferin' comfort 'er, an' let 'er know 'ow tender an' lovin' You can be, more tenderer an' loviner than any of erse knows 'ow ter be. An', ho Grord, w'en it's all hover an' she's back in the world agen,do be wiv 'er an' make 'er Your child. Don't let 'er fall agen, but make 'er way plain before 'er,an' give 'er grace ter walk in it till 'er live's end, w'en she won't want SAUL'S WOOING AND WEDDING ,73 ter walk no more— she'll be able ter flv CcrA w •er an' us, for Christ's sake, Amen.' ^' ""'"' I dare not reproduce for you that noor .rirl', prayer. She never remembered praying beC ^rL in that invisible Prrsence brought si reafanH to he, she could not restrain tsS^. Ihe p,a3 ^ally. No precedent shaped the form of her wofds L""rs-;=t/tentt5^r-^ her place amid the busy world R„r "^u" *'"'" «>und«, the veo, depZ o7 Lis' r;7mfndlst where would they bewecom^ Z u ^''f^'^^^^^' hone to fin^ ^,u y^"""*' or where could they S £dt and thrl°""' "T' " '"^^ ^*- f- souls ? aS if fnv tel VI *^' f''*''' ''"^ *'»-' irr,ngio«sorcol;S;/rLtltrgt:ir^^^ knefs andTeS 'xEet*'"'" ^" ™^^ '^°'" «^- |H to the iSX. :t;;ra.irrK^;it ttv^hrfocS^satt-^jr-^-^ e^ n 'L?r ""^ "^" '^^^' ^"'^ ^^^ -- '^^ on never mi«ed 1 „ ?" P'r"=* °^ '^^ «^«o«. who eve. missed a meeting, the attendance of Temmv XS^intJr.'" T^"***'^ '=^'="» of Patersonl' ""abined to keep the public interest up to fever T 274 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST heat Day after day saw fresh converts pouring in, for on the initiative of Saul a week's mission had been entered upon with services every night, and the fame of the Wren Lane services began to spread abroad among the local churches and chapels, so that their members were fain to visit the converted cowshetl, and see if these things were really so. Consequently Saul found little time for courting, but such opportunities as came in his way he utilised so well that, when he had been three weeks ashore, he and Miss Carter hfA decided to marry at once at a Registrar's office and have a little religious service at the ' Hall ' in the evening. They had no one to consult but themselves : Saul had engaged to go in another ship, the Ftroupore, to Calcutta as bo'sun, and would leave in a fortnight's time, so that their decision not to delay their union any longer was an utterly unblamable one. Saul's four shipmates were unhappily not able to wait and go widi him again, but they saw him married, and in the evening at Wren Lane Hall there was a meeting that no one who was present can ever forget. Jemmy was, as the patriarch bestowing his blessing on the newly wedded pair, beyond all criticism. His transparent earnestness was so beauti- ful that it compktely diverted the mind from any sense of the ludicrous, a quality which was never very far from anything Jemmy engaged in, owing to certain peculiarities he possessed which were in- separable from him, a part of his personality. The evening ceremony over, Saul and his bride retired to her cousin's humble home, where such pro- vision as was possible had been made for the couple, SAUL'S WOOING AND WEDDING ,75 veiy plain and poor it Is true, ^ut not at all un MuuLT- ^*^ '^" compelled to endure in their childhood, .t was not very far removed fron. luxu J Se airthr^ j!r "*''" !!*'"^°^ «"■'■ ^P-^tide^f was bound ""^P'**'""" ^"""^ «ch knew that it ^uIhT ^ ** exceedingly brief, and that it would so soon be succeeded by a long long period ■ ^tf ^T "'' *•* *'" ^"""»«'' «P '" the^ 3 separation when applied to those whom we love. CHAPTER XXV SAUL DESCENDS INTO DARK PLACES Not "'ishing to harrow my readers' sympathetic souls unnecessarily, I pa^s over the pathetic parting scenes between Saul and his wife. He had 'eft her in good hands, and with his half-pay of 2I $s. per month to supplement her own fairly good earnings, he was not without hope that she would be fairly comfortable until his return. In fact, like so many of us, he unconsciously looked upon hope as a solid asset almost as realisable as a banking account with a .ub- stantii^l balance to credit It is sometimes seen, this hopeful frame, in commerce, when company directors divide their earnings up to the hilt and make no allowance for depreciation or put anything to reserve. When the almost inevitable crash comes, everybody is loud in their condemnation of such want of prudence. But among many Christians, owing to a very prevalent but entirely mistaken reading of the Scripture (Matt. vi. 25-31), such want of forethought is looked upon as an evidence of faith. Yet, if carried to its lexical conclusion, it would mean that the perfectly faithful man might sit] quietly at home and meditate, trusting the Lord to provide himself and those dependent upon him with all things needful. Of course there are instances when such SAUL DESCENDS INFO DARK PLACES 2;;, behaviour is on,mendabIe. ,uy indispensable, to the proper doing of exceptional Christian work, but thev Tt'Tll't "^^^ '^"" •» *»>»' »''« Chrislian „u« not only be harmless as a dove, but »ise as a serpent • E ?i'" '*' "'*'"''' '^ condemned as worse tham an infidel, he must provide by his honest labour for those near and dear to him, not of course forgetting his ^JV^^^'J- *"?.''°'"i^ *" unconscious injustice to baul by makmg h.s sanguine behaviour a text where- on to hang most of the preceding paragraph. And yet I know how much sorrow, what awful heart pangs would have been spared him. had he listenS fo the voice of prudence. There never was a more unw.se thmg done on earth than the leaving of ^ young wife by a .ailor in one of our great sea^rts practically friendless, and bound to su^p^mlThe !nde«d. Where she has a home, a good mother brothers and «isters, frien.!. matters L, veTdS ferent. But whe.i you come to think of it, the position of a yoang married woman whose husband after l.ttle more than a week, say, of wedded bliss, has left her for r year, and who has no friends who ca^ properly hanten the loneliness of her life, is pe.ilous m the extreme. V hatever may happen she nLs al ^e consideration possible, the kindliest construction that can be placed upon anv of her acts But to return for a moment to the affairs of the his half-pay, and commg as it did upon the top of their catastrophe, could only be called a severe blow »78 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST Yet such was the love they bore him that they all rejoiced in his happiness, allowing no selfish thought of their own impending troubles to creep in. And there was certainly one bright spot in the gloom ahrad ; it was that the latest convert/the young clerk, had taken hold of things in so splendid a fashion that already the members had begun to lean upon him in all critical situations, to depend upon his calm clear common-sense, and, above all, to feel that whatever might happen to tl^e Mission he would strain his resources to the utmost before it should come to grief. But Brother Jackson and his band had set up a Hall for themselves in a disused packing-case maker's shop only a few rods away, and were carrying on so vigorous a campaign that the funds at Wren Lane were seriously affected. Rumour had it that already stranfje doctrines were being taught at the new conventicle, that Jackson hid Leen studying a batch of books sent him from America, that land of strange perversions of Protestantism. It was whispered that he was determined to make a new application of the old text, ' Prove all things, hold fast that which is good,' by giving every new form of belief (rather every old form of heresy in a nineteenth century garb) which came along a fair trial, until some day, he hoped, he should find one that would ultimately satisfy. Meanwhile the novelty was attractive. Curiosity led many strange visitors to the new conventicle to hear men and women who could do little more than read p'ain print and could hardly write their own names, discussing among themselves, yes, and expoimding from the platform, obscure points of exegesis such as have puzzled the most learned, not SAUL i)ESCrNDS INTO DARK PL.\CRS 179 to say the wfsest, men of •'11 They r-M^i. J It V — "■ " "»'■'• »"«:y quoted lireek and Hebrew, questioned the translation of I«ssages that did not happen to fit their theories of the moment, and carri 1 themselves, these Ignorant ones, as if upon them and them only had fallen the Divine gift of speaking all tongues, knowing all mysteries, anc* (this was the most dangerous phase of all) exemptic. from such mortal frailties as sin and dlsea^. Many worthy people who have all their h/es dwelt quietly under the shadow o/one particular Church, humbly grateful for its teaching, and never presummg to question op of Its points of doctrine, but domg that which tht hands found to do with all their might, and, best of all, leading quiet consistent Christian lives, will doubtless look upon my descrip- tion 01 these seceders as caricature, id even that vastly exaggerated. But all those w . have lived and laboured in Christian ways among the lower religious strata of our country, will know that it is in nowise over coloured. So-called religious discussion is usually tabooed among non-religious working people on account of its usually leading to blows, but among professing Christians of that class not only is religious discussion continual, but some of the wildest theories are, where possible, reduced to practice, and while one particular heresy is in vogue woe be to him or her who dares toquestion its absolute and final settlement of the one great matter, the salvation of the individual soul. But we must return to Saul. After a fortnight of such happiness as he had hitherto only dimly imagined to be possible on earth, came the day of his departure for a vt^ge estimated to last at least nine months. His bnde was inconsolable. With true feminine s8o THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EASTV, inconsistency she blamed Saul for leaving her, bewailed her folly in marrying a sailor, scolded her- self for even hinting at such a thing, and dissolved in tenderest consideration for him in his coming loneliness, by turns. She could not see him off, for his vessel left at 4 a.m. So he bade her farewell at their bedside on his knees, tenderly commending her to the care of his Father, and humbly asking that he might be spared to find her happy and hearty on his return. So he departed to his ship, but in a very different frame of njind to that with which he joined the Asteroid nearly twelve months before. And somehow he had not the same spring, the same single outlook upon the future, the wide-eyed confidence, that he had enjoyed. He felt himself more ready to consider consequences, although he knew that »' t he was doing was right. When he arrived on board all was perfectly quiet. A decrepit seaman, given the job as a pension, was watchman. He informed Saul that he was the only man on board, and that from what he had seen he didn't expert she would leave at tide-time. But he admitted that he did not know the 'old man,' upon whom so mi'ch depends on board ship. Saul, however, knowing fron experience what sort of a day awaited him on the morrow, took one preliminary sur'ey of his new home as he smoked his good-night pipe, with the firm intention of getting all the rest practicable while he had the opportunity. She was what the modem sailor knows as a ' four- poster,' viz. a four-masted sailing-ship. Really she was just a square-rigged ship, that is one having three maats with yards, into which a fourth mast had been SAUL DESCENDS INTO DARK PLACES 281 inserted because of her great length, making her really a four-masted barque, the fourth mast only carrying two fore and aft sails, no yards. She had been badly neglected, Saul could see that even at night, and badly found into the bargain. One or two blocks and gipsies that he tried would hardly move, without any suggestion of leverage being obtained by them And he sighed as he thought of the wild work there would be in Channel if they should encounter a sudden gale, unless they were fortunate in havine a niost extraordinary crew. Then, his pipe smoked out, he sought h.s bunk and turned in, catching himself sighmg heavily at intervals before he sank to sleep quite a novel experience with him who had been so evenly happy since his conversion. Had he been a philosopher I suppose he would have endeavoured toaccount for this by the action of some compensating law : that, having been for a short time exuberantly happy, he must now, to restore the needed balance of fte human soul, be for a time unduly miserable. But being only an ordinary human being, very tender- hearted and sensitive to internal as well as external impulses, and withal actuated by the indwelling force of nghteousness, he pondered none of these things He just blamed himself a little for ingratitude and then took the matter to his Father in heaven, com- mending to Him also his dear wife, who, he shuddered to think, was to be so lonely in that great London until his return. He was comforted and fell asleep 'Now then, bo'sun ; blank blank the man, is he drunk, too, I wonder ? Here, bo'sun, turn out an' see about gettin' th' ship outer dock. Y' oughter been on deck long ago, y' know.' An angry voice in the 38a THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST darkness, its owner invisible behind a bull's-eye lantern, a sense of utter bewilderment as to why he was thus assailed, a feeling of compunction that it should have been found necessary — all these sensations flashed through Saul's mind in less than half a minute. Then, apologetically murmuring, he sprang out of the bunk ; and the mate, for it was he, departed, the absence of his body from the doorway permitting the entry of a whirl of snow. One thing was plain to Saul as he hurried on his clothes ; the old watchman had omitted to call him, for never before had he lain down again after having been pnce aroused. But it was of scant use to know that, for in the first place the watch- man had departed, and in the next if he were there he would certainly declare that he had done his duty. ■ It was, but for the glimmering snow-flakes, pitch dark when Saul came on deck. The sailor's eyes, however, rapidly become accustomed to the dark, and before Saul reached the forecastle head, where he hoped to find the mate, he could see as well as possible. Climbing to the upper deck he found the mate bawling frantically to some invisible person on the quay, whose answering yells came weirdly up through the dark- ness. As soon as the mate turned, Saul confronted him saying, ' Beg yer pardon, Mr. Jones, but I hope you won't think me slack ; I was never called. I'll take yer orders now, sir.' ' Never called, eh ? ' sneered the mate ; ' seems ter me I've heard that yarn before. An' as t' orders, d'ye know yer work er don't ye ? I sh'd think any fool 'd know 'at the first thing was t' git yer men together, an' the sooner y' see to it the better. Just move lively now, or else you and SAUL DESCENDS INTO DARK PLACES ,83 me wont be friends veo' long.' • Aye, aye. sir,' rose automatically to Saul's lips, but his heit was hot within him. He controlled himself though, and de- scendmg swiftly to the main deck began to look for hiscrew. With great difficulty he found them, stowed away in all sorts of comers in the two sides of the forecastle. But his heart sank as one by one the^ revealed their uselessness. There we^e negroeT Bri on? orr^'' n "'^ Scandinavians, andThree Bntons. Of them all only the three Britons were of any use, and they were fairly fresh with drink. But they were three splendid fellows with the old bull-doe contempt for dagoes and square-heads, and in spite of their potations they rose to the occasion. Not one of the others could Saul get on deck. Some were swinish y drunk, others were apparently nearly dead with cold, but all were absolutely helpless. Ld at last Saul, having done all that man could do, called upon his three stalwarts.to follow him, and made his way on to the forecastle, where he acquainted the mate with the state of affairs. huM^M °^rl "^^^ " ^°""^ man of great assurance but httle abilrty, possessed of a fluent command of hitherto by sailmg with a man who, being under great obligations to his father, who had been part owner of IV %K '""lV'l'"g^ veo.easyfor himas second mate. This was his first voyage as mate, he was in a strange ship, and he had a notion that a loud voice and a bullying manner were all that was necessanr ^nf\f 5 "l '"**^ °^* ^'S British sailing-shia fn L'th *^'^t*'="'"g'y to Saul, and with many an oath inquired whether he (the mate) was expected a84 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST to do the bo'sun's work as well. Then, his voice rising ever higher, he ordered Saul to go and turn the hands out and act like a man, not like an adjective baby in lot. J clothes. Saul waited respectfully until hn had finished, his mind busy with the retrospect of the Asteroid. Then he calmly said, ' I did my best with 'em, sir, before I troubled you. Perhaps you had better just come and look at them. They may be all right by the time we gets to Gravesen', though I doubt it Anyhow, all there is to do between here and there I daresay these thriee, the carpenter and sailmaker, the apprentices and myself, can manage.' ' Oh, git out o' my way,' stormed the mate, as he rushed down the fo'c'sle ladder and aft to where the skipper stood talking with the river pilot Captain Fortescue was the very antipodes of Captain Vaughan of the Asteroid. His idea of maintaining discipline was to play one officer off against the other, the crew against the officers, enjoying as much the endless cabals that took place and the general feeling of dissatisfaction as some men enjoy a game of chess. At the present moment he was in a very happy frame of mind. He was cer- tainly not drunk, but he had been drinking freely, and in some circles he would have been called pot-valiant Having heard the mate's report he said gaily, ' Excuse me, pilot, I'll have t' go an' see what I k'n do to git my crew out You know, same old thing ; takes me to see a job like this through.' So he strode jauntily off, followed by the mate, who told him as they went that the bo'sun was a poor thing, hadn't got a word to throw at a dog. ' That so ? ' answered the skipper. ' Well, Mr. Jones, I guess I've trained a few bo'suns in SAUL DESCENDS INTO DARK PLACES 285 my time; I'll have a look at him directly.' They reached the foVsle and found, as Saul had said. tb7t tte ^ was hopeless; they could do nothing with stmT,7j""' ^'^.1,'°^' "^ "'^ "^^ '""-who seemed ahke insens.ble to blows and abuse, and who ie^TIf go.'° '"■ '"*' ~"^P^*"^ i-n-nedi^ely they thJl *f ^"'""•Pu '"'^ •■''''nq"i''hed. a tacit admission that Saul was right Yet such is the perversity of H^n ^T.^ r""' ""^ "'*' "S'*t than they would have done had they found him to be wrong. But the ship M to go crew or no crew. So all through the bitter- ness of th.t morning Saul, his three men, the appren- tices and the carpenter (the sailmaker was speech- lessly drunk m his berth), laboured to get things shin- shape and Bristol fashion, and longed-for Gr" vesend In due time they arrived there and anchored, the tug sheenng off and anchoring near to await the pilot's decision as to when the Ferozepcre would be ready mlt'/^nH^l '"'"^^' throughout the day Saul, the mate, and the second mat^ visited the fo'c'sle, always S3l *^;if,w°^kerswith respect (which they had well earned), but it was not until daybreak the next morning that the polyglot crowd were available for work. What sort of a fist would be made of he vast ^.Is overhead no one knew-they must trust to Providence. Ah, how many trust in Providence because they must, not knowing what they are trust- !i!ir;7 ^\ ^^ ™'^''* '™'* '" ^°^ °f their own free wills and know in Whom they had believed I may not draw the picture of that getting under weigh : of how the mate and Saul were just police- 1^ 286 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOXJTH EAST men keeping a sharp eye upon the miserable men, who were continually slipping away below ; of how those two sorely worried oiBcers, of whom one had to bear the burden of undeserved contumely from his superior as well as that of his own work and his private sorrows (but the capacity of the human brain is mercifully limited, it cannot do too much thinking at one time), had to bear the burden of the whole ship's company and do their own work as well. No, let me just in cowardly fashion slur over the miseries of that bad day and hasten on to the time when, the tugboat having slipped her hold, the huge Ferozeport was 'blundering down Channel zigzag fashion, the wind being almost dead ahead. Oh, Channel passengers who, hastening to France, bewail your sufferings on that brief passage measured by minutes, think if you can what it must mean to be in a mighty ship without steam-power, and a handful of wastrels ill fed, badly housed, hopelessly battering against a south-westerly gale down Channel. Think if yot! can what it must be to handle such a ship as an officer, and you won't wonder any longer that if there should be a whisky bottle handy a man in such a plight should resort to it A detailed description of the Ferozepore's expe- riences that night as she tumbled about in the ugly cross-Channel seas would comprise a risutni of the reason why we cannot get our countrymen to choose the sea as a profession. I dare not comment upon the subject here, h wing dealt with it so frequently in other places. But I must point out that Saul, the most blameless, the hardest working of ?J1 her crew, was now by the irony of fate in aliaost the worst SAUL DESCENDS INTO DARK PLACES .87 position. He saw the officers ' freshening the nip/ ' he saw his useless crew slinking away into hiding saw JZ^T^ "^ r*"* °^ "'" *° ^^ *he work bore r.S f?*, f'^f ""'*"'■"*' apprentices paying to learn their profession and being used as substitutes for men who must be paid, and he was very sad But he kept going. Long after he was justly entitled to rest ne might have been found examining running- gear left unrove or wrongly rove by careless riggers he diH° °"! K° '^^'^"' *'"'"'• And when at last he did seek his berth, he first interviewed the mate and informed him of the state of the ship as far as he ^JT" \.' '^ ''''"°^"' '*• '^^^ "^te. '"Stead of «cogt»s,ngthat he had a conscientious man in charge tLn^^^'^T f™""^ so-ne unintelligible reply and SSh-rbe^^- ^-•-•^.•Good-night.si^Jand last2'Tnd*^r' ?T r*^ »onA-long days, this S!^ ^ '''°' °^ Insistent hammering the />r.^« was well outside the Channel. Saul ^^Tc ^^'",^ *u. '"^**" '"°'^ fr'^'y- ""d. what wa leisure to think upon how things might be going on at home. Without saying one word to anticipate the story I must write, well was it for him that he did not know how widely the reality of what was taking P^ce differed from his mental pictures of it. Many people grumble very much because they cannot peep XJt ^^^'^ou\d rather thank God on their bended knees that these things are denied them. However, before Saul sank to rest each night he Drinking eveiy now and then. «88 TttE APOSTLES OF THE SOXTIH EAST lapped himself in a golden dream of heme, of his beautiful bride kneeling by her solitary bed com- mending him to the care of the Father. He pictured to himself her mind being occupied each day, and all day, with visions of himself and prayers for his welfare. Poor Saul I On the fcurth night out, the wind having freed and freshened at the same time, all hands were detained at eight bells (midnight) to trim sail. It was pitchy dark and the air was filled with spindrift All ha; ds, with the exception of the petty ofiRcers, slouched about their work muttering curses in their various tongues upon the hardslj' ^ accompanying the life ' of they that go down to the sea in ships,' when the thickness to windward suddenly materialised. It assumed a gigantic, an awful shape. Forth blazed two terrible eyes of red and green, and high overhead pointed threateningly a i ng white finger. Then came a gr'»t grinding crash, a piercing wail (albeit in many tone%), and the Ferozepore turned on her side and sank, another item in the tribute demanded by the sea from its votaries. At the moment of impact Saul was fast asleep. Rudely awakened he leapt on deck, and seeing no one imagined that all had sought refuge on board the mighty hull that was boring its way steadily through the ribs of his ship. Just pausing a moment to awaken thoroughly his berthmates, the carpenter, sailmaker, and cook, Saul ran up the main rigging and leaped hazardously upon the deck of the steam- ship.. There was no one there. He ran aft and mounted the bridge — still no one. Then, as he was about to descend, he was confronted by the captain. SAUL DESCENDS INTO DARK PLACES ,89 andtheChineseSewhidH" '='',ef officer missing lust a ««, ' r * '"*''^*" '"'V n°one knew where officer was a v^r„ fi„f i '""*' *"'^ •>" ^^'ef Iter was a very first-class man. Thev were h^tu Germans, and the steamer belonged tn japTn ^r Saul had nothine to sav H-. t- J J^Pf" • ^oor ti-rn-Ki- u V* ^' "'^ '""'d was full of the mSl ^" '^^'^""^ ^"' himself. But w! meditaUons were rapidly cut short tk» cz , • coo. « from below, a hissing of escaping steam Sten bfreV^ ' - P.geon-Engli^ las foT-' I CHAPTER XXVI THE KiGHT FALLS How long Saul had floated thus ^i did not, and never will, know. Mercifully, he had but just time to secure himseli' with a» bit of hambro' line (it was always his practice to carry serviceable pieces of spunyam, hambro' line, marline, &c., in a big pocket he had made for the purpose) when easily, as if he were just falling into a gentle sleep, his senses left him. And had he then died it would have been no more to him physically than falling to sleep. Years afterwards, when the stem battle seemed to be going almost too hard for him, he used to look back regretfully upon that time and wistfully wonder what joys would have been his had he only not awakened then. When he did return to consciousness his sufferings were great The sun was at its meridian and shining strongly out of a clear sky. There was but a slight air of wind with a gentle swell, upon which his frail support rolled slightly, so that the upper part of his body was dried and encrusted with salt. His eyes smarted, burned as he opened them once again to the light of day with some difficulty, because the lashes were thick with salt His tongue was like a piece of leather, and his lips cracked and bled when he tried to moisten them. Also every part of him protested painfully THE NIGHT FALLS ,„ ■gainst this treatment But Biadual „ hi. .. «j. It roused m him the natural desire nf lif- *9* THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST reeking with the fiimes of tobacco and garlic, but to him a iweet haven of rest In a few minutes the cook appeared bearing a pannikin of soup, which seemed to Saul the most deliciously invigorating food he had ever tutea le did not know that it was made with wire instead of water, or he would no doubt most foolis'oly have refused it He felt the almost stagnant blood beginning to circulate again, felt the glow of life returning, and his heart swelled with gratitude. Aficr anothei period of sleep and more soup he felt sufficiently nivived to undertake the task of trying to relate his adventures, as well as the much mo. . important one of ascertaining his present destination. As no one on board spoke any English anc* ' J was no linguist this was somewhat exhausting .k, hut at last to his horror he discovered that she wa bound from Cardiff to Hong Kong with > sal, and tL .t she had already been out of port a fortnight With i '1 the energy he could muster he begged the skipper to land him t:. the Western Islands, to put him on board a homt./ard-bound vessel what- ever port she might be going to ; bat for pity's sake not to carry him away to the other side of the world without his being able to earn anything. To all his impassioned entreaties t!ie captain listened at- tentively but obviously without understanding, and evidently with a shrewd suspicion that the poor fellow was out of his n.ind. The latter felt himself that unless he fell back upon his faith, if he allowed himself to look upon his po; ition purely from the human side, he did run great risk of losing his reasoti. For he knew full well that as s^a as the news of the THE NIGHT FALLS ,„ Mm .; °' "*»'" «nd cleanliness of life saved Wm. since the captain of the GiusfM^ n T more what was the matter w.-fhT''^ f ' '*"*"' "" cow. and In all P^SbS.^ vt ff hTS ?'" ' what the malady was h- L.?m i. . "^ ''"**"'" .lightest idea of L:" tan" ''" "'' ""' ">* So Saul battled with death. No douhf fh.» • down^ZdS X He S::„ 'r ^""''='' more of h,m they speedily warmed towards him. 294 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST Probably none of them had ever seen so smart- a sailorman before. They watched him with wide-eyed amazement as he manipulated wire and rope, Avonder- ing much however he did it, and giving all the hearty admiration which sailors are capable of towards a master workman in their own line. Saul was always an industrious man, but he worked double tides now, tc keep his mind off the agony of his position. In the night watches, when he had to stand at the wheel or on the look-out for two hours at a time, he had need of all the training he had received to l^eep from cursing his hard lot It was so difficult to see how such a fiery trial as this was to be of any use to him. No new discovery, many will say : we never seem to appreciate trials at their full value somehow. But with his mind busy all the time with possibilities of suffering for his wife at home, and the disheartening spectacle before his eyes of the snail's pace made by the old barque, to say nothing of the aggravating content that appeared to rest upon everybody else but himself — these things made his lot hard to bear indeed. The food suited him very well, much better indeed than he could ever remember having been satisfied with in the fo'c'sles of his own country's sailing-ships, but the horrors of the fo'c'sle were too great for him to endure. So he lived a hermit's life in the longboat amidships, with only memories to feed upon. No books, no conversation, and no prospect of earning anything for months. Poor Saul I Here we must leave him to dree his weird and return to London. As in the case of Job of old, it seemed as if the universal enemy had obtained leave THE NIGHT FALLS ,,5 ofST'r''''^''' '"'"''"'*' ^^'^ '"^^ P'^'^tice against one of the Lords servants who had been signally success- fill in the never-ending war between good and evil. For on the second day after Saul's departure his wife was simply astounded to hear her cousin, without any prel.mmary, say, 'Lizzie, my dear, we've always been very happy together, and I like your society very much, but now you're married things ain't quite ^ hey used to be are they? An' to tell you the «^M T r fl^ ^'^*'' ^"■' •=°'"'"S: in to do all I want, and I shall be glad if you'll get another place to lodge as soon as you can. You're a married woman now and can look after yourself.' Poor Lizzie felt crushed for a moment : then her native spirit came to the rescue, and she said without a tremor, 'Very well. Came. I s'pose you don't want to turn me out right at once, do you ? Give me a little time to get a place and I'll go.' ' Oh, certainly,' said her cousin, take your time by all means, and ' but happily there was a call at that moment, and the undignified .spectacle of a quarrel between relatives on a mere point of pique (for that was the whole of the cousin's grievance) was averted. So Lizzie went away from the house to begin her search, very sorrowful. It never occurred to her to seek out the members of the Mission and confide in them. She knew that her husband would have wished her to do so, but to tell the truth she was a little jealous of the influence the Mission had over him. She was not at all drawn to any of its rnembers herself, and had already quite forgotten that it was there she had met him she loved, or thought she did. Now he was gone, her husband fll e i a96 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST she was not so sure whether she had not been too precipitate ; whether she really was as fond of him as she had believed while he was with her ; whether it was worth while marrying a man of whose company you could only enjoy three weeks or a month of each year, just to give him an idea that he was worth so much more to you than any landsman, that you could bear the long absences for the sake of the week or two of perfect happiness in his company. It is a very difficult and delicate point to touch upon, but there is no doubt that when a young woman gets married she acquires a strong desire for a mar company at all times. Naturally, and if she be le»L alone, unless her love, her faith, and her virtue be all firmly anchored deep down in the solid rock of God, she is in very great danger indeed. I have always felt that sailors' wives should receive special attention from those interested in the sailor, whenever they are liable to be left without friends near them to keep them company and make the heavy hours pass quicker. I could tell (but not in print) some terribly trs^c stories of lives wrecked, of good beautiful women going astray, simply and solely because their lives were so dreary. And the first false step having been taken, the successive downward stages follow in horribly swift progression. First of all Mrs. Andrews, to give Lizzie her full title, found a serious difficulty in obtaining a room ; a room, that is, in a decent house. Why, oh why, should this be so? Why should it be made so difficult for females to live unless they have friends and a home, when men can get on so differently ? A question like this cannot be answered hurriedly THE NIGHT FALLS ,,, but I feel a deep personal interest in its solution because my wife had to seek till she was heart-sick' as well as foot-weary, before she found a place to lay her lonely head, and then she was treated more like a pauper than a solvent payer of rent Indeed, she said that had she been single, it would have been ^Z^r Vt "^"n.* '■°°'" ^^'''^ *^ proprietors thereof would be willing to let to her than she found it being married. At last, to her great relief, the young wife succeeded in finding a room in the house of a worthy couple who, when they heard her story, were exceedingly sympathetic. But even they gave her clearly to understand that if she could not pay her fw S"" °"f ^^'^ ^^^ ""** e°- They were so poor that they dared not run the risk of having the room empty for a day, or of losing a day's rent, while as to running up a bill it was not to be thought of Their superior landlord called for his rent every Monday morning, and it must be ready f ., him though the whole family should have to go without food to .obtain It Lizzie assured them that there was no danger of her not paying, and proudly exh-'hited her half-pay paper. Poor giri, she in her ignorance imagined that the 2/. j,. per month it guaranteed was something in the nature of Bank of England dividends. The possibility of its failing never occurred to her. And she got work, too-she had a good sewing-machine-got work making ladies- ulsters at 1 1^. 6d. per dozen. The handsome smirking }ev, who gave them out to her assured her that he had given her the best-paid work in the shop, but when she found that even her deft fingers could scarcely complete three of them by close application 398 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOITTH EAST for thirteen hours, she began to wonder what sort of a life the women lead who made the cheaper ones, down, for instance, to 4s. gd. per dozen. Spurred by the fear of being left to want, she overworked herself and fell ill. And utterly unable to work her machine, she must needs send back the unfinished garments, not, however, before she had tried to get them done locally. That was hopeless unless she could have found some one wo'king like herself. The first person she asked was a private mantle-maker, who said that as Mrs. Andrews was in the trade she would make those three ulsters for 9s. 6d. each. When she was told that the rate of pay allowed by Isaacstein &• Co. was iiirf. eacl^, she simply sniffed derisively and retired, not saying another word. There is no feature of our commercial system more damnable than this (and there are many really damnable things in it), that every middleman through whose hands a garment passes shall make more profit out of it than the poor slave who produced the cloth, or the still poorer slave who produced the garment out of the cloth. Be you very sure, those of you who buy cheap ' ready-mades,' that the wealthy merchant who ' handles ' them gets far more profit out of each piece than the poor creature who sits with her eyes glued to her flying needle almost night and day. Do not imagine that these things have passed away. It is such a common retort, when one speaks of an abuse, ' Oh, it used to be like that, but it isn't so any longer.' But it is also a most dangerous one, because we wish to believe it and often do, without troubling about proof, while too often it is utterly untrue. But Lizzie Andrews troubled h-^ :• head about none of these things. THE NIGHT FALLS 299 Being one of the suffering ones she suffered in silence, feeling, if not knowing, the uselessness of complaint, and comforting herself with the knowledge that at any rate she could not starve whether she got work or not, since she had her half-pay of is. 64. a day. It is true that many of us would be able to see little in such a sum but slow starvation, in London, where rent alone is such an item. To Lizzie, however, it was a veritable sheet-anchor by the help of which she would weather the storm now upon her. Then suddenly, as the stress of the ship plunging at her cable in the teeth of the howling tempest and find- ing a weak link in it snaps it and begins to drift awfully on the jagged rocks gnashing astern, there came to this poor soul the news of the loss of Saul's ship with all hands, and the consequent stoppage of his half-pay. She lay down on her poor bed and moaned like a hurt animal — inarticulately, hopelessly. For hours she lay there, no one coming to see her ; and had she died, as so many do, there would have been a long and utterly unprofitable inquiry into her death and an open verdict. At last to lier aid came one almost as poor as herself in bodily needs, a poor girl who, an orphan and friendless, was eking out a scanty living by shirt-making. To her careful loving nursing and self-sacrificing charity Lizzie owed her life. She it was who obtained admission for Lizzie to the hospital, for the shock the latter had received was the beginning of a long illness. But when she came out of hospital her poor faithful friend awaited her with warmest welcome, took her home to her poor room, and put her in the way of earning a crust. 'i 300 THE APai.i.ES OF THE SOUTH EAST Strangely enough, as we havesaid.it never occurred to Lizzie to seek aid or comfort at the Mission. And her Christian principles remained in abeyance, a dull apathy to all except the most pressing needs of the body taking the place of living faith in a living God. Here we must draw a veil over the dull grey lives of these two obscure women fighting for bare existence in the heart of a great city. And all this time, half a worid away, Saul was steadfastly awaiting deliverance. When once the battle with himself was won, patience and faithful wait- ing upon God resumed their sway in his rested soul. Even the hardship of being utterly without reading matter, above all a Bible, became bearable after a time. He had to learn the love of great silences. Never acquiring sufficient Italian to converse with his shipmates, he used to sit alone and fix his thoughts upon unseens, or allow his soul to bathe itself in the glories all around. But chiefly he loved to lie, in the long calm nights of the tropics, on his back on the fo'c'sle head with his eyes fixed upon the vast star- besprinkled space above him, recalling all he could of the words of the Bible and thinking upon the glories of Heaven, until his cultivated imagination almost made him see indescribable visions with the outward eyes of sense. Doubtless in the perfecting of this fine man's character these long long days of almost monastic seclusion, as far as his mind was con- cerned, played a most important part ; and, blessedly for him, he did not know anything of what was going on at home, neither did he permit himself any longer to anticipate evil. He prayed without ceasing for his darling, and was content to leave the answering THE NIGHT FALLS 30, to God. That his prayers were not answered is true, as « also the fact th_t it is impossible to see wny. But, then, when we come to that we are at once confronted with so great an array of similar cases that we must, if we be indeed faithful believers m the lovmg Fatherhood of God, fall back upon our one great stronghold : • In that day God will be justified m all things by His Son.' At last, 198 days after Saul was picked up, the GtuseppeB. lumbered slowly and clumsily into Hong Kong harbour. Her paint, bleached nearly to the wood off hull and yards Dy months of sun and ram, her sails worn to muslin by their long profitless slatting against the masts, all that part of her beneath the water and much above encrusted with stony sea-growths and festooned with dark black- green moss that rose and fell with each movement of the sea like a floating shroud, she looked as if some long ago given-up derelict had been suddenly .restored to the busy world of men. Saul's heart beat high with thankfulness as the old ship sailed up the well-remembered harbour into which he had so often steamed in the old days when he was a quartermaster in one of the ' Glen ' boats. Nor did even the know- ledge that no news could be awaiting him from home or that from him no news could reach home for nearly two months, suffice to depress him. No sooner was the anchor down and the decks cleared up than Saul went aft and appealed respect- fully to the mate, the captain having of course gone ashore, to allow him to land. This, however, the mate dared not do without the captain's permission, and so Saul, comforting himself as best he could with 30* THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST the reflection that it was past office hours, resigned himself to another night on board the old hulk that had, oh, so .slowly, borne him to this far-oflf part of the world. Bright and early he sought the captain, who, as well as he could, made him understand that he was very well pleased with Saul's behaviour while on board, that he was free to go whenever he would, and that, but for the fact that he, the skipper, was a very poor man, he would have been glad to give Saul his monthly wage the same as the rest of the men earned. As it jvas, all he could do, and that out of his own pocket, was to give him twenty dollars. With this pitiful sum Saul was obliged to be content, knowing that he could get no more. So gathering the few ragged garments together that had been given him, he went ashore straight to the post-oflice, and, writing a long and loving letter to his wife, he sent her the whole of the money he had just received except cost of postage and transmission. Then he turned his steps towards the shipping-office and told his story. He was listened to in silence, and then asked if he would take a passage home in one of the blue-funnelled boats to England as a distressed sea- man. This he refused, not wishing to arrive at home penniless. The official shrugged his shoulders and replied, ' That's all I can do for you, then.' Outside the shipping-office Saul stood awhile, wondering what he should do now. Suddenly he caught sight of a white policeman striding towards him, and intercepting him as he was passing, he asked him if there was in the place a Seaman's Mission, and if so would he direct the speaker thereto. Now the policeman was a Christian, and to receive THE NIGHT FALLS 303 such an application wanned his heart. So he led Saul to the Mission, entered with him and introduced him, and made arrangements for their meeting again that evening. Now Saul's present troubles were all overcome. In the first place he was in the midst of a congenial environment, in the next all the help that he so much needed in food, lodging, and clothing was extended to him, and one gentleman, a merchant who was a staunch friend of the Mission, even offered to cable home to Saul's wife the news of his safety at large cost. But this Saul refused, not seeing where the benefit woula come, and feeling that it was not right to waste so much of other people's money. One very happy week he spent in Hong Kong, and then, not being able to get a berth as bos'un, he shipped before the mast in a fine American ship bound to Manila to load hemp for New York. When he came on board he found himself, to his surprise, .. in an almost palatial house on deck, with a table running its whole length— light, clean, and well ventilated. He found the food not only good in quality and having plenty of variety, but excellently cooked and served as if men were going so eat it, not hogs. His shipmates were a mixed medley of races, but principally Scandinavians, all well drilled and as smart as could well be. As for brutality, there was none ; there was no need of it An order sharply given was obeyed with the utmost alacrity and cheerfulness, for every man had learned that it is just as easy to obey smartly and willingly where obedience must be rendered, as it is to skulk and scowl through one's obvious duties. In the delight 304 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST which Saul felt at being on board such a ship and under such a system, he almost forgot the crushing burden of his trouble. Especially as he received a month's advance of another four pounds, which he was able to send home intact to the poor girl whom he saw, in his mind's eye, suffering and sorrowing for him. He left Hong Kong witi< the hearty good wishes of all whom he had met tkere, well supplied with clothes by their liberality, and with such a stock of good reading matter as would last him all the way home most comfortably. He felt as if, at last, the long and dreary lane he had been travelling had found its turning, and that the pathway before him promised to be bright right to the end. He was in a good ship, with smart officers and a well-disciplined crew ; and having a joy in doing that which his hand found to do with all his might, found life again very pleasant. CHAPTER XXVII THE MISSION PROSPERS Meanwhile events at the Mission had been without much stirnng interest to the little outside world "f their immediate neighbourhood, though never lack Ing m variety and fullness of marvel to thole who were responsible for its maintenance and dir^on Jemmy^r little man, had by reason of his wife^ Illness been much away. i„ fact he had hardly^n «en at the Mission for a month. But when 1 dTar partner was pronounced out of danger he return J bearing a sheaf of grateful messagfs from he^^to •^ose who. she knew, had been praying for her in hir s«kne« ; «t«med and found that for a Thursday night there was a record attendance. During his al«enceath.ssick wife's bedside there had bfen a «>rt of dual control. Maylie, the young clerk and Paterson. the coster, had been workfng ifke T^jans he haJ H T^ 'T ^ ^^ supporting them, but iaJ^er l"*^-,?' '"'' ^^"'^ °' "^^ Christian character-the ability to stand aside and let the Lord use whomsoever He will, so long as the K Lgdo^' ou. the hymn-books, to sweep up the 'Hall' alter everj-body had gone, to be first to'come and last to X W! I 306 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH BAST go, these were Bill Harrop's ambitions, if by such a name they might profwrly be called. When chaflied about his earnestness he would say, ' Ar, if you'd a-be'n dahn inter th' dirty 'ell 'at I 'ave, an' ,be'n pulled erp agen inter th' clean 'eaven 'at I 'ave, you wouldn't wonder at my be'avin' as I da I cam't 'elp it, no I cam't, an' ' — here he whispered mysteriously — ' I woodn't if I could. I like it too much. I sleeps like a baby, I eats anyfink 'at comes along wiv a " fank Go'd " for it, my wife an' kids fair wusships the grahnd I walks on ; an' me I oh, you don't know what a dirty dorg I was an' would be nah if it wasn't fer 'Im, the Lord Gord AUmighty.' In consequence of these labours, undertaken mainly because they felt (the workers) that loyalty to Jemmy in his deep trouble dc.-iia.'<'ed thciti, there was a spirit of enthusiasm, of earnest attention in the hope of getting more wisdom from above, abroad than Jemmy ever remembered having seen before. When he appeared on the platform, his face aglow with thankfulness, there was a long-drawn breath, and then, it would not be restrained, an uproarious burst of applause. The leader of this welcome was poor old Woody — at least, I call him poor, remember- ing his much-patched garments, his thin pale face, his rounded shoulders and thin grey hair. But he would, I am sure, have fiercely resented any such adjective being applied to him. How could any man as happy as he be called poor ? So they clapped and stamped and shouted till they were tired, and at last Jemmy got a chance to say a word. Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to reproduce for you his speech, but I fear it might possibly pall upon THE MISSION PROSPERS 307 you. It must therefore suffice to say that he tnM w.thmuch pathos the stoo^ of hisTif 's „„ess S the passing of the poor girl who had been hei;^ Sssibleal'^ *""''" P*'^"">' "''*"«' -"^nner possible, and its effect was marvellous. Subject of course, to correction. I feel that this is the seem of J^lsucc«sful o«tory. whether in preaching or oThe" wise, to give the listeners stories of such life « tl w^ ;!!f"f' ""** " ''■'^'■"g application t wa^ the way of the Lord, and there can be no better r„ otr f:r:j"Z'"r ^"^ "''^^ "^"^"-^^^^^^ mc laces of those who gaze. Befnro = i-. 1 rnXZ^l"""' "'' '''"^'^'^^ '-Ve GrS mythology they gape unmoved, but let a nicture nf sitife hr™ •" ''^^"»''' '-fo- thL'r;;:/ Thi, T Z.T,^" '^"Pathy. the tears falling fast with^an^^nTJ ^""""^l^ ""'^ ^"'y'^ as of old, but with an added power that neither he nor his hearers could have explained. He swayed them as the Xd tte leaves, and when at last he sat down there waj a long-drawn sigh of disappointment tha he had ended so soon But it was soon made up for by tSe fdlowing speakers. Harrop and Paterson^and MavHe They, too, met with much acceptance for lu7. knew how they had worked and^ay^d dur Ij the' tt'r.l '•'r '»"<=h-loved superintendent "whe„ they had finished their various speeches I^m.,, wiers, 1 earn t leave 'ere ter-night 'athout tellin' v - wots m my 'eart abaht some of these yer dear feller. 3o8 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST 'ere. Y' all know how fings 'as ben wiv me lately, 'ow I ain't ben able to 'tend ter nufRnk along of illness at 'ome, not even try own business. Well, two dear fellers in this 'ere meetin' 'as kep things agoin puffickly straight fer abaht six weeks. Yuss, an' I arsks yer ter fank Gord fer senain' on earf two such men as Willie Maylie an' Jemmy Paterson.' When the wild outburst of appreciation had subsided, Jemmy resumed his address for a short time, in order to acquaint all his hearers with the flourishing state of the Mission finances : a condition of things which, he told them, wis almost totally due to the unre- mitting energies of William Maylie, who had not only worked hard to keep the subscriptions and donations up to the high-water mark, but had by careful book- keeping kept their accounts so clear that a child could understand them. And besides all this, he had paid in to the funds out of his own pocket a sum of five shillings every week. Lastly, the speaker alluded to the statements made by Jenkins, the late trea- surer, as to his (Jemmy's) default in respect of sub- scriptions. 'Brevren,' said he, 'I know I don't put very much inter the Mission funds. I never did. But then I ain't got it ter put in. That ain't my fault, it's my farver's. Wot 'd 'ee bring me up t' chimbley-sweepin' for? ' with mock indignation. ' I ain't let none o' my boys go sweepin' chimbleys, no feaj. W'y wot wiv the price er coals, an' all these 'underds o' thousan's er penny-in-the-slot gas meters, they ain't scarcely no chimbleys at all ter sweep nah. An' as ter beatin' carpets, wot used ter be a reg'lar part of ahr business— most er th' people I know don't have none, they uses linogleum. If they does THE MISSION PROSPERS 309 have a nice bit er carpet, w'y they sen's it ter a cum- p'ny or r_'n/cr the cump'ny sen's an' fetches it in a swai.ger van ar.' pair o' hosses. An' it's put in a kinc e • wasbin' masheen that wallops all th' dust aht of it q jicitei 15 you can say knife. I don't 'old wiv all this 'ere masheenry, I don't. It'd be all right if we c'd live by masheenry, I s'pose ; but there, it's no good grumblin', I never fahnd that paid an/ow. Let's sing. Sister, play us * Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine ; Oh what a foretaste of glory Divine.' So they launched into song and sang the chorus, * This is my story, this is my song,' three times to each verse and five or six times to the last, and were all very much uplifted and happy. And as they were about to leave, just after the Benediction had been pronounced, a wild-looking figure that had been crouching in the doorway stood up and shuffled along the aisle towards the platform. Paterson and Harrop went to meet him and attend to him in case he should have come to make any disturbance, when the latter recognised him as Jimson. Truly he was a sad spectacle. Filthy beyond expression, shoeless, in scanty rags that hardly covered his nakedness, he was an object-lesson in the highest sense on the fact that the way of transgressors is hard. The people waited to see ' what was up,' as they put it, and presently the poor wretch was allowed to mount the platform and tell his story. In effect it was this, that although he had apparently left the Mission through pique, it was really because he had never honestly had his heart in it He loved to hold a 310 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST prominent place among his fellows and to pwsp as respectable, because he found it paid with his employer who was a very religious man. So he had joined the Wren Lane band before it possessed the present ' Hall,' and for a time found himself looked up to by Jemmy and taking the part he loved — viz. that of a prominent man. But when the Mission expanded he found himself, as he put it, a bit crowded, and he aUo found the work getting irksome. So he became a backslider and immediately went back to the drink. Curiously enough, before he joined the Mission he was a very moderate drinker, but as soon as he left it he became a drunkard. He went rapidly down, down, down. Now his wife was dead, his children were scattered, rnd he was, he hoped, in the last stages of a disease that would carry him off very speedily. He didn't want anything, for he was going to the workhouse infirmary to die, but before he went he wanted to ease his mind by confessing to all con- nected with the Mission that no one was in any way to blame for his going away but himself Also that if anyone there had a mind to become a backslider, he would tell them simply that they would never have any enjoyment out of it. The devil was a great promiser, but his performances were terrible to endure. He, the speaker, asked them all to forgive him and pray for him, and he bade them good-bye. Resisting all efforts to detain him he hobbled slowly away, only accepting the help of poor old Woody to enable him to reach the infirmary. They took him in at once, and in three days he was dead, having by his last few words made a greater impression upon his hearers than ever he had been able to in his previous Mission THE MISSION PROSPERS 31, days, an impression that will never fade from some of their minds while life lasts. After the audience had dispersed the brethren remained a little while to discuss the Mission affairs, upon the reappearance of Jemmy. All felt that they had deep cause for thankfulness in the steady solid work that was going on, and the manner in which they were paying their way. Although their numbers had never since reached the total which they amounted to before Jackson's defection, they had a very respect- able roll of members— respectable, that is, in amount and steadfastness of Christian life, not respectable in appearance as compared with the ordinary church or chapel goer by any means. At the early (8 A.M.) Sunday morning prayer-meeting there was often an att' nee of fifty, and at the Breaking of Bread usb alf as many again. Their Sunday school roll ..umbsred nearly three hundred, and already the accommodation for the children was very restricted. But no suggestion of enlarging their borders or launching out into ambitious building schemes was mooted, for all felt that such things in their position were better left severely alone. As Jemmv tersely put it, ' S'long-s we're 'umble the Lord '11 bless us ; w'en we git too big for our boots 'Ee'll 'ave to set erse back a bit, same's 'Ee done afore. That done erse good no doubt, but I don't want any more on it, thank yer.' Mr. Jackson had grown and waxed great, so Bill Harrop reported. He had taken a large hall seating eight hundred people at an expense of nearly 7/ a week, he had got together a good-sized brass band whereof every member had the privilege of finding his own instrument, and he was now preaching a curious ffii 3" THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST blend of UniVersalism, faith heaKng, and Ritualism. He had left the police force, donned a clerical garb, and had cards printed with the words, ' Rev. Thos. Jackson, Peniston Hall Gospel Mission.' He was popularly supposed to be making between 200/. and 3CX)^ per annum. When Jemmy heard this news he said with a sigh, • I s^.'d like fine ter be mykin' free 'underd a yeer, an' I 'opes I won't never be tempted ter make it dis'onest But I do know 'at if I wos offered right 'ear t' exchange wiv Jackson I wouldn't. He must be un'appy inside, mustn't 'ee .' ' ' Well, I don' know,' answered his father musingly, "ee may be 'ap- pier 'n wot you think for. 'Ee may believe 'ee's all right. Nobody knows wot they can do in the way of deceivin' 'emselves till they begins ter try. If it wasn't so I don't know 'ow we sh'd acahnt fur the many jolly people we see aht of Christ, wivout any 'ope fur th' fucher— any well-grahnded 'ope that is. By the bye, changin' the subjec' rarver quick, does anybody know anyfink er Saul's wife ? ' There was a oead silence for maybe half a minute, and an uneasy guilty feeling among them quite un- warranted by any action or want of action of theirs. For none of them had known her address, she had voluntarily withdrawn herself af -er Saul's departure, and in this great labyrinth of London, more especially among people whose hands wt.-e so full as these, it was almost an impossibility to find a person who had no desire to be found. But it spoke well for tho brethren's hearts that they did feel like that. A tender heart and a sensitive conscience is a good thing to have, although at times an inconvenient one if its owner wants a little self-indulgence. At last THE MISSION PROSPERS 313 Jemmy spoke and said, ' I've orfen thort abJit 'er, but I didn't know wot'd become of 'er. I know she didn't like erse very much, I c'd see that th' day we eld th' weddin' service 'ere. An' I know this, that arter Saul went she never come near th' place no more. I yeerd somebody say, I donno '00 it could a-be n nah, 'at she'd lef the nayburwocd. I trust in Gord nuffinks 'appen'd to 'er. Let's 'ave a word o' pray'r abaht er afore we parts, shall we ? ' A general assent bemg heartily given, all present knelt and Jemmy prayed : ' Ho Gord, hour Father w'ich is right ertormongst erse, we're trubbled in mine abaht ahr sister, Thy dear servant Saul's wife ; 'ee's aht on the great sea far away from us. an' we feels as if we orter a-looked arter th' one dearest to 'im in th' world But she went away. Lord, an' we don' know w'ere she is Oh Gord, You know. If she's in trouble, 'elp 'er aht of It ; if It may be, bring 'er back ermong erse ; an' any'ow, 'ave 'er in Thy most 'oly keepin'. An' bless ahr dear bruvver Saul also. We dunno w'ere 'ee is, asept at ees wiv You. Lord. Watch hover 'im, comfort im, elp im f do the work You've giv' 'im ier do an- bring 'im safe back t' erse agen. An' nah, please bless ev^ry one on us. Lord. Bless my pore pardner oose 'ad such a weary time o" sickness. Grant Lord that the fiery time ov trial she's 'ad may be 'of the werry gr'atest use t' 'er an' me too. Bless us all an' take us t' ahr several 'omes in peace an' grateful love to Thee, in the name of Thy dear Son. Amen ' There remained only the good-nights to say and hands to be shaken. So they parted, and Jemmy hastened home, trotting all the way. When he reached his bouse he rushed upstairs to find Mrs 'Ml 314 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST Maskery sitting up in bed eating a little beef-tea brought her by Sister Salmon, who was sitting at the other side of the bed. Sister Salmon had risen to go when Jemmy came in, but Mrs. Maskery held her tight while she told her what was in her heart. And as soon as Mrs. Maskery had finished speaking, that sweet saintly soul just stooped and kissed the worn face all wet with tears, saying only, 'Good-night, dear, an' God bless ye; you've made me very happy.' Then she left the room, Jemmy holding the candle high over the banisters to light her way down, and hastened off to join her faithfid spouse in their own peaceful home. CHAPTER XXVIII SAUL COMES HOME With something of a sense of dread at what we feel awaits Saul, yet with a feeling of relief also that in front of him still spreads a long peaceful road over which he shall tread with firm unfaltering footfall before he meets with the dread knowledge which shall shake but not overthrow the firmly rooted foundations of his faith, we must now return to where he is patiently doing his duty on board the Colorado in Manila harbour. Even with such a perfectly disciplined crowd as there was on board this fine ship, and the unsleeping vigilance of her officers, it could not be but that, in harbour, occasions of dis- agreement should arise, and if by any means drink should become obtainable, a very slight matter ori- ginally might suddenly develop into a condition of great danger to all on board. Thus it happened that, after a fortnight's uninterrupted peace in Manila, during which time, as the shipment of the hemp only demanded six of the ship's company, the rest of the work of stowage being done by Filipinos and Chinese, the whole ship was overhauled and painted, there arose a longing on the part of the majority of the hands for a final run ashore before the long passage home began, ^ 3i6 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST Now Captain Peck had made a wise rule frr the benefit of all hands, to the effect that he could be interviewed every evening at eight bells, when he was nn board, by any member of the ship's company, either for complaints or requests, and this effectually precluded any hole-and-corner work, since he would not listen to anything but from the person directly concerned. So one evening, a hrge Austrian, de- puted by his comrades, slouched aft at the appointed hour and proffered the usual request to the steward that he might see the captain. This being granted, he asked for a day's liberty on behalf of himself and' the crew. Cajptain Peck listened in patience until he had finished sfjeaking, then replied curtly, ' Certainly not. You'll get leave finally in N' York, not before. Anything else ? ' The man looked nonplussed for a moment, then muttered surlily, • Whata for no givee leava, capafta? Alia mans plenta work alia time, neva geta drinka, that time fineesh work wanta a leetta drinka.' He was, I should have explained, from Trieste. For all answer the captain pointed with his right hand to the fo'c'sle and said sternly, ' Go for- rard, and tell the rest of your shipmates not to come aft with any such request to me.' The man slouched off, black rage in his heart, and as soon &s he reached the fo'c'sle began to detail all sorts of imaginary insults hurled at him by the skipper. As most of the palaver was in foreign speech which Saul did not understand, its import troubled him not at all. But during the next few days he could not help noticing that something was afoot that seemed to menace the peace and safety of the whole ship. Before he had SAUL COMES HOME 3,^ time to realise what it was going to be, the storm burst A large quantity of liquor suddenly made its appear- ance and passed freely from hand to hand, refused of course by him, but making him marvel mightily from whence it had been obtained. Then to his horror he hearo muttered outlines of a plan to murder all the officers, fierce recallings of the way in which during the early days of the voyage they, the speakers, had been drilled into submissiveness and their sluggish intelligences quickened by brutal application of force, for all of which things they would now exact the utmost reparation. Saul's mind was quickly made up. As a keen watch was being kept lest anyone should go aft, he lit his pipe and strolled carelessly up on the fo'c'sle head. There was no one watching there, so he slipped over the head, down the cable, and swam aft to the accommodation ladder, up which he ran and presented himself breathless at the door of the maters b-rth. That officer listened gravely to Saul's warning— then, disregarding his dripping condition, led him before the skipper, who as gravely thanked him and offered him a loaded revolver. Saul refused the weapon, thanking the captain for his confidence, but saying that while he would do all that two honest fists could do to maintain order, he did not feel like taking life— he would rather lose his own. The captain looked at him pityingly, as one not under- standing such a condition of mind at all, and was just about to discuss the matter with him, when a patter of bare feet, a smothered oath, and a crackle of revolver shots announced that the threatened upheaval had begun. 3i8 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST Saul and the captain rushed up the companion, hoping thereby to gain the upper ground, to have the advantage over their assailants. But they were met by the big Austrian and two other men, who had dodged past the officers in the struggle on deck, hoping to take them in the rear. Mattel, the Austrian, flung himself at the captain, his uplifted knife gleaming in the moonlight, and had it not been for Saul there is no doubt the old man would have been slain. But quick as thought Saul's left arm flew across the captain's breast, receiving the vengeful downward stab right through the fleshy part, while his right fist shot out like a catapult, taking Mattel on *He point of the chi.n and breaking his jaw. Down ft'l -i: big man like a log, and across h.i prostrate body the skipper and Saul fought shoulder to shoulder against not only the two who had accom- panied Mattel, but reinforcements that had arrived from below. But no valour, however fired, can make head against firearms in the hands of men unafraid to use them, and in a very few minutes the discom- fited crew were being driven ' forrard ' like a flock of sheep, all save the luckless ones who lay groaning and bl-icding on deck. Now there have been cases where such treatment of men by officers would have been wholly unjustifi- able, where the men, goaded to madness by ill treat- ment and overwork, deserved all the success in over- coming and even slaying their persecutors that could possibly become theirs ; but here it was not so. The Colorado was a good ship, had been made so, indeed, by the unremitting efforts of the officers at the commencement of ^' » voyage, and only a sudden SAUL COMES HOME 3,5 upheaval of tigerish lust induced by drink had led to what miBht, but for the courage and energy of Saul have ended in a most terrible tragedy. When the last of the wounded had been attended to and all those of the crew who could stand were perched aloft in various uncomfortable positions, Captain Peck and his chief officer interviewed Saul and decided that he must be the bo'sun, that is if he would accept the office. His wages were at once increased by ten dollars per month, and he was given plenary powers of dealing with any man who should perchance meditate revenge. Saul however, was no coward, and moreover he had so pleasant a way with him that it was almost imposs.ble for a man to be under his orders and not come to like him. And when that motley crowd realised what a splendid specimen of mankind I v nad got over them, when they found how utterly .... capable he was of bearing malice or of abusing his position in order to pay them out for what they had done, they altered their bearing towards him, and no • longer thought, as at first they did, of stabbing him in the back and dumping him overboard the first chance they got They grew to love as well as admire him, before they were round the Cape he could do any- thing with them, and it was admitted by all the officers that a smarter crew or a better bo'sun it would be almost impossible to find. Thus it came to pass that, in solemn conclave with ms officers, Captain Peck thus delivered himself- Gentlemen, in common with most American seamen, ive hiUierto had a mighty poor opinion of the so-called superiority of the British sailor over every 310 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST other mariner that ever was. And I hold still, that while he certainly is reliable when good, his smart- ness requires considerable freshening up before it reaches our standard. As a general rule his motto is " Go slow," however good a man he may be. But here we've got a man who's not only the best all-round sailorman I've ever clapped eyes on in all my fishing, but is in addition to that the sprjrest man I've ever had under my command. You can't get him rattled. The hotter the pace the cooler he seems to be, and the very tones of his voice seem to give men confiflence that all is going right Now I've got a theory about this man. I believe he's a Christian of the highest stamp, one of the kind that's sent us occasionally to show what Christianity can make of a man if he'll only let it have a fair show. I've never heard him utter a swear-word, I've never seen him out of temper, and yet, if you notice, there's a look in his face as of a man that's bowed down with very great sorrow. I'm afraid we shall lose him in N' York ; I feel sure that he'll be off east as quick's ever he can get, but I'd give big money to keep him.' The skipper having thus eased his mind, the mate modestly took up the conversation by saying, You're perfectly right, sir, in all you say. The man is a Christian ; I've surprised him on his knees. An' I've noUced that although he reads considerable, the Bible's more often in his hands than any other book. Another thing, whenever he's been below a little while by himself he always comes on deck again with his face all a-shine, as if he'd been having such a bully time that the reflection of it on his face wouldn't SAUL COMES HOME 3,, die away. Now with me that ain't so. When I'm TirT t° '">' ^""y ' ^'-''y' have to just Thik^ rny«=lf back to work again, an' I feel as u Ly ^ a f„7'" ^'"'*'' ^""""" °f «««"' from skiplr and second mate. < Yes. sir.' the mate wem on "^ rd SisKc:„tt."-'^'^--^---'tii^ The CoUrado made a wonderful DassA^e hn™. and came into port looking like a new pt to th^ deep measureless satisfaction of her officers t^ whom tlitorsTet V' '^ ''^ P"°' -'^ -"^en" As the T ''"'^'**'' '"""^^ '■" 'h«'> nostrils. As the sh.p was towing up the East River the captam sent for Saul and told him that if he wol on y stay with him in the ship he should be kept on full pay while in harbour, and anything in reason in «^e way of wages that he liked to ask for should^ .«atiTo^^''i^;lT£^St^t^ nchly deserved, for which he'was%o7re! ^^^^tt^ thS all hi T".r i' '^''''' '''^ ^^P^-" «"" -e "^at all his kindly efforts would be in vain The man before him had his face steadfastly it in one as you flave. I ve only done what I ought but I S of g'S.'"-'" ^""^ '° "' '■* *>"* <•- the contil help of God, given to me without any deservin' of aruH.^iritn^^lTl'^L--^'^^^^^^^^ help feelin* too, sir, that I 321 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST haven't been faithful as I ought to 'ave been aboard here. I 'aven't preached as well as practised. By the help of God I have practised Christianity, but somehow I 'aven't felt able to do as I did on board the last ship I made a voy'ge in as bo'sun. An' it weighs on my 'eart very heavy, I assure you. As to your offer, sir, I can't accept it anyhow. I was just married before I came away. I was wrecked only a few days out of port, picked up, an' carried off to China. An' I've never heard of her since, an' don't know whether ^he's heard of me or not ; although, of course, I've sent on all the money I could get to her from Hong Kong. But,' and here the poor fellow's eyes shone with entreaty, ' do please let me know as soon as you can whether there's a letter waitin' here for me. Excuse me troublin' you, sir, but I am almost sick with anxiety, and I have to keep on praying to God to keep me from worrying myself into another brain fever.' ' My dear fellow,' answered the skipper, hard put to it to keep the tears from his eyes, ' count on mi to do all I can for you. I'll not say another word about your coming with me, your duty's at home and to get there with all possible speed. And as for your letter, I'll do all I can to get it off to you at once. I'll send a special messenger with it if it's there.' Sure enough, as soon as ever the ship was secured, a messenger brought Saul a letter which had been lying in the owner's office for two months. Happily it arrived only a few minutes before he was free to go and devour its contents — happily, because he was so violently agitated that his knees smote together and the ganglions at the pit of his breast-bone felt as SAUL COMES HOME 3,3 if a^ nathless hand were wrenching then, round and lea^s L J p^S' ^°" "J"'^ -" - thank God it In J ^ *" ^ '""^ *° *^" y«" that your pore wife H!«i Ind-^^heTi^n^IJj'Sj^^hadLn^Tj-Jtl couldn't get thrSin'i'shT .rtolTveTd "rf send where^^ou Lfif ^ "'" '°'' "'^'^'^ ^ -" don't think she Ja^nteS to Z.^'^lZ stf i she had lost all she cared to live for f f^^^^*^ lonely Without her so I can sy.^IhS wii ';:1;'='^ * Your obedient servant, • '4 BerUu S., Upp„ S.,«e. Islington ' ^^"^ ^'^^"'S" to return to Enrfand wVth !, ^" '"*^"'^ '^^^''^^ i 3»4 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST and talk with him, pointing out that in any case he could not go home until the ship was paid off, and he would be far better off aboard than ashore. Saul consented willingly, only stipulating that he should go and ascertain when the first steamer left for London. Having found that there was one going in two days' time and secured a steerage passage in her, Saul came back and was at once invited by the mate into his berth. When two men get together like Saul and Mr. Fish, the relations that have subsisted between them take some Nttle time to get broken down and a condition of equality set up. But the mate was most pathetically eager to learn the secret of Saul's efficient happiness and Saul was equally eager to tell it, so that in far less time than usual they came to closest quarters over the one eternal question of man's salvation. Here, however, all the conditions were favourable. Tested to the utmost, Saul's Christianity had proved its value, so that all he said came with tremendous force. He was no mere theorist or hireling who did not believe practically one of the truths he was enunciating. Nor was he actuated by any other motive than that inspired by the great Friend of Man, the making of another man into a more perfect pattern of what a man should really be, the image of God : for his own greater happiness and the eternal benefit of those with whom he should come in contact. Before they parted for the night Mr. Fish had stepped out of his old self, had thrown in his lot with the people of God, and had become a worthy disciple of the greatest, bravest, happiest Man that ever lived. SAUL COMES HOME 3^5 And Saul, in spite of his gnawing desire to get home was comforted. It is indeed a consolation to know' that we are not standing all the day idle, but that wherever we are, however long we may have to wait between employments, we may redeem the time to our souls mtense satisfaction and the benefit of some poor soul for whose behoof that spare time was allowed us. Wednesday morning saw Saul on the deck of one of the hners homeward-bound, his passage having been pa,d by the grateful r^ptain P^^ho nevef could forget that but for Saul he would have died in Manila. Moreover, there had mysteriously appeared m the handful of bills the skipper handed sSl 2 his pay, one for a hundred dollars which seemed to thUo .^r5°* ^'''^ '" '"■°'- W''*=" he pointed this out the skipper curtly told him that the money was all nght,^ never made any mistakes in money matters. And Saul's keen wit saw at once that Ms was just a kindly unstrained way of making up to him his great loss. He was very grateful, feeling almost guilty at leaving so splendid an opening for f^' tI "r'^h/''' ^'' ^''''' ^^« «'•*'" Wm as ead. The short, fine passage ended, Saul hastened to a quiet lodging m the East India Dock Road for the night, and at once hastened to the address whence he letter was written. He found Miss Wilkins just hi iTndlifT' I"'' "^"^ '^^"■"gfi^tP^dentlyinvIted tori n?l "^ -^ . PJ:"'""*' '°^'^ ^""^ '^^ *hole sad stoiy of his wifes suffering, sorrow and death talelf f r*" '* *°."''' ^ '""'"'>' *° *«» the sordid Ser^ h1 ^ e^Penences which may be read almost every day m our newspapers, and it is, therefore. 3»6 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST needless, especially at this last stage, to do so. Saul sat during the recital as if carved in wood, a big tear escaping at intervals from his tortured heart When he rose to go he offered payment to Miss Wilkin»— an offer firmly refused. But he obtained a promise that in any time of trouble she would apply to him at once. CHAPTER XXIX AND LAST The delight with which the next evening Saul was received at the Mission was almost extrav^ant until a closer look at his grief-lined face, and a short ex- planation from him of the reason for it, quieted them all. But a great content was manifested among them when he told them that it was his intention to relin- quish his seafaring career, if possible, and settle down among them. He immediately set about materialising his idea but found it no easy task. ' At last, when his stock of cash had dwindled to a solitary pound, he met one day, in the West India Dock Road, with his old skipper. Captain Vaughan. Their greeting was most cordial, and turning into Jie captains house, which was close at hand, they enjoyed a long long exchange of experiences since last they had parted. And presently it came out that Captain Vaughan had retired from the sea and was now the overiooker of a line of ships. When Saul told him of his own earnest wish to get a job ashore, he was, at first, disinclined to further Saul's wishes, alleging as his reason that such a man as Saul ought to remain at sea in view of the good that he could do ther^far more, in proportion, than he could do ashore. For Captain Vaughan was con- vinced of the fundamental truth that the place to 3a8 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST missionise Jack successfully is at sea. But it is quite impossible to do this in the Merchant Service unless you can persuade converted sailors to continue their career in the fo'c'sle. It seems hard that this should be so, but men have made, men do make, similar sacrifices for God every day, and that without any trumpeting of their deeds abroad. However, when Captain Vaughan heard Saul's side of the matter and considered it fully, he altered his mind as far as Saul was concerned, and almost immediately got him a birth as a foreman rigger, a post he was eminenUy qualified to fill. Saul soon settled down to shore life, for sailors are the most adaptable of men. His help now r^u- larly given at the Mission was a most blessed boon to them. Out of his wages, which averaged forty-five shillings weekly, he set aside fifteen shillings for the Mission. They were now, indeed, a stalwart band, doing a splendid work in the midst of their own people, a work that certainly could not have been done so well by any other organisation what- ever. And any one of the principal workers was a host in himself. Jemmy, mellowing from day to day under the sunny atmosphere of his happy home life, was noticeably less insistent upon the eternal damnation of literal fire awaiting those who did not come to Jesus while here below. He gave his loving humanity a chance, and began dimly to recognise the great fact of the pre-eminence of love over fear. This reacted healthily also upon his treatment of those Christians who differed from him on minor points of doctrine, softened the asperities that often disfigure the characters of the most godly men when discussing the things that do not matter CONCLUSION 3^ Brother and Sister Salmon remained as they always had been Je peaceful light-shedders of L S band, looked up to and most tenderly loved by aS the rest Skipper Stevens and Peter Bum also remained as they were, in spite of the almost uS versally held idea that in the Christian life the"e Urge number of Church members, familiar to us aS^ who are always in their places, always ready wS their contnbutions. always leading week-day iL^ of Eh-r^'' '"' ""='P°tt«dness from the worfd f Unambitious to occupy office of any kind Sev greatj, prefer to form part of the rank and file^ Tumtlv w''.r""'"°" -'<^-'V-nd do their 1? humbly Without any paltering with words mus^ we not admit that these Christians are as station^ m their spiritual career as is the good and fa tWuTS^ vant m bus ness, who, having attained a certrL'l maintains it a^ his life, doing his duty faithfuHy J wdl-beloved work to his well-earned rest ? I thhS so .s grateful for the knowledge that his congregS bT mT °'."^"'= '""'^ '"" ^oundeToiS But Mayhe, Paterson, and Harrop were Jhe r-a-y-ix^-rorwtrx^a^i ^•n they were told that they we^ bu,^^? ^hSr talent in the earth, that they were wastirioSen 330 THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTH EAST opportunities, and so forth. No such arguments moved them one jot And without attempting to decide whether they were right or not, I cannot but admire their simple loyalty to Jemmy, their loving forbearance with his undoubted limitations, their own humbleness, which felt that its proper sphere was the little lowly Mission where the Lord had found them ; and where, untrammelled by the too often hampering concomuants of belonging to a great society, they had been the glad instruments of so much real good. Maylie especially, although he was rising steadily to the head of affairs in the great firm where he earned his bread, and was now in a position that would have made him a deciddd acquisition to the roll of officers of any great Church, treated any suggestion that he should go up higher in the world of Christian work, as a joke. He would quietly say to any of his friends' outside, when they in all seriousness remonstrated with him for still remaining in such company, ' It's of not the slightest use talking to me. I could not be happy anywhere else. I believe that the work God has given me to do here is exactly what I'm fit for. I feel as if nobody could do it better than I can, and I feel too, that it is a good thing in Christian work to keep low down. The work of God has never been better done than it was by the Apostles, and goodness knows, as far as externals went, they were so low down that they couldn't get any lower, right down on the ground. No, put me up a bit, make me an office- holder in some big Church, and I am afraid I should get full of sinful pride. Anyhow, I'm not going to run into temptation of that sort if I can possibly avoid it I'll stick to the old Mission until God Himself shifts me out of it' CONCLUSION 3j, Bill and Jack Maskery still maintained their free- lance connection witii die Mission. Bill being ex- ceptionally happy and contented tiiere, especially as the boy whom he had rescued from tiie prison gate had turned out all right and a great comfort to him in his fast-mcreasmg decrepitude. He had got the lad into a large shop close by the court in which they lived where he was always handy, where his hours weni good, and he was greatly esteemed. And poor old Bill was never tired of quoting that sublime line, 'At event.de .t shall be light.' Woody, whose witiiered old frame seemed to have in it sometiiing of the gnarled and knotted fibre of the oak logs sawn from broken-up ships tiiat he sold, still went on his way rejoicmg. Never a member of tiie Mission-tiiat is to say. inscribed on its books-he nevertheless came and went freely and much more frequently tiian any- where else. He was always most heartily welcome, for he always brought with him a sense of power that lifted whatever was being done at the time on to a still higher plane. Here stem necessity compels me to leave the Apostles of the South East, not in a blaze of splen- dour, but quietly doing tiieir appointed work for God wuh all their might, happy in the doing of it, happier when they see fruits forthcoming, happiest of all in their acquaintanceship with God. THE END WORKS BY TUB SAME AUTHOR. THE CBUISE OF THE CACHALOT. THE LOG OP A SEA WAIF. THE KEN OF THE If ERCHAMT SEKVICE. IDYLLS OF THE SEA. WITH CHRIST AT SEA A SACK OF SHAKIHGS. DEEP SEA PLUNOEIUMGS. WITH CHRIST IN SAILORTOWN. ' ■a^BBKi WORKS BY THE SAME AUTHOR WITH CHRIST AT SEA A RBUGIOVS AUTOBIOGRAPHY. Fifth Edition. Crown 8vo. doth, fo. 'There is not a dull page in the whole narrative.'— Times. 'Thoie who are acquainted with Mr. BuUen'i work will blow that he cannot &il to compel the attention of his reader. He wntes with a sincerity and a simplicity which lend a great charm to aU he does. . . . He ha, much to say of the condi- t.ons ^ the service in which he spent many years, and most of what he teUs u, is extremely interesting. Moreover, to tho«i who love the sea the book is worth reading for its description of the vaned moods, the storm and stress, the cahn benignity, the deliaite pUiy of the ocean on which this religious life is spent'-DAiLY Telegraph. Mr. Bullen has told the story of his imier life of faith as it grew am.d the very real hardships and temputions of his life at sea. And by doing so, we do not doubt that he will have given to many men and boys the best help a fellow-man can give m their own struggle with like circumstance. Had he kept his book back for posthumous publication, he would pro- "*'OJtJI!S BY THi SAME AUTHOR. brtly h.ve con«der.bIy le„«.ed, « wdj „ po.tpon.d^h[ food ., .. ccutated .0 do, for U.e help .„ b , >, « of . bio- «r.ph)r .. veor much i„cre.«d by .he con,empo™neou.n... of »• exrci.eacn it record*.'— Spectator. • We count thi. one of the most daring book, ever printed^ - book m which a very powerful writer ha. Hiked a great J^puution for Christ-, sake. ,. i, q„i.e a, fascinating J the book that made him, only in another kind of way. For aimple venty.for power to make the thing live before readers, few autobiographies have the power of this. We could not put it down until we were through with it, and as we ».ere going through we could no, command our tears. The book will do a world of good ; and, we say again, the witness is a very brave one, manfully borne."— Methodist Times. -A, a human document nothing more interesting of i„ k.nd ha, appeared for many years. . . . No one can doubt on r^mg this book that Mr. BuK.r. h , ,d hi, religion There ., so little to be gained t -.^^ „ , christian at sea that a man who doe, pro e » ■ a C' , „ „ probably ■s a Chnsfan. If his rule is made applic b,.- o ,« author of this book the present writer ™cords his i.-, . „ fo, ^^, -^ ■s worth, that Mr. Bullen is one who ha, . .ea the Life, and that h.s account of it is interesting and ma„ly..-DA.Lv Chronicle. 'One of the most popular books that he has written Mr. Bullen. as usual, writes with considerable charm, and win once agam elicit the sympathy and admiration of all who peruse his pages.'-WESTMiNSTER Gazetti. London: HODDER & STOUGHTON, a, Paternoster Row. IfOJlXS BY TUB SAME AVTBOR. u WITH CHRIST IN SAILORTOWN With Illustrations. Fcp. 8vo. cloth, is. 6d. 'It stand, apm from book, of a similar kind, not only because of the writer's unique experience of the sailor's life^ but because of the hi^h litentry gifts which he can bring to h,^ task ; and .t will help the public to know more than they do of an exceUent work which appeals, above all, to Englishmen.' ' LlTERATtJRE. 'Never has the .pathetic side of sailor life been more vividly presented'-BiRMmoHAM Daily Gazette. 'We congratulate the author without reserve upon the judicious and generous use which he has made of his remark- able ability and popularity.'-MANCHESTBR Guardian. 'Everybody should buy it, read, mark, leara, and inwardly digest it, aad do all in his power to forward the amelioration and Chriscianisation of our merchant seamen, which implies the creation of an adequate Royal Naval Reserve.'-QUEEN. 'It is written with sympathy and vivacity; and is full of inimitable touches which throw into relief the manly sympathy and moral courage of the writer, as well as the peculiar needs of the poor fcUows of whom he write, at once so wisely and so well'— Leeds Mercury. Ix«idoni HODDER & STOUGHTON, zj Paternoster Row. Cp)