This my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found" (Luke 15:24).

An English family had become very earnest Christians and had started a mission hall in the village. They also held a family meeting for prayer on Wednesday afternoons for members of the family, and especially for the eldest son—at that time the family prodigal, literally spending his substance on "riotous living" in the "far county" in Australia.

A great letter writer, he delighted to recount his excesses in long, weekly epistles. In spite of many prayer meetings, those letters, distressing in their tone, continued, and the mother and daughters began to fear that their prayers were unheard, when suddenly a miracle took place. It appears the boy lived some twenty miles from the post town, and when he had written his weekly letter, he would always ride his horse through the bush to post it, returning the next day.

One afternoon they had just gotten their weekly letter, full of his worldly adventures, when his sisters saw that a second letter from him was lying on the table. His mother opened it, little imagining what it contained. She read somewhat as follows:

"I was riding yesterday through the bush with my letter to you in my pocket. I think I must have gotten about halfway when, like Saul going to Damascus, I was suddenly arrested by a wonderful vision. Like a lightning flash I got an intense conviction that I was a lost man, riding to destruction. I reined in my horse, burst into a violent perspiration, and was so weak that I had to dismount and lean aginst the saddle. After some minutes I decided to go on and returned home slowly, my one desire being to relieve my agony.

"I found the Bible you gave me at the bottom of my box, but could get no comfort from it; so the next day I rode off to see the Bishop, but got no peace from him. Mother, do tell me how I am to be saved from this lost, sinful condition. I am in intense suffering and long for your reply."

Deciding that a letter was far too slow, they determined to send a telegram, and, after prayer, there came vividly into their minds the seemingly unsuitable words, "And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both." They immediately sent that message to the prodigal son.

On receiving it he saw in a moment he could be forgiven through the merits and work of Christ. The prodigal, having come to himself, now "arose and came to his Father and said unto Him, I have sinned" (Luke 15:20,21) and was freely delivered from his lost condition.

—A.T.S.