Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-03-14
nj N n.
An Orthodox Anrcdo,e not without Beauty.
Toyater and The Poor Widow

ENAIN uNNNNAhA
and select from them one particular passage
n, treopcnt meditation during the day One
u,cTninr. after tta1ing the fifth and sixth
CHAPTERS of the Gospel Of st Mathew, he ex.
claimed What a treasure Of morality
How difficult to make choice OF any p4rtie-
ular poIu non Of tt After q few moments
cor sidetatiou. lie threw himself upon his
knees ard PRAYED for divine guidance.
When he ioiued his wife, at diuner, she
asked HIM what passsge of Scripture he had
chosen fer the dsy.
Civ 10 him That asketh of thee; and from
him ,hst would borrow of thee, turn not
thou a away vss tbe reply.
"And bow is this TO be understoodP said
his wife.
.'Glv, TO them that asketh of thee, and
fr, NJ thu mthat wOuld borrow of thee turn not
ibGu away" art the words of him TO whom
q and ,very ihipg belongs that possess,
rsioiBed, Layaier 81 am the steward, not
the proprietor. The proprietor desires me
t. give 20 him who asks of me, and not tn
refuse 10 give 10 him that would borrow of
ne or. 10 other words If ! bad two coats, |
mLtt give one u him that has none and if
bave TODD, | must share with him who is
sp hub.tud and in want This ] must do
without being asked How much more then
vhru asced2
This, coutinucd Lavater in his diary, ap-
ptarfd 20 I've so evidently and incontToverti-
6y tie ut aring Of the verses in Question,
that | :, Ok with more thau usual warmth.
Nh wifi made 10 further reply, thau that she
wtnid take these things TO heart. | had
scarcely left the dirlng.TOOm a few minutes,
when 80 Sgd widow desired to speak with
ne, and she was shown into my study.
,'FOrgive ne, dear sir she said; excuse
the liberty / am about TO take. am really
ashamed; hDt my rent is due to m ROW, and
lem short Sc | have heeu confined to ms
bed with sickness and my poor chi d is
nearly arving Every penny that | could
save / lave aid aside to meet this demand,
bot Sc sre yet wanting, and 10 morrow is
term doy"
Here she opened a parcel which she held
in her baud. and sHin:
sThis 5 n no, L with a silver clasp, which
ms late husband gave me the day we were
married. Ii is all ! can spare of tbe fe arti-
cles ] possess, and sore il is to part with it.
/ SUI aware il Ia not enough, nor do | see how
| cuUi0 ever repay. Bot, dear sir, if you
can. 20 assist ne"
Il Am very sorry, my good woman, that |
can BOT b~ctICyCu," | mid. Putting my hand
iU,ony pocket ! accidentally felt my purse,
which cpntnlueO about 50 These, said [ to
myself, Cun OF eXiTcatG her from her diff
foulty- ste requires SIX; besides, even if
they could, | have need of this money for
some o,Ler purpose. Turning 10 the widow,
said, Have You 70 friend. no relative, who
cuUid give you tits 'riht2'
No; bot a SOUL | am ashamed to go
from house ~ house; | would rather work
cay arc righi. Ny excuse for being here is
that people speak so much ufyour goodness;
il, however, you can not assist me, you at
least viii pardon this intrusiOn, and God,
who has never yet torsaken ne, will not
surely turn away fron mr III my sixty SIKH
yeArl'
At this moment the door of my. apartment
opened, auu ms wife entered. / was ashamed
ab0 vexed Gi.dly would | have sent her
ewsy, for conscience whispered, Give unto
him thai sske eth Ofthce, ana from him that
would torGuw OF thee turn tbOu not away"
SIZE cane up to me and said with much
swestness-
"This IS 3 good CID woman. She has GER
taiaiy been III of iats Assist her ifyOu can"
Sh mt and compassion struggled ia my
6aIkened soul 81 have hut 81" [ said, in a
Whisper. -1and he requires Sc I'll give her
a rrrfe il the hard, and let her co.
Laying her hand On my arm, and smiling
p my fsce, nv WIFE said aloud what con-
science bad whispered before, Give TO him
that asketh OF tLte, aud FROM him that would
borrow o. thee ,ur2 thou not away"
! biushed, AID replied. with some little
vexs'i0D, Would you give your ring for the
puTPose 2
WIN pltdSuIeI dhs"sICu NY WIG pun
ing of heF ring.
The poor widow was either too simp or
too modest 10 notice what was going on, and
WBs pIepsTIug TO retire, when my wife
called her 10 wait in the lobby. When we
we're left aioLe, | asked my wife;
Are ! gu in earnest about the ring?"
Certainly. How eau you dOnOt IT, she
fsid 90 you think | would trihe with
charity? Obi ny dear friend, let us not
- n how at rho Ep-uaI Won - -,
genera, 20 kid, so =, mpa'hiz'Dg, how is it
you fud it Is difieult to assist his poor
VUnan2' Why Old you not, without hest
tstiOn, give her whatyOu had il your pocket?
And did you LOI kLOW there were Jet Sc ia
Your 0esk, sid thar tee quarter will De paid
10 us in iess ibau eight days?' She then add
60, WITH much feeling, Take no thought
for Jour lie, what !e shall eat or what ye
shall dilak, nor yet fOl your body what We
shall put en-. Behold The fowls of the air;
they SOW not, UeltoeF do they reap, nor
gather INTO harDs; and yet your Heavenly
Father ttedeth thtm.'
kissed NJ wife, while he tears ran down
my CHEEKS. Trunks, a thousand thanks,
Tor this Humiliation
turned 10 my desk and took from il Sc.
and opened the door 10 call in the poor
widow. All darkened around me at the
thought that ] bad been so f%orgetful of the
CnAnAatI NO VI NfA oc ~ b1I ~ uEIs i eau
cot belp you" Oh thou false LOngue, thou
false hturtl If the Lord should mark in
iquisitiOD, . LOld, who shalt stand?
Here Is what you need" | said, address,
ing the VidOW. At first she seemed not to
understand what | meant. add thought |
was Offering Der a small contribution, for
which she thanked me, aud pressed my
land; but when She perceived | had given
her the whole sum, she cOu d not find words
=. asvan har fEatinua CH. ,-ua
Dear sir, | can not repay it. All / pos
eess is TINS little bOuk, and il is old
Keep your book, said, "anG the money
700, and thank God, aud not me, for verify l
0esefye 20 thanks, after having SO long re-
fused your eBtrea;irs Go in peace, and for
give sp eITing bro her.
/ netuTbed TO my wife with dOWncast looks,
but she stDiled and said =
'DO rot take it so much TO heart, my
friend. You yielded at my FIRST suggestion /;
hut promise me, 30 long as | wear q gold
ring ON my finger land you know thai |
POSSESS several besides), you will never allow
yoHIseifto say 10 any poor person, Il can
Dot hep you
She X sssd me and left the apartment.
When l found myself alone, 1 sat down and
wrote this BceOuLt 10 ny diary, in order TO
humble my deeeitful heart-this heart which
no Longer than yesterday dictated these
words:
"Of al characters 10 the world, there is
none j would more anxiOnsly avoid being
than 3 bypOcrite. To preach the whole
moral Law, and fulfill only the easy part of it,
is hypocrisy. Merciful Fatherl how must ]
wait and reflect, and struggle, ere | shall be
able 70 rely on the perfect sincerity OF nay
prOfessiOnf
81 read over once more the ehaDtsr I had
read this moTning with too little benefit, and