(continued)
Seven years passed away, and Sue had quite forgotten about her kind act in giving the rose to the poor convict.
One day there was a terrific explosion in the mine where Sue’s brother worked. Quite a few men were buried far beneath the earth’s surface. Their comrades flocked around the shaft, but even the stoutest hearts shrank from going down into what seemed certain death.
“Let me go, friends,” said an unfamiliar voice, and a stranger, tall and straight, appeared at the mouth of the mine.
“He who ventures down into that place reeking with poisonous gases takes his life in his hand, stranger,” remonstrated the boss.
“I’ll go down, friend, to those men, and if all is well, I will come up to you again with news of them, or send them up one by one alive. If not I can die with them. I was a prisoner once myself and a kind act saved me from dying at my own hand, as I had planned.” Then he went on to tell the story of the rose. After this he was lowered down, down to the bottom of the mine.
It seemed like hours—though it was actually less than twenty mites before the signal agreed upon for the ascending of the cage was given. Much to the surprise of the anxious crowd waiting above, the men who came up, though unconscious, were alive, and soon revived. Others now went to the stranger’s assistance, and the work of rescuing the imprisoned miners was soon completed.
Sue was there to welcome her brother back to life, rescued by the man who years before had blessed her for her kindness. In after days he won Sue’s brother for Christ.
ML-04/01/1962