Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1907-08-01
A Missionary BOX.

"Listen, girls!" said Aunt Lois, when
the sewing circle had settled itself to
work, and needles and tongues were
merrily busy. Heres something that
will interest you" And she read from
a newspaper an item in which appeared
the name of Rev. Philo A. Townsend,
and some good thing he had done.
what Of it, Aunt Lois?" asked one
of the younger women. She was Aunt
Lois to them all, and they We're all
girls to her.
"Why, that's the man we packed
missionary box for--let me sect must
be forty years ago. don't suppose any
of you remember, but do. He was
student then, and bright one, too,
but had to stop for while for lack OF
money. We had no minister at the
time, and he came here as supply.
Everybody liked him, and said he
would grow to be great man If he
could only finish his education. But
that was the trouble. He was in debt
already, and our church was small and
couldn't do much to help him, and
don't know whether he ever could have
succeeded If we women hadn't taken
hold and helped.
1--WE made him a missionary box. We
knit stockings, and made underclothing
good warm flannels, too-and ever so
many useful things. He hadn't spent
much money for such things, I'm pretty
sure And besides the useful things,
we put in good many nice little knick-
knacks and notions.
Il remember that box just as we'll,
and how we sent it to him when he
first got back to school. He wrote us
beautiful letter of thanks. And now
he's pastor Of that great city church!
tell you, girls, this society has done
some real good things
"Do you suppose he remembers lt?'
asked one of the members.
Il believe I'll write to him, and see"
said Aunt Lois.
The next meeting of the little society
found every one ready to hear the let
ter which, as they had learned already,
Aunt Lois had received. The man had
not forgotten. He remembered the very
day of the month on which he received
the box, and Aunt Lois's letter reached
him almost exactly forty years after.
1t brought back his earlier gratitude
with new meaning when he recalled it
all through the memories of forty years.
Aunt Lois removed her spectacles twice
to wipe them while reading his letter.
Then she recalled some Of the sacri-
fees which the little society had made
In the doing of such deeds in the years
Of it's history, and added, "But just
one letter like that is enough to pay
for all the work of the >orty years"
Further inquiry had been made by
the members of the society, who now
told what they had learned of Mr..
Townsend. The good work done for
him had been passed on to others.
man who did good in many ways, he
had taken a special interest in young
people who had to struggle. He had
given financial aid to at least fourteen
young men to enable them to complete
their education. He had been discov-
erer Of genius. One of his proteges was
a writer of note. Another, whom he
had adopted as his own son, was
sculptor, and had recently completed for
a Western city ten-thousand-dolla
statue which critics praised highly.
so girls" said Aunt Lois, when
these things were rehearsed, when l
think how far little good goes, when
once it gets started, and how it keeps
on multiplying itself in ways we can
never know, I take new heart, and it
makes hard work easy.'-Iouth's Com
panfon.