“I waited until it was late, and then slipped in and took a seat behind the door.

“I listened with streaming eyes to the missionary’s account of the destitution and darkness in heathen lands.  Poor as I was, I felt it to be a great privilege to live in a Christian land and to be able to read my Bible.

“It was proposed by our pastor that the congregation should fill a box and send it out with the missionary on his return.

“O,” thought I, “how I would like to send something.”  “When I returned home my poor children were still sleeping soundly, and my disconsolate husband waiting my return, for he had been out of employment some time.  After he had gone to bed I went to looking over my clothes, but I could find nothing that was suitable that I could possibly spare; then I began looking over the children’s things, but could find nothing that the poor dears could be deprived of; so I went to bed with a heavy heart, and lay a long time thinking of the destitution of the poor heathen, and how much better off I was.

“I got to thinking over my little stock again.  There was nothing I could put into the box except two brown towels.

“Next day I got my towels, pieced out the best one, and when it was almost dark, put on my bonnet, went to the church, slipped my towel into the box, and came away thinking that the Lord knew I had done what I could.

“And now, ladies, let me tell you it was not long after that till my husband got into a good situation; and prosperity has followed us ever since.  So I date back my prosperity to this incident of the brown towel.”

Her story was done, and, as her carriage was waiting at the door, she took her departure, leaving us all mute with surprise that one so rich and generous had been trained to give amid poverty.

GIVING BLESSED.

A merchant of St. Petersburg, at his own cost, supported several native missionaries in India, and gave liberally to the cause of Christ at home.  On being asked how he could afford to do it, he replied: 

“Before my conversion, when I served the world and self, I did it on a grand scale, and at the most lavish expense.  And when God by his grace called me out of darkness, I resolved that Christ and his cause should have more than I had ever spent for the world.  And as to giving so much, it is God who enables me to do it; for, at my conversion, I solemnly promised that I would give to his cause a fixed proportion of all that my business brought in to me; and every year since I made that promise, it has brought me in about double what it did the year before, so that I easily can, as I do, double my gifts for his service.”

And so good old John Bunyan tells us,

    “A man there was, some called him mad,
     The more he gave, the more he had.”