IN THE MAKING.

White Ribbon, Volume 29, Issue 345, 18 March 1924, Page 4

IN THE MAKING.

Jot wpij the youngest of it family of four, the «>nly boy. EUfl lather died time months before nil birth Hia drinking habits gave nnii BO chain • rocoron from the injuries ht reeerred in a rnilwav accident No kn log and devoted husband and father tberi oould have boon between •" drinking bouts. During UM ill Weeks he lay up >n his book bt boodnd UN command. enabling. '*Bt >•• reconciled '<• Qod," and through i he faitliful ministiy of his wife, BBSter, and brother in law In- rejoiced m «'hrist his SnYi'iur, b> whom his pOftCC bad beta purchased "through the Blood o( His Cross." Tin' sick chamfr i become a Bethel. Ejhrnestiy in Bought to i»< fen <;..d and Ins dcai OBM ill that was possible in his fast shortening BOJOUTn on BOrth. Miriam. Faith and Joyot, Bged Ws|«c« trrely fourteen, tw.iv.'. and yeare, had cadi given evid nee thai ••torn from ihOVe" (John haviim rOOBTrcd Christ BJ bOf own POIOOOOJ Saviour f.Tohn 1:1-). and Christ was to each little maiden "A living, bright t. rilit\ * .otdin:. to QM bright joyousness of lif< Jo. nine, m • -iking trOOt to his sisP \ chip of the old MOOR " In. 1. Jot ■odly oommontod. ap be watched the development of his Clev.l. aft falittle oophew "Knthk . I tn mine tor that boy." he said to his wife "M-------seems to have no backbone, DO will but to drift." "You are right. Joe. but we must nt member that he has no father, and DC ing delicate, during his early yeurn, Mas tender] to his spoiling The poor M die ha* a stiff right before him." "Then, my dear Kathie. he will. M now. be missing, and join the oncinv's ranks." "Oh! Joe. knowing his Weakness. should we not make him a subject of constant prayer, and have faith in God, and not for a moment In our thought! consign him to the enemy?" This conversation WPS suggested bj Joes approaching ninth birlhda\. eagerly looked forward te by the young folk. Seated nt his bedside. I'li-I. 1.. e 1* can: "1 was reading to-<la\. GMinle 'Live \out life now as sou would like to BM it at the BSd ' " Tenderh lay

ing his hand on the boy's shoulder, his uncle continued: "What about this day? four loving mother, and those dear sisters of >ours, and e\er> one ohm made your plemure their oh Joot, and you took ail as your right And when little .Joyce liad that DOSt) fall >ou had no though! for bOJ pain. but wen rosed with nor tor breaking Up th< pai t> a half hour OSI Uer. I COUM sa\ more, but will not. Boy, your iif• * is before rou Orre it Into the safe keeping of Another, the Lord < *hrist. w ho died foi >.>u. died roar Bins, osed thai rou might not roar younger than >ou wh.-n 1 sat I>> her bedside, as I now sit b\ rOUm, and a rerj koppj little gul folded her hands, and said. •i thank you, Lorjd .bmis, for dying on that dre.idaful Cross in my place And • • help me to live "Thank You" .ill my life.' It is be. I I Irn I 'Thank You' that she is the sweet. uuny little girl she i>. happy because he belongs to Jesus, happy because is His little handmaiden, serving and .leasing .al! she can. for His sake. Joe. is your life to be for (Tirist or self?" Joe'i onij reply was to bury his head benoath the bed clothes, and with a il. ip prayer I'ncle J<>. left the room. ♦ • ♦ ♦ "There, (haile. \oU look as .sweet and interesting an invalid as ■ made," and Kathie stood a few >ards off and regarded her sister with fond affection. Madge smiled as she disclaimed BB lag an invalid, and playfully chided her sister for thinking of everybody in terms of patient, but adding, "It is vers nice to be coddled a bit sometimes." "Oh! how I thank God for my noble gtlie, so good and wise, and all doing so well. Miriam and Faith are considered first-class mistresses in their [Vspcctive Forms, and are loved by their pupils And Joj|ce. our home bird, our sunbeam, what should F do without her. for somehow I easily tire, and each contributes her share to make sw • et and glad the home." "You do not mention Joe, Madge "What about him?" Madge hesitated. "I oould wish be were more like his sisters. Oh! it breaks my heart to say it. but twice y he has smelt of beer. I feel as

it a swoid were hanging over my head w In re bi is concerned." The pent up sorrow found outlet in prolonged trooping, while Kathie loi mgl> stroked her sister's han "There. Kathie, 1 am all right now, and I do not want to WOOte a moment ol our precious tiuM together, "Well, Madge. I have been thinking it we ale Yo workers tOgOthei with Clod,' thai WB are meant to OOttSUll Him it BTOrj turn over those consigned to our care, at each fresh evidence <>' their lack or need. You st\ your t sank within >ou when yon smelt Joe a broatb of beer. IHd rou a. I faith bf a look of trust Cod ward that he was commitleil to Hun. and pta\ for his deliverance, though to the of sense he seemed so terribly involved in Satan's toils? And then, darling i\ forgive m\ Baying i'. but you are oft°n silent when you ought to speak, and so are losing the influem. and power that should be yours as his mother. Joe says that he would dis miss him from his office bill (Or yottl sake. He seems to have no backbone. and always manages to evade the most obvious duty, and gets far beyond his deservings in the wa\ of popularit> b) way of his gifts, not virtues. With a delicate mother and three sisters, surely the time has OSBOJ for him to assume a man's part in his htth world." At this ver\ tune the subject of this conversation was sitting in his uncle's private room, the picture of misery. "Joe. do you realise that for your conduct these past weeks I could have yOU committed to gaol for embezzle ment? How could you take advantage of the trust forced upon you through the sickness and death of so many of my staff during the epidemic? You have used your gifts and position to bring d . honour upon a reputable firm. I dismiss you from my employ. This is a sad business. Joe. Again I urge you. Oet on your knees, confess yourself a sinner, and cast yourself upon the mercy of God in Christ Jesus Who died to save you. and be recon ciled to God. Stay, one word more. Joe. lam willing to see you in three days' time with regard to your future, but T hold out no hope of reinstating you in my office." It whs a very forlorn youth that slowk winded his way home. Hoe face his mother and sisters.' how

break to them his ehenseful tale? He took hit plane at tii.. table, and tried ha I'd to talk and art M if nothing unusual had oconrred, Inn nut om mouthful could Ml swallow. The tf w'oiii.! wall up m ins eyes, be boped anaotloadL "l/ct me make you MOM fresh toast." FUlth s;iul ohcei fully. Milting the action to Um words, and Joyce'e pressure <>t' till liantl under thfl tali . | u almost too much for his composure IV. the first time in his life ho i«mli.--.--i the gnlf that separated him from his family. "(>h! if tlM] only knew that his rightful place at that mornon* was a prison el's cell." With ■ heart almost tOO full for Utterance he :it last hurst our with. "Mother, m\ own dear mother, and sisters, far too good td own such a 1> er, I have disgraced pou And then without attempt to hide or cloak his sin. he told the stor\ of his downfall His sistei-s Hatened m astonished, pam td, awed silence. The mother*! cheeks Were flushed, but \\) the sWeet face was ■ oaln and even joyful expression, that relieved the girls' an\iet\ as to th- <f foci the news would have upon her Ptor a time ahe seemed loat to her loundinu's, and this her silent communing. 'Lord, how can I sufficiently praise Thee that Thou hast brOUj hi Joe to his bearings? The shook, though in do. T know will he his making in Th\ Lands. And BOW, Lord, he to DM In 'his crisis in his life. "mouth, matter wisdom.' that ! ma\ not mai Tin work." When left alone with his mother, h» exclaimed, "Mother, speak to me. Say \ oil love me ;xn< \ Mfglve me" ".Inc. not mine, hut Cod's forgiveness is "your Irst need Cpvl in mercy has spared you to this. .Too. ask it now." And Joe did. He knelt at his mother's aneee as of rota and Mtnred out his soul in deep contrition. Rising-, he said. "T feel so unworthy to quote QodTi Word, hut docs it not say "Him that oomoth to Me T will in no wine cast out?" "Tt does, .Too." Mother. T know that Cod has forgiven me Rut can yon and the girls ever forgive mo for the disgrace T have hrought upon your name? His mother sealed his for givonoss with a kiss At the appoint od time Joe was once more seated in his uncle's office. "Joe T have hoard from your mother, and T can see for

myaatt that you are not th* same youth thai left me three dayi since i re B w it It you, that baring Christ as >oui Savioui. you aie "Imuii from ahore." John .'5.3; John 1.11 "Ihit. Joe, if \ou are to gi-ow in gl and in the knowledge cf our Lord and riour, Jesus Christ, \ou must '. mark, learn and inwardly digest Qod*a Word, da] h> day,' and l:v- it. Now to four prOI fon understand thai your position bai been fori and belongs now to the youth who has faithfully served me. In justice to all i erned the only thing I enn dJo tot \oii is to allow you to take the first rung of the ladder. 'The w;i> of trani greosora is hard,' Joe and though ere mas have departed from thai 'way.' ere may he still followed hy its O uuonces. But with Ood WKh you and for \oii my dear hoy. what has DSSB, far from being ■ hligl t upon your lif". i.i.i\ he a blessing in disguise" To Joe no pain or humiliation OOUld i" anything to the suffering crowded into the past few days, and it was with gratitude he thanked his uncle for his clemency, and welcomed the chance "to make good" where be Ikhi Railed # » * * "T feci it is battel to tall ron tne truth," the doctor said, laying his hand kindly on her mother's shoulder. The ,i< , ideiit of the week hefoie on her re turn from school, meant for Milium a life of invalidism. Ho* White and tense with pain looked Miriam's iWOOt face as she lay upon her- bed "it wa too bad of me to give all my dear on. ' •sueh a scan- Rut, moth., .larlir. have orders for my fanev work to me full] employed, and t can do some teaching at home, and you will not 1* so much alone." and Miriam's face brightened at the prospect Hero Ruth interposed: "So< ehe said, "my first cheque for writing, five pounds, wi*h a request for further eon tributions So, precious sister, you are not to tiro yourself. Why. if you ware not so ill. what fun it would be to all bo giving a push to the old family coach!" Standing in the background, over looked in the family sorrow and dt liberations as to plans and prospects Joe stood. With a swift prayer upward ho sprang forward, and in a few WOrdi that carried conviction, ho assumed a

mans part U) Ml the mainstay of tlo family. 'H. i ■ at I \claime.l. as fling lag the bedclothes off file morning fol lag, he sprang- out of bed. 11 I completed, there followed a hallowed season of communion with his Lord, through the Word and prayer Two dainty trays for mother and sister i like | tonic, and Joe was rowan! .d by their bright smiles, and not one morsel left behind. When Joyce appeared she found everything in preparn fion for the morning meal, which meant thai Ruth was set free to make a | regnal, and net her work In order for her pupils. For the first time Joo no I hew fagged his sisters looked, and was always now at hand to ease a bur den. "Mother." exclaimed Ruth one day, "Is it not true r.od works in a mys•us way H- wonders to perform 0 ' Who would have thought that He would brought sweetness into all our through such dire happenings. Joe'f declension, and our Miriam's ao cid.nt? Though so helpless, dear Mir! arn does not suffer, and She earns good money. And as to Joe he takes such Of us. is so randy to boar the brunt of everything that we feel wo must bo careful that wo do not trespass on his kindness." "Tea, Ruth. <\<*\ our Father hgl vwootoned our cup of sorrow by giving mo | son and you a brother, and to all whose lives He touches !:-• realised that hero is one Indeed, "A n.w creation in ('hi ist Jesus ' "

<;i:i:ti:ili: COCKEREL!