THE KING’S BUSINESS
56
“Bob Wilson”—Do you know Bob? Nor y es;'y ou have seen him; there are scores of him, especially in the neighborhood of Yokefellow’s Hall on Los Angeles street Whiskey, cigarettes and divers dopes iden tify him as unerringly as his thumb-prints. He is a mental, moral, physical and social wreck. This particular “ Bob” wandered into the Hall, perhaps as aimlessly and yet as yearningly as the Gardarene outcast to the feet of Jesus, and found as sympathetic a welcome. He told his story, a familiar one among us, a sad one, including the dec laration that he had stolen $2000, and that a warrant was out, at Chicago, for his ar rest. Following Mr. Mullen’s advice, even to the confession of his crime and com mitting himself to the authorities, he ac companied him to Chief of Police Sebas tian’s office. The chief is a merciful man as well as a just, who hearing his story entrusted him to the free custody of Mr. Mullen pending a communication with the Chicago authorities. It turned out that Bob was mistaken as to the warrant, not even such a “ shaking leaf” to make wicked Bob flee existed. Gratitude now opened his heart to good counsel, he listened to the story of a loving Father and His pardoning grace to a prodigal son ; o f the cleansing blood of Him who snatches hell-bound thieves from the very gates of hell because He hung beside them on their cross. Bob had many times failed in his struggles to elude the grip of liquor, morphine, cocaine and the cigarette habit, and to keep hold on some kind o f employment, and was in despair until now he laid hold on Him who gives in Bob another demonstration that He can and does save to the uttermost all who come to Him. Bob attended our Bible class and out-of-door preaching regularly until he left us some time ago. When we heard from him by letter, he had been preaching the Gospel on the streets of a northern city for several weeks, standing, in the grace of God. N o ; you would not know “ Bob,” Mr. Robert Wilson, now.
very same evening, who several days before had been pointed to the Saviour and had not taken any material help from us. If a man is after the “ loaves and fishes” he’ll go away disappointed unless he “ gets some thing,” but thank God many have a different desire when they come to Yokefellow’s Hall. About two months ago a man came in giving me a letter and asking me to read it as he had lost his glasses. The letter was from his wife in Kansas and as I read, certain phrases enabled me to read the man’s character to some extent. Drunk en, shiftless, overbearing, improvident, etc., seemed to be the proper description of the man, and truly it seemed that in some re spects the family was better off without him. He went out to Dr. Yoakam’s home that night, but in a fe\y days returned to Yokefellows’ Hall. In the course of the meeting we noticed that he appeared sick, and after the close we hdlped him into the back room and his trouble developed into a genuine case o f delirium tremens. Clearly the best thing for him was medical aid, so we arranged for him with an officer and left his case with the Lord in prayer. Quite a long while after this the man appeared again, and we prayed and waited, some times feeding him, sometimes helping him get a bed, but always pleading with him to give God a chance to transform his life. It seemed almost hopeless at times, but He “who giveth the increase” was working in His own way. One evening quite recently our friend came in, somewhat under the influence o f liquor, and said he intended to come back the next evening and settle the matter with God. At the close of the meet ing the following night he made his ap pearance, apparently not any more ready to receive the Lord than before. “ Have you had any supper?” we asked. “ No,” he said, “but I am ashamed to take any more from you folks.” W e pressed him and he went back into the dining hall. There we plead with him and he was finally brought to his knees in humble penitence and we believe definitely converted. “ Cast thy bread upon the waters.”
Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice on the streets. —Prov. 1 :20.
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