say a word to the Lord about Billy Bent, I'm a-goin' to do it myself.
It's a bizness I've never bin in, but ther's nothin' like tryin'. This
meetin' 'll cum to order to wunst."

"Hats off in church, gentlemen!" commanded Pentecost.

Off came every hat, and some of the boys knelt down, as Mose knelt
beside the bench, and said:

"Oh, Lord, here's Billy Bent needs 'tendin' to! He's panned out his last
dust, an' he seems to hev a purty clear idee that this is his last
chance. He wants you to give him a lift, Lord, an' it's the opinion of
this house thet he needs it. 'Tain't none of our bizness what he's done,
an' ef it wuz, you'd know more about it than we cud tell yer; but it's
mighty sartin that a cuss that's been in the digging fur years needs a
sight of mendin' up before he kicks the bucket."

"That's so," responded two or three, very emphatically.

"Billy's down, Lord, an' no decent man b'lieves that the Lord 'ud hit a
man when he's down, so there's one or two things got to be done--either
he's got to be let alone, or he's got to be helped. Lettin' him alone
won't do him or anybody else enny good, so helpin's the holt, an' as
enny one uv us tough fellers would help ef we knew how to, it's only
fair to suppose thet the Lord'll do it a mighty sight quicker. Now, what
Billy needs is to see the thing in thet light, an' you ken make him do
it a good deal better than _we_ ken. It's, mighty little fur the Lord to
do, but it's meat an' drink an' clothes to Billy just now. When we wuz
boys, sum uv us read some promises ef you'rn in thet Book thet wes writ
a good spell ago by chaps in the Old Country, an' though Sunday-school