The morning call., 1892-12-05
BY FAITH ALONE.
How Robert Lawrence Has
Lived for Years.
Extraordinary Experiences While in
Northern Idaho-fiow He Expects
to Pay His Doctor Bill.
Eyes, / live by faith. s"

Eyes. live by faith"
The speaker was Robert Lawrence. a hale
looking man who had apparently seen
about fifty summers, but who confessed to
having seen nearly slxty-fve, and lie volun-
teered the remark to a CALL reporter as he
was passing down Clay street. There was
something about the mans appearance that
attracted attention.
He did not look like a crank. though his
remark was somewhat of that order In
features he strongly resembled the cartoons
OF Unce Sam that adorn the pages of the
comic papers. and he was plainly but well
clad and looked much like respectable ar
tisan.
no, do not have TO work. l can live
by faith and / do live and always have
enough to eat and plenty to wear.
Il am a little lost here and want to find
Pacif street, where | am stopping. / don't
know this city very well. because / have
only been here short time" he continued.
as the reporter walked along IL show him
the street he was looking for.
"Oh, yes, l am a Yankee, for j was born
at Bucksport, Hancock County, Me-, right
on the Peno bscOt River. | have lived for
slxty-fye years and fnd myself always in
good circumstances. though | have seen
hard times and have been nearly on the
point OF despair, but the older / get the
greater is my faith and Providence never
deserts me.
You want to know how this is. Well
I'll tell you one or w incidents SO hat you
can judge for yourself. Some little time
ago l was in Northern IdahO-in the Ceur
d Alene country. and was prospecting there.
ut happened that l had TO raise SIS ill.,
side of three or four days and had only 81 80
to pay with. My boy. George T. Lawrence,
who was with NE. was In despair. l cheered
him up ard told him the Lord will pro-
vide And he did.
That night put some nets down in the
C9ur d'AIene River and in the morning
went to take them up and was astOnished
at the large. catch # fish had made. 1t
was all my boy and | could do to handle
them, but We took them out and very quickly
sold them at good prices.
with the proceeds bought a shoat that
day. and she had hardly been an hour in
my possession when she gave birth to four
teen pigs, of which thirteen lived.
"a raneher who was there offered me SIS
| for the poTkers. and L at once closed the bar
! gain, and took the money to pay my indebt-
edness But while | was there / frequently
had to wade through the river, ana. as you
know, its waters are largely impregnated
| with silver deposits.
1.-THE silver got into my blood and my leg
| began 10 swell until it had assumed enor-
! nous proportions, and the local physicians
could do nothing for me.
II was advised to come to San Francisco
and try what could be done here, but had
| no money TO come with. 1t was not the best
| time OF the year for fishing, but | spread my
| nets again and trusted In Providence, and
next morning my faith was rewarded, for |
| had another great haul.
George and / sold the fish and lust then
| met man who had shoat for sale. aud as
| / had done so well before bought it, She
| gave birth to eight fine, healthy pigs and
| her feed for day or two cost me next to
nothing sold her with her pigs for $50
and went on trading with that money a lit
tie more till had enough to bring us both
here, and we are now stopping at this hotel
Il have not yet been to the doctor, but
am going to-day or tomorrow. No. / have
no money TO pay him with, but the Lord
will provide. / trust in him and know that
what need will come.
"Oh, yes, L have a home in California
though L wander about great deal. live
at Bitter Water in San Benito County,
where l have little ranch. but ] do not
| work at farming il because do not have to
| work. have daughter living and mar
| RED in Port Townsend, Wash, and another
| in Massachusetts. No. of course they don't
| contribute to my support.
| why should they?
| There is no necessity. My wants are all
! provided for by Providence and there is no
! trouble OF any kind that ever affects me.
! because | live by faith. My SON? No, he
| has no need TO work. There is always
| enough for him, and his faith is beeoming
| established. Good BY"