Page:The Message and Ministrations of Dewan Bahadur R. Venkata Ratnam, volume 2.djvu/127

 happen during the night. He watched, and reported nothing in the morning. However, the news was otherwise received by the authorities that a man had fallen into the ditch and broken his neck. When asked why he did not report the occurrence, the soldier replied, 'Where is anything extraordinary in it? The man was drunk; hence, he fell into the ditch and broke his neck.' Similarly we indulge some of our weak tendencies; thereby we steadily slip down; and when we are gone into the pit, there is nothing extraordinary. The inclination is in a certain direction; hence, the struggle must be in the opposite direction.

And for this great fight there are three things requisite. The first requisite is Prayer. Here again, I do not press any dogmatic theology on you. We may have our own religious beliefs and observances. But whatever these may be, pray we must, under all systems; for 'more things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.' Pray ardently when there is