IN a little village there lived a godly couple who had a young son named Carl. He was a clear and talented child who loved the Lord Jesus and His Word.
His parents sent him to a boarding school which was located in a city near his home. In this school there were about 40 children, most of them older than himself. On the evening of the day of his arrival, he prepared to retire with his room-mates. Before doing so however, he wanted to read his Bible and pray, as he had been admonished to do by his parents on his departure from home. When he saw how the other boys were hurriedly getting into bed, he was too shy to pray before them. He said to himself:
“One can’t kneel down before strangers. I must wait until I get better acquainted with the boys.” He then began to undress, and quieted his conscience thus:
“I can pray in bed as well, and tomorrow morning before the others wake up, I will get up and read.”
But scarcely was he in bed, when he also fell asleep, and did not awaken the next morning until many of the boys were already half dressed. So all his good resolutions were brought to naught and he left his room without having read the Word of God or prayed.
His new duties occupied his mind during the day, but he felt unhappy at the thought of what he had neglected, and decided to take courage and not be concerned about the boys, or of what they might think of him. But O, from day to day he became more fearful, and gave up the reading of the Word of God and prayer. He quieted himself with the thought that he was no worse than the other boys, but he deceived himself. Outwardly he did not behave any worse than most of them, but he had the greater guilt, because he had been instructed differently, and knew what he was neglecting.
Carl was a general favorite, not with his playmates only, but also with the teachers. He was frank and honest and never once sought, by an evasive answer, to excuse himself. He also learned his lessons very well; and when the hour for recreation came, he carried away the others with his zeal and mirth. No one could run faster or jump higher, or get the games going better than he.
At one time the boys were allowed to spend a day in the woods. It was the season for hazel-nuts and wild fruits. After they had amused themselves sufficiently with games, they laid down on the grass.
“I wouldn’t like to spend a night alone, here,” said one of the boys. “I certainly would he afraid it must be very dark in this place under the trees.”
“What a coward you are,” said Carl. “I wouldn’t be afraid. Why, afraid of what?”
With these words he thought of the verse that his mother had taught him:
He had often repeated this scripture when fear would creep upon him, and it had always comforted him, but at this moment he felt as though he could not think of God as a loving Father; and all at once he felt quite sinful, and deserving of reproof, because he had neglected prayer and reading of the Word. The voices of his friends awakened him from his reverie.
“Yes, Carl isn’t afraid of anything,” said one.
“But I know of something,” exclaimed another.
“What it is? What can it be?” they all said at once; and Carl came forward boldly to defend himself against the charge.
“Well, I will tell you what it is,” continued the boy quietly, “and Carl cannot deny it. He is afraid of our derision.” Then he was quiet for a moment, and fixed his eyes on Carl, who evaded his look and hung his head. “Before he came to us, our teacher told us that he was a pious boy, and never forgot to read his Bible, and pray. Since I heard this I have been watching him, but not once have I seen him read or pray, and I am his roommate. Now tell us why has he not done so since he has been here?”
“Yes, that’s right,” answered another, “that was cowardly of him, and surely not one of us would have laughed at him.”
Poor Carl! There he stood, truly an object of pity; unable to say a word. Never before had he felt so ashamed as now, when he stood there rightfully accused in the presence of his comrades who had just a moment before admired him. He crept away quietly, weeping bitterly, because he knew how much he deserved their reproach.
Upon his return to the school he found a letter from his mother, in which, among other things, she wrote:
“I hope my dear Carl is still reading God’s Word and praying as he did at home. I pray for you constantly, my child, that God may preserve you from ‘the fear of man which bringeth a snare’. Do not give your comrades the impression that you are ashamed of being a child of God, and be assured that in spite of all their mocking, they will respect you, if you remain firm; but they will despise you, if you allow yourself to be mislead by them.”
Carl read the letter over and over, and the hot tears streamed down his cheeks.
“O, mother,” he said, “you don’t know how very much I have already failed.” Then he threw himself on his knees, owning to God his unfaithfulness, and crying to Him for strength in the future. For a long time he remained on his knees before the Lord, weeping and praying. At last he felt better, and returned to his school-mates.
An evident change had taken place in Carl’s life. From henceforth he spent the beginning and the close of the day with His Lord in reading and in prayer. Many of his comrades avoided him; however others among them, together with his accuser, joined themselves more closely to him, and sought to learn from him.
Later when Carl thought of his sad neglect of prayer and the reading of his Bible, he could not praise God enough for the open rebuke of his comrade; and for the loving letter from his mother which came just at the right time.
ML 05/08/1927