Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1904-12-17

the street, holding up a papier mache
turkey. She was not, unfortunately,
The most beautiful creature he had
ever beheld. She was just a plain
Foung woman. whose appearance was
1ot improved by the uniform she wore.
Mr.. GrubbIeson's gaze fell upon her
avery time he swung around in his big
Easy chair. Not that he looked for her,
but there seemed to be some peculiar
power at work which placed her d.
rectly in his line of vision q hundred
times a day.
There she stood, with the snowiakes
whiriing around her. She was on duty
when he reached his Office in the morn-
ing and she was there still when he
went away in the evening. Mr. Grub
bleson developed a curiosity concern
Ing the amount OF her collections. He
wondered how many people stopped in
the course Of a day to drop a nickel Or
q dime or a quarter into the make-be-
Iieve turkey which she held up for
the purpose of reminding people that
the poor would have appetites on
Christmas. Frequently he would for
get his work and sit counting the peo-
pie who stopped to contribute. wonder
ing as he saw them drop their money
INTO the turkey how much they gave
One day 1t occurred to him that he
had never done anything for those who
were less fortunate than he. He sat
up straight in his chair and wondered
II the Lord might not have given him
greater prosperity than he enjoyed If
he had been properly charitable. He
wa what most people would regard as
\ rich man, but he was not as wealthy
by any means as he wished to be. AS
he sat there in his luxurious Office, gaz-
ing across at the brave little soldier
with her turkey, he said to himself:
when / go out to lunch to-day TIL
slip a f~lve-dofiar bill into that turkey.
No one shall know how much I give,
but FIVE dollars will make many a poor
person happy on Christmas, and though
they will never guess that I am their
be~nefactor, the Lord win see."
When he put on hts overcoat at noon,
be took crisp bill from his wallet and
carefully doubled II up. Suddenly,
however, his conscience began to whis-
per to him.
"John Grubbieson," It said, 'you m
trying to deceive yourself. You are,
o thinking only of the good you may
DO for the poor. You are thinking of
the big deal you have ON. You hope
that by being charitable now the Lord
will see fit to let this matter in which
gou are 70 deeply interested go
through and bring you the profits you
are so anxious for. You are merely
frying TO bribe 0od.s
He put the money bach into his
pocket
cit won't do" he thought "rm
guilty. There's nc 8 trying 60 hide
the fact from myself I'll walt till
after this deal has zone through
Then I will be able 70 contribute with
out a selfish desire to have the Lord
give me profits IN return"
So he passed the Salvation girl on
the corner without helping to fin her
across the street he saw her there, and
lay after day he said to himself that
he would do something splendid for
The poor as soon as his deal was out
Of the way, 30 that he might contribute
with a clear conscience
At last he received the word for
which he had been so a~nxiously wait
ing. His venture fad proved a success,
and he was richer by many thousands
Of dollars than he had been before.
He whirled around In his big easy
chair to look at the little pima across
the street. Fine flakes of snow were
being flung around her by the angry
wind, and he noticed that she had her
shoulders drawn up as IL 10 ward off
the cold blasts. There was the yellow
turkey, too, but few people stopped to
give for the poor.
Mr.. Grubbieson remembered a new
ten-dofiar bill that be had IN one of his
pockets, and he began feeling for It.
When he had found 1t he doubled 1t up
carefully and then turned once more
10 his desk. AZ noon he put on his
pvercoat and went to the window to
See II the Salvation Army girl were
still at her post. Yes, there she was,
with the snow whfrifng about her and
LHS PCOIlc nuliSih6 past, apparently
obiivious Of her existence. He took
out the bill that he he'd 50 carefully
folded and looked at It. Suddenly his
conscience began to whisper TO him
again
"John Grubbleson," 1t said, "are You
giving this money because of your love
and your sympathy for your fellow
man, or Is It merely a triie that yoa
are Offering In return for the success
of your selfish schemfng7 You are
still trying to deceive yourself. You
think God let your deal go through be-
cause you had promised to give In case
of your success. II the Lord has seen
at to let you succeed He has surely not
done so merely for the money you
think Of giving now
Mr.. Grubbisson slipped the bill back
into his pocket, and when he returned
from his luncheon at the club he looked
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