coffee merchant.

We had a remarkable service at the church that night. A great throng
pressed into the building, and Jose Barretto was the chief usher. I
have never seen a man who could crowd more people into a building than
could he. After the house had been packed there still remained on the
outside a crowd as large as that sandwiched into the building. I
preached the gospel once more, speaking, of course, in all of these
services through an interpreter. When I called for those who would
confess Christ I did not ask them to come forward because there was no
room for them. They stood here and there over the audience until more
than twenty expressed themselves as having accepted Christ and desiring
membership in the church. When one man stood amongst this number I
noticed that Jose Barretto was very deeply moved. His great frame shook
with emotion. I learned afterwards that the man who stood was a police
sergeant, who in the old days had been Jose's confederate in his
political crookedness. That night this man stood acknowledging his sins
and asking for membership in the church. Jose's faithfulness had won
him. Once more we witnessed a marvelous victory of the gospel.

On the very day on which we visited Santo Antonio and were entertained
in the home of our good brother Jose Barretto, this great stalwart
fellow who had been such a violent opposer of Christianity and who had
previously lived such a desperate life, was met on the street by one of
his former schoolmates. His schoolmate chided him for becoming a
Christian and insinuated that Jose's conversion was an act of weakness
and also that he would not hold out very long. He went further to say
many severe things in criticism of the cause of Protestant
Christianity. Jose Barretto replied, "You ought to be ashamed of
yourself for finding fault with the thing which has produced such a
change in my life. You know the kind of character I have been in this
community. You know how violent and sinful I have been and you know at
this time how I am living. A religion which can produce such a change
as this does not deserve ridicule." The man turned and slunk away. In
the meantime, there had gathered around them a number of people,
because they knew how serious a matter it was for anyone to oppose him,
and they expected to see something violent take place that day. Being
emboldened by the mild answer which he gave to his persecutor, others
began to ask questions. Finally one