‘For all may have, If they dare choose, a glorious life or grave!’

and the years to come may, by the grace of God, more than cancel those that have gone by.”

“What have I to hope for—­in time of eternity?  Oh! none but Almighty God can ever know the dreary blackness and wretchedness of my despairing soul! the keen sleepless pain of my remorse! my utter loathing of my accursed, distorted nature!” “And His pitying eyes see all, and Christ stretches out his hands to lift you up to Himself, and His own words of loving sympathy and pardon are spoken again to you:  ’Come unto Me, all ye weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’  Throw all your galling load of memories down at the foot of the cross, and ’the peace that passeth all understanding’ shall enter your sorrowing soul, and abide there for ever.  St. Elmo, only prayer could have sustained and soothed me since we parted that bright summer morning twenty long, long years ago.  Prayer took away the sting and sanctified my sorrows for the good of my soul; and, my dear, dear boy, it will extract the poison and the bitterness from yours.  That God answers prayer and comforts the afflicted among men, I am a living attestation.  It is by His grace only that ‘I am what I am’; erring and unworthy I humbly own, but patient at least, and fully resigned to His will.  The only remaining cause of disquiet passed away just now, when I saw that you had come back to me.  St. Elmo, do you ever pray for yourself?”

“For some weeks I have been trying to pray, but my words seem a mockery; they do not rise, they fall back hissing upon my heart.  I have injured and insulted you; I have cursed you and yours, have robbed you of your peace of mind, have murdered your children—­”

“Hush! hush! we will not disinter the dead.  My peace of mind you have to-day given back to me; and the hope of your salvation is dearer to me than the remembered faces of my darlings, sleeping here beside us.  Oh, St. Elmo, I have prayed for you as I never prayed even for my own Murray; and I know, I feel that all my wrestling before the Throne of Grace has not been in vain.  Sometimes my faith grew faint, and as the years dragged on and I saw no melting of your haughty, bitter spirit, I almost lost hope; but I did not, thank God, I did not!  I held on to the precious promise, and prayed more frequently, and, blessed be his holy name! at last, just before I go hence, the answer comes.  As I see you kneeling here at my Murray’s grave, I know now that your soul is snatched ’as a brand from the burning!’ Oh! bless my merciful God, that in that day when we stand for final judgment, and your precious soul is required at my son’s hands, the joyful cry of the recording angel shall be, ’Saved! saved! for ever and ever, through the blood of the Lamb!’”

Overwhelmed with emotion, the pastor dropped his white head on his bosom; and once more silence fell over the darkening cemetery.