Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1869-08-31
The Last Dollar.

ne gave IL 10 ulS Wiie vita sl8u, YET WIN
1T is our last dollar. be said. 'But the
Lord will provide.
| The Rev. James Spring was minister in the
little mountain village of Thornville. He was
poor. and his congregation poorer. Often be-
fore he had been very near his last dollar but
he had never actually got to it until to-day
80 you We been always saying" sobbed his
wife: 'but what is to become of US when thisi
| gnne. They won trust Us any more at the
! store, and your >alvary won't be due for three
| weeks, even # you get it then. Why do you
| stay here. when the people are so poor
| Il have no other place to go to; nor money
| to travel to it, if the Lord opened the way NV
| work for the present is here He feedeth the
/ young ravens; He will surely feed US.
| Il wish tad your faith, but haven't and
it won't come to me. Ohl what shall We dol"
aud she wrung her hands despairIngly. My
| poor children
| "Oace was young, and nov I am DID,"
solemnly said her husband, speaking in the
| words of the pSalmist, yet never have [ seen
/ the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging
| bread --a-..
AS if in answer TO this pious ejaculation, there
'>-ms sudden knock at the door. All the
e.. >.a minister and his wife had been talk.
ing. storm a.. -~iler quite Wet through en-
Ing the door, a tra..
tered lat from Mary
~ was coming through the for, at the
vlile, he said, land ventured to sion -
nrst n mousse saw My horse is in the sheo
10 take too great a liberty 2, 80
NOT at an, answered the master of the
house; We hav: but poor shelter. as Won
see; there Is good fire at any rate -
For lt was In the Kitchen where this converse.
: llon TOOK place Indeed this humble hDuse
rtp ~ ho
r0om drawlng-rUoni, living-room and All
lhe stranger proved to be man of educa-
ton and Intelligence, aud in conversation with
him. the minister forgot his trouble ard w.s
reminded OF his carrier aud brighter days. when
intellectual conpanionship had not been the
rare thing it was now among these hills
AT last the s,orin abated, and the stranger
arose To q" dts host ccompanied him TO the
gate. and watched him until he disappeareI ha-
hInd a turn of the road @ ~
See here, James, sand his wife, eagerly.
when he returned to the house. Il found thus
on the table near where the gentleman sat. -
1t was fifty dollar greenback, wrapned
hastily In bit OF paper. that looked AZ ifit had
been torn from pocket-b,ok, aud on The inside
of the paper was ariIten the verse of the
had overheard.
Il thought he was writing the directions he
asked tor, said the minister. He means it
for Us. Thanks b.. to the Lard Did aot saw.
my dear, he would provide p
His wife burst into tears.
G,'d forgive me p she said, Il will never
doubt again: The Lord surely sent this strane,
er to our aid 7" =.
And he will still provide replied her hus-
band. Whatever my lot may be, here or else.
where, in Him trust.
A month after letter. rare event, came to
the Rev James Spring. 1t was as follows:
Rev and dear Sir-The church at Maryv,le
has unanimously called you to its pastorate.-
The salary is fifteen hundred dollars and good
parsonage house. The letter concluded bg
saying: The writer of this first came to know
you by your hospitality to him during storm
a few weeks ago. lie overheard you. in mo-
ment OF great distress. speak with such full
faith. that ne teels you are just the person for
this charge. and on his recommendation this
call has been made Maryvle was the coun-
ty town, a rich and thriving place in a broad
and fertile valley, at the toot Of the hills. It
was a tar frter sphere of labor for man of the
minister's abilities, than the wild village in the
mountains. .......7
So young man as yet without family took
the missionary church among the hills, and the
Rev James Spring accepted the call.
But he does not forget the past, and often
when people show want of faith, tells them the
story of his Last d liar.