Stirring Experiences: 11. Evangeline's Bible and Diary -- By Her Mother
After Evangeline had slipped away to Heaven, we picked up her beloved Bible and a pang of remorse seized us as we noticed its worn appearance. The cover was loose and the leaves were frayed. Her noble husband and devoted father both spoke up and said almost simultaneously, "I offered to get her a new one but she refused, saying she preferred this one as it was so well marked." Indeed it was so well marked that she kept it as a sort of spiritual diary. It contained her heartthrobs and ejaculations of praise or earnest prayer on various occasions of joy or sorrow, and revealed her devotional life.
Before going to Kingswood Holiness College she attended a Holiness college in ____. Here she bore a heavy cross, viz., that of living her convictions. The students were, for the most part, worldly in their attire, and she was almost the only girl who did not bob her hair, and one of the very few who wore her dresses long. For this, she bore in patience such nicknames as "grandmother," "old maid," and "covered wagon." Coming home one day, she exclaimed, "Papa, I'm about the only girl in our school who does not have her hair bobbed, and they call me 'old-fashioned.'"
Putting his arms around her, he said exuberantly, "Never mind, I'm glad you're old-fashioned. I'll stand by you, my sweet girl."
After her death I turned the pages of her dear old Bible and found this passage marked, "The Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth." -- Deut. 14:2.
On a flyleaf she wrote, "Sanctified May 1, 1924. Blessed be His name
On Saturday night, November 24, 1923, she wrote in the margin, "Sad! Sorrow overwhelming The Lord gave me this verse, 'O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colors, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.'" -- Isa. 54:11.
On September 19, 1929, this promise was given her in prayer, "The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore." -- Psa. 121:7,8.
On the margin of Christ's Sermon on the Mount she wrote, "Dear Jesus, help me to live up to this."
On another margin was, "Jesus, blessed Jesus, I want Thy precious will done in my life."
She greatly loved her brother who was six years younger than she, and carried a burden for his soul until he received a deep, rich experience in grace. During one of her seasons of prayer for him she received this promise, "For sin shall not have dominion over you." -- Rom. 6:14. On the margin she wrote, "God grant this promise to Everette. 1928 -- K. H. C." She also marked, "For God is able to make him stand." -- Rom. 14:4.
She was rewarded for her concern for him for she lived to see the day when his devotional life was a great inspiration to all. They became great chums. He was taller than she and was her guardian angel when her husband was away in the service of the King. Shortly before she died she and I sat in an audience and heard Everette preach. Oh, how she loved him and rejoiced in his success! She knew God had answered her prayers for him, and exclaimed, "O Mother, wasn't that wonderful!"
Let every fond sister take courage. Get under the burden of prayer for that friend for "God is able." Hold on until the victory is won.
The following beautiful poem was found in 'her Bible.
Lord, Kelp Me To Be Kind By Haldor Lillenas
"Lord, help me to be kind to those who are unkind, Compassionate in heart to those who cannot find In me, what they have sought in vain. That I may have a love for those who love me less, A patient tenderness for those who would not bless But curse me, in their bitter pain.
"Lord, help me to be kind to those who cannot see My motives, or my plans, nor yet why I should be Just as I am and nothing more; That I may soon forget the words that seen unkind, Full knowing that Thy grace each wounded heart can bind, And love can heal it as before.
"Lord, help me to be kind along life's weary road, That I may never add more weight to some one's load, To one who bears a heavy heart. That I may never add a tear to those that fall Nor cause a heart to ache, or drink the bitter gall Because of my unthinking art.
"Lord, help me to be kind to those who pass me by Succeeding, where I fail, no matter how I try, Rejoicing in their good success; That I may cheerful be, content to follow Thee No matter what may come, if Thou wilt walk with me Through shade or sunshine or distress."
