rance. It may be a drag upon
the work. It often is just that for lack of prayer. For the real sweetness
and efficiency of personal service out among men is in secret prayer.

And if we give <i>money</i>, it needs even more the prayer to go with it. Money
seems almost almighty. As a winning force, of course, it must be reckoned
far less than personal service. For it is less. It gets its almost
omnipotence from human hands. If the personal touch depends for its subtle
power on prayer, how much more does money! Money given to missions,
unaccompanied by prayer, can no doubt be made to do great good. But it is
a very pauper in its poverty alongside the bit of money that is charged
with the spirit-current of prayer.

<u>At the Other End.</u>

One day I ran across a party of about twenty Pittsburg men on their way to
a men's Christian convention in Cincinnati. There were a few ministers in
the party, but it was made up chiefly of business men, typical, keen,
alert American business men. We got together and talked about things of
common interest.

And this question was asked: <i>Does prayer do things?</i> Then the question
was spread out some. I go into my room at night to retire. I read a bit
from the Book, and kneel to pray. I pray for a man in Pittsburg or in
Hang-chow, China. Does anything take place in Pittsburg or in Hang-chow
that wouldn't have taken place if I hadn't prayed? Of course, the praying
does <i>me</i> good. The very bending of knee and head before God, the good
wishes in my heart going out to some one else--these influence me. I rise
better for both.

But is that all? Does anything happen <i>at the other end?</i> Does my prayer
do anything in Hang-chow? If I write a business letter to Hang-chow,
enclosing a foreign draft, the letter does something. A vast amount of
business is carried on that way. Would the prayer as really do something
as the letter and the draft?

There was a good bit of talk back and forth, and questions asked. It was
interesting to find these men were ready to admit that they really
believed that something would occur at the other end. They belonged to a
church noted for its sound teaching, and came from the orthodox church
city of Pittsburg. The matter-of-fact power of prayer to do business "at
the other end" seemed to appeal to these business men. Apparently they had
not been looking at prayer that way. But they readily admitted that it
must be so. Then the next question ask