The whole church was awakened, ready and eager for work. Men stopped in the street or gathered at the corners to talk of the meetings, to say how the work was going on, to urge attention to the soul's interests, and to plan how best they might reach those yet outside the blessed influence. Women ran in to spend an hour in each other's parlours or kitchens, as the case might be, forgetting that there were such things as ruffles and ribbons, charades and tableaux, while their talk ran upon the love of Christ and the ways of doing his work.
For many weeks the people lived in an atmosphere of prayer, and there was a glorious ingathering. The anxious teacher who had been waiting so long for God's blessing upon her work hoped that now the time had come when the rest of her class should enter the Master's service. It seemed that now when so many were entering in, these could not stay out; and yet, though she watched and prayed, there were no signs of their coming!
Duncan had found the new home life very pleasant. No reproaches (except those of his own conscience) had met him, and his visit to New York was scarcely referred to. For this, he endeavoured to show his gratitude by exemplary conduct. He refrained from grumbling with Jenny, and storming at Nancy when she forgot to keep his breakfast warm; he was oftener prompt in coming down to breakfast, in time for breakfast, in time for prayers; his reports from school were of a higher grade, and so marked was the general improvement that Judge McNair said to his wife—
"You have no idea how that boy has improved. I am quite hopeful that he will turn out well."
"Are you?" replied Mrs. McNair. "I was never otherwise than hopeful of him. But I am very anxious to see him a Christian. I cannot feel at all satisfied with any improvement that falls short of that."
"Can't you persuade him to attend the meetings?" asked her husband.
"I have thus far failed. If I understand his disposition, it will not do to urge him very much—that would drive him the other way. He always has some excuse. I heard Jenny ask him tonight if he didn't want to go with her and Julia Bradford, and he refused flatly."
Mr. McNair looked troubled, but quickly brightened, saying—
"Well, there is One whose pleadings are more powerful than ours, and who knows how to find a way into his heart. We will ask Him to come and plead with our boy."
Oh, what earnest prayers went up from those anxious and waiting hearts! At that very hour, while these were praying for him, Duncan was in his room. He had not had such a fit of ill-humor in a month. He had snapped at Jenny because she asked him to go to church; he had kicked his dog because of Jenny's suggestion of church, and growled at Nancy for the same reason, and here he was snapping and growling at the walls or window curtains, without any earthly excuse for doing so.