The Climax Of The Lapidary S Skill 93
THE CLIMAX OF THE LAPIDARY
S SKILL
He himself did not strike (the analogy is general, not minute) He just allowed human nature to take its course, always under His controlling hand.
Now, when war with Japan ended, it was not wise to recall women missionaries and children immediately, but some of the men responded to a call to return first. Ma-pa was among these, and so it was that the Lisu church welcomed him. After a few months of visiting them in their villages, Ma-pa aimounced that the Mission had asked him to take a long trip, to make a survey of the whole province—in fact, to discover how many other tribes there were as yet unreached by the gospel. He invited Lu-seng to be among those who accompanied him and of course
Lu-seng was thrilled to go. The trip took seven months, but at the end of that time, Ma-ma and little Daniel were back and able to return to Lisuland with them ! Some of the Girls' Bible School students made a special trip to welcome Ma-ma home, but Mary was not among these, as she could not be spared from the farm. She wrote a loving little note and hoped that in the days ahead Ma-ma and Danny could visit Olives.
After seven months away from home, it was wonderful to have Lu-seng back! The neighbours crowded in to talk with him, and the evening chapel service was very fully attended while Lu-seng gave one of his sparkling descriptions of their wonderful tour in which they had found one hundred tribes!
Mary's eyes shone with pride, and Lu-seng-ma, sitting on the back bench, could not conceal her gratification, but exclaimed over and over "Marvellous! Marvellous!" nodding with joy to her neighbours. The only thing that could have seemed the least like a cloud on such a happy occasion was the attitude of Lu-seng's own son. During his long absence Lu-seng had become a stranger to little Paul and could not entice his boy even with two cakes of brown sugar. The two-year-old consistently refused to capitulate. He was master in that home.
If he only howled for something Grandpa or Grandma gave it to him.
In vain Mary administered gentle spankings, he soon learned he had only to cry loudly enough and the grandparents would intercede. But this person called Daddy—he looked as ifhe would be capable of real discipline, and little Paul quietly decided it
STONES OP
PIRB would be wiser not to get too friendly ! Patiently Lu-seng tried to coax, but his small son determinedly backed away.
Although she did not see Ma-ma immediately, Mary heard from her, for Ma-ma had brought back a new study, called the Bible Club Movement. Though really for children, young people could join too, she said. In this Club you studied the Scriptures together and also memorized verses for which you received awards occasionally to encourage you along. At the end of each year's work the Lisu award was a time at Bible School, all expenses paid. Quite a few of the young folk at Olives signed up for this memory course, but Ma-ma quietly noted that Mary was the only one of the married girls who did so. The others laughed and said they had no time. Mary was busy too, but she propped her Bible up against the weaving loom and as she wove she memorized. Timothy belonged to the club also but as he liked to do his mostly at night, they often listened to one another recite until Lu-seng-pa declared that this
44 babbling* ' every evening was getting to be a nuisance. But Mary was the first girl in all of Lisuland to complete the course.
Among other things she had won a hymnbook (this particular edition was expensive for a Lisu); as for Girls' Bible School expenses, she did not need to memorize as far as that; being a teacher's wife, her board was paid by the Lisu church, nevertheless she memorized it through to the end. And later when the second year's course was offered she finished that one also.
At length the time came when Ma-ma was able to pay a visit to Olives.
It was five years since she had been in their village and she saw a great change and growth. For instance, at the Welcome Arch there was added a children's choir who sang from memory in four parts, "There's a teacher at the door, let her in!" Lydia led them, and to hear small eight-year-old boys roll in their bass, "Let, Oh let her in" was amusing. Ma-ma felt rewarded for all her pains to emphasize children's work at the yearly Girls' Bible Schools. As she went down the long line shaking hands, she looked especially for her Bible girls and for Mary in particular, because she had never seen little Paul as yet. There he was tied to mother's back and pushed forward so that Ma-ma might take and shake his little hand too. Then there
THE CLIMAX OF THE LAPIDARY
S SKILL
was Martha with Apollos on her back, and Chloe with her second son, Sarah with her second little daughter on her back, and so on. It was a joyous reunion, and Ma-ma went from home to home among those who had been her girl students, but were now kept from Bible School by the responsibilities of motherhood. Each little family seemed very happy. Rachel had married
Jason and though sorrowing for the loss of their first baby, their clean little home was a shining example of what could be done with just Lisu equipment. On the door of Mary and Lu-seng's house someone had written in pencil, "Mary and Lu-seng, you have a beautiful home!" and the airy, clean, trim bamboo bungalow deserved its commendation.
Ma-ma was pleased with many observations on that visit, but a tiny incident in the evening chapel service deserves mention.
Lu-seng was leading and Mary was in her usual soprano seat on the end of the first row facing the pulpit. Ma-ma was seated among the altos so that she could see both those on the platform and those in the audience. As Lu-seng warmed up to his subject he became really eloquent and Mary's face was a picture. Her soul was stirred by his message and her love for him welled up until her countenance was transfigured. Like a beautiful little opal her face glowed with adoration, fervency and devotion until suddenly his own eye saw her. For just a second, recognition of their mutual love and their heart union in the highest matters of God and man, flashed from the one to the other joyously, then just as quickly Lu-seng looked away and Mary looked down at her lap. But Ma-ma had seen.
"... When he spake and cheered his Table round With large, divine and comfortable words
Beyond my tongue to tell thee—/ beheld From eye to eye thro' all their order flash
A momentary likeness of their King."
"Do you know the opal? ... its lovely hues and that sweet lamp of fire that ever burns at its heart, for the breath of the Lord God is in it."
Ellice Hopkins.
And in her seat Ma-ma silently rejoiced and thanked the Lord that after five years of married life the fire still burned on