The duke discovered that one of his tenants, a small farmer, was falling, year after year, into arrears of rent. The steward wished to know what was to be done. The duke rode to the farm, saw that it was rapidly deteriorating, and the man, who was really an experienced and industrious farmer, totally unable to manage it, from poverty. In fact, all that was on the farm was not enough to pay the arrears.
"John," said the duke, as the farmer came to meet him, as he rode up to the house, "I want to look over the farm a little."
As they went along, "Really," said he, "everything is in very bad case.
This won"t do. I see you are quite under it. All your stock and crops won"t pay the rent in arrear. I will tell you what I must do. I must take the farm into my own hands. You shall look after it for me, and I will pay you your wages."
Of course, there was no saying nay. The poor man bowed a.s.sent.
Presently there came a reinforcement of stock, then loads of manure, at the proper time seed, and wood from the plantations for repairing gates and buildings. The duke rode over frequently. The man exerted himself, and seemed really quite relieved from a load of care by the change.
Things speedily a.s.sumed a new aspect. The crops and stock flourished; fences and out-buildings were put into good order. In two or three rent-days it was seen by the steward"s books that the farm was making its way. The duke on his next visit said--
"Well, John, I think the farm does very well now. We will change again.
You shall once more be tenant, and, as you now have your head fairly above water, I hope you will be able to keep it there."
The duke rode off at his usual rapid rate. The man stood in astonishment; but a happy fellow he was when, on applying to the steward, he found that he was actually re-entered as tenant to the farm, just as it stood in its restored condition. We will venture to say, however, that the duke himself was the happier man of the two.
He that doeth good enriches his own heart with unspeakable blessings.
"Better a fountain in the heart Than a fountain by the way."
W. H.
ANSWER TO BIBLE ENIGMA.
(_Page 165._)
"_Praise._"--PSALM cl. 1.
P is in Peter, but not in Aaron.
R is in Pharaoh, but not in Matthew.
A is in Adam, but not in Moses.
I is in Israel, but not in Abdon.
S is in Jesus, but not in Daniel.
E is in Eden, but not in Spirit.
JOSEPH HUGH WILLERTON (Aged 6 years).
_Corby, Grantham._
[A correct answer has also been received from Maggie Nunn, aged nine years.--ED.]
ZOAR CHAPEL SUNDAY SCHOOL, HAND CROSS.
The Sunday School children of the above place of worship met together for their annual meeting on Sunday afternoon, May 20th, when our kind friend, Mr. Daw, of Hailsham, presided.
The service commenced by our old friend, Mr. Izard, giving out Hymn 59, Clifton Hymnal, after which Mr. Daw commenced by saying, as there were a goodly number of friends present, as well as children, he would try to make it as much like an ordinary service as possible. He then read 1 Samuel iii., then engaged in prayer, after which Hymn 212 was sung, the last line of the chorus being, "What can we give in exchange for the soul?"
He said that, when he was about one year old in divine things, he thought, if that text was written up on his house in big letters, so as people could see it as they pa.s.sed by, it would convert them, and he actually went out one day to see if there was a place where it might be put up. That was when he had been quickened into life about one year. He said he did not feel very old now. He remembered asking some little girls if they could tell him how old he was, and one little girl said thirteen; and he thought she was very near right, for he felt sure he was not more than fourteen now.
He then said he should preach a short sermon from 1 Samuel iii., and the last clause of the eighth verse--"And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child." He said he had tried to preach to children before, but this was to be a special trial, so we should see how he got on.
He said, in referring to the Lord calling Samuel, that his mother Hannah was of a sorrowful spirit, and prayed and made vows to the Lord that, if He would give her a man-child, she would give him to the Lord all the days of his life; and the Lord granted her request, and she called his name Samuel, because she had asked him of the Lord. So when Samuel was very young, she took him up to the temple; and one night, when he lay asleep, the Lord called him, and Samuel thought it was Eli that called him. But Eli said, "I called thee not; go and lie down again." But the Lord called him the second and third time, then "Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child."
The Lord called David to be king--the most unlikely one of the lot, for all his brothers pa.s.sed before Samuel first. Great, strong men they were, to all appearance--far before David. But no; David, the shepherd boy, was chosen to be king, for G.o.d often "chooses the foolish things to confound the wise."
He said he used to be a teacher in the Sunday School, and he often wished he was one now, for he thought he liked talking to children best; and when the Lord called him out to preach, one of his greatest trials was, to give up the Sunday School, for he thought out of his cla.s.s the Lord had called four boys and four girls.
Some boys and girls, after they have been to a Sunday School a few times, will return home and tell a fine tale to their mother, and say, "I shall not go to that school any more." "Oh, why not?" "Because they don"t give such good treats and prizes as they do at other schools." But their mothers never ought to encourage that.
He once saw a girl at Polegate Station, and he thought, "That girl is going off to service." He was sure of it; and whenever he saw a girl at the station, with a box or two and a parcel, going off to service for the first time, he generally said to himself, "That girl will have a good cry to-night, when she gets into bed." So when he saw this girl, he thought he would write her a letter; and he did so--that being five years ago--and he saw her only last week, when she said she had cause to thank him for that letter, and he quite hoped that letter was the means used by the Lord in calling her.
Then he said he wanted to say a word to parents and teachers. He did not know who he had before him, because he did not live in the neighbourhood. If he did, he should know more about them, and if the children did not come to school pretty regularly, he should often call on them to know the reason. He said he did not wish to offend them, but he often thought that parents sent their children to school, and never went to the house of G.o.d themselves.
And as to teachers--what a self-denying work theirs was! If there were any that needed sympathy, it was the teachers; and if they could not get it from the parents, they would draw it from some other source, for we read, "Cast thy bread upon the waters, for thou shalt find it after many days" (Eccles. xi. 1).
The children then repeated several hymns and pa.s.sages of Scripture, which they had learned for the occasion, after which Mr. Daw proceeded to distribute the prizes--which consisted of Bibles, hymn-books, and other good books--those receiving the best who had the most marks for attendance and good behaviour. In presenting a nice Bible to a little girl, he made the remark, "I have a Bible in my pocket which is not quite so good-looking as yours, but I prize it beyond any Bibles here, because it was given to me by a girl that is now in heaven; and there are marks in it, against various portions of Scripture, which had been blessed to her through my ministry." As they came forward to receive their prizes, he addressed each one in a very affectionate manner. He, indeed, had a kind word for all. He also wished each one to learn a hymn, which he named. After singing another hymn, Mr. Daw concluded with prayer.
"Am I called, and can it be?
Has my Saviour chosen me?
Vilest of the vile am I; Can I lift my thoughts so high?"
A READER.
ZION CHAPEL, TROWBRIDGE.
The sixtieth anniversary of the Sabbath School in connection with this place was held on Sunday, June 24th. Special sermons were preached by Mr. B. C. Turner, of Southport, and the scholars sang specially-selected hymns in the evening, at which service the chapel was crowded.
The text in the morning was Ruth iii. 1, and in the evening Mr. Turner spoke from Ecclesiastes xi. 6, "In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand." In discoursing from these words, he spoke many encouraging words to the teachers and parents, and gave good advice to the children.
After the sermon, three girls and four boys were promoted to the Senior Bible Cla.s.ses, each of whom was presented with a handsomely-bound Bible, and Mr. Turner spoke a few appropriate words to them.
The collections at the two services amounted to 15 1s. 3d. The school now numbers 240 scholars, forty teachers, and two superintendents.