s flowed from his sleepless eyes
and dampened the dry leaves that formed his pillow. He supposed the two
ministers asleep. Their opinion of him was the same. Finally Jake was
astonished to see, in the glimmering light of the moon that stole
through the cracks in the clapboard roof, the two preachers slip from
their bed, and kneel on the floor. His ear caught their whispering
prayers that were heard in heaven. As nearly as he could hear, the
prayers ran something like this: "O Lord, thou didst have a purpose in
sending us through these wooded hills. May we be instrumental in
bringing light and salvation to this lonely cabin. Lord, talk to the
heart of this Mr. Benton, who sleeps on his bag of leaves. Bring
something before his mind that will break up his heart; disturb him even
in his sleep, Lord."

Jake's emotions overwhelmed him and he could keep silent no longer. He
bounded from his bed, crying, "O my God, save me, save me, save me! Oh,
do pray for me now! I am lost! lost! lost!"

Needless to say, the preachers were somewhat shocked, as people often
are when their prayers are answered sooner than they expect. The
convicted herdsman prostrated himself on the floor before the preachers
and poured out bitter tears of repentance. He wept and groaned, and
begged God to save him. But he seemed slow to grasp God's promises. He
prayed till the morning dawned. The preachers prayed with him. Finally,
just as the first grey streaks of the new day began to creep between the
logs, Jake's faith was anchored in God's promises, and the glory of
heaven flooded his soul. In the twinkling of an eye he was made a new
man. His joy knew no bounds. He leaped and shouted, sang and whistled,
and laughed and cried, all for the joy of his new-found treasure.

When breakfast was over and the two ministers had bidden their new
convert a happy farewell, Jake sat down to read his Bible, which the
preachers had given him. His eyes fell upon these words, "Weeping may
endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." (Psa. 30:5).

CHAPTER IV

The anteroom of the post office in a little Ohio town was crowded. The
train had arrived from the west, but it went as soon as it came, for it
did not stop. A scream of the whistle, the rumble of the wheels, and the
mighty monster dashed through the peaceful town at fifty miles an hour.
But the inhabitants were not so interested in the train, for they had
seen it pass in just this fashion year afte