And God bless you, gentlemen and ladies, and all on us." Every variety of story was told, and, in the exaltation of the hour, the men sang rapturously.

Some of the speakers moved the doctor with terrible pathos.

(I, who chronicle these things, have heard tales which come to me in wild dreams, and make me tremble with pity and terror.) There was no showing off, and even those who used the stereotyped phrase, "When I was in the world," did it with a simple modesty which our learned friend found charming.

Apparently not one of those poor fellows felt a single prompting of conceit, and if their very innermost feeling had been translated it would come out like this: "Brothers, through mercy we've all slipped away from an ugly fate; we're on safe ground; let's hang together and help each other nearer to God, lest we should get adrift and make shipwreck." Lewis was particularly pleased with their kindly mode of talking about backsliders.
"Come, old lads," said one fair-haired Scandinavian, "let's all say a word for poor old Joe Banks.

He's a backslider just now, through that dreadful drink.