He had something to tell and much to hear. He had, he thought, a right to say that he had been fairly successful as a student. He had had to help himself, and had done so in various ways, but not more than was right, or than had been good for him. His last two years had been spent in Germany. He had gone there in charge of two lads, sons of a German merchant in the West. Of course he had availed himself of the opportunity to go on with his own studies at the university, and now he was going West to find his work. It was a very poor sort of work in the opinion of Mr Wainright, who, coming in at the moment, heard him say that the next few months were to be spent in travelling through some of the newer states in the service of one of the great missionary societies, with a view to the encouragement and aid of weak Churches, and the establishment of new ones, in the small settlements springing up everywhere. "It will be hard work," said Mrs Wainright. "And do you really suppose it will pay? Don't you think that all that sort of thing might be safely left to the people themselves?" "It seems to be the work laid out for me just now," said Jabez, not caring to get into any discussion of the question. "You might do far better work in an older community. It is the majority of the dwellers in our great cities which need most the civilising--or, if you like it better, the Christianising--influence which strong and good men can exercise in a community. It is from our great cities that power for good or for evil is sent out over all the land, in ways of which I need not tell you. If you have the will and the power to work for your fellow-men, it is not to these remote and sparsely-settled parts of the country that you should go. You are needed more where crowds would gather to hear you." But Mr Ainsworth shook his head. "I have the will to work, and I trust, by God's grace, to have also the power. But I think I am best fitted for such work as is needed out in our newer settlements. It will be hard work, perhaps, but it will be work, direct and simple, for the good of men and the glory of God. I don't think I am so made and fashioned as to be likely to be very useful among such men as fill our great cities." "There are all sorts of men in our great cities; and you can hardly tell what sort of work you are good for yet, till you try." "And as to the importance of my work out there--it would be a good work, wouldn't it, to help to educate and influence some of the boys who come from country places to make the business men and the professional men of the great cities? Yes, and our senators and the governors of our states. You must know several country boys who have come to that." "I know several certainly; and you may be right. We have a great country out there, which is getting filled up in a wonderful way with all sorts of people. God knows, some strong influence for good is needed among them."