The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1908, Page 86

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86

Tongue, Eyes, and Ears.

Guard, my child, thy tongue

That it speak no wrong;

Let no evil word pass o’er it,

Set the watch of truth before it
- That it speak no wrong.

Guard, my child, thy tongue!

Guard, my child, thine eyes,

_ Prying is not wise; -
Let them look on what is‘ right,,
From all evil turn their sight,
Prying is not wise.

Guard, my child, thine eyes!
Guard, my child, thine ear,
Wicked words will sear.

Let no evil word come in
That may cause the soul to sin,
Wicked words will sear.
Guard, my child, thine ear!
Ear and eye and tongue,
Guard while thou art young,
For, alas! these busy three
Can unruly members be.
Guard while thou art young,
Ear and eye and tongue!

——o- o—_____—_

A Lesson on Thanksgiving.

A Christian widow writes: “Soon after my dear
husband had gone to his eternal rest, I learned a
lesson on thanksgiving from my little daughter, my
only child. At her usual hour in the evening she
kneeled by me to say her evening prayer. At the
end of her prayer came as usual the earnest words:
‘God bless dear mother.!’ But the prayer was sud-
’ denly stilled as if something was missing, and the
little hands unclasped, and a look of agony and
wonder met my eye, as the words of hopeless sor-
row burst from the lips of the kneeling child:
‘I cannot pray for father any more.’ Since her
little lips had been able to form the dear-name, she
had prayed for a blessing upon her father. His
name had followed close upon her mother’s name,
— for he had said that must come first, — and now
to say the familiar prayer, and leave her father out,
that was a thought which she could not grasp.

“J waited for some moments, that she might
- conquer her emotion, and then I urged her to go
on in her prayer. Her pleading eyes met mine,
and with a faltering voice she said, “O mother,
I cannot leave him all out; let me say, Thank God
that I had a dear father once! So I can still go
on, and keep him in my prayers.’

“And so she always does, and my stricken heart

The Lutheran Pioneer.

learned a lesson from the dear child. Remember
to thank God for mercies past, as well as to ask
for blessings for the future. And when now the
thought of my great loss weighs me down like a
heavy burden, I think of the many mercies which
have been mine also during the years of my wedded
life, and I earnestly thank God AED for His past
mercies, and my heart is at peace.”

————oo--—___—___

A Pretty ‘“‘Thank You.”

In far-away Japan, Mrs. Hayes, a foreign lady,
one day looking out of her window, saw some little
girls timidly coming into the yard. She raised the
window and invited the little ones in, but they
were too shy for that and ran off —all but one,
and she looked very frightened.

Mrs. Hayes encouraged her, however, with a
sweet smile, and soon the others also came back,
and each was given an orange. This was acknowl-
edged by a very low bow, and away they ran the
second time.

Half an hour later, Mrs. Hayes again looked
out of her window. ‘This time it was what she
heard that attracted her. The same little girls had
come back and were standing at the gate singing
one of the hymns which they had learned in the
mission school.

This is one of the ways little Japanese girls have
of saying “thank yow” — and a pretty way it is!

Luther on Preaching.

Once, when Dr. Luther sat under the pear-tree
in his garden, he asked Magister Anthony Lauter-
bach how he prospered with his preaching. When
he complained of his temptations, difficulties, and
weakness, Dr. Luther said, “Ah, my friend, so it
has been with me.. I have-dreaded the pulpit quite
as much as you can; yet I had to go on. But you
want to be a master all at once. Perhaps you are
seeking honor, and are therefore tempted. You
should preach for our Lord God, and not regard
‘how men think and judge. If anyone can do better,
let him; do you preach Christ and the Catechism.
Such wisdom will lift you above the judgments of
all men, their praise or blame; for this wisdom is
God’s, wiser than men. Thou art called to this.
Christ hath need of thee to help praise Him. On
this stand firm; let who will ae or blame, that
is -not thy concern.”