Installment thirty

At the end of our previous chapter, Judge Kershaw was explaining that
he had finally been able to understand what brought peace to the heart
of the accused man he had met so long ago.
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Installment thirty:

"Judge, pardon me, but I, too, have found the peace which the young man
had," said Harold Wilson, "and I have found it since coming aboard the
vessel. I have found it in this Sabbath truth which was presented today."
"Young man, I do not doubt you. You are the one, are you not, who is
called 'the man with the marked Bible'?"
"Yes, sir; and I asked Mr. Anderson to read from my marked Bible today."
Judge Kershaw picked up the book and glanced through it. There was
moisture in his eyes.
"Mr. Anderson," he said, "this reminds me of my boyhood, when my parents
sought to lead me to a religious life. Like many boys, I was foolishly inclined
to make light of Christianity; and before I could realize it, my youthful days
had passed, and I found myself graduated from college and entering upon my
professional career without hope. My education only served to crystallize my
early unbelief; and all through the years since, I have seen little or nothing in
the average church or its teachings to cause me to change.
One thought, however, has always followed me - a thought expressed by my
mother. A few days before she died, she called me to her and said: 'Son, I have
not always lived before you as I should, and you have your doubts about
Christianity, but some day, I know not when, you will surely see that God's
word is true, that there are those who have proved it divine. So you will be
led to yield your heart to the Author, and love and serve Him.' This Bible
reminds me of those times so long ago because it is marked as my mother
marked hers. And, strange to say, the Ten Commandments were especially
remembered, even as in this Bible. Mother was a firm believer in every one
of the Commandments of God.
"But think of it! Here I am, an old man of seventy years. It is nearly time for
me to go. Do you suppose this is the hour when mother's prayers should be
answered?"
There was a moment of deep silence. All seemed to realize that a sacred
decision was being made, a decision involving the salvation of a soul, in
answer to a prayer offered by a dying mother a half century ago.
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To be continued...