THE KING’S BUSINESS
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third boy was a chief railroad dispatcher, so we got the dispatcher here to wire him. In response the father telegraphed trans portation, and said he would meet the 2 a. m. train next morning. Mr Cole found that the mother of the fourth boy was a poor widow, so he bought him a ticket home. The boys came to us at Saturday noon; by 5 o’clock, Monday, they were all at home or on their way. Two months later we wrote to one of the mothers to know how the boys were getting along. She replied : “The boys are all at home safe and sound. Thanks to you a thousand times for what you have done. My boy is all the time talking about you, and when we come to Memphis I am certainly going to take him around to Central Church to see you again.” The mother of one of the boys died last Sunday. A PREACHER’S TROUBLES A Presbyterian pastor requested prayer for a friend in another State, who was unsaved, ■ sick, a drunkard and dope fiend. After weeks of earnest prayer the news came that the one for whom we had been praying had been converted, was improving in health and had quit his dope and drink. He wrote : “The people here all know my past, and it is hard for me to get a job; pray for me that I may soon find work.” A few days after this he secured a. good position. This impressive letter was received from St. Louis, Mo. : “I guess you don’t know me-—I am one of the four boys that asked you to pray for them at one noon-day service. I am the one that told you I was from Louisville. I want to. say the Lord has. dyne lots for me since that day. I came to St. Louis right after leaving Memphis and saw mother. I told her I was going to Canada. She begged me to stay home withrher in St., Louis, so I did. The second day I went to work at my old job and have worked about a week. I want to thank the Lord for providing such good luck for me. But I also want to thank the young lady that invited me in the church that day. I do not know her name, but she will know.
It did me so much good when she came to me after the service and stretched out a warm hand to a ‘no-count’ hobo. She told me she was glad I came in. I was certainly glad I came myself. It woke me up. I was coming in with the intention of getting nothing but soup, but I got more than soup. If possible I would like to get that young lady’s address, so as to thank her for the good she did me that day. I want to thank you one and all for the good will you showed me while there. I remain, your friend.” The lady he speaks of in the letter is a young married woman who had been very close to death’s door with a serious illness. As soon as she was able to go out she came to the noon meeting and gave a testimony of thanks. This occasion was the second time she had been out since here sickness. CAUGHT BY THE WAY During the Gypsy Smith, Jr., meeting at our church, a young man started to the red- light district. Noticing that it was early he followed the crowd to Central Church, where he met Jesus. Through his sobs and tears he told us at the close of the meeting how thankful and happy he was that he followed the crowd that night. The next day it was found that a letter had come to the noon prayer meeting from this man’s sister, requesting that we pray that he be sent around to the Gypsy Smith meeting. He has quit drinking, joined the church, settled down and is managing his mother’s plantation in Mississippi. Early in the history of the movement a woman came one morning seeking a per sonal interview with the pastor. “I wish to ask you a very frank question: If a woman has gone wrong, do you think there is any hope for her?” I replied: “The same hope as for a man; otherwise, I would not preach another sermon.” She told me her sorrowful story of the trouble she had been caused by a man’s unfaithfulness. She accepted the advice I offered, stayed for the noon prayer meeting, and became one of the leading supporters of the movement; joined the church and since then has been.
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