"I must see them occasionally, and let them see that I neither forget them nor lose my interest in them, if I am to do them good," he thought. And for this reason he had planned this visit to his old home. He little knew how great the spiritual results of that visit were to be. It was early morning when he bade Mr. Woodhull good-bye at Long Point Farm wharf. The day was crisp and cold, but pleasant, and he rowed briskly, as he got out on to the bosom of the bay, to keep himself warm. The waves were not high, and under his vigorous strokes the light boat shot rapidly forward. Instead of running into the dock at Afton, he pulled along the shore to the mouth of the stream on which the Black Forge Mills were situated. It was high water, and he was able to row up within a few rods of his father's door. Pulling the boat well up on the bank, and fastening it securely to an adjacent tree, he walked on to the house. He opened the door without knocking, and entered. Betsy was busy at the stove, and turned hastily to see who had come. She gave a glad cry when she saw him. "Oh, Ray! is it you? And you have come to spend Thanksgiving with us, haven't you?" she eagerly asked. "Yes," he answered; "are you glad I've come?" "I guess we are; I mean all of us. Do you know, George and the girls have seemed so different lately. They go to the mission chapel with me quite often now, and I hope soon, the girls, at least, will go with me up to the church. Only yesterday we were talking about you, and they all said they hoped you would come home for Thanksgiving. I told them you would. They asked me how I knew, and I told them I had asked the Lord to bring you, and I knew you would come. They laughed and said if you came they would believe God answered prayer, and now they'll have to; I'm so glad." Ray smiled: "I thought you had been praying for me to come, and as to-night is the night for the prayer meeting at the chapel, we'll try to get them all out. With whom do you leave the children?" "Some one of us has to stay with them. If you can get all the others to go, I'll stay at home; but if father won't go, and I hardly think he will, then he'll look out for the children for me. He has done it once or twice lately. He hasn't been drinking near so much since the boys were arrested." Ray now sat down by the fire, talking busily with Betsy, as she went on with her work, or chatting with the children as they played about the floor. Almost before he realized it was noon, the whistle of the mills blew, and a few moments later his father and brother George and the three sisters came in. He was surprised at the cordiality they all manifested, and when they learned he had come to be with them over Thanksgiving, they all looked over at Betsy and laughed. "I have told Ray," she said, "and he says you must all go with him to the chapel to-night." "You will, won't you?" Ray asked, looking around upon all.