the men of Sodom, compassed the
house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter."

And Lot went out and tried to pacify them, but his eloquence and his
pleading were in vain, and they said, "Stand back." And they said
again, "This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a
judge."

[Illustration: "AND LOT WENT OUT AND TRIED TO PACIFY THEM."]

And I imagine there was a great tumult and confusion, angry words,
flashing eyes and an ominous surging to and fro, "and they pressed
sore upon the man, even Lot," but still he pleaded the defense of the
angels, and meanly offered to bring out his two young daughters and
give to the howling mob--but the passion that glowed in the eyes and
trembled in the voices of the raging throng was not a passion to be
allayed by the clasp of a woman's hand, the flash of her azure eye, or
the touch of her lips; and besides, that boisterous, angry crowd
evidently did not believe in the efficacy of vicarious atonement and
they flouted the offer. The uproar increased, curses and maledictions
rung out, the demand for the men grew louder and louder, and at this
perilous moment the angels "put forth their hand and pulled Lot into
the house to them, and shut to the door," and "They smote the men that
were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so
that they wearied themselves to find the door."

And in that crushing moment when eternal darkness fell upon the
multitude the cries of anger and revenge died away, and such a moan
of anguish and despair burst upon the affrighted night that the very
stars in heaven trembled.

Then the angels confided to Lot their dread secret and told him to
warn all his relatives to leave the city with him, and he went out and
told his sons-in-law of the impending calamity, and he "seemed as one
that mocked unto his sons-in-law."

The morning came blue-eyed and blushing, and the angels hastened Lot
and his wife, and hurried them out of the city, saying, "Escape for
thy life: look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plains:
escape to the mountains, lest thou be consumed."

Now if there were any more disreputable people in the cities than
Lot's two young daughters, we don't wonder that the vengeance of a
just God sent a blasting storm of bursting flames to lick with their
fiery tongues these wicked cities from the face of the earth. What
does arouse our wonder is that those fair girls with the devil's
ins