The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1909, Page 62

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62 The Iuutheran Pioneer.

A True Friend.

There is a friend so loving,

So gentle, kind, and true;

He knows our ev’ry weakness,

And shares our troubles, too.
Though earthly friends may fail us,
And joys and pleasures flee,

This dear friend gently whispers:

“Come, leave it all with me!”

There is no friend like Jesus
To help us on our way;
So tenderly He leads us,
And guides us day by day.
Soon we shall end our journey,
Much brighter scenes to see;
And God will gently call us:
“Come home and rest with me!”
EstierR PETERSON.

The Old Servant with a New Heart.

In Holland, not far from the city of Amster-
dam, a farmer had a servant who worked only when
he felt like it. When he did not feel like working,
he simply would not work. - He was also known
for his coarse speech and his rough manners, so that
the people were afraid of him. Many a time the
farmer threatened to send him away, but again and
again he forgave him and kept him, as he worked
well when he felt like working.

One summer day this servant had to take a
wagon load of fruit to the city. At night he came
back home quite sober. The farmer was very much
surprised, as this had not happened before. Again
he was surprised when the servant the next day went
to his work quietly, without grumbling and scold-
ing. The farmer, indeed, thought this would not
last long. But it did last. The servant continued
quiet and industrious. He also attended church
services regularly and frequently read in his big
Dutch Bible. The farmer himself did not wear out
many shoe-soles on the way to church and -talked
as little about religion as he did about the cholera;
but he did not say anything against the church-
going of his servant, who had become a puzzle to
him and his family.

At last the farmer accidentally learned that at

a mission festival in the city, where the sinful nature
of the heathen heart was described, a certain hearer
had cried out: “That am I,” and had then hurried
from the meeting. From the description of ‘the
person given the farmer concluded that it could
have been no one else than his servant. He was

‘for God’s kingdom.

astonished, but quite satisfied, as the servant now
did much better work on the farm. To the other
servants the farmer, when dissatisfied with their
work, often said, “I shall have to take you all to
the mission festival.”

And sure enough, when a mission festival was
again held in the city, he took upon his large wagon
as many as he could, and drove to the mission fes-
tival. The best of all was that the farmer himself

-came back home a changed man, a friend of the

church and of mission. work.

> —_____—

“I Cannot.”’

- “IT cannot,” was the usual answer of a wealthy
merchant when asked for a contribution for church
purposes. He was an‘ able business man and had
a pretty large income; but, though a church mem-
ber, he gave little for God’s kingdom, and to most
of the requests his short answer was, “I cannot.”

One day a collector came to see him about a con-
tribution for missions.

“T cannot,” was the merchant’s reply.

The collector, who had noticed the costly- furni-
ture of the rooms, said in a quiet, modest tone:
“T indeed see, sir, that you cannot give anything.

He who needs so much for himself and has such

large expénses as this luxury requires, has nothing
left for God. I shall molest you no more.”

The words of the collector had a blessed effect
upon the merchant. He felt ashamed for having
used all for himself, so that he could do nothing
He henceforth proved himself
a faithful steward of the wealth intrusted to him
and a cheerful giver for God’s kingdom.

—__—_———_+-e—______—

Going Home on Her Favorite Text.

A Christian woman had a favorite text which
she often repeated for her own comfort, and which
was included in a collection of Bible texts that she
used for daily help. This was her favorite text:
“Fear thou not; for I am with thee; be not dis-
mayed; for I am thy God; I will strengthen thee;
yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with
the right hand of my righteousness.” On the morn-
ing of the day on which she died those words were
read at her bedside, with the remark that it was the
text for the day. Looking up amid her pain, she

said: “Is that the text for to-day? Oh, then I will

just go home on that.”