Again the glad pastor said fervently, "Thank God!"
[CHAPTER XVII.]
ALMOST WITHIN.
"He called me once again,
Pleading that He had precious things to say."
VERY soon after it became manifest that the Holy Spirit was in an especial manner present with the people of Westville, the clerks from Mr. Wynn's store began to drop into church after "closing time," which was perhaps half an hour before the dismissal. Soon one and another got leave to go earlier, and at length, finding that almost everybody went to church, the merchants entered into an agreement to close their places of business an hour earlier, that their employes might have the full benefit of the extra services. The interest among that class of young men was very general.
If Mr. Wynn had found it inconvenient to have one earnest Christian clerk in his employ, he was likely to have more trouble of the same sort, for five out of his six clerks came out squarely for Christ. The sixth was Perry Morse. Like the rest he had gone regularly to church, and listened with deep interest to the preaching. Like the rest he had heard the call to forsake sin and follow Christ. For many days he was grave and thoughtful; he slipped into the inquiry meetings, and once in the congregation, he spoke of his desire to become a disciple of Jesus Christ. One evening in particular he was deeply impressed. Mr. Earle had a long conversation with him, saying afterward to Dr. Myers—
"That boy seems almost ready to step in, yet there is something holding him back. If I could only get at it! It will be a sad thing if he comes so near only to draw back."
Since that first evening when Perry went with Nick Turner to Murphy's saloon, he had gone steadily downward, not swiftly—he was too cautious for that—but surely. He had found the allurements of that glittering trap of Satan's quite too strong to be passed over and resisted. He had long been a frequent visitor, and cards and wine had grown as familiar to him as anything connected with his home life, and the excitement of the one and the stimulus of the other seemed almost necessary to his existence. But now for a little time he had withdrawn from this haunt, and was apparently giving his whole thought to the work of seeking God's favour. Still days passed, and he held back. Nick Turner, his old crony, had forsaken the path they had been walking together, and now he was trying to persuade Perry to turn from it altogether.
"I can never forget," he said, "that I was the one to lead you into sin. If I could only undo it all. Perry, won't you break off and come with us?"
"Oh, I don't mind that sort of thing much," replied Perry. "You need not feel any remorse about it. Doubtless I should have found my way there some time. Besides, I can assure you, Nick, it is something else that keeps me from becoming a Christian. There is something stronger than the attractions of Murphy's saloon that holds me back. There, don't ask—you won't find out. I thought I'd tell you, that you needn't be fretting over your share in the work, if I go to the bad wholly."