FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84  
85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   >>   >|  
ain, saying that I wished 'to see the thing out.' Abe sat still beside me, swearing disgustedly at the fellows 'who were going back on the preacher.' Craig appeared amazed at the number of men remaining, and seemed to fear that something was wrong. He put before them the terms of discipleship, as the Master put them to the eager scribe, and he did not make them easy. He pictured the kind of work to be done, and the kind of men needed for the doing of it. Abe grew uneasy as the minister went on to describe the completeness of the surrender, the intensity of the loyalty demanded. 'That knocks me out, I reckon,' he muttered, in a disappointed tone; 'I ain't up to that grade.' And as Craig described the heroism called for, the magnificence of the fight, the worth of it, and the outcome of it all, Abe ground out: I'll be blanked if I wouldn't like to take a hand, but I guess I'm not in it.' Craig finished by saying-- 'I want to put this quite fairly. It is not any league of mine; you're not joining my company; it is no easy business, and it is for your whole life. What do you say? Do I put it fairly? What do you say, Nelson?' Nelson rose slowly, and with difficulty began-- 'I may be all wrong, but you made it easier for me, Mr. Craig. You said He would see me through, or I should never have risked it. Perhaps I am wrong,' and the old man looked troubled. Craig sprang up. 'No! no! Thank God, no! He will see every man through who will trust his life to Him. Every man, no matter how tough he is, no matter how broken.' Then Nelson straightened himself up and said-- 'Well, sir! I believe a lot of the men would go in for this if they were dead sure they would get through.' 'Get through!' said Craig; 'never a fear of it. It is a hard fight, a long fight, a glorious fight,' throwing up his head, but every man who squarely trusts Him, and takes Him as Lord and Master, comes out victor!' 'Bon!' said Baptiste 'Das me. You tink He's take me in dat fight, M'sieu Craig, heh?' His eyes were blazing. 'You mean it?' asked Craig almost sternly. 'Yes! by gar!' said the little Frenchman eagerly. 'Hear what He says, then'; and Craig, turning over the leaves of his Testament, read solemnly the words, 'Swear not at all.' 'Non! For sure! Den I stop him,' replied Baptiste earnestly; and Craig wrote his name down. Poor Abe looked amazed and distressed, rose slowly, and saying, 'That jars my whisky jug,' passed out. Ther
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84  
85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Nelson

 

fairly

 

Baptiste

 

matter

 

amazed

 
slowly
 

Master

 

looked

 

throwing

 
glorious

squarely

 
straightened
 

broken

 

solemnly

 

turning

 

leaves

 

Testament

 

whisky

 

passed

 

distressed


earnestly

 

replied

 

sprang

 

victor

 

Frenchman

 

eagerly

 

sternly

 

blazing

 

trusts

 

uneasy


minister

 
describe
 

needed

 

completeness

 

surrender

 
muttered
 

wished

 

disappointed

 

reckon

 

knocks


intensity

 

loyalty

 

demanded

 

pictured

 

appeared

 

number

 
preacher
 

disgustedly

 

fellows

 

remaining