It was perhaps a year later that Perry's employer wrote to his brother a letter, from which I copy a sentence or two.
"We have had a precious work of grace in our midst. Of my Bible class of twenty young men, all but two are now professing Christians. One of these two is your young friend, Perry Morse. He seems to linger just on the threshold. He has been attentive and interested, but will not come in. I am pleased with him in a business way. He is honourable and upright. It seems sad that he will imperil his soul by this strange halting."
Not yet was the burden lifted from the heart of the praying teacher.
[CHAPTER XX.]
LEWIE AMESBURY'S CREED.
"Our eyes see dimly till by faith anointed."
HERBERT BRADFORD remained in New York about four months, when he was thrown out of business by the failure of the firm by which he was employed. Again he returned to Westville disappointed.
"I think it is queer, the trouble I have in getting into business," he said to his old friend and companion, Lewie Amesbury. "You never seem to have any trouble of any sort. I wonder what you would do, if you were disappointed and thwarted every time you tried to do anything that seemed likely to amount to something."
"I wonder what you would do, if you were disappointed and thwarted about a dozen little things every day," responded Lewie, laughing. "My life isn't so smooth and easy as you imagine; but I have got into a way of letting go of a good many annoying things, and trying new plans. Maybe I should do the same in more important cases."
"I can't lie around and do nothing," said Herbert, "so I may have to take up something else. Just for the present I am going to help father with a quantity of copying; but this is only to fill up the gap. Have you decided what to do?"