The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1909-02-20

and promoting general good fellow
ship,-Brooklyn Eagle.
Narcissa.
Back in her home in the hills Mar
clssa heard ominous news from Ma
Mia. Her nephew, who had gone to
fight the Americans, had been cap
tured Aguinaldo, too, had been TAX
en-. The insurrection was at an end
The insurgents were scattered, or
in the hands of the Americans.
Narcissa was filled with grief. Dire
things were to happen. now that the
Americans were in control. But the
worst was the fate of her nephew,
dear to her as her own son.
There was but one thing to do. Mar
cissa got her scanty wealth together,
and with great difficulty made her
way to Manila, hoping against hope
That her nephew might still be living;
for her thought of a prison was that
the prisoners friends must furnish
him with food, or he would starve, and
she dreaded lest she should arrive too
late.
She found him at last. and learned,
to her surprise, that her provision for
him was not necessary. He was in
place of comfort, was well fed, and
subject to no severe restriction; and
all her tears and travel seemed to
have been for nothing. But her neph-
ON oil RI hn
ised if she would wait till his release,
that he would return with her to the
distant home in the Luzon hills.
The journey was long and full OF
perils, so NarcisSa stayed. She
found friends with whom she could
make her home, and there was much
in Manila that interested her.
One day on the sn Get she heard the
preaching of native missionary,
Nicholas Moro. The message touched
her heart She was learning SO many
things that were new, her mind was
open for almost any wonderful story;
and this, which the preacher told, of
the love of God. went straight to her
heart. Would she love such God?
Of course she would.
There was no struggle, and little of
hesitation. Easy as the way by which
she learned that the Americans were
not the dreadful men she had sup
posed was the lesson concerning the
religion which the preacher was
teaching. She received it, believed
it, and rejoiced.
She could not read the little book
pei in her native tongue; but she had
time enough, and she began to learn.
And she told her nephew, who could
read a. little. So they spelled out the
Gospel together, and started the new
life with joy
When Narcissa and her nephew
came to their home again, she began
at once to tell her neighbors and
friends. Some of them heard the story
as she told it, and were glad.
The months went by, and in time
there came back into the hills mis-
sionary, who established his station
ten miles away. When he made his
Journey to where Narcissa lived, he
was surprised to find already there a
group of people not only ready for his
message, but in large measure already
in possession of it. His coming was
a Joy to Narcissa, for now when she
found anything in her little book that
she did not understand, she had only
to walk ten miles and back again to
learn the meaning of it.
One such journey she made to learn
the meaning of the word peace" She
had found it in the fourteenth chap |
ter of her little book, and the restswas |
so good she was unwilling to pass by |
a verse that might contain SO much. |
Peace l leave with you, My peace
give unto you" What was the mean
ing of the word?
She walked ten miles to learn the |
answer to her question. and the mis-
sionary told her as best he could the |
meaning of the word.
why" she said. that is just what
I have had for the last two years."
And she took her happy journey home
again.-Youth's Companion.
The Surpice. i