FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   >>  
a meeting a young man with pale cheeks and a look of utter despair on his face, looking as though he hadn't had a square meal in many a day. It was Tom. I didn't know him then. There are so many such cases on the Bowery one gets used to them. But I took particular notice of this young man. He sat down and listened to the services, and when the invitation was given to those who wanted to lead better lives he put up his hand. Now there was something striking about his face, and I took to him. I thought of my own life and dreaded the future for him. I spoke to him, gained his confidence by degrees, and he told me his story as written in the preceding pages. Here was a prodigal just as bad as the one in the Bible story. Well, he was converted that night and took Jesus as his helper. He told me all about his home, mother, and friends who had enough and to spare. The servants had a better time and more to eat than he. "Tom," I said, "why don't you go home?" "Oh, Mr. Ranney," he said, "I wish I could, but I want to go back a little better than I am now." And God knows he was in bad shape; the clothes he had on you couldn't sell to a rag-man; in fact, he had nothing! I pitied the poor fellow from my heart. I was interested. I got his father's address and sat down and wrote him a letter telling him about his son's condition, etc. In a few days I received a letter from his father inclosing a check for $10, and saying, "Don't let my son starve; do all you can for him, but don't let him know his father is doing this." Can't you see plainly the conditions? Our Father in heaven stands ready at all times to help, but we must do something--meet the conditions. Tom's father was ready to forgive and take him back, but he wanted Tom to make the surrender. I looked after Tom to a certain extent, but I wanted him to learn his lesson. There were times when he walked the streets and went hungry. I corresponded with his father and told him how his son was getting along. I got Tom a job washing dishes in a restaurant--the Bowery's main employment--at $2.50 per week, and he stuck. I watched him closely. He would come to the Mission nearly every night and would stand up and testify to God's goodness. He was coming on finely. Many's the talk we would have together about home. The tears would come to his eyes and he would say, "Oh, if I ever go home I'll be such a different boy! Do you think father will forgive me, Mr. Ranney?" Well
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   >>  



Top keywords:
father
 

wanted

 

conditions

 

letter

 

forgive

 

Ranney

 

Bowery

 
cheeks
 

extent

 

lesson


surrender

 

looked

 

stands

 

Father

 

starve

 
received
 

inclosing

 
despair
 
plainly
 

heaven


walked

 

Mission

 

meeting

 

watched

 

closely

 

testify

 

goodness

 
coming
 
finely
 
corresponded

hungry

 

streets

 

employment

 
washing
 

dishes

 

restaurant

 
telling
 
prodigal
 

written

 

preceding


converted

 

mother

 
friends
 

helper

 

notice

 

degrees

 

striking

 

invitation

 

services

 

thought