The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1912, Page 30

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80 , The Lutheran Pioneer,
ees

The Blind Sees.

In India there lived a ‘poor heathen boy named
Gopal. He had never seen the bright East India
sun, for he was born blind. ‘They had dug a cave,
or pit, in the earth, and covered it with branches
and leaves, leaving only a small opening for a door.
There the blind boy lived with his old grandmother,
who usually sat at the so-called door, spinning,
whilst Gopal, led by his little dog, went out daily
to beg.

One day his little dog led him through an open
gate into a garden towards a man who was occu-
pied on the veranda of his dwelling. The man
was a missionary.

“Tam very hungry,” cried the blind boy, point-
ing to his stomach. ‘The missionary threw a piece
of money towards him,’in order to find out if he
was really blind. Gopal did not stir, and the coin
fell on the ground. ‘The dog ran, took up the money
with his mouth, and laid it into the blind boy’s
hand.

After making further inquiries, the mission-
ary had the boy come to his school every day. In
the evening he would give him some money to
take home, in order to satisfy the grandmother,
for whom the boy could no longer beg.

In school Gopal had to learn a number of Bible
verses, and as blind people generally have a good
memory, he learned very quickly, and could soon
assist in repeating the verses to the smaller children.

At one time the missionary had to make a jour-
ney to a distant village. On his return he did not
find Gopal in school and was told that the boy had
not come to school for several days. He went to the
cave where Gopal dwelt, crawled through the small
opening, and found the boy very sick on a bed made
of' leaves. He also heard him repeat one Bible
verse after the other. When the missionary came
near the bed, the blind boy noticed that some one
was there, and thinking it to be his grandmother,
he joyfully said, “Grandmother, now I shall soon
be delivered from all evil. ” Then he again repeated
his Bible verses.

One yerse he repeated twice: “I know that my
Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the
latter day upon the earth; and though after my
skin-worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall
I see God, whom J shall see for myself, and mine

‘eyes shall behold, and not another.” Yor the third
_ time he tried to repeat the comforting words, but
. after having said “I know,” his voice failed him,

and he sank back upon his pillow exhausted. ‘The
missionary knelt by his side and praised the grace
of God which shone into the darkness of the poor
heathen boy.

The next day the blind boy was delivered from
all evil. “TI see!—TI see! —TI see a great light! —
I see Him in His beauty! ‘Tell my teacher that
the blind sees! Glory! Glory!”

These were his last words. His soul was car-
ried by the angels into the kingdom of light and
bliss and glory. Tis body was laid to rest

Until the Easter dawn shall gild the skies,
And the dead in Jesus shall to glory rise.

————_~-2-9——____—

“Almost a Christian.”

We once heard a young lady speaking to her
pastor about her newly wedded husband, praising
him very highly. The pastor listened patiently to
all the praises given the young husband, and then
kindly asked, “And is he a Christian?”

In a hesitating voice the lady replied, “Almost
a Christian; I may say, not far from the kingdom
— almost persuaded.”

“Well,” said the pastor, “he then surely needs
your earnest prayers, for permit me to remind you
that almost saved is altogether lost.”

We then thought of the ship wrecked not far
from the harbor.

A ship came sailing and sailing
Over a murmuring sea,

And just in sight of the haven
Down in the waves went she.

And the spars and the broken timbers
Were cast on a storm-beat strand;
And a cry went up in the darkness,
Not far, not far from the land!

———+ e-s —___-______

A Good Reply.

Duke Henry of Brunswick favored the papists,
still he would not always do their bidding. One
day some Romish priests made complaint to him
that Lutheranism was coming into his dominions,
as the people were already singing Luther’s hymns.

“What kind of hymns are they ?” asked the Duke.

The priests said: “Among others the hymn,
‘May God Bestow on Us His Grace.’ ”

“Why! replied the Duke, “is the devil to be-'

stow his grace on us? Who else is to EG grace
on us but God alone?”

-. 2) » eee