human
You all know me, mates?
gpt
Ay, they all exclaimed,
human
Ay, jist so, said Joe, feeling more at ease now that the ice was broken;
gpt
Come, old boss, we ain't a-blamin' yer; so don't begin a ballyraggin' yoursel' in that way,
human
Facts is stubborn, though, went on Joe,
gpt
Well, I'm hanged, said the man who had before spoken,
human
I 'spects so, no doubt, but I'm not good at 'splainin'; but it 'pears to me, mates, as how we ain't got hold o' life by the right end.
gpt
Yer mean _us_, Joe?
human
Well, p'raps I do. Yer don't git much comfort in this life, and yer ain't preparin' for a better life. Don't stop me; but I used to think that heaven wern't for me, and for lots o' us poor chaps--that we didn't belong to the elect; but, bless yer, lads, I know now, that the elect are everybody as likes. We are all God's children, an' He loves us all, the bad 'uns as well as the good 'uns, an' He's promised pardon an' heaven to whosoever will. Let me tell 'e lads, how it came about. A little girl an' her brother comed an' axed me to let 'em warm theirselves by my fire one pinchin' cold night. A purtier little critter than little Nelly never breathed, wi' her great round eyes an' sweet mouth. I seem to see her now, though she's asleep in her grave. Well, when her father druv 'em from home, I got a place for 'em wi' Betty Barker. An' Betty used to read to 'em out o' the Testament. An' then they got into a chapel, an' heerd a couple o' sermons--leastaway Nelly did; the lad were asleep durin' the preachin'. Well, you can't tell how eager that little gal became to know more about the Saviour, an' heaven, an' all the rest o' it. An' she used to come an' ax me all sorts o' questions. Bless yer, that little girl had real speretuel insight; she used to floor me complete. I never heerd sich posers as she used to put sometimes. But I tell 'e, mates, every one of the questions helped to lead me out o' the darkness into the light. Day after day it got clearer, an' yet I doubted. I spoke the promises to the little gal, and yet I were afeard to take 'em mysel'. I had a vision, too, one night, an' that helped me amazin'. But not until my little Nell was dyin' did I see clear. The nurse said to me what she seed the little gal wanted to say, an' that took down the last shutter, an' the light streamed in. I can't tell yer all the joy, lads, I've felt, but for a long time I kept it all to mysel'. But the Lord has showed to me how selfish I've been, an' now I want for everybody to get close to the Saviour.
gpt
But there's wussur chaps 'n us goin'.
human
Ay, that's true, lad, said Joe;
gpt
I dunna think He ken love us very much, said one of the men sullenly,
human
Well, lads, replied Joe thoughtfully,
gpt
I 'fess I can't 'splain all. An' the Book tells us how we on'y see through a glass darkly. We looks at life an' the world an' everything through a smoked glass, an' it all 'pears dark. But I tell 'e, lads, this I know, that God loves us, ay, loves us, and He'll make everything right and square by-and-bye, if we will only leave it wi' Him.
human
I dunna see much sign o' the love anywheres,
gpt
P'r'aps so, said Joe.
human
But yer see, mates, as how sin an' the devil have comed in th' world, an' they's made terrible mischief, terrible, and many o' us 'as bin 'elping the devil all we could, an' so between us we's got oursels into a queer scrape, an' piled misery an' sorrow o' top o' our 'eads. But God loved us so much that He sent the Saviour to take away our sin an' make us free. An' yet all the time we complain as if our Father made all the mischief an' trouble, when most o' us 'as a-made it oursels.
gpt
Ay, that's true, lad,
human
Course it are true, said Joe, brightening up.
gpt
An', besides, it may be a good thing for us to be kep' poor an' 'ave plenty o' 'ard work. The Lord knows best, you may depend on 't, what's best for us; lots of us couldn't stand riches, 't would be the greatest curse we could 'ave. I b'lieve if you place some people on a hoss they'd ride to the devil, but if you were to keep 'em in clogs they'd plod on all the way to Paradise.
human
It's 'nation 'ard, though, said several of the men,
gpt
Ay, lads, said Joe,
human
But how is we to do it, Joe?
gpt
Well, let's begin by axin' the Lord for pardon for all the past, an' for strength to do better for the future.
human
I will not let Thee go until Thou bless me. Promise after promise crowded into his mind with more rapidity than he could utter them; until at length, overcome by his feelings, he cried out,
gpt
I canna doubt, I canna doubt no more!