es G. Blaine. Millions are still his devoted,
unselfish and enthusiastic friends and defenders.

--_The Globe-Democrat_, St. Louis, October 27, 1895.

REPLY TO THE CHRISTIAN ENDEAVORERS.

_Question_. How were you affected by the announcement that the
united prayers of the Salvationists and Christian Endeavorers were
to be offered for your conversion?

_Answer_. The announcement did not affect me to any great extent.
I take it for granted that the people praying for me are sincere
and that they have a real interest in my welfare. Of course, I
thank them one and all. At the same time I can hardly account for
what they did. Certainly they would not ask God to convert me
unless they thought the prayer could be answered. And if their
God can convert me of course he can convert everybody. Then the
question arises why he does not do it. Why does he let millions
go to hell when he can convert them all. Why did he not convert
them all before the flood and take them all to heaven instead of
drowning them and sending them all to hell. Of course these
questions can be answered by saying that God's ways are not our
ways. I am greatly obliged to these people. Still, I feel about
the same, so that it would be impossible to get up a striking
picture of "before and after." It was good-natured on their part
to pray for me, and that act alone leads me to believe that there
is still hope for them. The trouble with the Christian Endeavorers
is that they don't give my arguments consideration. If they did
they would agree with me. It seemed curious that they would advise
divine wisdom what to do, or that they would ask infinite mercy to
treat me with kindness. If there be a God, of course he knows what
ought to be done, and will do it without any hints from ignorant
human beings. Still, the Endeavorers and the Salvation people may
know more about God than I do. For all I know, this God may need
a little urging. He may be powerful but a little slow; intelligent
but sometimes a little drowsy, and it may do good now and then to
call his attention to the facts. The prayers did not, so far as
I know, do me the least injury or the least good. I was glad to
see that the Christians are getting civilized. A few years ago
they would have burned me. Now they pray for me.

Suppose God should answer the prayers and convert me, how would he
bring the conversion about? In the first place, he would have to
change my brain a