# The Lutheran Pioneer_St. Louis_1899_S31 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) ‘The Lutheran Pioneer. 31 A Colored Woman’s Gift. In the beautiful island of Ceylon, many years ago, the native Christians decided to build a house for divine worship. To the amazement of all, Maria Peabody, a lone or- phan girl, who had been a beneficiary in the girl’s school, came forward and offered to give the land upon which to build, which was the best site in her native village. Not only was it all she owned in this world, but it was her marriage portion, and therefore many tried to keep her from giving away the land. ‘‘No,’’ said Maria, ‘‘I have given it to Jesus, and as He accepted it, you must.’ And so that Christian house of worship in Ceylon stands upon land given by a poor or- phan girl. Some one in the United States had been for a long time contributing twenty dollars every year for the support of this young native girl, but the giver was unknown. Dr. Poor, a mis- sionary in Ceylon, visiting America about that time longed to find out who was the faithful sower, and to report the wonderful harvest. One day he happened in conversation to hear some one speak of Mrs. Peabody, and repeated, ‘‘Peabody ; what Peabody?” ‘‘Mrs. Maria Peabody, who resides here in the city,” was the answer. ‘‘Oh! I must see her be- fore I leave,’’ said the missionary. The first words after an introduction at her house were: ‘‘I have come to bring you a glad report, for I can not but think it is you we in Ceylon owe the opportunity of educat- ing one who has proved as consistent a native convert as we have ever had; and she bears your pame.’’ “‘Alas!”? said the lady, ‘‘although the girl bears my name, the honor of educating her belongs not to me, but to Louisa Osborne, my poor colored cook. Some years ago, in Sa- lem, Mass., she came to me, after the even- ing service, saying: ‘I have just heard that if anybody would give twenty dollars a year, he could support and educate a child in Ceylon, and I have decided to do it. They say that along with the money I can send a name, and Ihave come, mistress, to ask you if you would object to my sending yours.’ Her wages were rather low, yet my cook had for a long time been contributing half a dollar each month for foreign missions. ‘There were those who told her that she gave too much for one in her cir- cumstances, and that the time might soon come when she could not earn. ‘I have thought it all over,’ she would reply, ‘and con- cluded that I would rather give what I can while I am earning, and then if I lose my health, and can not work, why, there is the poor house, and I can go there. You sce, they haye no poor house in heathen lands, for itis only Christians who care for the poor.’’ The missionary learned that the last known of Louisa Osborne, she was living in Lowell, Mass. In due time his duties called him to that city: At the close of an evening service, before a crowded house, he related, among missionary incidents, the story of Louisa Os- borne and Maria Peabody. After the services he passed down one of the aisles, when he saw a quiet little figure apparently waiting for him. Could it be? and it must be Louisa Osborne. ened steps he reached her, exclaiming in tones of suppressed emotion, ‘‘I believe this is Lou- isa Osborne.’’ heading. ‘*No,’’ she replies, ‘tit must be-six, Mr. Su- perintendent.’”” “Oh,” says he, ‘‘I forgot; but I can not change it, and to write it again, I have no time. Since you persisted in your request and made me write, I will now also insist upon leaving it as it stands.’”’ ‘Well, I'll get six anyway!’’ she says with a smile and leaves. During the week there is a prayer-meeting at the church. The old lady, as always, sits - near the altar steps. After the meeting she goes up to the superintendent and asks him in a low voice: ‘*Has it come?’’ She receives a negative reply. But soon after that the superintendent receives a com- munication from the government and to his astonishment he reads on the envelope: “‘Enelosed an order for six dollars upon the treasury !’’ He opens the envelope, and finds —six dollars. ‘Upon your request,’’ it said in the letter, ‘‘we appropriate once for all six dollars for the support of the poor widow N. N.” ‘‘Wonderful God,’’ thinks the superintend- ent, ‘‘how dost Thou so promptly hear the simple prayers of Thy faithful! —But I must try the faith of the woman a little more,” he thinks within himself. Therefore when she came and asked: ‘‘Has it come?’’ he replied: ‘*Yes!’’ produces five dollars and hands them to her. ‘“‘No! Mr. Superintendent,’’ says she, ‘‘it must be six; just hand them out!’ And he had to give her the sixth dollar also. —From the German. —__—>- oo a “Death, where is thy Sting?” A chaplain relates the following: I once saw a sailor dying and shall never forget that solemn moment. It was midnight upon the ocean. When I came to the dying sailor to hear his last words, he said to me, ‘‘Tell my mother that I depart in the sure hope of ever- lasting life. I rely upon God’s mercy in Christ. Tell my mother how I entered upon my last voyage, and what peace that passeth all under- standing I at this moment enjoy.” After a pause he added: ‘Yes, my end has come. I feel the approach of death. But my living hope sustains me. Oh, what a great and mighty Saviour Jesus Christ is! He is the sinners’ Physician.”’ Then he turned towards the sailor who had nursed him during his sickness and said, ‘‘Dear John, we shall meet in heaven.’’ ‘Yes, through God’s grace,’’ replied his comrade. ¢ Again happy joy beamed upon the dying sailor’s face and he said, ‘‘Heaven is opened for such sinners asI am. Jesus has entered for me, to prepare a place also for me, and my mother will soon follow.” He then laid his folded hands upon his breast and fell asleep. ‘Death, where is thy sting ?”” Yes, it was a colored woman, With quick- “That is my name,” was the calm reply. “Well, God bless you, Louisa; you have heard my report, and know all; but before we part, probably never to meet again in this world, tell me, what made you do it?”’ With downcast eyes and in a low, trem- bling voice she replied, ‘It was my Lord Jesus.”’ They parted only to meet in the streets of the New Jerusalem; for the missionary returned to his field of labor, where, ere long, the lov- ing hands of native Christians bore him to an honored grave. The humbled colored woman labored meekly on awhile, until God called her home to her everlasting rest. God Hears: the Prayer of Faith. The following incident from the life of Dr. Buechsel, a noted German divine, beauti- fully illustrates the truth expressed in the One day Superintendent Buechsel sat at his desk writing, when an aged Christian woman came to him to tell him her troubles. ‘‘You know,’’ said she in her dialect, ‘‘I have been sick a long time and could not earn anything. Now I am asked to pay six dollars rent, but have nothing. I prayed to my Lord Jesus, | that He might present me six dollars, and He has promised to do it.”’ “But,” says the superintendent, ‘‘how is that? explain yourself.” ‘cWell,”? answered she, ‘He has said: ‘Whatever ye shall ask in my name, shall be given you.’ Ihave asked Him in His name, in faith in His merits; therefore my prayer can not fail of being heard. And now I would ask you to write to the government, so that I may get the money.” “But how can I do that?’ replied the su- perintendent. “The government can’t send money to every one that needs some.”” “Qh!? she rejoined, so many a sexton’s wife receives support. Just you write what I tell you, I will get some!” “But you are not the wife of a sexton, who holds an oflice.”’ “Makes no difference,’’ said she, ‘‘just write.”’ There was no use in contradicting her. The superintendent committed to paper what the woman had said; stated that he could not get rid of her and asked for five dollars for her, not thinking that she had said six. He reads to her, what he has written and asks: ‘‘Is this correct?”