SOME years ago a boy named Iverson was sent out by his parents to bring home some cows- and pet them into the stalls. They were feeding in a meadow at some considerable distance from his home. Confidently, the thirteen-year-old boy started on the way. When he had gone about a mile, he came to a place where there were some orchards, separated from each other by hedges. At one of these hedges stood a number of boys, all bigger and stronger than Iverson. He knew them well enough, but did not keep company with them, as they were known all round the district as the godless youths, who went about annoying people, and playing all kinds of bad tricks. As soon as they saw him, they ran to him, got hold of him, and placed him in the center of them.
“Leave me alone,” he cried trying to tear himself free from them, “I must fetch our cows.”
“You can do that also,” said the youths, “but first you must climb over that hedge, and fetch us apples from that tree.”
“I won’t do that,” answered Iverson. “God says, ‘Thou shalt not steal’—and I will not steal.”
The whole crowd burst into loud laughter and cried;
“If you don’t, then we’ll throw you into the water.” With this threat, these wicked youths had frightened other boys, and forced them to do their bidding; but young Iverson was not moved by it. To whatever they might say, he answered simply: “Do what you like with me, but I will not steal.”
Becoming enraged by this firm resistance, the boys dragged him actually to the bank of a stream which flowed nearby. Unmoved by his pleadings and tears, they threw him into the water. He came up again, and when they asked him if he would steal the apples, he answered; “I will never steal.”
This heroic refusal, instead of awakening shame, embittered the godless youths still more. When Iverson, who was up to the neck in water, laid hold of the bank with his hands to keep himself from drowning, they struck him with a stick on the fingers so hard that he was obliged to let go. However he succeeded in keeping his head above water, and he cried with the full strength of his voice “I will not steal, even if I must die.” Now the rage of the youths knew no bounds.
With a long stick, they hit him so long on the head that he lost consciousness and sank under the water.
Was there nobody near who could hear his cries for help? Nobody who could have saved him out of the hands of these heartless young men? my readers may ask. No, unhappily no one was near to render help. The poor, but god-fearing Iverson sank into the deep and was a few minutes afterwards a corpse. The wicked youths ran away.
A quarter of an hour later, a man passed the spot, who, seeing what had happened, procured help and informed Iverson’s parents of the sad occurrence.
I need not describe the horror and sorrow that filled the hearts of the poor parents, when they saw the corpse of their beloved son. He had always been an obedient boy, and had won the love of all who knew him. The word of God had early found entrance into his heart, and he had been one of the most diligent scholars in the Sunday-school. No one listened more attentively, than he when the leader of the school spoke of the love of the Lord Jesus for poor lost sinners—of Him who had said: “Suffer little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven;” and just this fear of God, which had ruled his whole life, had been the cause of his early death and his name is worthy of being put among those martyrs who have died for the sake of their faith.
The story soon became universally known; and these godless youths received their well-deserved punishments. On the spot where the youthful martyr’s life was lost, a high stone was erected, on which the name and fate of Iverson were engraved, so that his remembrance might be for blessing.
May all my young readers thus learn that it is far better that a child of God should suffer, and if God permits it, even to die for his faith, than transgress the commands of God.
ML 06/16/1912