on that evening, to which he
received an affirmative answer.

"Will you go?" he asked, addressing himself to Frank.

"Yes; if you wish to have me. It will soon be time to go."

They went to the prayer-meeting, and entered the room just as the
exercises commenced. A good number were present, some of whose faces Ben
recognized, though scarcely any one at first knew him. In the course of
the evening he arose and spoke in a feeling way of his own experience,
referred to his former recklessness in that village, and disclosed his
purpose to become a minister of Christ. Before he sat down, most of
those present recognized the once bad boy, and they were both surprised
and delighted. Frank could hardly believe what he saw and heard. He
never expected that Ben Drake would take such a stand as this; and he
thought much, but said little.

Early the next morning, Frank ran over to inform Nat of the arrival of
Ben, and the fact that he was going to make a minister.

"Going to be a minister!" exclaimed Nat. "I should like to know what can
be found in him to make a minister of."

"Well, he is certainly in the school at Andover, preparing for
college,--if he tells the truth,--and you have no idea how much improved
he is."

"He is deceiving you, Frank. I have no confidence in the fellow. He
always was bad, and he always will be."

"No; he is pious now. I went to the prayer-meeting with him last night,
and he spoke. He spoke well, too, and alluded to his evil ways when he
lived here, and expressed much regret at his course."

"I can scarcely believe it," replied Nat, "though I used to think that
Ben would not be so bad if Sam was out of the way. What has become of
Sam? There is not much danger of his becoming pious, I take it."

"Ben is not inclined to talk very freely about him, but from what we
have learned, the family don't know where he is much of the time."

"How long is it since Ben reformed?"

"Only eight or ten months. Mother says he appears well now, but she
would rather wait to see how he holds out. She is afraid that his early
vicious habits will be too strong for his present good purpose."

"Where is he now?" inquired Nat, becoming intensely interested in the
case. "Is he not coming around to see us?"

"Yes; he will go about some to-day, and go home to-morrow."

Ben called upon many of his old acquaintances that day, so that they had
an opportunity of seeing him, and all were as much surprised as Frank at
th