The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1899, Page 31

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‘The Lutheran Pioneer.

31

A Colored Woman’s Gift.

In the beautiful island of Ceylon, many
years ago, the native Christians decided to
build a house for divine worship. To the
amazement of all, Maria Peabody, a lone or-
phan girl, who had been a beneficiary in the
girl’s school, came forward and offered to
give the land upon which to build, which was
the best site in her native village.

Not only was it all she owned in this world,
but it was her marriage portion, and therefore
many tried to keep her from giving away the
land. ‘‘No,’’ said Maria, ‘‘I have given it
to Jesus, and as He accepted it, you must.’
And so that Christian house of worship in
Ceylon stands upon land given by a poor or-
phan girl.

Some one in the United States had been for
a long time contributing twenty dollars every
year for the support of this young native girl,
but the giver was unknown. Dr. Poor, a mis-
sionary in Ceylon, visiting America about that
time longed to find out who was the faithful
sower, and to report the wonderful harvest.

One day he happened in conversation to
hear some one speak of Mrs. Peabody, and
repeated, ‘‘Peabody ; what Peabody?” ‘‘Mrs.
Maria Peabody, who resides here in the city,”
was the answer. ‘‘Oh! I must see her be-
fore I leave,’’ said the missionary.

The first words after an introduction at her
house were: ‘‘I have come to bring you a
glad report, for I can not but think it is you
we in Ceylon owe the opportunity of educat-
ing one who has proved as consistent a native
convert as we have ever had; and she bears
your pame.’’

“‘Alas!”? said the lady, ‘‘although the girl
bears my name, the honor of educating her
belongs not to me, but to Louisa Osborne, my
poor colored cook. Some years ago, in Sa-
lem, Mass., she came to me, after the even-
ing service, saying: ‘I have just heard that if
anybody would give twenty dollars a year, he
could support and educate a child in Ceylon,
and I have decided to do it. They say that
along with the money I can send a name, and
Ihave come, mistress, to ask you if you would

object to my sending yours.’ Her wages were

rather low, yet my cook had for a long time
been contributing half a dollar each month for
foreign missions. ‘There were those who told
her that she gave too much for one in her cir-
cumstances, and that the time might soon
come when she could not earn. ‘I have
thought it all over,’ she would reply, ‘and con-
cluded that I would rather give what I can
while I am earning, and then if I lose my
health, and can not work, why, there is the
poor house, and I can go there. You sce,
they haye no poor house in heathen lands, for
itis only Christians who care for the poor.’’

The missionary learned that the last known
of Louisa Osborne, she was living in Lowell,
Mass. In due time his duties called him to
that city: At the close of an evening service,

before a crowded house, he related, among
missionary incidents, the story of Louisa Os-
borne and Maria Peabody. After the services
he passed down one of the aisles, when he saw
a quiet little figure apparently waiting for him.
Could it be?
and it must be Louisa Osborne.
ened steps he reached her, exclaiming in tones
of suppressed emotion, ‘‘I believe this is Lou-
isa Osborne.’’

heading.

‘*No,’’ she replies, ‘tit must be-six, Mr. Su-
perintendent.’””

“Oh,” says he, ‘‘I forgot; but I can not
change it, and to write it again, I have no
time. Since you persisted in your request
and made me write, I will now also insist upon
leaving it as it stands.’”’

‘Well, I'll get six anyway!’’ she says with
a smile and leaves.

During the week there is a prayer-meeting
at the church. The old lady, as always, sits -
near the altar steps. After the meeting she
goes up to the superintendent and asks him
in a low voice: ‘*Has it come?’’

She receives a negative reply. But soon
after that the superintendent receives a com-
munication from the government and to his
astonishment he reads on the envelope:

“‘Enelosed an order for six dollars upon the
treasury !’’ He opens the envelope, and finds
—six dollars. ‘Upon your request,’’ it said
in the letter, ‘‘we appropriate once for all six
dollars for the support of the poor widow
N. N.”

‘‘Wonderful God,’’ thinks the superintend-
ent, ‘‘how dost Thou so promptly hear the
simple prayers of Thy faithful! —But I must
try the faith of the woman a little more,” he
thinks within himself.

Therefore when she came and asked: ‘‘Has
it come?’’ he replied: ‘*Yes!’’ produces five
dollars and hands them to her.

‘“‘No! Mr. Superintendent,’’ says she, ‘‘it
must be six; just hand them out!’

And he had to give her the sixth dollar
also. —From the German.

—__—>- oo a

“Death, where is thy Sting?”

A chaplain relates the following: I once
saw a sailor dying and shall never forget that
solemn moment. It was midnight upon the
ocean. When I came to the dying sailor to
hear his last words, he said to me, ‘‘Tell my
mother that I depart in the sure hope of ever-
lasting life. I rely upon God’s mercy in Christ.
Tell my mother how I entered upon my last
voyage, and what peace that passeth all under-
standing I at this moment enjoy.”

After a pause he added: ‘Yes, my end has
come. I feel the approach of death. But my
living hope sustains me. Oh, what a great
and mighty Saviour Jesus Christ is! He is
the sinners’ Physician.”’

Then he turned towards the sailor who
had nursed him during his sickness and said,
‘‘Dear John, we shall meet in heaven.’’

‘Yes, through God’s grace,’’ replied his
comrade. ¢

Again happy joy beamed upon the dying
sailor’s face and he said, ‘‘Heaven is opened
for such sinners asI am. Jesus has entered
for me, to prepare a place also for me, and
my mother will soon follow.”

He then laid his folded hands upon his
breast and fell asleep.

‘Death, where is thy sting ?””

Yes, it was a colored woman,
With quick-

“That is my name,” was the calm reply.

“Well, God bless you, Louisa; you have
heard my report, and know all; but before
we part, probably never to meet again in this
world, tell me, what made you do it?”’

With downcast eyes and in a low, trem-
bling voice she replied, ‘It was my Lord
Jesus.”’

They parted only to meet in the streets of the
New Jerusalem; for the missionary returned
to his field of labor, where, ere long, the lov-
ing hands of native Christians bore him to an
honored grave. The humbled colored woman
labored meekly on awhile, until God called
her home to her everlasting rest.

God Hears: the Prayer of Faith.

The following incident from the life of
Dr. Buechsel, a noted German divine, beauti-
fully illustrates the truth expressed in the

One day Superintendent Buechsel sat at his
desk writing, when an aged Christian woman
came to him to tell him her troubles. ‘‘You
know,’’ said she in her dialect, ‘‘I have been
sick a long time and could not earn anything.
Now I am asked to pay six dollars rent, but
have nothing. I prayed to my Lord Jesus, |
that He might present me six dollars, and He
has promised to do it.”’

“But,” says the superintendent, ‘‘how is
that? explain yourself.”

‘cWell,”? answered she, ‘He has said:
‘Whatever ye shall ask in my name, shall be
given you.’ Ihave asked Him in His name,
in faith in His merits; therefore my prayer
can not fail of being heard. And now I would
ask you to write to the government, so that I
may get the money.”

“But how can I do that?’ replied the su-
perintendent. “The government can’t send
money to every one that needs some.””

“Qh!? she rejoined, so many a sexton’s
wife receives support. Just you write what
I tell you, I will get some!”

“But you are not the wife of a sexton, who
holds an oflice.”’

“Makes no difference,’’ said she, ‘‘just
write.”’

There was no use in contradicting her. The
superintendent committed to paper what the
woman had said; stated that he could not get
rid of her and asked for five dollars for her,
not thinking that she had said six. He reads
to her, what he has written and asks: ‘‘Is this

correct?”