Scripture Verse

Introduction

Anecdote

During a re­vi­val in a fe­male se­mi­na­ry in Mas­sa­chu­setts, many of the pu­pils had shown the na­tur­al en­mi­ty of the car­nal mind to spir­it­ual things.

Helen B— was among those who no­ticed the Spir­it’s work on­ly by a curl­ing lip and scorn­ful laugh. It seemed in vain to talk with her or seek to in­duce her to at­tend a pray­er meet­ing. Chris­tians could do no­thing more than to pray for her.

One ev­en­ing, how­ev­er, as a pray­ing band had ga­thered, the door op­ened, and Hel­en B— en­tered. Her eyes were down­cast, and her face was calm and ve­ry pale. There was some­thing in her look which told of an in­ward strug­gle.

She took her seat si­lent­ly, and the ex­er­cis­es of the meet­ing pro­ceed­ed. A few lines were sung, two or three pray­ers of­fered, and then, as was their cus­tom, each re­peat­ed a few vers­es of their fa­vo­rite hymn.

One fol­lowed an­oth­er in suc­ces­sion un­til it came to the turn of the new­com­er. There was a pause and a per­fect si­lence, and then, with­out lift­ing her eyes from the floor, she com­menced:

I was a wan­der­ing sheep,
I did not love the fold.

Her voice was low, but dis­tinct; and ev­ery word, as she ut­tered it, thrilled the hearts of the list­en­ers. She re­peat­ed one stan­za af­ter an­oth­er of that beau­ti­ful hymn of Bo­nar, and not an eye save her own was dry.

Nutter, p. 161