ought to. Last First-day evening the fellows were building bonfires around the house, which of course is positively forbidden. I did not join in because it was First-day, and I am not quite so bad as to break the Sabbath. But if it had not been Firstday, nothing could have prevented me. Had it been Seventh day night, I should have done it; and then the next evening I would have gone up to the Bible class, like the most consistent fellow here. If I should make any particular profession, it would not seem very consistent, would it? That is where I stand, and where I am afraid I am likely to stand, unless I get stirred up most wonderfully. I am often very much frightened at my position, but it seems I cannot change. My prayers at night are cold, heartless forms, more for this world's good things than for spiritual blessings. I suppose all thee can do is to pray for me, for I know the doctrine of sanctification, and all about it, by heart, so often have I heard it. I know you all say it makes you so much happier, but you did not have it while you were as young as I am."

In this letter, our dear boy stated exactly the difficulties of a young heart, when the subject of entire dedication is urged upon it, and we realized that to him they were actual difficulties, needing very careful and tender dealing. I replied to him therefore very fully, trying to show him that the path of dedication was meant to be one of joy, and not one of hardness and suffering; and that if he would only begin at the right end of it, all would come out happily.

My reply was as follows:

“ELEVENTH-MO. 14th.

But

"MY DARLING BOY:

“I am very glad thee writes to me so freely. I am sorry consecration looks so hard to thee. I know it is natural, and I can sympathize with thy feelings, for I used to feel so myself. But I see plainly where thy mistake is. It is just because thee does not know the joys of God's salvation, and therefore the duties connected with it appall thee. I wish, my precious boy, that thee would just pray now for one thing, that God will give thee the joys of His salvation. I will ask this for thee, and thee must ask it for thyself. It is not a long prayer, and thee can easily remember to say it morning and evening, and when once thy soul is filled with joy, all the rest will come right. Thee is looking at the thing now in a very legal way, and making the gospel out to be bondage. Whereas, really and truly it is the greatest liberty; and one of its chief elements is joy. Frank, the gospel is good news, a blessed story to make people happy, not a sentence to condemn them to hard and sad servitude. Thee never can know all about it until thee gets hold of it at the right end, the end beginning with 'Love, joy, and peace.' Remember these are the first mentioned in that long list of the fruits of the Spirit. Ask for these before thee begins to look forward to the other things. Don't be afraid of the dear Lord; He wants to make thee happy, and will not cut thee off from anything but what would harm thee.'

Dear

I told

In reference to the mistaken ideas of Frank that the Bible never taught that we were to be

taken out of the world by becoming Christians, but only that we were to be kept from the evil in it, that religion was not meant to make us unnatural, nor to turn a boy into an old man. And I assured him that all innocent games and amusements would be just as lawful to him after being consecrated, as before, the only difference being that he could enjoy them with a free conscience and a happy heart.

But as to breaking the rules, I told him it was always unmanly and very foolish, and could win respect from no one; that a law-abiding citizen was always the honored and trusted one, and that the boy who aimed at future positions of confidence must begin, therefore, by being a law-abiding student. And finally I urged him to compare the joys of a consecrated life with the uneasiness and self-reproaches that must necessarily follow a course of disobedience to lawful authority.

It will be seen from our boy's letter that he was always very honest with himself. And in truth he was so careful never to say more than was strictly true, that we often thought his danger lay in the other direction, and that a more free and unconstrained expression of his religious experience would have been more helpful to himself and to others. This careful honesty, however, now renders doubly valuable every after word of his concerning the wonderful victory he so soon realized over the very difficulties mentioned in this early letter. His confessions of what the Lord did for his soul were always behind rather than beyond the reality.

T

CHAPTER V.

HE stirring up which he expressed the need of, came to him not long afterwards, and

came, in the wonderful grace of God, through joy and not through sorrow. Frank's uncle and aunt, Horace J. and Margaret L. Smith, lived at Hestonville, about five miles from Haverford College, and with generous kindness they gave Frank the treat of a party at their house every three weeks on Saturday afternoons. Frank was to invite some of his fellowstudents to accompany him, and I was to take out with me from the city a few of his young cousins and friends to join them.

Our first party was on October 8th, 1870, and was the beginning of a succession of the pleasantest, happiest reunions of young people it was ever my lot to attend. "Uncle Horry" and "Aunt Maggie” made us feel thoroughly welcome and at home, and the merry out-door games in the afternoon, and the evening's innocent amusements in-doors, will never be forgotten by any who shared in them. The little party, who met thus from time to time, called themselves in merriment "Heston-villains," and were drawn to

gether in a close bond of youthful friendship that was to us elders delightful to witness and join in.

It was through these parties, and what grew out of them, that Frank's awakening was to come. Nearly all of the young circle were Christians, and one or two of them were truly consecrated in heart and life to the service of their Lord. And the joyous merriment of their games and their talk seemed never to turn their hearts away from a far deeper interest in the blessed subject of the glorious salvation they had found in the Lord Jesus Christ. The gospel had come to them all, as a piece of good news to make them happy, and not as a code of severe laws to frighten them and make them sad. And the ending to their happy evenings which they all loved the best, was to gather in Uncle Horry's parlors, around the glowing fire, and read the Bible and sing hymns together, followed by a little season of silent waiting before the Lord, in which some of the young voices would be heard breaking the silence in prayer or simple confession. It was the influence of these little meetings which at last effectually awakened our boy.

The first of these occasions however was held in our own parlor in Filbert Street, where we gathered one evening on our return from Hestonville, while waiting for the late train that was to carry our students back to their college. Frank's father proposed our each one telling the present state of our religious experience, and began asking one after another some simple question to draw it out. He turned to Frank first, and our dear boy was thus obliged to come out openly, and declare upon whose side he was, which he ever

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