E-text prepared by Al Haines Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustration. See 20983-h.htm or 20983-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/0/9/8/20983/20983-h/20983-h.htm) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/0/9/8/20983/20983-h.zip) ROBERT HARDY'S SEVEN DAYS. A Dream and Its Consequences. by CHARLES M. SHELDON, Author of "In His Steps," "The Crucifixion of Phillip Strong," "His Brother's Keeper," Etc. [Frontispiece: "He continued kneeling there."] London: Ward, Lock & Co., Limited, Warwick House, Salisbury Square, E.C. New York and Melbourne. 1899 PREFACE. This story was first read by the author to his Sunday evening congregation in the spring of 1892. The chapters were given one at a time on consecutive Sundays, and the way in which the story was received encouraged the pastor in his attempt to solve the problem of the Sunday evening service in this manner. CHARLES M. SHELDON. Central Church, TOPEKA, Kansas. CONTENTS. THE DREAM MONDAY--THE FIRST DAY TUESDAY--THE SECOND DAY WEDNESDAY--THE THIRD DAY THURSDAY--THE FOURTH DAY FRIDAY--THE FIFTH DAY SATURDAY--THE SIXTH DAY SUNDAY--THE SEVENTH DAY ROBERT HARDY'S SEVEN DAYS. THE DREAM. It was Sunday night, and Robert Hardy had just come home from the evening service in the church at Barton. He was not in the habit of attending the evening service, but something said by his minister in the morning had impelled him to go out. The evening had been a little unpleasant, and a light snow was falling, and his wife had excused herself from going to church on that account. Mr. Hardy came home cross and fault-finding. "Catch me going to evening service again! Only fifty people out, and it was a sheer waste of fuel and light. The sermon was one of the dullest I ever heard. I believe Mr. Jones is growing too old for our church. We need a young man, more up with the times. He is everlastingly harping on the necessity of doing what we can in the present to save souls. To hear him talk you would think every man who wasn't running round to save souls every winter was a robber and an enemy of society. He is getting off, too, on this new-fangled Christian Sociology, and thinks the rich men are oppressing the poor, and that church members ought to study and follow more closely the teachings of Christ, and be more brotherly and neighbourly to their fellow men. Bah! I am sick of the whole subject of humanity. I shall withdraw my pledge to the salary if the present style of preaching continues." "What was the text of the sermon tonight?" asked Mrs. Hardy. "Oh, I don't remember exactly! Something about 'This night thy soul shall be demanded,' or words like that. I don't believe in this attempt to scare folks into heaven." "It would take a good many sermons to scare you, Robert."