Help One Another.


A traveler who was crossing the Alps was

overtaken by a snow storm at the top of a high

mountain. The cold became intense. The air

was thick with sleet, and the piercing wind

seemed to penetrate his bones. Still the traveler,

for a time, struggled on. But at last his

limbs were benumbed, a heavy drowsiness

began to creep over him, his feet almost refused

to move, and he lay down on the snow to

give way to that fatal sleep which is the last

stage of extreme cold, and from which he would

certainly never have waked again in this world

Just at that moment he saw another poor

traveler coming along the road. The unhappy

man seemed to be, if possible, even in a worse

condition than himself, for he, too, could

 scarcely move; all his powers were frozen, and

 all appeared to be just on the point to die.

When he saw this poor man, the traveler,

who was just going to lie down to sleep, made a

great effort. He roused himself up, and he

crawled, for he was scarcely able to walk, to his

dying fellow sufferer.

He took his hands into his own and tried to

warm them. He chafed his temples; he rubbed

his feet; he applied friction to his body. And

all the time he spoke cheering words into his

ear and tried to comfort him.

As he did thus the dying man began to revive,

his powers were restored, and he felt able

to go forward. But this was not all; for his

kind benefactor, too, was recovered by the

 efforts which he had made to save his friend. 

The exertion of rubbing made the blood circulate

again in his own body. He grew warm by trying

to warm the other. His drowsiness went

off, he no longer wished to sleep, his limbs 

returned again to their proper force, and the two

travelers went on their way together, happy,

and congratulating one another on their escape.

Soon the snow storm passed away; the

mountain was crossed, and they reached their

home in safety.

If you feel your heart cold towards God, and

your soul almost ready to perish, try to do 

something which may help another soul to life

 and make his heart glad; and you will often find

 it the best way to warm, and restore, and 

gladden your own.




 YI