I WANT to tell you today about a boy who counted his day’s receipts.
He was not a boot-black, as the boy in our picture is. But he was honest, just as this boy must be, with his bright, pleasant, frank countenance.
Many little boys have to go out on the streets and earn their own bread. Some are boot-blacks, and often rough, bad boys. But this one looks like a good, kind boy.
The one in our story, in order to earn a few pennies, was willing to do any odd job, such as carrying baggage for people from the train to their houses.
Many years ago there lived an old woman who had only a little money. She had to work for her living. After while trade grew dull, and she was unable to get, work. At last, when her money was gone, she decided to go to live with her married daughter whose home was in another town. She went to tell the minister about her plan, and he gave her enough money to buy a car-ticket, and half a crown besides. (A half-crown is about sixty cents.)
When she reached P—, the town where her daughter lived, a crowd of boys surrounded her, begging to carry her box. She refused them, because all she had was a half-crown and three pennies. But one poor boy begged most earnestly, saying, “I will carry it to any part of the town for two pence,—do let me, for it is the only way I can get a bit of bread,—and we’re starving at home.”
The old woman pitied the boy and so, although her own money was so nearly gone, she let him carry her baggage.
When they reached her daughter’s house the woman knocked at the door, but received no answer, as her daughter was away. She told the boy to put the box down and paid him for his services.
When the daughter returned and saw her mother, she cried, “Oh, why have you come, for we are starving? I have been out trying to get a morsel for the children, and I can’t. What can we do?”
The mother said, “I have a half-crown in my pocket, and you can take that and buy something, and that will carry us over tomorrow at any rate.”
Then they went into the house and the old woman took out her purse to get the half-crown. But alas! she found she had paid it to the boy in the dim light of the evening in mistake for a penny. She had given him a half-crown and a penny (more than sixty-two cents) instead of two pennies. Now she had only two pennies left.
For a time both the women cried bitterly. The Mother, however, was a true Christian, and had faith in God. “Never mind,” she said, “we have two pence left, and let us be thankful to God for that, and for a roof above our heads. You take it—it will buy bread for you and the children tonight, and I will go on to bed, for I shan’t want anything; and let us hope that God will provide for tomorrow when it comes.”
Early the next morning someone knocked and the daughter opened the door. There stood a boy who said, “Didn’t I bring a box here for an old woman last night?” “Yes, you did!” “Where is she?” “Upstairs.” “Then tell her to come down for I want to see her.”
When the mother came the boy said, “Misses, do you know you gave me a half crown last night instead of a penny? because you did; and I have brought it back. Here it is.” “Yes, my lad, I did, —and I am very much obliged to you for bringing it back again. But I want to know how you came to do, so, for I thought you told me you were starving at home.” “Yes, we are very bad off,” said the boy, brightening up as he spoke, “but I go to Sunday-school and I love Jesus—and I couldn’t be dishonest.”
When our little friend counted his receipts he found he had been given too much. And he faithfully returned the extra money to the rightful owner.
Let us always be honest like him, no matter how great our need may be.
And let us always have faith in God, like the old woman who believed the
Lord would provide more when what they already had was gone.
ML 04/03/1904