The Tupelo journal., 1902-10-24

stories fingers with me still. What
intense fascination there was in the
tale of the rich and good fairy who
could appear in whatsoever form he
chose and bestow his gifts upon
those whom he had tested. With
what impatient anxiety we followed
the good and bad characters in the
story as they met the good fairy
disguised as an old man, hungry and
in need; or, as a poor, helpless, de-
formed child; and saw the one rem
der the kindly service hat brought
the bestowment of the rich gift, and
the other selfishly withhold and thus
lose the favor of the visitor from
fairyland. With bated breath we
have paused in our reading at the
critical testing point and exclaimed:
"Oh, if they only knew that it IA a
rich and good fairy standing there
instead of that poor, helpless, needy
old mani" How we have just ached
to step into the story and tell the
secret before it was too late and the
opportunity of winning the fairy's
gift had been lost.
The fairy stories are not true, but
there are Bible stories which are
true and can equal any fairy story
in the charm of its plot and in the
unexpected and miraculous reward
of goodness. Take for instance the
story of Elijah, the prophet, and the
widow of Zarephath. In the time of
sore famine the man of God visited
her and asked her to give to him
the last handful of meal in the bar
re. and the last drop of oil which she
had in the house. Day by day she
and her little son had watched the
scanty provisions grow less and less.
The mothers heart was torn with
anguish as she saw her darling slow
ly starving to death. Each day the
cake she baked was smaller in size.
that the meal and oil might last the
longer. At last, with but enough left
for one more meal, she feels herself
face to face with death. for she
knows not how more meal and more
oil can be obtained. But there is
enough meal and oil for the day and,
because of this, death is one day far
Their off. And while she is gathering
fuel with which to cook the last
meal, along comes this stranger from
another city. and asks for her all.
And, inspired by the spirit of Cody
fear and unselfishness, she feeds
Elijah, when 10! the barrel of meal
continues to yield its daily supply
and the cruise of oil fails not during
all the long days of hat terrible
famine.
Take the case of Abraham, who be-
sought the three strangers to rest
themselves in his TEN after the Jour
ney' over the hot sands. while he pre-
pared for them a bountiful repast,
and discovered ere they had depart
ed that they were angelic visitors
with the message from God of a son
to be given in his old age. Take the
story of Lot, who sat in his Off
cial capacity at the gate of Sodom
n saw the two strangers approach
ing in the eventide. Little did he
think as he gave them shelter that
night and became their protectors
against the violence and iniauity of
that city that they would be revealed
as angels in the morning. leading him
to safety from the liquid fire that
consumed the city. Take the charm
ing story of Rebecca at the well. The
faithful old servant of Abraham, aft
err the long journey, comes to the
drinking place and meets the fair
young damsel. Little did she realize
that her gentle, kindly, thoughtful
service tos this aged traveller would
yield her a husband, and riches, and
the honor of position as the ancestor
of a great nation and of Christ, the
Saviour of the world. Take the COM
panion picture of this scene, Christ
talking with the Samaritan woman
at the well. She, despite racial preiu-
dice and hatred, kindly granting the
simple request of the thirsty trav-
eler and discovering in Him a Sa-
viour. and bringing joy to all that
city of Samaria.
Take Luke's account of that walk
to Emmaus. The two sorrow-strick-
en- disciples Flooding along the road
side communing together over shat
tered hopes. A stranger appears and
breaks into their conversation. |
have often thought that if that Incl
dent had occurred in this day of de-
nominational prejudice and religious
self-pride the stranger would have
HAM dJCn tccnI 1o-r LD-~
was reached, and the two unsuspect-
ing disciples would never have seen
the S%aviour's face. Perhaps the two
disciples were at first disappointed
because the privacy of their grief was
violated, but with kindly patience
and f~orbearance they do not rebuff
the stranger and are soon lost in the
soul-stirring conversation. Even after
the city IA reached they might have
lost the greatest blessing if the hos
p~itality of their hearts had not gone
out to the stranger and they had not
invited him in to dine. A good many
xcuse might have been given for
not extending such hospitality. They
had been away from home and moth
ing was prepared for a meal, or pride
might have shut the door of hospital
ity SO that the scantiness of the fam
lily larder might not become known,
or a fretful housewife might have
exerted such an influence over that
home as to make it risky business
for the husband to bring home unex-
pectedly the guest to a meal.
There is nothing in Luke's story