EXTRAORDINARY CONVERSION OF A BURGLAR

Waikato Times, Volume III, Issue 110, 18 January 1873, Page 3

EXTRAORDINARY CONVERSION OF A BURGLAR

W A con respondent, on whose good faith tlio Sheffield Telegraph relies, semis to that journal a singular otory of a burglary committed two or three years ngo at an old fashioned house in a aouthei n county. The lady who occu-* pied the house retired to her room shortly before midnight, and found a man under her bed. She fearod to go to the door and unlock it lest the burglar should suspect she was about to summon help, and should intercept her. To gain tune she sat down aud toot her Bible from tho dressingtable. Opening the sacrod book at random, it so happened that the chapter lighted on was tha tcontaining tho parable of the prodigal osn. Kneeling down when the chapter vas ended she prayed loud— prayod earnestly and fcrrently. Slio prayed (or safety for herself during the perils of night, and cast herself in Mipremc confidence on the Divine protection. Then she prated for others who might havo been tempted into ill-doing that they might be led from evil, and brought into the fold ot Christ ; that to such might bo vouchsafed the tender mercy and loving kindness promised to all who truly repent their sins. Lastly, sho prayed that, if he willed it, some such sinner might be saved from the wrath to come — might, like the prodigal, be mado to sco that ho had sinned, aud might so be welcomed back 10 the joy that awaits even one pomtcnt. The lady arose from her knees and went to bed. The man got up as noiselessly as ho could, and said, " I mean you no harm, ma'am ; Inm going to leave the house, and thank ou for your prayer?." With diffic dty he opened tho bedroom door, and presently she heard him open a' window in another part of the liouso, and dropped down into the garden. The lady was recently visiting at a friend's liouso in the north of England, and while there was asked to go to he.vr, in a dissenting place of worship, a minister who was " a reformed character." In tho course of the sermon the preacher told all tho incidents of this terrible night exactly as they occurred. After tho sormon she went into the \e3try, and asked him who had told him tins storj. After some hesitation ho said that ho was the burglar, but that her earnest supplication and intercession sank deep into his heart j and as he listened, ho thorc and then resolved not onlj to give up bin guilty design, but to live a reformed life altogether To that mo'ution he hid adhered, and tos her \\.is°otting whatever good he had since been able to do a a minister of the gospel.