The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1902, Page 27

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earth is that?’’, suddenly exclaimed the ring-

The Lutheran Pioneer.

27

Stood By His Flag.

. A dozen rough but brave soldiers were play- |
ing cards one night in the camp. ‘What on

leader, stopping in the midst of the game to
listen. In a moment the whole squad were|
listening to a low, solemn voice which came |
from a tent occupied by several recruits, who|
had arrived in camp that day. The ringleader |
approached the tent on tiptoe.

‘“Boys, he’s a-praying,’’ he roared out.
“Three cheers for the parson!’’ shouted an-|
other man of the group as the prayer ended. |
“*You watch things for three weeks!
T’ll show you how to take the religion
out of him!’’ said the first speaker,
laughing. He was a large man, the
ringleader in mischief.

The recruit was a slight, pale-faced
young fellow of about eighteen years
of age. During the next three weeks
he was the but of the camp. Then
several of the boys, conquered by
the lad’s gentle patience and uniform
kindness to his peraecutors, begged
the others to stop annoying him.
“Oh, the little ranter is no better
than the rest of us,’’ answered the
big ringleader. ‘‘He’s only making-
believe pious. When we get under
fire you’ll see him run. These pious
folks don’t like the smell of gun-
powder. I’ve no faith in their reli-
gion!’’

In a few weeks the regiment broke
camp, marched toward Richmond,
entered the Wilderness, and engaged
in that terrible battle. The company
to which the young recruit belonged
had a desperate struggle. The bri-
gade was driven back, and when the
line was reformed behind the breast-
works they had built in the morning,
he was missing. When last seen, he
was almost surrounded by enemies,
but fighting desperately. At his side stood
the brave fellow who had made the poor lad a
constant object of ridicule. Both were given
up as lost.

Suddenly the big man was seen tramping
through the underbrush, bearing the dead
body of the recruit. JReverently he laid the
corpse down, saying, as he wiped the blood
from his own face: ‘‘Boys, I couldn’t leave
him with the ‘Rebs’ —he fought so! I thought
he deserved a decent burial.”

During a lull in the battle the men dug
shallow grave and tenderly laid the remains
therein. Then, as one was cutting the name
and regiment upon a board, the big man said,
with a husky voice: ‘‘I guess you'd better put
the words ‘Christian Soldier’ in somewhere!
He deserves the title, and maybe it’ll console
him for our abuse.’? ‘There was not a dry
eye among those rough men as they stuck the
Tudely-carved board at the head of the grave

and, again and again, looked at the inscription. | I soon found them no little hindrance to the
‘‘Well,’’ said one, ‘‘he was a Christian soldier, | freedom of my movements; but still I would
and,’’ turning to the ringleader, ‘‘he didn’t| not give them up until my guide, returning to
run, did he, when he smelled gunpowder?’ | me where I sat, resting a moment, kindly but
“Run!’’ answered the big man, his voice ten- | firmly demanded that I’should give up every-
der with emotion, ‘‘why, he didn’t. budge an| thing but my alpenstock. Putting them with
inch! But what’s that to standing for weeks | the utmost care upon his shoulders, and with
our fire like a man, and neyer sending a word | look of intense satisfaction, he again led the
back? He just stood by his flag and let us} way.. And now, in my freedom, I found I
pepper him—he did!”’ jcould make double speed with double safety.
When the regiment marched away, thatrude| Then a voice spoke inwardly: ‘Ah, foolish,
headboard remained to tell what a power lies| willful heart, hast thou indeed given up thy
in a Christian life. — Selected. last burden? Thou hast no need to carry them,
nor even the right.’ I saw it all ina flash, and
then as I leaped lightly on from rock
to rock, down the steep mountain-
side, I said within myself, ‘And ever
thus I will follow Jesus, my Guide,
my Burden-bearer. I will cast all
my care upon Him, for He careth
for me.’”’ :

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St. Augustine’s Strange Dream.

St. Augustine is said to have
dreamed at one time that he was
walking along the shores of the sea,
in deep meditation on the doctrine of
the Holy Trinity, trying to unravel
the great mystery of how Three can
be One, and One, Three. Suddenly
he came upon a boy sitting on the
seashore, who had made a shallow
pit in the sand and was now busily
engaged dipping water from the sea
with a shell and pouring it into the
shallow pit. Augustine in surprise
asked the boy concerning the mean-
ing of his strange occupation. The
boy answered, ‘‘I am emptying the
water out of the sea into this hole.’’
Augustine, smiling, said to the boy,
“That you will never succeed in do-
ing.”? ‘Do you think so?’’ rejoined
the lad. ‘‘Much less will you succeed
in unraveling the mystery of the Holy Trinity.’?
Augustine awoke, and never did he forget the
lesson taught him by the boy he saw in his
dream. :

“Canst thou by searching find out God?
Canst thou find out the Almighty unto per-
fection? It is high as heaven; what. canst
thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou
know? ‘The measure thereof is longer than the
earth, and broader than the sea,’ Job11, 7—9,

FAMILY PRAYER.

“Q happy house! where Thou art loved the best,

Dear Friend and Saviour of our race,

Where never comes such welcome, honored Guest,
Where none can ever fill Thy place,

Where every heart goes forth to meet Thee,
Where every ear attends Thy Word,

Where every lip with blessing greets Thee,
Where all are waiting on their Lord.”

—_———-<>

——_» oP or

A Beautiful Sight.

No sight is more beautiful than that of a
Christian home, when father, mother, brother,
and sister are each serving the other and the
Jesson. ‘‘His first care,’’ to use her own words, | Christ they all love. Such a home, be it ever
iswas to put my wraps and other burdens upon] so humble, is full of sunshine, and scatters its
his shoulder. In doing this, he asked for all;) gleams throughout the neighborhood.
put I chose to keep back a few for special care. N. J.B.

Casting All Cares Upon Him.

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In the summer of 1878, a traveler descended
the Rigi with one of the most faithful of the
old Swiss guides. Besides the service he ren-
dered as guide up the mountain, the traveler
relates, he unconsciously gave her a valuable

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