The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1821-1823, 1821-05-23

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in New-York, said to a young lady,
I" there are two poor women, who live
near me, that are objects of charity
Have you any thing to send them ?''-
The inquiry was enough to move be-
nevolent heart. The young lady, who
had lately entered the connubial state,
sent them, from her own stores, some
of the conveniences of life, and soon
after visited them in person. She found
two maiden females advanced in life, in
habiting small apartment in cellar.
One was afflicted with slow consump-.
ton, and the other was under the ne
cessity of devoting her time to her APP
,parently dying sister; so that neither
of them being able to earn any thing,
they were miserably destitute. The
young visitant found them in want of
all things, but confidence in God and
hope in his mercy; and, as it became
one of the followers of the benevolent
Jesus, took efectual measures to pro-
vide for the necessities of the afflicted
sisters.
In one of her visits to this abode of
misery, the young lady learned that the
persons whom she relieved by her
bounty, had once the pleasure of adj
ministering relief to the necessitous.-
Once they were rich-once they visited
the poor, fed the hungry, and supported
the sick-but in the late revolutionary
war, between this country and Great
Britain, they lost their father--lost
their property in the general disorder
of the times; and they, when young
ladies with their mother, were compell-
ed to keep clearinghouse for their
own subsistence. Some of their board
ers were soldiers-and one of them, a
young man from Connecticut, who, in
the hard times which our fathers saw,
with his soldiers pay never paid, was
unable to discharge even the bill for his
board.
When thus poor, he was taken sick {;
and for five or six weeks, these reduced
young ladies attended upon him gratui-
tously, with all the kindness which he
might have expected from the daugh-
ters of his mother. They " cast their
bread upon the waters"
But who was this soldier? Who was
this young person that was providential-
ly sent to relieve those who had for
merly relieved others ?
1t is not expedient to give Names
The soldier having fought all the bat
ties to which he was appointed, has laid
aside his armour, and now sleeps in
Jesus. A son of the soldier is still a.
live and the young lady is his bosom
companion: yea, it was the good pleas
ure of God. that the wife of the son of
the sick soldier, should comfort those
who comforted him. The aged females
have been assisted as manv months, as
they assisted the soldier weeks. After
many DAYS, the bread which they cast
upon the waters, is returned to them.
They had pity on the poor-and now
the Lord, according to his gracious
obligations, is pleased to pay themy with
interest.
Reader, Go thou and do likewise
Then, should you be sick and brought
to piece of bread, may the son of
some widow, whom you have befriended
in your more prosperous days, furnish
you with few sticks to warm your
blasted frame-with a covering for your
couch-with suitable beverage for your
parched tongue, and prevent you from
saying, "Alas | die friendless in my
native land -