Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1871-01-14
saturday. January 14, ls7l.
For as Bsli'8 . On isiidn Aa'oeai.eI
A Raven dud's Messenger.


In a little village far of in Poland, there
lived many years ago poor peasant, whose
name was Dobry His grandfather had come
to this cold Polish land from the bright vine
clad slopes of the sunny NRhine, and had
brought with him that simple chidlike trust
in God which he had learned from his German
mother, and from the beautiful hymns which
she so often taught him in his childhood.
The German people are much fouder OF
singing than We are, and so to the German
Christian the hymns of Luther and Gerhardt
are especially dear They sing them in joy
aud in sorrow, in perplexity and despair, where
one Of our race would find heart for nothing
but silent prayer Or 4 hopeful text Of Gods
Word
This love for Christian song the German
grandfather hal brought with him to the rough
Polish country and beside it he had brought
little else except a black shiny raven, Which
he had caught and tanned in the old German
forest
Many years had passed away, the good Ger
man had gone to his rest under the Polish
SHOWS. and his son too had followed him and
now a grandson lived with his young family
in the little cottage But still the raven liked
on. 1t had been set at liberty many years be-
fore, but it sill made frequent visits to its old
home. and was welcomed by all the family,
parents as well as children, with warm atIec-
tion.
But trouble had come upon the peasants
family. Dobry was a sincere Christian and an
honest and industrious workman; but his lit
tie crop had failed his few animals had been
stricken with disease, and now the cud Of the
year had come and he had no money to pay
the rent due to his hard landlord 1t was mid
winter; the snow lay deep upon the ground,
the streams were frozen hard. and would be
so for many mouths-for the weather in Poland
is very seyere-and yet the landlord declared
that if the rent was not paid 10 three days,
Dobry hisyoung wife and his helpless children,
should he turned ont homeless and penuioss,
to starye aud freeze in the pitilcss weather.
The poor family were in the deepest distress
They cried to God for help, but how it could
reach them unless the hard heart Of their land
IOr3 should ysls1I fl5ey o0uid NOT teh /'i
the landlords heart seemed turned 81 Stone.
Each day Dobry went to him and Uesought
him to have pity upon him and bis poor babes
but he was as hard and stern as ever.
All too quickly the last day came itpassei
away with its short daylight, and evening was
there. Dobry had returned from his last un-
successful visit to the landlord, and no earthly
hope remained. Weariod aud almost despair
ing he sat down in the twilight in the midst of
bis little family; even the children felt that
some sorrow was hanging over them, aud the
poor mother wept siIonty over the baby she
held 10 her arms. Suddenly in the heavy still
ness the peal Of the village church-beIl sound
ell ON the. frosty air 1t was the bell which
every evening called the villagers 10 give
thanks to God for the blessings Of the day and
commit themselves into His care through the
darkness Of the night, and when good men
heard it, at home or in church, by the altar or
at their own frcsides they kuet and lifted
their hearts to God, the All Father.
Iu tide midst Of their distress the bell seemed
almost a voice from heaven to the household
Of Dobry. They fell on their knees, and there
in the gathering darkness of the last day when
they should have a home and a shelte they
looked to God for refuge The old German
custom came back to Dobry in bis need, aud
as he kue. he sang the words Of a wcll-known
hymn
Commit thou all thy grief,
And ways into God. hands
The mother and the children iliue1 and with