It was Dr. Maxwell who undertook to set this proposition before Mr. Morse. That gentleman's opposition was at first very decided. He had made the proposal which his brother had accepted, and he would much prefer not to retract anything. However, Perry was so averse to the idea, he was willing to promise him a release at the end of a specified time, if he should not become reconciled to it. The truth was, his brother was wealthy, and had offered to do well by his nephew. Perry would be a rich man in a few years, and it was all nonsense this being afraid of a little dirt.
"It is a good deal of dirt instead of a little," laughed the doctor. "Of course that sort of work has to be done, but you must remember that you have always encouraged Perry's fastidiousness, and love of neatness and pleasant surroundings has become a part of his very nature, so that if you insist upon forcing him into such uncongenial work, I really believe it will have a bad influence upon his mental and moral character. Now he has a chance to retrieve the past, and seems ready to make the attempt. I beg of you don't put a straw in his way."
Now Mr. Morse's word had always been decisive in his family. When he said a thing was to be, or not to be, that ended discussion, and he hated to give in. Finally Dr. Maxwell said, "See here, Morse, that boy is not pronounced convalescent yet, and I believe he is under my care. I recommend the air of Nelson. Don't you dare to disobey your family physician!"
"I suppose you'll have your way," said Mr. Morse, laughing a little, and really glad to have the mutter settled. He had been very angry with Perry, and in wrath had fallen upon this plan of punishment, and afterward it had seemed a good thing in a money point of view; so you see he had several reasons for holding on to his idea.
Before his departure, Perry went to bid the McNairs good-bye. This was the first opportunity for that quiet talk which his friend had suggested in her note so many weeks previous, and now they had but a few moments together, and the subject was altogether different from that which she had in mind then.
"Perry," she said, "when you were too ill to know any of us, I stood beside you with a very sad heart. It seemed to me that I must have sadly failed in trying to show you the way to Christ, and I promised God then, that if he would spare you, I would never give up until you came to Christ. Remember always that I am praying for you, that the burden is ever upon me. I know you are going away armed with many good resolutions, but I do not feel that you are safe so long as you trust in yourself."
In the course of a few months, Mr. Morse received from his son fifty dollars to repay Mr. Wynn's loss.
"I have never," he wrote, "used money more to my satisfaction than I do in repaying this. It is a great relief to be able to make retribution. Now I wish I could forget all about that miserable business, but I don't suppose I ever shall. I am perfectly contented here. Mr. McNair expresses himself as very well satisfied with my work, and I think he has considerable confidence in me. I have often wondered if he knew of my reputation. I hardly think he did—at least he has never made the slightest reference to it. You can tell mother that this is a no-license town, and there is not a liquor-saloon within five miles of here."
About this time he wrote to Dr. Myers:—
"MY DEAR FRIEND:—I received your letter the other day. Yes, I am contented here. Harvey went away two months ago. He is a splendid fellow. I can't help thinking that he ought to have been a minister. I said so once, and he replied that Christian merchants were needed. I can tell you, business is done here on Christian principle. I'd just like to tell Mr. Wynn that a man can do a thriving business and be perfectly true and fair. There are three clerks of us, and I don't know what Mr. McNair would say if one of us should sell an article for what it is not, or recommend a thing one bit higher than it will bear. I believe that man loves the truth as he does his own life. The least little bit of a lie would be terrible to him. Mrs. McNair and Emily are very pleasant. Emily is twelve years old. We are reading German together. Her father said I might find it useful, as the German population is very large about here.
"In answer to your question, Am I following Christ? I have to say, not as you mean. I am different from what I was in Westville. I feel that I am changed in many ways. I do not think that I could be induced to taste a bit of liquor, or touch a card, or take a penny that did not belong to me. I do not shun religious people and religious services as I did once. When Harvey was here, I always joined him in reading and prayer, but I know that I am not a Christian. I almost wish I were. But you remember I told you once there was always something to hold me back. I can't tell just what it is now; only I think that if I did start, and then did not follow any closer than some Christians I know, I should not be better off than I am now. I don't want to say anything hard of any one, but I will tell you that I was almost a Christian once, and was turned back by those who profess to be living for Christ. I thought I could do as well as they could any day without being a Christian, and I think so still.
"Now there is Dr. Maxwell. He is not a church member, but how kind and patient he was when I abused him. He took my part all the way through, and I know well enough that I shouldn't be here to-day if it had not been for him. He couldn't be better if he belonged to forty churches. I am much obliged to you for writing to me. I wonder why you were always so kind to us boys?"
"Your friend,
"PERRY MORSE."