The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1908-07-04
The Family that stayed Dy.
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There was once tiny little church
In small and scattered community. II
had a varied career, but came at last.
after good many years, to q position
Of strength and vigor. A half-dozen
times the church was torn by dissen-
sions, or weakened by removals, or dis
heartened by the apathy Of the commu-
nifty, but 1t never quite gave up.
Looking back over the long period
Of uncertainty, when the life and use
fitness OF the little enterprise hung In
the balance, 1t appeared that the con-
Meeting thread Of life from one period
of hope to the next had been single
family. This was the more remarkable
because the family was a humble one,
and had not been prominent officially.
The mother was widow, with a
large group Of children, and very little
with which to feed and clothe them.
She worked early and late for them,
and they also worked as soon as they
were able. There were so many Of
them that almost every class In the
Sunday school had representative
from that home, and therefore at least
one regular attendant. And although
the mother was not always there, her
heart was there all the time.
The Sunday school class might run
down, but it never could quite disband
or If it did, there was the nucleus for
new beginning. And In time the chill
dren Of that household began occasion
al work as substitute teachers. One of
the sons became church clerk, and one
Of the daughters, a rare, sweet girl, at
ter some experience as assistant, as
sumed entire charge of the primary de-
partment.
The mother, busy as she was, was
Usually at the sewing society, where
she took modest but effective part.
The women came to trust her, and she
became an adviser and peace-maker.
But all the mothers work, and most
of that Of the children, was unofficial.
Not In acts that could be recorded did
this family do its work, but in constant
and reliable support.
After a period Of years, new life.
came to the community and the church.
The troubles Of the past were forgot
ten. Better homes were built, and new
people moved in. A settled pastor was
secured, and the work moved prosper
ously.
There came an anniversary. and as
the minister looked over the records Of
years, too many for the work that ap-
peared to have been done, he wondered
why the church had not disbanded
more than once. But always there had
been a little nucleus Of the faithful,
holding on with numb hands, and al
ways, inconspicuously among them, had
been this widow and her household
One day the minister called upon her,
and out of a full heart he thanked her
for all the fidelity of the years. "It
seems to me-" said he, that but for
you this church would have disinte-
grated"
The good woman fairly gasped; for
she had been so busy caring for her
children, helping her sick neighbors,
doing little and mostly unremembered
acts Of good, it never had occurred to
her that she was helping to make his
tory. Yet it is such as she who are
always making the history of the world
worth while
Then shall the righteous answer
him, saying, Lord, when saw we Thee
q hungered, and fed Thee?" Heaven Is
filed with people who reached it by the
way of good deeds performed and for
gotten.-Youtb's Companion.