Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-08-27
The Dawning Of Truth.

The imperial city of St. Petersburg is one
of the most magnificent in the world. It's
spacious streets and gilded spires and nu.
merous palaces have a most imposing effect
on strangers. The population is upwards
OF three hundred thousand. | lived among
them thirteen years, and received nothing
but kindness from every class of the com.
munity.
Almost every family keeps crowd Of
servants now and then you see Tartar
coachman, or hear a Flemish cook, but the
pcreops employed are chiefly Russian peas.
ants who come to the metropolis from all
parts of the empire, in hope of getting higher
wages than they can earn at home. Among
them was Ereua, deserving, intelligent
woman, who came TO live with us in 1927.
All went on we'll until Ash Wednesday.
This is the first day of Lent, and then be.
gins the long fast, which many of the Greek
church observe as if it secured the salvation
of their souls. Besides the rigid fasting
they 60 to church two or three times daily
and in "passion week" many OF them 20
there four times day.
Erena was strict observer of the Greek
ceremonies, and she was determined to per-
form them. Her mistress spoke to her of
the impropriety of going out so often and
she replied: "Do you wish me to lose my
soul, ma'am ?"
"No," was the answer; "far from it; I
wish your soul to be saved. But your fast
ing, praying and going to church will not
save your soul There must be something
more than all this. The Lord Jesus Christ
is the Saviour of sinners, and it is by faith
in him alone that sinners are saved"
"Ah," said she, "that is your religion,
but have been taught differently, and
must tend to my own religion"
The next day her mistress said to her
"Erena, wish to teach you to read
would you like to learn p
"Oh, yes, maam, should be delighted to
learn"
So the work of education commenced !;
and in the course of a few weeks she could
make out an easy lesson very we'll Then
she was supplied with Russian Testament,
which she studied diligently whenever she
had little leisure.
One Sunday, when we went to chapel, her
mistress left Erena in charge of her chill.
dren, and said to her al recommend you,
Erena, to read the tenth chapter of the Acts
of the Apostles" This excited her curl.
osity. "What can there be in the tenth
chapter of the Acts 2" and she soon began
to read. As she proceeded, she found that
Cornelius tasted and prayed and gave aims.
"Ah, this is delightful" |" she thought.
." This man was of our religion; he kept the
fasts." But when he found that an angel
was sent to tell him what he must do, this
staggered her. She was astonished and
seemed disappointed; and on our return
home she came to her instructress, and with
inquiring countenance said;
81 wish you would explain this to me-
ma'am; | don't understand it. Here is
very good man who kept the fast, and prayed
to God, aud gave aims, but that was not
enough i never was taught to do any
thing more. Tell me, why was the angel
sent tn him ?"
Her mistress answered. DO you think
God would send an angel to you, or to us, or
to any other person, unless some important
end was to be answered by it |"
"Ah,' she said, 81 did not think of that"
avery well, then, read the chapter
through, and examine every verse, and you
will find out why the angel was sent to him."
She returned TO her room and read the
chapter attentively until she came to that
beautiful verse where Peter says of Christ ::
"To him give all the prophets witness, that
through his name whosoever believeth in
MIN snail receive remission OF SINS. This
was enough. God, who commanded the
light to shine out of darkness, shone into
her heart to give her the light Of the know
ledge of the glory of God in the face of
Jesus Christ.
The scales fell from her eyes, and she saw
in moment the way of salvation. She
could read no more. She arose, and, run
ming to her mistress, clasred her hands and
exclaimed: "Oh, ma'am now | see it
now see it-now see it 1t was not by
fasting that he was to be saved not by
prayers that he was to be saved /; not by Civ
ing aims that he was to be saved; but by
believing on the Son of God. Now see it r.
And from that day the change was glorious.
She became one OF the most active, devoted
and, perhaps, useful young Christians that
we had ever seen.-Rev. Richard KnM.