“But if there was a God, he could have prevented it all.”

“Mind what I said to you once before:  He hasn’t done yet.  And there is another enemy in His way as bad as the devil—­I mean our selves.  When people want to walk their own way without God, God lets them try it.  And then the devil gets a hold of them.  But God won’t let him keep them.  As soon as they are ’wearied in the greatness of their way,’ they begin to look about for a Saviour.  And then they find God ready to pardon, ready to help, not breaking the bruised reed—­leading them to his own self manifest—­with whom no man can fear any longer, Jesus Christ, the righteous lover of men—­their elder brother—­what we call big brother, you know—­one to help them and take their part against the devil, the world, and the flesh, and all the rest of the wicked powers.  So you see God is tender—­just like the prodigal son’s father—­only with this difference, that God has millions of prodigals, and never gets tired of going out to meet them and welcome them back, every one as if he were the only prodigal son He had ever had.  There’s a father indeed!  Have you been such a father to your son?”

“The prodigal didn’t come with a pack of lies.  He told his father the truth, bad as it was.”

“How do you know that your son didn’t tell you the truth?  All the young men that go from home don’t do as the prodigal did.  Why should you not believe what he tells you?”

“I’m not one to reckon without my host.  Here’s my bill.”

And so saying, he handed me a letter.  I took it and read:—­

“Sir,—­It has become our painful duty to inform you that your son has this day been discharged from the employment of Messrs—–­and Co., his conduct not being such as to justify the confidence hitherto reposed in him.  It would have been contrary to the interests of the establishment to continue him longer behind the counter, although we are not prepared to urge anything against him beyond the fact that he has shown himself absolutely indifferent to the interests of his employers.  We trust that the chief blame will be found to lie with certain connexions of a kind easy to be formed in large cities, and that the loss of his situation may be punishment sufficient, if not for justice, yet to make him consider his ways and be wise.  We enclose his quarter’s salary, which the young man rejected with insult, and,

“We remain, &c.,

“—–­and Co.”

“And,” I exclaimed, “this is what you found your judgment of your own son upon!  You reject him unheard, and take the word of a stranger!  I don’t wonder you cannot believe in your Father when you behave so to your son.  I don’t say your conclusion is false, though I don’t believe it.  But I do say the grounds you go upon are anything but sufficient.”

“You don’t mean to tell me that a man of Mr—–­’s standing, who has one of the largest shops in London, and whose brother is Mayor of Addicehead, would slander a poor lad like that!”