Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1873-04-04
PRAYER AND POTATOES.

1 Z VI ~
i Hf askrnlher Or sister be nakt.d, and desti
tute of daily fotsi. aid onesof you say. INT
| them, depart III peace. be ye warmed ali,
filed; witiisf;n,ding ye give them no
those things which are needful for TIL
body; what doth 1t profit? JAMES D: Ii, ,16.
| An old lady sat IN her old IL IN chair,
With wripklcd ylsage and dIshcreled hair,
| Analhnnger-worn features; 4s5
| For days and for weeks her only fare,
As she sat there In her old arm chair
Had been potatoes.
But now they were gone; ,f bad o.. good
Fot one wasfelf for tho old lrtv,ss sod,
| sas or thoTe potatoes; s@
Aud she esighe.l, and said, 9. -....s1nssll ,los
Where shah send and 10 whom shall go 4s3
For more potatoes2 lta 5@
And she thought of the deacon orat thc way,
The deacon 30 ready TO worship iia pray,
a Whose cellar was full of potatoes a
And she said: 81 will send for the deacon 10 come
He II not mind much to give me some
Of such a store Of potatoes. =
And the deacon came over as fast as he could
Thinking to do the old lady some good,
But never, for once, Of potatoes.
He asked her at once what was her chief want,
And She. poor soul expecting grant,
Immediately answered, stpotatoes.'.
Blu! the dcacon's religion d.dn't lie that way;
lie was more accustomed to preach and TO pray
Than to give OF his boarded potatoes:
So, hearing, of course what the old lady said
He rose to pray, with uncovered head;
But she only Thought of Eotutoes
lie prayed for patience, and wisdom, and grace;
But when he prayed, 'fLord give her peace,
She audiby sighed, .'gise potatoes;"
And at the end of each prayer which he said,
lie heard, Or thought that he heard, in its stead,
That same request for potatoes. -
The deacon was troubled; knew not what to do;
Twas very embarrassing to. have her act so
1s About .sthose cafiial potatoes. 9 .#55 7st55
So, ending his prayer, he started for home. u
But, as the door closed, he heard deep gioan,
30. gipsto the hungry potdtoesi'
And that groan followed him all the way home
In the midst fthe night it haunted his room
. o, 6fpt to the hungry potatoesn.'
he could bear It no longer; arose and dressed;
From his well filled cellar taking I'M haste
Ariias Of his best petatoes.
again he went to the wild WIS lone hut;
Her sieepless eyes had not yet shut;
But there she SAT-, in that old arm chair,
With the same wan features, the same sad air,
And. entering in, he poured on the floor 5b
a bnshel or more from his goodly store,
Of choice Potatoes. - s--- u
The widows heart Ieaped up for joy,
Her lace was haggard and wan NO more.
:. Now, = said the deacon, s'shall we pray?''
'sYes,'' said the widow ''no,c, yon mass''s
And he kneelcd him down on the sanded floor,
Where lie had poured his goodly. store,
And such prayer the deacon prayed
AZ never before his lips essayed; lls
No longer embarrassed, b t free and full,
be poured out the voice of s. liberal soul, s
And the widow responded, aloud, taIaen!'
But said no more Of potatoes.
i. - ]. 81 81 fFs. ss9s
And would you, who hear this simple tale,
Pray for The poor, and i,raying, 'pyerail,''
Then preface your prayer with aims ilgood deeds;
Search cut the poor, their wants, IN their needs;
Pray Tor peace, and grace; and spiritual food a.
For wisdom, and guidance, for all these are good
Bnt don't forget the, ,petatoes. ss