Daily Republican., 1882-08-17
AC RATES GUEST.

! For great many years ago an aged
clergyman and his vile sat together
In their poDr farm house, on a chilly
| October evening, engaged in an earnest
con versatiOn upon the one important
subject that gave tLem deep concern.
The clergymau's place was in Nor
folk, On the great NorN ieh stage road
i'm small agricultural village, the
Inhabitants OF which were poor, and
able to do but little towards supporting
the xcelenT old MAJ who broke to
them the breal Of life. His name was
lSllas Barclay; and the name tor miles
around ~a: the synonym of all that
was good and true and sympathic in
man. His pos neIgubors came to
him for every thing IN the way of help
in poverty, and sympathy in distress
and he never sent petitioner away
empty handed if it lay wiJllu his pow
er to give relief. He had reached his
five and sixtieth year, hale, hearty and
stroa g, AMI one of the best educated
men al &c untry, he had no place
beca ~, III all the world, he had not an
| uno,nCtAl trit nd.
| - ttdy had poor parish. We may
/ IN - ne'hing of the ability of his
| Il OK wheu it Is recorded that from his
uIracy aud the tuition OF the few stu
dents who clms TO him for hel } in their
studiet-ne prepared young men for
college, and also gavs instruction to
young students for the ministry--from
all sources he gained an income of not
more than e8 per annum.
His wife, Betsey, often scolded him
for giving uelp 10 the poor wayfarers
that applied his door for food and
lodging especially when t.ey seemed
strong and able TO work, but he would
answer her "Ah, Betty, my love, the
poor are all Goo children, and how do
when the angel may be with us una
wares?" And he went on, living, his
humble, useful life, giving help and
| happiness to those poorer than himself
whenever the opportunity offered.
On this chilly, rainy october evening
our good old curate was in trouble. He
had received a letter from from Scot
land, where he had an only son living
informing hun that dire misfortune had
befallen him his boy boy, how.
ever, married, and with family of his
own. He had great deal of sickness;
his wife had been prostrated during the
summer, and was not yet able to be
around; and altogether he was in sore
distress. 0! could not his good old
father help him?
HAlasw The old man murmured, 'it
is very hard for poor George Wife, is
there not some way in which we can
give him help? Can you think of any
thing we can do?"
The wife looked at him in plying
surprise. "Silas," she said, with an ON
incus shake of her head, II think you
are losing your senses. Help! Ah! who
would help him more quickly than
would l? But where are to find it? Do
you forget that next week the tax gath
erer comes for the last time? Have you
got the money for him.
The clergyman's counteDanCe fell. He |
was obliged to acknowledge that he had |
not tie money, and further that he |
knew not where to find it.
"But, dear wife, let us not borrow |
trouble. Never have seen the right |
ecus forsaken, nor his seed begging |
bread Something will come to help us. |
l have lived too long TO begin to doubt
the Lord at this day. Let us pray
pray and hope-pray, and trust in the
Lord "
Betsey looked as though she would
like to give him a severe lecture for
his Willingness to find anything hope
full In their present situation; but there
was something in the warm loving, and
generous light of his really happy face
~. ...sA L, l.. Il hNr hn ha
cism which had been upon her tongue
Still, she felt that she c!uld properly |,
lay before her husband the exact situa-
tion of their poverty stricken exchequ'
or; and the pattering of the ran drops
against the windows formed tuneful
cadence to her thoughts, and seemed
to inspire her. She had opened her
lips, and was on the point of speaking,
when the tramp of horse was heard
On the pAvemet at the gate; and, ere
long hear after, q smart rap sounded h
upon the door. The clergyman took L
up lighted candle AMI answered the
summons.
, The caller proved to be Frenchman,
ID his WY to Norwich, who had been
overtaken by the storm; was wet, and
,uld, and hungry; ami knew not l.
" here to look Tor public house. He
lid not feel that he could, with safety
10 his health-to say noihing of bodily
,omfort-travel any further in the I
torn.
He was respectful looking man +
'ather under-size and dark of com.
,lexion and the good wife when she /
,ould gain an opportunity to speak Z
With her husband apart, she urged Kim
lot, on any account, to ask the man to b
top overnight. The curate's answer a
O this was. curious,-and, when con. e
idered in the light of subsequent d
,,, ..,s,,,, y
we've been looking for our angel all b
hese years among our own country.
nan may it not be that the Good b
father has sent hirc from France 2" s.
The clergyman lighted lantern, and s.
vent out aud pat the strangers horse t,
n to his barn, and gave him hay and c
rain, and then came back to find the
anne In the act of bestoWing upon him h
the stranger-one of his warm dres- n
ing gowns. The man donned the a
ODE cheerfally then SAT down by the
re, while the hos ess made ready re- n
reshment for him. 1t was an humble a.
neal which the clergy mans wife was II
BILE to prepare; but it was substantial IL
nd we'll cooked, and there was enough
f 1t.
The visitor gave his nAme-a curious
'rench name, which Barclay found it
ifficult to pronounce after him ;-he b,
aid he came from Nevers, in the very T
Bntre of France and that he was 2
lrmer in very small way. He spoke u
inglish very well-very plainly and is
le good clergyman, at length, ven; g