Verily, verily, this quotation is true, "Be not forgetful to entertain
strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares" (Hebrews
13:2). Bacha Filina and those in his household proved it. It was just
as if God's blessing had moved to them with Palko Lesina. They all
had success in everything they undertook. The boy was ready to help
everywhere, and set the house in such order as it never had been
before.
"You see, the Lord Jesus lives here," Palko explained sweetly. "He is
here, and we don't know when He comes and where He would like to sit
down. We would not have any place to receive Him."
Stephen taught him how to play the shepherd's horn and he played on
it beautiful Christian songs, so that the mountains fairly resounded.
When he played tag or blind man's buff with the boys he was the
most joyful of them. But as soon as he was invited to read from his
precious Book, he obeyed at once and sat among them, as once his Lord
did among learned old men in Jerusalem. On Petrik especially he had a
good influence. Petrik was often self-willed and disobedient, so that
Bacha had to punish him.
"Why should you make Uncle Filina cross? Just tell it to the Lord
Jesus when the Devil is tempting you, and He will deliver you, He will
help you," advised Palko.
Ondrejko became more quiet and thoughtful. He liked the talks with
Palko very much. He believed everything, even that the Lord Jesus is
constantly present. Therefore it is necessary to be always washed and
clean and dressed decently, and also that it is necessary to give
one's heart to the Lord Jesus when He wants it, and that He takes the
heart and cleanses it. Before Palko realized it, the Lord Jesus had
one servant more. And thus His Holy Word was fulfilled; "I thank Thee,
O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because Thou hast hid these things
from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes"
(Matt. 11:25). No one can find out how it happens; it passes human
understanding, how the caterpillar in the dried-up cocoon takes a new
life with the arrival of Spring. Before they reached that part in
that precious Book where it begins to tell of the sufferings of and,
finally, the death of the Lord Jesus, Ondrejko felt in his heart that
all happened for him also. He could not quite explain it, and no one
expected him to, but he knew it in his heart.
Once, when he went with Palko to his hut, he prayed that the Lord
Jesus would forgive him everything and asked Him to come into his
heart. Ondrejko thereupon believed without fail that it happened,
because it is still true today, "If thou shalt believe, thou shalt see
the glory of God." Therefore what he believed, he also had. Ondrejko
de Gemer already had suffered much on this earth. He suffered many
heart-aches for the want of a father or mother. Many nights he cried
about it when no one heard him. Very few realize how much pain a
little child may suffer from sorrow and hopelessness from lack of
love. Before Ondrejko came to Filina he often used to wonder what
would become of him, since he had nobody, although both of his parents
were living. Would he always have to live with strange people? A book
could be written of the thoughts of that forsaken little soul while
he was building castles and bridges, and when people thought he was
deeply interested in his play. Fortunately Palko Lesina arrived,
and through his daily talk made it plain to his little comrade that
Someone good and beautiful lives, and that this beautiful and good
One also loved him, little forsaken Ondrejko de Gemer, whom even his
father did not love, and He wanted to live with him always, that
Ondrejko need not feel forsaken anymore. Now he had Someone to bring
his complaints to, and he could confide everything to Him, yea,
everything. How beautiful that was! Yes, verily, the Lord Jesus now
had one servant more.
Even the herdsmen sighed to Bacha, "How shall we ever get along
without Palko Lesina? Ever since the boy has been with us, it seems
that the sunrise looks more beautiful and the dew is richer on the
ground."
"He is a blessed boy," admitted Filina with a sigh. Oh, how very much
he needed this boy! Therefore when, instead of Lesina, a letter came,
he was much relieved. Lesina wrote that he would not be able to come
back till six weeks later, and asked Bacha to keep Palko with him in
the meantime, that he would be useful in every way. He didn't want to
let the boy come home alone because it was so far, and he was his only
child. When that letter came, the boys jumped for joy, and Fido helped
them, but the greatest joy after all was that of Filina himself.
In the evening of that day, while they were sitting before the hut and
Palko was blowing on the horn, suddenly Dr. H. stood before them. With
evident pleasure he noticed the strange boy. Fido wagged his bushy
tail in a friendly manner because more than once he had received a
good bacon-rind from this kind gentleman. Dunaj, stretched out by the
feet of his master, lifted his head also, but made no sound. He knew
already whom to let alone and whom not. Formerly he would have jumped
up and barked, and tested the long coat of the doctor to see if it was
made of good material or not. Today, he would rather snap at a fly
which paid with her life for daring to buzz around his nose. Well, the
dogs did not give it away and the people did not notice that they had
a listener, neither then nor even after Palko began to read in his
Book, where there was written about the great man who was the captain
of the taxgatherers, who had great riches and many friends, but did
not have peace or happiness in his heart because he did not know the
Lord Jesus. Palko read how the Lord Jesus spoke to him while he sat in
the sycamore tree and invited Himself as his guest.
"Uncle Filina," suddenly Palko interrupted, when he came to the words
of the Lord, 'The Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was
lost'--"If you simply do just like Zaccheus; and say to the Lord
Jesus, 'This day is salvation come to this house,' that would be
first, the house of your heart and then the whole hut. Uncle, I beg of
you, receive Him today. Zaccheus received Him at once with joy, and
how much greater joy did he find afterward when the Lord Jesus forgave
him all his sins."
Surprised, the doctor looked at the strange boy and also at Bacha who
arose and without a word entered the hut. Then Petrik noticed the
guest; both the boys ran to welcome him and each one wanted to be the
first to tell him who Palko was and what he was doing among them. The
Doctor liked Palko, like everyone else who came in contact with him.
Then the boys found out why the doctor had come that day. He wanted to
find a cottage near the hut where he could place one of his patients
for a week, whom only quietness and air and sun could heal.
"Palko, do you hear?" whispered Petrik, but so loud that all could
hear him. "That cottage of yours is empty, your father will not come
for six weeks, and you could live here with us; that would be a good
place for the lady."
"What did you say, boy?" asked the doctor.
Ondrejko began to explain that Lesina had a cottage at the very foot
of the "Old Hag's Rock," where the path led to town, and that at the
present it was empty.
"Do you think, Palko," asked the doctor, "that your father would agree
to lend us the cabin, if it would suit us?"
"Why would he not agree?" said the boy with shining eyes. "Does not
the Lord Jesus say, 'I was sick, and ye visited Me?' If the cabin
suits you I will give you the key. Just let the sick one come."
It was too late in the evening to go to see the place; so the boys
prepared to go with the doctor early in the morning to the cottage.
This time the doctor did not sleep with the boys in the hayloft,
because he spoke a long time with Filina. When Filina went to look at
the boys, as it was his custom to do every evening, he stood above
them a long time in deep thought, then he carefully covered Ondrejko,
and sadly stroked his forehead, gently, as if he was very sorry for
the boy. But why? Did he not look very lovely, somewhat browned from
the sun, with beautiful roses on his velvet-like cheeks, and his small
mouth as red as a poppy-flower. It was plainly noticeable how the
mountain air and plain food were strengthening and healing him. His
face also betrayed his inner happiness which the Lord Jesus had put in
his heart. Why then was Bacha sorry for him?
During the night, a thunderstorm of short duration passed over the
mountain. The spring morning broke very beautifully, as it can only
after a storm. On the grass hung large pearls, and the leaves of the
trees were full of diamonds as the sun shone on them. Everything sang
praises to the Creator--every bird, every insect, and fly. The vapor
rose like the smoke from a great sacrifice. No wonder then that Palko,
leading their expedition, began to sing. Petrik gave a sigh, glanced
at the doctor, thinking, "What will he say to that?" Ondrejko joyfully
joined him, with his clear voice ringing like a golden bell. And thus
it sounded over the mountains:
"Let us give thanks to God our heavenly King;
To Him who loved and kept us, let us sing.
To Him be given honor, glory, praise;
To God, Eternal, let our voices raise.
We pray, 'Be constantly with us this day
And guard us from all evil by the way,
That we may to Thy glory ever live,
And blessings to our neighbors ever give;
And when at last we reach the glory shore
We know that we shall praise Thee evermore.'"
The doctor knew that song. He had learned it in his childhood. It made
him add his own voice to those clear notes of the children. It may
seem strange, but it is true, that nothing will refresh the mind like
such an early morning song, sung whole-heartedly on such a beautiful
morning, when all nature is joining in praises to the Creator, and at
every step man feels His holy, pure, and shining nearness.
"Listen, Palko," the doctor said after a moment's silence when the
song was finished; "do you understand what we have sung?"
"That song?" wondered the boy; "Isn't every word quite clear?"
"Do you think so? Then you explain it to us," smiled the doctor
good-humoredly.
"Explain it? Why, we know well what the good Lord sent us during the
past night, and we can walk sound and refreshed through this world,
and that He is our King. We also know that He is the everlasting God."
"Well, that is so, but little children know that much. Go on."
"The third verse I like very much. He is already on the earth, always
present with us, even now He goes with us, and so will protect us from
evil all day long. I am very glad to see at least a small piece of His
garment."
"Where do you see it?" asked Ondrejko.
"Just look how the rays of the sun shine around us. On every drop of
dew you see a piece of the rainbow. That is the hem of His garment,
and in that soft breeze, His Spirit is touching us. He is very near
to us. Verily, He is a good Father. We cannot see Him just because we
could not bear the full glory. What a man was Daniel! Yet he almost
died when he saw Him. But also this verse is beautiful, 'That we may
to Thy glory ever live.'"
"And how do you do that, you little doctor of theology?" said the
doctor.
"I think," said Palko, "that just what we do today is pleasing to
the Lord Jesus; we are going to look for a place for one of His sick
sheep, and if you should like the cottage we will gladly take care of
the necessary wood and flowers. It is clean already, even the windows
are washed."
"You little wise man, and lo, surely there is that cabin of yours."
"Yes, yes," cried the boys. And Dunaj, as if he would confirm it, ran
directly to the door.
"Listen, boy, that cottage of yours is just as if it had been built
for that patient of mine," admitted Dr. H., after he had looked the
cottage over inside and out. "I shall have some furniture brought
here, carpets shall cover the floor, that it be not cold, and your
bed and table we will put in the kitchen, that will be for her nurse.
Though the windows are small there are three of them, so there will
be plenty of sun all day long. And what surroundings! This beautiful
valley with the background of green woods and high mountains! The
spring is close to the house, and, too bad there is no bench beside
it!"