The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1905, Page 93

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The Lutheran Pioneer. 93

ceeded: ‘‘You know, dear mother, that Christmas
will soon be here, and I am very anxious to have
a sword and a soldier cap. But whenever I tell
you of it, you always say that I should tell the
Saviour of it, and that you are poor and cannot
buy them for me. And since I cannot speak to the
Saviour, I wrote Him about it to-day.”

His mother asked: ‘‘What did you do with the
letter?’

‘I put it into the post office,’’ was the answer.

- “And did you write your name under it?”’

“Certainly I did; the Saviour must surely know
what my name is and where I live.’’ . Now he felt
relieved, and fell back on his pillow and soon was
asleep.

The mother’s heart was filled with earnest
thoughts. She studied how she might get the
letter back again. For the little boy had written
his name, ‘‘George von R.,’’ to the letter, and the

- letter must not become public. She thought of the

past. Her husband was a member of a noble family,
and his relatives refused to consent to his marriage
with her on account of her poverty. But, never-
theless, he married her, because she was pious, as
was he also. Only a short time ago they had come
to the city where they now lived.

She did not expect her husband home for some
time yet, but suddenly someone knocked, and Uncle
Emil, her brother, who was stationed as a lieutenant
in the same city, entered. She told him all that
had happened, and he immediately went over to the
post office and inquired whether there was a letter
in the office addressed to the Saviour. He was in-
formed that such was the case, but that it had
already been sent to the postmaster as a curiosity,
and that further inquiries would have to be made
there. Although it was already late, yet the young
man went there also. He asked the same question.
The postmaster, who was a God-fearing man, greeted
him pleasantly and said: ‘‘Your nephew is a eplen-
did little fellow. Here, read the letter. But you
will not get it back.’’ It read thus:

“My Dear Saviour: You are rich and have
everything. Please have the kindness to present
me with a sword and a soldier cap on Christmas.
My father and my mother cannot give them to me,
as they are too poor. As for the rest, you can send
whatever you please; but do not forget these two
things. Send something for father and mother also,
so that they, too, may have a Christmas joy.

**Yours,

‘GEORGE VON R.
‘‘No. 18 Bienen street, third story.”’

The postmaster said: ‘‘You must permit me to
take the place of the Saviour in this case. The
child’s faith shall not be put to shame. Do me
the honor and celebrate Christmas with me here
at my house. I myself will go to George’s parents
to invite them to come with their boy and add to
the joy of the occasion. I would like to become
acquainted with parents who have brought their
child to Christ so early in life. Of course, George
must learn nothing of all this.’’

On Christmas Eve George and his parents went,
in company with Uncle Emil, to the house of the
postmaster, who had already become a family friend,
but George did not know why they went. What
a sight met his eyes! The Christmas tree was all
ablaze; a number of beautiful presents for George
lay on the table under it, and among them was also
a sword and a soldier cap. The parents, too, were
kindly remembered and made happy.

The mother asked George if he was not as-
tonished.

“‘No,’”’? he answered, ‘‘did I not write to the
Saviour about it? I knew that I would get what
I asked for.” ¥

After he had put on his sword and cap, the post-
master asked him whether he did not want to be-.
come a lieutenant like his uncle Emil.

He stood still and said, ‘‘No, I want to become
a captain.”

“But first you must become a lieutenant.’’

He answered, ‘‘But I want to become a captain,
because I have read in the Bible of pious captains
only, but not of pious lieutenants, and for that
reason I will become nothing but a captain.’’

“That is right,’’ said the postmaster, ‘‘stick to
that, ever remain faithful to your Saviour, and no
matter what turn your life may take, you will never
be in want.”’

The postmaster further was enabled to secure
a better paying situation for the father, a place in
which he could apply his knowledge and abilities
to a better advantage. Soon the circumstances of
the family assumed a more favorable character.
The friendly relations with the postmaster con-
tinued. But George became a respected man, who
never had reason to hide his noble descent on ac-
count of poverty, and the best thing he retained,
namely, the true nobility of heart, for he walked
as became a true child of God.— From the German.

Ir we truly believed that all things come to us
purely through God’s grace and mercy, our hearts
would leap with joy and would always be in heaven.

Luther.