He finally settled down to that style of talking which he alone
possesses. He told his story for the first time. I have heard him
hundreds of times since, but to me that night fifteen years ago was the
greatest talk he ever gave, telling how God saved him from a crooked and
drunken life. It had the ring! I loved him from that night on. When he
got through I said, 'Dave, God met you face to face to-night. You will
be a different man from now on. God spoke to-night, not you. It was the
best talk I ever heard. It took you a long time to start, but nothing
can stop you now. One word of advice, pal, I'll give you: Don't get
stuck on yourself. God will use you when He won't others among your own
kind. He will make a preacher of you to men of your own stamp.' And
Ranney is to-day what I said and thought he would be.
"You would think that a man who had been the pal of Ranney for three
years would never say an unkind word to one that he loved, but that is
what I did. We had a misunderstanding, and I said things to Dave Ranney
that he never will forget. I called him every name on the calendar. He
was speechless and I thought afraid of me.
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