The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1902-10-24

4
formed child; and saw the one rem,
der the kindly service that 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 was 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
rel 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
ho
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
ther 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 loi the barrel of meal
continues to yield its daily supply
and the cruise of oil fails not during
all the long days of that terrible
famine.
Take the case of Abraham, who be-
sought the three strangers to rest
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
and 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 iniquity 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 Luke's account of that walk
to Emmaus. The two sorrow-strick-
en- disciples plodding 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
sclf-pride the stranger would have
been dismissed long before Emmaus
was reached, and the two unsuspect-
ing disciples would never have seen
the Saviour's face. Perhaps the two
disciples were at first disappointed
because the privacy of their grief was
violated. but with kindly patience
and forbearance they do not rebuff
the stranger and are soon lost in the
soul-stirring conversation. Even after
the city was reached they might have
lost the greatest blessing if the hos
pitality of their hearts had not gone
out to the stranger and they had not
invited him in to dine. \ good many
excuses might have been given for
not extending such hospitality. They
had been away from home and moth
ing was prepared for Il 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
bone as to make it risky business
for the husband to bring home unex-
pectedly the guest to meal.
There is nothing in Luke's story
to Indicate that there was the least
selfish motive on the part of the two
disciples in inviting the stranger in.
They wanted to give him shelter and
food because he needed them. "And
they constrained him" And inasmuch
as they did it unto this stranger,
who was in need, behold! ere the
meal is concluded they discover that
the service has been rendered unto
Christ Himself. How it exalted their
service! They will be among the
number that will hear Christ, the
King, say in that last great day:
"Inasmuch as We did it unto one of
the least of these, My brethren, We
have done it unto Me-" Every serv-
ice rendered by the disciples of Christ
NAV be dignified and exalted by the
thought that it is done to Christ
Himself, and the we'll where the
thirsty one is given TO drink, the ia BILE
where the stranger is fed, the room
where the wanderer is sheltered, the
sick chamber and the prison cell may
be flooded by the light of the Christ
ly presence.
In Christ's Stead.-It is a common
incident for one going on journey
to carry a letter of introduction from
a friend TO some one in the city to be
visited introducing the bearer of the
letter TO an acquaintance of the friend
in the home city. 1t generally reads:
Amy attention or courtesy which you
can extend to--wiil be con-
sidered a personal favor" That is,
tie one to whom the letter is sent has
an opport unity of serving the friend