CHAPTER IX.
A STRANGE REQUEST—TOUCHING THE SCEPTRE—SUNDAY DRINKING—CLOSED ON SUNDAY—PLEASANT OPPOSITION—GUILTY TONGUES—A SHARP REBUKE—UGLIER THAN A GORILLA—A KNOTTY QUESTION—POTMAN'S LETTER—THE PUGILIST'S RING—THE BEAUTY OF AGE—RESTING IN PEACE.
The Book in the Bars:
ITS RECEPTION.
"These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the truth with all readiness of mind." Acts xvii. 11.
THIRTEEN years of Christian work in public, coffee, and night-houses, during which time 465 Sunday evenings were spent in the bars, taps, and parlours of these places, gave the Missionary thousands of opportunities to reason with men and women about righteousness, temperance, and a judgment to come. Incidents of interest were of constant occurrence, and we select a few with the object of showing that the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, is mighty to subdue opposition and prejudice, and to accomplish the great purposes of grace.
The Crown and Sceptre.—Upon entering this house one evening, the Missionary found a new landlord behind the bar. As he knew several of the customers, he entered into serious conversation with them, but was stopped by the landlord making the declaration that "it was an abominable thing for a man to talk religion in a public-house;" and then he ordered the intruder to leave. As the man was angry, the visitor went toward the door, merely remarking, "We shall know each other some day, and shall no doubt improve upon acquaintance, as I wish to do you a good turn,—the best thing one man can do for another;" and then he left the house. He had not, however, proceeded far down the street, when two men ran after him, and said that the landlord wished to speak to him. The visitor felt that mischief was intended, but as an opportunity might be presented to secure the good-will of the man, he boldly re-entered the bar. To his surprise, the landlord, with a smile, offered him a number of handbills, and said, "You want to do me a good turn, do you? Well, this is how you can manage it. I am told that you go into all the houses about here, and I want you to put one of these papers into each of your tracts, which will advertise me among the right sort of people." The Missionary read the bills aloud, and could but join in the laughter produced, for they ran thus: "'Crown and Sceptre.' The new landlord begs to inform the public that he has taken this old-established house, and that he sells the best porter at fourpence a quart, and good old Tom at threepence-halfpenny a quartern," etc., etc. The customers considered the request to circulate such bills in religious tracts a good joke, but paused in their merriment to hear the reply of the visitor, who stood with the bills in his hand. That answer was given in the unexpected form of a question addressed to a group of costermongers who were standing at the other side of the bar.
"Do you men over there know what a sceptre is?"
"Never heard nothin' of that 'ere sort of article," was the reply, after some deliberation.