River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1876-03-09
FAITHFUL UNro pEArM
RY lac cnRIsr1AN ANpERsEn

~ HAM AuhioiiAN ANbhh0ENs
Among the children in a charity
school sat a little Jewish girl She was
good, intelligent child, the quickest in
all the school but she had to be exclu.
ded from one lesson, for it was a Chris
tian school. -
In that hour the girl was allowed "a
open geography book, or do her sums
for the next day but that was soon
done and when she had mastered her
lesson in geography, the book indeed re.
mained open before her, but the little one
read no morein il she listened silently to
the words of the Christian teacher, who
soon became aware that she was listening
more intently than almost any Of the
children.
"Read your book, Sara" the teacher
said, in mild reproof; but her dark beam.
ing eye remained fixed upon him, and
once when he addressed a question to her
she knew how to answer better than a V
one Of the others could have done. She
had heard and understood and had kept
his words in her heart.
When her father, poor, honest man,
first brought the girl to school, he had
stipulated that she be excluded from the
lessons on the Christian faith. Bus
it would have caused disturbance, and
perhaps might have awakened discomfort
in the minds Of others, il she had been
sent from the room during the hours in
question, and consequently she stayed
but this could not 90 on any longer.
The teacher betook himself to the faith.
er, and exhorted him either to remove
his daughter from the school or 10 con.
sent that Sara should become Chris.
tian.
81 can no longer be silent spectator
Of the cleaning eyes of the child, and her
deep and earnest longing for the words Of
the gospel, said the teacher.
Then the father burst into tears.
81 know but little OF the command.
ment given to my fathers" he said "but
Sara's mother was steadiast in the faith
a true daughter CT Israel, and vowed to
her as she lay dying that our child should
net 81 be baptized. must keep my vow
foIit is even as covenant with God
HIMSELF"
And accordingly the little Jewish
maiden quilted the Christian school.
ears nave fOlleu on.
In one of the smallest provincial towns
there dweltb, as a servant in humble
household, maiden who held the Mosaic
laith. Her hair was black as ebony, her
eyes dark as night, and yet full Of splen,
dor and light, as is usual with the daugh
ers Of Israel. 1t was Sara. The express
ion in the countenance of the now grown
up maiden was still that of the child, sit.
ting upon the school-room bench anC
listening with thoughtful eyes to the
words of the Christian teacher.
Every Sunday there pealed from tho
church the sounds Of the organ and the
song Of the congregation. The strain:
penetrated into the house where the jew
ish girl, industrious and faithful in al
things, stood at her work.
Chou shalt keep holy the Sabbath
day." said voice within her, the voice oil
the law; but her Sabbath day was a
working day among the Christians. and
that seemed unfortunate to her. But q
thought arose in her soul: Doth God
reckon by days aud hoursl' And when
this thought grew strong within her, il
seemed comfort that on the Sunday o.
the Christian the hour OF prayer remained
undisturbed. and when the sound of an
organ and the songs of the congregation
. sounded across her as she stood in the
kitchen at her work, then even that
place seemed to become sacred one to
her. Then she would read in the Old
Testament, the treasure and comfort OF
her people, and it was only in this one
she could read for she kept faithfully in
the depths of her heart the words the
teacher had spoken when she left the
school, and the promise her father had
given her dying mother, that she should
never receive Christian baptism, or deny
the faith OF her ancestors. The New Ties.
lament was TO be sealed book to her
and yet she knew much Of il, and the
gospel echoed family among the recollec.
tons of her youth.
One evening she was sitting in a corner
Of the living-room. Her master was read
ing aloud; and she might listen TO him,
for it was not the gospel that he read, but
an old story book, therefore she might
stay. The book told of Hungarian
knight who was taken prisoner by a
Turkish pasha, who caused him TO b,
yoked with his oxen to the plow, and
driven with blows Of the whip till the
blood came, and he almost sank under the
pain and ignominy he endured. The
faithful wife Of the knight at home part
ed with all her jewels, and pledged the
castle and land. The knights friend,
amassed large sums, for the ransom de-
manded was almost unattainably high
but it was collected at last, aud the
knight was freed from seryitude and mis-
cry. Sick and exhausted, he reached
his home. But soon another summons
came to war against the foes of Christian
ity the knight heard the report and h,
could stay no longer, for he had neither
peace nor rest. lie caused himself 10 b,
lifted on his war horse, and the blood /,
come back to his cheek, his strength ap
peared to return, and he went forth 4
battle and TO victory. The very sam,
pasta who had yoked him TO the pillow
became his prisoner aud was dragged /,
his castle. But not an hour had passe,
when the knight stood before the captiy
pasha, and said to him.
"What dost thou suppose awaitetl
thee a.
81 know not" replied the Turk
"Retribution."
ayes. che retribution Of the Christian,
resumed the knight. "The doctriue o
Christ commands us to forgive our enc
mics, aud TO love our fellow.man. for
teaches us that God is love. Depart il
peace, depart to thy home will restor
thee to thy dear ones but in future b
mild and merciful to those who are ur
fortunate"
Then the prisoner broke out into tear
and exclaimed:
"How could believe In the posgibilit