A BAD RELAPSE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2199, 14 August 1889, Page 2

A BAD RELAPSE.

A contributor to the " Auatralaalan ' t tells tbe following story, heard when on a visit to an American divine <■£ great noto ; — Aftar finishing my professional engagement In Ohloago, eays the contributor, I stayed wi<h him a fortnight, and a very pleasant time it was. In tbe evening, over a 0 gar and a glass of wine or lagor beer, he would tell me quaint gtoriea ot his life, or etoriee that he h*d beard. I will repeat one, although it wants hla strong vernacular to give It point. "Ia » Bmall vllltge in iJorkahlre, at the j emotion of a river and a canal, thare lived a wlsked old bargeman, Tha Wesle>ans, Baptists, and Methodists had all pr»yed, worrltd, and striven for the old raaoal'o conversion, but In vain, he w»b B\it down sb ino >rr|glbla. One Sunday mpmtng newa oima to tbe 0 apis that iijo bad had a call In the night from tbe lord, aud he vna w«lt!ng on the barge f>r ail chapel folka to hasten and assist » bia ootiveruion,. The nevta arrived uurlncrietvloe, and the parsons gave forth t'u j.jyful neiin and called open their fljjks ;.ip hasten as noon as the servloe wju o7cr to rejjlce over 'the lost oue s^ved from the furnaoa.' Baptists, Methodists, and Wesieyana followed their pastors. Tbe barga was found with Its noie stuok deep In the ah ore mud, the after part afloa 1 .. Inoorriglb'e Bob was foajdjdtewtdJii.ijiß.Suad^'qlg^evaod 6 b mate the sam ', both with hymrj books ln"th?ir bands. Aa the flicka arrive! they were reoelved on board by tbe two, nnd passed to the after part of the bar^e. There was a alight dispute as to who should have the first prayer. Tho Methodlar. began, then Bob called for a hymn, with a good ' HLalhlujah ' chorus. This was qahkly reßpoi<?oi to. Bob's exoitemmt and fervour Imparted itself to tie whole congregation; they danced with joy ovor tho converted tianor. Gradually the barge lifted its no3e out of the mud, and by tho time the hymn waa ovor it was afloat again, when, to the amaz mant of a! I, Bob flang do w a his book, * 'Stop, Btop the rantin*. I'll ha' no more o 1 this o' my barge ; thou'et converted my barge out o the mad, now thou mun all go to the devil. Skedaddle, or I'll be panon, and baptise theo all in the river." They did not wait for Bob to carry out his threat, but shepherds and flocks scrambled off the bargej and in future left the old sinner in hiß wickedness.