Thompson, with grim deliberation,--"one year to-day since my son
came home from eating of wine-husks and spending of his substance on
harlots." (The tittering suddenly ceased.) "Look at him now. Char-les
Thompson, stand up." (Charles Thompson stood up.) "One year ago
to-day,--and look at him now."

He was certainly a handsome prodigal, standing there in his cheerful
evening-dress,--a repentant prodigal, with sad, obedient eyes turned
upon the harsh and unsympathetic glance of his father. The youngest
Miss Smith, from the pure depths of her foolish little heart, moved
unconsciously toward him.

"It's fifteen years ago since he left my house," said Mr. Thompson,
"a rovier and a prodigal. I was myself a man of sin, O Christian
friends,--a man of wrath and bitterness" ("Amen," from the eldest Miss
Smith),--"but praise be God, I've fled the wrath to come. It's five
years ago since I got the peace that passeth understanding. Have you got
it, friends?" (A general sub-chorus of "No, no," from the girls,
and, "Pass the word for it," from Midshipman Coxe, of the U. S. sloop
Wethersfield.) "Knock, and it shall be opened to you.

"And when I found the error of my ways, and the preciousness of grace,"
continued Mr. Thompson, "I came to give it to my son. By sea and land I
sought him far, and fainted not. I did not wait for him to come to me,
which the same I might have done, and justified myself by the Book of
books, but I sought him out among his husks, and--" (the rest of the
sentence was lost in the rustling withdrawal of the ladies). "Works,
Christian friends, is my motto. By their works shall ye know them, and
there is mine."