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50
never winced under their clumsy, kindly
hands; but his eyes sought Taylor's face
in piteous appeal.
ig Joe rode off through the twilight
woods to the nearest settlement for a doc-
tor. He was frantic with regret and self-
reproach; biit the pain which stabbed John
Taylor's conscience u-as sharper than :
which Big Joe could know. The accident
was not his. fault. to be sure; but when
Tommy laid a sticky and quivering Il.'tI‘llI
in his, and ching to him while he waited
for the doctor, he realized where his
deeper fault lay.
"You’re a plucky boy, Torn,” he said,
blunderingly trying to feel his way into
that fellowship which ought to have been
iaintained between the two in all these
past days. "Not many boys would have
shown the grit you did, when they were
handling you.”
“Why, I had to." Tommy made answer.
“ ’Twasn‘t anything, anyway; but I
couldn‘t let those fellows think that a chap
you were looking after wouldn't-would
be a-oli, pshaw !"
The doctor did not reach the camp until
dawn. Through that ,long night John
Taylor kept watch beside his charge, learn-
ing from the boy's restless mutterings an
from his own heart much that he had
pattern of all attractive excellence in
some young eyes, and a recreant in your
0 .
wn.
“It will be safer not to move him for
a day or two, the doctor said. “It's a
frightfully rotigh cotiiitry getting out of
here, even if you had an ambulance. If
. he could have good care-soinebody's en-
1h'au'Iny: by .1, H’, ui-1:94 r.
promise; and with much the same pride
be welcomed him back for his nrst visit
home, two years later. There could be
no doubt that Ned had in him the making
of a noble man. Yet Mr. Stevenson soon
was compelled to confess to himself that
the boy had not returned from his ab-
sence quite unscathed. Something had
evidently spoiled his former joyous atti-
tude toward life.
“You would think he was a man of
fifty, lVill,” Mr, Stevenson said to his
brother one day. "lie talks as though he
lrzid experienced every woe that flesh is
heir to, and had tasted all the joys of
life and found them vanity."
“Oh, lie‘ll come out all right," was the
laughing reply. “lle is a little pessimistic,
lut a few years of real life will cure him
of that. This world is too Fine a place
to he long-faced in for very lo
“Why, man!" exclaimed the father.
"Do you expect me to waitlseveral years
before I try to get back the happy Ned
0 two years ago? ' bit of it. I
think I shall take him around to see Mr.
Spencer; I want him to know for him-
self that there is something worth while
in life after all-and I don't want him
to wait longer than necessary, either."
It was only a few days later that thc
came home
voice than he had yet shown.
he said, “I saw a very old, “-'l‘lii6-l“i1’C(l
man in a little white cottage over on
N Street just now. He looks as though
he might begalmost one hundred years
old; he's just about my ideal of a vener-
able old man. Do you know him. '1
“Well, he is hiardly so old as that, Ned,"
was ‘the smiling reply. “As a matter of
fact, he is less than sixty. Yes. I-know
him. He is the Reverend James Spencer-
rclative of President Spencer of your col-
lcgc, by the way, I think. Thirty-tii-e
years ago he went to China as a mission-
BY PAUL PATTON FARIJ‘ if ,
THE VVELLSPRING
K-.
s
tire attention-perhaps I can send a
IHll’)C ,
“l‘in going to take care of him," said
Taylor.
Aekeriiian came back at nightfall, and
saw that ll ’ . ilc ways 0 Provi-
dence had put his own sermon into active
effect on John Taylor's heart. Just what
would happen to Taylor's hopes of success
in the coining examination he could not
foresee, but for the present. and perhaps
for all time to come, Taylor had steppe
out from his old shell of iiiditfereiice and
sellisliness into the glorious heritage of
;huvnaii service. The insignia of his serv-
vice were coiiiiiiouplace and menial; but
in Ackerman's eyes the bandages
w.‘l>ll cloths and medicine cups of his
friend's attendance on Tommy were the
veritable badges of knighthood.
“He's an awful nice fellow, isn't he?”
Tommy COI’lll(I(‘d to Ackerman, once when
Taylor had gone to briiig'a bucket of
fresh spring water. “And to think how I
bothered himl"
Six months later Ackerman had a letter
from Taylor, who had received an im-
portant appointment upon a government
engineering enterprise in the southwest.
‘‘I never thought I should make it on
that examination. but I pulled through
sonieliow; and found out afterwards
that Parmeter pere put in a goo word
for me where it was useful. But I tell
you, Ackerinan, I learned something tip
there in that camp of yours that wasn‘t
in the books. It's helping me with these
fellows here-some of them are men twice
my age; and it's going to help me all
my life, I reckon. You can find a name
for it when you tell me the text of your
5‘
.v.-rnmn on Iiommy 1'
3 WORLD
3;: - :
g
ary, stayed thirty years, with only'two
short vaeatioiis in all that lim8,'fll1ally
I.roke down, and came home, a nervous
iiival I" ' y
“Nervoiisiiess-wliat caused it?" asked
He was too deeply
interested in his work to take the care of
himself that he needed. lie did ‘not know
how to rest. He worked from morning fo
right, year after year,’ in ministering to
the needy people of that land, with in-
sufficient money for payment of helpers,
and often with no other missionaries to
share his tasks. The dimculties were too
many for one inan-and he broke down
i.ndcr them." .
“‘C:m't he do anything at all?" Ned in-
qitircd sympathetically.
“No; occasionally be preaches for a
Irother minister, but he finds it hard to
concentrate his mind. He stays in that
little cottage, supported by the income of
his little life insurance and t e ai
ceived from the Board of Ministerial
Relief."
q
(u
I
- is that? “'here is his family?"
“He has no family, except a son,
that son went back to China last year as
a missionary. His wife died on the mis-
sion tichl. IIe"- He stopped in sur-
prise, for Ned. whose excitement had been
growitig for sortie minutes, now leaped
to his feet, cxclaiiriin 2
“Tliere it is again-rank ingratitudel
“'here's the good in a world where such
things are possible?" and he began to pace
the door. “Here a man who gives tip
home, country, civilization, for his God-
luiries himself among the heathen-loses
all he has, his happiness, his wife, his own
liealtli-crimes home a wreck, a broken-
down ii ionary. You would think that
at least his nnly son would care for him-
but he, too. deserts the old man and him-
self runs. off to China to die there, leaving
his old father to be supported by charity.
a sight to bring tears to the eyes of a
stoiie." There were certainly tears in the
entlinsizistic boy's vycs as he spoke.
‘,'Wang -VVang l2n ‘ .'
7Hwei ’he‘. is called. 1
“Where's anything fine in all that story-
except the l man's A self-sacrifice-v
where's any gratitude shown by either
God or man?" V
Ned stood still for a moment, waiting
for his father's reply. But the only an-
swer his inipetuons speech received came
accompanied by a rather sad smile:
“Your, speaking of Mr. Spencer reminds
me that I have not seen him for several
weeks. Suppose we go around this even-
ing for a little while.”
Ned had been really attracted to the
niissionary, and now accepted the invita-
tion with little hesitation.
- Mr. Spencer's rooms were small, but
sunny and spotlessly clean, nearly always,
as now, filled with flowers, in addition to
numerous Chinese curios. After greeting
to missionary, Ned busied himself in
looking at these last, while the older men
were talking together. There were black
chopsticks, blue china ware, red visiting
cards, pictured bank notes, women's tiny
shoes and countless other objects of in-
terest, besides many pictures of people
and scenes on the other side of the earth.
One of the photographs excited Ned‘s
particular interest: it was hard to under-
stand; it seemed to be merely a picture
of a hole in the ground. He picked it
up for closer inspection, and Mr. Spencer
noticed the movement.
“I see you have found my latest arrival,
Ned,” he said. “My son John sent that
to me the other day. Yes, it is just what
it looks like-a hole in the ground-but
it is none the less beautiful in .my eyes
on that accotiiit. I tell you, Mr. Steven-
son, that boy of mine is a treasure; he
knows exactly what will please his father’s
cart.” V
Here was news indeed! Ned looked in
surprise at the old man whom he had
expected,to find so gloomy, as he now
spoke‘ so proudlylof that son who had
deserted him, in his destiiution. ' I
“ i t me tell you about that hole in the
>grof d, "went on the happy voice of the
our Christians, Mr.
first mission school
in Shan-tuiig prov-
ince, where I was
working at, that,
time. A sturdy lit-
tle fellow he was,‘
and I have watched
him grow up into
a Fine Christian
man. He was bap-
tized before he was
twenty; in act.
nearly all our
school children be-
come Christians
before they leave
school.
“John wrote me
some months ago
that Mr. Wang
was in trouble, and
it is only his last
letter that sets my
heart at rest. It
seems that a few
years ago Mr.
-interrupt him.
' "- '3’;-"ax .54
I 4;,:‘,‘.:
Voi. Lxvir.‘ ' No. ;‘
guilty of-of failure to.help the temple
fund? Not at all; he would never have
been found guilty of that, for the treaties
protect converts against such charges.
was accused of having encroached on his
neighbor's land-of course uii<lergrouiid-
and stolen an immense quantity of coal.
“Ilis protestations were in vain. The
gentry, enemies, had money (and
money means influence in China, as well
as elsewhere), and poor Wang was beaten
with bamboos until the blood flowed from
his bare back, treated as the lowest of
criminals, and fined one thousand ‘burdens’
of coal. Sore in body and mind, the poor
fellow made his way to the niissioiiaries,
and told his sad ta e.' Little could be
done for him but to counsel him to be
patient and endure. That the fine niaii
did, like a good Christian, never for a
moment deserting his stand as a follower
of the Word.
“And finally-after months of waiting,
and sorrow, and dread of the future-his
reward came. The magistrate was super-
sedccl by a more just man, the case was
F?
clared slandercrs and publicly reproved.
Wang En Hwei went back to his home
a free man, and a Christian still. And
in the little group of believers in ‘Wang-
I<‘amily-Town‘ I am sure he is destined
to be a power for good and for God. Let
me tell you, my boy,” the old niissioiiary
.conclude:.l, “it's worth while to live thirty
years in China if only to lead one such
man to‘ love the Lord."
His hearers had listened intently. . There
was a charm not only in what the speaker
was saying, but in his manner as well,
that kept them even now from wishing to
Ned sat gazing at him,
unconscious of what he had picked up -
from the table a few minutes before, and
now held in his hand a photograph of‘
three men and a child. The veteran ob-
served it, however, and said:
“That is another iiiteresting picture.
The oldest man was one of the most help-
5
discovered, contained coal. He started
little money-perhaps a few
the average Chinaman's hand-to-mouth
existence. But just then the never-absent
enmity of the heathen showed itself. An
-idolatrotis temple was about to be re-
paired, and they asked Mr. Wang for a
contribution. Of course, as a Christian,
he could not help maintain a temple for
heathen rites, so he refused. They per-
sisted, but he remained true to the cause.
“There was a stand hard to maintain.
Ned. for the pressure was strong, and I
admire that young man more than I can
tell you. hen came the persecution. An
accusation was written out in legal form,
sent in to the district magistrate, and my
friend was haled before the court, and
‘subjected to many indignities before his
case was finally disposed of. “Ihat do
you suppose IIICVEICCIISQIIOII declared him
“‘MAX Al"TE.R‘IIAS conist; ism mu r-our.‘ "
ful persons I ever met in China, old Mr.
Chen-‘The Old Landlord,’ he was called
Christian family from top to bottom.
you can listen, I think I shall give you a
little insight into how Mr. Chen helped
the cause." Ile said it as though asking
a question, and Ned hastened to nod as-
sent. Already he was coining to think
that “the cause" of which the missionary
spoke was well worth while.
“It happened soon after I had begun
independent work in the country," c
on the older man. ' ‘
language in my brain to make me believe
I could preach with some helpfulness, I
one day started out on a long journey of
seven or eight hundred miles. As long
as I was in China I used a wlieelbarrow,
pushed by one man, drawn by another,
and sometimes helped along by a man a
few feet ahead at the end of a long rope.