The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1868-08-28
Special I'roridenees.

The following amusing story, from Hop'
IT'S Journal, is, perhaps, Us conclusive in
regard to especial providences" rs the ar
gumen,s generally advanced in their favor
A priest going along on Sunday on the
road, saw boy in very ragged dress sit.
ting dangling his feet IN the water Of a
brook ,hit ran by il.
wv ell, my boy" said the good father,
"what makes you sit there to-day, aud why
don't you 70 TO tho Chapel ?"
at y because I'm not just fit to be seen
there, because OF the rnggedness of my
clothes" said the boy.
"And who may your parents be, and
what are they doing, that they don't see
you be,ter clad, and going to the chapel on
Sunday'' s.
81 can't exactly say" replied the boy,
"wllat they may be doing Just now, be-
cause they have been dead some years,
and ] get along as well as ! can without
them"
"But you should not neglect going to the
chapel" SAID the priest; sand if you are
ashamed Of your clothes. why, ] would
have you get up betimes in the morning,
and step into the chapel when nobody is
there, and say your prayers, and depend
upon it, God will be dropping something IN
your way"
So the boy thanked his reverence for his
advice, and promised to follow II. Some
time after, us the priest was going the same
way. he saw the same boy, bur now very
much altered in appearance, and being very
well dressed.
"well, my boy, did you follow my
advice, and do you now 20 to the chap
elp
"Ah bless your reverence" replied the
boy, "that ! did, indeed. and wish ! had
seen you yeas before. for II was the best
day of my life when did see you"
"How was that2" asked the priest.
"Why, God bless your reverence got
up early in the morning, as you advised
me, aud went away to the chapel, and Us
did not want to be seen, slipped in quiet.
ly and got behind the door, and began to
say my prayers, and sure enough, II was
Just as your reverence said II would he
Providence was after droppin something in
my way directly. When ! first went in,
there was nobody there; but presently
there came blind man, and he put his
heat, into The chapel and said, "ls anybody
herel' aud when nobody answered, for |
would see what Providence would bo ailer
the blind man entered, and made his
way to a seat, aud began saying his puyers.
And presently another blind man came and
put in his head and said, 'ls anybody here 7
And ihe first blInd man answered and said I,
There is nobody hut me and nm blind.
And with that The second blind man en-
tered, and made his way to tho first blind
man and sat down by his side, and they be.
gan to talk. And the one blind man asked
the other how long he had been blind ?and
he said eighteen years. .r-.. ....
Eighteen years, that is long time; why,
you mus, have saved power Of money in
all that time"
'Nay." replied the irst man, not so
much rs you would think-bad has been
my luck. i'have only saved fl0, and have
il stitched into my cap, here, that nobody
may stcalit." :,
''And with that, your reverence" said
the boy, ~ saw that all your reverence had
said was the truth; and that Providence
had dropped something in my wny imme-
diately. So up and went softly to the
men, and took each his cap away out OF
hA hand, and made for the door. But oh
the two blind men, how they were nston.
ished, and they seized each other by the
throat, and one said, 10 ye thief Of the
world but ye have stolen my cop and my
money anil at IL they went like fi,ries, and
when the people came into the chapel they
found them rolling on the floor together,
and screaming that the one had robbed the
other, anil the other had robbed the one |;
but no caps nor money were there to be
seen. and then both men were more aston.
ished than ever. But was by that time
far across the fields blessing your reverence
for the true words ye had said to me, for,
true enough, Providence had dropped some
thing In my way oil at once And now
your reverence sees that dress deoently
Us any other boy Of them all, and 70 10 the
chapel every Sunday aud ollen I bless
the day that l met your reverence us 1
did"