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"Well, now, that's strange," replied Bradly, "to hear a man talk in that way in our days, when there's scarce a language in the known world that the Bible hasn't been turned into, so that all the wide world own it has been bringing light and peace into thousands of hearts and homes there's no contradicting that; and that's a strange sort of failure summat like old John Wrigley's failure that folks were talking about; he failed by dying worth just half a million."
"Hold fast to that, William," said Bradly, "and you can't go wrong. Just hand me your Bible; I'll show you where to find another text or two as'll suit you well. Eh! What's this?" he cried, as having taken the little book into his hand, he noticed the red-ink lines which were drawn under many of the verses.
So I drew the casement open a little further, and let the Bible fall inside. But in so doing, a ring for which I had a particular value slipped off my finger, and of course I could not recover it without making myself known." Here Thomas Bradly took a little box out of one of his drawers, and handed it to his visitor without a word.
One evening, a few days after the mysterious appearance of the little Bible in his own house, Foster, as he was coming home from his work, encountered Bradly at the open door of the blacksmith's forge with a bundle of tracts in his hand. "Still trying to do us poor sinners good, I see," sneered Foster. "Yes, if you'll let me," said the other, offering a tract.
On the afternoon of the next day after his disclosure of the good news to Jane Bradly, the vicar received a note from herself, asking the favour, if quite convenient, of the company of himself and his sister, Miss Maltby, at a simple tea at Thomas's house.
Next Sunday Foster was at church in the morning, and was there with his wife in the evening, Mrs Bradly having undertaken to look after the baby. As for Bradly himself, his face was a sight worth seeing on that Sunday.
"Please, Mr Bradly, I want you to help me get some situation at a distance from Crossbourne, where I can earn my own living as a teacher.
The drink's been my curse and my ruin; it's done me and mine nothing but harm; and I can see what doing without it has been to you and yours. Give me the pen; I'll sign." The signature was made, and then, while both men knelt, Thomas Bradly poured out his heart in prayer to God for a blessing on his poor friend, and that he might truly give his heart and life to the Lord.
You may be quite sure that if it is in the house they will be quite aware of the fact, and where it is to be found." "You've just hit the right nail on the head, sir," replied Bradly thoughtfully.
All that he found was the unopened envelope and a quantity of waste paper. "This belongs to you, dear Jane," said Bradly, giving her the letter. She shook her head. "I cannot, Thomas," she said. "Oh, do you open it, and read it out," she added imploringly. "Well, I don't know," replied her brother; "I feel just now more like a cry-baby than a grown man.