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stouter than when at school; he seemed to feel his importance, for he walked around as one is apt to do whcn the world is going well with him. Be knew me instantly, and we began to tnlk of old times. How was it, I asked him, that the business was his? His answer was a sort of a shock to me, though part of it might have been expected: "After I left school," he said, "my father took me into his business. I be- came his partner, and after fiveyears married the girl of my choice" (which even yon, dear reader, would know, if on any parlor night during our college careers, you could have stepped in and, looking back in the corner, could have seen a tall, dark young man talking earnestly to a little lady with very light hair; I knew who it was at any rate). "After my marriage, my father retired, and so you sec me, head of my own establishment, and," he assured me, "living happily and well." 3. My dream changed. I was standing with a large crowd on a pier waiting the departure of an im- mense steamer, bound for the land of the heathen, China. The crowd ruthlessly pushed me backward and forward until I found myself away hom the main crowd and on the edge of a small group, who with tear-stained faces were bidding farewell to a young woman. Eagerly I stepped forward, to grasp the hand of my classmate, Irma Bevans. She, it seems, had lived an idle, frivolous life for several years past, but having heard the call of the heathen, she had seized the opportunity and was starting on her life work. Irma had always been religiously inclined, and by her goodness and grace 1 fclt sure she would succeed. 4. But why did I loiter here still? Was not one of the class enough for the heathen Chinese? No, for standing silently and alone on the edge of the pier, I discovered Mr. Ward S. Ireland. I was not at all surprised to see him there. nor to learn that he was off for China; for at school we had always associated him in our minds with missionary work. He told 111C he had graduated from the seminary at West- minster, had at first taken active part in Y. M. C. A. work, and had even been raised to the vice-presi- dency of the organization; but, he said, notwithstanding that fact, he felt he was needed in the foreign field. Hence his presence here. I congratulated him on his noble undertaking; also on his having one of his classmates, Irma Bevans, go over with him. He seemed surprised at this, and delighted as well, and I had no doubt that they would have ajolly time together. - - 81 - .
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