The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1886, Page 7

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

The Lutheran Pioneer.

Prayer and Breakfast.

Some years ago, when the country around
Cincinnati was newer than it now is, a farmer
was very busy clearing his land. He had a
number of hands employed, and was anxious
to accomplish a large amount of work while
the weather was favorable. He called them
early, and went out with them before break-
fast was ready. A horn was blown, and they
came in and returned to their work.

The farmer had been accustomed
to have prayers every morning in his
family. But to keep so many men
from chopping and logrolling while
he read and prayed was more than
he could afford; so Satan suggested
and the man yielded. His pious wife
saw with grief that the altar was neg-
lected; that her husband, in haste
to get rich, was departing from God.
She talked with him; she pleaded
with him, but in vain. At last she
determined to try another experiment.

The next morning the farmer and
his men went out, as usual, to their
work. The sun began to climb up
the sky, but no breakfast horn was
heard. They grew hungry, and looked
anxiously toward the house; they list-
ened, but still the expected summons
did notcome. After waiting an hour
or two beyond the usual time, they
went into the house. No table was
set, no coffee was boiling on the fire,
no good cook was over or before it.
The good wife was knitting quietly,
with the Bible on her lap.

“‘What does this mean?’’ cried the
husband; ‘‘Why isn’t our breakfast
ready ?””

“TY thought you were in such a
hurry about your work that you
would not have time to eat it.’’

‘‘Have time to eat it! Do you
think we can live without eating?’

‘You can live without eating as
well as without praying. The soul
needs the bread of heaven as much as
the body needs the bread of earth.’

‘‘Well, well,’’ said the farmer, ‘‘get
us the breakfast, and we will have prayers
again every morning, no matter how busy we
are, or how many workmen I have.”

Scriptures found in the hands of the people)
should be burned. The day when the priests |
came to search this woman’s house she was just
preparing bread to bake. She took her pre-
cious Bible, wrapped it up carefully, put it in
the centre of a great batch of dough, and placed
the whole in the oven. Of course, the priests}
never dreamed of searching in loaves of bread,
so the book was saved. It came out of its
hiding place uninjured, and is now more than
a hundred and fifty years old.

A Native of Australia Worshipping an Idol.

What a Church Means.

A crew of sailors who, to use their own

She got the breakfast, and he kept his word. | phrase, ‘‘did not take any stock in missions to

The lesson was a good one, and was never for-
gotten.

——- +o o> oo

A Remarkable History.

There is 2 German woman living in Ohio

the cannibals,’ by a somewhat rough experi-
ence changed their minds. Cruising among
one of the Pacific groups, their vessel struck a
reef and foundered. ‘There was no alternative
but to tdke to the boats and row ashore, al-
though, according to their information, it was

who owns a Bible having 2 remarkable history. |a choice between the sharks and the natives.

It belonged to her grandmother, who lived in
Bohemia, at a time when there was a great

Persecution by the Catholics. This woman was| selves in a

The part of the coast where they landed
happened to be uninhabited. They hid them-
hollow until it hecame necessary to

8 faithful Protestant, and dearly loved her Bible. | procure something to eat, even at the risk of

A law had been passed that all copies of the | being eaten themselves.

At length one of the

boldest ventured to climb to the top of a hill,
where he could look over into the populous
valley beyond. All at once his fear-stricken
companions saw him spring to his feet and
swing his hat, shouting, ‘‘ Come on, boys, I see
a church!”

—————s +> o>

The Missionary and the Infidel.

I remember, says a pastor, many years ago
listening with delight to a story I heard from a
missionary in North Canada. He said
that some years before then an humble
missionary was traveling through the
Canadian backwoods. He lost his
way but presently was rejoiced at the
sight of a glimmering light. Soon
reaching it, to his surprise, he found
a large congregation of settlers gath-
ered around a fire listening to an
eloquent discourse. To the horror of
the missionary, he found the man was
trying to prove that there was no
God, no heaven, no hell, no eternity.
A murmur of applause went through
the audience as the orator ceased.
The missionary stood up and said:
“My friends, I am not going to make
a long speech to you, for I am tired
and weary; but I will tell you a little
story. A few weeks ago I was walk-
ing on the banks of the river not far
from here. I heard a cry of distress
and to my horror I saw a canoe drift-
ing down the stream and nearing the
rapids. There was a single man in
the boat. In a short time he would
near the water-fall and be gone. He
saw his danger and I heard him
scream: ‘‘O God, if I must lose my
- life have mercy on my soul!” I
- plunged into the water and reached
the canoe. I dragged it to land and
saved him. That man whom [ heard,
when he thought no one was near,
praying to God to have mercy on his
soul, is the man who has just ad-
dressed you, and has told you he be-

lieves there is neither God, nor . °

heaven, nor hell.’’

A Brand Plucked from the Fire.

A plain countryman who had been converted
by divine grace, by means of a sermon from
Zech. 3, 2., was some time after solicited by an
old companion to accompany him to the ale-
house; Mat the good man strongly resisted
every persuasion, saying, ‘‘I am a brand
tact from the fire.’? His old companion
not understanding this, he explained it to him
thus: ‘‘Look ye,’ said he, “there is a great
difference between a brand and a green stick.
If a spark flies upon a brand that has been
partly burnt, it will soon catch fire again; but
it is not so with a green stick. I tell you Lam
that brand plucked out of the fire, and I dare
not venture into the way of temptation, for fear
of being set on fire again.”