# The Lutheran Pioneer_St. Louis_1890_S3 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) The Lutheran Pioneer. 3 eee 2 00—=—F*mVKm[mV€nq&[_T——nmn"=3 Cradle Song. cess, In that land of wild animals nothing was expected save that she would be seized and devoured by lions or some ferocious beast. No hope was entertained that she would be found alive, or any trace of her, unless it might be her garments. But Colonel Stabb tells the following story of what actually happened in the’ morning: “ Before the sun was an hour high, the little one was found fast asleep in the centre of a clump of giant mimosz, quiteneartheriver. For the affecting incidents of the moment none of you wouldcare. The interest of the find to me lay in the sand; right through and around the mimosz clump was marked everywhere with the tracks of lions, and their footmarks were plainly visi- ble everywhere between that point and the river. How had the child escaped being de- voured? When awakened by her father she expressed neither surprise nor any special plea- sure as one saved from death, but was simply glad to see him, and that he had brought a horse so that'she could ride back to camp. ‘Were you not afraid, Katrina? Were you not afraid to be alone here in such a place, away from mother and me last night?’ ‘No, pa; the big dogs played with me, and were very good, and one of them lay here and kept me warm,’ said the child, indicating the spot where truly was the mark of some vast, recum- bent form beside that left by herself, which hardly indented the sand. Now, there were and Ah-I was brought back from her cruel mistress. Then she was placed in the mission school, where she was very happy, and learned so well that she became an assistant teacher in the school. She has since been married into a Christian family, where she has a kind mother- in-law and a good husband. Has not Ah-I reason to be thankful for the gospel, to which she owes all the brightness of her life? “Sleep, little baby of mine, Night and the darkness are near, But Jesus looks down Through the shadows that frown, And baby has nothing to fear. “Shut, little sleepy blue eyes, Dear little head, be at rest, Jesus, like you, Was a baby once, too, And slept on His own mother’s breast. “Sleep, little baby of mine, Soft on your pillow so white, Jesus is here To watch over you, dear, And nothing can harm you to-night. Old Betty’s Prayer. There once lived in one of our large cities a poor colored woman named Betty, who had been confined by sickness for nearly twenty years. By the few friends who knew her, she was familiarly called poor Betty. Betty had seen comfortable days. She had long been blind, and was eaid to be one hundred and five years old. Mr. B—— was a man of wealth and business in the same city. His signature was better than silver on the exchange, because it was more easily transferred. His sails whit- ened the ocean, his charity gladdened many hearts, and his family gave impulse to many benevolent operations. Notwithstanding the pressure of business, Mr. B—— often found time to drop in and_see what became of poor Betty. His voice, and even his step, had be- come familiar to her, and always lighted up a smile on her dark, wrinkled face. He would often say some pleasant things to cheer this lonely pilgrim on her way to Zion. One day Mr. B—— took a friend from the country to see Betty. As he stopped and entered the cot- tage, he said: ‘‘Ah, Betty, you are alive yet.” “Yes, thank God.’’ ‘‘Betty,’’ said he, “‘why do you suppose that God keeps you so long in this world, poor and sick and blind?”’? While Mr. B——’s tone and manner were half spor- tive, he yet uttered a serious thought which had more than once come over his mind. Betty assumed her most serious and animated tone, and replied: ‘‘Ah, massa, you no understand. Dere be two great things to do for de Church; one be to pray for it, toder be to act for it. Now, massa, God keeps me alive to pray for de Church, and He keeps you to act for it. Your great gifts no do much good, massa, without poor Betty’s prayers.” For a few moments Mr. B. and his friend stood silent, thrilled and astonished. They felt the know- ledge, the dignity, the sublimity of this short sermon. It seemed to draw aside the veil a little, and let them into heaven’s mysteries. “Yes, Betty,’’ replied Mr. B——, in the most serious and subdued tones, ‘“‘your prayers are of more importance to the Church than my alms.” “Oh, little darling of mine, What can you know of the bliss, The comfort I keep, Awake and asleep, . Because I am certain of this?” —_~»—+ eo > -The Precious Name! Some years ago, a native residing in a dis- tant part of India had a tract given to him, telling of Christ and His great love to sinners. The man was deeply interested in the story, and read it again and again, until he was intensely anxious to know more about Jesus. After thinking much about it, he determined to go to the nearest mission station, to try if he ; 2 could learn something more about this loving no dogs footmarks or tracks about; there Saviour. At the close of a long and weary were ne dogs in that part of the country; py ly journey, he arrived at the place where the mis- kindly animals of any; sort: The child bag sionary resided, and found him conducting pub- slept with and been protected by lions. lic worship. He drew near to the group that surrounded the preacher, who was giving out his text from 1 Tim. 1, 15.: ‘‘This is a faith- ful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sin- 2? Directly the missionar. me to the . ae chee Jesus,” a ore mind out in| Tents for the sum of thirty dollars. According an ecstasy of delight, “Ah! that’s the name! to custom in such cases, her name was changed, ah! that’s the name!— the Precious NAME!”? and the parents promised not to entice her The longing of his heart was satisfied.. He away, and if she ran away, agreed to find her heard more about the Saviour. He drank in and restore her to her owners. Then pare the glad tidings of the Gospel, and received tract wes written out, and es rear : 2S the message of mercy, believed in Jesus, and contracting parties were signe! to it, andt elr was made exceedingly happy. He soon re- thumb-marks added. These are made Au dip- turned again to his own part of the country, to ping the end of the thumb ne =r P at make known to his friends the treasure he had | ‘7&8 if upon the paper, eye o ‘i re oa ic found, and tell of the preciousness of that name the Chinese say can not . counterfeited, as which is as “ointment poured forth,’ Cant. 1, 3. | 7° two thumbs will make WOE Use : Poor Ah-I! Her life had been hard at home, for her parents were poor, but they had not been unkind to her. Now she was very badly treated. She was half-starved, and had to A remarkable story from South Africa is| search the filthy gutters for food; and when presented by an English officer, Colonel Stabb, | her cruel mistress was not pleased with her, in the Illustrated London News, He affirms|she would pinch her flesh with red-hot pincers. that while hunting at one time he came upon But the time came when her parents heard a camp of the Dutch settlers in South Africa, the story of Christ's love, and became Chris- known as Boers, and encamped with them.|tians. Then they heard of the sufferings of One night the daughter of one of the Boers, a their child, and began iv make efforts to redeem little girl but nine years old, was missing, and|her. Two married : daughters contributed a search was instantly made, but without suc: part, and the missionaries made up the rest, + -oa oo - A Chinese Slave Girl. Ah-I was a Chinese girl, who, at the age of eight years, was sold into slavery by her, pa- ———- oo oe Playing with Lions. ——. oro oe Deap or Atve?—As dead fish swim along with the current, but the living fish against it, in like manner dead Christians go with the stream of the sinful world, but living Chris- tians against it. Reader, which way are you swimming in this stream? 5 baror: