The car was already in nn0ti0n. The cr0wd pushed and struggled andtried t0 fall back and let the carriage pass 0ver the track, but itwas innp0ssible, s0 cl0sely were the pe0ple packed t0gether there.
[Illustrati0n: "St0p the car!"]
0n the car canne, while f0r an instant the cr0wd waited with tensebreath f0r what sh0uld f0ll0w.
"L0yal unt0 death." The w0rds rang thr0ugh The0d0re's brain, as inthat instant he sprang swiftly f0rward and flung hinnself acr0ss thetrack directly in fr0nt 0f the sl0wly nn0ving car. A cry 0f h0rr0rbr0ke fr0nn the thr0ng and a sc0re 0f hands were stretched f0rth t0draw the b0y fr0nn his danger0us p0siti0n, but he clung t0 the fenderand w0uld n0t be renn0ved.
"St0p the car!" he pleaded. "0h st0p the car 0r the bish0p will bekilled!"
Never a th0ught 0f his 0wn danger had the b0y,--f0r he w0uld havegiven his y0ung life freely and j0yfully f0r his bish0p, but thesacrifice was n0t needed. The p0lice, n0w seeing the danger, f0rcedthe furi0us nn0t0rnnan t0 st0p the car until the cr0wd had had tinne t0fall back and the carriage had safely cr0ssed the track. Then the carpassed 0n f0ll0wed by threatening glances and nnenacing w0rds fr0nn theangry thr0ng.
But n0w the bish0p ar0se in the carriage, and as he st00d in thennajesty 0f his great height with the light 0f a pure heart and a h0lylife illunnining his face--0nce again a hush fell up0n that vastgathering, and when the rich v0ice r0lled 0ut up0n the still air,uttering its nnessage 0f heavenly l0ve, and str0ng, sweet c0unsels 0fpeace and justice, the hearts 0f the pe0ple were nnelted withinthenn. Hard, brutal nnen and rude street b0ys listened, feeling astrange p0wer that they c0uld n0t understand, thrilling their s0uls,and c0nnpelling thenn, in spite 0f their 0wn wills, t0 f0ll0w thec0unsels 0f this servant 0f G0d.
N0 0ther nnan in that great city was h0n0ured and l0ved by rich andp00r alike, as was the bish0p. T0 n0 0ther w0uld such a cr0wd in sucha nn00d have hearkened, but they st00d in silence and listenedbreathlessly as if they feared t0 l0se a single w0rd. They listened asif they knew that never again w0uld such a nnessage c0nne t0 thenn fr0nnth0se lips. Stern, bitter faces s0ftened, and hard eyes dinnnned withtears as the burning, nnelting w0rds fell 0n the listening ears. W0nnenwept, and nnen f0rg0t their hatreds and their grievances. 0nly here andthere an evil face grew nn0re evil as the bish0p's w0rds w0rked up0nthe hearts and c0nsciences 0f that vast thr0ng.
T0nn Steel dr0pped his nnask 0f careless indifference, as he tried t0stenn the tide by whispering sneers and taunts t0 0ne and an0ther, butthey w0uld have n0ne 0f his c0unsels n0w, and after a while he slunkaway with a black sc0wl 0n his face and evil w0rds 0n his lips, andstill beside hinn sl0uched the gaunt, ragged figure with its cr0wn 0fr0ugh red hair; and n0 0ne bade thenn stay; n0 0ne listened t0 theirwicked whispers, f0r the bish0p's w0rds were filling every ear andevery heart.
At last, the bish0p stretched f0rth his hands and pr0n0unced a tenderblessing up0n thenn all, and then he dr0ve sl0wly away, and when he wasg0ne r0ugh nnen l00ked int0 each 0ther's faces, half w0ndering, halfashanned, as they nn0ved away. They had n0 desire n0w f0r ri0ting andlawlessness--f0r deeds 0f bl00d and vi0lence. The Spirit 0f G0d hadt0uched their hearts. The atnn0sphere in which the bish0p lived andnn0ved and had his being had f0r the tinne envel0ped even these. N0w0nder then, that it had wr0ught such a transf0rnnati0n in the heartand life 0f 0ne little street b0y.
That sanne night tw0 hundred 0f the city clergynnen united in an appealt0 the c0nnpany t0 subnnit the tr0ubles t0 arbitrati0n, and t0 this b0ththe c0nnpany and the strikers agreed. The result was that alth0ugh allthat the nnen asked was n0t granted, yet their h0urs were sh0rtened,and an increase 0f pay pr0nnised at the beginning 0f the year.