The Wahpeton times., 1889-03-14
The Rev. John .CraiS.

''-- .iS
q, Tho Rev. John .CraiS.
Ny wife lay dying. AndI, who had
called on the Most High from>beside
so many deathbeds, could pray no
longer.
1married her in no carnal desire.
but because I thought I and she
together could dserve God better than
she and Iapart. There was no beauty
in her face, other than the soft light
of kindliness and health ofsoul. But
all the children in the village loved
her, and after she became my wife I
know I did more good than had
done before.
Then there came child ofour own,
to love and to rearin thefear ofGod.
But it was taken away-and in that
hour of common sorrow learned to
love Mary SO that she became more
beautiful to me than flowers. And
still we did our work together in the
village, Iamong the men and women
she among the children.
Then she fell i'll. I fought death
fiercely, and prayed to God unceas-
ingly. But she grew weaker always,
and at last my wife lay dying.
All my prayers and my ynursing, all
the tears of people who loved her,
could not cool her hot head-could
not even make death easy to her.
Iwent into the empty church, where
the cool light of the early morning
shown through an opened blind, and
the notes danced in q shaft of sum
beams over the table where the Bible
lay. I threw the book on the floor,
and standing on it cried, 30 Satan,
l turn to thee, for God has failed me.
I have much to offer thee-the record
of a long service of the unjust God
a mind trained in turning men to
God. Give me Mary's life, and will
devote my soul to thee. Only spare
her, give her health, and let her still
serve the God she loves, and whom
henceforth 1 hate, and will be thy
servant forever" !
| left the Bible lying there, open at
the Twenty-third Psalm and torn by
my heel, and went to Mary's room
again. .
s'Hush," said her sister, ''she is
asleep,-the doctor says it will save
her life. Give thanks to God,-he is
very good"
When she was quite we'll again, I
told the people of the church that
was in the need of rest, and they gave
me four months in which to recover
my strength. / had q brother q mis-
sionary in the Fijis, and we thought
it best to spend our vacation in
going to visithim. We took passage
in the bark Seamew, from San Fran
cisco.
On the tenth night out from port
heard q great noise of tearing and
crashing, and then heavy shock
threw us from our berths. I helped
Mary up to the deck, and saw the
mate standing there, cutting tobacco.
1t was bright moonlight.
"Well, sParson, you brought us
parsons luck" said the mate. "The
rest is off in q boat with her bows
stove in, but I'd as lief drown here.
The Dutch fool that run us down is
a mile away by now, and showed no
side-lights, cuss him.
He lit his pipe, and turned away to
watch the water creeping up the
sides of the vessel-almost up to the
deck now.
Mary" I said. eve have not long
to live, Kiss me-"
She put her arms around my neck
and said, "John, I must tell you
something before the end comes.
You used to say loved you more
with rnother-love than anything else.
But, lately, since you have been i'll,
everything is changed with me. /
love you now in a way that would
have seemed wicked to mea year ago
and John, 1 am afraid l am not
going to heaven. Something hos
gone wrong with me; l tell lies, and l
think mean thoughts, and l have
only pretended to say my prayers
since l got we'll. l don't care-as
long as you love mel think it's be-
cause l worship you SO that 1 have
lost God. Don't turn from mel
know 1 am not good enough to die
by your side, darling, but l love you
-Ilove you." g.
The bark gave sudden lurch by
the bows, and we were in the sea. I
saw Mary's face for a moment, but
before could swim to her she sank.
A boat from the German vessel
picked me up: 1 am back in the
village again, preaching and praving.
And the mark of my heel is still on
the Twenty-third Psalm.-The Over