Many years ago there lived an old woman who had only a little money. She had to work for a living. After awhile 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 railroad 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 the 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,
“O, 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 in 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 the penny. She had given him the hall-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 had off,” said the boy, brightening up as he spoke, “but I go to Sunday school, and love Jesus, and 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 05/28/1939