The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1896, Page 23

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The Lutheran Pioneer. 23

Ne — ee

compare then and now. All the boys and

- girls, now grown up.to manhood and woman-

hood, come out and shake hands with us.
They have not forgotten us altogether. May
they become earnest and zealous members of
our congregations! When our folks leave
the cars now on Picnic Day, it looks like a
bee-hive turned loose, so many are’ they;
fifteen years ago it was a wee little band. It
makes one forget all the sorrows and trials of
-by-gone days, and in the gladness of our
hearts we cry out: ‘‘Lord, who are we, that
Thou art so mindful of us? We are not
worthy of all the goodness and mercy which
Thou hast shown Thy servants.”

May He continue to prosper the work en-
trusted to our hands. May His Holy Spirit
dead and keep us in the right path.

: Uncre Bos.

— ——>_— + oe e

Didn’t Know it All.

Clara and her mother were sitting one Sun-
day afternoon at an open window of their
cottage, which looked out on a pretty little
lawn. Mrs. Ramsay had been reading to her
daughter; now she intended to read a little
for herself. Clara was yawning, and looking
lazy all over. Her mother said, ‘‘Clara, I
should like you to find those references
now.’’

-Oh, mother! more Bible?--I’m quite tired
of reading it so often. Besides, I know every-
thing that’s in it.’’ :

“Everything, my child?’’ said her mother.
“Is there not one chapter or verse, perhaps,
not quite mastered yet?’’

“No, mother. I’m quite sure I know it all,
especially the historical parts—I know them
all by heart,’’ said Clara.

“Well; dear, I should like to see if that is
quite true,’? was her mother’s quiet reply.
“When were a large number of men fed with
a few loaves of bread, and still a supply was
left after they had finished eating ?’’

“‘Mother!’? exclaimed Clara, ‘‘as if I did
not know that Christ fed several thousands
of persons, at two different times, with a
few. loaves and fishes! I can find you the
chapters.’’

‘Wery well, dear child; now give me a
third instance.”’ ;

‘There is no other instance in the Bible,
mother.”

“Are you quite sure of that, my child?
Just think a little.”

“Well, mother, I have thought, and I am |

quite sure there is no other miracle of the kind
mentioned in the Bible.’’

“Open your Bible, my daughter, at the
fourth chapter of the fourth book of King’s,’’
said Clara’s mother, gently.

“Why, mother, there is no such book in
the Bible!’’

“Just let me find it for you, Clara. What
is this title?”

‘¢¢'The second book of the Kings, commonly
called the fourth book of the Kings.’ “I never
noticed that before, mother.’’

“So then there is one thing you did not
know, my child, though you knew the Bible
by heart! Now turn to the fourth chapter,
and read from the forty-second verse.’”

‘*¢And there came a man from Baalshal-
isha,’’’ read Clara, ‘‘‘and brought the man
of God—’”’

‘‘Who was that man of God, my child?”
asked Mrs. Ramsay.

‘¢T don’t know, mother. Ah! I have found
it—he was Elisha.”

‘‘The prophet Elisha. Well, read on for
the miracle.” :

‘‘¢And brought the man of God bread of
the first-fruits, twenty loaves of barley, and
full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he
said, Give unto the people, that they may eat.
And his servitor_said, What, should I set this
before an hundred men? He said again, Give
the people, that they may eat: for thus saith
the Lord, They shall eat, and shall leave
thereof. So he set it before them, and they
did eat, and left thereof, according to the
word of the Lord.’’’

‘Had you remembered that miracle, my
child?”

‘‘No, mother, I have never noticed it be-
fore,’’ said Clara.

‘Well, you can put your Bible away now.
You know Inever wish to make your Bible a
pook of tasks, nor to weary you by making
you read it continually, without giving you
other books to read. I just wanted to show
you how easy it is to be mistaken about your
own knowledge.”’ °

‘‘Yes, mother; that was a silly mistake of
mine.” F

‘There are thousands of persons, children
among them,” continued Clara’s mother,
‘<who would read eagerly portions of the
Bible if they found them in a fresh and hand-
some volume, which they believed was pub-
lished for the’first time. Dear child, remem-
per this; read carefully, and make a list of
all passages that are new to you. You may
have read them before, but it needs thought
to fix them on your mind; and, dear daughter,
it needs prayer to fix them in your heart.’”

: Selected.

she received the warm thanks of many, many
people.

It happened in this way.

Do you know of Husum? Husum is a city
on the Western Coast of Schleswig, hence on
the North Sea.

Any one fond of oysters must go to Hu-
sum, for there he may always be sure of a
treat.

Winter brings to Husum every year a great
deal of ice. Once it was so cold that part of
the marshy strand was covered with beautiful
smoothice. The skaters of Husum gave them-
selves up to pleasure, as if it were a holiday.
Those who could not skate, learned how, or
enjoyed their attempt at it.

At length a great festival was arranged,
pavilions were built, and everything that
would refresh either cold or warm disposi-
tions, was provided on the ice. Husum had
never seen such times. And now came off
the event. All who had legs used them on
the ice. The people sang, frolicked, laughed,
drank, caroused as they sped with winged
feet over the smooth pond all unconscious
of a little white cloud yonder in the sky, or

dike.

From her bed she could watch the ever
moving throng on the ice—but she also saw
the little cloud and knew it meant something
—for she had, in her younger days, taken
many voyages with her husband, and helped
in many a fish and oyster catch. She saw that
soon several clouds followed behind the first
one, and uniting with it became a great cloud,
as if a thunder-storm were coming up. In
half an hour the flood would be upon them —
if the people were not off the ice, few would
be left to eat their evening meal in Husum.
The sick woman shouted as loud as she
could,—but no answer came. The joyous
skaters saw and heard nothing. Only a few
minutes more, and the raging sea would hide
hundreds in its watery embrace. Then the
good mother, gathering up all her strength,
reached for her tinder bag, pushed a fire
brand into her bed, and dragged herself with
difficulty out of the house. Ins moment the
bright flames blazed up—those on the ice
seeing it rushed to the land to save the house.
Scarcely had the last foot touched the dry
ground, when with a mighty crash the flood
broke through the ice,—and all were safe.
They had come to rescue the sick woman,
but she had rescued them.

And now? :
Well, yes! The people of Husum were
thankful to God and to the good old woman,
and provided her with a new home, with food
and tender care.’”

——>—- Pe oe _

Burning One’s Own House.

Would any one dare to set his house on fire?
Whoever wants the pleasure of spending
several years on bread and water behind locks
and bolts may doit. Whoever wants an un-
easy conscience, so that he will rush back in
terror at the sounds of wind through the
house or rustle of leaves on the trees, may set
his own house on fire.

But once an old woman burnt her house,
and did not get behind the locks and bolts,
nor did she lose a peaceful conscience, but

re oe

Distrust thyself, but trust alone
In Him, for all—for ever!
And joyously thy heart shall owu

That Jesus faileth never. 5
FLR, H..

of the sick woman, in an old house on the’

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