Books: The Poorhouse Waif and His Divine Teacher

I >> Isabel C. Byrum >> The Poorhouse Waif and His Divine Teacher

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At last the parents, while gazing down upon the little unconscious form
burning with fever, gave up all hope of his recovery, consecrated their
child afresh, and submitted their own wishes in the matter to the One who
had lent them the darling. Then they seemed to see upon the fevered brow
the angel touch of death, and the troubled spirit of little Charley,
moaning piteously, appeared to be preparing for its upward flight to a
better world.

Feeling that there was nothing more that they could do, the brethren had
taken their departure, but only a short distance from the house they met
Edwin returning unexpectedly from his trip. Had Edwin endeavored to do so,
he could not have told them why he was coming just at that hour, but
something seemed to bid him hasten, for his presence was needed. From the
brethren he learned of the child's illness, and, hurrying into the house,
he was soon beside the parents, who were still weeping over their little
one.

As Edwin looked down upon the face of the one whom he so dearly loved, the
words, "The prayer of faith shall save the sick" (Jas. 5:16), appeared to
be all that he could see or hear. He went hurriedly to the door and called
loudly to the brethren and bade them return at once. Fortunately, the
latter had been walking slowly, for their hearts were troubled because of
their neighbor's distress, so they heard the sound of Edwin's voice calling
to them, and they immediately retraced their steps.

The little group, with the addition of Edwin, once more gathered around the
child's crib. As Edwin knelt he clasped his own hands and raised them
before him; then with upturned face and pleading tones, he asked God, for
Jesus' sake, to heal little Charley.

For several minutes he prayed, and in his earnestness his body swayed
backward and forward, and tears flowed freely over his cheeks. When the
prayer was ended, and Edwin opened his eyes to look about him, to his great
surprize and joy he saw before him upon the floor the little child with his
hands clasped and raised as Edwin's had been and his large blue eyes turned
heavenward. He too was praying, trying to imitate Edwin's example. At the
very first of the prayer when Edwin's voice arose, the child regained
consciousness and, seeing his friend upon his knees beside him, he had
begged his mother to allow him to "pway" too. Lifting him tenderly from the
crib, the mother had placed him carefully upon the floor. From that moment
little Charley was well, and soon called for some food.

At another time, when Edwin was holding a meeting about seventy-five miles
from this home, the little girl became seriously ill. "Have Edwin pway!
have Edwin pway!" was all they could hear from little Charley; so a letter
bearing the news and telling the nature of the child's illness was posted
as soon as possible. When the word reached Edwin, he went to his room and
there remained before the Lord until he felt that his little friend was
healed. When another letter came from the mother, it brought the word that
the little girl was healed, and the day and hour that the work was done
agreed perfectly with the time when God had witnessed to Edwin in his room
that the child was healed.

A few days after the healing of the little girl Edwin received still
another letter. This time it was from the wife of a certain man for whom
Edwin had worked and whose confidence he had won before God called him to
preach. "Please pray for my husband," the letter ran. "He is in the
hospital with a cancerous sore upon his right leg. The doctors give him no
hopes that he will recover, but we have not forgotten how often God has
heard your prayers, and we believe that if you will pray for him he will
recover. There is no earthly remedy that can help him."

Edwin remembered the old gentleman well, and he went out in the woods where
he could be alone and prayed earnestly a long time for the man, but he
received no answer or impression that the work was done. For three
successive days Edwin went alone to the woods to pray. On the third day he
felt that the man would recover, and immediately he mailed a letter to the
lady to that effect.

When the message was received and read to the sick husband, the faith of
both him and his wife were increased and strengthened, and they too
believed that he would soon be well. From that very hour there was a change
in the man's condition, and the sore began at once to heal. When the nurses
came to dress the sore, they were astonished at the change, and the doctors
confessed that it was a mystery too deep for them to fathom, but to Edwin
it was only another blessing from the Lord.

"And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power
against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of
sickness and all manner of disease" (Matt. 10: 1).

"For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord
over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon
the name of the Lord shall be saved.... How beautiful are the feet of them
that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!"
(Rom. 10:11-15).

CHAPTER XXI

DISCOVERS GOD'S CHURCH

O Church of God, thou spotless bride.
On Jesus' breast secure!
No stains of sin in thee abide.
Thy garments all are pure;
Of unity and holiness
Thy gentle voice doth sing,
Of purity and lowliness
Thy songs of triumph ring.

--Clara M. Brooks.

A number of years had passed since Edwin began preaching, and in the
suburbs of a large city where the houses were numbered in groups of twos
and threes, there was a certain quiet dwelling that could not help
attracting the notice of the passerby; for the place, surrounded as it was
by a pretty grassy lawn with a few choice flowers scattered here and there,
disclosed the fact that the occupants of the cottage were lovers of the
beautiful.

Through an open window a song of praise was floating, and upon the face of
the fair and noble young woman within could be read happiness, contentment,
and love. She was busying herself about the stove, for she was Edwin's
wife, and she was preparing her husband's evening meal. God not only had
raised the poorhouse waif above his difficulties, but had given him in
addition a good Christian companion to comfort and encourage him.

A smile and a cheerful word were Edwin's greeting when he returned from the
post-office. Seating himself in the large comfortable chair that had been
placed by loving hands close beside the window, he began at once to examine
the mail. There were several letters, which were each read in turn; but
when Edwin came to the paper, his face wore a puzzled expression, for the
latter was not his own.

"I guess a mistake has been made somehow at the post-office," he said, "for
this paper belongs to another person; but I see that the wrapper is loose,
and I suppose it will be all right for me to slip it off and look the paper
over, for that's what I hope the other fellow will do with mine." Then as
he proceeded to unfold the large religious periodical, he remarked, "I
haven't yet found a paper that can come up to our own, and we can rejoice
tonight because whoever has it will have something good to read."

At the very beginning of their home life, Edwin, feeling that some good
religious paper ought to come regularly to their home, had chosen from a
bundle of sample copies the paper he considered best suited for their
purpose, and for some time it had been making its weekly visits to their
home. Since then it had been his custom to read aloud either from it or the
Bible while his wife was busy about her household duties. In this way they
could talk over together the subjects that puzzled them while these were
still fresh in their minds.

As Edwin's eyes fell upon the title of the new paper that he had just
brought and found that the name of the paper contained three words and that
the middle word was Gospel, he said, "Well, it at least has a good name,
and now we'll see if it teaches what its title indicates."

The heading of an article that read, "God's Word as Our Guide," next
attracted his attention; and when he began reading, his wife left her
partly prepared supper to come and look over his shoulder.

"As trusting children of God, we naturally look to him for guidance; for he
has said, 'I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way that thou shalt
go: I will guide thee with mine eye.' When two paths lie before us and we
know not which one to take, we ask God to make known to us the way that he
would have us take. God is willing to do this. He is glad to have us follow
where he leads."

"That is very good," Edwin's wife remarked.

Drawing a chair beside his own for her, Edwin said:

"Never mind the supper. Sit down, and we will eat later."

Then he read: "In Exod. 19:5 God says that his people will be a peculiar
treasure unto him above all people. This great favor is bestowed upon all
those who obey his voice. When we see how much people have cost him, we can
comprehend, in a measure, how precious we must be in his sight. Naturally
we value anything by its cost. If this rule be applied here, truly God must
place great value upon his people; for he spared not his own Son, but
delivered him up for us all. He must therefore estimate our value by his
Son."

Next he read under the heading God's Church: "No one thing on earth is
complete enough in its nature to fully represent the church of God. Neither
is the human mind able to grasp singly a name that would express every
feature of the church. For this reason God has made use of many relative
names, such as kingdom, Zion, holy city, house, body of Christ, bride of
Christ, family, sheepfold, vine and its branches, and other similar
illustrations.

"First, let us consider the word 'church.' It means a congregation of
people separated from the world (John 15:19). Next, God's church is
characterized by being separate from the world and all its evils (2 Cor.
6:14), and Christ is the head (Eph. 1:22), the door (John 10:9), the
foundation (1 Cor. 3:11), and the chief corner-stone (Eph. 2:19,20)."

For a moment the paper dropped idly in Edwin's hands, for the truth of God
was streaming down into his heart. Ever since his talk in the
summer-kitchen with Mrs. Miller, when she said that she was converted at
the time when she joined church and in answer to Edwin's question as to
what the church was replied that the church was the little building where
the roads met, he had felt that there was such a thing as "the church," but
he could not get it settled that it was the building on the corner, as Mrs.
Miller had told him that it was. But whenever so situated that he could do
so, he had continued to be a regular attendant of every religious service
either at that place or in some adjoining community. In his heart he felt
that as the meaning of eternity, prayer, and conversion had been revealed
to his entire satisfaction, God would in his own good time help him to
discover the true meaning of the word "church."

Presently he read under another heading: "The gospel of salvation that
Christ preached penetrated the dark places of sin and idolatry like sun
rays driving back the darkness of night. Wickedness in the hearts and lives
of men gave way to grace and truth. Christ then established his church.
True holiness adorned her fair brow. Unity and purity were her chief
characteristics. Of her it is said, 'Thou art all fair, my love; there is
no spot in thee' (S. of Sol. 4:7). And again, 'My dove, my undefiled, is
but one' (S. of Sol. 6:9). 'He [Christ] is the head of the body, the church
... that in all things he might have preeminence' (Col. 1:18).

"Having purchased, founded, and built the church, God claims exclusive
right to the government. She is not 'our church,' but 'God's building,'
owned by God alone. All her members are the sons of God and bear his holy
image. 'God hath set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath
pleased him' (1 Cor. 12:18), for 'ye are the body of Christ, and members in
particular.'"

For a moment Edwin paused to meditate upon what he had read; then he
continued:

"It is God himself that assigns each member his place in the church, or the
body of Christ, and makes known to him what his line of spiritual work is
to be--'Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. And God
hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly
teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healing,' etc. (1 Cor.
12:27,28).

"The origin of the church is the immediate result of conversion and is
inseparable from it. 'I pray not for the world, but for them which thou
hast given me; for they are thine. Neither pray I for these alone, but for
them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may
be one; as thou, Father, art in me ... that the world may believe that thou
hast sent me' (John 17:9, 20, 21). 'As new-born babes, desire the sincere
milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby ... ye also, as lively stones,
are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual
sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. But ye are a chosen
generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye
should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness
into his marvelous light: which in time past were not a people, but are now
the people of God.' (1 Pet. 2:2, 5, 9, 10)."

Again Edwin paused, and as the wonderful beauty and completeness of God's
plan concerning his people dawned upon his mind, his large brown eyes were
brightened with tears of joy, and he said to his wife:

"I believe I understand at last what is meant by 'the church.' All
converted souls, both dead and alive, and of every nation or race of people
in the world, make up God's church, and to become a member of the church is
to be converted, or born into God's family."

"Read on," his wife said eagerly, and Edwin continued:

"God's people are not to forsake the assembling of themselves together to
worship him (Heb. 10:25); 'for where two or three are gathered together in
my name there am I in the midst of them.' (Matt. 18:20).

"It may be a mystery in the mind of some why we read in the Bible of
churches, when God has but one church. A little attention to the word will
convince any honest mind that the church of God is plural only in regard to
its geographical location. The people in the different communities could
not go up to Jerusalem in order to assemble themselves together in worship,
for the distance in some instances would have been too great. Thus, it
became necessary for many to form home congregations. But although they
were often widely separated, the same sweet fellowship was flowing in the
hearts of all, and God looked upon them all together as his church, or the
body of his beloved Son. The idea in referring to the church, or the divine
congregation, as a bride and wife in relation to Christ was to teach their
close relationship. 'And I will betroth thee unto me forever; yea, I will
betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in
loving-kindness, and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto me in
faithfulness: and thou shalt know the Lord' (Hosea 2:19, 20). 'For I am
jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one
husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ' (2 Cor.
11:2). 'He that hath the bride is the bridegroom' (John 3:29). 'For thy
maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the
Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called' (Isa.
54:5). 'Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage
of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was
granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the
fine linen is the righteousness of saints' (Rev. 19:7, 8). Since no man can
rightly have more than one wife, God has but one church, and Christ is her
husband."

"Wife," Edwin said, "this truly is wonderful. I see it all clearly now. God
has had a purpose in keeping me from joining the little church on the
corner, for I was already born into God's church when I was converted. He
understood my ignorance; and although they have long since changed their
minds concerning me, the ten years that I requested to prove my sincerity
have shielded me from making a mistake, and my name has long ago been
enrolled in heaven."

As they continued to glance over the pages of the paper, they came to a
large advertisement of a camp-meeting to be held in an adjoining State.
After reading the urgent invitation to all who could to come to the
spiritual feast, Edwin said that he would like very much to attend that
meeting. It was impossible for them to both leave at the same time, but
Edwin's wife urged him to go while she remained to take care of things at
home.

Before retiring that night Edwin told his companion about the first
camp-meeting that he ever attended. "I know," he said, "that I was looked
upon by many as a lunatic, but I'm glad that God realized and understood
all about the difficulties that had surrounded my early life. And, Wife, if
I had it all to do over again, I could never know more perfectly how to
consecrate myself to God and to realize the completeness of his love within
my heart." And thus their talk continued long into the night. Their supper
had been forgotten, for they were feasting on heavenly manna.

When the time for the meeting arrived, Edwin bade his wife farewell at the
station; and as it was but a few hours' ride, he was soon at his
destination. His general appearance as well as his understanding of the
three languages helped him to make a far better impression than he had made
at the time of him conversion, but his same innocence regarding sinful
pleasures was still very noticeable. From his earliest recollections in the
poorhouse his desire to do right for principle's sake had never left him.
This desire and God's wonderful protection had guarded him against many
evils that might in later years have entangled his feet and obstructed his
pathway.

What he saw and heard in the meeting was in such harmony with all that God
had taught him and with what he had read in the Bible that he said, "Of a
truth I have found God's church, and his people shall henceforth be my
people."

He was still of the same humble, teachable spirit, and when he returned to
his home, he carried many rich morsels of truth to his loving and faithful
wife.

"One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you
all" (Eph. 4: 6). "He will guide you into all truth" (John 16: 13).

CHAPTER XXII

VISITS THE POORHOUSE

I am not old--though time has set
His signet on my brow,
And some faint furrows there have met,
Which care may deepen now--
For in my heart a fountain flows,
And round it pleasant thoughts repose,
And sympathies and feelings high
Spring like the stars on evening sky.

--Benjamin.

It was evening in the late summer, and Edwin was sitting upon the porch. He
had been reading, but the paper had fallen carelessly by his side. In the
western sky the beautiful tints of gold were rapidly changing to the deeper
shades of lavender and crimson, and as he gazed upward among the drifting
clouds he seemed lost to his earthly surroundings. So enraptured and
carried away with his meditation had he become that he did not notice the
approach of his faithful wife as she came to take her place beside him.

"Edwin, your thoughts tonight seem to be very far away indeed," she said.
"I hope that you are thinking of things that are pleasant"

With a smile and a word of welcome, Edwin awoke from his reverie and said:

"Yes, Wife, my thoughts were pleasant. In imagination I was living over
again some of my early experiences."

"If that is the case, my dear, I greatly fear that a part of your thoughts
were not as cheerful as they might have been," his wife said as her chair
was drawn closer. Taking the hand that was scarred and disfigured in
several places by abuse in his childhood, she continued: "I fear that many
things concerning your childhood would be very hard indeed if you were
forced to live them over again even in thought."

"Yes, Wife, that is true. There were many hard and bitter things, which are
indeed painful to recall, especially those pertaining to my mother. To know
that she has left this life without any hope for the future world, feeling
that such was unnecessary, is hard, but it was not of her nor of her
attitude toward me that I was thinking altogether. I was meditating upon my
life as a whole. You see, more than fifty summers and winters have passed
since I left the poorhouse in my boyhood days, and I have passed well over
the best part of my life. I am now on the downward slope of life's mountain
of years, and it will not be long until I shall be entering the valley of
the shadow of death."

The soft fingers of the gentle wife closed more tightly over the hand they
held, as she said:

"Yes, dear, neither of us is young any more, for the silvery threads are
already in our hair; but whether our years on earth are few or many, I
believe that we both are ready to enter into the presence of our Lord at
any moment that he should call for us."

"I have no fears on those lines, Wife," Edwin said, while his eyes were
still upon the beautiful horizon; "for I have the sweet assurance within my
soul that I am a child of God and that I am on the road that leads to
eternal bliss and glory for all who are faithful unto the end. But this
evening as I sat here gazing upon the beautiful handiwork of God, I
wondered what could be awaiting us in that brighter and better world beyond
the grave."

"That is not for us to know now, Edwin, but some day the curtain will be
drawn aside, and I am sure that the scene will be all the brighter for our
having had to await God's time to reveal to us the mysteries that he has
for a time thought best to veil."

The silence that followed seemed too sacred to be broken, and the gathering
darkness crept slowly about them. When the last shade of crimson had left
the sky, Edwin said:

"I have been thinking of the many good things that have come to me in this
life, and the manner in which they have come. It seems that God's hand has
been over me ever since I can remember, and as I look back now I can see
that God has always been my guide ever since I chose to do the right
because it was right to do it, and that even in my extreme ignorance, when
I knew nothing of God's existence, he guided my steps and enabled me to
live a life that was upright and consistent in the eyes of the world. Then,
when I had no earthly friend who was able to unfold the mysteries of the
future world to my entire satisfaction, he became my teacher and taught me
how to be born into his heavenly family. Surely it was only through his
divine protection that I have been brought through all my perplexities to
the present time. Then as I was thinking about my childhood home at the
poorhouse, a great desire to visit the place again crept into my heart. It
seems to me that it would be a comfort to stand once more upon the same
ground and to see the scenes that I beheld at the time when I was a
helpless waif."

"Fifty years, Edwin, have probably made many changes, and nothing would
seem the same to you now. It could not be as it was when you were a child."

"That may all be true," Edwin replied, "and yet the more I think about it,
the greater becomes my desire to go and visit the place again. If you could
give your consent, I should be glad to go at once."

"That you certainly have," his wife said earnestly, adding, "I will gladly
do all in my power. Edwin, to help you to prepare for the journey."

Three days later Edwin kissed his wife good-by and with his handbag in his
hand started for the railway station. After boarding the train he had a
long and tiresome journey, but at last it was at an end. Alighting from the
train, he stood for a moment upon the platform, trying to think which way
to go. Noticing a man standing near, Edwin inquired the way to the
poorhouse, and finding that the distance was not too great to walk, he was
soon wending his way in that direction.

In that section of the country the land was quite level, and long before
Edwin reached the place, he could see the large brick building that during
his stay there was the quarters of the vicious and insane. He wondered if
it was still used for the same purpose and if the same sights and sounds
could be seen and heard. In a little while he was in front of the place
that was his home half a century before.

Leaving the highway, he passed through the open gateway, and a picture of
his uncle in the buggy with the little forlorn poorhouse waif sitting
beside him arose in his mind. Looking about, he wondered if either Mr.
Engler or the chore-boy Jim were in sight; but he was not long in
discovering that a new manager (or "steward" as he was called) by the name
of Blohm had taken Mr. Engler's place and that no one could tell him the
whereabouts of Jim. He was beginning to reah'ze that what his wife had said
concerning the changes of fifty years was true, but the greatest surprize
was before him.

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