The Man with the Book; or, The Bible Among the People.Weylland, John Matthias
History
The Man with the Book; or, The Bible Among the People.
Weylland, John Matthias
City missions; London City Mission
As the barmaids had fled to the other end of the counter, the visitor
altered his tone to one of kindly instruction, and said, "You don't know
your disease, and I shall, therefore, do you a kindness by pointing it
out to you." He then opened his Bible and read, "The tongue is a fire, a
world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth
the whole body, and setteth on fire the whole course of nature; and it
is set on fire of hell." He then referred to the passage, "Children that
are corrupters," and told them that this evil, with all others,
proceeded out of the corrupt human heart; and of that blood which
cleanseth from all sin, and makes a man every whit whole. The men, who
showed a very proper spirit, promised to suppress the hateful habit, and
shook hands with their reprover.
Upon his next visit the barmaids thanked him; and the youngest said, "I
have been religiously brought up; and my grandfather, who was an
Independent Minister, pressed me to give my heart to God when I was a
little girl. You have brought all to my remembrance, and I shall leave
this trade for domestic service, as I have resolved to live in newness
of life."
* * * * *
THE MERLIN'S CAVE.--There was a special inducement to visit this house
out of its regular order, as placards announced that "The gorilla, or
man-monkey, had not made its escape, but could be seen by customers
using the bar." Upon entering, one Sunday evening, the Missionary was
surprised to find the place crowded with the lowest order of drunkards,
chiefly from Seven Dials. Their object was to see the stuffed skin of
the monster, and they, for so respectable a house, formed a ragged,
dirty, and debased company. The landlord, who was unfavourable to
Christian visitation, stopped a conversation of deep interest by
inviting the visitor to look at the gorilla. "We don't usually show it
on Sundays," he observed, "but as you have come in we will oblige you
and gratify the people." And he then drew the curtain aside. All pressed
forward to look at the monster; and the Missionary, leaning upon the
bar, gazed at it for some moments.
"How he is staring at it!" observed one of the men.
"Yes, I am," was the reply, "as I was making up a conundrum for the
landlord; and I hope he will answer it to our general satisfaction.
'When is a man uglier than that gorilla?'"
After a little thought, he replied, "A man never can be uglier than
that, so I will give it up."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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