The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1879-12-06
THE DEAD RAVEN.

The subject of this story was poor wea-
yer, living in the little German town Of
Wupperthal a poor man in his outward
circumstance, but rich toward God, and well
known In his neighborhood as one who
trusted in the Lord at all titles. His con-
slant faith expressed itself in what became
his habitual utterance at all times, and un-
der all circumstances of trouble and perplex-
ity,
"The Lord hel ps."
And he said it undauntedly, even when
it looked as if the Lord had iorsaken him.
Such time it was when, in season of
scarcity, work run short, many hands were
discharged, and the master by whom our
weaver was employed gave him his dismis-
sal. After much fruitless entreaty that he
might be kept on, he said, at last,
"Well, the Lord helps" and so returned
home.
His wife, when she heard the sad news,
bewailed it terribly but her husband strove
to cheer her with his accustomed assurance,
"the Lord helps; and even although as the
days went on, poverty pinched them sorely,
nothirg could shake his firm reliance on
Him in whom he trusted.
At last came the day when not penny
was left, no bread, no fuel IN the house, OH
ly starvation stared them in the face. Sadly
his wife tidied and swept the little room on
the ground floor IN which they lived. The
window was open, and possibly the words
were heard outside, with which the weaver
strove to keep up their courage
"The Lord helps"
Presently street boy looked saucily in,
and threw dead raven at the feet of the
pious man.
"There, saint there is something for you
to eatw he cried.
The weaver picked up the dead raven,
and stroking its feathers down, said compass
siouately:
"Poor creaturel thou must have died of
hunger"
When, however, he felt its eicp to see
whether II was empty, he noticed something
hard, aud, wishing tU know what had
caused the birds death, he besah tn exam-
inc it. What was his surprise when, on
opening the gullet, Il gold necklace fell into
his hand. The wife looked at it conlounded
the weaver exclaimed:
"The Lord heIps!" and in haste took the
chain to the nearest goldsmith, told him
how he had found it, aud received with joy
two dollars, which the goldsmith offered Ia
lend him for his present need.
The goldsmith soon cleaned the trinket
and recognized it us one he had seen before,
"shall tell you the owner?" he asked
when the weaver called again,
DYES was the joyful answer, "for
would gladly give it back into the right
hands"
But what cause had he to admire the won-
derful ways of God, when the goldsmith
pronounced the name ef his master at the
factory.
! Quickly he took the necklace and went Ia
his former employer. In this family, too
there was much joy at the discovery, loI
suspicion was removed from servant. But
the merchant was ashamed aud touched
he had not ior yDtten the words uttered by
the poor man wnen he was dismissed.
Yes, he said, lhnughJhily aud kindly
"the Lord helpsi aud now you shall moi
only go home richly rewarded, but | will
not leave without work SO faithful and
pious workman, whom the Lord so evil
IDENTIFY stands by aud helps; you shall hence
forth be no more IN need"
Thus, He who fed Elijah by living ravens
proves himself equally able to supply the
needs of his tired servant by the same bird
when dead.