F or B o y s & G ir ls Ed ited b y Martha S. H o o k e r
N ettie ‘S'UcfAt Çecvet B y FRANCES NOBLE P H A IR
I h a d a strange dream last night,” said Teacher Pak to his wife as he sat down beside her on the bare ground outside the poor shack they called “ home” . She was busy cooking their scant breakfast over the charcoal in the small iron kettle that she used for a stove. He lowered his voice. Although it was early morning and no neighbors were around, one could not be sure who might be listening. “ I dreamed that our honorable missionary’s wife was calling to me from America,” he whispered. “ She said, ‘Go down to my husband who has returned to South Korea.* He needs you. Go at once or your life will be in danger.’ ” His wife, Unhey (Grace), nodded gravely and said, “Yes, that was strange.” She then called the older children to eat their breakfast of rice and soup while she cared for the baby. “Wake, wake!” Her husband’s loud whisper made Mother Unhey awaken out of a sound sleep. It was still dark, but1 the morning star was shining through the whole in the wall. “ I’ve dreamed it again!” Her husband’s voice was hoarse with excitement. “Honorable missionary has called me to go at once! It must be a warning from God. We must leave at once, but not together, for we would be caught. I go with our son and Meung Ok (Bright Jewel). I leave our older daughter with you to help with the baby. You come tomorrow. We meet in the town where the railroads end.” As quietly as possible, without mak ing a light, Teacher Pak, with his son and his six-year-old daughter, Bright Jewel, vvalked out of their home. Each carried a little bundle. The little girl stumbled and sobbed as she clung to her father’s hand as they walked along. The little one had learned to cry quietly. The ride on the train seemed long. They were packed in tightly with other Koreans who were also trying to act as if all were well. But Teacher Pak wondered if some of them were also running away from all that had been dear to them. Each heart ached with the question—would they ever meet their loved ones again? Many
families never did find each other again. Heat, weariness, hunger — every thing was forgotten the next day when the train brought mother, big sister, and the baby to the town where the railroads end, and the Pak family was muted again. But they were not to be together long. The people fleeing to safety had to meet in a lonely farm house some where near the southern border of North Korea. There a man, a secret expert in guiding refugees across the enemy border, was hired to take them across the river into South Korea. Now they were under his command. His word was law! He was risking his own life to do this. Chills of fear came over Bright Jewel, for he had ordered her father to trust her to the care of a strange woman while they were crossing the river. The band of fleeing refugees waited until the dark of the moon. Then two or three of them at a time slipped into the darkness and found their way to the river’s edge where boats were waiting to take them to the farther shore. They dared not wait to get each member of the family in a group, but they hurried on to the next town. Suddenly someone asked, “Where is the woman with little Bright Jewel?” With saddened hearts, the Pak fam ily dared not wait for their little daughter, but they had to start their long, painful walk to the great city of Seoul in South Korea. Hoping, longing, praying that their little girl might somehow reach safety, they trudged on. Remembering his dream and feel ing that it was God’s command to him, Teacher Pak traveled on farther south to find his missionary friend. He left his little family in a poor hut in Seoul, for if there were any news of lost Bright Jewel, it would be re ported-in Seoul. It was now late fall in the South Korean town and the missionary was happy that at last they were ready to open the new Bible school. “ But we do not have enough Bible teach ers for our students,” he exclaimed to his fellow missionary, “ I only wish
"Awake to righteousness and sin not, for some have not the knowledge o f God: I speak this to your shame." — 1Cor. 15 :3 4 ABOUT THE AUTHOR Frances Noble Phair, the writer o f ! >this story, was suddenly called into the 1 >presence of the Lord on July 12th o f! [ last summer. Hers was a very fruitful ! \ life both in service and devotion to the < ) Lord whom she loved. Like “ Mary" |she sat often at Jesus' feet. For many years she served as a mis- ; >sionary to the Indians, working at the J >Presbyterian School for the Indians at J >Ganada. In recent years she devoted her time j > and strength to writing the Gospels and j > Acts in simplified language for chil- |dren. This is being carried on by her < |faithful co-laborer. Miss Mary Salage < [ and her devoted husband, Mr. Edwin < ; Phair. Mrs. Phair was a great prayer war- |rior. Her home was always open t o ! I missionaries or anyone in need. She had many gifts— one of which j >was her gift for writing stories for chil- *dren and young people. Many of her j |stories have appeared in the past in the J >Junior section of the King's Business.! |These are now being prepared for pub- ; lication in tract form. For Mrs. Phair, "absent from the < ; body" meant to be "a t Home with the j ; Lord." Hers was surely an abundant ! entrance into His Presence and w e ! ! know she was greeted by His graciousi \ word, "W ell done, thou good and faith- ! ful servant."
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THE KING'S BUSINESS
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