“SISTER EVA OF FRIENDED SHORT”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22326, 28 July 1934, Page 23

“SISTER EVA OF FRIENDED SHORT”

Written for the Otago Daily Times. By the Rev. D. Gardner Miller, Every now and then I come across a book that humbles me to the dust, I mean a book apart from The Book. For the past day or two 1 have been moving in a very rare atmosphere as I went from page to page of a most cm trancing and humbling book, the name of which forms the title Of my article this week. The book is beautifully printed and illustrated and its cost is six shillings. I had not gone far when I realised that, for me, Sister Eva, of Friedenehort, must be placed alongside George Muller, of Bristol, and Hudson Taylor, of the C.I.M. And that means another very_ stabbing rebuke to my up-and-down faith. I declare that Hudson Taylor and George Muller have, nearly all my life, given me visions and also turned me inside out. To live by faith, to depend upon God for absolutely and literally everything has always attracted and fascinated me. In my own poor and limited sphere I know what it is for God to provide—but oh, for the faith of men like Muller and Taylor! And now comes this very modern story of a woman whose life and work, once known, will never be forgotten. I often wish, as I write and talk about books—and I seem always to be doing so—that somebody would put a sum or money at my disposal and allow me to send books all over the land—a book to a lonely farm-house, another to a yountr fellow out in the backblocks, books to ministers in lonely places who hardly know what it is to have a spare halfcrown for a book—books that speak of courage, love, service and God, As it is, my lectures on books in my own church always produce a waiting list of people eager to read the book in question. And now for this book called “ Sister Eva ’! It is the story of a German woman of noble birth and an heiress to great riches who smilingly gave up everything that she might bo “a servant of others, for Christ’s sake.” fehe is_ the founder of an orphanage movement in Germany and elsewhere, equivalent to that of Muller, Barnardo, and Quamer in our own homeland. Before she passed away to''her rest, two years ago, she left behind an order of deaconesses numbering 800, while the number of orphans and the distressed old people under the care of her homes must run into thousands. She was'led to trust God for everything—absolutely—and deliberately turned over her own means for tlie furtherance of her work. From the time that she saw a drunkard’s child wolfing from a garbage pail until God called her home all the waifs and strays and cripples and unwanted children found a home in her heart. No wonder they all called her' " Mother ”! To read how the work grew to its present dimensions is to read how God never lets his servants down—if they will but trust Him absolutely. . * HLet me give you two instances- —one simple and the other profound—of how God provides and leads. It was at a time when all supplies were nearly exhausted. The last flour had been converted Into bread, the storeroom was practically empty, the kitchen sister said that she had enough provisions for two days—and there was no money In the cash box. Emptiness and GOD! At that moment the laundry sister appeared saying that she had no soap. Sister Freda’s answer was not encouraging. She cpuld only say that she had no money, and when God sent some, then flour and other provisions must be bought first. But one cannot wash clothes for such numbers of children without soap. The laundry sister took her little helper aside and they cried to God for the supply of the pressing need, asking Him In such a childlike way to send soap, for If only money came Sister Freda would only buy food. In two days it must be there. The next morning. In the post bag there was a notice that a wooden case had arrived at the railway station for the Wartebeg. At the same time a sum of money arrived, which covered the cost of a load of flour and also the freight of this box. On opening the latter It was discovered to bo a case of soap, and we have never discovered who the unknown sender was.. It Is

the only instance of a case of soap being sent to the Wartebeg. t The other instance, iof which I have room only for the barest mention, moved me deeply. Sister Eva used frequently to pass a grim prison. One day the words ** I was ... in prison and ye visited me NOT” laid hold of her. She felt she must obey, and so rang at the door of the prison and asked permission to see the prisoners. She had never been ineide a prison before, and she trembled. She was well received, and after some talk was allowed to see a dreadful woman prisoner who was the terror of the gaol. This woman was enduring six weeks’ solitary confinement on bread and water In a dark cell. Listen now to Sister Eva. I stepped into the gloom. I don’t know how I began, but ‘ I recall our sitting down together In the almost pitch darkness on the little wooden stool, which was the only seat in the cell. I put my arm round her and persuaded her to talk. Hor’s was a sad story. ... I sang to her " There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood.” . . . She burst Into tears. When it was time for me to leave she begged so pitifully: “Oh, do stay with me. I am so frightened all by myself,”

But that’s not all. Sister Eva, her heart moved by the love of God for this broken woman, actually petitioned the prison authorities to be allowed to share the punishment of this derelict creature and stay in the dark cell with her. From this experience there arose another branch of her work, that of prison visitation and after-aid for those who crept back out of prison into daily life again. .

I had intended writing fully of Sister Eva’s visit to England, but can only hint at what happened. She came to bear the famous Evan Roberta, of the VVelah Revival Movement, that was so owned and blessed of God. On the way back to London from Wales she spoke to three girls in the train, who she thought looked rather worldly. To her surprise, she found they had taken been in the Revival meetings and were even now on their way to London to conduct revival meetings in a Welsh chapel there. She resolved to go and hear them. She did, and, though most of the service was in the Welsh language, she was conscious of the mighty working power of the Spirit. She wrote a letter depicting her experience at this meeting, and said that it began a new chapter in her life-story. Later, she went to Keswick and attended the wonderful convention in that idyllic place. Here she was led to do a strange thing—to stand up in a crowded meeting and give her ring and a silver Bible clasp as a gift j towards work among the heathen. The | meeting was moved, and the people | poured in their gifts, and then Sister j Eva learned that only that morning one j of the leaders of the China Inland Mis- | sion had been led to ask in prayer for gifts and service for missionary work. This led to a close connection between Sister Eva’s work and the C.1.M.. and finally to the establishing and maintain- , ing of a branch of missionary activity in i inland China. _ . I The whole story as told in the book is , vivid and soul-searching. I said at the beginning of my article that some books humble me to the dust. This book has done so. But it has also given me another gliinnse of our wonder-working j God. Who honours the obedient and i daring faith of H's children. [