St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-02-08
Faith and Charity.

Some months ago the New York
Tribune published this little story,
which seems in its gentle suggestive
ness, to belong so peculiarly to winter
that we give it room and welcome:
Here is little story which came to
us the other day, and which, if it is not
news, either political or marketable,
has the merit, which news rarely claims,
OF being absolutely tue. Near neigh
boring city there is little house, an
asylum for children founded by one or
two good women and kept up from
day to day by voluntary contributions
1t Is Il rule with these women never to
ask for help i'll their work from anybody
except the One who has promised to
care for the fatherless child. Business
men are apt to look upon this system of
faith and prayer and charity as an in
secure sort of capital; yet it is a curl
Gus fact that two of the largest orphan
asylumS in the country are supported
III this way and have increased until
thousands of helpless little ones have
been sheltered and fed and clothed
Ill them, during veaIs in which the
shrewdest business men have seen their
fortunes wrecked, in the most careful
and safest investments.
winter or two ago the director of
this little home issued statement of
her receipts and expenditures, for the
satisfaction of those who had given
help to 1t during the year. 1t fell into
the hands of Il wealthy man living some
miles from the home, who glanced over
1t and threw it aside. No help was
asked, and 1t did not occur to him to
offer any. a month or two later, one
bitter night, the manager found herself
absolutely without morsel of food to
give the children for breakfast there
was not even flour nor bread in the
house. Institutions OF Il similar kind
have their settled funds from which to
draw, or friends to whom to appeal
These women had no money, and but
the one Friend to whom to turn. The
night was stormy, it was late, the chill
dren would waken hungry their hearts
almost failed them. But they went to
their Friend. Before they rose from
their knees carriage drove up to the
door, from which when they went out,
the coachman, without Il word, began
to unpack meat, bread, provisions of
all kinds. Bundles of clothing followed.
1t was like fairy tale or one OF Dick
ens's Christmas stories. At last a lady
held out an envelope in which was a
bank note for substantial sum, and
and the carriage drove away through
the snow without word being spoken.
All this was mysterious enough. But
the explanation was simple. The
banker was tOasting his feet before 90
ing to bed, at his library fire, thinking
how glad he was to be indoors, when
his daughter came in and said, after the
lncOnSequeEt manner of women, how
cold 1t was outside and how warm and
coy she had been i'll her own chamber,
and how it had set heI to thinking of
people who were cold and hungry, and
that she thought she could sleep better
II she could made some one who needed
help as warm and happy as herself. |
The father was Il practical man. He
remembered the little home for chill |
dren. but told her Tomorrow would be
time enough to look it up. The daugh-
ter was impractical, and insisted that |
tonight was the time. The water be-
gan TO come into her eyes. SO the IA
ther gave up, of course, and put the
note INTO the envelope as his contribu-
ton to the foolish adventure.
We do not tell the story as an appeal |
Tor this asylum, for it does not ask for
help. But there are children who are
orphans, and hungry children, and chill
dren who need help in body and soul and
mothers praying God for help for them
everywhere. They are close to our
readers wherever they be, and now is
the time to help them, not tomorrow.