NOT many years ago, a God-fearing man, upon entering the guest room of the hotel which he had chosen for his lodging place, the stranger noticed, to his astonishment, a New Testament lying on the table, which, judging by its appearance, was being much used.
“Do you read the word of God?” inquired the man of the hotelkeeper.
“Yes, sir!” responded the same, “and with much blessing.”
“Praise the Lord for it,” said the guest. “Yes, to Him be all the praise for it, and especially for the remarkable way in which He has led me and my whole house to esteem this book as our greatest treasure,” responded the hotelkeeper.
These words aroused the interest of the traveler in no small measure, and so he begged his host to tell him a little about it, upon which he related the following: “I took a nephew into my home after the death of his parents. But the boy was good-for-nothing. He behaved so badly that, in order to have quietness in my house, I was soon compelled to put him out. I gave him in apprenticeship to a very strict master, but one day Paul disappeared and no trace could be found of him. This fact gave us at first a great deal of anxiety, for what might not become of an unruly boy like him, only thirteen years old, roaming about the great city, with no one to assist him or care for him. As time passed on, we thought less about him, and were finally even glad, in this way, to have got rid of the troublesome fellow.
Well, about six months ago, a carriage stopped here with some passengers, and who was among them but Paul, dressed in the gay uniform of the National Guards. I actually shuddered when I saw him again.
‘What are you going to do here, you rowdy?’ I assailed him. ‘First you lead a dissipated life and then come back to bring shame upon me and my family!’
Paul looked at me with such a sad expression, and, pointing to his uniform, said: ‘Uncle, I have brought no dishonor upon the regiment under which I have served, as you may see from my papers; because of poor health I had to be dismissed from the Guards; and concerning my past sad life, I can say that with deep sorrow and repentance I look back upon it.’
‘Yes, yes’! I exclaimed, ‘I understand very well; run down in consequence of your careless life, not a cent in your pocket and nobody caring to have you, finally your uncle comes to your mind again.’
Paul shook his head. ‘I did not expect anything else,’ he responded quietly, ‘and all I can say in my defense is, by the grace of God I am no more the thoughtless and troublesome fellow I was before.’
‘Well, well, then,’ I said, somewhat calmed, ‘I will give you another trial, my boy,’ inviting him to come into the house.
It was not very long before I and all my family saw that the young man had indeed become very different. Of the many naughty habits which had marked his life so much before, nothing could be seen. He was as kind and modest as any young man could be. When asking him about his past soldier life, he spoke in a reserved way of what he had experienced; others told me afterwards that he had been one of the bravest of the regiment.
I was not a little surprised on the first night of his return. We slept together in my bedroom where I had a bed put up for him. Before retiring he asked permission to pray.
‘Pray!’ I said laughing; for, dear sir, I was an infidel in those days and a great mocker.
‘Pray!’ I repeated, ‘yes, I should like to hear the prayer of a soldier and a loafer; that must be something nice. Go ahead, let us hear it.’
Paul looked at me again so sadly and responded: ‘If I may ask you a favor, uncle, please, do not mock at my praying. It is not at all necessary that I should pray audibly, for God hears my prayer, though I may not speak aloud. I understand very well that you cannot trust me, and believe in my sincerity, but I hope by the grace of God to be able to prove to you that my praying is not a mere form.’
From this moment I watched the behavior of my nephew closely, being convinced in my mind he was nothing but a hypocrite, who, under the fine mask of assumed piety, was hiding his evil intentions. It was not so easy for me, as I knew him so well in the past, to trust him and believe him to be sincere; but I had to see more and more that I was in the wrong.
ML 05/05/1912