The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-05-12
DR.. Guthrie's Bells.

A benevolent old lady staying at Ed
lnburgh Ga contemporary writer tell us),
noticed very lofty attic in High street,
near DR.. Guthrie's church. The thought
struck her that there might be some poor
lonely creature living in one of those up
per stories whom no one visited; so, lift
ing up her heart to God for His guidance
and blessing, she began her investigation.
After ascending the innumerable stairs
of the house, she reached the top story,
where the poorest people lived.
Knocking at one of the doors, she was
answered by an old woman, who, open
ing it very cautiously, asked what the
stranger wanted. I want to see you,
said the lady. No one ever comes here,
or wants to see me, replied the woman.
Well, rejoined the kind stranger, that
Is just the reason why wish to see you.
Then the cautious old woman opened the
door, and let the lady into her little
room, which only contained enough
furniture for the bare necessities of its
aged inmate. The only seats were a
rockingchair and a stool, and Lady L.,
taking the stool, made the old woman seat
herself over the fire in her rocking-chair.
After few kind words, the lady said
| am not going to ask you, my friend, if
you know the Lord, but I should like to
hear if you can tell me anything to show
that the Lord knows you, and has found
you out in your lonely room The old
woman's face frightened up at once.
Yes, can, she replied and I will tell
you all about it, though I have never
told any one before. If He had not
known and sought me, l should never
have known Him, for I lived like
heather in this room l have had many
troubles and lost my all and not having
a friend or any one to love me, l shut
myself up in my own misery and did
not want to know any neighbors; Week
days and Sundays were all alike and
dark to me. l never went anywhere. 1
lived Just as if had no soul. And thus
1 should have lived and died, had not
the Lord had mercy upon me-
And how did He awaken you from
your state of spiritual death?'
By DR.. Guthrie's bells, replied the
old woman. When they rang on Sun
days I used to wish they would leave off
they troubled me. They seemed cal
ling to me, till at last could not bear it
any longer; SO one day I put on my shawl
and went into the church, just to get
peace, as it were, from the bells
Well, and how did you like what you
heard?
Not at all I came home very angry
with DIR. Guthrie, for, as stood in the
aisle, he preached all his sermon about
me, and | determined never to 90 and
hear him again But when the next
Sunday came, the bells tormented me
more than ever. 1 was forced to go and
again | came home feeling what great
sinner was and thus / continued from
week to week, and then / had dream
which cut down all my hopes. / seemed
to be in square place, where number
of flowers in pots were standing, and in
the middle Of them / saw DR.. Guthrie
with waterproof. He went around and
watered every plant until he came to one
which / thought meant me and then he
stood still, and said in a solemn voice
" 1t is no good watering this. for it has
no roots, and he passed me by. And
when awoke l felt what a dreadful state
/ was in.
And thus the arrow of conviction en-
tered this poor woman's heart, till He
who had wounded her in love was pleased
to heal her wound with the atoning
blood Of Jesus Christ