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 Illustrate /milling 36nnlts. 
 
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 THE PIOUS FARMER. 
 
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 LON ON: DEAN & SON, 
 11, Ludgate Hill. 
 
 
 13 m?* 
 
 -4.1 4- 
 
 1 \£^ r. 
 
 
 
THE PIOUS FARMER. 
 
 Soon after the surrender ot Copenhagen 
 to the English in the year 1807, detach- 
 ments of soldiers were for a time stationed 
 in the surrounding villages. It happened 
 one day that three soldiers, belonging to a 
 Highland regiment, were sent to forage 
 
THE PIOUS FARMER. 3 
 
 among the neighbouring farm-houses. 
 They went to several, but found them 
 stripped and deserted. At length they 
 came to a large garden, or orchard, full 
 of apple trees, bending under the weight 
 of fruit. They entered by a gate, and 
 followed a path which brought them to a 
 neat farm-house. Everything without 
 bespoke quietness and security ; but, as 
 they entered by the front door, the mis- 
 tress of the house and her children ran 
 screaming out of the back, 
 
 The interior of the house presented an 
 appearance of order and comfort superior 
 to what might be expected from people in 
 that station, and from the habits ofnhe 
 country. A watch hung by the side of 
 the fire-place, and a neat book-case, well- 
 filled, attracted the attention of the elder 
 soldier. He took down a book; it was 
 written in a language unknown to him, 
 but the name of Jesus Christ was legible 
 on everv page. 
 
 At this moment the farmer entered by 
 the door through which his wife and chil- 
 dren had fled. One of the soldiers, by 
 
THE PIOUS FARMER. 
 
 signs, demanded provisions ; the man 
 stood firm and undaunted, and shook his 
 head. The soldier who held the book 
 approached him. and pointing to the name 
 of Jesus Christ, laid his hand upon his 
 heart, and looked up to Heaven Instantly 
 
 the farmer grasped his hand, shook it 
 vehemently, and then ran out of the room. 
 He soon returned with his wile and chil- 
 dren, laden with milk, eggs, bacon, &c. 
 which were freely tendered : and when 
 money was offered in return, it was at 
 first refused. But as two of the soldiers 
 were pious men, they, much to the cha- 
 grin of their companion (who swore griev- 
 
THE PIOUS FARMER 
 
 5 
 
 ou^ly he would never forage with them 
 again) insisted upon paying for all they 
 took. 
 
 When taking leave, the pious soldier 
 intimated to the farmer, that it would be 
 well for him to secrete his watch ; but, by 
 significant signs, he gave them to under- 
 stand that he feared no evil, for his trust 
 was in God, and that though his neigh- 
 bours, on the right hand and on the left, 
 had fled from their habitations, and, by 
 foraging parties, had lost, what they could 
 not remove, not a hair of his head had 
 been injured, nor had he even lost an apple 
 from his trees. " The angel of the Lord 
 encampeth round about them that fear 
 Him, and delivereth them/ 1 
 
 js&SXSWJfrj* 
 
 
THE SEED AND THE PRAYER. 
 
 ^'•.U/ 
 
 '* Mamma, Fve often heard vou say, 
 
 That God is listening when we pray. 
 And, if I do indeed believe, 
 That what I ask I shall receive. 
 
 "Why will He not, then, take away, 
 My naughty, sinful heart to-day, 
 
THE SEED AND THE PRAYER 7 
 
 And make me humble, meek, and mild, 
 A quiet and obedient child? 
 
 "I ask Him every day and night 
 
 For a new heart that's clean and white ; 
 
 You know I have not got it yet — 
 
 He hears my prayer — can He forget V 
 
 " No, darling, God does not forget, 
 Although He has not answered yet ! 
 And if you'll listen, I will try 
 And give you now a reason why. 
 
 " I once pulled up a garden weed, 
 And in its place I dropped a seed; 
 Because they told me God's great power 
 Could change that seed into a flower. 
 
 (C I was a little child, you know, 
 And thought the seed would quickly grow ; 
 But days and weeks went slowly round 
 And still it lay deep in the ground. 
 
 " At length there came some gentle rain, 
 And when the sun shone forth again, 
 1 hastened to the spot alone, 
 Wherein my little seed was sown ; 
 
8 THE SEED AND THE PRAYER. 
 
 M And then I saw the softened ground 
 Raised in a gently heaving mound, 
 And in the middle there was seen 
 Two little leaves of brightest green. 
 
 " And day by day, and hour by hour, 
 I watched until there came a flower ; 
 And thought how good that God must be 
 That gave such pretty flower to me. 
 
 " And now, my dear, your little prayer 
 Is like the seed I dropped in there ; 
 God gives it in your hand to sow, 
 And promises the seed shall grow, 
 
 " And if you wait, and watch, and pray, 
 The seed will spring up. clay by clay, 
 And God will bless it, like my flower, 
 Both with the sunshine and the shower; 
 
 " Until at length, one morning bright, 
 You'll find a heart both clean and "white. 
 And evermore your song will be, 
 ' How very good God is to me V "