Trail-Tales of Western CanadaRobinson, F. A. (Frank Alfred)
Religion
Trail-Tales of Western Canada
Robinson, F. A. (Frank Alfred)
Canadian fiction -- 20th century; Missions -- Canada, Western -- Fiction; Short stories, Canadian
The two men stood talking for some time on the evening of that now
memorable day. Often the pale face of an anxious, prayerful wife
looked out through the tiny window. Perhaps the prayer within was
mightier than the simple message spoken without, but at any rate new
desires and purposes were awakened in Bill's heart that night. There
was no sudden "light of glory," or ecstatic condition, but during the
next few weeks it was evident that this man was being changed. When
the missionary suggested getting his pony hitched, Bill urged him to
remain overnight. At retiring time, it was the father who handed a
much-soiled Bible to the preacher. Strange that so simple an act as
that should cause the wife to weep, but at that hour she saw the
dawning of a new day.
Three weeks later the scattered settlers "visiting" outside the
schoolhouse on Sunday afternoon were amazed to see Bill Sanders
bringing his wife to church on the "jumper."
The singing in the little service was usually more hearty than
harmonious. For two or three years it had been an unsettled and vexed
question as to whether Sam Gadsley or Martha McLeod was the finer
singer. One faction deemed the matter settled beyond all controversy
when a late arrival at the service confided to a few friends at the
close that he "could hear Sam, good, clear across the concession,"
while he "couldn't have told whether Martha was there at all, at all."
Martha's friends felt keenly the consequent verdict of the community,
deposing their champion.
To-day the missionary broke all his own previous records in the singing
of "Praise God from whom all blessings flow."
People said "it was a great sermon that the little parson preached"
that day. Although the congregation may not have known it, the
preacher almost broke down in prayer, his heart was so filled with
gratitude. When he shook hands with Bill, there was a grip that
thrilled new-comer and preacher alike. To the wife he managed to say,
"I'm so glad," and the now happy woman looked as though the opening
doxology had become a large part of her very self.
* * * * *
The visit of the Home Mission Superintendent is always a great day in
these isolated places, and when on his next visit he welcomed the new
members into full communion, and took father, mother, and two children
from the little log-house, not a few felt it was the greatest day the
schoolhouse had seen.
During the subsequent days of the missionary's term of service,
whenever there was work to be done, Bill Sanders could be counted on.
* * * * *
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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