MANY years ago, shortly after the Indian Mutiny, a lady was visiting a sick soldier in an hospital at Benares. Several Highlanders came in to see a dying comrade. She went up to them, and thanked them for coming so readily to protect the English who survived the horrible massacre which had attended the mutiny. She, however, reminded them of the danger which encompassed them, and of the probability of their falling, in one or other of the conflicts which lay before them, and urged them to look to Jesus, that, living or dying, they might be His.
Having prayed with them, and commended them to the protection of the God of battles, she distributed among them, as memorials of their interview, what books she had with her. For one man there was none. As they were about to start for Cawnpore, and she had no time to get such a book as she would have liked to present, she took half a sheet of notepaper, and wrote on it six verses from the fifth chapter of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians, and the hymn of John Newton’s beginning with the words,
“How sweet the name of Jesus sounds!”
and giving it to him, said, “I will look for you in heaven.”
Walter was pleased to have in his possession something in the handwriting of so kind a lady. This was the means of leading him frequently to look at the leaf of paper, and read what was written thereon. God blessed the reading of His own truth to Walter’s soul. Walter then told his comrade and friend, William, what a discovery he had made, and what a salvation he had found, and begged him to listen to the words that had been made the means of such blessing to his heart. They became the power of God to the salvation of William’s soul also. The two now often read together the verses and the hymn, and blessed the memory of her who had written them.
They advanced to the final relief of Lucknow Walter was shot through the chest, in one of the gardens whilst fighting his way with others through the streets and squares of that blood-stained city. William was perceived by his companion, but life was fast ebbing away. Pulling the much-prized leaf from his bosom, all stained with his blood, the dying man asked his friend to read the precious words, then whispered, “I’ll meet her in heaven. Good bye, Willie,” and expired.
Some weeks after this; the lady met William in a dying state in the same hospital at Benares, and learned from him these facts. Thus two souls were saved by a few verses of Scripture written on a half-sheet of note paper.
J. F.