# The Lutheran Pioneer_St. Louis_1897_S47
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

The Lutheran Pioneer. 47

eee ee —SSSS——===E_===T===

drawn thither by the joyous festival? Pos-
sibly the: Word may sink into their hearts to-
day and like a fruitful seed, take root in
their souls.

—————> += oe -

The worldly-minded man had no thought of
sympathy for the child, but feared that the
occurrence might put them to some trouble,
and perhaps cost some money.

Having eaten her milk and bread Mary
donned her hat and cloak and wandered out
the door, hoping that she might find her
mamma. On she wandered, out of the village
and into the snowy woods, which the bright
sunlight had turned into what seemed to the
child like a beautiful fairyland.

* * * *

positors were crowding in to lift their money.
Thousands of dollars were being paid out,
and Mr. Thompson, while he thought that the
bank could stand the run, felt very bitter at
seeing the hurry and rush with which people
came to demand their hoardings.

A stranger was admitted to the banker’s
private room who said: ‘‘You will pardon
me, sir, for asking rather a strange question;
but I am a plain man, and like to come to the
point.”’

‘Well, sir,’’ impatiently interrupted the
other.

“‘T hear that you have a run on your bank,
sir.’”

“Well?”

“Ts it true?’”

‘Really, sir, I must decline replying to
your question. If, however, you have any
money in the bank, you had better at once
draw it out,’’ and Mr. Thompson arose, as
a hint for the stranger to withdraw.

“Far from it, sir; I have not a penny in
your bank.”

‘Then may I ask you, what is your busi-
ness here?”’

“T wish to know if a small sum would aid
you at this moment?”’

‘Why do you ask that question?’”

“Because if it would, I would gladly pay
in a small deposit.”

The banker started.

“You seem surprised. I will explain my
motive. Do you recollect when you lived in
M—— some years ago?’’

‘Very well.’’

“(My father kept a turnpike toll-gate. One
Christmas morning my father was sick and I
took the toll. On that day you passed through.
As I opened the gate for you I said, ‘Happy
Christmas!’ You replied, ‘Thank you, my
lad, thank you; the same to you,” and at the
same time tossed mea dollar, saying, ‘Here
is a trifle to make it so.’ That was the first
money I ever owned. I long treasured it.
As I grew up I added a little to it. With
God’s grace I have been successful in my
business. I never forgot your kindness, and
on learning of the run on your bank I drew
my deposits and have brought them to lodge
with you, in case they will be of any help to
you. Here they are, and in a few days I will
call again.””

He handed a bundle to the banker, and
laying his card on the desk, took his hat and
walked out of the room.

Mr. Thompson opened the roll and found
$150,000. ‘The stern-hearted banker burst
into tears. ‘The bank did not need any help,
but the noble motive of the young man was
sufficient to affect his heart. Kind words and
kind deeds are not soon forgotten.

Uncle Robert’s Christmas Present.

On a cold December afternoon an old-
fashioned carriage was moving heavily along
towards a village near Baden, Germany. The
driver often turned about to ask the tall lady
and her little girl within if they were suffering
much from the cold. He feared the lady was
too thinly clad for such weather. He had
been engaged to convey the mother and child
to Baden, but said: ‘‘We can not reach Baden
to-night. I will leave you at the village until
morning and return for you to-morrow, when
we will proceed to your destination.” :

Little Mary insisted that she was not cold,
and chatted merrily of her uncle and cousins
with whom she was to spend the approaching
Christmas.

On arriving at the village the lady and child
were assisted to alight, and conducted to the
inn. The hostess, Martha, seeing how pale
and sickly the lady looked, proposed that the
guests go at once to their room, and that she
would bring them supper shortly.

Feebly the mother followed the hostess and
child through the narrow hall and up the steep
stair-way. Supper was soon served, and, with
a few kind words and best wishes for a good
night’s rest, Martha left her guests alone.

Anton, the inn-keeper, soon returned, and
desired to know who the guests were to whom
his wife had been giving so much attention.
Martha said:

“The lady is evidently very poor, for she
is plainly clad. However, she is refined in
appearance and manners, and her child is a
real angel.”

‘‘Nonsense,’’ exclaimed the landlord. ‘They
brought no luggage, and as like as not will
have no money with which to pay their bill.
You had no business to show them to a room
until I saw them.”’

The good-hearted landlady did not reply,
but in her own mind she decided that her
guests should be well cared for if they had
money or not. She pitied them, and before
retiring, slipped to their door, but hearing no
noise, and supposing them to be asleep, went
to her bed.

In the morning Martha did not arouse her
guests at the rising hour. But later she went
to their door, and hearing no noise, she quietly
entered and was horrified to find the mother
coldin death. Little Mary was soon awakened
and cried bitterly because she could not arouse)
her mamma. Martha took her down stairs,
gave her a bowl of milk and some bread, and,
not knowing how to comfort her, said: ‘‘Your
mamma will soon be back.’’ :

Mary was hungry and enjoyed her break-
fast. While she was eating Martha stepped
out to tell her husband of the sad occurrence.

In a fine mansion near Baden a lady was
trying to induce her husband to send a box of
clothing and provision to his sister as a Christ-
mas surprise. Robert, for that was the man’s
name, would not consent. His sister had
married against his wishes, and although he
knew that her husband had died and that she
was in want, he would not think of trying to
give her some Christmas joy.

Leaving his wife he called his servant to
bring the sleigh and horses, and soon he was
off to the woods with his boys, Carl and Wil-
liam, in search of evergreen for Christmas.
The drive through the woods on that bright
morning was a rich treat to the children. They
laughed and made sport and never thought of
the cold. Presently Carl cried: ‘‘See there,
papa, lies an angel on the snow.” To his
amazement Robert saw a sweet little girl lying
on the snow. He leaped from the sleigh and
picked her up. She was so nearly frozen that
she had grown unconscious. They wrapped
her in a robe and hastened home. The mother
and sister, Carl and William all agreed that
she was surely a sweet child, and no effort
was spared to save the little one’s life. No
one was more interested than Robert. He
thought he had never looked upon such a
beautiful child, and he declared that if no
owner was found for the lost one she should
be adopted into the family.

Not long after the child had recovered, s
messenger arrived from the village, informing
Robert that a lady had died there the night
before, and handing him a letter that had
been found on her person. The lady was
Robert’s sister who was coming to him to en-
trust to his keeping her little Mary before she
died. And so Robert learned that the little
one he desired to adopt, was his sister’s child.
His heart melted as he read her sad letter so
full of Christian faith, and he felt heartily
ashamed that he had been so unforgiving.
He resolved to do what he could to amend
for his hard-heartedness by treating little Mary
as one of his own children.

—— +o oe

Christmas Kindness.

In his private room sat a banker, with a sad
and troubled look on his face. A panic had
set in, and many business houses and banks
were failing. A rumor had been started that
Thompson’s bank was about to close its doors.
There was an uneasiness created, and the de-

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as we know the Lord, to tell to others what
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