IT is a pleasant thing to see a son honoring a widowed mother; and, therefore, I am sure that the young readers of GOOD NEWS will like to hear about one who did so, and who, according to God’s promise, reaped a reward, even in this world.
One day when Alexander, the Christian Emperor of Russia, was traveling, it was found that his carriage needed some mending, and so, just for a change, he, having sent it on to the next town, made up his mind to walk instead of riding in one of the carriages of his attendants. As he was strolling along, all alone, he met an old woman on the road, who, coming up to him, asked very humbly whether he was one of the emperor’s suite. The emperor, with a smile, replied that he certainly had something to do with it; upon which the old woman said, “Well, then, I suppose you have brought me the letter and the money from my son in St. Petersburg” “Who is your son?” asked the emperor. “What! not know my son Iwan!” exclaimed the old woman; “I thought everybody would know my son. Why, he is Iwan, the stove-heater in the Winter Palace; and, because I am growing old, he sends me every year all that he can save of his wages. Now, as I have been told that our kind emperor has come into our part of the country, I have no doubt my Iwan has sent the money by one of the gentlemen of the company; or, maybe, you are the bearer of it?” The emperor laughed, and told her to go into the next village and apply to the officer there, giving her such an exact description of General D— that she could not fail to find him out, and telling her she was to ask him for the money. With many thanks, the poor old creature trudged away to find the general, while the emperor followed at his leisure. Having found the officer, the aged woman civilly asked him to oblige her by giving her the money Iwan, the stove-heater of the Winter Palace, had sent; but the general, who knew nothing at all about Iwan or the money either, at first only stared at her in astonishment, and then, as she persisted in her request, thought she must be out of her senses, and was just about to order her to be turned rudely away, when the emperor arrived. Making a sign to the general, he said aloud, “Pay this woman a hundred roubles from her Iwan, the stove-heater.” On hearing these words the poor old mother clasped her hands in astonishment, for she could not believe that her Iwan had sent her so large a sum. Like the poor anxious sinner who is told that eternal forgiveness, everlasting life and blessing, are a free gift, the gift of God, and may be had at once by simply believing in Jesus, God’s dear Son, this poor woman thought the news TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, or that, if indeed her son had sent her such an amount, he could hardly have come by it honestly; and when the general had counted out the money — about £16 — she refused to take it, saying, “My Iwan could not have got all that money rightly, and I won’t have it.” The general, however, seeing that it was the emperor’s wish that she should receive it, told her that before setting forth on his journey the emperor had, as is the custom in that country, made many presents to his officers and servants, and that, perhaps, her Iwan had had his share and sent it to her. The poor mother thought this likely enough; for she knew her son’s love for her, and felt persuaded that if, indeed, Iwan had received anything extra, he would be sure to think of his aged and helpless mother. Bursting into tears, and calling down many blessings on the emperor’s head, she declared she would willingly die if she could but once have the happiness of seeing him to thank him for all his kindness to her Iwan and herself. The general, who was greatly touched by the whole scene, found he could not keep the secret any longer. Pointing to the kind emperor, he exclaimed, with tears in his eyes, “My good mother, God has granted your wish; here you may thank the emperor in person,” and the poor old mother, overcome with astonishment and gratitude, fell down at Alexander’s feet, only able to express her thanks in sobs and broken sentences. The kind sovereign, taking her by the hand, gently raised her up, and told her he was so pleased with her Iwan’s filial piety, and the honesty she had shown in refusing to take the money until she knew it was justly hers, that he would settle a pension on her for life, and on his return to St. Petersburg would take good care to advance her Iwan’s interests. You may depend upon it he did not long remain a poor stove-heater in the Winter Palace, but was raised to higher offices, and became, under his emperor’s patronage, a great and rich man. Whether he knew the Lord I cannot tell you, but that his mother did I have no doubt. Poor and needy, aged and helpless, it was not in mere nature to refuse a hundred roubles; grace alone could have given her such strength in her poverty as to reject the gift until she knew that she might take it justly; and, having such a mother, we may hope that, through her prayers and teaching, her son’s noble conduct arose from some better motive than mere nature can afford, and that he honored his aged mother in obedience to God. Everything short of this is of little value; and, although it is at all times sweet to see a son loving and serving a mother, it is sweeter still when it is done for the love of God through faith in Christ Jesus. May you have grace given you first to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ unto everlasting life, and then to walk in love and obedience to God, doing His will from the heart, and Honoring your parents as did Iwan, the stove-heater of the Winter Palace of St. Petersburg.