Delaware weekly Republican. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1841-188?, 1857-06-04

Goiey's Ldig's 6ook,
--------'
so MANY CALLS.
II was brisk, clear cold evening in the lat
ter part Of December, when Mr.. Arnold re-
turned from his counting house to the comforts
of bright coal fire and warm arm chair, in his
parlor at home. lie changed his heavy boots
| Tor slippers, drew around him the folds of his
evcning-gown and then, lOunging back in the
chair, looked up to the ceiling, and about, with
an air of satisfaction. Still there was cloud
| on his brow, What could the matter he with
Mr.. Arnold : To tell the truth, he had that af-
ternoon received at his counting-room the agent
OF ono the principal religious charities Of the
day, and had been warmly urged to double his
| last years subscription and the urging had
been pressed by statements and arguments, to
which he did not know well how to reply
People Think" soliioquiZcd he to himself,
| that am made of money, believe. This is the
| fourth object this year for which have been
requested to double my subscription and this
year has been one of heavy iuAily expenses
building and fitting up this house, carpets,
curtans-nO end to the new things to be
bought. i really do not sec how | am to
give cent more in charity. Then there are
the bills for the girls and boys; they all say
they must have twice as much now as before
we came to this house. Wonder il did right
in building it ?'' And Mr.. Arnold glanced up
and down the ceiling and around on the costly
| furniture, and looked TO the fire in silence
lie was tired, harrassGd, and drowsy; his head
began to swim, and his eyes closed he was
| asleep. In his sleep, he thought he heard q
tap at the door. He opened it, and there stood
plain, poor-loolSing man, who, in voice sin
| gulnrly low and sweet, asked for few moments
conversation with him. Mr.Arnold asked him
into the parlor, and drew him chair near the
| fire. The stranger looked attentivey around,
] and 10 Mr.
with paper. sit is your last years subscrip
| ton to misSions,o said he. "You know all
7, OF the wnpts of that cause that GAN he told to
you. called to SEQ ifyou hadianything mort
| to add to it,
This was said in the same low and quiet
voice as before but, for some reason, unac-
| countablo to himself MIR. Arnold was more
embarrassed by the plain, poor, nnprctcnding
man than he had ever been in the presence of
any ouc. 1t was somo time before he could
reply at all and then, in Il hurried and cm-
barrassed manner, he began the same excuse
which had appeared so satisfactory to him
the afternoon heiore-the hardness of the
times, the difficulty of collecting money, &c.
The stranger quietly surveyed the spacious
apartment, with its many elegances and luXur-
les, and, without any comment, took from
the merchant the paper he had given him
but Immediately presented him with another.
&c This is your subscription to tho Tract So
y
know how much it has been doing, and how
much more it desires to do, if Christians
would only furnish the means. Do you not |
feel called upon to add something to it 70
Mr.. Arnold was very uneasy under this ap-
peal but there was something in the mild
manner OF the stranger that restrained him
but he answered that, although he regretted it |
exceedingly, his circumstances were such that |
he could not, this year, conveniently add to
any Of his charities.
The stranger received back the paper with
out any reply, but Immediately presented in
its place the subscription to the Bible Society, |
and in few clear, forcblc words, reminded
him Of its well-known claims, and again re-
qncsted him to add something to his donations.
MIR. Arnold became impatient.
Z" Have not said, he replied, % that can
do nothing more for any charity than did last
year! There seems to be no end to the calls
upon us in these days.
Tho stranger took back the paper, rose and
fixing his eye on his companion, said in voice
that thrilled through his soul
como year ago tonight, yon thought
yonr daughter lay dying you could not sleep
Tor agony. Upon whom did you call that
night 2''
Tho merchant started and looked up. There
seemed change to have passed over the
whole form of the visitor, whose eye was fixed
upon him with a calm, intense, penetrating
drew back, covered his face, and made no
reply.
"Fivo years ago. said the stranger, &c when
you lay at the brink of the grave, and thought
that it you died then, you should leave fam
lily Of helpless children entirely unprovided
for. Do you remember how you prayed p
Who saved you tLen 2"
The stranger paused for an answer, but there
was dead silence. The merchant bent for
ward as one entirely overcome, and rested his
head on the seat before him.
The stranger drew yet nearer, and said in a
still lower and more impressive tone
60 DO you remember, fifteen years since, that
time when you felt yourself so lost, so help
less, so hopeless when you spent days and
nights in prayer when you thought yon would
give the whole world for one hours assurance
that your sins We're forgiven yon Who lis
tened TO yOu then l'
" It was my God and Saviour y said the
merchant, with II sudden burst of remorseiul
feeling. g Oh yes, it was he !"
g Aud has he ever complained Of being
called on too often ~ inquired the stranger,
in q voice Of rcproacliul sweetness. Z" Say"
hc added, "arc You willing tp begin this night
and ask no more Of him, il he from this night
will ask no more of you ~
"Dh, never, never !" said the merchant,
throwing himself at his feet but as he spalIc
these words, the figure seemed to vanish, and
he awoke with his whole soul stirred within
him.
go my Saviour, what have [ been saying
what have been doing ~ he exclaimed.
&c Take all, take every thing What is all
that have, to what thou hast done for me!"
j. S. Jenkins, U. s. consul at the Naviga-
tor Islands, has been arrested in Washington
and thrown into Jail, to await II requisition
from the Governor of New York, on charge Of
piracy in forcib!y seiaing and selling at
Apia, the valuable cargo Of the ship Endor
res.
The Mormon Elder, Pratt, has been killed near
| Van Buron, Ark, by man whose wife he in
duced to desert her husband and to go with
| him to Utah.
| Phipps x Dudley's carriage factory at Charles
| town Mass, has been destroyed by fire. Loss
J $40 600.