The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1886, Page 15

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The Lutheran Pioneer. 15

death.
An expression of wonder overspread nie
| countenance.

A lady, wandering along the sea-coast of an

] :
Matt, the Idiot Boy. 5 she told him about Christ's sufferings and |
English watering-place, observed a boy intently

He repeated over and over the;

How John Eliot cut the Knot.

When John Eliot was appointed minister of

the Roxbury church, in 1632, no one cared for

gazing up at a small space between the clouds. | comforting words, and sat down to hear them|the wretched Indians living in the colony.
Drawing close to him, she said, ‘‘ What are you} again and again. A long time did Matt sit in| Eliot learned their language that he might
looking at, my boy?’’ The child made no an-| the shelter of a boat, silent; at length he arose, | preach the Gospel to them. He translated the

swer. ‘‘Boy, boy,’’ said she, shaking him gently | walked a few paces, and lifting his arms and
by the sleeve, ‘‘what are you doing?’’ The| face to heaven, cried out, in a loud, clear
boy sighed, rubbed his eyes, shaded them, | voice—

looked up again, and said, with earnestness,
**Matt was looking for God.

Matt wants to] thank you, thank you!”’
see God.”

The clouds closed, and, as if to} The grandfather died, and Matt was told that |

comfort himself for the disappointment, he said | he went to God, and that God would soon send | salary.

Bible for them and taught them to read it. His
zeal made him indifferent to danger and fatigue.
He was so charitable that his friends had to re-
“Man that paid—man that paid—Matt says, | sort to devices to prevent him from giving away
all he had.

The parish Treasurer once paid him his
Knowing his passion, the wise man

in a more cheerful tone, ‘‘Matt shall see God| for him also. ‘‘God would send for Matt some|of business put the coin into a handkerchief,

some day.”’

At this time a little girl ran out of a cottage, | be to-day, and Matt must be ready; Matt must|
calling out, “Matt, come home; dinner is| always be ready.’’
ready.’ The lady followed, and
being asked to walk in, she learned
that Matt was an orphan, about
thirteen years of age, living with
an aunt and grandfather.

After this she often called, and
one day found the old man ill.
The clergyman shortly afterwards
came in, and read the 18th of
Matthew. When he came to the
parable of the ‘King that would
take account of his servants,’’
Matt's attention became riveted.
When he had finished Matt turned
to him earnestly, saying, ‘‘Parson,
read some more.”’? Mr. Green be-
gan to relate the parable thus:
*‘A great King said,’ (and in
speaking, he pointed upwards),
“Bring my servants to me, and I
will make them pay me all the
pounds that they owe me. And
they brought one servant that
owed a thousand pence—a great
many, a great many! And he had
no pence to pay; and the king
said, ‘He shall be put in prison, and never
come out till the debt is paid.’’ The tears| of place it was that God would take him to.
trickled down Matt’s cheeks; his countenance] << Jt jg never cold there,’’ she said; ‘no one
showed great alarm, and rushing to the beach, | wil] be hungry or sick.”’
he threw himself down and wept piteously.

The next day the lady found him again in
his usual attitude, looking up; and not until
she noticed him, did he notice her.

‘©What is Matt doing?”’ she asked.

“He made as though He would have gone further.
saying, Abide with us; for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.
And He went in to tarry with them,’’ Luke 24, 29.

‘Will any one beat me there?’”’
“No, God will take care of Matt.’’
A gleam of joy stole over the vacant face,
as she told him about heaven and its joys.
A time of trouble came: his aunt died; and
“Matt was talking to God,” he replied. poor Matt was found, one cold, snowy morn-
‘What did poor Matt say?” ing, nearly frozen to death in a cave, his dying
The boy, joining hands, looking up with aj voice uttering these words: :
piteous expression of submission and fear, and| ‘‘ Matt shall see God some day. Matt will
said, “Good God, Matt has no money to pay!’’| never be cold any more. God! God LU ont man
And then, shaking his head, he told her, that paid! oh, take poor Matt ee
with the deepest emotion, that he was going to| The young person who found him, ran ne
be put in prison; God was going to put Matt|assistance, but before Matt was removed, the
in prison for the great debt of sin. spirit had passed away. aa
The lady, taking both his hands, to fix his} Happy Matt! Yes, readers he ae es
attention, said cheerfully, ‘Jesus Christ has|boy was happy, for he had lai Ais Sa of
Paid for poor Matt. God will not put Matt in} Gospel message, that oe ee
Prison now. Jesus Christ has paid all for Matt.’”| sin by His sufferings and death.

But they constrained Him,

day,’’ he repeated softly; ‘‘perhaps it would | which he tied into a dozen hard knots.

On his way home the good pastor called to

|see a poor, sick woman.

“‘God has sent you a relief,’
he said, as he tried to untie one
of the knots. But the Treasurer
had done his work well, and
Eliot's aged fingers could not get
out the smallest coin. He thus
cut the knots:

‘‘Here, my dear,’’ he said to
the woman, handing her the hand-
kerchief, ‘‘take it; the Lord de-
signs it all for you.’’

o=mP e- =

A Sacrifice.

A heroic mother sacrificed her
hand to save her children recently
in Dakota. , In a frame house at
Woonsocket, Dakota Territory,
on January 9th, a woman was
cooking supper over a gasoline
stove, while her two little chil-
dren were playing on the floor.
In turning around, her dress-
sleeve caught the gasoline-faucet
and turned it on. She noticed the

One day he inquired of the lady what kind | liquid running out, and turned it off. Some,

however, had fallen in the tea-kettle. When
the water was fairly boiling she picked up the
kettle to carry it into another room. She had
hardly taken a step when the gasoline exploded
and flames burst out. She ran to the door to
throw it out, but the door would not open. To
drop the flaming kettle meant death to her
children; so the brave little woman clung to
the kettle while her hand was being burned to
acrisp. The oil soon burned itself out. The
next day the woman’s hand was amputated.
It was a noble example of self-sacrificing love,
showing how much pain a mother will endure
for the sake of her offspring. It is by such an
illustration that we are helped to realize some-
thing of the love of Christ in laying down his
life for a sinful world. Rom. 5, 7. 8.

.
——s-<e-aa er om

HEAVEN is the day of which grace is the
dawn; the rich ripe fruit of which grace is the
lovely flower.

i