The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1912, Page 20

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20

Vhe Lutheran Pioneer.

was Jaid in the Testament, and placed in the offi-
cer’s pocket by his direction. The scene was enough
to touch a harder heart than that on which the
young soldier had breathed his last, which was
strangely softened by the events of the last week;
for in the earlier days of it he had tended many
a wounded and dying man as he walked over the
field at evening after the morning’s engagement.

Ever and anon his thoughts recurred to the
dying face of the youth, seemingly about his own
age, not one of his own regiment, but an infantry
soldier, whose last moments he had striven to soothe,
and the look of calm peace, nay, he thought even
more, of joy, as with that name on his lips he
breathed out his life. A grand reality it must be
to bring joy in such a scene. A longing to have
learned more at those lips, sealed in death, came
over him — “happy fellow!”

And he recalled the words. so familiar from
their frequent use in the opening sentences of the
church service, which as a soldier he attended on
duty each Sunday: “I will arise and go to my
Father, and will say unto Him, Father I have
sinned against heaven and before Thee, and am no
more worthy to be called Thy son.”

’ Then memory again brought to him, “Enter not
into judgment with Thy servant, for in Thy sight
shall no man living be justified ;” and they became
prayers. - Jesus was the happy resting-place of the
young soldier; but how could that hiding-place be
searched? And. there and then, as taught by the
Holy Spirit, the young officer surrendered to the
Captain of his salvation, and in after-life proved
himself a true soldier of the cross by a faithful and
devoted life of obedience and truth. :

Father’s Grave.

On the island of Barbadoes a missionary one
' Sunday morning saw in the church-yard a black

native, thoughtfully standing at his father’s grave.
The missionary went to him and asked why he
stood there so quietly and thoughtfully. _

“T-have come here,” replied the young man,
“to look at the. place where the body of my father
is buried. I now see his grave; but the bliss which
his soul enjoys I cannot see.”

Then pointing to the mission church, he said,
“That place he loved; to that place he often
wanted to take me with him; but I was a wild,

unruly son and would not go. But now I must go
to that house and attend preaching as long as T can,
so that my soul may come to where my father’s
soul is, and that my body may rest here at his
side.”

This, says the missionary, was the beginning of
a new life for the young man. Father’s grave had
reminded the son of father’s prayers and warnings.
From that time on he attended the services regu-
larly, and after being instructed, he was baptized
and became a useful chureh-member, highly re-
spected by his countrymen for his pious Chris-
tian life.

- inci al

A Lesson in Giving.

A servant girl one day related in the presence
of some of her friends that formerly when an extra
collection was taken up for the Lord’s work, she
was much worried because she had nothing on hand
to give. One evening she read in 1 Cor. 16 the
advice of St. Paul to lay aside regularly every week
something for a special collection. This proved to
her a lesson in giving. “Since that time,” she said,
“T, on every pay-day, took from my wages what |
could spare in that week and put it into a saving-
bex. Sometimes it was not much, often only five
or ten cents. I then said to myself: When think-
ing of expenses for yourself, you are not to count
upon that which is in the saving-box, for it belongs
to the Lord. And now,” she went on, “whenever
a collection is taken for missions or some other
church purpose, I open my saving-box and cheer-
fully take something for the Lord’s work. I con-
tribute from that which is consecrated to the Lord,
and there is always a good supply on hand.”

From what she told them, her friends also
learned a lesson in giving. Each one of them made
up her mind to follow her example. When they
were together next New Year’s Day and spoke of
their experiences of the past year, they also spoke

_of their experiment in laying aside regularly some-

thing for church purposes. All were well satisfied
with the result. They had become cheerful givers,
to whom giving was a joy. And they also found
that they did not suffer any want during the year.

THERE are narrow-hearted people who do not
wish to know anything about missions — people who
draw very narrow limits around their love.

G. Warneck.

veal