Whistling Hope

By Web Ruble

This collection of stories—about confrontations with the Christian spirit that possibly could lead one to becoming spiritual or a dedicated Christian—are mostly fiction.
However, nearly all are partly true, having been taken from actual incidents that I or acquaintances experienced. Most of these yarns came to me while serving in U.S. military intelligence in Europe in the 1950s. Some stories are about Germans, some about Russians. Others are about Yugoslavs and Brits. Another is about the Middle East.
The latter—"A Different God"—is almost entirely fiction. So is "Roziana." All have been borrowed from my short-story contributions to an international Christian web page—praise-and-worship—over several years. Whether a story is fiction shouldn't make much difference because in the final divine order, it is the welcome aboard the peace train that counts.
These stories are directed especially to those who have just become Christians or who are considering doing so. They are to encourage the reader to face their bright new world. No doubt you've heard that old adage over and over—"The truth will make you free."
Moreover, these stories should be interesting to non-Christians, as well. Wife Norma and I and our Christian friends at Smith Memorial Presbyterian Church in Oregon invite you to experience the world in a new light.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Web Ruble
• Release date: May 7, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301652297

Web Ruble

Web Ruble—A former millworker and retired newspaper reporter of some 40 years, book author, and church leader—was serving in U.S. military intelligence in Europe in the 1950s and had opportunity to travel and mix with indigent societies. In doing so he stumbled upon stories similar to these uplifting, unusual yarns. After returning home to Washington state, memories persisted. They haunted him and he opted for a writing life. Eventually he retired from The Oregonian in Portland , and began pursuing a Christian life, doing volunteer work, and settling into some serious writing about yesteryear. He speaks four languages, although not fluently. Web lives with his wife Norma and son Mark, dividing his time between Fairview, Ore., and Tucson, Ariz. He was born in 1934 in Aberdeen, Wash., was a millworker, and a 1969 graduate of Washington State University. Besides Mark he has three other grown children. He and Norma are members of Smith Memorial Presbyterian Church in Fairview.

Book preview

The Smashwords Edition of

WHISTLING HOPE

Copyright © 2013 by Webster Ruble

Smashwords License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment. It may not be resold or given away. If you would like to share this ebook, please purchase an additional copy for each person with whom you want to share it. If you're reading this ebook and did not purchase it, or if it was not purchased for your use only, please return to Smashwords and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.

* * * * *

Credits

Editing by Harvey Stanbrough

harveystanbrough.com

Formatting and Cover Design by Debora Lewis

arenapublishing.org

Cover photo courtesy of canstockphoto.com

To my wife, Norma J. Ruble, who has shown amazing patience.

Table of Contents

Foreword

The Rag Doll

The Cross

Shoals of Norway

An Unexpected Kindness

The Package

The Clipped Rose

A Delayed Thank You

Whence Comes the Colonel

Stolz’s Step

Message From Bari

Selznik’s Balm

Roziana

A Different God

About the Author

Foreword

The following stories—about confrontations with the Christian spirit that possibly could lead one to becoming spiritual or a dedicated Christian—are mostly fiction.

However, nearly all are partly true, having been taken from actual incidents that myself or acquaintances experienced. Most of these yarns came to me while serving in U.S. military intelligence in Europe in the 1950s. Some stories are about Germans, some about Russians. Others are about Yugoslavs and Brits. Another is about the Middle East.

The latter—A Different God—is almost entirely fiction. So is Roziana. All have been borrowed from my short-story contributions to an international Christian web page— www.praise-and-worship.com —over several years. Whether a story is fiction shouldn’t make much difference because in the final divine order, it is the welcome aboard the peace train that counts.

These stories are directed especially to those who have just become Christians or who are considering doing so. They are to encourage the reader to face their bright new world. No doubt you’ve heard that old adage over and over—The truth will make you free.

Moreover, these stories should be interesting to non-Christians, as well. Wife Norma and I and our Christian friends at Smith Memorial Presbyterian Church in Oregon invite you to experience the world in a new light.

Web Ruble, Fairview, Oregon

March 2013

Back to Contents

The Rag Doll

After more than 60 years, I, Hermann Schmitz, cannot think of Christmas without recalling a certain World War II scene in an Ardennes clearing near the Belgian-German frontier.

There, in that clearing had been the true spirit of Christmas.

A whistling incoming artillery round had jarred the silence and struck an already destroyed building just to the north of us. The snow had puffed like white confetti. A few seconds later it had settled all around. The soulful white silence had returned.

December 1944.

Ah yes, the moment had been grim. We German soldiers of the Third Reich had been weary and sick of the whole conflagration. I thought, Will this fruitless, worthless war ever end? Will our leaders ever realize the war is lost? Why do we go on fighting?

Christmas had been upon us. We were thinking of our once tidy villages: smoke trickling from chimneys, warm parlors, and cozy houses fronting rear sheds packed with Yule logs. We—remnants of General Hasso Von Manteuffel’s Fifth and Obergrueppenfuehrer Sepp Dietrich’s Sixth panzer armies—gathered near St. Vith in an Ardennes clearing in hopes of experiencing a bit of Christmas.

The entertainment wouldn’t be much, of course. However, we had to commend our command for even trying to bring Christmas to us war-worn-and-torn soldiers. Most hadn’t been home to native villages for at least three years. And some hadn’t experienced a whisper of a true Christmas for almost five.

We were at the edge of Germany in the Belgian border area. However, most of us were from other parts of Germany, some of which were reposing in bombed ruin. The future looked dismal. What had we to look forward to? Surely Germany would be defeated. There would be no going home to a wife and family or parents and a peaceful countryside for us emotionally and physically exhausted soldiers. This time the enemy would not be kind. After all, this was the second world conflict Germany had started in 25 years.

Enemy troops were sure to take root. They would occupy our homes, chase our women, guzzle our beer, trash our Wagner music, and eat Wienerschnitzel or whatever other food existed while we toiled and wasted away on rations in dismal slave labor. Nothing even close to comfortable relief awaited us. Moreover we were tired. There seemed no hope.

Our only proximity to hope was in Christ’s mercy. We would certainly need it. We’ve been the ones who started this whole thing—some crazy, would-be-world-conquering hurrah that then barely echoed from what seemed like a century earlier. Moreover, there had been reports of how poorly we had treated foreigners. Not good. Doom was certain.

We need to wait a minute, said surprisingly happy-appearing Colonel Karl Brandenburg in his forever-crisp uniform. He probably said it in consideration of the just exploded artillery shell.

Rumor circulated that the entertainment included a children’s choir from Coblenz.

An unbelievable treat. Children’s voices—some of us hadn’t been around any for years—most certainly would bring tears to our worn eyes, warm our almost-dead hearts, and maybe stir a tiny bit of hope in our souls.

Moments