The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1890, Page 3

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The Lutheran Pioneer. 3

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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

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