THE WIDOW’S FAITH

New Zealand Tablet, 12 June 1913, Page 61

THE WIDOW’S FAITH

When, in 1812, the army of Napoleon I. was compelled to retreat from Moscow, its march was marked by terrible sufferings from hunger and cold, and the hearts of the men were very bitter within them. It happened that on the roadside in the line of retreat there stood a small cottage inhabited by a poor widow with her young son and daughter. All three were much alarmed when it became known to them that the enemy were not many miles away, and that daily and hourly they were drawing nearer. . But nevertheless this poor woman believed that the great God of heaven had it in His power to save those who trusted in Him, however desperate their position might seem to be. As the danger drew nearer and nearer, the poor mother drew her boy and girl into her arms and prayed, . ‘ Oh, Lord she cried aloud, ‘ be a wall unto us, even as the waters of the Red Sea were a wall unto Thy people on their right hand and on their left.’ She constantly repeated this prayer but her children, though sharing in her danger, did not share in her faith. ‘ What do you mean, mother,’ they said, ‘ by a prayer such as that ? It seems absurd ! How can God be a wall to us ? ‘ I cannot tell you how, my children,’ the widow replied, ‘ but I know it is true ! He was a wall to His people in the olden time, and He can be so still; Oh, my children, I mean to trust in Him and to pray to Him continually’ —and so she did. " One evening the intense frost which had prevailed seemed to moderate; heavy clouds darkened the sky, and snow began to fall. Thick and fast did it descend all that night and the next day, during which the widow heard no sound but the snapping of twigs and branches in the forest as they gave way under the weight of the snow. Again night fell, and again the little family, after the usual prayer, retired to rest. But during that night they could not sleep; over and above the snapping of snow-laden branches they seemed to hear a heavy tramping soundheavy, yet dull and muffled. What could it be? Tramp, tramp, the whole night long, till as the faint light of morning began to struggle through the gray clouds the tramping sound seemed to die away in the distance. % The widow rose and opened her door; but what was this ? The doorway was blocked with snow, she could see nothing. The snow had drifted up and up, till it had covered the humble dwelling to the very -roof. Protected by this wall of snow she and her children had slept peacefully all night, while on the other side of . the snowy defence fierce men had marched past with hatred in their hearts, ready to kill them if they had known of the cottage. Ere that wall of snow had melted away all danger was over, and the. enemy had passed.