Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1909-12-30
The Wan She
Praye ed For

You don't mind my saying my
prayers out loud, do you! Somehow
/ have had very foolish notion about
praying for the last few years. l
imagine God can hear better If say
things out loud"
The back parlor tenant said, Ger
tainly don't mind" and there was
a guilty tremor In her voice as she
said 1t, for she remembered that IT
had been quite awhile since she had
said her prayers out loud or any
other way except when in church.
And bless that man whom l saw
on the Northern Pacific railroad and
the one that met that day on Adams
street in Chicago" said the older
woman.
The back parlor tenant did not say
anything until the lights were turned
out Then she said:
II don't want to appear inquisitive,
but II you don't mind, / wish you
would tell me what you meant by
praying for those two men Don't
tell If you would rather not, butt
really did sound queer"
"One of them came east over the
Northern Pacific road when l did
l don't know his name. l was so
worried that / didn't pay much atten-
ton to him. paid SO little attention
to him, in fact, that five minutes after
he had. left the train I could hardly
remember what he looked like. i
have a faint remembrance that he
was tall and slight and rather poorly
| dressed and that he had very kind
face He must have had kind face,
because my little boy took such a
| fancy to him. The child was lit
| tie fellow then, only eight months
| old, and he grew very fretful on the
| long trip When people found l was
| travelling across the continent alone
| they were very kind and offered to
help take care of the child, but no
body could do much except that man.
II did, however open my heart a
little to an old lady, who was also
kind, and told her should strike Chi
| cago almost penniless and that / did
not know what / should do. Shortly
after confiding in her the man came
| and said good-by. We we're nearing
his station, and he wished me safe
| journey the rest Of the way and good
| luck at the end. l do not even re-
member the name of his station, but
| know 1t was somewhere near Fargo.
| We hailed each other for the last
time as the train passed on, and l
noticed then how worn his clothes
were.
"A few minutes after we left the
town the old lady visited me again.
She had something better than gentle
words that time-she had money, a
ten-dollar bill. The man had intrust-
ed 1t to her to give to me. 1t was q
little sum-only ten dollars-but 1t
looked as big as the side of house
to me then, and / have, no doubt, that
it looked equally big to the man and
that it meant quite sacrifice to part
with it. l have often wished that |
could thank him, but there has been
no way. I don't know his address,
don't know his name, but he kept me
from actual want in the kindest, most
delicate way a man could devise to
assist a woman, and with all my
heart l bless him for it,
THE Adams street man was also
friend in need He overlook me one
day when l was going home fairly
heartbroken. / had gone downtown
expecting something to come my way
that day, but nothing did / had ex-
pected a letter with money in it,
got none. | had expected work; I
got none. / was literally at the end
of the string and things looked des-
, perately dark. In the shadow Of big
, Wholesale house not far from the
: bridge a man came up and spoke to
me. | suppose he meant to strike up
Irritation, although why any man in
his senses should wish to hirt with
such a distressed looking creature as
| was l cannot imagine. | don't re-
member what he said, but whatever
it was 1t set me crying. | was so
miserable that 1t didn't take much to
do that And then presently / talked
| must have been out of my senses
to talk SO to a perfect stranger.
told him in an incoherent sort of way
that | had been disappointed about
the letter and about the work and
that ! was going back to the child
with nothing -absolutely nothing
: Good God!' he said Good God!'
And then | felt him press some
I thing into my hand
"'You poor child he said, take
this for a Christmas present for the
, boy'-it lacked but a few days to
. Christmas-'and may Heaven help
, you
Before | could clear my eyes OF
: tears he was gone, but he had left a
: five-dollar bill in my hand. never
saw the man again. l wouldn't know
! him even If | saw him, but | bless
/ him, too. OF course, many others
: have crossed my path whom I re-
r member gratefully, but the world IL
running over with people who are