The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1894, Page 27

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The Lutheran Pioneer. 27

_The Young Cadet; or, Not Ashamed to Pray. | of you do this again, I’ll have you tied up on

We may be useful by our example, and we} end on your back. Now go to your duties.””

should improve every opportunity for doing

good. Iwas reading, lately, of a little boy, | speak to George during the rest of the day.
who, in his way, was the means of great use-| But when evening came again, George knelt

fulness on shipboard.

The little fellow was only about eleven or| ing or talking. They were all still as mice.

twelve years old. He was the son of a clergy-

man. His father had got a situation for him| he felt something-at his side coming close up
on board one of those ships where boys are] to him.

put in order to be trained and educated for and found one of the little boys who was nes-

officers in the navy. This little boy’s father tling close up to him that he might say his
and mother, being good Christians, had taught] prayers in peace and quietness.

‘And after I have bought them,"’ responded
Mr. Ridgeway, ‘‘what then? I can only look
at the furniture and pictures — and the poorest
man, who is not blind, can do the same. I can
ride no easier in a fine carriage than you can in
an omnibus for five cents, without the trouble
of attending to drivers, footmen and hostlers,
and as to anything I ‘desire,’ I can tell you,
young man, that the less we desire in this
world, the happier we shall be.

“All my wealth can not buy me a single
day more of life; can not buy back my youth ;
can not purchase exemption from sickness and
pain; can not procure me power to keep afar

deck and try how you like the taste of a rope’s

All the boys felt guilty. They would hardly

down as usual to pray. ‘There was no laugh-
George had not been kneeling long before

He looked round to see what it was,

Presently

him carefully to pray to God every morning} another came, and then another, till at last] off the hour of death; and then, what will

and evening ; and had told him to be sure and quite a number were kneeling round him.

do this, wherever he might go.

When the little fellow went on board the home; but when they were surrounded by
great ship, he found himself surrounded by} rude, mocking boys, they had not courage
a large company of other boys. Some of them enough to do what was right before their
were older and some younger than himself. companions. But the influence of George’s
They were cadets and midshipmen who were example, when he quietly and bravely took
to be his companions, and who were very fond] his stand, determined to do-right himself,

of fun and play, as boys generally are. He] whatever others did, encouraged them to do
got along with them very well till the time} <5 too,

came to go to bed in the evening. A bell was

rung as a signal for the boys to go to their! on hoard the ship, while even those who did
berths, as the beds are called on shipboard. | not pray themselves were afraid or ashamed
The boys were laughing and talking, and play- | to laugh or mock at those who did.

ing tricks of various kinds, while getting un-
dressed.

George, as our friend was named, looked
round to see if none of them kneeled down to
pray before going to bed, but not one of them

did so. He remembered what he had been way, a wealthy citizen of Philadelphia, who

taught at home; he thought how God had} gicq some years ago, leaving a fortune of five
taken care of him all the day, how only He| |, oi. millions of dollars.

could preserve him through the night, and
he felt that he could not go to bed without
prayer.

He knelt down to pray. Immediately all
the thoughtless boys around began to laugh
at him. One threw a book at him; another
threw a pillow at him. But the little fellow
still knelt on till he had finished his prayer.

The next night he was interrupted in the
’ same’ way; and so it continued night after
night. And yet the brave little fellow would
kneel down and offer his prayers to God. He
never complained of the conduct of the boys.
But some one else about the ship found out

how the boys were behaving in their cabin at} ©

night, and went and told the captain. ~
He resolved to put a stop to the bad con-

duct of the boys. ‘The next day he had all). ‘‘Ah, but,’’ said the youth, ‘‘think of the
the boys called up before him on the deck of | hundreds of fine houses you own and the rental |”
the ship. Then he called George up to him they bring you.”

and said:

“Well, my little fellow, have you any com- the rich man. ‘‘I can only live in one house
plaint eis of the conduct of those boys?’’) at a time, and as for the money I receive for

“No, sir,’? said George.

“Now, boys,” said the captain, ‘«George| only use it to buy other houses, for other
will make no, complaints; but I have heard people to live in—they are the benejiciaries,
how you have been teasing and persecuting | not I.””

him at night, because he has the courage to

kneel down and pray to that God who takes | pictures, and fine carriages and horses; in fact,
care of him. I haye only this to say: If any | anything you desire.””

all avail, when, in a few short years at most,
These beys had all been taught to pray at|I lie down in the grave and leave it all for-
ever? Young man, you have no cause to
envy me.’’

The fleeting treasures of the world can bring
the soul no happiness; its gold is only bright,
as the flowers are; and, like them, it fades;
its lustre grows dim when death has glazed
the eye, and the music of its ving is unheard
by the dull ear of the dying. But, up in yon-
der ‘“‘better world’’ the treasures do not fade;
the moth doth not corrupt them; the thief doth
not steal them; the brightness of their glory
is ‘‘incorruptible,’’ and ‘‘fadeth not away.’’

From that time prayer was never neglected

> - oo

<3

A Millionaire’s Opinion of Riches. A Sailor’s Bible.

The following story is told of Jacob Ridge-} On the voyage of the ‘‘Lord Canonbury”’

from the Philippine Islands to England, a

sailor, twenty-one years of age, fell from the

mizzen top-gallant cross-tree to the deck, and

was fatally injured. Capt. H gently told

the lad that recovery was impossible, and ten-

derly asked what he could do for him in his

last moments. The dying boy pointed to his

chest and asked for his Bible, the gift of his

mother, and placing his finger on the fly-leaf
gasped, ‘‘Oh, sir, please read.’’ With eyes

wet with tears Capt. H read the follow-

ing: ‘‘May, 16th, 1884, my dear Joe’s eigh-
teenth birthday. Stick to this Bible, Joe, and
never forget to read it. Let it always be your
guide. When you read it, think of your poor
mother, who is always praying for her Joe.
But thanks be to God which giveth us the vic-
tory through our Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Cor.
15, 57. That I may know Him and the power
of His resurrection, Phil. 3, 10.’’

As the above was read, the picture in the
forecastle was very impressive. As the sail-
ors crowded about the lad’s side they wept
aloud. Joe begged the captain to send the
Bible to his mother in Hartlepool, and tell her
of his death, and—best of all—that he be-
lieved in a risen Saviour. ;

In due time Capt. H. carried out this
request to the letter, testifying to the mother
that her earnest prayers in her son’s behalf
had been answered.

The Sailor’s Magazine.

“Mr. Ridgeway,” said a young man, with
whom the millionaire was conversing, ‘‘you are
more to be envied than any other gentleman
I know.”’

‘“Why so?’ responded Mr. Ridgeway. ‘‘I
am not aware of any cause for which I should
be particularly envied.” -

‘What, sir!’’ exclaimed the young man in
astonishment. ‘‘Why, are you not a million-
aire? Think of the thousands of dollars your
income brings every month!’’

‘cWell, what of that?”’ replied Mr. Ridge-
way; ‘‘all I get out of it is my victuals and
lothes ; I can’t eat more than one man’s allow-
ance, or wear more than one suit at a time;
pray, can’t you do as much?’”

‘What better am I off for that?’’ replied

rents, why, I can’t eat it, or wear it; I can

But you can buy splendid furniture, costly

ere