The Widow.


THERE is a pleasing sketch from the German,

of a boy who saw his mother weeping,

and, affectionately putting his arm around

her neck, said, "Why do you weep, mother?”

 His mother replied:

"I did not know you saw my tears, my

child. I have often wept in secret, for I did

not want to make you sad by letting you see

my sorrows; but since your father was taken

away, I have found it hard to work to provide

your bread and pay your school fee. I

intended to give you more learning before

you began to work, but I find I cannot; you

will have to leave school, and help me to get

food for yourself and two little sisters. I

have got you the situation of an errand-boy,

and you will have three shillings per week."

"Well, don't weep, mother; I will be a

good lad and help you all I can," was the

noble reply.

The first day the little fellow went to his

work, he was sent with letters to the post office.

He put them in one by one. The

postmaster stood at the door, and the lad

very innocently said, "Where do all these

letters that people put in your box go to?"

The postmaster kindly explained to him

that if he wrote a letter, folded it up, sealed

it, and wrote on the back the name and

 residence of the person he wished to receive it,

it would go to him, wherever he lived.

That night the fatherless boy wrote the

following letter:

"To my Lord Jesus Christ in Heaven

"My father is dead, and my mother weeps,

and is sad because father is dead, and we

are very poor. Mother wished to keep me

at school a little longer, but she has no

money; do help poor mother that she will

not weep."

Having finished the letter, he folded it up,

sealed it with some shoemaker's wax, wrote

on the back: " To my Lord Jesus Christ in

Heaven," and put it into the post-office.

When the postmaster saw the letter, he

could not tell what to do with it, and was

holding it in his hand when a Moravian  

minister entered. He showed the minister the

letter, observing:

"It is no use sending this letter to the

dead-letter office; I will open it and return

it to the simple person who has posted it, if

I can find him out."

The letter was opened and read. The

postmaster and minister were much affected

The minister begged permission to read the

letter at a missionary meeting he was  

engaged to attend that evening. He read it to:

a large audience, and a lady arose, exclaiming

"Oh! That, I knew the little boy that wrote

that letter; he should go to school, and his

mother and sisters should have bread!"

The mother and child were both present

The mother held down her head in amazement

and fear, for it was all new to her; but

the little fellow, all excitement, called out:

"Please, ma'am, I am here!"

The good lady fulfilled her promise. This

boy was sent to school again, and the widow

found a friend in need. 





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