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Around the World in 88 Years -E Book - Arthur Burt

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One stormy, w<strong>in</strong>try night after I returned to Paddock Wood,<strong>the</strong>re was a bang at my door. I opened it and found Robert andhis girl friend stand<strong>in</strong>g on <strong>the</strong> doorstep.“Can we come <strong>in</strong>?” he asked.“Yes, come <strong>in</strong>,” I answered, stepp<strong>in</strong>g aside. “What are you do<strong>in</strong>ghere?”“We’re runn<strong>in</strong>g for it, <strong>Arthur</strong>,” he confessed. “I’ve left everyth<strong>in</strong>g.I’ve disgraced myself by runn<strong>in</strong>g away with her. Will you take us<strong>in</strong>?”I put <strong>the</strong> girl upstairs with my daughter and gave him a camp beddownstairs while I sought to deal with <strong>the</strong> problem — what do Ido with a runaway couple who have dishonored <strong>the</strong>mselves <strong>in</strong>every way and have come to me for help?This disturbed Bro<strong>the</strong>r Friday. “What is <strong>the</strong> idea of hav<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>m<strong>in</strong> your home?” he challenged me. “You are encourag<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>m <strong>in</strong>s<strong>in</strong>!”“They are not sleep<strong>in</strong>g toge<strong>the</strong>r,” I expla<strong>in</strong>ed. “I am seek<strong>in</strong>g tom<strong>in</strong>ister some wisdom and <strong>the</strong> grace of God to <strong>the</strong>m.”“I can’t have this go<strong>in</strong>g on <strong>in</strong> my house,” he <strong>in</strong>sisted. “I have justreceived a message from <strong>the</strong> police that her fa<strong>the</strong>r is irate and hasthreatened me.“Look,” I said. “I am not encourag<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>m <strong>in</strong> s<strong>in</strong>. I believe <strong>the</strong>grace of God is big enough to deal with this situation. If you arenot prepared to trust me, I am not go<strong>in</strong>g to surrender what Ibelieve for <strong>the</strong> sake of <strong>the</strong> house I live <strong>in</strong>. I will go.”“No you won’t,” Archie countered. “I’ll go.” And he did, resign<strong>in</strong>gas associate pastor of <strong>the</strong> church.In my conversations with <strong>the</strong> runaway girl, I conv<strong>in</strong>ced her <strong>the</strong>truth would set her free. “If you would have truth and take <strong>the</strong>blame, God will meet you.”I put her on <strong>the</strong> tra<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong> London, and she returned to her parents.When she confessed her s<strong>in</strong> before <strong>the</strong> church, a young bus<strong>in</strong>essmancame forward and told her how he had always loved her.He offered to help her <strong>in</strong> any way he could, and he did. Theywere married soon afterward.126

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