The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-09-21
Ghildren's Column. .
For the Central Presbyterian.
The Little Night Cap.
A STORY OF THE HUGUENoTs.

SIOh1 OF The HUGUENOTS.
My Dear ". and Z.,-While hope
that this little story which 1 write you as
an open letter may prove profitable to
many, desire to call you especial y to
reflect upon Gods goodness to your an
cestors In bringing them into his service,
and L wish you to remember his mercies
to you in giving you Christian parents
who have dedicated you to God in bap-
tism. You are now old enough to come
out from the world and confess Christ as
your Saviour, and to claim as your Lord
the covenant-keeping God. You will see
from the story of this little girl, whose
blood flows in your own veins, that for
many generations the God of Abraham,
of Isaac, and of Jacob, the covenant
keeping God, has been remembering his
promise to be God to his people and to
their children after them. He is the
God of your fathers, and you should now
take him for your God and begin to serve
him with all your hearts.
1t is now almost two hundred years
since the wicked King Louis the xiv of
France, broke the most solemn promises
his crown had made to the Huguenot
Presbyterians, by revoking what is known
as the Edlct of Nantes. Louis's grand
father, Henry the ", had .abiured
the faith of his pious mother Jean
d'Albret, and become Roman Catho-
lie; but he still cherished a warm
affection for the Presbyterian Church
OF his parents; and, despite the OPP
position of his new Romish friends he
had given the Huguenots, to whom he
owed his throne as well as his educa-
ton, solemn pledge: That they. should
worship God according to their religious
principles. Under this pledge, the life
OF Protestant Christian was compare
lively free from persecution until Louis
the XIV became the king of France.
Soon this cruel tyrant began to show the
most bitter hatred to the Huguenot
Christians. He robbed them of one right
after another until he finally broke the
sacred pledge which had been given them
by repeating the laws which allowed
them freedom to worship God in France
and they were compelled to become Ro-
man Catholics or lose their property and
leave their country forever. This wicked
law known as the Revocation of the
Edlct of Nantes, was made in the year
1888. The poor Huguenots were now
reduced to the most pitiable state. If
they brought their children to their own
pastor for baptism they were heavily
fined, and were required to bring them
to the priests to have them baptized.
Their beautiful churches were DESTROYED,
and they were not allowed to build any
more. Their children must be educated
at Romish schools or grow up in igno-
rance. Their pastors were required to
leave the kingdom in fifteen days, and
their poor people were permitted to have
no public worship of any kind. More
than half million of these afflicted
Christians were thus forced to leave
their pleasant homes, for dearly as they
loved France, they would not live where
they could not worship God and teach
their children the pure doctrines of his
word. at this time of great distress
there lived in the department of Arden
mes little girl named Susannah
Rochelle; her home was on the wind
ing river Meuse, one hundred and thirty
miles northeast of Paris, in the beauti-
full city of Sedan, (the same place where
Louis Napoleon surrendered to the Prus-
sian army In 1870. Sedan was the home
OF a great many Huguenots, they had
here a Aourishing university and large
number Of faithful followers. Little
Susannah had been blessed with Protes-
tant parents, who had directed her edu-
cation until the cruel king broke up their
schools, and the Romish priests wished
to take her from her father care to send
her to some Of their schools that they
might make her papist. Unwilling to
have the principles Of his little daughter
poisoned'by Romish teachers, her father
tried to send her out Of France. But even
this must be done in secret for the watch
full soldiers Of King Louis were closely
guarding all the roads that led out Of the
country to stop the fight Of Huguenots