Wilmington journal., 1875-02-19
THE STORY OF A GLASS DOOR.

aoed by incessant industry and great
frnoal,ty.. to maintain herself respect
ably. until the financial CRISIS stopped
her work and rendered useless all bel +.
efforts to find any labor whereby she |
might earn her daily bread. One by |
one she had parted with her garments
until there remained scarcely enough !
to cover her decently, and at last. III |
arrears for board, with no means OF |
payment, she had been turned INTO
the streets OF New York, homeless and |
| friendtess. All that bleak day she |
| had wandered about. Never having |
| asked for charity, she knew not Wnefr
nor how to apply. And now night had |
| allen. .Sundop night, and she had no |
place of shelter. Pinched with cold, |
| faint from hunger, foot-sore and weary, |
hons died Within her. IL absolute
desperation she resolved to put IN END
| m the life which seemed to have no
| promise of good for her, but was fuil
| OF dark threatening, like the angry
| skv overhead As she went on through
! Ia side street. gaining courage al e"cb
| step for the final plunge which w"itip.
she Thought, end ali her misery, her
attention was arrested by a bright
light shining out on the nhscufity
Mechanically moving on toward the
light she at length stood before
a church whose outer doors were
spread invitiDgly open and whose III
ner door was of sheet glass, SO clear
that tue light from wlthIn sfream"H
through without obstruction, ttooGIn5
the pavement aud shining tar INTO me
darkntss beyond The incident was 81
slight check to the mad impulse JhaF
urged her on scif-destruc5l"n HI"
!
she was so cold IDvoinrtariiy she
steup..d INTO the vestibu!e and drew
near K, the crystal door through which
she could see thrOngs 0f uen a;4d
women who were listening 10 voice
i whose tones reached ber ear, bn,
whose words had TO meaning for her
dulled brain But the voice was enrn-
est anu kind it's tender mOCulatlonS
soothed her; irrrsistibly attracted size
slipped noiselessiy III and dropped into
g seat i'll remote corner. Fora" hltc
her great wretchedness prevented any
comprehension of what the preacHt
was SWING, but his voice still soOthed
her. and gradually the tension Of Bit
ter feeling relaxed and size listened.
The preacher told OF the woudruuS
love which led the Msjestic Son of
God to leave the brightness and glory
OF the Fathers House and dwell among
men. She heard how the Divine One
suffered from cold and hunger. how
: He was forsaken of friends, and had
not where to lay His head. How He
went about doing good, aud worn
with travel torgetful of the wants
of His own humanity. stood, with
. arms outstretched to the toljing men
and women who gathered about Him,
y fy1lI Nf tpr1I ar
T pathizing love, "Come unto me all ye
! that are weary and heavy Ia
, den. and I will give you rest -
, Then the preacher went on to tell
of the rest that remains for the people
of God; he dwelt in tones of raptnrOus
faith on the mansions III the Father =
4 House which the dear Saviour has
gone to prepare for His humble, pa
1 tient followers; and as his wonderful
voice bore the words of promise to
Q her heart, the ice which had gathered
there melted into blessed tears, and
s under the refreshing shower, new nope
: sprung up and better Impulses stirred
within her. She prayed for strength
to struggle on and bear her drearY
@ life until IN GOD d'sgoOd time He shou d
release her. When the congregation
dispersed she went out again INTO the
y cold and darkness, but with renewed
a courage and better resolves. In her
4 agitarIon she took 10 note of TIL"
Y street she was on ard knew neither
= tie name of the church nor of It's
Il pastor.
Several months later the girl met
with a christian woman, to whom she
. coDfided the sad story OF her fornt I
L wretchedness ana terrible temptation
= She dweit on her rescue III words oi
e loving gratitude TO God aud toward
3 the minister whose voice had induced
) her to give attention to the word ot
i life. The church whose open doors
n and cheerful light had drawn her IN
s and sheltered her, until she gathered
It strength to resist the temprer, she
had never SINCE been able TO find.
e Now size had regular employment aud
= was doing well-she longed earnestly
g TO make IA thank-otfering IN the sacred d
e tditice which had been instrumental, IL
g saving her.
= Her new Fl lend heard her story, mld
/ kindly invited her to go with her to
g bear her pastor. The invitation wa
g gladly accepted, and they went to-
6 Gether- AS they entered the v"st'b"le,
the girl was struck with the familiar
. appearance of glass door, through
;, which the light was pouring Agltat. d
n by the food of memories which The
~ signt brought up, she took a seat just
as the preacher commenced speaking
i At once she recognized the voice. and
:, turning TO her companion, she wins
l. pered, while happy teats coursed
:. down her cheeks, ''lt is he! 1T is heI'
g She was il the Uurch Of the
K Strangers. The preacher was DR..
Deems, This was the sanctuary
wherein she had found refuge from
q the storm of fiercest temptat1on--hls
y was the voice that had charmed ben
n back from an untimely end. AT last
}. she had found what she had SO long
e sought, and her heart was tiled with
Y Joy and thankfulness. Through Gods
s great goodness she not only had q
d comfortable home with friends, where
l. in to rest at the close of each day.
y labor, but now she has Il .Sunda3
: home where she goes to offer thanks.
D giving and gain spiritual strength.
& The history of the glass door, As il
e was tol,. TO the writer of this simple
story, is this: ''Dr. Deems, whose be,
, nevolence and zeal are well known
l. once remarked from the pulpit that he
wished the entrance to his Churcl
might be made as attractive as the en-
II frances 10 the various places of amuse
- ment. He could see no reason why
e the House of God should be dark and
II uninviting. while the haunts of oata'
), were made SO alluring. He also said
q that if he had the means he would le-
. move the heavy doors which shut IL
the congregation and replace the II
s with glass, which would allow the
:, light from within to shine out OIL
u passers by. A noble hearted man
- among his hearers acted promptly on
II this suggestion, and in the course OF
l. a week waited on the Doctor aud gene
y rously offered to carry out his wishes.
The offer was gratefully accepted. ard
e in few days the glass door replaced
n the door of wood, with what result in
8 one case, four years after, we have
q tired to show; and if the story should
II indnce any one to improve the dark
,f | or1 lOplyinr of otha,