Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1872-08-21
From the Advocate aad Guardian.
What n Flower Did.

One dav not long since. n Christian vopo,
poor in this worlds GOODS but ricb in c,;,b
unknown in the great noisy citv oImos, so 4,
the large tenement in which sbo livcd Inn
well known and beloved in the Neg Jcrpso
lem. felt desire TO do something C,r bcr d;
vine Master.
She had little to snare Il took ali tbo,
she and her husband eonld earn 10 olothe onf
feed her large family. and put something n
the plate on the sabbath She was n Nom
Der Of mission church and had pasto,
whom she regarded with love and reverence
His wife was iufrm, and confined to her roou
much Of the time. and unablo 10 moet viii
tho people Of God.
Instead Of saying, as many might have
done, How different her lot from mine
She can live in ease and leisure. while I must
toll, sick or well :" she took very different
course. This poor woman said. " How hard
/ il must be for our poor pastors wife 10 be
confined to her room so much Of the time. |
will send her a flower to cheer her loneliness
and pain" So she took some Of he hard.
earned money, and going to florist, Sc.
ected flower that could bloom in shady
window, and sent it, in a handsome pot, with.
out giving her name. 1t proved cheering
visitor TO the room of confinement and weari.
ness. Mrs. b. wondered much who had sent
her the gift She thought over the names Of
her rich friends one by one, but in vain.
by dint Of inquiry. the gift was traced 10
the right source, and Mrs. b. was much af.
fected to find that one who lacked so many
comforts that she possessed, should deny her.
self to bcstow upon her gift so refined and
acceptable.
The Ladies Union Prayer.meeting, ofwhich
Mrs. B. was member, was to be held the
next day She greatly desired to attend the
meeting, and remind some of the generous
Christian risters Of the duty of providing
literally for the Door during their summer
absence from the city. sill She besitated
feeling too I'M to mako the effort A. sbe Was
about to write the note to fell her friend that
she could not 20 TO the meetipg her eve
rested upon the flower. as il stood in tbe win.
dow. with q gentle breeze wavinc its brigbt
blossoms. 1t seemed 10 saw " Whose servant
are you9 Would He when He sat tired and
hungry on the we'll Offering the waters Of
salvation 10 nerisbing souls have boen too
tired and weak To 90 to the moetings and
plead for the poor? He pleased moi Him.
selfn
The uroing Of the unconscious flower WAS
more powerful than the pleadincs Of an in.
firm. weak body Mrs II went fo tho neet.
inc. and told the dear sisters the storv of ,be
little flower and urrod that tbov in ibe;r 20.
spective modes of administering their cbari.
ties. would provide literally for the sick in
the hot weather An article was also writ.
ten for religious daily naner reneating and
enforcing the thoughts EXPRESSED IN The
As a result various sums of money and
bundles of valuable clothing were sent N
Mrs. b. for the poor Money for ice and
other comforts for the sick. were entrusted to
her care. Many Christian sisters have
spoken of the influence the Newspaper article
had in reminding them Of halfforrotten
duty. As influences for good and evil never
die. so the work born of the Gift Of tbe sim.
pie flower still goes on. and God alone can
tell how great its work has been.
As some who have read the article. and
heard the few words timidly spoken by Mrs. |.
b., have been thus led to increase their lib. .
erality to the societies through which they
are accustomed to give, it is impossible 10
with any exaetness the good done by |
this simple act Of love to Christ and His |
servant, in the heart of a poor woman.
The story of the widow and her two
mites, written by the finger of inspiration. has
been the means, as it has come down through
the ages, of stirring Christian hearts and
ianctifying purses to a marvellous degree. II
will live till the work of salvation is done
and the last sheaf of the harvest of God
,arnered for eternity. The poor woman lit