The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-06-29
The Mite of the Poor.

circumjacent palaces of the Vanderbilts,
we were told by companion that this
miracle in marble was principally built
by the pennies Of the poor. The same
thing is true of many churches, and
specially so of the cathedral of Mel
bourne, Australia, which. though costing
about 100000, had been paid for
chiefly by people who were very far from
being rich. The mite of the widow
performed prodigy that was to be
reckoned up hereafter" The mites of
the INDECENT servants of God work daily
wonders, not only in faith, but also in
material affairs as the two grand ecclesi-
astical tabernacles of New York and
Melbourne testify.
We have been led to speak of these
curious facts by reading recently of how
a dying child's gift built church for
"poor people like u.s." Here is his
tory Of this remarkable occurrance:
About nine years ago little girl came
with her mother to be received as
member of the Cohocsink Church, Phil
adelphia. She was but years old, and
the session was not disposed to receive
her on account of her age, though she
had answered the questions asked better
than many adults. They asked: Don't
you think you had better wait a while ?"
But she said, you said last Sabbath the
Lords Supper was for those who love
and obey Him, and 1 am sure 1 love
Him, and | am trying to obey" The
pastor asked if she had been coming to
church, to which she replied: Mamma
and come at night. We are poor, and
our clothes are not good enough to come
in the day time" The pastor then said
!" Brethren, if you feel that you cannot
receive this child think 1 will have to
take her on my own responsibility.
She was accordingly received. She was
trail child, and not often afterward
able to be at church; and during the fol-
lowing summer her father and mother
took her to Vermont to see if the change
and mountain air would improve her
health. On the first Sabbath in Septem-
Der of that year the pastor was sent for
to be with her in her dying hour. He
talked and prayed with her as already
an heir almost of heaven, and when he
came to part with her she told her moth
er to get her money, all that she had re-
ceived in her life, consisting of a one-dol.
lar bill and three and five cent pieces,
amounting to $4,2l. This she placed
with her own feeble hands in the box in
which was the last powder of her medi-
cine, saying as she put in the money
" L shall not want any more medicine
and then, turning to her pastor with an
lnexpressible look of loving confidence.
thinking, in her childish simplicity, that
this money was enough, and taking his
hand, said: want you to take this
money and build with it a church for
poor people like us. Now" said she,
promise me, so shall know, when am
in heaven, that it is DONE" She died
that evening
The pastor who thus received her mite
was Rev. DIR. Samuel A. Mutchmore
He accepted the trust, and soon began
sending out a circular, under the title OF
" A Child's Legacy, asking for additions
to the fund. The result has at length
been the building of asixty-thousand-dol-
lar church to the memory of the little girl.
The property at Montgomery avenue
and 3ouvier street, Philadelphia, was
first purchased and mortgaged for ST.
OOO, the instrument being held by the
late Alexander Stuart, Of New York
and his brother, Robert Stuart, who
agreed to cancel the mortgage, provided
the church should be finished by Janu->
airy l, 1882. Alexander Stuart died.
but his brother Robert signed an agree
ment to carry out the terms of the origi-
nal contract. Having the ground, Pastor
Mutchmore cast around to get congre-
cation and place Of worship. The church
must necessarily be built by private and
voluntary subscriptions. On the night
of May &c, 1876, the congregation was
organized in little frame shanty and
numbered forty-two persons, and a Sab
bath School was founded-both have
been growing ever since. The church
was built over and around the old
shanty, which was taken out after the
first floor of the new edlfce was ready to
be laid. The new building is to be lit
orally church for poor people, being
free in all its privileges. 1t has now a
membership of 284 persons, and an aver
age attendance of 600. Its Sunday
Schools comprise 45 teachers and 355
scholars in the main classes, and 5 teach
ers and 284 scholars in the infant class,
and it is situated in one of the most
rapidly developing sections Of Philadel-
phia.
There is nothing to be added to this
overture tale, but the obvious moral that
r