The Woodcutter of Gutech Part 1

The Woodcutter of Gutech.

by W.H.G. Kingston.

CHAPTER ONE.

A traveller was making his way through the Black Forest in Germany. A pack was on his back, of a size which required a stout man to carry it, and a thick staff was in his hand. He had got out of his path by attempting to make a short cut, and in so doing had lost his way, and had been since wandering he knew not where. Yet he was stout of heart, as of limb, and a night spent in the depths of the forest would have concerned him but little had he not set a value upon time. "I have lost so much in my days of ignorance and folly," he kept saying, "that I must make up by vigilance what has been thus misspent. I wish that I had known better. However, I am now ready to spend all, and be spent in the work of the Good Master I serve."

The ground was uneven, his load heavy, and the weather warm. Still he trudged bravely on, consoling himself by giving forth, in rich full tones, a hymn of Hans Sachs of Nuremburg, the favourite poet of Protestant Germany in those days.

Thus he went on climbing up the steep side of the hill, out of which dark rocks and tall trees protruded in great confusion. At last he got into what looked like a path. "All right now," he said to himself; "this must lead somewhere, and I have still an hour of daylight to find my way out of the forest. When I get to the top of this hill I shall probably be better able to judge what direction to take." He trudged on as before, now and then stopping to take breath, and then once more going on bravely. At length the sound of a woodman's axe caught his ear.

"All right," said he. "I should not have allowed my heart to doubt about the matter. The Good One who has protected me hitherto will still continue to be my Guide and Friend."

He stopped to listen from which direction the sounds came. The loud crash of a falling tree enabled him better to judge, and by the light of the sinking sun, which found its way through the branches of the tall trees, he made directly towards the spot. He soon caught sight of an old man, stripped to his shirt and trousers, who with his gleaming axe was hewing the branches of the tree he had just felled. Not far off stood a young boy with a couple of donkeys, which he was beginning to load with f.a.gots, near a pile of which they stood.

"Friend woodman," said the traveller, as he got up to him, and the old man stood for a moment leaning on his axe, with an inquiring glance in his eye. "Friend woodman, I have lost my way; can you help me to find it?"

"Not to-night, friend traveller," answered the woodman. "If I was to attempt to put you on your way, you would lose it again in five minutes.

This is no easy country for a man ignorant of it to pa.s.s through without a guide, and neither I nor little Karl there have time just now to accompany you. But you look like an honest man, and if you will come with me to my cottage, I will help you as far as I can to-morrow morning."

"Thank you," said the traveller. "I accept your offer."

"Well then, I have just made my last stroke," said the old man, lifting up his axe. "We will load our a.s.ses and be off. We have some way to go, as I live farther up the valley of Gutech, and even I prefer daylight to darkness for travelling these wild paths. If you had not found me I cannot say when you would have got out of the forest."

Without further waste of words, the old man and young Karl set to work to load the a.s.ses, strapping on the huge f.a.gots with thongs of leather, while the patient animals, putting out their fore-legs, quietly endured all the tugs and pulls to which they were subjected.

"That pack of yours seems heavy, friend traveller," said the old man, glancing at his companion; "let me carry it for you."

"No, no! Thanks to you," answered the traveller. "I am strong and hearty. I would not put that on your shoulders which I feel burdensome to my own."

"Then let us put it on the back of one of the a.s.ses," said the woodcutter; "it will make but little difference to our long-eared friend."

"A merciful man is merciful to his beast," said the traveller. "The poor brutes seem already somewhat overloaded, and I should be unwilling to add to their pain for the sake of relieving myself."

"Then let Karl, there, carry it; he is st.u.r.dy, and can bear it some little way, at all events," said the old man.

"I would not place on young shoulders what I find tire a well-knit pair," said the traveller, glancing at young Karl. "But perhaps he may like to get some of the contents of my pack inside his head," he added.

"Down his mouth, I suppose you mean," said the old man, laughing. "Is it food or liquor you carry in your pack?"

"No, indeed, friend," answered the traveller. "Yet it is food, of a sort food for the mind, and better still, food for the soul. Is your soul ever hungry, friend?"

"I know not what you mean," answered the old man. "I have a soul, I know, for the priest tells me so; and so have my relatives who have gone before me, as I know to my cost; for they make me pay pretty roundly to get their souls out of purgatory. I hope Karl there will in his turn pay for mine when I die."

"Ah, friend, yes, I see how it is," said the traveller. "Your soul wants a different sort of nourishment from what it ever has had. I have great hopes that the contents of my pack will afford it that nourishment."

The traveller was walking on all this time with the old man and Karl, behind the a.s.ses. Karl kept looking up in the former's face with an inquiring glance, the expression of his countenance varying as the traveller continued his remarks.

"I will not keep you in suspense any longer," said the traveller. "My pack contains copies of that most precious book which has lately been translated into our mother tongue by Dr Martin Luther, and from which alone we have any authority for the Christian faith we profess. I have besides several works by the same learned author, as also works by other writers."

"I wish that I could read them," said the old man, with a sigh; "but if I had the power I have not the time, and my eyes are somewhat dim by lamplight. Karl there was taught to read last winter by a young man who was stopping at my cottage, and whom I took in, having found him with a broken leg in the forest."

"Oh, grandfather, why he taught you also to read almost as well as I do!" said Karl. "All you have been wishing for has been a book in big print, and perhaps if the merchant has one he will sell it to you."

"We will examine the contents of my pack when we get to your cottage, my friend, and I daresay something will be found to suit you," observed the traveller. "If you have made a beginning, you will soon be able to read these books, and I am sure when once you have begun you will be eager to go on."

CHAPTER TWO.

The gloom of evening was settling down over the wild scene of mountain, forest, rock, and stream, when the traveller reached the woodman's hut.

"You are welcome, friend, under the roof of Nicholas Moretz," said the old man, as he ushered his guest into his cottage.

Karl mean time unloading the a.s.ses, placed the f.a.gots on a pile raised on one side of the hut.

"Here you can rest for the night, and to-morrow morning, when we proceed into the town to dispose of our f.a.gots, you can accompany us without risk of losing your way," the woodcutter observed, pushing open the door.

As he did so, a young girl ran out to meet him, and throwing her arms round his neck, received a kiss on her fair brow. She drew back with a bashful look when she saw the stranger.

"Sweet one, you must get another bowl and platter for our guest," said the old man. "As he has travelled far with a heavy load on his back, he will do justice to your cookery, Mistress Meta. She and the boy, my grandson," he added, turning to the traveller, "are my joy and comfort in life, now that my poor daughter has been taken from me."

The traveller unstrapped his heavy pack from his shoulders, and placed it on a bench by the side of the wall; after which Meta brought him a bowl of fresh water and a towel, that he might wash his hands and face, which they not a little required. While he was performing this operation she placed the supper which she had prepared upon the table, which, if somewhat coa.r.s.e, was abundant.

By this time Karl came in, and the whole party took their seats on stools round the table. "Let us bless G.o.d for the good things He bestows on us, and above all for the spiritual blessings He has so mercifully prepared for us," said the traveller.

"I suppose you are a priest," said Moretz, when the stranger had concluded. "I thank you for the prayer you have offered up for us."

"No, my friend, I am no priest," answered the traveller. "My name is Gottlieb Spena. I am a humble man with a small amount of learning; but I am able to read G.o.d's blessed word, and that is my delight every day I live. My wish is to serve Him, and I feel sure I can best do so by carrying this pack of books about the country, and disposing of them to those who desire to buy."

"This is a new thing, surely," observed Moretz. "I should like after supper to see some of these wonderful books you speak of, and to hear you read from the one you call 'G.o.d's word;' and if I find the price is not too great, perhaps I may purchase one for Meta and Karl."

The young girl's eyes sparkled as her grandfather spoke. "Oh, I should like to have that book!" she exclaimed. "I have heard of it, though I knew not that it was to be sold, or that people were allowed to read it.

I thought it was only for the priests to read."

"Blessed be G.o.d, for us unlearned ones who cannot understand the language in which it is written, it has been translated into our native tongue; and G.o.d has sent it as His message of love to all human beings, young and old, rich and poor. It is so easy, that he who runs may read.

The youngest child may understand the message it gives, while it is equally suited to the wisest philosopher, and to the most powerful king on his throne."

The young people hurried through their suppers while their guest was speaking, so eager were they to see the package opened. In those days thousands and tens of thousands of people in so-called Christian lands had never seen a Bible, though the translation made by Dr Martin Luther was being spread in every direction throughout the length and breadth of Germany by men like Gottlieb Spena, who carried packs filled with the sacred volume on their shoulders. They did the same afterwards in France, where the name of colporteurs [see Note] was in consequence given to them.

Meta waited anxiously till her grandfather and their guest had finished their suppers, and then as rapidly as possible cleared away the bowls and platters which they had used. The book-hawker with a smile observed her anxiety, and placing his pack on the table, opened it, and exhibited to the admiring eyes of the spectators a number of volumes. "This," he said, taking out one, "is the Old Testament, or G.o.d's first message to man; and this is the New Testament, His last message, in which He shows Himself to us as a G.o.d of love, mercy, and pity, though by no means less a G.o.d of justice than He does in the Old Testament. But here He shows us clearly how His justice can be amply satisfied, without the sinner being punished as he deserves; how our sins may be blotted out by the One great Sacrifice offered up. Do you understand me, my friends? The sacrifice has been offered up, the debt has been paid, the obedience has been fulfilled by Jesus Christ, who came on earth and took upon Himself the body and nature of man, sin excepted. He was obedient in all things--first by G.o.d's wish coming on earth, and then dutiful and loving to His parents, merciful and forgiving to those who persecuted Him, ever going about and healing their infirmities, and teaching them the way of salvation. The good Saviour allowed Himself to be hung upon the cross; His hands and feet and sides were pierced; His blood was poured out for us,--ay, for us,--for you and me,--for the vilest of sinners. All this was done by the Just One for the unjust. G.o.d tells us to believe in Jesus, and that through believing we are saved,--in other words, that we should take hold of it by faith, and thus accomplish what that loving G.o.d, through the Holy Spirit, said: 'The just shall live by faith.'"

The young people drew in their breath, and gazed steadfastly at the speaker. To hear of sin and the cross was not new to them, for they had been at churches sometimes at holy days; but it was all a mummery and spectacle, with which the priests alone seemed to have to do. The truths now uttered were a.s.suredly gaining some entrance into their minds.

"I do not understand quite what you say, friend Spena," said the old man; "but surely G.o.d does not intend to give us the blessings of heaven without our doing anything to merit it? He intends us to labour, and toil, and pay the priests, and perform penances, and go to ma.s.s, and make confession of our sins to the priests, before He could think of letting us into that blessed place."

"I once thought as you do," answered the book-hawker. "When I read G.o.d's word, I learned to think very differently."

As he spoke he opened the Testament. "Listen. The Holy Spirit says through the book, 'G.o.d so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' Here He says nothing about penances, or doing anything of that sort. Listen again: A ruler of the Jews, a learned man, paid a visit once to Jesus, to ask Him about the way of salvation, and His answer was, 'Ye must be born again.' He does not say you must do anything, or you must try to mend your ways, or you must alter your mode of living, you must go to confession, or pay for ma.s.ses, or anything of that sort. The ruler could not at first at all understand the answer. Our blessed Lord then explained it in these words: 'As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.' Now in the Old Testament we read of a circ.u.mstance which happened when the Israelites were travelling through the desert, on their way out of the bondage of Egypt to the land of promise. They were there bitten by fiery serpents, whose bite caused certain death.