Part 2: Into the Wilderness of Temptation
"When your walking in the dead of night
When your soul is churning
When your hope seems out of sight
Keep the candle burning
All it takes is one steady heart
In a world that's turning
Shine a light and pierce the dark
Keep the candle burning"
~ sung by Point of Grace ~
Daniel sighed. He was about to enter the bunk room when he stopped at the door. There he saw smoking, gambling, fighting, and other things he wasn't use to dealing with. He'd seen it all before, but not by people his own age. He pushed the fear into the back of his mind and stepped in the room, but tripped - making a loud noise where everyone's attention was caught. Daniel looked up from the floor, sort of embarrassed.
"You okay?" a tall, brown headed boy asked, walking up to the side of him.
Daniel nodded, cheeks even redder than they were after he came in from the rain. The boy helped him up. "Sorry I disturbed you" Daniel started, but didn't really know what to say. "I'm just here to sleep." He placed a faint smile on.
Another boy with a cowboy hat hanging around his neck, walked up to him from across the room. "I'm Jack Kelly, and you are?"
"Daniel Sterling, I'm here to be a newsboy" he replied, smiling.
Jack spat in his hand. "Welcome to the lodging house."
Daniel stared at Jack's hand for a moment then did the same, not knowing the significance of it. "Is there a spare bunk here?"
"Of course! Right over there." Jack pointed to a bunk in the middle of the room. Daniel picked up his duffel bag and strolled over there, trying to not look like an idiot. He needed to pray harder than ever. Please get me through this. I know You will. Please get me through this. He throw his bag on the bottom bed, and sat down. Taking out his Bible from the front pocket of his bag, Daniel laid back.
Before he could read anything, two legs swung down from the top bunk and an average sized boy appeared. "Hey" he greeted, enthusiastically. "I'm Bumlets."
"I'm Daniel." He nodded. "That's a different name you have."
Bumlets shrugged. "Yeah, it's me nick name. Me real names Dominic. You got a nick name?"
"No. Never had one."
"Thats okay. Daniel's a good name." Bumlets was fixing to say something else when the brown headed boy that helped Daniel, walked up.
He tipped his hat. "I'm Snoddy. I, uh, helped you up back there."
"Yeah, thanks. I can be clumsy sometimes." Daniel blushed, knowing it was just his nervousness that made him trip.
Snoddy noticed the book in Daniel's hand and pointed to it. "Is that a Bible?"
Daniel looked down, realizing he was holding it still. "Oh yes, this my Bible." He held it up.
"Geez, you got a pretty fancy one" Snoddy commented, running his fingers across the cover.
Stalling for a moment, Daniel only nodded.
Bumlets suddenly appear again from disappearing for a second. "This is my Bible. It's not much to look at, but it keeps my hopes up when I'm feeling beaten down." The black covered Bible was tattered around the edges with some loose pages sticking out the sides. Bumlets frowned. "The boys sometimes tear pages out to burn."
"He lets me borrow it 'cause I don't have one" Snoddy said, almost whispering so no one could hear.
"That's horrible." Daniel thought about what he was about to say so nothing stupid would come out. "How many in here are...?" He gestured around the room at all the newsboys.
Bumlets smile faded a little. "Well, to tell you the truth, I don't really know. It's hard to just come out and ask. All I know is me and Snoddy here. Racetrack is Catholic, because I know he keeps his mother's Rosary under his pillow. But, the way all the guys are, I doubt it."
Daniel took a deep breathe. "Okay, I see I got the Lord's work cut out for me."
Bumlets and Snoddy looked at him surprised. What was this new kid planning?
"You think you can change these guys' attitude?" Snoddy asked, unbelieving.
"That's what I'm here for" Daniel replied bluntly. His two newly acquired friends snickered lowly. "What?"
"You have a losing battle ahead of you" Bumlets said, shaking his head. "I can tell you have no idea how bad the streets are and how hard it hardens the heart."
"Daniel, it's not going to be you preaching about Jesus saving your soul then all of them will believe." Snoddy kept his tone low. He had a fear of letting anyone else except Bumlets know about his faith. He had tried to witness to his best friend, Pie Eater, but he was so bitter about the subject - they almost didn't speak again.
"I know…" Daniel trailed off, shifting his eyes to the floor. "But I also know that God is working through me and maybe - just maybe - someone will be listening and except Him. Only if it's one of them, it's worth being here."
Bumlets nodding, knowing he believe that it could happen, but was trying to deny it. "If you have that much faith in that, then I'll pray for you."
"Me too." Snoddy patted Daniel on the back.
"Thanks. I wasn't expecting to make friends this fast." Daniel smiled, thanking God for them already.
"We're here for you. How about you be my selling partner? I don't really have one. Sometimes I sell with Dutchy or Specs, but that's not very much."
"Okay. I really appreciate it."
Snoddy glanced back down at Daniel's Bible again. "Can…can I borrow that sometime?"
"What?" Daniel went blank for a moment then realized what he was talking about. "Sure! Anytime! Here, take it now." He handed Snoddy the Book.
"Thanks."
"I think I'll get some praying in now."
"Okay, we'll be around if you want to talk" Bumlets offered, walking off. Snoddy went in the other direction, laying on his bed, and started reading.
Daniel peered around the room before he closed his eyes. Maybe things weren't going to be that bad……if only he knew what was in store for him next.
"When your walking in the dead of night
When your soul is churning
When your hope seems out of sight
Keep the candle burning
All it takes is one steady heart
In a world that's turning
Shine a light and pierce the dark
Keep the candle burning"
~ sung by Point of Grace ~
Daniel sighed. He was about to enter the bunk room when he stopped at the door. There he saw smoking, gambling, fighting, and other things he wasn't use to dealing with. He'd seen it all before, but not by people his own age. He pushed the fear into the back of his mind and stepped in the room, but tripped - making a loud noise where everyone's attention was caught. Daniel looked up from the floor, sort of embarrassed.
"You okay?" a tall, brown headed boy asked, walking up to the side of him.
Daniel nodded, cheeks even redder than they were after he came in from the rain. The boy helped him up. "Sorry I disturbed you" Daniel started, but didn't really know what to say. "I'm just here to sleep." He placed a faint smile on.
Another boy with a cowboy hat hanging around his neck, walked up to him from across the room. "I'm Jack Kelly, and you are?"
"Daniel Sterling, I'm here to be a newsboy" he replied, smiling.
Jack spat in his hand. "Welcome to the lodging house."
Daniel stared at Jack's hand for a moment then did the same, not knowing the significance of it. "Is there a spare bunk here?"
"Of course! Right over there." Jack pointed to a bunk in the middle of the room. Daniel picked up his duffel bag and strolled over there, trying to not look like an idiot. He needed to pray harder than ever. Please get me through this. I know You will. Please get me through this. He throw his bag on the bottom bed, and sat down. Taking out his Bible from the front pocket of his bag, Daniel laid back.
Before he could read anything, two legs swung down from the top bunk and an average sized boy appeared. "Hey" he greeted, enthusiastically. "I'm Bumlets."
"I'm Daniel." He nodded. "That's a different name you have."
Bumlets shrugged. "Yeah, it's me nick name. Me real names Dominic. You got a nick name?"
"No. Never had one."
"Thats okay. Daniel's a good name." Bumlets was fixing to say something else when the brown headed boy that helped Daniel, walked up.
He tipped his hat. "I'm Snoddy. I, uh, helped you up back there."
"Yeah, thanks. I can be clumsy sometimes." Daniel blushed, knowing it was just his nervousness that made him trip.
Snoddy noticed the book in Daniel's hand and pointed to it. "Is that a Bible?"
Daniel looked down, realizing he was holding it still. "Oh yes, this my Bible." He held it up.
"Geez, you got a pretty fancy one" Snoddy commented, running his fingers across the cover.
Stalling for a moment, Daniel only nodded.
Bumlets suddenly appear again from disappearing for a second. "This is my Bible. It's not much to look at, but it keeps my hopes up when I'm feeling beaten down." The black covered Bible was tattered around the edges with some loose pages sticking out the sides. Bumlets frowned. "The boys sometimes tear pages out to burn."
"He lets me borrow it 'cause I don't have one" Snoddy said, almost whispering so no one could hear.
"That's horrible." Daniel thought about what he was about to say so nothing stupid would come out. "How many in here are...?" He gestured around the room at all the newsboys.
Bumlets smile faded a little. "Well, to tell you the truth, I don't really know. It's hard to just come out and ask. All I know is me and Snoddy here. Racetrack is Catholic, because I know he keeps his mother's Rosary under his pillow. But, the way all the guys are, I doubt it."
Daniel took a deep breathe. "Okay, I see I got the Lord's work cut out for me."
Bumlets and Snoddy looked at him surprised. What was this new kid planning?
"You think you can change these guys' attitude?" Snoddy asked, unbelieving.
"That's what I'm here for" Daniel replied bluntly. His two newly acquired friends snickered lowly. "What?"
"You have a losing battle ahead of you" Bumlets said, shaking his head. "I can tell you have no idea how bad the streets are and how hard it hardens the heart."
"Daniel, it's not going to be you preaching about Jesus saving your soul then all of them will believe." Snoddy kept his tone low. He had a fear of letting anyone else except Bumlets know about his faith. He had tried to witness to his best friend, Pie Eater, but he was so bitter about the subject - they almost didn't speak again.
"I know…" Daniel trailed off, shifting his eyes to the floor. "But I also know that God is working through me and maybe - just maybe - someone will be listening and except Him. Only if it's one of them, it's worth being here."
Bumlets nodding, knowing he believe that it could happen, but was trying to deny it. "If you have that much faith in that, then I'll pray for you."
"Me too." Snoddy patted Daniel on the back.
"Thanks. I wasn't expecting to make friends this fast." Daniel smiled, thanking God for them already.
"We're here for you. How about you be my selling partner? I don't really have one. Sometimes I sell with Dutchy or Specs, but that's not very much."
"Okay. I really appreciate it."
Snoddy glanced back down at Daniel's Bible again. "Can…can I borrow that sometime?"
"What?" Daniel went blank for a moment then realized what he was talking about. "Sure! Anytime! Here, take it now." He handed Snoddy the Book.
"Thanks."
"I think I'll get some praying in now."
"Okay, we'll be around if you want to talk" Bumlets offered, walking off. Snoddy went in the other direction, laying on his bed, and started reading.
Daniel peered around the room before he closed his eyes. Maybe things weren't going to be that bad……if only he knew what was in store for him next.
