KIND FRIENDS.
DONALD MILES was the name of the Superintendent of the stocking factory.
He had just married a young wife, and brought her to live in one of the
new houses near the mill. She was a Christian woman, who tried to follow
her Master, and do good wherever she had opportunity. She took a class
in the Sabbath school, and told her husband she meant to have some
scholars from the factory. Two or three times she had noticed Johnny
running up the steps, and thought, "that boy is too small for such
work." You can imagine, then, how she felt when she heard his simple
story.
In the evening Johnny and his mother were eagerly talking over the
various events and scenes of the day when Mrs. Miles opened the door
and presented herself before them.
"I feel sure," she had said to her husband, "that the child told me the
truth. His eyes were too honest to deceive; but still I mean to go this
very day and see for myself. Why, they have nothing to eat and are on
the very verge of starvation!"
"I wish, Johnny," Mrs. Talbot was saying, "that the dollar was ours; and
then you should have a pair of shoes; but it is not, and we must
contrive some way to find the owner."
The room was very poor, but clean as hands could make it. On the floor
in the corner was a straw bed, between the windows, a long chest, and
near the fire three small wooden stools standing before an old rickety
table.
Mrs. Miles soon convinced the poor woman that she was a friend; and,
before the visit was ended, she found that though one was very poor, and
the other comparatively rich, there was one tie which bound them
together,--they both loved Christ, and looked forward to living with him
forever in heaven.
When she rose to go she said to Johnny,--
"I'll take the dollar with me, and ask my husband what shall be done to
find the owner, and I'll see about the work for you right away. Why,"
she added, with a smile, "I can earn a dollar a day closing socks; and I
never was called smart with my needle; so keep up good courage. Better
days are coming for us."
"But I've tried a great many times to get work," answered the poor
woman, shaking her head. "They always told me there was none."
Mrs. Miles gave her head a little toss, as much as to say, "No one need
tell me that story." Then she laughed as she exclaimed,--
"Well, if I can't get work for you, I'll bring you mine. You need it
more than I do. Now don't cry,--it will hurt your eyes; but say your
prayers and go to bed. I'll be sure to come again soon."
When she shut the door, Mrs. Talbot began to cry; but these were happy
tears, which brought relief to her overburdened heart. Then she said to
Johnny,--
"Let us kneel down and thank God for sending us such a friend."
"O mother!" exclaimed the boy, when they arose from prayer; "wasn't that
bread and butter nice? I never tasted anything so good."
"Yes, dear; and when your father was alive we had bread and butter every
day."
The next morning, when the little boy went to his work, he looked all
about for his kind friend; but he did not see her until he had been
dismissed for dinner. He was passing along the sidewalk, when he heard a
tap on the window of a house close by, and, looking up, he saw Mrs.
Miles beckoning to him. She had a bundle rolled up in a towel, which she
told him to give his mother, and tell her she would have company in the
evening.
And true enough, just as Ella was safely in bed, there was a knock at
the humble door, and Mrs. Miles walked in, followed by her husband.
Johnny had never seen this gentleman except in the factory; and then he
looked very grave as he talked with the men or with merchants who came
from the city. Now it was very different. His young wife had told him a
pitiful story about the widow; and he came prepared to help her.
"So you were lucky to-day, Johnny, and found a dollar," he began, taking
the silver piece from his pocket. "I have made inquiries for you, and
can find no one who claims it; so I think you may keep it with a good
conscience."
Johnny's eager face expressed his thanks.
"What would you like to buy with it?"
"A pair of shoes, sir."
"Well, come on to the shoe-store."
"Yes," said the lady, with a smile; "and while you are gone, I'll give
Mrs. Talbot a lesson in closing the seams of the stockings."