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THE teacher opened his
Bible as he was requested, and read the seventh chapter of Romans. Old Dave
seemed to be in an agony of thought, and did not appear to drink in much of
the truth of the chapter. But Paul’s dramatic ending, so descriptive of the
power of sin, indulged, over the body, and the threatened consummation of
sin, death, roused the hearer. ‘O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver
me from the body of this death?’ he repeated over and over. It seemed to be
the phrase that suited his mental and moral condition, and he lashed himself
with it; for he was, indeed, in the gall of bitterness and the bondage of
iniquity, and, at the time, did not know that such a spirit of contrition
presaged a way of liberty.
The teacher had ceased reading at the end of the chapter, and, perceiving
Dodge’s face covered with perspiration and hearing his groans, which now
became audible, he turned to see if he could relieve him, for he thought his
sufferings were physical.
‘What can I do for you, Mr. Dodge?’ he inquired.
‘Read on,’ said Dodge.
The teacher, to his own astonishment, for he had never seen the Spirit
working in this wise in a strong-willed man, now realized that the wrestling
and pain in Dodge were less physical than mental and spiritual. He wished
that the preacher were present, for he was sure that he would not only most
truly appreciate such a wrestling of the Spirit, but he would also know what
words of direction and encouragement to give the man.
While better educated than Dodge, the teacher had neither Dodge’s strength
of mind or will, nor his long record of defiant sinfulness. The teacher
belonged to that goodly class of people who have a desire to do right, and
whose lives are morally correct, but who for a long time have lived in the
moonlight of their own consciences and the starlight of the world’s
literature. When the teacher came into the clearer light of Christ, it was
like the breaking of a calm, beautiful summer’s day, in the easy, joyful
coming of the morning twilight and then the sunlight.
But with Dodge the experience was vastly different. With him it was the
bursting of the sun at noonday upon the land, where the morning had known
only the darkness and devastation of a cyclone.
The blaze of the light of Christ, streaming into his heart, revealed to him
the terrible havoc of sin, his soul in open rebellion to its Maker and the
harbourer of iniquity; and his body, under such rebellion, sold to sin: the
end of which was death, eternal death. In this light, the man reeled,
dazzled, and seeing his soul ladened with the seeds of eternal death rather
than the means of salvation offered, he cried in his agony: ‘O wretched man
that I am! who shall deliver me?’
The teacher had taken up the Bible to read on; but the man’s visible anguish
disturbed him, and he persistently thought of physical relief.
‘Read on, I say.' said Dodge, somewhat imperiously; ‘read on! Let’s hear the
end of it, even if it lands me in hell!
The teacher felt shocked at the man’s words, then he wanted to smile, but
remembering Dodge’s recent actions under liquor, he became fearful that
Dodge’s mind was again giving way. Dodge looked at him with blazing eyes.
‘Read on, young man.’
The teacher sat down again and quietly read the next chapter, the wonderful
eighth chapter of Romans. Dodge drank in the truth as a thirsty man. Then
there was freedom offered from sin and death, freedom in Christ Jesus,
freedom through the Spirit, life by being led by the Spirit, a son of God,
the witness of the Spirit, the justification and glorification of God’s
elect!
Long ere Mr. Green had finished the chapter Dodge’s wrestling had ceased,
the perspiration had dried from his brow, and he was very still and quiet.
‘Thank you,’ he said to Mr. Green, when he had finished. It was the first
time he had said ‘Thank you’ to any one for years. ‘Come and read the last
chapter to me again tomorrow.’
'Here, Mr. Green!’ called Mrs. Miller; 'come and get some broth for Dave.’
The teacher hastened to the hall, and found Mrs. Miller at the foot of the
stairs with a tray, the chief thing upon which was a large bowl of steaming
chicken broth. Taking the tray, the teacher came back to Dodge, and after
fixing him with great care of his wounds, in his bed, he placed the tray in
front of him. The first few spoonfuls nearly choked him, because his
thoughts seemed to place a lump in his throat, but his appetite was much
better after he had swallowed some of the broth. Then followed the bread and
butter and the jam and a cup of tea.
Dodge then felt so refreshed that he wanted to get up.
‘No,’ said the teacher. 'You can’t do that, for two reasons. You have many
bruises and burns, and are still a weak man. You will have to await doctor’s
orders. And then, you know, you have no clothes. Yours were all burned in
the hotel!’
‘Well, what a fix!’ exclaimed Dodge, with a smile and without an oath, which
caused him to be somewhat surprised at himself. He was truly beginning to be
a new man.
‘Send some one to Sandy Bay—Thompson, the storekeeper, knows my size—and get
a whole rig out. He owes me money, and can turn it over to my account.
'You won’t need it for three or four days anyway.'
‘I’ll be ready to get into it as soon as it comes,’ said Dodge,
emphatically.
While Dodge was thus making good progress towards recovery, John Miller was
suffering intense pain and slowly getting weaker. The doctor arrived, and
pronounced the injuries to the backbone and other parts of the most serious
nature.
This report did not cause a word of complaint to escape the good old man.
With infinite patience he submitted to the treatment, and assisted by the
medicines given to relieve his pain he went peacefully to sleep. Mrs. Miller
was not made fully aware of the danger of her husband; but when Mr. Green
had the whole truth wrung out of him by his imperious patient, Dodge was
overwhelmed in agony and remorse.
‘Hurry up those clothes, Green, for I must be up, and see if I can’t save
that man’s life. I’m a worthless wretch compared to him. I hope that my wife
is helping all that she can.’
‘Yes, she is a bit unsteady yet, but she is rendering Mrs. Miller good help
in the kitchen.’
‘Why doesn’t she come to see me?’ said Dodge, a little peevishly.
‘Perhaps she awaits the request of her lord,’ replied the teacher, with a
smile.
‘That’s so, Green. I was forgetting what a brute I have been to her. Go and
tell her I want to see her.’
With pleasure Green hastened to the kitchen and told Mrs. Dodge that her
husband was anxious to see her.
A sudden pallor sprang into the woman’s face, and she looked appealingly at
Mrs. Miller.
‘Go, dear,’ said the motherly body. ‘He’ll only do you good now.’
Thus relieved, but with much fear and trembling, she entered Dodge’s
chamber. After showing her in, the teacher closed the door and went back, to
see if he could not aid Mrs. Miller in rearranging her household and look
after the farm.
Mrs. Miller told him that Mrs. Dodge had thrown herself heart and soul into
the kitchen work, and that she was all right there. Green then went outside,
and was surprised and delighted to see that all the stock had been carefully
put in, fed and bedded. To whom belonged the credit he did not know until
the next morning, when he found Lanky carrying two brimming pails of milk to
the kitchen.
‘How’s Mr. Miller?’ was his first question, which was quickly followed by,
‘And how’s Dave?’
‘Mr. Miller is very quiet, but will have a hard time, if he ever gets well,’
said Mr. Green, with a sad face. ‘But Dodge is much better, and wants a
whole outfit of clothes. Will you be so good as to go to Sandy Bay to
Thompson’s for him?’
‘Sure,’ said Lanky; ‘when I put the stock to pasture I’ll go.' |
