The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1858-07-29


regions of New Hampshire, when poor wo-
man, who lived in !, hut by the woods, had no
bread for her little family. She was sick, and
without either friends or money. There was
no helper but God, and she betook herself to
prayer, She prayed long, she prayed in earn
est for she believed that He who fed the young
ravens would feed her.
On rising from. her knees one morning, her
little barefooted girl opened the door 10 go out.
Something shining on the sill stopped her.
The child stopped down, and behold, silver
dollar! She ran and took it to her mother.
It really was new, round bright silver dollar.
They looked up and down the road not liy-
ing person was in sight, and neither footsteps
or wsgon-wheels were to be heard.
Where did the dollar come from? Did God
send it? Doubtless it was from his hand but
how did it get there Did train DOWN. No
Did he throw il from the windows Of heaven
MOI Did an, angel fetch it? No. God ha.
always the means for answering prayer with
out sending special messengers. He touche.
some little spring in the great machinery of hi.
providence, without the least disturbing its
regularity, and help comes. Sometimes we
do moi exsctly see how, as this poor woman
did then 1t seems to come more directly from
him; while in fact our all bei.g taIses care q,
ever since we were born comes just, as direct
Iy from him, only he employs 80 many people
to do it-fathers, mothers, servants, shop
keepers-that we are apt to lose sight of hin,
and fix cur eyes only on them. 1cv5q 5 .ee,sg
But how did the silver dollar get on the door
SLIP some boy may ask. 1t happened that a
piousyoung blacksmith was going down 10 the
seaboard in ques, of business. It was several
miles before he could take the stage coach, SO
instead Of going in the wagon which carried
his chest, he said that he would walk. s.Come
ride,n they said "it will be hot and dusty p
He kept answering, emo" to all his friends
urged. "I'll walk, and take short cut thro
the pines. and off he started with stout walk
ing stick. As be was jogging on through a
piece Of woods, he heard voice from little
lonely hut by the roadside. 1t drew his, no.
tice, and he stepped towards it on tip-toe
then he stopped and listened, and found it was
the voice of prayer, and he gathered from the
prayer that she who offered it was poor, .ick
and friend less. aess ss gs,se5. .as, aa
"What can do to help this poor woman? ?'
thought heyoung man. He didnot likertog &c
into the hut. He elapped his hand into his
pocket and drew out dollar, the first silver
dollar he ever had |; and a dollar was big sam
for him to give, for he was not as rich then as
he is now. But no matter; he felt that the
poor woman mast have it. The dollar being
silver, and likely. to attract notice, as soon as
the door was opened, he concluded to lay il
on the sill and 90 away, but not far; for he
hid behind a large rock near the house, to
watch what became of it. Soon he had ths
satisfaction Of seeing the little glrl come out
and seize the prize, when he went on his way
rejoicing. The silver dollar came into the
young mans hand for this psry purpose, TO,
yoasee apaper dollar might have blown away;
and he was led to malls instead of rids--,Dhy,
he did not exactly know; bat God, who direct
ed his steps, did know. So God plans, and we
are the instruments to carry on his plans OF
ten times we seem to be about our own bnsi-
ness when we are about his, answering, it may
be, the prayers Of his people. 10 IS oa a,l
The young blacksmith is now in middle life.
He has been greatly prospered, and has given
away his hundreds sine then bat perhaps te
never enjoyed giving more than when he gave
his first silver dollar. r.-CAild's Paper. 1,