OLD SCENES.
"God's world is steeped in beauty,
God's world is bathed in light."
It was in the leafy month of June that Frida found herself once more
treading the Forest paths. The smaller trees were clothed in their
bright, fresh, green lining--
"Greenness shining, not a colour,
But a tender, living light;"
and to them the dark, gloomy pines acted as a noble background, and once
again the song of birds was heard, and the gentle tinkle, tinkle of the
forest streams.
Memory was very busy at work as the girl--nay, woman now--trod those
familiar scenes. Yonder was the very tree under which Wilhelm found her,
a lonely little one, waiting in vain for the father she would see no
more on earth.
There in the distance were the lonely huts of the wood-cutters who had
so lovingly cared for the orphan child. And as she drew nearer the hut
of the Hoerstels, she recognized many a spot where she and Hans had
played together as happy children, to whom the sighing of the wind amid
the tall pines had seemed the most beautiful music in the world.
As she recalled all these things, her heart filled with love to God, who
had cared for and protected her when her earthly friends had cast her
off. The language of her heart might have been expressed in the words of
the hymn so often sung in Scottish churches:--
"When all Thy mercies, O my God!
My rising soul surveys,
Transported with the view, I'm lost
In wonder, love, and praise."
Words cannot depict the joy of Elsie and Wilhelm at the sight of their
dear woodland child. They had already heard of her having found her
English relations, and heartily they rejoiced at the good news, although
well they knew that they would seldom see the child they loved so well.
Many were the questions asked on both sides. Frida, on her part, had to
describe Harcourt Manor and her gentle grandmother and her father's
brother, Dr. Heinz, and his beautiful bride. She told also of the
full-sized picture (which hung on the walls of Harcourt Manor) of her
mother, which had been the means of the discovery of her birth, from her
extraordinary likeness to it.
When the many useful presents sent by Mrs. Willoughby were displayed,
the gratitude of those poor people knew no bounds, and even the little
girl looked delighted at the bright-coloured, warm frocks and cloaks
for winter wear which had been sent for her. Hans was by no means
forgotten: some useful books fell to his share when he returned home in
a few weeks from Leipsic for a short holiday.
It was with difficulty that Frida tore herself away from those kind
friends, and went to the Dorf to see her friends there, and take them
the gifts she had brought for them also. It was late ere she reached
Dringenstadt, and there, seated by Miss Drechsler, related to her the
doings of the day.
To Pastor Langen was entrusted a sum of money to be given to the
Hoerstels, and also so much to be spent every Christmas amongst the
wood-cutters and charcoal-burners in the Dorf. The two Bibles Frida had
herself given to the Hoerstels, who had been delighted with them.
When, soon after that day, Dr. Heinz and his bride, accompanied by
Frida, visited the Forest, they received a hearty welcome. Many of the
wood-cutters recognized the resemblance Dr. Heinz bore to his brother
who had died in the cottage in the Forest.
Many a story did Dr. Heinz hear of the woodland child and her brown
book.
The marriage trip over, the Heinzes, accompanied by Frida, returned to
their homes--they to carry on their work of love in the dark places of
the great metropolis, taking with them not only comforts for the body,
but conveying to them the great and only treasures of the human mind,
the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. And to many and many a sin-sick,
weary soul the words of Holy Scripture spoken by the lips of those two
faithful ambassadors of the Lord Jesus Christ brought peace and rest and
comfort. And Frida, on her part, found plenty of work to do for the
Master in the cottages near Harcourt Manor, in which her grandmother
helped her largely.
Three years had passed since Frida had become an inmate of her
grandmother's home, and they had gone for the winter to London in order
to be near Frida's relations the Heinzes, and at Frida's request Ada
Stanford, who was now much stronger, had come to pay her a visit. Many a
talk the two friends had about the past, recalling with pleasure the
places they had visited together and the people they had seen. The
beauties of Baden-Baden and the sunny Riviera were often dwelt on, and
together they loved to review God's wonderful love as regarded them
both. They spoke also of their visit to the dying woman in the Glen,
whom Frida had long before found out to have been a faithful nurse to
her mother, and for whose little grand-daughter Mrs. Willoughby had
provided since hearing from Frida of the old woman's death.
Then one day the girls spoke of a musical party which was to take place
in Mrs. Willoughby's house that day, and in the arranging for which Ada
and Frida had busied themselves even as they had done years before in
Baden-Baden for the party at which Frida had played on the violin. A
large party assembled that night, and Dr. Heinz and Frida played
together; but the great musician of the night was a young German
violinist who had begun to attract general attention in the London
musical world. He was no other than Hans Hoerstel, the playmate of
Frida's childhood.
Very cordial was the meeting between those two who had last seen each
other in such different circumstances.
And Sir Richard Stanford, who was also present, felt he was well repaid
for what he had spent on young Hoerstel's education by the result of it,
and by the high moral character which the young man bore.
It was a happy night. Frida rejoiced in the musical success of the
companion of her early years, and together they spoke of the days of the
past, and of his parents, who had been as father and mother to her.
Long after the rest of the company had gone, Hans, by Mrs. Willoughby's
invitation, remained on; and ere they parted they together gave thanks
for all God's kindness towards them.
All hearts were full of gratitude, for Mrs. Gower was there rejoicing in
the news she had that day received from Reginald, that he was about to
be married to a niece of Sir Richard Stanford's, whom he had met whilst
visiting friends in New York; and she was one who would help in the work
for Christ which he carried on in the neighbourhood of his farm. He was
prospering as regarded worldly matters, and he hoped soon to take a run
home and introduce his bride to his loved mother and his kind friend
Mrs. Willoughby. He added, "I need hardly say that ere I asked Edith to
marry me I told her the whole story of my sin in concealing what I knew
of the birth of Frida Heinz; but she said, what God had evidently
forgiven, it became none to refuse to do so likewise."
So after prayer was ended, it was from their hearts that all joined in
singing the doxology,--
"Praise God, from whom all blessings flow!"
And with this scene we end the story of the child found in the Black
Forest, and the way in which her brown German Bible was used there for
the glory of God.
THE END.
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