“Does he like to have the Bible read to him?”
“Sometimes; but before his voice failed he was always cryin’ out for the priest. He’s a Catholic, sir, though I’m not wan meself and thinks he can’t be saved unless he sees the priest.”
The stranger took up the Bible, and, turning towards the man, whose bright eyes were fixed earnestly upon him, read, in a low impressive voice, several of those passages in which a free salvation to the chief of sinners is offered through Jesus Christ. He did not utter a word of comment; but he read with deep solemnity, and paused ever and anon to look in the face of the sick man as he read the blessed words of comfort. The man was not in a state either to listen to arguments or to answer questions, so the stranger wisely avoided both, and gently quitted the hut after offering up a brief prayer, and repeating twice the words—
“Jesus says, ‘Him that cometh to Me, I will in no wise cast out.’”
Kate followed him out, and thanked him earnestly for his kindness, while tears stood in her eyes.
“Have you no friends or relations here but him!” inquired the stranger.
“Not wan. There was wan man as came to see us often when we stayed in a lonesome glen further up the Creek, but we’ve not seen him since we came here. More be token he didn’t know we were goin’ to leave, and we wint off in a hurry, for my poor brother was impatient, and thought the change would do him good.”
“Take this, you will be the better of it.”
The stranger thrust a quantity of silver into Kate’s hand, and sprang upon his horse.
“I don’t need it, thank ’ee,” said Kate, hurriedly.