with those very young men who had been his companions in sin. So he
sent round his printed invitations to every one of them to a gathering
in his own house. Such had been the custom with all the members of
their fraternity. But this time the invitation was no longer to `Tea
and Cards,' but to `Tea and Prayer.' It was, indeed, a bold stroke, but
it was not the act of the moment from mere impulse or excitement.

"The day of meeting came. A few of his old acquaintances arrived, some,
it may be, out of curiosity, or supposing that the `Prayer' was only a
joke. But none were left in doubt. Plainly, lovingly, faithfully, he
set before them how the change had been wrought in himself, and how
happy it had made him; and then he affectionately urged them all to take
the same course as he had done. And I believe that his noble and
courageous dealing was not in vain. Am I wrong, Walter, in classing
that young American gentleman among my moral heroes?"

"No, dear aunt, certainly not," replied her nephew thoughtfully. "I
think he deserves a foremost place;--don't you, Amos?"

"Yes," replied his brother; "he reminds me of the greatest, perhaps, of
all moral heroes--I mean, of course, among beings like ourselves. I am
thinking of the apostle Paul, who changed at once from the persecutor to
the preacher; gave up every earthly honour and advantage; braved the
bitter scorn of his old friends; and, without hesitation, began
immediately publicly to proclaim the gospel which he had before been mad
to destroy."

Walter held out his hand to his brother, and the clasp was a close and
mutual one; and then, hand in hand, they left their aunt, who laid her
head on her pillow that night with deep thankfulness in her heart, for
she saw that, spite of all drawbacks, there was a good work making
progress in Walter, and that the high and holy character of the true and
tried disciple of the Saviour was gaining strength and beauty in the
once despised and misunderstood Amos.

CHAPTER NINE.

IS IT GENUINE?

But though Walter was learning to understand and appreciate his
brother's character, and to acknowledge his superiority to himself in
moral courage, he was not altogether satisfied with continuing to lie
under the sense of that superiority on his brother's part. He had
himself been so constantly made the object of his father's admiration
and outspoken praises, and had always been so popular with all friends
of the family and g