on habits of familiar intercourse with him a pious woman a member in chapel was to a husband who though very kind to her and in many respects a moral man had no sense the rev l whatever of religion but delighted in spending the hours in beer which she spent in attendance on the preaching of the gospel it so happened that the parties through some disappointment in business had been unable to pay their rent on a particular quarter day the consequence was that a on their furniture was put into their house and a party was employed as the phrase has it to take possession after turning over every scheme in their minds which could suggest itself for themselves from the difficulties in which they were involved they were just about to resign themselves to despair when the idea occurred to the wife of the whole circumstances of the case to mr hill she accordingly proceeded to his house at once got access to him and with no small degree of tremor made a short and simple representation of the state of matters how much would you require to save your furniture and to get rid of the person in possession inquired mr hill eighteen pounds sir would be quite suffice the b� v hill for the purpose answered the poor woman with a heart m let you have the loan of twenty you can repay me at your convenience the heart of the other was too to give utterance to distinct expressions of gratitude for so great a mark of kindness on the part of her minister he was too shrewd an observer of human nature not to perceive that the broken accents and sometimes entire absence of words which her attempt to express her gratitude afforded a far better proof of that feeling being at once deep and sincere than if she had been most in words and most in the use of them send your husband to me on your return home said mr hill after the other had returned thanks in the best way her feelings would allow her send him to me presently and i will have two ten pound notes waiting him by the time he arrives i wish to give the notes to him rather than to you mrs d quitted mr hill s house and hurried home with light foot but with a still the lighter heart having communicated to her husband what had passed and her minister it is unnecessary to say that he lost no time in proceeding to the house of mr hill the latter received him with much kindness of manner and so said he you are so unfortunate as to have a person in possession we unfortunately have sir and twenty pounds will be sufficient to get rid of him and restore your furniture to you � it wiu sh well then said mr hill pointing to the table there are two ten pound notes for you which you can repay me when you are able take them the other hesitatingly advanced to the table took up the notes and was in the act of folding them up at the same time warmly thanking mr hill for the act of friendship he had done a which that the goods of a have been seized and a person put into the to see that none of them be removed by the to whom they belong the rev hill him and expressing a hope he would soon be able to pay the amount back � when the reverend gentleman suddenly exclaimed stop a little just lay the notes down again until i ask a blessing on them the other did as he was desired on which the reverend gentleman extending both his arms addressed a short prayer to the divine being to this � o lord who art the author of all mercy and the of every good and perfect gift do thou be graciously pleased to bless the small sum of money to be given to him who is now before thee that it may to his present and eternal welfare for christ s sake now sir said as he finished his brief to the throne of grace now sir you may take the money the party a second time took up the two notes and was in the act as before of folding them up when mr hill interposed by him to wait a moment adding that he had foi one thing it may be easily supposed that by this time the rev hill the individual was a good deal confused his confusion was increased a hundred fold when mr hill remarked but my friend you have not yourself asked for a blessing on the money you had better do it now sir faltered out the other scarcely able to support himself sir i cannot pray i never prayed in all my life you have the more need to begin now observed the reverend gentleman in his own cool yet manner i cannot sir i do not know what to say make the effort however short your prayer may be i cannot sir i am unable to utter a single sentence then you cannot have the money i will not lend twenty pounds to a person the other hesitated for a moment and then closing his eyes and with uplifted hands he said with great earnestness o lord what shall i say to thee and to mr hill on this occasion he was about to begin another sentence when the reverend gentleman interrupted him i the rev hill by observing that will do for a beginning it is a very excellent first prayer it is from the heart i have not uttered a more sincere or fervent petition to god for the last fifty years take the money and may god s blessing be given along with it as be spoke mr hill � 