The Tupelo journal., 1910-02-18
The Man She
Prayed For

Wneu the Two WOHleH WIN Adu ~
visited all night together for II years
got ready to 60 to bed the older one
said:
"You don't mind my saying my
prayers out loud. do you! Somehow
/ have had a very foolish notion about
praying for the last few years. |
imagine God can hear better If ! say
things out loud"
t. The back parlor tenant said, Ger
tainly / don't mind" and there was
a guilty tremor in her voice as she
said it, for she remembered that 1t
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 ! saw
on the Northern Pacific railroad and
the one that l 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:
Il don't want to appear inquisitive,
| DuI IL yOu Jul L niltlut L WISH Jou
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. I was SO
worried that / didn't pay much atten-
ton to him. l paid so little attention
to him, in fact. that five minutes after
he had left the train / could hardly
remember what he looked like. |
have a faint remembrance that he
was tall and slight and rather poorly
dressed and that he had a very kind
face. He must have had a kind face,
because my little boy took such a
fancy to him. The child was a lit
tie fellow then, only eight months
old, and he grew very fretful on the
long trip. When people found | 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.
81 did, however, open my heart a
little to an old lady, who was also
kind, and told her l should strike Chi
cago almost penniless and that / did
after cpnfiding in her the man came
and said good-by. We were nearing
his station, and he wished me a safe
journey the rest of the way and good
luck at the end. do not even re-
member the name Of his station, but
/ know it was somewhere near Fargo.
| We hailed each other for the last
time as the train passed on, and /
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 a
little sum-only ten dollars-but it
looked as big as the side of a house
to me then, and have, no doubt, that
1t looked equally big to the man and
that it meant quite a sacrifice to part
with it. l have often wished that I
could thank him, but there has been
no way. l don't know his address, I
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 bless him for it.
1.-THE Adams street man was also
q friend in need. He overlook me one
day when l was going home fairly
heartbroken. l had gone downtown
expecting something to come my way
that day, but nothing did. I had ex-
pected a letter with money in it. /
got none l had expected work; I
got none. l was literally at the end
of the string and things looked des-
perately dark. In the shadow of a big
wholesale house not far from the
bridge a man came up and spoke to
me. / suppose he meant to strike up
a Irritation, although why any man in
his senses should wish to flirt with
such a distressed looking creature as
l was l cannot imagine. | don't re-
member what he said, but whatever
it was 1t set me crying. / was so
miserable that It 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 / al going back to the child
with nothing-absolutely nothing. y
Good Cod he said. Good God!'
And then | felt him press some
thing into my hand.
@sYou 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. I wouldn't know
him even If l saw him, but | bless
him, too. OF course, many others
have crossed my path whom I re-
member gratefully, but the world Is
running over with people who are