aid the minister, "he passes by, speaking to the soul with
some passage from the Word. Did you never wonder that some portion, some
little sentence from the Bible, should so forcibly impress your mind,
and so cling to you? Perhaps you tried to drive it away so much did it
trouble you, but still it hovered around, and seemed to keep repeating
itself over and over to your heart. Be not deceived. This was Jesus of
Nazareth passing by, waiting for you to say, 'Jesus, thou Son of David,
have mercy on me.'"

Was ever anything so wonderful! How could Mr. Birge have found out
about it--that dreadful night--and the one verse saying itself over and
over again! Then to think that it was Jesus himself calling and waiting.
Could it be possible--was he really calling _him_? And the tears which
had been gathering in Tode's eyes dropped one by one on his hand.

Presently, as he listened, the minister's tones grew very solemn.

"There are none before me to-day who can say, 'He never came to me.'
Sinner, he is near you now, near enough to hear your voice, near enough
to answer your call. Will you call upon him? Will you let him help you?
Will you take him for your Savior? Will you serve him while you live on
earth that you may live in heaven to serve him forever?"

From Tode's inmost soul there came answers to these solemn questions: "I
will, I will, I will."

And there went out from the church that Sabbath day one young heart who
felt himself cured of his blindness by that same Jesus of Nazareth; who
felt himself given up utterly to Jesus, body and soul and life; and
without a great insight as to what that solemn consecration meant, he
yet took in enough of it to feel a great peace in his heart.

"There goes a Christian man, if ever there was one." This said a
gentleman to his companion, speaking of another who had passed them.

Tode overheard it, and stood still on the street.

"A Christian," said he to himself, quoting from a sentence in Mr.
Birge's sermon. "A Christian is one who loves and serves the Lord Jesus
Christ with his whole heart." Then aloud. "I wonder, I do wonder now, if
I am a Christian? Oh, what if I was!" A moment of earnest thought, then
Tode held up his head and walked firmly on. "I _mean_ to be," he said,
with a ring in his voice that meant decision.

Tode was dusting and putting in order a lately vacated room one morning.
He was whistling, too; he whistled a great deal these days, and felt
very bright and