had almost to drive him away.—Lord Walsingham and Sir Ralph Payne-Gallwey, "Shooting."
(1094)
FIDELITY, CHRISTIAN
A little Korean boy named Twee-Sungie
was brought by his Christian mother to
church Sunday by Sunday and learned about
Christ and accepted Him as his Savior. His
father was a heathen and worked seven
days a week, and forced little Twee-Sungie
to do the same. The boy was broken-hearted
at being deprived of attending the church services,
but he also felt that he was sinning
deeply in desecrating God's day. Calamities
came upon the family. A younger brother
died, another, Twee-Singie, was taken ill. As
his strength failed he seemed to lose all desire
to live. "If I live on in this world,
father makes me break God's commandments,
and I will only add sin to sin, so it is better
for me to die and go to Jesus." He tried to
turn his father's thoughts Godward, but the
man's heart was full of evil and bitterness.
When the boy died, the relatives proposed
that they bury with him the Testament and
hymn-book which he loved, for, said they,
these books were the cause of his change,
and if they are put away, his mother will return
to the worship of spirits. So there lies
in the grave of the little boy believer, outside
the walls of Seoul, the printed page
whose message the little lad wished so much
to obey.
(1095)
FIDELITY, MISTAKEN
A pathetic story is told by the Savannah News of a tragedy caused by the terrible storm which swept the Southern coast. Captain Matheson, of the schooner Nellie Floyd, is the hero. The story runs thus:
When the Floyd foundered and it was certain
that she must leave her bones in that
marine graveyard off the North Carolina
coast, a life-raft of hatches was constructed,
and the crew, including the captain, piled on
it. As they were about to push off, trusting
to fortune to be picked up by a passing ship,
Captain Matheson looked back upon his beloved
schooner, then in its death-throes. His
heart smote him. He felt like a deserter.
The suffering but inanimate bulk called to
him, and he could not resist the call. "I am
going back, boys," he said; "good-by, and
good luck to you." Then he scrambled back
to the decks, by that time awash and fast
settling. And in sight of the crew the ship
and her captain went down to their fate.
(1096)
FIDELITY REWARDED
An English farmer sent his hired boy to
prevent a party of gentlemen from riding over
his fields. The leader of the huntsmen peremptorily
ordered him to open the gate.
Upon his refusal, he said shortly, "Boy, do
you know who I am? I am the Duke of
Wellington, and I am not accustomed to
disobedience. I command you to open this
gate." The boy lifted his cap and stood unawed
before the "man of iron will," and
said in a firm voice, "I am sure the Duke of
Wellington would not wish me to disobey
the orders of my employer, who tells me not
to suffer any one to pass." The Duke sat
his horse for a moment, and then looking
stedfastly at the boy, lifted his own hat and
replied, "I honor the man or boy who is
faithful to his duty, and who can neither be
bribed or frightened into doing wrong." He
handed a bright new sovereign to the boy,
who had done what Napoleon could not do;
he had kept back the Duke of Wellington.—James
T. White, "Character Lessons."
(1097)
FIDELITY TO COUNTRY
In the fight of Trautenau (Austro-Prussian
War, 1866), a young officer, hard hit, was
lying on his back in a ditch, where he begged
his foes to let him remain. Shortly after, he
died. Then it was found that, even with his
life ebbing fast, his body had served to protect
the "bit of rag" which on the morning
of that day had been the standard of the
regiment. He had carefully folded it up, and
laid down upon it to die. "One thing" was
in that soldier's heart—to save his country's
colors from capture and disgrace.
(1098)
FIDELITY TO DUTY
The wrecking of the Maine, happening at
night, was so sudden and the convulsion was
over in so brief a time, that a chance for a
display of heroism seemed next to impossible;
and yet, in the terror of that awful
scene, every surviving man immediately recovered
himself and stood to his discipline.
Not one comrade was forsaken by another.
The last seen of the lost lieutenant was at
the turret under his charge, weak and staggering
with his wounds. The marine on
duty, true to his habit of service, rushed
through a dark passage flooded with water,
and reported that the ship had been blown
