“And, O, Flora,” said Alfred, “all about Elijah is so pretty! Don’t you remember how the ravens fed him in the wilderness? Was not that a wonderful story, father?”

“Yes, my son,” said Alfred’s papa, “it was very wonderful: and I read a story yesterday that was something like it, although it was not in the Bible.”

“Dear father,” said Alfred, “will you tell it to me?”

“Yes, if you will bring your chair beside me, and sit very still.

“There was once a good man named Pierre Merlin. He was a pious minister; and the Roman Catholics hated him, because he preached doctrines which the Bible teaches, but which they do not like.

“At one time, the Roman Catholics, in France, determined to murder all who did not belong to their church. They did murder many hundred pious persons, on a night which was called St. Bartholomew’s Eve. They would have killed good Pierre Merlin, but he jumped out of a window, and thus got away from those wicked people. It was dark, and he ran on, on, on; expecting every minute to be caught. Then he came to a hay-stack. Quite out of breath, he hid himself in this friendly place, which seemed set there to be to him what the city of refuge was to the Israelites, when they ran for their life. He thanked God for his mercy to him. He could not lie down in that narrow place, and he was very tired; yet, nestled in the hay, he slept in peace, for the Lord sustained him.

“The morning came, gray, still, and misty. The little birds began to twitter, and the poultry around awoke, and shook their wings, and smoothed their feathers, and sent out their long, loud cry of welcome to the opening day. Then golden colors painted the eastern sky; and, at last, the bright, red sun rose to spread his gracious rays over the awakening earth.

“Pierre Merlin gladly, yet sorrowfully, looked at the sun. Since it had last risen many of God’s dear saints had been cruelly murdered. Some of his own friends were among the number. This thought made him weep.

“Do you think, my dear children, that Merlin wished any evil to those people who had been so cruel to him, and to his friends? No, for he was a Christian. Like Jesus, he said, ‘Father, forgive them! They know not what they do.’

“I said that gladly, as well as sorrowfully, this good minister looked at the sun. Though he was sorry for the wickedness of his enemies, and for the death of his friends, he was yet glad that his life was saved. He thought that he might yet preach the gospel of Christ.

“He knew that his enemies were all around, looking for him; for he had heard his name mentioned by them with loud curses. He dared not venture from his hiding-place; although, as the morning advanced, he became faint and hungry. He thought he should perish with hunger if he remained there many days. But he continued praying to God, and did not fail to put his trust in him.

“After he had prayed, he felt something moving near him. Merlin’s heart beat very quickly. What could it be? Was it a hand thrust in among the hay, to feel if he was there? He lay very still. Still the motion continued. Directly he heard a sound: it was the voice of a hen that said, ‘Cack, cack, cack!’ very joyfully, because she had just laid an egg.

“Then the hen went away; and Merlin put out his hand, and took the egg which she had left, and ate it for his breakfast. O, he did not want egg-glass or spoon, or even salt, to make that egg taste deliciously! He felt stronger for eating it. ‘But what shall I do to-morrow?’ said he to himself. Then came this text to Merlin’s mind: ‘Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?’ Matt. vi, 26.

“So he determined to trust in God for the morrow; in the gracious Father who feeds the little birds that cannot do anything toward making food grow for themselves.

“God did not forget his child. He saw Merlin in the hay-stack just as plainly as he saw Elijah in the wilderness.

“The second day came; and the old hen came too, laid her egg in the hay-stack, and walked off. Merlin thus got his breakfast on the second day. It was not much, but it gave him some strength.

“The third day his good old friend again paid him a visit. O, how very anxiously he had watched for her that morning! How afraid he was that she would not come! Faint and hungry as he had become, it tasted even more deliciously than the two former ones.

“On the third day all was still around him. He made a little hole in the straw, and peeped out. He saw nobody. Night came on, and Merlin left his hiding-place, praying to God every minute, as he walked along.

“What is that he sees in the distance? It is one of the cruel soldiers, with his gun! But he must go on. He fears to turn back. As he comes nearer he finds it is only a small tree, with a very long arm, which had frightened him.

“Onward he goes, stumbling in the darkness, and very weary. The morning comes. What is that before him? A river, gleaming, like molten silver, in the early light. And, O joyful sight! a vessel, bearing English colors, just setting sail. Merlin makes a signal. A boat is let down from the vessel. He is taken in it, and escapes safely to England to tell the story of his wonderful preservation.”