Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-12-26


Sir. said the woman, III y1u had said
you were Il gentleman
The boy laughed. i don't think / knew
it. nay good woman lie replied, my
stnscs were So btnumhed for was some
time struggling at the waters edge among
The broken lee, and then ! believe ] was
nearly an hour creeping up to yunr cot
tace door I remember 1t all rather III
distinctly. hui AS soon as ! had felt the
fire. and drank the warm beer, was a
different creature.
While they still talked the husband
came in and, while he wGs eating ms
supper, thay agreed that he should walk
Ia n.,n ntll, and let its inmates know "t
ia" gentleman 5 safety and when he WAS
g"n" they made up the fire with all the
coal that remained Ia that poor household,
and the WOMAN crept up to bed and left
hsr guest 10 lie down and rest before it.
In the gray Of dawn the lnhoror return
ed, with IL servant leading horse, and
bringing a fresh salt Of clothes
The Young gentleman took his leave
with many Thanks slipping three half
rraWns mi" the woman's hand, probably
all the money he had about him. And |
must not forget 10 mention that he kissed
the baby, for when she tells the story, the
mother always adverts to that circum-
stance with great pride, adding, that her
child being Us clean as wax. was quite fit
to be kissed by anybody
'ATissis, said her husband, MS they
stood together in the doorway, looking
after their guest. who dost think that
be =
4 don't know answered the missis
Then I'll Just tell thee, that be young
Lord ": so thou mayst be proud
woman thou sits and talks with lords,
and asks them in to supper-ha, har So
saying, her master shouldcrcd his spade
ami went his way, leaving her ciinling
the three hall-crowns in her hand, and
considering what she should do with them.
Her ncighbor from the other cottage pres
emil stepped in, and when she heard the
tale and saw the money, her heart was
ready to break with envy and jealousy.
80, to think that good luck should have
come to her door. and she should have
been sofoolish as 10 turn it away. Seven
shillincs and sIxpencc for morsel of
food aud Il nights shelter why, it was
nearly a weeks wages
So tn ere rs they both supposed, the
matter ended, and the next week the frost
was sharper than ever Sheep were frozen
in the feuny fields, and poultry ON their
perchcs. hut the good woman had walked
To the nearest town and bought Il blanket.
II was welcome addition to their bed
covering, and it was many a long year
since they had been SO comfortable.
But il CHANGED. one day ut noon, that,
looking ont ut her easement, she spied
three Young gentlemen skating along the
lee towards her cottage. They sprang ON
to the bank. took of their skates, and
made for her door The Young noble
man informed her that he had had such a
severe cold he could not come and see
her before. He spoke rs free and pleas
antly, she observed, in telling the story,
'as If | had been n lady. and no less and
then lac brought parcel ont Of ms peck
ct, land I've been over to B, he
says, land bought You book for keep
sake. and | hope you will accept 1t. And
then they all talked as pretty as could he
for a matter of ten minutes, and went
away So | waited till my master came
home. and We opened the parcel, and
there was fine Bible inside, all over gold
and red morocco, and my name and his
name written inside and, bless him a
tcu-polmd note doubled down over the
names Tn sure, when 1 thought he
was poor forlorn creature, he was kindly
welcome So my master laid out part OF
the money in tools. and we rented a gar
den, and he goes over on market days to
sell what We GROW So now, thank God,
We want for nothing.
This is how she generally concludes the
little history, never failing to add that the
Young lord kissed her baby.
But, said my friend, i have not told
YOU what thought the best part of the
anccdnte When this poor Christian wo-
man Was asked what had induced her TO
take III perfect stranger, and trust him
with the best clothing her house afforded,
she answered simply, Well, ] saw HIM
shivering and shaking, SO | thought ''thou
shalt come IN here for the sake of Him
that had not where to lay His head"
Now think we must all have read
many times uf such rewards following
upon little acts of kindness. Hundreds
of tales are founded ON such incidents,
but. in real life. they are not common.
Poctical justice is not the kind of justice
that generally comes about in the order
of Gods providence. We ought not to
expect such and woful, indeed, must be
the disappointment Of those who do kind
actions in the hope OF receiving 1t.
The old woman i'll the other cottage may
open her door every night OF her future
life la SOME forlon beggar, but 1t Is all
but certain that she will never open 1t to
Il nobieman in disguise Therefore, let
neither man, woman, nor child found false
hopes upon this story for, let them en-
terrain us many beggars is they will. they
need not expect that they have gold pen
cil-cases in theirpockets -11}css h"y stole
ihtW.
These stories are, rs | said, very conf
mon, and their moral is sufficiently OBJ
vious ii is, DO good, and Won shall
have your reward. | would not quarrel
with the maxim, but should like to SOC
it differently applied. / think it arises
from feeling which has done harm rath-
er than good. We are, indeed, quite at
liberty to use the Scriptural maxim, He
self, hut then, We should give the term
'watcreth' its Scriptural sense-an ex-
tended and beautiful sense.
The act of charity is often highly val
ned, while the motive, which alone can
MAKE IL acccptable, Is ONerloohtu anu lor-
gotten it is not hope that should prompt
it. hut gIatifadc. Not many, even of the
Lords people, can always say in slmpll-
city. Il did it for the sake Of Him that
had not where to lay His head.
We nave strangely reversed the order
If things. We sometimes act as If orr
feeling was, Let us do good and give,
that God. who loveth a cheerful giver,
may be good to us :; but our feeling
should be. Christ has died, let us do
good, for His sake, to His poor brethren,
ms an evidence that We are grateful for
His inestimable gift.
Let us do good, not to receive more
good i'll return. but Is M evidence OF
gratitude for what has been already be
slowed. In few words, let 1t he all for
love, and nothing for reward