Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1859-03-25
A Swiss Farmer and the Sabbath.

! afternoon, having large quantity of un-
cut grain in the field, and observing the
clouds gathering around the tops Of the
mountains, and the spring becoming full
of water, he called on his domestics, say
ing, "Let US go into the field, gather and
bind, for towards evening we shall have
storm. If you house thousand shoaves
before it rains, you shall be rewarded fol
so doing"
He was overheard BY hi, grandmother,
a good old lady of eighty years of age, who
walked supported BY two crutches. She
approached her grandson with difficulty
"John, John, doss thou consider! A.
far as can remember, in my whole life |
never saw an ear of corn housed on the
Sabbath day, and yet We have always
been loaded with blessings, We have new.
er wanted for anything; it might be done
if there was a famine, john, or long
continuance of bad weather, but thus far
the weather has been very dry, aud if the
grain gets little wet, there IS nothing
very alarming. Besides, God, who gives
the rain, gives the grain also, and we
mus. take things as he sends them. John,
do not violate the res; Of this holy day, |
earnestly beseech you
A. these words of the grandmother, all
the domestics came around her the old
est understood the wisdom Of her advice,
but the young treated it with ridicule, aud
said to each other, ''Old customs are out
of date prejudices abolished; the world
is now altered.
"Grandmo,her," said the farmer, "ev-
eryihing must have beginning, but
there is no evil in this; it is quite indit
ferent to our God whether we spend the
day in sleeping or in labor, and He will
be altogether as much pleased to see the
grain in the corn-loft as to See it exposed
to the rain; that which We get under
shelter will nourish US, and nobody can
tell what sort Of weather it will be to-
morrow
"JohD, John, within doors and out Of
doors are at the Lords disposal, and thou
dost not know what may happen this eve
ming but thou knowest am thy grand.
mother; l entreat thee for the love Of
God, not to work to-day l would much
rather eat no bread for a whole year"
"Grandmother, doing thing for one
time is not habit; besides, it is not
wickedness to preserve ones harvest, and
to better ones circumstances"
"But, John, Gods commandments are
always the same, and what will it profit
thee to have the grain in thy barn, if thou
lose thy own sOul?'
"Ah, don't be uneasy about that" said
John sand now, boys, let US 60 to work.
Time and weather wait for no man."
John, John," for the last time said
the good old lady but alas ! it was in
vain and while she was weeping and
praying, John was housing his sheaves; it
might be said that they flew, men and
beasts, SO great was the dispatch.
A thousand sheaves we're in the barn
when the first drop of rain fell John en-
tered the house, followed by his people,
and exclaimed with an air Of triumph,
Now, grandmother, all is secure ; let the
tempest roar, let the elements rage, it lit
tie concerns me, my harvest is under my
roof"
"Yes, john" said the grandmother,
solemnly, "but above thy roof spreads the
Lords roof"
While she was thus speaking, the build
ing was suddenly illuminated, and fear
was printed on every countenance.
A tremendous clap of thunder made
the house tremble on its foundations.
"Oh ~ exclaimed the first who could
speak, ''the lightning has struck the barn"
All hurried out of doors. The building
was in flames, and they saw through the
roof the sheaves burning which had just
been housed.
The greatest CONSERVATION reigned
among all the men, who but moment
before were so well pleased. Every one
was detected and incapable of acting.
The aged grandmother alone preserved all
her presence of mind she prayed aud in-
cessantly repeated, "What shall it profit
a man if he gain the whole world and
lose his own soul? o! Heavenly Father,
let Thy will and not ours be done ~
The barn was entirely consumed moth
ing was saved.
The farmer had said, 81 have put my
harvest under my roof" "But above
thy roof, is the Lords roof" had said his
aged grandmother.
This teaches the lesson that all is in the
hands of God, whether in the field or in
the barn, and what We endeavor to pre-
serve from the rain can be reached in any
place by Him who commands both the
rain and thunder-Dr. Wicheru.