The silver star., 1898-09-08

A young woman was staying in a
distant city, where she had made few
acquatntances. She had money, but
homesickness and insufficient occupa-
tion were unfriendly. conditions to
health of mind and body. At length
she felt Obliged to call upon physician
and ask his advice.
It happened that the doctor whom she
consulted was religious man as we'll
az skilled one. He understood her
symptoms. and when she complained
that she was q victim to 'the blues"
he astonished her with this original
prescription: David Sones lives at
104 Dash street. He is i'll, and con-
fined to his bed, and very poor. Call
there. show sympathy with him and his
family. and read the bread and but
ter psalm to him; and when you go
away leave a small sum of money in
his hand"
OF course he had to explain to the
amazed lady that the Scripture he had
80 oddly named was the 103 Psalm. and
that the heartening and rejuvenating
effect OF fifth verse and all-made
1t to him just what he called 1t. OF
its virtue in this case he seemed to
have NO doubt.
But the very idea Of doing as he
recommended was as distasteful to the
young woman as 1t was surprising.
"Why, how rude and intrusive the
man would think me to break in upon
him SO. q perfect stranger!" she said.
Il could not do such thing"
She went from the doctors ofilce dis
appointed and disrleased. but thinking.
The very bluntness Of the advice had
stirred her stagnant spirits, and she
was already beginning to forget her
own ailment. The storm Of protest
in her mind gave her a bad hour or
two, but finally something could
hardly tell what-compelled her to sur
render to the Doctors orders.
She found the sick man, and after
talking kindly to him about himself,
and encouraging him to hope for re-
covery and better days. she opened her
Bible to the psalm. Her lips were
dry, and the flrst three or four verses
were pronounced like = mechanical
exercise. but farther on her voice and
mood mellowed. The force and beauty
Of the words aroused her. and she read
the last verses Of the psalm with feel
ing.
A woman who had entered the room
and listened. sat in the corner weep
ing. She was q recent lodser who
had tried in vain to find work at her
trade as . dressmaker. and had be-
come discouraged. The young lady
had already earned the gratitude Of
three strangers. With feelings entirely
new to her she remained in the poor
tenement. converting with the sick
man and his wife and their needy
friend, until she had quite gained their
confidence, and then left them with
encouraging words and q small gift Of
money.
Thoroughly interested now. she in o
few days secured orders for the dis
couraged dressmaker and work not
long after came in 20 abundantly that
the family were placed above want.
The sick man. relieved Of his anxieties,
soon recovered. A shadoved home
had been frightened by an involuntary
kindness.
It was q lesson that the complain
ing young woman never forgot. Her
experiences-thanks to the good doc
tors consul-had exploded the vain
notion that ut il useless to try to do
good unless you feel like IT," A
brave effort to cure 1.-The blues" had
resulted In opening her heart to IN un-
selfish act. and to q broader view Of
her relations to less fortunate souls
about her.