8,,light ,,ho1 ,,sir60                  
8,,light ,,ho1 ,,sir60      ,,by        
,,frank ,t4 ,,bullen    ,,author ,,of   
8,,cruise ,,of ,,the ,,cachalot0        
,illustration      ,,new ,,york         
,,thomas ,y4 ,,crowell  ,,co4           
,,publishers            ,copyright1     
#aija1    ,by ,,thomas ,y4 ,,crowell    
,,company4          ,,contents          
,,page      ,,light ,,ho1 ,,sir6        
#g      ,,my ,,night ,,watch ,,is ,,over
      #ba          8,,light ,,ho1       
,,sir60      ,those people who are      
always striving to trace back to a man's
 early  training or surroundings the    
real reason for any startling change in 
his life after he has long grown up1 and
 do not believe in what the  ,bible     
calls the ,new ,birth1 must often be    
sorely puzzled4 ,they seek  for that    
which they wish to find1 and often      
ignore any evidence which  militates    
against their preconceived theories4    
,yet the majority of  them would be     
horrified were they told that this      

method of research is  dishonest and    
misleading4    ,but in spite of what    
people may feel about the matter1 it is 
of no  use blinking the fact that very  
much of the so-called scientific        
investigation 7which is not commercial7 
that is pursued to-day is  tainted with 
this radical defect4 ,especially is this
 so in matters of  inquiry into         
religious experience4 ,there are many   
exceedingly clever  and well-educated   
persons who would have their readers    
believe that in  all cases where a man  
or woman has become a ,christian1 and   
from serving  the devil has turned and  
consistently served ,god1 the change has
 been  due to early impressions1 which1 
accidentally encrusted over for a  term1
 have been suddenly revived in all their
 pristine force1 and have  compelled the
 mind back into the channels in which it
 was originally  taught to move4        
,now1 if this were all that these       
reasoners said1 one might remind  them1 
or inform them gently1 that they were   

only partially right--that  while it is 
undoubtedly blessedly true that early   
influences for good  do exert themselves
 most forcefully and unexpectedly in    
after years  in a large number of cases1
 yet it is most untrue and              
,god-dishonoring  to suggest that       
,christianity is purely a matter of     
education1 of  environment1 of a long   
acquaintance with religious persons and 
matters4  ,so far from this being the   
case1 it is a truism with ,christian    
workers  that very frequently their most
 hopeful converts have been those who   
never heard the ,gospel before1 or at   
least had never listened to it  with the
 slightest attention1 even though they  
may have actually caught  the tones of  
the preacher's voice4 ,to such simple   
ones the ,water of the  ,word of ,grace 
comes like the monsoon rains upon the   
burnt-up breadths  of ,india1 causing   
the apparently dead soil to put on at   
once a glorious  garment of living      
green1 life-giving1 life-sustaining1    

beautifying and  blessing all around it4
    ,one of the most striking instances 
of this wonderful work of ,god in  the  
soul that has ever come under my notice 
is that of a sailor who1  strange as it 
may seem to-day1 had never1 until the   
time of which ,i  speak1 received the   
remotest idea of the relations of ,god  
to man1 and  had not the faintest       
conception of religion of any kind4     
,born in the  squalid slums of a        
,lancashire town nearly sixty years ago1
 he became  at a very early age a waif  
of the streets1 losing all recollection 
of  who were his parents1 as they had   
forgotten all about him4 ,it is hardly  
possible to conceive of a mind more     
perfectly desert than was ,john         
,wilson's4 ,reading and writing were of 
course out of the question1 and  it is  
probable that any mental operations that
 went on in his dark mind  were more    
nearly related to brute instincts than  
to any of the ordinary  processes of    
human reasoning4    ,now it is no part  

of my present plan1 even if ,i had the  
necessary  material1 to trace ,johnny's 
career from the gutters of ---- until he
  found himself in the position of boy  
on board a ,north ,country collier      
brig1 being then1 as he supposed1 about 
thirteen years of age4 ,by some         
inherited tenacity of constitution he   
had survived those years of  starvation1
 cold1 and brutality1 and was1 upon     
going to sea1 like a  well-seasoned     
rattan1 without an ounce of superfluous 
flesh upon him1  and with a capacity for
 stolid endurance almost equalling a    
,seminole  ,indian4    ,of kindness he  
knew nothing1 and had any one shown him 
any  disinterested attention1 he would  
have been as alarmed as are the birds   
in a ,london garden when a lover of them
 goes out to scatter crumbs4  ,he would 
have suspected designs upon his liberty1
 or something worse4  ,of the treatment 
he endured on board those ,east ,coast  
colliers ,i do  not dare to speak at    
present4 ,the recital would1 ,i know1   

arouse an  almost frantic feeling of    
resentment that such things should have 
been  possible such a handful of years  
ago1 and readers would forget that1  by 
the blessing of ,god1 men's hearts      
to-day1 even in the lowest strata  of   
our society1 have been marvellously     
softened towards children4 ,he  learned 
many things on board those ships1 he    
told me1 but1 so far  as he knew1 not   
one that was good4 ,blasphemy1          
drunkenness1 cruelty1  debauchery--all  
these he became an adept in as he grew  
up1 and besides  he knew every          
conceivable trick by means of which he  
could shirk duty  and shift it on to the
 shoulders of others4    ,at last he    
reached the dignity of able seaman1 but 
,i can bear witness  that a less useful 
able seaman than he never darkened the  
door of a  shipping office4 ,and why8   
,because he had devoted all his low     
animal  cunning to the avoidance of     
learning anything1 lest he should be    
compelled to put it into practice1 at   

the cost of some trouble to  himself2   
and what he was compelled to know he    
purposely practised as  badly as        
possible1 so that he should seldom be   
called upon to do it4  ,briefly1 and in 
order to put the finishing touches to   
this unattractive  picture1 he was      
almost as perfect a specimen of unmoral 
animal as any  course of training for   
the purpose of producing such an        
undesirable  human being could have     
resulted in4    ,in this manner he      
passed the years of his life up to the  
age of thirty1  drifting1 like a        
derelict log1 from ship to ship1 and    
from shore to  shore1 all round the     
world4 ,he was conversant with the      
interiors of  most of the seaport jails 
in the world1 for when under the        
influence  of drink he was a madman1    
only to be restrained from doing deeds  
of  violence by force1 and utterly      
careless of the consequences of any  of 
his actions4 ,at last1 in the course of 
his wanderings1 he came to  ,calcutta1  

and was enticed by a shipmate up to the 
,sailors' ,rest in the  ,radha ,bazaar  
one ,sunday evening1 when he had neither
 money nor credit  wherewith to get     
drink4 ,his shipmate was a ,christian of
 very brief  experience1 but he had the 
root of the matter in him1 and knew that
  the next best thing to preaching the  
,gospel one's self was to bring  one's  
friends in contact with some one who    
could4 ,so it came about that  ,harry   
,carter1 finding ,johnny wandering about
 the bazaars aimlessly and  hungrily1   
proposed a feed to him1 and by that     
means got him into the  ,rest1 where1   
after his hunger was appeased1 ,harry   
succeeded in keeping  him until the     
evening meeting4    ,at that time the   
meetings were conducted by two ,american
 missionaries  to whom it was a perfect 
delight to listen1 as they told in      
quaint  language1 loved and comprehended
 by sailors1 the wonderful story of  the
 coming of ,jesus to save poor fallen   
man4 ,theirs was not preaching  in a    

general way--every man in their presence
 felt that he was being  individually   
conversed with1 felt that the story of  
the ,cross was a  simple narration of   
absolute fact1 no mere theory of        
mysterious import1  which only men and  
women who were specially selected and   
educated for  the purpose could ever    
hope to understand4 ,they told the      
wonderful tale  in manly fashion1       
letting the ,god-given message just flow
 through them  on its way from their    
,father to their brethren4    ,and      
,johnny sat with eyes astare and mouth  
agape1 as the straight1  brave1 certain 
words sank into his awakening mind4     
,wonder1 incredulity1  shame--all       
struggled within him1 all newly born1   
for it could hardly be  said with truth 
that he had ever realized any of these  
emotions before4    ,at last the speaker
 said3 8,oh1 my dear boys1 some of you  
here have  never known what it is to    
have a friend1 yet there has been a     
,friend by  your side always1 only      

begging you to be a friend of ,his4     
,some of you  have never had a home1 yet
 this ,friend has been for nearly two   
thousand  years preparing a home for you
 that is beyond all your hopes1 beyond  
everything that you can imagine4 ,some  
of you have never in your lives  had any
 real joy2 this ,friend has in ,his     
right hand for you pleasures  for       
evermore1 and in ,his presence there is 
fulness of joy4 ,he can and  will do for
 you exceeding abundantly above all that
 you ask or think4  ,all these wonderful
 privileges may be yours for the taking2
 you haven't  even to ask for them--only
 say that you will accept them40        
,other sweet words followed1 but ,johnny
 hardly heard them4 ,in his  dark soul  
there was such a turmoil as he had never
 before known4  ,new needs1 new desires 
were struggling for expression1 and when
 the  preacher dismissed his            
congregation with the earnest invitation
 for  any to remain behind who felt they
 would like to know more about this     

wonderful gift1 ,johnny sat still in his
 place with wide1 starting eyes         
following every movement of the         
preacher4    ,at last that good man1    
passing from bench to bench1 came to    
,johnny1 and  at once saw that here was 
no ordinary seeker after peace4 ,laying 
one  arm tenderly across ,johnny's bowed
 shoulders1 and with the other hand     
taking one of the seaman's gnarled and  
knotted hands1 the missionary  said1    
8,brother1 let ,him have you4 ,he wants 
you to be happy1 ,he does  want your    
love4 ,jesus1 gentle ,jesus1 died for   
you that you might be  happy with ,him  
for all eternity40    ,with a vehemence 
that was startling ,johnny turned and   
said1 8,does ,he  know me80    8,yes1   
better than you do10 said the preacher4 
8,and ,he's got all these things for me8
 ,i'll work all the rest o' th'  voy'ge 
but what ,i'll have this--,i don't care 
what it costs me1 ,i'll  have it4 ,you  
see if ,i don't4 ,i know now it's what  
,i been wantin' all my  life40          

8,gently1 my dear brother10 said the    
preacher1 8you can't buy it4 ,he  bought
 it with ,his blood to give it to you1  
and you can't pay anything  for it40    
8,why1 ,i never had anythink give me in 
my life10 said ,johnny4 8',t ain't      
right4 ,everythink's got ter be paid    
for1 and ,i'm going ter pay for  this4  
,i'm no beggar1 if ,i am a bit of a     
thief when ,i gets the chance40    ,now1
 strange as it may seem1 the hardest    
task that man of ,god had on  that      
occasion was to convince this poor white
 savage that the gift of  ,god was a    
gift4 ,gladly1 joyfully1 would he have  
sold himself into a  long slavery to    
have purchased what he felt he must     
have1 yet for a  long time he would not1
 could not1 believe that it was 8without
 money  and without price40 ,at last    
despairingly he said3 8,oh6 won't ,he   
take a  shillin' for it8 ,i got one in  
my chest1 a lucky shillin' with a hole  
in  it ,i've had for years4 ,let me go  
aboard an' get it40    ,at last1 with   

great difficulty1 he was convinced that 
buying salvation  was impossible1 but   
impressed with the fact that he himself 
was from  henceforth bought with a      
price1 even the precious blood of the   
,son of  ,god4 ,and while the weary     
evangelist was still toiling to explain1
 the  ,lord took the matter in ,his own 
hands4 ,and presently a joyful shout    
burst from ,johnny's lips3    8,light   
ho1 sir6 ,i sees it all4 ,he's got me1  
an' ,he'll never let me go4  ,oh6 why   
didn't ,i know of this afore80    ,he   
was a saved man4 ,let those argue who   
will1 dispute who can1 ,johnny  ,wilson 
was a standing proof of the power of    
,god to save the most  ignorant1 the    
most callous of the sons of men4 ,from  
that day forward1  without any more     
teaching1 save what he could get from   
any one who  would read the ,gospels to 
him1 he grew in grace4 ,he was no more  
trouble  aboard4 ,his work was always   
done to the best of his ability1 and you
  could safely trust him to work by     

himself1 for1 as he said3 8,my ,jesus   
is alonger me alwus40    ,oh1 but he was
 a real saint6 ,nothing could move him4 
,he used to be  hated by everybody--now 
he became the spoiled child of the      
fo'c'stle1  at least in intent1 for     
really he was unspoilable2 but all      
hands1 no  matter what they thought1    
conspired to love ,johnny4 ,and when on 
the  subsequent voyage he died of a blow
 received in falling from aloft1  all   
hands gathered round his bunk1 to hear  
from him the story that had  transformed
 his life4 ,he gushed it out with his   
latest breath3    8,jesus ,christ1      
,god's ,son1 come down from heaven to   
look for me an' make  me happy4 ,i      
wasn't worth a rope-yarn to anybody1 but
 ,he come and found  me1 an' made me so 
glad4 ,an' now ,i'm a-goin' ter see     
,him4 ,dear ,jesus  ,christ1 the friend 
of pore devils like me40          8,,my 
,,night ,,watch ,,is ,,over0            
8,,my ,,night ,,watch ,,is ,,over40     
,a ,,sailor',s ,,conversion4            

,sitting upon the capstan in the centre 
of the fo'c's'le-head of a huge         
four-masted ship rushing swiftly along  
the wide1 wild stretch of the  ,southern
 ,ocean1 bound to ,england round ,cape  
,horn1 a young able seaman  in the prime
 of life was engaged in the unusual     
mental exercise for  seamen of          
meditating upon ,god4 ,his name does not
 matter2 it must be  sufficient to say  
that he was brought up in a respectable 
middle-class  home in the north of      
,england1 one of a family of            
seven1--four boys and  three girls4 ,he 
had been christened at the parish       
church1 attended  ,sunday-school and    
family prayers with the utmost          
regularity1 and had  been confirmed at  
an early age4 ,in spite of occasional   
outbreaks of  wildness1 he had won      
prizes for exemplary conduct at         
,sunday-school1  and had felt1 with the 
mistaken idea of so many1 when he       
received them1  as if somebody were     
trying to bribe him to give up all the  

fun in life  and become a strait-laced1 
long-visaged humbug4 ,but he also felt1 
thank  ,god6 that in his life there were
 two solid facts that could never  be   
explained away1 standing up like        
bastions of native rock in his          
life1--the love of his mother and the   
kindness of his father4    ,all that he 
heard in church and ,sunday-school was  
readily relegated  by him to the        
category of things that ought to be     
done1 even if you  couldn't see the use 
of them2 but as to trying to understand 
them1  well1 that was the merest        
nonsense4 ,not that he ever put these   
thoughts  and feelings into words1 but  
they were none the less real to him4    
,then1 suddenly1 without any previous   
preparation discernible by him1 a       
foreign element came into his life4     
,coming home from the village school    
one afternoon 7he was then thirteen     
years old71 he met a bronzed1           
weather-beaten man who inquired of him  
the way to a neighboring town2  and as  

that way for some little distance       
happened to be his own1 they  walked    
together4 ,within ten minutes the boy   
had imbibed from the  wayfarer an       
intense desire to go a-roving4 ,for the 
weather-beaten  stranger was a sailor   
returning home after an absence of many 
years2  and the plain recital of his    
adventures1 without any attempt to      
enhance  their interest1 fired the      
country boy's blood to such an extent   
that  his breath came in short gasps1   
and he gazed at the seamed and sunburnt 
face beside him as if he could see in it
 some reflection of the  wondrous scenes
 through which it had passed apparently 
unheeding4 ,they  parted2 but the boy1  
his brain all in a ferment with wonder  
and desire1  returned to his home as one
 that treads the clouds4 ,and that night
 he  waylaid his father1 saying         
stammeringly3 8,dad1 ,i want to go to   
sea40    ,now the father1 although a    
home-keeping man1 had long faced the    
probability of losing his nestlings as  

soon as they felt their wings  growing1 
the more since he knew well that        
opportunities for their  attaining any  
position worth considering in the small 
town of their  birth would almost       
certainly be wanting4 ,moreover1 he had 
a severe  struggle to keep them in      
comfort on his very small though        
constant  earnings1 and any lightening  
of his burden1 even though in the       
process  his heart-strings were         
strained1 was to be welcomed4 ,but as   
each child  had been born to him he had 
commended it unreservedly to the care of
  his ,heavenly ,father1 whose love to  
him had been the pivot of his own  life 
ever since he was sixteen years old4    
,and so it came about that1  after a    
touching scene with his mother1 the boy 
was helped to his  desire1 and by the   
most heroic efforts on the part of his  
father he  found himself1 six months    
after giving utterance to his wish1 a   
member  of the apprentice portion of the
 crew of a huge four-masted ship1 bound 

from ,liverpool to ,san ,francisco4     
,his first month at sea was a revelation
 to the country-bred lad4 ,in  place of 
the home hedged in by love1 into which  
the foulnesses so  prevalent in great   
cities never penetrated1 he found       
himself met at  every point by profanity
 and worse4 ,in place of having all his 
bodily  needs cared for1 all the        
decencies of life made easy for him1 he 
was  left to his own ignorant devices1  
and all the dreadful consequences  of   
being his own master in his own time    
descended upon him without  warning4    
,the captain was a careless1 callous    
man1 who only looked upon  the          
apprentices as an inefficient supplement
 to a scanty crew4 ,and  while he worked
 them mercilessly in consequence1 he    
found it no part  of his duty to look   
after the welfare of either their bodies
 or their  souls4    ,under this        
treatment the boy soon became a finished
 young blackguard  in thought1 and so   
soon as the opportunity arrived to put  

the evil  theories he had so readily    
absorbed into practice1 he flung himself
  into all forms of evil within his     
reach with a recklessness and zest  that
 were horrible to contemplate4 ,finally1
 he ran away from his ship  in company  
with an older apprentice1 breaking his  
indentures1 and  cutting off definitely 
the last hold his home had upon him4    
,a wild time of sin1 suffering1 and     
sorrow followed4 ,yes1 sorrow2          
although1 in the same ,spartan fashion  
practised by so many thousands  of      
wanderers like himself1 he concealed it 
under an assumption of  utter           
indifference1 utter godlessness4 ,at    
last1 when in the throes of  a prolonged
 debauch he was staggering along one of 
the lowest streets  in ,callao1 he was  
seized by a gang of predatory ruffians1 
beaten out  of what little sense he had 
left1 and conveyed on board an ,american
  ship bound thence to ,england4 ,this  
is the process called by seamen         
8,shanghai-ing40    ,it would be        

impossible to convey to people living   
sheltered lives on  shore how terrible  
were the physical sufferings of the poor
 lad now1  bruised from head to heel1   
shaking from illness brought on by his  
excesses1 yet compelled to toil in      
superhuman fashion under pain of  being 
savagely beaten again4 ,but he felt no  
repentance1 he only cursed  his 8luck10 
and dumbly endured1 as seamen do4 ,then 
one night1 during  the keeping of his   
lookout1 one of his watchmates whom he  
had hitherto  despised as a mild1       
say-nothing-to-nobody sort of a duffer1 
came  quietly up on to the forecastle   
head1 and1 standing near him1 gazed     
steadfastly out upon the loneliness of  
the midnight ocean1 for some  time      
saying not a word4 ,the full moon had   
just emerged from a dense  black cloud1 
driving before her1 apparently1 the     
darkness that had  so recently reigned1 
and paling the lustrous stars with her  
glorious  radiance1 while every tiny    
wavelet rippling the peaceful sea became

  instantly edged with molten silver4   
,and the influence of the hour1 amid    
all the eternal immensity of the        
environment1 made for breathless awe1   
silent involuntary worship of the unseen
 yet palpably present ,god4    ,suddenly
 the new-comer spoke quietly1 yet with a
 certain force1 as if  unable to hold   
his peace any longer4 8,jemmy1 lad1     
don't ye feel as if  we was a-sailing   
inter the very presence of ,almighty    
,god--as if ,he  wanted t' show men 'at 
won't think1 how glorious ,he is1 an'   
how great  is ,his peace80    ,there was
 no reply1 but as the speaker paused to 
look for the effect  of his words1 he   
saw glittering in the moon-ray two big  
drops stealing  down ,jemmy's           
sorrow-seamed young face4               
,immediately the ,christian1 following  
his ,master's example1 took a quick     
stride to the youth1 and laying his hand
 upon the trembling shoulder1  said     
softly3 8,dear boy1 let 'em run4        
,they're a sign that your heart  ain't  

got too hard yet to feel the sweet      
influence that ,god puts out to  win    
,his wandering ones back4 ,but if       
there's anything ,i can do to help  you1
 do let me1 won't you80    ,he came     
nearer as he spoke1 until his arm was   
round ,jemmy's neck4 ,and  then he      
waited patiently until the broken words 
came3 8,i--,i--feel so  miserable4 ,i've
 forgotten my mother and father1 my home
 and my ,god4 ,but  p'raps ,i never knew
 ,him40    8,no1 dear boy1 ,i don't     
suppose you ever did2 but now is your   
time to  know ,him4 ,he's been waiting  
for your proud heart to bend down and   
own that it wants ,him--can't do without
 ,him4 ,oh1 ,jemmy1 how ,he loves  you6 
,your mother and father love you1 and   
are heartbroken over you1  no doubt1 but
 ,he1 your ,father ,god1 loves you from 
everlasting to  everlasting1 and spared 
not ,his own ,son1 that you might be    
made welcome  to ,his peace1 that you   
might know how happy a child of ,god can
 be who  has found out from ,god        

,himself how much ,he is longed and     
waited for40    ,the speaker paused for 
breath1 for his energetic outburst had  
so  carried him away that he was like a 
man who had been running a race1  and as
 he did so ,jemmy said shyly1 and in a  
low voice3 8,how did you  know that ,i  
was wishing with all my heart that in   
some way1 somehow1 ,i  might get my soul
 put right1 that ,i was longin' for a   
message from ,god1  without any idea how
 it was to come80    ,there was a happy 
ring in the ,christian's voice as he    
answered3 8,me  know8 ,i don't know     
anything1 except that ,god the ,father  
is my ,father1  that ,god the ,son is my
 ,saviour1 who died that ,i might live1 
and that  ,god the ,holy ,ghost1 whose  
work it is to impress these wonderful   
matters  on men's hearts1 is always at  
hand arranging the time1 the messenger1 
and the message4 ,he found me as ,he    
finds you--hopeless1 heart-sick1  hungry
 for peace and love2 and as soon as ,he 
made me feel my need of  ,him ,he had   

some one there to tell me the glad      
story40    ,then and there ,jemmy slid  
down to his knees1 and lifting his      
streaming  face to heaven he murmured1  
8,o ,god my ,father1 forgive me my sins1
 and  make me what ,i ought to be4 ,dear
 ,jesus1 put your own precious life into
  me and drive the unclean life out4 ,i 
do believe in you1 my ,saviour1  because
 you compel me to by your love4 ,teach  
me your way--,i'll make it  mine4 ,bless
 my poor father and mother at home1 and 
let me get back and  comfort them2 and  
bless this dear brother here who you've 
made use of  to tell me1 for ,christ's  
sake4 ,amen40    ,deep and solemn was   
the response from his new-found friend  
kneeling  beside him4 ,as they rose from
 their knees ,jemmy reached for his     
hand1  and clasping it in both of his   
own1 said brokenly1 8,how real and true 
all comes back to me now1 what ,i heard 
when ,i was a little chap at home  and  
at ,sunday-school6 ,how can ,i ever     
thank ,god enough for sending you  to   

me8 ,but how silly ,i must have been not
 to see it before6 ,oh1 thank  ,god1    
thank ,god ,i see it now6 ,god my       
,father waiting for me1 ,christ my      
,saviour knocking at my heart1 and the  
,comforter sending you into this  place1
 on to this fo'c's'le-head at the right 
minute to give me the  right word40     
8,eight bells0 rang out clearly from the
 tiny bell aft1 and as ,jemmy  hastened 
to strike the big bell responsively he  
murmured3 8,thank ,god my  night watch  
is over--the morning has come40         
,thenceforward he and his brother in the
 ,lord were inseparable1 whenever  it   
was possible for them to enjoy the      
communion they both needed4  ,their     
heavy tasks on board remained really the
 same1 but they did not  feel them4     
,they worked cheerfully as unto ,god1   
upheld by ,his wonderful  sustaining    
power1 and everything around and about  
them seemed changed  for the better4    
,so it is when1 after long buffeting the
 gale that is blowing fair for  home1   

because the captain is uncertain of his 
position and dares not  run before it1  
the pilot comes on board1 orders the    
helm to be put  up1 and the good ship   
fleeing homeward with a fair wind seems 
to have  suddenly sprung into fine      
weather4 ,jesus1 the ,heavenly ,pilot1  
comes on  board of a man and takes      
charge1 bringing light for darkness1 joy
 for  misery1 and1 embracing all these1 
the peace of ,god which passeth all     
understanding4    ,night after night    
found ,jemmy as we found him at the     
beginning of this  story1 day after day 
saw him sturdily and more deeply digging
 into the  treasure of the ,word1 until 
that blessed day when with his beloved  
chum  at his side he burst into the old 
home1 to receive that welcome that  only
 a loving mother and father can give to 
a son restored to them by  ,god's mercy 
in answer to many prayers4              
,,transcriber',s ,,notes3               
,italicized text is surrounded by       
underscores3 italics4                   

,inconsistencies in hyphenation have    
been standardized4