■I The Romance of A ^^_^_ JO |i Heavenly Princess Bertha- Charlotta Doering alifornia clonal dlity \^_ ^1 l.-tf^^L..P' MISS BERTHA-CHARLOTTA DOERING Formerly of Stockholm, Sweden Now of Los Angeles, California Ordained Missionary and Minister of the Gospel f The Romance of A a j Heavenly Princess i i I As Told by Herself By Bertha -Charlotta Doering ] I The "Trust in^God "^Publishing House I Los Angeles, California I Copyright by C. A. Person. 1921. SRLF o^ri^^Hoc-, 1 'D MRS. C. A. PIERSON of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania In Love and Gratitude Dedicated to Her Closest Friend, Mrs. Charlotte A. Pierson, Whose Faithfulness and Self- sacrifices Has Made This Book Possi- ble. A PREFACE OF INTEREST WHICH YOU OUGHT TO READ. A little more than two years ago while con- ducting in the Swedish language some mission- ary meetings in a large Scandinavian Church, I picked up a story written by Mrs. Gene Stratton Porter, the well-known lover of woods, flowers, birds, and God's wonderful world in general, When I first noticed the book on a table in my temporal residence at New York City, I had no intention of reading it. In fact, I did not understand the English enough to be able to read any book or article in that language. The attractive pictures from the Limberlost in this particular book, however, drew me to such an extent that I felt quite a desire to see what it was all about, and so with a dictionary to assist me I started, very slowly and painstakingly, to read. Gradually it begin to dawn on .me that the English (at least the kind which Mrs. Porter employed) was a very beautiful language indeed, and at the same time my desire to get better acquainted with it deepened. Greatly attached to Mrs. Porter's style of writing, I kept on read- ing her books until I understood every word of her vocabulary, and had a fair amount of words for my own use. Had it not been for the charm and beauty of Mrs. Porter's language, I may have kept on, among the Swedish speaking settle- ments in this country without every trying to acquire any English at all. PREFACE. Now, the point which I wish to make of the- above is this: Having had only TWO YEARS of practice in the EngUsh language, and with no gramatical study whatever, would not YOU think it possible to be just a little bit lenient and forbearing in your criticism of this book ? Surely you will not expect me to master the English in such a way as to create the language of this, life-story a joy and a pleasure like the books, for instance, of Mrs. Porter. There are some things, however, which may help as an excuse for the existence of this auto- biography. While the books of the mentioned Authoress are fiction, THIS IS A TRUE DESCRIPTION FROM REAL LIFE, and while hers are great literary masterpieces to the glory of mankind, THIS IS WRITTEN WITH THE SOLE OBJECT OF GLORIFYING GOD— DEO SOLO GLORIA. To be still more explicit, I have THREE MOTIVES in sending. out this little paper-mis- sionary. Firstly, I wish to add my own testimony to that of others of God's faithfulness and fatherly love in Jesus Christ, proving to you that He is a very real and personal God, Father and Friend, willing to hear and to answer prayers. Secondly, I most keenly desire to make you' interested in the FOREIGN MISSIONARY- WORK as well as in the HOME MISSION^ PREFACE. knowing as I do that " the harvest truly is plente- ous and the laborers few." Thirdly, I would like very much to have this book a financial success in order to get some money to deposit in the Heavenly Bank. My heart is torn of love and compassion for the Laplanders in Lapland, the neglected Indian Tribes of the United States, the heathens in Africa and India and elsewhere. It has always been my most puzzling problem how to be en- abled to divide my time, strength and life for the ministry to a whole world, and I have arrived at the conclusion that the best and most practical way is to have SUBSTITUTES. Being unable to GO everywhere I have asked my heavenly Father if I may not support missionaries in the places where I will be unable to be in person. YOU MAY HAVE THE HONOR AND PRIVILEGE TO HELP FATHER TO ANSWER THAT PETITION OF MINE BY DOING YOUR VERY BEST TO DIS- TRIBUTE THIS BOOK. Thanking you for all and everything you can do in behalf of the Lord's cause, I am, my friend and co-worker, Yours in the Royal Service of our great King^ Bertha-Charlotta Doering. Los Angeles, California, May 17, 1921. CONTENTS. PAGE CHAPTER I. Her Grandmother 9 CHAPTER n. Her Childhood Days 19 CHAPTER HI. Her Four Years Among The Feeble-Minded 39 CHAPTER IV. .She Starts Out on Her Missionary Career 70 CHAPTER V. Her First Sermon in A Lutheran State Church 89 CHAPTER VI. Her Way of " Preaching" in the United States 112 CHAPTER VII. Hkr First Iuve Years in the United States 142 CHAPTER \I1I. 'I 111, I Iai'I'y 1'Inding 159 CHAPTER I. HER GRANDMOTHER. Orust is the name of Sweden's greatest island,, located in the province of Bohuslan, the sea of the most vigorous Lutheranism. The island in question is divided into parishes, and every par- ish has its gray or whitwashed church, belonging to the State Church, w^ith tower and church-bells, surrounded by a graveyard. In every well order- ed parish there is a postoffice, a school house,, and one or two 'general merchandise stores. Every parish has also a landed proprietor, some- times two, who divide the power and the glory with the provost of the parish. Besides these named, the schoolmaster, the postmaster and the merchants belong to the " aristocracy " of the community. Perhaps I ought to add the informa- tion that the occupations of said people also con- stitute their titles. If for instance you were to address a letter to one of these great personages, it would not be advisable to forget this important thing. To write simply, " Mr. August Berg " or " Mr. Erik Jakobson " would not do. It must be " Mr. Merchant August Berg " or " Mr. School- master Erik Jakobson ". Outside this fashionable society life of the parish we have the common people, those that work for starvation wages on the big estates of 9 10 AMERICA THE PROMISED LAND. the great landowners. They are called cottagers, which means that they lease a small house and a parcel of land from the landlord, and in rent for this, work for him for three or four days a week. The privileges of the cottager are few indeed, his obligations many, and his outlooks for the future none. It is for him a hopeless toiling and drudging from childhood, and few there are, who at a ripe age, have reached the point that they, as a reward for a whole lifetime of slavery, can call the home and the little patch ■of ground their own. Their daily fare in general is potatoes and salt herring, which is eaten raw, and bread of the coarsest kind, together with coffee. Yes, the writer has visited homes where Ihe wages of the whole family put together did not suffice even to pay for the herring and the ■coffee. Then they had to use only salt on the potatoes, and roasted oats served for coffee. Not to be wondered at therefore if America seems to the younger generation as a golden Canaan, the promised land of milk and honey. And if you travel among the Swedish-Americans in the northern, eastern, and western states you will find that the majority of them have come from that class. Being used to hard work from the old country, they did not become indifferent when they arrived here ; but gladly and hopefully ihey worked, doing their best: and as they were reliable and came from a hardv and industrious THE DARK SPOT IN SWEDEN. II Stock, it did not take long before they made headway. Usually within a short time they earned their own homes, had pianos and front porches, and were just as independent and big as their former lords in Sweden. However, turning back to Bohuslan, I must admit that among all the Swedish provinces this particular hotbed for Lutheranism was the least beloved and most often looked down upon as : something akin to an uncivilized heathen field. The missionaries of the free religious element sometimes love to dwell upon their persecutions in darkest Bohuslan. How they were received with mockery and derision. How they were pelted at their meetings with rotton eggs, dead rats and stones. How sometimes they were whip- ped like mischievous boys caught out on mean pranks instead of treated as the messengers of truth and peace. How it was an almost every -day experience with them in their going from house to house to be received with foul abuse, and often how they had to retreat faster than wanted in order to escape getting a pail of dish- water thrown at them or having the dogs set on their heels. How in many houses the deck of cards and the whiskey glasses occupied the most prominent place on the table, while the Bible lay -dusty and forgotten on the shelf or on the bottom of the trunk. In this province, on the island of Orust, we 12 THE LADY OF BORGHOLM. find the manor of Borgholm in the Borghohn parish. At the time when this story begins the owner had died, and Mrs. Britta, his widow now ruled in a wise but somewhat autocratic manner. I will not here engage to tell of her power and efficiency, her kindness towards the working people, her piety and charitable disposition. Enough is to say that she was a great character and an exceptionally pious woman ; respected and loved by her many dependents, and well known in every province on the island for her virtues and good deeds. She had two small sons, Frithiof and Hjalmar. Both were goldenhaired and blue- eyed, and gave the mother-heart great hopes ; but not a long time after the father had left, the angel of death came and took away little Hjal- mar. After this the all absorbing love of Mrs. Britta was centered on Frithiof, her only re- maining child. With her nurse girl, the young Anna, Mrs. Britta often spoke quite openly as to her hopes and wishes in regard to the son. "1 think that Frithiof in all ]n-obabihty will be a minister of the gospel," she repeated fondly over and over again, " Tt is one of my most pleasant day-dreams that either he or a child of his be- comes a messenger of (iod." At length the day arrived when l-'rilhiof with great honors graduated from college, and was legalK declared of age. In accordance to the last will of his father he now became the owner THE PRODIGAL SON. 1 3 of the family estate Hutten. " If Hutten were only a little closer to Borgholm," he said, as he bade goodby to his mother, "How will I ever be able to get along so far away from my own dear mamma?" He looked manly and full of life as he stood before the mother, with the hardearned college cap on the back of his head. " God bless and keep you, my son," Mrs Britta answered, " remember that whether home or away you are ever in my heart and in my prayers:" but when she said this, she did not know how changed he was in habits of living and thinking; how he, during the last year in the big city while at col- lege, had greedily embraced the so-called "mod- ern lights ; and how these " new thoughts " and the doctrine of " free love " had blinded his sense of honor and ensnared his soul ; how wine, cigars, and loose women had played such a prom- inent part in his life, that by this time the associa- tion with his pious mother was for him not only unwelcome but almost unbearable. No wonder therefore, that deep down in his heart he felt quite exalted at the fact that there would be a con- siderable distance between the two family estates. It did not take long, however, before rumors be- gan to reach the mother's ears about the dissolute life of her son. More and more openly his wild orgies and foolish adventures were discussed,, and at the same time his letters home became fewer and colder in their tone. 3 4 A BROKEN-HEARTED MOTHER. Not far from Hutten was the beautiful manor of Gripsholm, and here hved the only sister o£ ]\Irs. Britta, the imjierious and powerful Mrs. Emma. It was to her that the mother, bowed down and crushed in spirit, came to hnd help and advice. There had come to her many sleep- less nights and days full of bitter sorrow and tears. " Surely it must be most important things which drive you to come such a long way as frail as you look," her brother-in-law exclaimed as he helped her out from the old family carriage. " You are right, it is important indeed," she re- plied somewhat trembingly, " my son's life and eternal happiness is at stake, and for me, there is no peace until I can see his face again." " But Sister, you know he is not fit to be seen by any- one, least of all by you," protested Mrs. Emma. " ^^ hy, of course, he can alwa}-s be seen by his own mother," said the sister bursting into tears, " in fact, I must see him. You will realize he is my only son and my all." " Veiy well, you shall see him then," the Baronet hastened to assure her, "only you (uight to rest a little after your long and tiresome tri]i. Then in the afternoon we will take you to Frithiof. If he is sober, he will surely be made to talk to you." The un- ccrtaint\' and restlessness of the unhappy mother could not, however, be endured very long, and soon the two sisters were on their way to the lluttcn manor. " Let me go in lirst and speak to THE CHILD IN THE COTTAGE. I5 the boy," Mrs Emma said beseechingly, " and meanwhile you can visit with Anna, his old nurse." " What, Anna, my old faithful maid, here?" said Mrs Britta, greatly surprised. " Yes, she is married to one of P^rithiof's subordinates," her sister explained, "just follow the forest path and you will easily find her cottage. There is a little thing in her home which I want you to see." Squeezed in on all sides by gray mountains lay the Vadstena Cottage. The house was paint- ed red and looked inviting enough, surrounded as it was by blooming fruit trees and fields of grain. Down by the creek, not far from the cottage, a dark featured manly little chap was occupied with the carving of a sailboat. At his side tod- dled a three year old girl, golden-haired and blue- eyed. As if nailed to the ground, Mrs. Britta stood for a long while, looking down on the two children. " Very likely they belong to Anna," she assured herself, " but the girl looks exactly like Frithiof at the same age — his very picture." *' The Baroness here !" exclaimed a voice beside her. "Anna, tell me, who's child is this girl?" the lady asked without taking her eyes oft" the child. " It is Bertha-Charlotta, the daughter of the Baron," Anna said simply and without evasion, "I have cared for her ever since she was born. In fact she was born in my cottage." "And who is her mother?" Mrs Britta asked i6 THE DEDICATION OF BERTHA. slowly. " Martina, his old playmate and present housekeeper." With a face pale from pain and emotion, the proud Mrs. Britta kneeled at the side of her granddaughter, taking the little one up in her arms. " God bless you, Bertha-Char- lotta, and make you a blessing," she said with a suppressed sob in her voice, " may all the good and beautiful things for which I have prayed for your father come to your life instead. May you in all the days of your life walk in the road of righteousness and truth ; and above all may you be sa^■ed from the mortal sin of being a Judas to your best friend, betraying the one who loves you most." As she uttered these words, the color rose in her face and the voice rang clearer and stronger, and became almost prophetic as she added, " May the virtues which T hoped to find in l-'rithiof, the love and faith which conquers er and deeper into the mire of sin and \ice. " Where is my wandering boy tonight — The boy of my tenderest care, The boy that was once my joy and light, The child of my love and prayer? Once he was pure as morning dew, As he knelt at his mother's knee ; No face was so bright, no heart more true, And none was so sweet as he. O, where is my boy tonight? My heart overflows, for I love him he knows, O, where is my brn- tonight?" CHAPER II. HER CHILDHOOD DAYS. The read-painted cottage down in the valley really looked somewhat old, but the surroundings were much prettier. You should have been there a beautiful morning in May about twent}'-seven years ago and seen what I saw down there in the valley. You should have seen the well ke\>\., small tields and the newly budded, sweet smelling birches. You would have fallen perfectly ui love with the abundance of rich colors and above all the fragrance. Perhaps the reader like the writer has had the privilege of having seen the glory of such p;na- disical places as Southern Switzerland, Southern California, Southern Arizona, Southern Texas, and Southern Florida, the glorious spots of palms and roses: but even so, you would have been compelled to admire if you had beheld die flower-covering of my little valley between the gray, mossy mountains. Yes, here between mas- sive granite mountains and thick fir forests it \\ as that Bertha was born and lived three years of her early life. True, her first home was only a cot- tager's small house, and her fostermother, " Auntie Anna," had in her younger days been nurse girl at the manor Borgholm. Yet, on the somewhat stormtossed heaven of her childhood, 19 20 THE FAITHFUL AUNTIE ANNA. old and faithful Auntie Anna was the brightest shining star .... a real mother could never have been kinder. The }oung master at the mansion had always been the very apple of her eye, and when he confided his daughter to her care it became a most natural thing for her to transfer a part of that love to the little one. But, oh, how it grieved the good woman to see her beloved Baron, goodhearted and gifted as he was, tread the path to eternal destruction. Had not his mother borne the reputation of being the most God-fearing lady on the whole island? and now their Frithiof, the only son, full of those new ideas of atheism and free love, a worthy l^upil of \'oltaire and I*211en Key. Yes, what was more, wlien the noble and lovable mother pointed out to him his \'icious mode of living, and that the wages of sin is death, hadn't he with biting satire and much j^rofanity told her, that there was no God or heaven or hell : and hadn't she, the well-beloved Baroness, through the terrible mental strain been felled by a stroke of apoplexy and died without being reconciled to her erring- son. Poor, tenderhearted Anna could hardly bear the thought of it all. Yet, all the more she loved his child, treating it as she would ha\e done had she been a nurse at the mansion. When P)ertha was about three years old, her golden yellow hair, her blue eyes and tilted nose presented such a striking likeness to the haughty THE NEW FOSTER-PARENTS. 21 father that he could not stand the sight of her on the territory of the manor; and thus it came to pass that Anna one day found herself com- pelled to turn her little darling over to other fosterparents. Luckily enough, Captain Soder- berg was a good and kind man, and his wife was warmhearted and fond of children. They were childless themselves, had an elegant home just inside the limits of a certain city, and were more than glad to appear like a shining twin-star in the life of a little girl. Unhappily, however, this particular little girl had a temper, an inheritance from her father — she being in everything her father's daughter: and already the first day in the new home, just as Auntie Anna was pre- paring to bid her goodby, she began to show the fact that she had a will of her own, a veiy de- cided one at that. The old nurse had barely gotten outside the door, with one finger in each ear she couldn't hear, when the child threw herself on the floor, kicking and screaming with all her might, " I want my Anna, I want to go home, home, ho . . . ome ho . . . ome" — but after a whipping, the first one in her young life, she consented to calm down, and soon felt at home, quite satisfied with her new mamma and papa. Captain Soderberg now^ took upon himself to teach her the gentle art of reading and writing, and succeeded in this surprisingly well. It came 22. AN UNEXPECTED VISITOR. harder for his wife to teach the Httle heathen some simple fancy work. It never happened that she as a reward earned a single cookie or a piece of chocolate on account of any sewing or knitting, or an}' other kind of housework : and never was Mrs. Soderberg rewarded with anything either. Indeed, for all her dutiful and wellmeaning at- tempts to teach such good and tine things she got nothing but scowls and tears and utter lamen- tations. The captain on the other hand always had a willing and happy pupil whenever it came to writing and reading. In fact she was con- sidered as quite a wonderchild in this direction. When Bertha was four years old, Auntie Anna came on a visit, and what was more she had with her another woman, a most unexpected visitor. 'I'he stranger was a stately, dark complexioned woman, with hard, embittered features. Bertha, to be sure, was her child, her own flesh and blood, but she had never before seen the girl, never held her in her arms : and it was only in order to ])lease the insistent .\nna as she had come along, wholl}- against her own inclinations. Mrs. Soderberg anxious to show ofif what a miracle in reading tlie girl iiad become told the little one to read a chaiUer from the New Testa- ment. The tall silent stranger seemed ])ainfully lonilu'il wlicn slic saw the llible in the hands nt her daughter, and she made a motion as if in- Icndint: to rise and take her lea\o, bnl Anna held LOVE NEVER FAILETlf. 23 her back. "Love suffereth long, and is kind, love envieth not, love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemingly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil ; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth ; beareth all things, be- lieveth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Lo\e never faileth." The girl though too small to read the words plainly kept on \vith- out stumbling through the whole chapter, and finally came to the last verse,, " And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is LOVE." It seemed to give to this mother without love something like a torture to sit and listen as the child read the chapter of faith and hope and love. " We must go now," she said Avith difficulty. " Surely you are going to kiss the girl before you go," said Anna, the insistent, " this may be both the first and the last time." There came something like a tear in the black e}'es of the unnatural mother as she bent down, kissing the forehead of her little daughter. " Per- haps I am doing wrong in leaving her like this '" she said wistfully. " No, no, she has a better home and future where she is," Anna reassured her quietly. " That's true," the mother said with a sigh, " I can not bring her up in the godless surroundings where I live." Then as if ashamed of herself, she left with hurrying steps the place 24 THE SUNDAY SPECIAL. which had witnessed the first and last glimpse of her motherheart. In the well equipped editorial suite the two brothers Per and Jonathan were sitting. The first named was a tall, thin man with features betokening a good character. He was editor- in- chief and business manager of the most promi- nent religious paper in Sweden and besides en- joyed a well-earned recognition in literary circles. The younger brother, Jonathan, was associate editor and had general charge of the political de- partment. He as a rule wrote the leading article of the day, and besides was sole editor of the .Sunday Special. It was not disputed that Jona- than was a good journalist, and in some fields a livelier and better writer than the elder brother, l)ut he lacked his brother's fine, Christian princi- ])les and sterling character. Even in outward matters he was a complete contrast to his brother, his somewhat stout, set figure giving him the api)earance of the jolly, happy-go-lucky kind. " I can not make myself like the way you edit the .Sundav su])])lement," the editor-in-chief com- ])laine(l somewliat im])aticntly. "it looks to me a.s mostly cli])pings, and not only lliat, but old worn out stories which most ever^bod)' has read be- fore." " True, but what can T do with the ma- lcri;il I li;i\e," b'liathan answered with a shrug- ging of his shoulders, "of course nianuscri])ts are THE YOUNG AUTHORESS. 2^, pouring down every day, but needless to say most of them are not even worth the ink, and the scribblers \vho are any earthly good at all demand compensation ; but time and again }ou have told me that you will not pay any honora- rium for contributions to the Sunday supplement- So, there we are." " Surely you can not expect me to pay as much for fiction as we do for articles on burning, all-important questions of the day," Per protested with a little show of heat, " still, I suppose we could afford to pay a few crowns for a real good, original story if that is what you want." " Well, that is something at least," the younger brother admitted, " then per- haps you will tell the cashier to pay a live-crown- bill or two to one of my most industrious and worthy authoresses?" "Authoress," the elder brother repeated a little suspiciously, " who is she? a new love-affair?" " Call it whatever you please," Jonathan said in perfect good humor, " she is a fine friend of mine and a splendid little writer." Besides she is a head-nurse in the Hospital, using her leisure time to work for us. Her stories are taken from real life and are of a strictly religious nature. In fact all that you can wish for in that direction." The brother seemed interested, " How did. you get hold of her?" he inquired. "That was easy enough," Jonathan said, " she sent her manuscripts to me, and as it was not hard to understand that the ^6 A REAL LIFE-STORY. Stories came out of her own experiences, I be- came interested. Thus it happened that I asked her for an interview. I knew that she was on night duty and could use part of the day for her own affairs. Anyhow our good mother invited her home, and from that day on w^e have seen each other quite frequently. Now, on my re- quest, she has written a story from her childhood days, and as every line is from real life, you may care to read it." " Very well," consented the editor-in-chief, "only I want you to read it to me while I am eating my breakfast. The boy from the restaurant is just coming with the tray, and I am sure you have had yours already at home with mother." "THE REFUGE OF THE HOMELESS, written for the Sunday supplement by Bertha- . Charlotta," the editor began his reading from the manuscript. " When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up." (Psalm 27:10.) The individual make-up of a person and the circumstances of one's life generally give indication to which calling one is best suited; and if I should make an effort to find out what my particular mission in life is, I ihink it would be quite an easy matter to decide. Perhaps, if you follow mc a little while, some of you will in the same way be able to figure out what the will of God is in your case. Of course, in (he beginning oi my young career, when my YEA, THEY MAY FORGET. 2J powers of reflecting on things were developing, 1 did not see the path which was before me as clearly as I do now. The reason for this was really that I felt so hopelessly alone and kind of suspected that I was in a somewhat haphazard way thrown out in a cold, heartless world. I had never, as have the most of you, lived vmder the protection of a real home with a faithful mother and a kind father ; but slowly, as the feel- ing of being forsaken took a stronghold of me, my heart began also to grope for a fostress: and who in such cases is a better refuge than He, who has said, " Can a woman forget her child .... yea, thiey may forget, yet will I not forget thee." Thus it came to pass, that the conscious- ness of immortality in my soul found its divine orgin to be like an infinite ocean of fatherly love. Then more and more unresei'vedly I laid down my many perplexing problems and trials, secure in the assurance that my heavenly Father knew about it all and was perfectly able and willing to help me out. Particularly I remember two miraculous answers to prayers, which will always be connected with my earliest memories ; but, maybe T should not use the word, " miraculous." You see it is NATURAL and in accordance with divine law for God to come to the help of His children. It would indeed be miraculous if He did not. My fosterparents lived in a city in the province of Bohuslan, and they had over the 25 BEGINNING AN ADVENTURE. summer left me in the care of a kind cottager on my father's estate. The wife, " Auntie Anna," had first been my father's nurse and later on mine, and there was no doubt that she would do her best to give the little city girl as pleasant a summer visit as possible. It did not, however, please my father to have me so near him and thereby risk that I, poor unwelcome child, should come in his way. Was it not enough that he paid for my education and provided me with a good home in the city, but should he also be obliged to endure the sight of me? It is not to be wondered at that his hot temper boiled over, and that he at once started to plan how he could get rid of this unpardonable nuisance. Conse- quently the very first morning after my arrival in the country he sent the manager of his estate to me and asked if I would not enjoy a little trip through the beautiful roads of the forest. Of ■course, I was glad for the chance to ride, and my happiness was without bounds, when the kind man also gave me a little kitty as a companion on .the trip : and so, perfectly contented, kitty and T, Ave started out in the great comfortable carriage drawn by two prancing white horses. Though to begin with, the trip was very pleasant, it seem- ed to me after a few hours that it looked longer ihnn a journey like that ought to do. And as kitty was becoming quite restless T ventured to ask in a cautious way, if it might not be time to SHE IS KIDNAPPED. 29 turn and go back. " Oh, no, my little lady, not _yet," the man smiled reassuredly, " we must first of all go somewhere to get a bite to eat. A good friend of mine is living near here, and we had better make her a visit while we are so close by as this." Later on in the afternoon we came to a road that seemed to get very narrow, and after having tied the horses to a tree we went along a path which took us to a small gray cottage. To put it mildly, there was not much to that little hut. One could almost expect it to tumble down any minute : and sorry to say, the old woman, the owner, who came to the door to let us in was in no way an improvement on the landscape. Cold shivers went down my spine as I beheld this monster of ugliness, and in my somewhat vivid imagination I saw her as an old witch, transporting herself through the air on a broom- stick. While the cofifee pot was on the fire in the open hearth and the old woman looked her Tcindliest, the driver said that although he was very thirsty for a cup of coffee, he would first go and look after the horses. Who could tell what those young horses would do when left alone, perhaps get tangled up in the reins or tear themselves loose and run away. Such things could very easily happen, and then we would have to zvalk home; and something must have happened, because the man did not come back. I waited one hour, and I waited two, but the man 50 A .\KR\ERACKIXG EXPERIENCE. ne\ei- returned. He may still for all I know be roaming around in the great woods, searching for his horses. It was, however, quite a wonder that my nine years old brain did not turn in the insane fear that got hold of me, when I found myself left in the care and keeping of the old '■ witch." It must have been for that mission in life, of which I will speak further on, that God designed to save me. That night I cried myself to sleep, and the following morning, before I had time to make my impressions clear, the old woman took me with her out in the woods to pick berries for breakfast. Of course, the whole thing was a little differ- ent from what I was accustomed to in the elegant and orderly home of my fostei-parents ; and it surely may be forgiven me that this morning in question, I started cning afresh, while kitty at my side acted just as distressed as I, mewing piteously. This little duetto, however did not seem to be greatly appreciated by the woman. Indeed her patience must have been tried beyond endurance for I observed a somewhat threatening- jerk in her sooty fist. Scared as I was I stopped the music just as the old woman without any seeming reason dealt her only daughter the blow which from the start was aimed at poor me. My fear had now reached its highest point and with- out further warning I set up as loud a scream A PRESENT HELP IN TROUBLE. 3 1 as my lungs permitted. " You miserable brat, keep quiet!" the woman hissed wrathfully, "I might as well drown you in the creek first as last." "Oh, no you better wait a while," the daughter advised sullenly, " Who knows if the gentleman at the manor cares to pay after the deed is done." " Yes, you are right," the elder woman admitted grudgingly, " he will have to turn over some more money before we go to any further trouble." After having listened to this a little too openhearted family discussion, I felt justified in resuming my howling with renewed vigor. At this the old matron, losing her pa- tience completely, grabbed me by the nape of the neck, throwing me into a small, dirty clothes closet; and here it was that I remembered that I could not ver\' well be in a worse predicament than that my heavenly Father knew of it, and consequently would be quite willing and able to help me out. Calmed by this growing feeling of protection, I went down on my knees asking my Father to come as quickly as possible with the needed help. Then greatly consoled, I laid my- self down on the hard floor with the thought of sleeping away the time that would elapse before the one that was to get me out of that awful place would arrive : and Father, knowing as al- ways what was needed, sent me a most merciful sleep. This was early in the morning, and I slept peacefully on until late in the afternoon. Then 2,2 HER PRAYER IS ANSWERED. I was awakened b}- kind friends, who laughing and cning for relief that God had not permitted them to come too late, took me up in their arms, while kitt}' stood by, i)urring happily. One of these messengers of God was the Baroness of Gripsholm, the sister of my late grandmother, the other was old, faithful Auntie Anna. The latter had, through the intervening hand of my Heavenly Father, been informed as to the meaning of my kidnapping, and with her honest heart filled with horror and dread she had walked afoot the whole night in order to reach the manor of Gripholm for help and advice. The lady of the manor was in many respects like her sister, the pious mother of my father, and shone all through my childhood as one of the brightest and kindliest stars. With her usual determina- tion she now made up her mind at once, and be- fore morning dawn they were already on the way in their long search for me; and thus it came to pass that late the following afternoon I was once more on the road, but this time to meet a brighter spot than the somewhat queer id\l in the woods. In triumph and great rejoic- ing I was now taken to the beautiful manor of Gripsholm, and here I was permitted to remain a few weeks until T had recovered from the ter- rible nerve shock I had gone througii. To let me return to Auntie Anna was out of ([uestion, to send nic back to my f()slerj)arcnts was still THE THREE OLD MAIDS. 35. worse as there raged a great controversy between them and ni}- lordly father concerning my up- bringing; and to risk my father's chagrin and anger should he find out about my stay at the manor of Gripsholm was far from advisable. After careful consideration it was finally decided lo hide me away with an old maid far out among, the many small isles along the coast. My new " auntie " who was seventy years of age, made her living by keeping two boarders from the mainland, one was ninety years old and the other eighty. Between these old girls my young life was made pretty nigh unendurable. They were- insistent, oh, yes very much so, that I should be quiet, and they saw to it that no bad tendencies cropped out in me. Luckily enough, I was a quiet child, who did not wish for anything better than to be let alone, sitting in a corner with my books. And when I was through with my books,, I always took great comfort in a stumpy lead pencil, for you must know, I was already then not only authoress but editor as well. It is true no printer's ink had as yet been bestowed on my literary creations, but neither had any merciless- critic slashed my dreams to pieces. In the late summer evenings. Aunt Tilda, as I called her, was wont to tell me sagas (myths and heroic tales of the ancient Scandinavians) so as to hinder me from straining my eyes in the dim light. Soon, however, I found that her train ^4 O^' THE LIGHT-HOUSE-ISLAND. -of thoughts were somewhat mixed up. When I asked her brother, the hght-house-keeper on our little island, about this I was told that only a few 3'ears ago she had suffered from insanity ; and after that I had caught her over and over again uttering half-crazy words and acting in a queer way, I became not a little frightened. One night, for instance, when during the day I had happen- ed to break a cup, I was awakened by her stand- ing at my bedside with a big switch of birch in her hand. 7'his particular switch I had time and again noticed in its proper place behind the hearth, but it had never before hovered quite as near. Somewhat stunned in the beginning I suc- ceeded linally to recover my power of speech, demanding to know what it was all about. " Oh, I beg your pardon," said kind " Auntie Tilda " •greatly embarrassed and distressed, " I am sure it is not my intention to whip you while }-ou are awake. Yet, I am perfectly assured that you were careless with (hat cup and that it is my duty to chastise you accordingly ; but loving you as I do I could not very well hurt you except when you are asleep." After this nightly episode I felt more frightened than ever, especially as the two other boarders were helpless and from age and sickness confined to their beds. Then it was that I in real earnest started to remind my heavenly Father about these new troubles of mine. Consequently I began soon to feel re- THE INTERVENING HAND. 35. assured and expectant knowing by experience that I would not have to wait long for an answer. Only a few days later, in accordance with my expectation, I received a message from my foster-parents. They wrote that they could not be without me any longer, and even if my father should become angry, I must return to the city by the next boat. Well I remember how poor Auntie Tilda went with me to the little steamer,. " King Rane," and with tears in her eyes bade me farewell. A few days later her insanity broke loose again in all its violence, and with an axe she killed the two boarders as well as her brother. The people out there on the little islands tell to this day about how wonderful it was that I got away, and they say that nothing- could be plainer in this particular instance than THE INTERVENING HAND OF MY" HEAVENLY FATHER. " Just to give up and rest All on a love secure. Out of a world that's hard at the best, Looking to heaven as sure. Even to hope, through cloud and fear, In darkest night, that the dawn is near ; Just to wait at the Master's feet. Surely now, the bitter is sweet." I have always felt that an utmost and abso- _3P DEATH, WPIERE IS THY STING f Jute reliance ,on the Lord is necessary in life. Indeed I believe that there is no perfect happi- ness and peace in store for us until we get to the j)lace where we have an unlimited faith in the fact that " all things work together for good to them that love God." Yet, knowing this, I must admit that my lot to be a guest and a stranger everywhere has not always been an easy one; -and many a time, when wearied unto death at the outlook of ever carrying the tent-poles on my back and my home in the suitcase, I have been in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ, which is far better." For six years I worked among feeble-minded, insane, tuberculosis, and persons with other dis- eases. This was for me a daily reminder of the uncertainty of life, how health, youth, and beauty were subject to decay and death. The most beautful scenes I witnessed was when a dying Christian bravely and triumphant went to meet his Maker. "Death, where is thy sting? O, grave, where is thy victory-?" On the other hand, I felt an undescribable terror, when I heard and saw the anguish of the wicked in their hour of death; and with more fervor I prayed to God to let me live a righteous life, so that I might die the death of the righteous. After several years of hard hospital work, 1 suddenly took sick and had to undergo a dangerous opera- lion. Complctch- broken (kn\n jihysically, and STOK]V[ WILL AFRIGHT NO MORE. 3/" near the brink of eternity, I felt very happy in the thought that I would soon be permitted to see the King in His glory. I was perfectly satis- field to exchange the cross for the crown, and calmly resting on the promises of God I awaited the final promotion to come up higher. While laying on the high, hard operation table, I felt as I was borne and lifted closer and closer in the arms of my heavenly Father ; and when the nurse tied me down, and I looked through the glass roof up towards the blue firmament, it seemed that the white clouds were angels' wings ready to carry me home. I thought I heard dear voices sing: "Home, home, over there on yonder shore white robed hosts are waiting for me to come home." I knew that the blood of Jesus had made me clean and ready for death, and that His name would open wide for me the pearly portals of heaven. " Why should I anxious be ? Glad day, glad day. Light appear on the shore. Storm will afifright no more. For He is at hand today. Glad day, glad day. It is the crowning day." This time, however, I was disappointed. As" yet I was not allowed to lay down the sword. My life-work was not quite ended, and the souE 38 HER MISSION IN LIFE. Avas not ripe enough for harvesting. Yet, a little while was given me to fight the good cause ; and as health and strength returned, I consecrated my life as never before to the service of the Lord. AND THIS I TAKE TO BE THE MISSION WHICH THE LORD HAS GIVEN ME, TO BEAR WITNESS WHEREVER I GO OF HIS FAITHFULNESS AND LOVE." " Well, that was really a fine testimony," the Editor-in-chief said api)rovingly, when the brother came to the close of the manuscript, " the only thing that puzzles me is that a girl like that can find any pleasure in a company such as yours." " You are very frankspoken, are you not?" the younger man replied somewhat nettled, " as for Bertha, }ou need have no worry. She has alread}' given me the cold shoulder and in- tends to go to Laj)land as a missionary in a day or two." " God bless the girl," the other one ex- claimed heartily, " I will tell the cashier to send her fifty crowns as my contribution to a good -cause." CHAPTER III. HET^ FOUR YEARS AMONG THE FEEBLE-MINDED. " Hello, girls, have you heard that we have gotten two new attendants today?" " What is it you are saying, Hannah? Have you seen them ?" " Yes, the Superintendent, Miss Holmquist herself, has just brought them to the institution. The name of the one is Signy, and she is the daughter of a school teacher somewhere in Dale- carlia; the name of the other is Bertha, and she is like Melchizedek in this, that no one knows where she is from, as she seems to have neither ^parents nor genealogy." " Like him in years too?" queried one of the nurses. " Oh, no, no !" expostulated Hannah, with a grimace. " She is merely a half-grown kid, per- haps sixteen at the most, and Signy is of about the same age, although not so hopelessly childish as the other. And just to think that those kids are to take the places of the old attendants ! Miss Holmquist said that they would be allowed to try halls " 3 " and " 4 " in the First Division, and that they were to be placed on duty this after- noon. I have just this to say, that the honorable Superintendent will have to look after the new specimens herself; I don't worry my brains as- 39 -40 AT THE INSTITUTION. to how they manage their halls. Besides, they will of course be companions to those in the at- tendants' room of the Division, so that no one of us need have anything to do with them. But huri-y up, you girls who are to go on duty ! Our scant noon recess is already at an end, and we have to be off and relieve the forenoon guard." Four of the attendants answered the call, and all wended their way through the magnificent, extensive park belonging to the institution. Ar- riving in the vicinity of a large open space, about in the center of the woods, the}- saw that the forenoon guard were resting with their charges, being weary after a long promenade, and Miss Holmquist with the new attendants had joined them. " Did you hear of the peasant who came to see the .Superintendent the other day, and when he at last found her, lifted up his voice and spoke and said : ' Have I the honor to talk to the head idiot?'" " Hold }-our tongue, Hannah," hissed attend- ant h'mma, " you exaggerate like a trooper and lie like an author! Don't you see that Her Grace has her eyes on us, and we have to try and look ul," concluded the Superintendent with a >i.uli. "it was no easy matter to take up her cloak and satisf\ the demands thai were ])laced on the successor. .Still 1 ha\c endeavored to do my dnl\, not laboring as an eye-servanl to please men. but seeking to serve the Lord in these His least brethren, know ing that what wo do tor them we .'dso do for llini. 'Their angels always be- liold the lace of the lieavenlv ['"atlier.' " FAITHFUL IN THE LEAST. 47 " However, I must return to my office. The city parson, who is also president of the institu- tion, is coming here in the afternoon and will hold evening services in the chapel, where the attendants gather with their children morning and evening. There are various things I might add respecting your work, but I will now turn you over to the older attendants. The most of our attendants are sincere Christians, who have a deep sense of their responsibility and their obli- gations toward the children entrusted to their care and perform their work as before the Lord. We have, for instance, ' Charlotte in the Sylvan Cottage ' with her twelve grown boys, and if any one can be said to be perfectly faithful and de- voted to her calling, it is she. For more than twenty-five years she has stood at the same post as a real mother to these boys, who oftentimes try one's ]iatience very hard. But I have never found her anything but hap])y and contented with her task. Besides her we have the attendants Mathilda, Mary, and Christine, with others, who have all performed a most meritorious and praiseworthy work for 25 or 30 years. At ])resent, however, we have some younger attend- ants who have not yet seen fit to devote them- selves wholly to the interests of the institution and the children. And yet we cannot remove them as long as they discharge their duties properly and treat the children well." 48 THE INSTITUTE CLOWN. Miss Holmquist now introduced the two } good music and singing. In this way Alma con- quered a large place for herself in Bertha's heart. She could have followed her in any kind of mis- chief in order to be rewarded with a song. One evening after the children had been put to bed Alma came with a brilliant scheme. " Anna and Signy are to have cofifee in their room tonight on some unknown pretext," she said, " and as they have evidently forgotten about our existence, I have thought that we might come unbidden. I am sure you will have no objection towards returning good for evil and giving them a pleasant evening entertainment." "Of course not," i)rom])tly assured Hertha. " What is your scheme?" " Nothing less than that we are to arrange for a seranade outside of their room, and T ha\e ]»rei)are(l a number ihat's just tine. We will lake Magnus's big scrub pan that is out in the shed and ]ilac(' it in their xestibnlc, and perhaps von will ]>(• kind I'lioui;!! tn wind mw alarm-clock as far a^ it will jjd ;ind make it "<> oil inst as \(»u I LEFT IT ALL FOR JESUS. 55 put it on the tin ])an. Then you stand b}' and mew Hke a half score of mad cats while 1 wrap some tissue paper about a comb and elicit as ;?weet tones as possible. But get a move on you before Miss Holmquist comes and makes her round." "Alma, what will she say if she comes?" " What about it, you little idiot ! Are you afraid? When did that begin?" " I tell you I am not afraid," maintained Bertha warmly, "but you know I think a lot of her and . . . ." " Now listen, you childish brat," said Alma Avith a sternness that brought conviction, " we will not offend her in the least. We have just finished our work for the day, and the night guard has gone on duty. Besides the children sleep like logs, and no one can forbid us to have a little fun." But during Alma's and Bertha's {^reparations for the evening entertainment Attendants Anna and Signy were sitting in their room together with some of their most intimate Christian friends from the city. They sang, to the ac- companiment of their guitars, several of their favorite songs, such as : ■" I left it all for Jesus; My heart — I left it too. Not I, but He, shall keep it, He formed it all anew." 56 AN INTERRUPTED PRAYER MEETING. Then, after reading a chapter out of their Bibles and exchanging thoughts on what they had read, they all knelt in prayer. It bid fair to become a blessed and inspiring prayer meeting, when sud- denly they were interrupted by a deafening crash accompanied b}' a most unearthly mew-ing and grating. Frightened and pale, the praying ones sprang to their feet. "It mvist be the evil one himself who is caus- ing this disturbance," said one of the visitors, trembling and weak-kneed. " At least a couple of his tools, if not him- self," suggested Anna. The next moment the}- had opened the door to the vestibule and recognized the poor offend- ers. ■ Needless to say, the two musicians looked as if they had wished to be at least half a mile under ground. " We didn't know that you had visitors," they stammered, blushing furiouslv. " Yes, and prayer meeting besides," said Signy with somewhat of her father's school- master-tone. " You have ])lainly gone on the devil's errand tonight in disturbing us in this liair- raising manner." It may all eiid well," said one of the xisitors, "if you will take vour ;il;n"ni clock and tin ])an away and then come back and confess your sin before ( iod and join in our prayer meeting." " "S'^es, ;nul we arc certain that you would not AN HAPPY ENDING. 5/ have done this if you had known what we were doing," added Anna with one of her kindUest and sunniest smiles. The two unhappy girls obeyed, meekly carry- ing off their musical instruments and promising to return. "Are they Christians?" asked one of the visitors sympathetically. " No, Alma at least is not saved, although we hope soon to win her over on the Lord's side," replied Anna. " As to Bertha we are not in the clear. At least she has no control of her haughty and stormy temper. Otherwise she has, as far back as she can remember, prayed to God and loved His people." Alma and Bertha returned . completely hu- miliated and broken in spirit, and the meeting ended with great rejoicing, for they both sought and found pardon and peace. For some of the newly saved, however, it was not so easy to begin at once to practice their religion in their daily life. They lived in a kind of intoxication that seemed to give them the idea that they were now above their former duties and ever}-day interests. Now they wanted to sing songs and read devotional literature in the day time and in the evenings put the children to bed as soon as possible, that they might hurry off to the meetings. There they could keep on with testimony, singing, and protracted meeting till late 58 MISPLACED ACTIVITY. at nij^ht. As a result, the next day they were far too tired and sleepy to pay i^roper attention to their work, which was performed in a rather per- functory manner. The Superintendent, who always seemed awake to the interests of the Lord in the place where He had placed her, was frequently con- strained to administer a rebuke to the delinquent attendants, which, however, was not always taken in good grace. She was herself an elderly ex- perienced Christian and knew that the work which God has given us is by no means a side issue, but on the contrary something which we should make the best possible use of to His glor\^ In contrast with her companions. Bertha was not much given to either singing or readings postils ; still it was somewhat difficult for her to live always in the world of reality. Her dream- ing thoughts flitted around here and there in the world, and in the pocket in her white attendant's apron she always had pen and writing paper in readiness. For sometimes the poetic spirit came upon her, and of course she could not let it go by unheeded. Whenever the summer weather ])ermitted the attendants took a promenade bout? What's the matter?" " W'c arc not fussing at all," rejjlied one with ^ FOUR CAREFREE YEARS. 65 mock indignation. " We are simply admiring your quickly sprouting angel wrings." " But why this flattering and touching atten- tion just today?" queried the new-made angel. " Because we have heard that Sister Ljung is going away on her summer vacation and that you in her absence are to have charge of the sewings Four years Bertha was employed as attendant at Johannesberg, and this period was quite happy and carefree. The majority of the feeble- minded were in good health, but there was also an invalid department, where Death at times paid his visits. However, the death-beds at which the attendants had to be present were devoid of horror or movn-ning. These invalids as a rule had no idea of what death meant, and without anguish or fear they quietly fell asleep to awaken in the bright land where no longer a body ravaged by disease should stand in the way of their spiritual development ; and to the surviving relatives their departure was generally a relief, a blessing in disguise. Yet some of these chil- dren had parents who loved them more tenderly than if they had been normal children ; and whether these feeble-minded were blessed with a handsome form or were deformed in the ex- treme, they were their parent's darlings. Yet, however beloved these children might be, there 66 E\T.K THEY HAVE A MISSION. was no one who cared to hinder their s[)irit's flight when it hnall}' soared to a fairer and better world. Sometimes, when one stood contemplat- ing such a hnished hfe, the thought would come to one's heart : "What purpose has this child's hfe served.''" It is something we can not fully explain, but there is every reason to believe that it served some purpose, conscious or un- conscious. In the hrst phice it seems that the veiy sight of these feeble-minded ought to inspire every normal person with gratitude to God for his own great privileges. And in the second ])lace, if these unfortunates had been born normal, perhaps they would not have employed their gifts lo the glory of the Creator. Was it not then a greater grace of the Lord to cast a \eil over their understanding than to allow them to use it in all its vigor in the service of sin? Oftentimes also a feeble-minded child is a punishment and a reprimand for the sinful life of the parents. Thus one family, in which both the father and the mother were drunkards, had furnished the institutions with hve sons, all of whom were hopeless idiots. Finally the hel])less condition of these children gave both attendants and relatives abundant opportunity for the exercise of patience in the ser\ ice of loxe. Nor is the work among the feeble-minded of less im])ortance than the care of the sick and unfortunate with normal minds. CKT'IIXG KKADY FOR TliE KINC. 6/ During Sister Bertha's last year at Johannes- berg- a new king ascended the throne of Sweden, and the new ruler made the customary tour of the country. He visited also the town in whose outskirts Johannesberg is situated. The govern- or of the province happened to be a warm sup- porter of the institution and ])resident of the board of directors, and he gave us an inkling that he, with King Gustaf, would make a hasty in- spection of the institution. Accordingly a portal of honor was raised at the great entrance, and the entire personnel, with the children in their holiday attire, were lined up on both sides of the road. Among all whose brains were some- what developed, there was, of course, intense excitement at the prospect of something so grand as to behold His Royal Majesty at close quarters. Only the su]ierintendent, who during her study tour had been granted audiences in some of the royal houses of Europe, knew that the king was a very human personality and not so altogether different from other mortals. Each of the chil- dren had ])icked a bouquet of wild flowers for the pur])ose of strewing them in the king's path when he arrived. It was a hot summer's day, and poor King Gustaf was compelled to stand for hours on the market place listening to flowery speeches. Among others there was a very con- ceited school teacher who was determined at any cost to shake hands with the king. He had pre- <38 THE WITHERED FLOWERS. pared a little speech, but he got off in the very beginning, and could only stammer: "Mister King!" Anyhow, the no less loving subjects at Johannesberg had to stand and wait for the monarch for full two hours. In the meantime the flowers wilted and faded. But when finally the high guest arrived the suspense was at an end, and it was doubtful if King Gustaf ever met with a more impulsive and ceremonious re- ception than was tendered him on this occasion. Nearly every one of the children extended their hands to him with the wildest enthusiasm^ giving him the most cordial handshakes. But before he could shake hands with them they had, of course, to be relieved of the poor dead flowers which they were eager to present to him. That the Avithered greens, were to be placed under his feet and not in his hands they had long since for- gotten. But no one need think that the king frowned on the meager token of ]o\e or allowed even one flower to fall to the ground. On the contraiy he looked as glad and api)reciative as if they had presented him with the most beautiful roses, and at last, when he returned with the governor to his automobile, he had his arms full of daisies, bluel)ottles, and forget-me-nots, which he took along with him on his journey. And when the king of Sweden did not despi.se or rejccl the demonstration of the feeble-minded (liildren, how much more tender must be the " MY BOUQUET TOO, PAPA." 6^ heart of the King df kings"! ' How often we feel downhearted and sad because, our sacrifice of love to the Lord is so insignificent and unworthy ! Rut if it really is the best of which we are capable, we can feel asured that He will never disdain our service of love to Him. : Something analogous to this royal conde- scendence is related of a gentleman who one day returned to his home after an extended trip. He was the happy father of two bright boys, but he had also a little girl who was feeble-minded. The two normal children had each picked a bouquet of beautiful, fragrant flowers, which they pre- sented to their father. Their little unfortunate sister tried to imitate them and held out a little bundle of sticks and straw, saying : " Take my bouquet too, Papa !" With tears in his eyes the father pressed her to his heart and tenderly placed her sticks in a flower vase on his desk. The little girl did what she could to show her love for her father, and he was not slow to ap- preciate it. " Let the little ones come unto Me !" Said theSavior, "and hinder them not! For in heaven my F'ather they see. And on earth, too, not one is forgot." CHAPTER IV. SHE STARTS OUT ON HER MISSIONARY CAREER. " But Jonathan how is it that you never take time for prayer meeting and so seldom seem in- terested in religious things ? At times I even feel as if you were not a Christian, and this un- certaint}' is day by day getting harder and heavier." *' Bertha, Bertha, what is the use of taking e\erything so dreadfully serious? Suppose I am unable to measure up fully to the common ])ractical type, what are you going to do about it? Throw me over?" " You, an editor of a religious paper, not being a true Christian," she said, not without a certain coldness in her \oice. " Then you would be nothing less than a humbug, a deceiver of the l^ublic." " Really, you must not worry your dear head on that account," he ])rotested smilingly, " I assure vou, my dear brother Per supplies the ])aper with all tlie religion that is needed." " Well, there is at least one thing which I now am more able to decide," the girl said in a --onicwliat milder tone, "and that is. that the la-t hindrance for' my outgoing as a missionary i> taken awa_\-. ( iod willing. I shall resign my po>ition in the bos|>ilal today and lca\e for Lap- 70 UNEQUALLY YOKI-.D TOGETllEK. "Jl land, the Artie Circle, on the first of next month." " Child, you are out of your mind. Surely you must understand there is no sense in such a sudden decision," he exclaimed, " at least there is no use of any further planning till I ha\ e had chance to speak to the prince about your outlooks in the mountains. You know just as well as I do that he is quite an important factor in the different missionary branches for Lapland. No one can give you better advice than he can in regard to your work there : and do I need to remind you of your promise to become my wife in case he should advise you not to go? As a sincere Christian you must look upon a promise like that as entirely too sacred to break, especially as you knew that my life and eternal happiness- depends on it." " No, Jonathan, I do not con- sider my promise as binding. You know full well, I gave it thinking that you were a true-blue Christian. The Word of (lod forbids me to bind myself to an unbeliever. There would come no good, neither for you or me, out of a marriage in direct o]iposition to God's ])lainly spoken will. As to the ])rince, haven't I for weeks been wait- ing for you to speak to him in regard to my plans? Finally when you seemed to keep on postponing the matter indefinitely, what could I do bvtt go ahead and write to him myself?" " Oh, of course not ! How could I expect you to consider me and my feelings in the J 2 THE PARTING OF ROADS. matter?" retorted the man bitterly, "that once you seemed to care for me a little . . . ." " Please, Jonathan, be reasonable," interrupt- ed the girl pleadingly, " do not make our parting- harder than it is already. If you are honest, you will easily see that our interests and views of life are entirely too different to make us suitable for each other. Besides, the Lord has so clearly called me to go to the mission held that I would under no circumstances dare to withdraw. Yesterday I had a lengthy visit from the prince's private secretar}% and through her I obtained all the information and advice I have need of. I have also, during the last few weeks, repeatedly been visited by the pastor of our church ; and he not only encourages me, but has offered help and assistance in even' possible way. You see I am going out as the Aery first missionary of our congregation." She stopped and looked at him beseechingly, " You must understand that I can not do otherwise," she continued, "why can not }ou then become resigned to the inevitable? Why may we not part as friends?" " Yes, let us at least remain friends," he said deeply moved, " and do not forget to pray for me. Believe me, 1 would like to share your childlike faith if I only could." Sc\eii Nc.'irs later it came to pass that Sister r.citlia conducted some missionary meetings in A PLEASANT SURPRISE. 73 4he city of Toronto, Canada; and after a Sunday Jiight meeting a lady missionary from Mongolia came and introduced herself. " When I was in -Mongolia," she said, " I worked together with one of your country women. She had a brother who was editor for a large Swedish Daily, and -a few years ago in behalf of his paper, he made a trip to the different missioary fields. In due course he also arrived at our station to visit his .sister." " I used to know him quite well," Bertha said, " and for years I prayed daily for the salvation •of his soul." " Then you may thank the Lord for granting your prayers," the Mongolia missionary replied, " I have just received the good news from my •co-worker that her brother has finally been con- verted, and that just now he is preparing to marry a missionary M'hom he got acquainted with while in India." " How like my Father that is," exclaimed the heavenly princess delightedly, " He does not only answer my prayers, but he also gives me the most pleasing and welcome surprises." On the first day of March in the year of 1913, she started out for Lapland, her heart yearning for the neglected nomade people of this extra- <)rdinary land of snow and ice. Lapland is as 30U may know, the land of the Laplanders and 74 LONELY AND HOMESICK. the reindeers, the land of winter, the land of the long night, and the land of the niidnightsun. On her way to the mountains of perpetual snow, she stopped for a while in a small city of the Northland. From this city as her headquarters, she made daily trips to the surrounding country places. She went from house to house, spreading good Christian literature and talking to every one she met concerning the welfare of their souls. She loved to visit the hospitals and the poorhouses, and was very happy when she had the great privilege and honor to lead some poor, restless soul to Jesus, the wonderful haven of peace and joy unspeakable. Yet, one early after- noon as she was sitting in a little cabin at the foot of the snow-clad Lapland mountains, she felt strangely unhappy and discouraged. To tell the truth she was homesick and lonely, sorely longing to go back to the " fleshpots of Egypt" — her com])aritively ea.sy position at the large hos- ])ital in .Stockhcjlm, the Ca])itol of Sweden. Per- hai)s the real reason to this somewhat sudden at- tack of homesickness, was a short beseeching note that she had just received: " Your Jonathan is sitting on the ])arliament balcony with ])en and notebook before him: but, Bertha dear, it is not an easy thing to follow the longwinded speeches 1)\ the congressmen with you so lio])elessl}' far away. l>efore my inner eyes 1 see you, oh, so- dearl)-, and over and over again I am asking my- IN DOUBT AND DARKNESS. 75 self, " Will she not soon tire of her self-chosen -departation to the Lapland regions? And will not the longing of my heart at last draw her homewards once more?" " Self-chosen," she repeated to herself in heart-rending anguish, " oh, if I only knew that I was really and fully in the will of God, how satisfied and happy would not I be: but, how terrible, if it should be proven that I have gone my own self -chosen way." Just as she was sit- ting like this, inwardly groaning and praying for guidance, she seemed to hear a small voice in form of an unresistable impression, " Stand up and go at once to BoUnas." The impression on her mind was so strong that she arose immediate- ly and began to study the time table on the wall. Seeing that the train for Bollnas would leave in less than an hour, she hurriedly gathered her bag- gage t(jgether and rushed down to the railroad station. After having purchased her ticket, she walked utterl\- irresolute up and down on the ]ilatform : " If I onl}- this once clearly see that the Lord is leading me," she said to herself, " I will then understand that I am on His way and in His will, and never be restless and unsatisfied again." A few hours later, after her arrival in Bollnas, she walked down the main street without know- ing where to go or what to do. x\fter a while she reachetl a church, and as the doors for some /O- " HE LEADETII ME." reason were open she stepped' inside, kneeling;- before the Lord in prayer, " Open, oh Father,,, my eyes and my ears," she pleaded, "that I may see and hear Thy will as the disciples of old." While praying like this, the pastor, whose res- idence was on the second floor in the church building, came down stairs, and when he saw her, dressed as she was in a Swedish Red-Cross uni- form, his face lit up of happy surprise. "Are you a nurse or a deaconess?" he asked excitedly.. " I am both," Sister Bertha said, somewhat: astonished at his manners. " God must have sent you here in answer to our prayers," he said with conviction. Then- he told her how the elders in the congregation had prayed for a nurse to be sent them. " We have for several weeks held revival meetings, and- last night, just at the close of the service, our evangelist became sick unto death ; and today- after he had suffered from a hemmorhage of the stomach, we were frantically trying to get hold of a suitable nurse. Having failed in our efforts lo locate one, we arranged a special prayer meet- ing about the matter. 'I'liis was half ])ast twelve,, and here already is the answer." The young missionary sister felt a great peace- and happiness surging through her whole being. "It was half past twelve when I got the God- given inspiration to come here," she said (|uietly, "and, niy dv.w i)astor, you can not imagine how " THY WILL, O, GOD." "JJ , much this means to me, because now I know be- yond all doubt that I am really and truly lead by God. ' He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.'. Knowing this what does a few trials and disap- pointments signify compared to the exceeding great joy of being in the fullness of His will as a whole sacrifice on His altar?" The evangelist was indeed very sick, and for several weeks Sister Bertha watched over him with indefatigueable solicitude. He was a man, who from his earliest youth had given himself wholeheartedly in the Master's service. With his bodily and spiritual powers strained to the uttermost, he used to work as if he thought that God would hardly be able to do without him; and then, after a strenous evangelizing work, he was suddenly and unexpectedly put aside. At this, however, he most violently rebelled. " The harvest is plenteous and the laborers are few," he complained greatly displeased, " and here I am more than willing to do His work, yet, I am placed in utter inactivity." Slowly, after repeated relapses and short intervals of active work, he finally became resigned, having accepted God's call to a higher work — that of an interces- sory missionary for a whole world. During the four weeks, as Sister Bertha ministered at his sickbed, his meekness had such a good influence 78 THE KIND BISHOP. on her naturally excitable temperament that with- in a short time, she also began to learn the " A. B. C. " on this most difficult lesson to be STILL before God, not to be in too great a hurry and thus forego God's plans, but to WAIT ON HIM, under every circumstance assured that HE KNOWS BEST. " He leadeth me ! O blessed tho't ! O words with heav'nly comfort fraught! What'er I do, where'er I be, Still 'tis God's hand that leadeth me." After this healthful and educational interlude, our heavenly princess was once more on her way to the mountains of Lapland. In order to get Bibles in the language of the Laplanders, she had to stop over in Lulea, the most beautiful city of the Northland. In Lulea was the Consistory of the Lutheran State Church and here the Bishop resided, the Bishop being the translator of the Bible into the Lap language. The stately Bish- op and his charming wife received her at their mansion with such sincere heartiness that she had no difficulty in stating her errand. " You may have all the Bibles you desire," the Bishop assent- ed, "only stay and visit with us a little while." He was the author of a great literary masterpiece, with innumerable views from the mountains and fine descriptive narratives, and while the lady of the mansion with her own hand arranged the tea- IN THE ARCTIC CIRCLE. 79 table, he showed his guest the photographic pieces of art of which he himself was the master. " Olof is entirely too proud of his Lapland pic- tures," smiled the wife, " but perhaps it is ex- cusable, when you know all the hardships he has gone through for their sake while traveling in those dangerous mountains." " Sister Bertha may be sure that I am not half as proud over my little tribute to humanity as she is over her newly baked tea biscuits," said the Bishop laughingly, " and who knows but your admiration will be transferred to her after you have tasted them." After a happy little visit, he finally gave her a letter of introduction to the officers of the Consistory, instructing them to hand over to her without charge any amount of Bibles. And so, only a few hours later. Sister Bertha continued on her way towards the Arctic regions, having her suitcases well filled with heavy Bibles. Jock- mock and Kvickjock were indeed worthy of the honor of being called " The Paradise of Lap- land," and here our princess experienced some of the happiest days in her missionary career. Jockmock and Kvickjock were two valleys, both surrounded of majsetic, snowcovered Lapland mountains. Jockmock was the headquarters of the Lutheran minister and supervisor of this special Lapland district. Sister Bertha had never met a more amiable couple than pastor Ahlfort and his warm-hearted wife, "Auntie Lina.'* 8o A LAPLAND IDYL. Never had she viewed a home more charming than the white-painted parsonage. Never had the homemade bread, fresh-churned butter and the rich, warm cow milk tasted better than here in the clean, high mountain air. She realized, however, that her career in Lapland would not always be so agreeable as this." Lapland, the land of the reindeer, the sledge and the fjord, forms the northern part of Nor- way, Sweden, Russia and Finland, bounded on the north by the Arctic Ocean, and on the north- west by the broad Atlantic. Its dwellers number some thirty thousand, the larger number of whom are in Norwegian Lapland. They are divided into three families, generally named Sea Lapps, River Lapps, and Forest or Mountain Lapps, the latter being the poorest and most nomadic, living almost entirely in tents. The Lapps are a quiet, inoffensive people, not warlike or pushing, with the result that they are unable to hold their own or even preserve their nationality, but are gradually being swallowed up in greater and stronger nations. Their country is wild and mostly uninhabitable, yet it has its beauties. Norwegian Lapland is very mountainous, its coast line cleft by hundreds of narrow fjords. Swedish Lapland is full of nar- row valleys with long lakes, while Russian Lap- land abounds in large forests of spruce and fir. The winter is long and excessively cold, the THE MIDNIGHT-SUN. 8l thermometer frequently registering sixty degrees of frost. It is no great wonder that many of the people in their inhospitable dwellings suffer ex- treme privation, and that many perish from the severity of the frost and cold. On September 2.2., the sun descends to the horizon, where it rests all day, then disappears the day following, to be seen no more till March 22 next year. Some- times the splendid orb appears of a deep-red color, tinging everything with a roseate hue, pro- ducing on the observer a drowsy effect. At certain times it is like a charcoal fire burning with a fierce red glow, then fading away and rekindling with greater brightness. At other times it looks white and pale, and presents a cold appearance, so that it may be looked at with the naked eye. Toward the end of July the sun never sets. About eleven o'clock p. m. the color of the clouds begins to change to a golden tint, a warning that the midnight hour is near and sunset close at hand. Soon they become a fiery red, and, while for a brief moment the sun seems hid from view, they gradually become brighter as if new life had been infused into them, and so indeed they are, for the rising sun has now tinged their lines, and the new-born day has dawned — the evening and the morning twilight being blended in one. As we think of this wonderful phenomena of the far North we remember the words spoken 82 LIFE AMONG THE LAPPS. by the prophet concerning God's earthly people in a coming day, " The sun shall no more go down .... for the Lord shall be thine ever- lasting light" (Isa. 60:20), and the still more glowing words of the seer in Patmos, who in his lonely exile saw the Golden City — the Eternal Home of God's redeemed people — and tells us concerning it — " The city had no need of the sun neither the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof " (Rev. 21 : 23). Who would not desire to dwell in these holy and beautiful regions? Life among the Lapps has little variation. From youth to old age it is the same monotonous round, and there is little desire or hope for any- thing different. Worst of all, there is no bright hope in the life beyond. To very, very few has the gospel brought its joy and peace, its present posession of eternal life and prospect of future glory. Indeed, few of them have yet heard its message. Churches they have in some places, with state-appointed " priests," who, as a rule, are as ignorant of God and Christ and the gospel as the people, and thus generation after genera- tion live and die and pass into the eternal world. O, that soon the light of the glorious gospel of Christ may shine in its brightness, bringing life, light, and liberty to the inhabitants of the land of the reindeer and the fjord. The Lapps are said to be the shortest people LAPPS, NOT VERY GOODLOOKING. 83 in Europe, although this is not so general as is supposed. They have short legs, mostly bandid, long bodies, and are not particularly smart in their movements. Their skin is of a yellow or copper color, but much of this is due to the smoke in which they are so constantly enveloped, and which they seldom take the trouble to wash off their skins. Their faces present a wrinkled and puckered appearance, possibly due to con- stant exposure and to the excessive variations of summer heat and winter cold. They seem to become prematurely old, although many of them live to a great age. They have dark, sharp eyes, not obliquely set, thick, short hair, almost bristly, scanty beards, large mouths and thick lips almost like the negro. The family character is very striking. A Lapp father has entire control of all his affairs, and at his death the authority passes to the eldest son. If any of the sons separate from the family or marry without his father's consent, he receives no share of the father's property except a gun. The appearance and dress of the Lapps vary according to their station, although are somewhat alike. In sum- mer the tourist will find a river Laplander ready to guide him, dressed in a grey blouse of wollen material, with undergarment to match wollen cap, leather leggins, leather pouch on his back to hold food, and birch staff seven feet long. The female costume is much the sa¥ne, the blouse 84 THE LAPLANDERS' DRESS. being longer and open at the neck : but the forest or mountain Lapp is very much worse in his outfit than those described. The first bona-fide Laplander I met was a moving heap of rags and dirt. He was a very fair average specimen of his countrymen. About four feet six inches in height, his face and hands absolutely grimed with dirt, he wore a peculiar sort of a hat, not unlike the headpiece that Britanna wears on the English penny made of black cloth, with the stiff, four-cornered flat piece above, and stripped from corner to corner with red or yellow. His long uncombed hair fell some way down over a tunic of reindeer-skin that reached to his knees, and a broad leather belt of skin was fastened round his loins. This strip of skin is scarcely ever properly cured, so its odor is frequently bad, and, worse still, it be comes a lodgingplace for much that for health's sake the man would be better without. A pair of thin, wrinkled hands, like eagle's claws, protruded from his sleeves, and his thin, bowed legs were tightly cased in dirty white cloth, probably the production of his wife's spindle. The feet were disproportionately large, and he wore big leather shoes turned up at the points, and very wide at the ankle and instep. They were stuffed full of dry hay, and bound round several inches up the leg with a thong of colored leather or skin. These shoes are a good A CIVILIZED LAPP. 85 protection against the cold; but they do not last long, six months being the average wear of a pair. They are made of reindeer skin, all of a piece in the tops, while the soles are composed of two discs of the same substance attached to the bottom of the foot, one under the heel, the other under the toe. As may be guessed, the Laplander in these conditions is neither a stately figure nor a good walker. Indeed, he is a queer little chap, with his ugly, slouching hat, from under which there peers a pair of black, piercing eyes, which at the first glance, would seem to indicate that he is capable of any villainy. This is not far from being a just estimate of the average Lapp, who usually is a mean, greedy being, just as opposite as can be from the tall, fair, and magnanimous Swede and Norwegian, his near neighbors. Yet many a Lapp is a pleas- ing contrast to this dark picture. Where the gospel has penetrated, or even the civilizing ef- fects of contact with true Christians, a better condition of things is to be seen. On board a steamer bound for Vadso and the extreme North, I met a native of Lapland of a wholly different sort, and was so struck with his clean appearance and mannerly behavior that I feel like giving a description of him. He was a servant of a Norwegian on a surveying expedi- tion, and was evidently of a better class than the ordinary Lapp. Considerably above the average 86 THE NEED OF WORKERS. height, clean washed, and of good appearance; his face being a striking contrast to the generally haggard, unhealthy, and unclean visage of his countrymen, he was dressed in a rough, home- spun tunic of coarse white material, with stripes of bright red and yellow across from shoulder to shoulder, four more of the same reaching half- way down his back, with a large knife or bill- hook hanging from his side. He moved about smartly, was pleasant and courteous, and evident- ly a good servant. He was intelligent too, for with his Dwn hand, without the use of insru- ments or books of any kind, he had drawn out a map of the country, giving distances, positions of mountains and towns. This shows that the Lapp, like most other nationalities, may be taught the ordinary laws of health and duty, and, when brought into contact with more civilized and intelligent beings made to. live in harmony with them. Most important of all, it reminds us that the Lapp is a human being, with a living soul, and may, under the teaching of the Word of God, learn the power of the gospel of Christ. Of all the needs of Lapland the gospel is the greatest. The only thing that will bring true and lasting blessings- to that lonely and dreary land and its dwellers is the glad tidings of salvation through Jesus Christ, brought to them in their own tongue bjr men and women whose hearts are warm with 'I UK TKNT OF THE LAPP. 87 the love of Christ, and who, for His name's sake, have forsaken home and kindred to bring the gospel's joyful sound to this far-off and long neglected race. May the Lord hasten the time when among Lapland's huts and tents the joyful sound will be heard, and when in the land of the midnight sun, the song of salvation shall echo from hill to valley, from the lips of Lapland's fur-clad dwellers who love the Savior's name. The tents of the Lapps are by no means im- posing. The inside is generally devoid of furni- ture, an occasional bench being the only excep- tion. An open fire in the middle of the tent serves as heat and light, and during the long winter it is kept burning day and night. The smoke is supposed to ascend and find an exit by a hole in the top, but it more frequently lingers in the dwelling, causing those within to resemble brown or black-skinned nations. How the people can sleep in the continual smoke is a mystery, but they do and seem to feel no inconvenience either. The beds are of dried and generally dirty grass, the blankets of sheepskin or reindeerskin. Some- times they sleep in a sack, made from the skin of the reindeer. The children when young are fastened in a strange sort of cradle in which they may be carried if occasion so r& {uires, and when able to walk they are allowed to run around almost naked. Sleighing is the principle means •of locomotion in Lapland. The sledge is in 88 THE REINDEER-SLEDGE. shape somewhat Hke a baby's cradle or runners, with just enough room to sit with your legs at full length. It is made of wood, and to it are harnessed the reindeer. It requires some art to sit in one — more still to drive. The reindeer are not easily managed nor so good-tempered as you might suppose them to be. When they are over- driven or kept long without food it is no un- common thing for them to turn around and butt the driver. It is no use " reasoning " or even using the whip on such occasions, the only way of escape is to step out from the sledge and wait until the angry animals have vented their rage upon it. Then they will resume their journey as if nothing had happened. These reindeers have tremendous horns, and it is decidedly best not to be too near them when they are out of temper. In the winter, when everything is bound hard and fast in snow and frost, these sledges glide along at a great rate, and you can almost take a beeline from place to place, across swamps, rivers, and otherwise impossible grounds. The language of Lapland varies a good deal,. Finnish, Lapp, and Norse are all spoken. The bona-fide Lapp speaks Finsk or Lapp, which is quite different from the other. It is a matter for much thankfulness that part of the Scriptures have now been issued in the Lapp language and the whole in the tongue of the Finn. CHAPTER V. HER FIRST SERMON IN A LUTHERAN STATE CHURCH. The field of the state-appointed Lutheran ministers in Lapland is waste in as much as there usually are several miles between each member of the great parish. The Reverend Ahlfort was in possession, however, of a strong will and great endurance. More than once he had fnade his round among the people along untrodden paths, across mountains and rivers and through blinding snow-storms. At times he had taken on the long snow-skids, but mostly he had been compelled to travel in a reindeer sleigh. The most important thing was ' to get there ' and he did not mind a few trials for the joy of bringing the glad tidings to the lonely tents. You understand, this par- ticular Lutheran minister was really a good and' great man of God and was not only a stateap- pointed servant but also a true missionary. Yet,, now in his older years he felt a little tired and! worn-out, and had some severe twinges of rheu- matism and such-like ailments as a result of his long service among the Laplanders. To one who is used to a comfortable home it is not always pleasant to lie around the fire with half a dozen Lapps or more, while the snow whirles in through the roof and door openings. One may 89 90 FORTUNATE LAPPS. be sure that at times such a night in a Lap- lander's tent seems long, and that sleep does not come very readily. Also you may feel absolutely assured that the hot coffee in the morning is more than welcome, even if the brown drink, in ac- cordance to the ways and habits of the Lapps, is quite strongly salted, and the only thing along with the coffee is a piece of frozen reindeer meat. Beside the pastoral charge, which included the clerical and communal work, the Reverend Ahlfort was also the manager and superintendent of "The Home-School for young Lapps" and " The home for aged Lapps." If the writer's memory does not err, he was also the founder of these two benevolent institutions; and it was -touching to see the gratitude, obedience and love with which he was met by his happy proteges. It was hard for the old Lapps to carry on their strenous nomadic life, and it was indeed a blessed thing for them to finally reach such a comfortable haven as the Home for the aged in Jockmock ; but an ever greater influence and blessing was the school for the young Lapps. Of course, during the summer time, the Government sent teachers to the mountains, these teachers being obliged to live in the tents with the Lapps, and to follow the families on their wanderings; but only a few could be reached in this way. Pastor Ahlfort's plan was to collect the children in schools like the one he had ah-eady started, IN THE LAPP CHURCH. QI where they could be taught to read and write. In the Jockmock school they were given not only the usual subjects but also industrial practical teaching which would be a help and pleasure to them during the long winter days.. The Jockrnock people had two beautiful State Churches. One, the oldest, was for every day use, so to speak; while the other one, which was- larger, was used for Sunday masses and special holidays. In the old Lapp Church the pastor had arranged for Sister Bertha's aftemooa meetings. Her intention had first been to lecture on the subject of missions, but as she stood be- fore this selected crowd of warm-hearted, sym- pathetic hearers, she suddenly changed her mind and gave them instead the best she had — a person- al testimony concerning God as a personal Father and Friend. Besides the educated Lapps, were the workers and teachers from the institutions,. the Government officials, and owners as well as: workers of industrial Lapland enterprises, such as mines and lumber mills. Being hundreds of English miles away from the outside world, they were all greatly interested, and grateful for the novelty of seeing a lady-speaker in the pulpit of a Lutheran Church. " Of course, all of you know, that I am not here for the purpose of preaching," she started on with her sunniest smile, "the truth is I do not know how to preach, and if I should make an 'g2 LIKE MARY OF OLD. attempt today I am a little bit afraid of a failure ; but even if I am unable to be a Petrus, you may allow me to do like Mary of old. You remember how she, one early Sabbath morning, came out- side the opened grave of Jesus ; and outside the grave she met her Master, and He told her to return to His disciples to tell them what she had seen and heard. She did so. She did not try to preach to them. She told them she had seen Jesus. Now as to me, I have also been outside the open grave, and have seen my risen Master face to face; and He has told me to come back to His people to tell them a little about the many wonderful experiences which I have had in His happy service : but let me first of all read to you some precious promises from the Word of God. " I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them oi my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." — Matt. i8 : 19, 20. "And Jesus saith unto them, have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain. Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea, and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he sailh shall come to pass ; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray. STARS OF PROMISES. 93 '-believe that ye receive them, AND YE SHALL HAVE THEM."— Mark 11:22-24. " And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, 'that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I WILL DO IT."— John 14 : 13, 14. "IF YE ABIDE IN ME, AND MY WORDS ABIDE IN YOU, ye shall ask what ye will, and IT SHALL BE DONE UNTO YOU. Herein is my Father glorified that ye bear much fruit." —John 15 : 7, 8. " Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, He will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ASK, AND YE SHALL RECEIVE, THAT YOUR JOY MAY BE FULL."— John 16 : 23, 24. " Verily I say unto you, if ye have faith as a ■grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain. Remove hence to yonder place, and it rshall remove, AND NOTHING SHALL BE IMPOSSIBLE UNTO YOU." — Matt. 17:20. " And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, BECAUSE WE KEEP HIS COMMAND- MENT, AND DO THOSE THINGS THAT ARE PLEASING IN HIS SIGHT."— i John 3 ' 22. " And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His ^11, He heareth us. And if we know that He 94 HE IS FAITHFUL." hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we- have the petitions that we desired of Him." — - 1 John 5: 15. Here is something very precious indeed that: I and others with me have discovered since it has become so dark and stormy in the world, and that is that THE DIVINE STARS OF PROM- ISES shine more brightly the closer and darker the night becomes. No one need think that these stars soar out of reach in some distant corner of the unknown regions of the sky, for anyone may receive of their infinite blessing through the hand of childlike faith. It is even so that the smaller we are the more easily we can reach them. With all the greater confidence we are enabled to rejoice in the glorious briUiance of these stars, inasmuch as their beauty is never marred by any deception or false light • — there is nothing empty^ about their glor}^ Perhaps this testimony shall reach the ears of someone, who has not yet, as- his personal gift, received God's stars of promis- es, and if so, I will earnestly urge. Behold, how the heavens and the earth bear united and over- whelming testimony to the fact that HE IS FAITHFUL THAT PROMISED. Accept these stars of promises from the Lord, and per- mit their warming rays of love to dispel the anxiety and worry of your heart, and give you instead sweet rest and peace. However, the AN IMPORTANT KEY. 95 angels of God, which are sent out to minister to them who shall inherit salvation, have not the power to carry us to the heavenly Treasury and -open wide its doors^ unless our lives have been sealed with the cross of Christ. Let us, there- fore, in our thoughts write across the promises, we have read, the following words as a key to them all, "IF ANY MAN WILL COME AFTER ME, LET HIM DENY HIMSELF, AND TAKE UP HIS CROSS DAILY, AND FOLLOW ME." — Luke 9 : 23. As good sol- diers of Jesus Christ we must be sure to always wear our full uniform, carrying our weapons, and during every step of our pilgrimage follow closely in the footsteps of the Lamb, wherever it goes. If we Christians stood in a more personal relationship with God how much better would not everything be amongst us. In the first place we would be more contented and happy in our daily life, nor would we as easily as now often occurs lose heart and courage. In the second place we would be much more successful in pointing the way to the great and loving heart of our heavenly Father. Some of us can only think of God as a supreme Being who only upon very festive occasions condescends to appear among us to direct our affairs. Others are fortunate •enough to have learned to know Him as a person- al friend and companion, who is ever close by. 96 WHY NOT TRUST HIM ? ever real and personal. Those that can rely uporp the Lord's guidance in all things, great as well as- small, are surely most blessed. Those that clear- ly understand that all things work together for- good to them that love God are in no danger^ even in the darkest days of trial and tribulation, of losing their peace and joy in Him. Permit me here to ask you very directly a personal question. Do you believe in the love of God as it is revealed in Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son? Do you believe that the faithful, loving" heart of your heavenly Father ever knows what is best for you ; and that His thoughts and plans-, for you is love and LOVE ONLY? Why not then, rely upon the guidance and faithfulness of God in the little things of our every day life?' Some of you have been able to trust God for the things that are of vaster import, viz., forgiveness- of your sins, the salvation of your soul, and the cleansing in the blood of the Lamb, why not also- trust Him for your body and earthly blessings as well ? For my own part I am far from being a heroine of faith, but my desire and aim is to- reach the goal of the blessed peace and rest that come from unbounded surrender and absolute, wholehearted confidence in God. Mr. George Muller, the famous hero of faith, gives the fol- lowing advices as how to ascertain the will of God in order that we may be able to lay our ASCERTAINING GOD's WILL. Q/ hands on these wonderful stars of promises in the Word. He says, " I seek at the beginning to get my heart into such a state that it has no will of its own in regard to a given matter. Nine-tenths of the trouble with people generally is just here. Nine-tenths of the difficulties are overcome when our hearts are ready to do the Lord's will, what- ever it may be. When one is truly in this state it is usually but a little way to the knowledge of what His will is. (2) Having done this, I do not leave the result to feeling or simply impression. If so, I make myself liable to great delusions. (3) I seek the will of the Spirit of God through, or in connection with the Word of God. The Spirit and the Word must be combined. If I look to the Spirit alone without the Word, I lay myself open to great delusions also. If the Holy Ghost guides us at all. He will do it ac- cording to the Scriptures and never contrary to- them. (4) Next I take into account providential circumstances. These often plainly indicate God's will in connection with His Word and Spirit. (5) I ask God in prayer to reveal His will to me aright. (6) Thus, through prayer to God, the study of the Word, and reflection, I come to a deliberate 98 SOME CONDITIONS. judgment according to the best of my ability and knowledge, and if my mind is thus at peace, and continues so after two or three more petitions, 1 proceed accordingly. In trivial matters, and in transactions involving most important issues, I have found this method always effective. Remember the five conditions of prevailing prayer. Firsth^, entire dependence upon the merits and mediation of the Lord Jesus Christ as the only ground of any claim of blessing. (See John 14: 13, 14 and John 15: 16, etc.) Secondly, separation from all known sin. "If we regard iniquity in our hearts, the Lord will not hear us, for it would be sanctioning sin. (Psalm 66:18.) Thirdly, faith in God's Word of promise as confirmed by His oath. Not to believe Him is to make Him both a liar and a perjurer. (Heb. 11:6.) Fourthly, asking in accordance with His will. Our motives must be godly: we must not seek any gift of God to consume it upon our lusts, (i John 5: 14; James 4:3.) Fiftly, importunity in supi)lication. There must be waiting on God and waiting for God, as the husbandman has long patience to wait for the harvest. (James 5:7; Luke 18:1-8.)" In common with George Muller and others, I have also experienced and received quite a bit of the Father's faithfulness and love. The fol- A MISSIONARY CALL. 99 lowing instances prove the clear intervention of God in the little things in our every day life; but it is going to be hard to give a personal testi- mony as to His loving kindness and mercy with- out working the little pronoun " I " overtime. Yet, if it will help anyone to get a better vision of the Father's love, I will gladly go to the em- barrassment of clamping down the " I " key in my talk today. I was a Red Cross Nurse in a large hospital in Stockholm (the Capitol of Sweden) when the call came to me to go out as a missionary. "The Call," someone may ask, " how did you receive it?" It may not be so easy to give a completly satisfactory answer to this question, inasmuch as the call did not come in any supernatural way through voices or visions. On the contrary it came quite simply and naturally as a logical de- velopment of the preceding events in my life. When the time arrived for me to go the Lord Himself opened the door in such unmistakable fashion that no possible misunderstanding could arise: but in order to enter in through this open door it was necessary that I should leave all human staffs behind, walking altogether alone, supported only by the arm of God. Now, I had until that time been accustomed at least in part to receive help from others, that is I was some- what leaning on arms of flesh, having for intimate friends great men and women of God. When lOO THE CROSSING OF ROADS. therefore the question arose of rehnquishing every human support to be alone with the Lord, I trembled and sought to take flight upon ways of my own choosing: but in His surpassing grace the Lord shut every such way without delay. For a long time I also feared, in spite of the ap- parent clearness of divine guidance, that I had made a mistake with regard to the call, realizing as I did how utterly unfit I was to take up the great work of a missionary, full as it is of heavy responsibilities. In my anxiety I earnestly prayed to God to show me very plainly whether it was His will or mine that I should discontinue my work in the hospital and become a missionaiy. I even ventured to remind the Lord of the fact that I stood alone and, indeed at this important parting of the ways in my life was devoid of all human help and guidance, "Thou hast promised," I said, " that if we commit our ways unto Thee, Thou will not allow us to stumble," " Delight thyself also in the Lord, and He shall give thee the desire of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in Llim, and He shall bring it to pass." — Psalm 37:4, 5. After some time of much prayer and waiting ■on the Lord, I felt impelled to speak to the pastor of my church as to my missionaiy plans. To my surprise T found that he as well as the elders of tlie church had been talking and praying about ■me, all united in the opinion that I ought to be A SERIOUS TRIAL. lOI sent out as a missionary. All of these brethren were men filled by the Spirit and wellknown for their wisdom and impartiality, and I could not help but feeling that they advised me as directed and inspired by the Lord, whose true servants they were. It was proposed that I first of all should go to Lapland, although I well knew that this appointment would not be a permanent one. Yet, I felt that the hardships which awaited me in Lapland would be a well needed preparation for what was to be my real life-work. However, a fortnight before the time set for my departure for snowland, something occured which seemed very unexpected and unwelcome to me. I got a very painful and serious ailment in my right leg and foot. Having quite a responsible position in the large hospital, I had to be almost everywhere supervising the work and was thus obliged to be on my feet constantly. Greatly sufifering with my poor, swollen foot and leg, I limped around for several days, supporting myself on a cane. Then one day the great head-doctor came to me and said, " Now, Sister Bertha, we can not afford to have you limp like this any longer. You must please go to bed at once, and we will put your diseased limbs in a plastercase." Used to obey the doctor, I asked somewhat timidly, " How long time would that take ?" " A year or a year and a half," he replied, " it will be a long and tedious job to break the disease." " Then I am 102 THE WAY OF FAITH. very sorry to have to disobey you in this in- stance," I said kind of regretfully, " you see I am going to Lapland as a missionary in a week or two, and God who is sending me must be aware of the fact that I do need my feet and legs when wandering around in the mountains. I am con- fident that He will restore me before I leave for the missionary field." The otherwise goodnatured physician glared at me impatiently, " Very well," he sputtered, " if you wish to commit suicide or make yourself a cripple for life it is all right with me." As he, in quite an ill-temper, left me, I felt tempted to call him back in order to submit my- self to his care. Face to face with a period of several months of enforced inactivity, my heart was filled with infinite sorrow. Much as I had striven against the Lord hitherto, I was now sad- dened because I could not be of use in His service. Just then, however, I discovered that the Lord had really and truly implanted in my will a deep desire to place myself completely at His disposal, and at the same moment a warm ray of light entered my discouraged heart. I just know for sure that He had only permitted this evil to befall me in order to make me willing to set forth u]ion the broad plains of faith and promise. From this very day my faith took firm root both in my understanding and in my heart, and especially at this decisive period in THE FAITH TESTED. IO3 my life, He granted unto me such strength that all wavering disappeared, and I was filled with the most tranquil and blessed assurance of His will and plans in my behalf. The next day the doctor on his rounds found me still on duty in one of the hospital wards. " Will not you be good to yourself?" he asked with his old-time kindliness, " you will surely become incurable if you continue to be about for another day," " There is no use to take to bed now," I answered smilingly, "because within a few days I am to depart for Lapland, and I repeat, the Lord knows that I shall have need of both my limbs. I count on HIM not to fail me." The day before my departure arrived, I went out in the city of Stockholm to buy my equipment for the trip to Snowland, and to say goodby to a few friends who were serving as nurses in other hospitals. When night came it was with the greatest difficulty I pulled myself together in order to return to my own hospital, and when I finally got back to my room, I sank down in a chair and began to cry most bitterly of pain and agony unutterable. I had walked too much on my diseased foot, and was suffering more than ever on account of the strain. As I was expected to leave for Lapland early the next morning, several nurses had come together in my room, meaning to give me a surprise-party. Seeing, however, how ill I was, they forgot their J04 A JOYOUS CONVICTION. 'little farewell talk, and began instead to reproach me most severely. " Can not you use some com- mon horse sense," they scolded, "and go to bed as the doctor has told you to do? Surely you understand better than to imagine that miracles occur in our days? We all know that the gift of divine healing was only confined to the days of the apostles and to the time of the first church. Now we have hospitals and physicians and nurses like ourselves, and it would be ridiculous to ask for supernatural intervention." Hardly had they expressed their opinion, before the Lord filled my heart to overflowing with such a joyous convic- tion, how absolutely IMPOSSIBLE it was that HE, the Creator of heaven and earth, should have CHANGED, that I nearly forgot my physic cal pain. It had suddenly become clear to me how utterly unnatural and unbelievable it was that HE should not have the same power to heal and to help as formerly. I thought, if HE has borne my sins on the cross, why should I bear them ; and if HE also, as the Bible says, has borne my infirmities and my diseases, WHY SHOULD 1 BEAR THEM ? In faith I saw them all— my sins and my bodily infirmities — nailed on the cross, and as never before I realized the REALITY of His Word and His promises. " I will heal thee, and add to thy days." 2 Kings 20 : 5. "lie shall heal them." Isa. 19:22. I WILL HEAL THEE." IO5 " I have seen his ways, and will heal him." !Isa. 19: 19. " I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the -Lord." Jer. 30: 17. " Let us return, he hath torn, and will heal us." Hos. 6: I. " Jesus saith, I will come and heal him." ;Matt. 8 : 7. " To heal all manner of sickness." Mark .3:15- "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers." Luke 9 : 2. " The power of the Lord was present to heal them." Luke 5 : 17. " By stretching forth Thine hand to heal." Acts 4: 30. " God healed Abimelech and his wife." Gen. 20: 17. "He shall cause him to be thoroughly healed." Exodus 21 : 19. " Return an offering, then he shall be healed." T. Sam. 6: 3. " The Lord hearkened and healed the people." .2 Chron. 30 : 20. " I cried to Thee and Thou hast healed me." Psalm 30 : 2. " He sent His word and healed them." Psalm 307 : 20. " HE WAS BRUISED, AND WITH HIS STRIPES WE ARE HEALED." Isa. 53 : 5. io6 "they were healed everyone." " Those that had the palsy, and He healed them." Matt. 4:24. " And He touched his ear and healed him." Luke 22: 51. " And they were healed everyone." Acts- 5:16. " Paul prayed, and healed the father of Publius." Acts 28 : 8. " Pray one for another, that ye may be heal- ed." James 5 : 16. "BY WHOSE STRIPES YE WERK HEALED." I Peter 2 : 24. " I am the Lord that healeth thee." Exodus- 15:26. "Bless the Lord who healeth all thy diseases."' Psalm 103 : 3. " The Sun of righteousness shall arise with' healing in His wings." Mai. 4:2. " And He healed them that had need of heal- ing." Luke 9:11. " It is given to another the gifts of healing."' I Cor. 12: 9. " Preaching the gospel and healing every- where." Luke 9: 6. " Healing all that were oppressed by the- devil." Acts 10: 38. " Thy health shall spring forth speedily." Isa. 58:8. " I will restore health unto thee,, and heat thee." Jer. 30: 17. BARE OUR SICKNESSES. IO7 " Mayest be in health, as thy soul prospereth." :3 John 2. " HIMSELF TOOK OUR INFIRMITIES, AND BARE OUR SICKNESSES." Matthew .8:17. To all this I added, " Jesus Christ the same j^esterday, and today, and forever." I felt that I •could not and would not believe in anything less than A WHOLE GOD, A GOD WHO SAYS WHAT HE MEANS AND MEANS WHAT TIE SAYS, and was not the Bible just full of assurances not only for spiritual healing but bodily healing as well. I understood that God indeed must be what He has declared Himself to be, infinitely faithful, and that He simply could not give utterance to any promise that He would not be perfectly will- ing and able to fulfill. Smilingly I bade good- night to the wellmeaning comrades, and went to bed, singing over and over again, " There is victory in the name of Jesus. Victoiy, victory and PERFECT VICTORY." The old devil tried his best to stop the singing, and the attack on my limb was something fierce. Yet, in spite of the almost unbearable agony I kept on saying to myself, " Jesus Christ the same yesterday, to- day, and forever," and finally I went to sleep. The day of my departure for Lapland arose "bright and sunshiny, and when I awoke the dis- *ease in mv limb had left me, and the unnatural io8 SHE IS HEALED. color had vanished and the swelling had gone- down, and I was completely restored. To be- sure I was happy and hardly knew if I should' stand on the one foot or the other, and half be- side myself for joy I rushed down the long hall in the hospital, shouting and jumping. Wonder- ing what all this noise was about, the head- doctor as well as some of my comrades came hurrying out from the wards inquiring what on earth I was up to. " The Lord has healed me," I declared, " and I want you to know that He is just the same as ever^ has not changed a bit since the time of the apostles." " Let me see that foot and leg of yours," said the head-doctor skeptically, " I have heard about divine healing before. It is all humbug so far as I have been able to figure out." It took some time for him to admit that He had been wrong, but finally he swallowed hard and said with difficulty, " The head-nurse is right, her doctor has done a better job than I ever could have done, there is no trace of the disease." During the journey to Lapland I was entirely too happy to stay inside the train, but kept by myself on the open platform. (On the trains in Sweden and Norway you may stand on the platform if you want to.) You see I HAD to sing ALOUD, not merely in my heart as I usu- ally do, and as the Lord has not seen fit to give me the gift of singing, I was compelled, to be WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD. IO9 where no one would be able to hear me. I was confident that as God had met me with His faithfulness at the threshold of my labors, so He would continue to do^ and in this I was not mis- taken. This child-like relationship with God has had a very blessed influence upon my spirit- ual life. It is a wonderful happy everyday experience to reach out the hand of childish faith and say in utter confidence and trust, "Abba Father." Yes, I venture to assure you, that everything tastes doubly good when it thus comes direct from the loving, faithful and bountiful hand of our heavenly Father. Moreover, it is such an interesting and rich life to walk on the way of faith, depending on God for everything for soul and body. As a journalist for several religious papers and magazines, it has been my lot to search everywhere for news interesting enough for our readers, but I have found that no place offers more that is new and remarkable than the land of promise and faith. How intensely exciting it is to behold day by day how God Himself takes part in every little detail in our everyday life, and intervenes in such a way as to make everything WORK TOGETHER FOR OUR GOOD. There is also another ad- vantage in knowing that as we become depend- ent upon God we also become quite independent of men. We can not lose sight of the fact that even the best among us are liable to change, and no WHYS AND WHEREFORES. that even our most faithful friends at times are unable to help. How sweety therefore, to know that HE, the rock of our salvation, never wavers but remains a sure haven of rest and absolute se- curity in all the vicissitudes and storms of life. At first there was not much to be said for my faith, and even now I do not count myself a heroine of faith. Far from it, for there are times when I hold to my own opinions without first learning to know the will of God, and then He has to lead me back to the highway again. While at times He is thus engaged in changing my views and plans, surprise takes hold of my heart, com- mingled with not a little fear. How sluggish are our minds when endeavoring to understand God's plans. How many whys and wherfores before we learn to know God's will. Still I am usually able to reconcile the loving voice of the Savior when I finally hear His reassuring, " Fear not, it is I," and then my heart is set at rest, even though the answer to my queries may not be immediately forthcoming. " Master, the tempest is raging ! The billows are tossing high ! The sky is o'er-shadowed with blackness, No shelter or help is nigh, ■" Carest Thou not that we perish ? How canst Thou lie asleep, PEACE BE STILL. Ill When each moment so madly is threat'ning A grave in the angry deep? " The winds and the waves shall obey my will. Peace, be still. Whether the wrath of the storm-tossed sea, Or demons, or men, or whatever it be. No water can swallow the ship where lies The Master of ocean, and earth, and skies; They all shall sweetly obey my will. Peace be still. Peace be still. " Master, the terror is over, The elements sweetly rest, Earth's sun in the calm lake is mirrored. And heaven's within my breast. Linger, O blessed Redeemer, Leave me alone no more, And with joy I shall make the blest harbor. And rest on the blissful shore." CHAPTER VI. HER WAY OF "PREACHING" IN THE UNITED STATES. Stenographically recorded from one of her meetings in Los Angeles, California, with the English given word for word in the broken manner as she uses it. " Let me first of all say, that I am very happy to be among you tonight. I regret, however, that I am not able to use your language as perfect as I would like to do. Yet, I am quite assured that 30U will have no trouble in understanding if you will do me the great favor of giving your whole- hearted attention. Also I would request that all the babies go to sleep. I do think that babies are most lovely when they sleep in the meeting. Now, please, let me remind you of some wonderful promises in the Word. It is stated in the writings of Saint John, " Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son," and " Whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight." I would like very much in- deed to be able to preach with these two verses as my text, but the truth is I DO NOT KNOW HOW. The only thing I do know is to follow the 112 REMEMBERING THE WAIFS. II3 example of the apostles. It is told about them that they went around among the saints in order to establish them in their faith, and thus they traveled from place to place, " rehearsing," tell- ing over and over again the great things which the Lord had done for them. So, with your leave, I am going to do the very same thing to- night, rehearse or relate to you some of the wonderful good things which the Lord has done for me, and the sole purpose of my testimony will be to glorify HIM, the Faithful One, and to encourage you all on the Way of Faith. When I was a little girl I had no father and no mother and no real home, but God Himself become my Father, my best friend, my all in all. It is indeed wonderful with how many promises God in His Word has remembered and favored us waifs. In the first place He calls Himself our Father, Helper, and Defender, and promises to hear our cries and give us justice. He curses the wicked, who plunder, oppress, and cast lots con- cerning the fatherless, assuring us that He will punish our oppressors and those who neglect to promote our interests. In addition He exhorts His people to visit the fatherless in their distress, to be liberal toward them, and not to wrong, circumvent or grieve them. In this loving way God makes mention of us in forty places in Holy Writ. Then there are several beautiful stories showing that God takes more than a passing in- 114 OUT ON THE FAITH-LINE. terest in the fatherless. Read, for instance, the accounts of Lot, the daughters of Zelophehad, Jotham, Mephibosheth, Joash, and Esther. For " when thy father and mother forsake thee, then the Lord will take thee up." From my earliest childhood I have had ex- periences of the heavenly Father hearing and answering prayer. Nothing was ever a greater source of comfort to my lonely heart than the knowledge of God's fatherly love in Jesus Christ. " Can a woman forget her suckling child .... yea, she may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hand, thy walls are continually before me." (Isa. 49: 15, 16.) Some years ago when I was sent to Lapland as a missionary, the pastor of my church came to me just a week or two before I was going to leave, and said, " Now, Sister Bertha, you have to step out, wholly and fully, on the promises of God. It means that you have to be a FAITH- MISSIONARY, looking to God only for your support. You know we are poor and can not help you financially, but we are going to stand by you all the same with our prayers and loving interest." At that time I was a Red Cross Nurse in a large Hospital in Stockholm, the Capitol of Sweden, used to quite a big salary, and I could not understand how I would be able to proceed to Laj)land with no guarantee of any support WAVERING JUST A LITTLE. II5 whatever. Wonderingly I began to ask myself, " What shall I eat, and what shall I drink, and what shall I wear, and above everything, how shall I meet the heavy traveling expenses in Lap- land where no white man or woman can get around without a guide?" Thus speculating about the matter I soon decided that the Lord usually helps them who help themselves, and so a veiy bright idea struck my head. That is, I thought at the time that it was " bright," but later on I changed my opinion. However, in my desire to help God to support me in Lapland, I wrote to several publishing houses, asking them to send a goodly supply of some fine Christian books. " I am going to Lapland as a missionary," I wrote, " and I wish to be self supporting," my idea being that I should have a little business along at the same time as I preached the free gospel of Christ. In this manner, with great boxes full of books, I arrived at my first desti- nation in Lapland, but the conditions in this Country were not exactly as I had imagined they were. Everywhere I came, I saw sick people, and poor, lonely, half-forsaken folks, and my heart went out to them in the greatest love and compassion, my one all absorbing desire being to do my uttermost to serve and help them. I had no wish to get anything out of their poor, meager purses. Thus it happened that I, in my God- given love for these people, went from house to Il6 • A " BOOK-SELLER ". house and from hut to hut, tiying to persuade them to accept Christ, and when I left, I usually gave them some of my books, saying, " Take this, please, as a keepsake from me, and when you have read it pass it on to someone else." The books, of course, went as hot cakes, and as I in this manner distributed my whole stock " free, gratis and for nothing," I entirely forgot that they were not only expensive but also not paid for. After some months, I wrote again to the publishing houses, stating that all the books were gone, and would not they, please, send me a new supply, as the literature had proved a great bless- ing in Northland. To this I received an amazing prompt reply. They all said that they were so delighted and pleased because I had SOLD so many books, and was such a good bookseller, but they also told me it was a little custom of theirs, in fact quite a habit, that they never sent a SECOND supply before having secured payment for the first. Accordingly, they very politely en- closed some statements of account, asking me to kindly send a remittance by return mail, the bills amounting to about two hundred and fifty dollars. THAT was the bright way in which I helped the Lord to support me, and there I stood, dismayed and crestfallen. You see, I had not the very least of experience in business or figures, and had entirely overlooked the fact that the bills should be paid precisely at the expiration of UNBELIEF THE GREATEST SIN. II7 a thirty day's period. You may be sure that these bills came like a thunderbolt from a sum- merblue sky. I understood that if I could not pay, I would have disgraced the name of the Lord and was not lit to remain as a missionary, the Bible clearly stating that we should not owe anyone anything. However, after the first shock, I tried to find out what the original cause to all this bother and trouble was, and I did not have to be very bright or to go very far to decide that the root to all this mess was nothing but a plain case of UNBELIEF. I had obtained a stock of books, thiiiking that the Lord could not support me without me helping myself, and of all sins UNBELIEF is undoubtedly the greatest. By refusing to rely entirely on His Word and promises, I had made Him a liar — how pre- sumptuous, how awful! (See James 1:5-8.) Therefore, I humbled myself before Him, and said, " Father, if Thou wilt help me out of this mess, I will never again try business, but trust wholly and completely in Thee for my support." To my friends, I did not dare to say a word con- cerning my affairs, fearful that they would look upon my " financial genious " and " business ability " as a clear case of " crack-brain " or ■" loose screw." A few days later I came to a small town at the foot of the Lapland mountains in order to conduct some missionary meetings. Here I was Il8 A REMARKABLE DREAM. just as much of a stranger as elsewhere, but the ministering angels of the Lord had as usual pre- ceded and prepared both hearts and room for me. Immediately after my arrival I was brought in contact with some good Christian people, among others an old brother by name of Hauge. This Brother Hauge had never seen my face be- fore, had not even heard about me, yet he knew in his spirit that I was a true servant of God, and consequently he invited me to his beautiful home. There is indeed something very sweet and wonderful about the bonds of Christian love that unite the hearts of God's people everywhere, in such a way as to make us all feel a universal kinship, recognizing the relationship even if otherwise we are total strangers. Then it came to pass that the very first night at the home of Brother Hauge, he had such a peculiar dream. He thought I was alone in a little vessel far out on the billowy sea, and that I carried such a heavy load that I was in great danger of sinking. He then seemed to hear a voice, telling him to help me out of the burden in order to make it easier for me to go forward. Thereupon he awoke, but fell asleep again, dreaming the same dream, and continued this way through the whole night. When the morning came he sought an explanation of the dream, asking the Lord for the meaning thereof, being one of these few whf) are wise enough to ever and always turn to PRAYER ANSWERED. H9 God for guidance and instruction. This child- like spirit indicates nevertheless a maturity in our spiritual life as it is only with a listening ear and an open heart as we can grow in His know- ledge. In this way it soon became clear to Brother Hauge that there really was a determin- ed meaning in the dream the night before, and somewhat later in the day he called me into his office. " The Lord has revealed to me that you are in some trouble," he said, " what is it, and what can I do for you?" I must admit that I was somewhat surprised. To be sure, I had learned to know that God answers prayer, but that He would use a dream to such an effect was rather unexpected. Anyhow, I put the bills with- out delay before the good old brother. He was a business man and had never done business in quite the same way as I, and I noticed that it was only with difficulty he could hold himself from laughing aloud. Rather fearful of the judgment of this experienced man of affairs, I was not a little relieved when he promptly offered to pay it all. Not only did he that very day wipe out my debt, but what was more, he shouted " glory " most lustily because he had had " the great privi- lege and honor to be an errand-boy for God." Fortunately, Mr. Hauge was a rich man, and the extra outlay did not mean much to him, but as to me the experience was of utmost importance because from that day I got such a glimpse into I20 ILL IN LAPLAND. my Father's heart that I in fullest confidence steered away from shore. I knew that every- thing would be all right when He was with me in the boat and had the sails and the rudder in His own hand. From this incident I also learned that when in need of help not to run around to human beings but instead go directly to God who has said, " Seek not thy help in others for I am the Lord, thy God." Really, I think it is a perfect disgrace for God to have His children turn to others for help. Suppose you have a child, and your child should take into its head to go to your neighbors and ask for food, clothes and money. Why, you would be so dis- graced as disgraced could be. Now, our heaven- ly Father is more willing and able than any earthly parent to help, why should we then go to others. Let us therefore more and more learn to say with the old Psalmist, " All my Springs ore in Thee." After some time of service in this the most northern part of the world, I became quite ill. We missionaries are very much like other people. When we are in a too cold climate we are liable to take cold, and when we stay in a too hot country, we may take fevers. Having taken a very serious cold, the Father graciously arranged for some time of rest and recuperation, sending me down to the southern part of Norway. Arriving at Christiania, the Capitol of said country, I found THE UNPAID HOTEL-BILL. 121 that the Salvation Army was holding its annual conference, which caused all the sma-ller hotels and boarding houses to be filled with visitors. To avoid staying out on the streets during the uight, I was compelled to register at one of the most expensive hotels in the city. As I had quite a hard time, I felt very grateful towards my Father for such first-class accommodations, but as I told Him so, I also reminded Him of the fact that I did not have even as much as a cent with which to pay the forthcoming hotel bill. " Thou knowest, O Lord," I said, " that I have gone forth upon my trip relying upon Thy promises onl}^, and I know that Thou wilt not let my faith be put to shame." Later on in the day I most confidently laid my hand in my Father's hand, and started out in the city for a little walk. The Lord now led me on until I came to a small church building and hearing the strains of a hymn I understood that there must be some kind of a meeting going on, so I stepped inside, taking a place among the congregation. Dressed as I was in my Deaconess uniform with the Red Cross bonnet I was soon recognized by the leader of the meeting, who had read about me and seen my photograph in some Christian papers and magazines. He immediately jwent down from the platform, asking me to come up and give my testimony. It was not necessary to ask me twice and I instantly took advantage of the 122: HIS COFFERS ARE FULL. opportunity to speak a word about the faithful- ness of God. In fact, as soon as I had mounted the platform, I started to BOAST. Of. course I did not brag about myself, but I did exalt and magnify the riches of my heavenly Father. Smilingly I recited the old song, " My Father is rich in houses and lands, He holdeth the wealth of the world in His hands. Of rubies and diamonds, of silver and gold, His coffers are full — He has riches untold. I once was an outcast, a stranger on earth, A sinner by choice, and an alien by birth ! But I've been adopted, my name's written down. An heir to a mansion, a robe, and a crown. A tent or a cottage, O, why should I care? They're building a palace for me over there ; Tho exiled from home, yet still I may sing: ' All glory to God, I am a child of the King.' " Also I told them about the wonderful CHECK-BOOK which I am using, saying, "You must not look upon me as a poor missionary, be- cause really to tell the truth my bank-book is just as fat as any of yours. You see, I have millions and millions to my credit in the heavenly Bank. I do not deal with any of the banks down here, because they are not to be trusted. Sometimes they go bankrupt, and at other times robbers break in. They are ever and .always so THE UNFAILING BANK. I23 very uncertain. As to the Heavenly Bank, it never goes bankrupt, and instead of giving only five or six per cent, it gives one hnudred per cent. Besides the money you put in other banks you can not take along when you finally leave this world. On the other hand, every penny or dollar which you deposit in the Heaven- ly Bank is yours for keep. In this country you have some kind of critters you call multi-million- aires. They have also millions and millions to their credit, but the diflference between my money and theirs is that they have so much trouble- about their money. Sometimes they even lose their souls on account of it. As to me, I haver not the least of worry or bother about my mil- lions because my Father takes care of them for me, and I only get slices of this wealth of mine just at the times when I need it. Then when I do need it I write it down in my check-book. If I need health, I write it down. If I need money,, I write that down too, and if I need some special' blessing or help out of trials, I write it all down.. THEN I SIGN THE NAME OF JESUS TO THAT CHECK and I go to the Heavenly Bank where the windows and doors are open all the time, night as well as day, and I always get my check cashed, ON ACCOUNT OF THAT NAME JESUS, THAT THE FATHER MAY BE GLORIFIED IN THE SON. THAT is the secret of it all. 124 ANOTHER ANSWER TO PRAYER. Speaking like this as though I was at least a millionaire — yea, still more a heavenly princess, I am sure that no one in the audience could get the slightest impression or hint of the fact that my purse was entirely empty. For my own part I was so happy in the assurance of the wealth and faithfulness of my Father that I had completely forgotten not only my empty pocketbook but my hotel bill as well. Happily, however, the Lord had not forgotten, and when I was about to leave the meeting He put into the heart of a certain Doctor Birkeland to give me a couple of bank notes. The amount thus given was exactly on the cent what I needed for my stay in Christi- ania, not a penny too much nor a penny too little. Is not that wonderful, the Lord even takes the trouble to count the money. He is such a good and sure accountant who never gives too little, but will rather increase the blessings in propor- tion as we are able to bear it. Once, however, I half thought that He had departed from this principle and given me — too little. It was like this : One day there came to me a very old and feeble sister in the faith, and said, " Would not you, please, write out a check for fifty dollars. I need it so badly." At this I thought in my heart, " Why can not you write out the check yourself? The Heavenly Treasury is open just as well for you as for me." How- ever, after a second thought I withheld this re- LACK OF PRACTICE. I25 mark, remembering that some of us seem unable to claim our privileges. The reasons for this may ■differ, but in the case of this old sister it was caused by faintheartedness and lack of practice. For my own part, I am more bold than back- ward, and as the Lord usually encourages my boldness, I always press right on until I get what I need both for myself and others. Now it happened on a certain day that I asked to receive the before mentioned fifty dol- lars, but when the evening came I had only re- ceived forty-seven dollars for this purpose. It was after eleven o'clock in the night that I began to doubt the faithfulness of the Lord. Early in the morning I would be obliged to take the first train for the place where the old sister resided, and that very day she was in need of the money. In fact, she would have to leave her little home if the money failed to come. Now it was im- possible for me to see how the Lord could send me any help between eleven o'clock in the night and five o'clock in the morning, and I must con- fess that I felt not a little blue and disappointed. It was not so much on account of the money, but more because I had been accustomed to receive to the very penny what I had asked for, and I was distressed beyond expression at the thought that the Lord had failed to meet my expectations. Then in the early morning dawn when I arrived at the lonely depot there stood a sister in the 126 SWEDISH-LOOKING. Lord, seemingly waiting for someone. " Yoie are going on the train ?" I inquired. " No, but the Lord woke me up and sent me down here," she said, "and I could not imagine why, but now I understand." With this she took up three dollars from her pocket and handed them to me. You may be sure that I felt small and hu- miliated. To think that after all the experience- I had had of His faithfulness and love, yet, I would still be capable of doubting Him. In the year of 191 5 I was traveling in Den- mark, going from city to city and from town to town, conducting missionary meetings. Of course, you know where Denmark is located, or maybe I better explain that over in Europe we have a little piece of land which we call Scandi- navia. It is not much compared to the United States, but it is something. It is on the map any- how, and here we have three little countries, Sweden, Norway and Denmark. I am from Sweden which everybody ought to know who knows anything at all — just to look at me and" hear me talk. You see, I look like a Swede, and' abuse the English language like most Swedish people do. If you never saw a Swede before, I would advise you to take a long look at me so you will be able to recognize one next time you see one. Anyhow, I have been in every city and large community in these three king- HER ADOPTIVE-MOTHER. I27 •doms, and my last stopping place was Den- mark. Now, at the same time as I was traveling around in Denmark a certain lady missionary from Congo, Africa, was staying in Switzerland. Her name, Miss Alma E. Doering, had for some time been associated with my name. In fact, I was her adopted daughter, and had through legal -and lawful proceedings, received her name " Doering." On account of some important mis- sionary matters it became absolutely necessary for me to go to Switzerland in order to consult with said adoptive mother of mine. We had great difficulty in writing to each other as our mail went through Germany, and most of our letters were destroyed by the German censor. During the war, as a nurse and correspondent in the service of two Christian news papers, I had been in Germany time and again. It was, how- ever, far from pleasant to travel through this unhappy country, and I was quite distressed at the thought that I would be obliged to cross the border once more on my way to Switzerland. By the way, do you know where Switzerland is? I have noticed during my trips in the United States that you folks do not as a rule care very much for the European map. Some time ago when I conducted a mission- ary meeting in the State of Iowa I told the con- -gregation about some wonderful experiences 128 THE CABLEGRAM. which the Lord had given me in Switzerland, and noticing a somewhat blank expression on most of the faces before me, I said "Of course, you know where Switzerland is?" "Oh yes," answered one of the deacons, " is not Switzerland a town in Kansas ?" " No, you are mistaken, brother," the pastor hastened to correct, " Switzerland is the Capital of Sweden." Switzerland, however, is as you may know neither the town in any state, nor the capital of any country, but a little Republic, the oldest in the world, located between Germany, France and Italy, and in order to get to Switzerland from Denmark or Scandinavia you have to cross the whole Country of Germany^ During the war the borders or frontier between Germany and Switzerland were closed time and again, and thus it happened that one day I re- ceived a cablegram from the other Miss Doering- stating that if I desired to come I should come at once as the boundary between the two^ countries was going to be closed. The cable- gram was received late Sunday night at the close of my missionary meeting, and I understood that if I should be able to get to Switzerland before the border closed I would be obliged to leave early Monday morning. Therefore, when morning came I packed my trunk in faith in God, and put on my simple Red Cross uniform also in faith in God, and then when all was ready I told liim that it was only three quarters of an hour THE DIGNIFIED LADY. 1 29 before my train left, and to please send me the money for the ticket as soon as possible. As I in this manner was talking the matter over with my heavenly Father, someone knocked at my door, and as I stepped out I was confronted by an exceedingly dignified looking elderly lady who- frowned at me most severely. It was quite early in the morning, and thinking that the dear lady had gotten up on the wrong side of the bed,. I smiled at her encouragingly, inquiring as to her errand. " I suppose you are the much talked about "Sister Bertha," the heavenly princess?" she said in a way as to indicate that this was a great crime, " My name is Mrs. de la Gardie of Copenhagen." At this I felt not a little surprised as I had heard her spoken of often enough as not only the wealthiest lady in the whole city of Copenhagen, but also as the most stingy, the tightest one you ever saw. " Last night I had a dream about you," the lady continued wearily, " and I understand that you are going away on some long trip and that God wants me to help you with the traveling expenses." She then pro- ceeded to count out some money from her hand- bag, and as she did so I felt quite sorry for her. I know how hard it would be for one like her to part with that precious gold, I could almost imagine that it would feel like pulling out a tooth. "Here are two hundred Crowns," she said crossly, "is that enough?" "Yes glory be to God,'" 130 THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. I shouted, " that is just exactly what I need/' and in my happiness over this new answer to prayer I ahnost — not quite — danced before the dignified personage, and in a minute or so she began to melt down. Or would you say melt UP? Really I never know how to use your language as it ought to be used. My Swedish tongue is such an unruly thing, always insisting on the Swedish way although I am trying my uttermost to get it the English way. The worst part about your language is that sometimes you say one thing and apparently mean another. For instance, some time ago when I arrived at the Sea Port of New York City I was quite anxious to see everything which was going on, and in order to get the first glimpse of the statue of Liberty and the first glimpse of this beautiful country, I put my head through a window in the steamer. As I did so, somebody cried, " Look out !" and I, most obediently, stuck my head still farther OUT, almost killing myself. Then, what do you think, the silly man MEANT look IN, but why he said " look out " when he meant " look in " will forever remain one of the mys- teries of the English language. Returning to the lady, she melted DOWN (I suppose "down" is the right expression) and before I knew it she put her arms around my neck, crying most brokenheartedly, " It is SO hard to confess," she sobbed, "but this is really the first time in my ARRESTED IN GERMANY. I3I life that I have tasted the sweetness and blessed- ness of giving. It is the first time as I reaHze the Word of God which says that it is more blessed to give than to receive." Then after some hesitation, she repeated, " It is the first time, but by the help of God it will not be the last." After a few moments of prayer together, I hurried down to the depot and got my train,, arriving at the border of Switzerland about five minutes before it closed. Among the Alps of Switzerland we then had quite a good time for rest and recuperation, and finally after much prayer and waiting on the Lord we decided that I should go on to America,, the country of freedom and liberty, in order to arouse interest for the millions in heathen lands who have neither freedom nor liberty, but live in the greatest darkness, and suffering and sin. According to this, I returned to the Sea Port of Copenhagen, Denmark, by the way of Germany. It is a well known fact, however, that whenever the Lord wants to use us, the old devil tries his best to put some obstacles in our way. (I hope that I am not considered as " vulgar " by using^ the word " devil " ? Some time ago when I passed by a certain church, a sign outside an- nounced that the pastor was going to preach about " the Gentleman of Hell ".) Anyhow as- I went through Germany this last time, I was arrested as a spy and delayed for a couple of 332 THE DELAYED STEAMER. -days. The Lord, however, is as we all know stronger than the devil. Consequently it was in His power to deliver me, and so thanks to His faithfulness I came safely back to Copenhagen again. Shortly after my arrival at the Danish Capital, I telephoned to the American-Scandinavian Steamer-Office inquiring as to the departure of their next steamer. After having received the information that according to schedule the next steamer would leave the following day (this was Thursday and the steamer would leave Friday) I turned to God in prayer about the matter. " I •can not possibly get my passport," I said, " and get read}' to leave tomorrow. Please, Father, do delay that steamer so I can go along." A few hours later I walked into the steamer-office, in- quiring of the agent, " How many days is the steamer delayed?" "Delayed?" he repeated wonderingly, "why should it be delayed?" "I asked God to put some obstacles in its way so I would have time to get ready." "Asked God to delay our steamer?" he said half amused and half indignant, " well, that is the limit. I never heard such nonsense before." As he spoke to me like this, there came a boy from the telegram ■office, handing him a cable. The cable was from London, England, from the captain of the Amer- ican-Scandinavian steamer — the steamer was stiW in London, and the cable stated that when THE DOUBTING AGENT. I33. the Steamer was on its way from the United States back home to Copenhagen, the English took it into England for investigation. It was during war-time, you know, and they had had some German stuff on the steamer, and England insisted on confiscating these goods belonging to the enemy. On account of this the steamer would not be in Copenhagen before Saturday and would not leave for America before Monday. " Glory to God," I shouted, "can not you see that this is an answer to my prayers?" "Oh, no,"^ the agent protested, " it only happened that way." " Very well, you have the right to think as you please, and so have I ; but would you please pre- pare my ticket? God willing, I am going to sail Monday on this steamer which He has delayed." " All right," said the agent, " what class do you want? First or second or third?" I hesitated just a moment, and thought, " Must I really go down in third class?" I know that down in third class, almost at the very bottom of the steamer, the air is so dreadfully close and un- healthy. No one can cross the Atlantic in third class without getting seasick, and I wondered, " Why should I have to suffer for about ten days in the steerage ? Is not my Father the King of Kings ? Does not He own all the gold and all the riches in the world, and am not I a heavenly princess, the child of a King? Surely it is just as easy for Him to give me a second class as a. 134 THE ROYAL TELEPHONE. third?" Having arrived at this decision, I said to the agent, " Well, I suppose you can arrange for a second class ticket/' At this he demanded a deposit of fifty dollars. " I have no money along today," I told him regretfully, " but I v^ill be sure to pay you the whole sum when I get my ticket by Monday. Will not that be all right?" Then he became somewhat uneasy and cautious- ly inquired if I had the money necessary for the purchase of the ticket. " Oh, yes, I have plenty of money," I answered just a little bit loftily, " You see, my Father is an exceedingly wealthy man." Before he heard about my wealthy Father, he had been sitting down, having his hat on, and a big cigar in his mouth, but now he stood up, took off his hat, and removing the cigar, smiled his kindliest. " So glad to hear of it," he said with the utmost friendliness, " maybe he lives here in town?" " He does," I admitted, "in fact my Father has quite a bit of property in this city." "Well, well," he exclaimed, greatly pleased, "he must be one of our millionaires?" "There is no doubt about that," I assented cooly. " Is your father at home," he wondered further, "and could we reach him by the 'phone? What is his number?" "Yes, Glory to God, He is at home all right, " I replied with a sigh of relief, " and what is more, He is always on the line. The fact is, my I'^ather uses the Royal Telephone-line, The Answer Before We Call .Svstem, and the number NEVTLR HEARD ABOUT IT. 1 35, is only, ' Glory,' just call Central and you will get * Glory.' " " The royal telephone-line, the answer before we call system, number Glory," the agent repeated in utter bewilderment, " what in the world is all that? I never in my life heard about such a line before." " Then I am very sorry for you," I said pityingly, " because, really it is the best line there is, the oldest one and the safest one. It is the line between our hearts and our heavenly Father's heart. God is my Father. Do' )'0u know Him, Mr. agent?" "No, I should say not," he answered wholly disgusted, resuming^ his seat and smoking furiously on his cigar, "and certainly it will be very interesting indeed to see what the money looks like which comes from heaven." " Very well, I will come here as soon as I get it," I said reassuringly, and leaving him I walked back to my room at a small hotel. Not a little curious to know how the Lord would arrange matters, I kneeled down in prayer for the purpose of finding out. As I approached the Lord, I made no attempt to preach to Him. I have noticed that some good people of God, make up at times in prayer meetings such long, beautiful sermons. They tell Him how the world is getting on and kind of advise Him how things ought to be done. I never do that way for the very simple reason that I have learned to talk to God as a child to its own earthly parent. You remember. He is the only Father I have ever had,. 136 THE WELL-KNOWN VOICE. and so at this instance I spoke to Him and said, " Father, I have gone in faith in Thee since I was a Httle girl, three years old, and Thou has -always heard my prayers and kept Thy Word and Thy promises. Therefore I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that You will stand .by me this time too." Especially I asked Him in Jbehalf of the agent. " Not for my sake, but for Thy own name's sake I pray that Thou wouldst -manifest to this doubting agent, that Thou art a *God that hearest and answerest prayers." While praying in this simple manner as a child to its beloved and loving parent, I heard in my heart. the well-known voice of my heavenly Father. It came to me as an irresistible impression or in- spiration and said, "Stand up at once and go to Mr. Stannow's office." I did not know Mr. Stannow, but I understood that my Father knew him, and consequently I immediately arose in order to obey orders. Sometimes, you know, the Lord speaks to us ver}^ clearly as to the names and addresses of people. You remember, He told Cornelius to send for Peter, and He stated very distinctly that the apostle was living at a house close to the seaside in care of Simon the tanner. Now, however, I had to go to the City Direct- ory to fmd out if there was recorded a man with the name of Stannow who had an office in town. There was, of course, and shortly after I left ANSWER BEFORE WE CALL. I37 •on a street car for Mr. Stannow's office. Ar- riving there, I remained standing at the door for a moment or two, not knowing in the least what to do or to say. Of one thing I was certain, I was not in that office to BEG. Had I not already made my wants known unto the Lord, and would it not then be utterly inconsistent to turn to ■others? Mr. Stannow was sitting at his desk, busily writing, but presently he looked up, caught sight of me, and hurried over to the door where I was standing. " Oh, the heavenly princess has finally come ?" he said delightedly. " Yes, I have ■come," I said somewhat surprised, "but I had no idea that you were expecting me. In fact, I did •not think that you knew me." " Oh, yes, I know you very well," he smiled, " and my wife :and I have been waiting for you for the last three months, but as we did not have your ad- •M— •nn— ^HU'^— in^— wi-^M— an«— HO^— nn— («*— ■— w ■i UC SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY AA 000 848 115 2 Univers Soutl Lib]