With what consummate tact
had he first offered to Jim's wild spirit the concrete, the simple, the
history of to-day, the things that clearly were of immediate use; and
later--much later, and in lesser degree--the abstruse, the doctrinal.
And when the younger mind of the student came to a place that seemed too
hard, or met a teacher who was deadening in his dullness, it needed but
a little heart-to-heart talk with the strong soul in the robe to brace
him up, to spur him on.

The president soon discovered Jim's love for heroic verse and at once,
by wise selection, made it possible to tie that up with books. When Jim
betrayed his impatience of fine-split doctrines, the president bade him
forget them and read the lives of Luther, Calvin, and Wesley--take in
the facts; the principles, so far as they had value, would take care of
themselves. Such methods were unknown to his former teachers. Such
presentation--vivid, concrete, human--was what he could understand, and
accept with joy.

* * * * *

Two years went by. The first six months seemed slow; The last eighteen
all too rapid. Jim had won his fight, he had more than won, for he was
valedictorian of his class. The graduation class was much like any
other, as the world could see it, yet it differed, too. When the tall
form of the student speaker was left standing alone on the platform,
there were not lacking those who said: "Never before has one gone from
these halls so laden with good gifts; all, all seems showered on him."

In the audience, bound by closer ties than kinship, was one whose heart
was too full for any human utterance. For her it was the crowning of
their lives; had she not helped to make it possible?

After the set programme was over, Dr. Belloc handed to Jim an official
letter. It was a call to be the pastor of the church in Cedar Mountain.
Jim could not see the typed words for his tears and the president took
it from him to read aloud. As he listened to the words Jim's thought
turned to his mother, and in his heart he prayed: "O, God, grant this:
that she may see me now."

Reader of this tale, do you recall the history of Cedar Mountain--how
the church grew strong in the newly given strength? Those of many
diverse churches came, for they said: "We care not what the vessel's
shape that draws the blessed water from the well, so long as it be
always there and the water pure and plentiful." Then came the great gold
strike in