The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1843-05-09
Youths Department.
THE OLD MAN OF THE FOREST.
A STORY OF LONG AGO.

STORY OF LONG AGO.
There lived in large forest, a long time ago, an
old man bent down with age; but he was good old
man, and loved every living thing. He called
hermit, because he lived alone in cave by the sea-
side, and never saw any one, except those who
to ask his advice or his prayers. Many who lived
near him very wicked. Once he had been wick
cd too, but he had turned from his evil ways, and
prayed to the Lord for help and strength to love him.
and his heart; and the Lord heard his pray
ers; and he saw how very foolish it was to worship
gods made Of wood and stone, or gold and silver
The old man then tried to teach the truth to others
He told them that the gods they prayed to, could not
hear their prayers; that it not their gods that
made this beautiful world. lie told them there was
only great, good land kind God who all love-
and would forgive their past sins if they but turn from
their evil ways and love Him. But they would not
listen to this good man, except to laugh; he saw
that he could do them no good; and that he might
himself serve the Lord better, he TO the cave
by the seaside. Here he seen by some children
who came from the town to keep sheep. He would
sometimes speak to them and they called him ssthe
good man Of the cave'' At first he did not dare
speak openly to them Of God for he feared if it was
known, they would no longer be allowed to come to
the forest; but he told them many stories from the
Bible, and of the great things that had been done for
us, that they began to think there be greater
and better God than those Of wood and Is,one, they
had been taught to worship at home. And when
they day asked him if this was the case, he no
longer feared to tell them Of the only true God From
this day, the old man kneIt upon the green and flow
cry grass surrounded by his little friends who listen
ed. to him as he prayed, and raised their voices to
thank the Lord for having brought them in so wonder
full a manner, to knew and love him.
At last The little children longer to the
cave, and very sorry was the good old man; but he
hoped every day that they would come
Many years Of loneliness had now passed over his
head and still they not; for no one dared speak
to him, rs heavy fine had been laid on all who
had been near his But the prince of the
country had made known that he should suffer no
harm, unless he attempted, as BEFORE to teach the
people. shoud this happen again. ''said tho prince
ssThen shall his disobedience and folly cost him his
life.'
One day, the old man while the gray light of
the morning still the sky; the birds had not
yet begun to sing, and the wild flowers hung their
pretty heads, weighed down by the dew-drops that
had fallen SO heavily the night before He looked a
broad. and the had not yet begun rise, and
that an hour must pass before its bright rays should
be seen from behind the high mountain that fronted
his cave and he sat down on seat, hewn out Of the
rock, to watch its rising.
Slowly the gray light passed away-br;ght clouds
f1oated over the sky here and there the clear blue
seen, and. at last as the little hymn says,
''When from the chambers of the east
His morning race begins,''
the crimson light rose higher and higher spreading
brightness and glory over the world. The birds,
grateful for the warmth and beauty it shed around,
raised from far and their pretty song of praise
while the stems Of the flowers, no longer bent under
the weight of their buds, turned their heads proudly
to the east, and welcomed with joy the bright coming
Of the god Of day.
The old man had risen from his seat; his head was
stretched out to sound the CALL that he hoped might
bring others as well as himselfto prayer; when loud
shouts and the trampng Of horses heard in the