The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1905-09-27

visitor sit down had evidently been fur
nlshed in some past period of prosper
1ty. 1T boosted the plush-covered fur
nlture, the crayon portraits in flambovant
silver frames, the album and the melo-
deon which together furnish the COM
pany room according to the hearts de-
sire OF the mechanics wife But every
thing showed the lack of a woman's
tidying hand.
Where was the wife? The wife, it
appeared, was sick The man had filed
an excellent position at good wages till
latter summer. Then his "boss" had
closed the business.
Times were bad and it seemed impos-
sibe to find another job The man had
walked the streets seeking one, day af-
ter day. The wife had tried to help by
going out to wash and char She had
been long unused to such continuous
work and it had overtaxed her strength.
Then, one bitter day, coming home very
tired and poorly clad, she had caught
cold. She lay now on a dingy and con-
fused bed in an inner room. and the
eyes of the visitor saw that there lay a
very sick woman.
There was a little coarse food in the
house. There was no fire, no fuel and
no money. And in the heart of that
haggard, fierce-eyed man, there was de-
spair.
"They say" said he, "that God hears
prayer. Haven't prayed morning. noon
and night, night and morning? 'Tisn't
luxuries we want It's food for my chill
dren Just as nice children as any man
ever had. It's bit of comfort for my
wife that's worked so hard and been so
good to me. It's work to pay my rent
and put some clothes upon my back.
Look at me The rags I'm in! Who'll
take man looking like me? I pray and
pray in the night when I can't sleep for
thinking of my trouble. Then I get up
early and tramp and tramp, and always
it's the same answer: Nothing for
you
The visitor realized with bitter long
ing that she had no word of spiritual
comfort to offer. The problem of pray
er haunted her own thoughts, always,
unanswered. Ones own feet, she
thought, must be firmly planted on the
rock of faith before one can reach down
to draw up the souls sinking into de-
spair The little, blue-eyed Annie, just
in from school, was despatched with a
tin pail, a note and a quarter to fetch
some strong broth from diet kitchen
hard by. There were some old blank
cts at home, Miss Townsend remem-
bered, which could be sent down this
evening by the furnace man, to make
the woman's bed more comfortable.
The Associated Charities in case
like this could and must give coal. The
little woman bethought herself of a
noble charity which sent nurses in cases
of emergency to the homes of the sick
poor. She herself ordered in a basket
full of such groceries as could be pre-
pared by bewildered man and a child.
BY the time she reached home she was
too sad and too tired to care for dinner
or books. Her heart was filed with a
sense of her importance to offer that
spiritual comfort for which a rackcd
soul had cried ont to her in vain
Il am not fit for this work" she said
to herself. ut upsets me and it does
them no good. I wonder why I under
take it at all I had better give il I'D
to some one with strong, serene faith
who can do all that | ever do and speak
peace to their souls as we'll"
If Miss Townsend could not answer
the questionines of the mans perplexed
soul. she could and did find him various
Jobs in and around her own house-rups
to be beaten windows to be cleaned.
snow to be shoveled and the cellar to he
whitewashed. She could "fll him ~"
as she expressed it, in her own kitchen
and send him home with broth or Jelly
or fresh eggs for the sick wife She
could make sack aprons of strong. pref
ty Bingham to cover the children's rags
and make them neat for school. She
could beg for the man a suit of clothes
in which he might sally forth resDecta-