The hours went by, the passers-by also. The little stove continued to rumble and Martin, in his chair, still watched the street. The Master did not appear. He had seen a young priest pass by with blond hair and blue eyes, just like Christ is depicted in the portraits in the church. However, while passing … Continue reading Papa Martin, conclusion
Christmas stories
Papa Martin and the young woman
[Part 3 of Ruben Saillens' le Père Martin, translated from French.] A few homeward bound revellers passed by, but the old shoemaker barely glanced at them. The marketplace vendors came with their small carts. He knew them too well to pay much attention to them. After an hour or two, his attention was drawn to … Continue reading Papa Martin and the young woman
Papa Martin and the street sweeper
[Installment two of a Christmas tale by Ruben Saillens. Original title: le Père Martin. Translated from French.] Long before daylight the little lamp of the shoemaker was lit. He put more coal into his stove, where the fire had not yet gone out and busied himself preparing his coffee. Then he hurried to make his … Continue reading Papa Martin and the street sweeper
Papa Martin
[First instalment of a Christmas story by Ruben Saillens, original title Le Père Martin, translated from French.] You don’t know Papa Martin? He is only a shoemaker whose workshop, living room, bedroom and kitchen are all together in a little wooden building at the corner of Place de Lenche and rue des Martégales in the … Continue reading Papa Martin
Ruben Saillens vs Leon Tolstoy
Ruben Saillens (1855-1942) was a well-known French Baptist pastor, writer and musician. My next few posts will consist of my translation of a story written by him that was first published in France about 130 years ago. Unknown to the writer, someone translated it into English. The English version, with no name attached, then found … Continue reading Ruben Saillens vs Leon Tolstoy
We need better Christmas stories
No, I don’t mean we should try to improve upon the stories in the Bible. They are wonderful as they are, and true. The problem I have is with the Christmas stories for children, and adults, that take some elements of the Bible stories, add lots of imagination and wind up sounding like fairy tales. … Continue reading We need better Christmas stories
Flatlander Faith 