Miscellany: John Caspar Lavater And The Poor Widow

It was the practice with Lavater to reo! overy morning severa I chapters froin the Bi üIp, und select frum ihetn ono pnrticular pass nge for frequent nnd special moditntions during the day.' One morning nfter reading the fifih and sixth cliapters of the gospel of St. Muttliew, he exclnimed what a treasure of morality - howdiffieult to make choice of nny pnrticular portion of it :ft After n few mo ments co.idideration, he threw himself pon hia knees, and pmyed for divine guidanee. When he joifjod nis wife et dinner. she asked him what passage of script ore he had cliosen lor the duy. 'Give lo him thnt Bbketli thee, nnd frotn hini ihat would bormw of thee, ("urn not thou away," Was the reply. - 'And hw is tliis to be uridersióod7' s;.id the wife. 'Givetohim that oslrpth thee, nnd j froui !i;ni tliat wonld borrow of thee, turn nn! thou a --voy, are the words of him,' rejbined Lvater, 'to whom all and everv thinrr bn!ong-s ihat íposfie.s. I nm the stpvvard, not the proprif.'tur. Tlie proprietor dósires mo to give him who asks of me. nnd not refuse him wfm would bnrrow of mo; or, iii olhor órtis, if I have two cóatP, ï must give onc to him lhi' ras none, nnd if I havefood, I must ehare, with him that is an hunfremd nnd in want. This I innst (in vvitliouf bpin,rr akcl; how much more, tlien, wlien as-kc-d?' 'This,' continnes Iavater in his diary, 'oppoared tome to be so tvidently and incnnlrovertihiy the mehriirig f the verdee in quéstion. that F speke witli m.ire ihan my usual vvaMiith, mv wifc mide no furtlier repl)' th;in that we wonlil tukc tliose thiugs to heart. 1 lihd PtíficéíV lol'; my dining íoorn a few mo tínts, befóte na nprd w'idow desired to .(,e;ik with me, and bhe was iiown into my siuuy. 'Forjive me, denr sir,' she snid. 'exi-ue liie liberty Inmabout to tnke. I am truly ashained, hut my rent i. due to-aiorr'ow, and F ii m th'-rt of erit do'l'irs. I have heen confined to bed with 6ÍcRíié6P, and my poor ■rhild is ncnrl'y stnrviiiir; every penny that I could sn-te, f have luid üside to meet this de ruand, butéix dollurs are yct vvanting, and 'o inorrow is lerm c!ny.' fiere she operd m pn"cel wliicli s'ie held in her h:ind. and said: This is n buok with n silvpr clitsp, whioh my late h'-soniül p-ive r.ic ttte d v we wee arried. Il i. ni! I cn ?parc of' the few anieles I posses, and stne it is te pnrt wiihit. 1 orn awiirc it is not en iigli, nor do 1 -ee how I con repay, but, (Jöaf sir. jf yon can, du assistme.''I nm vory sorry rry cood womnn, tliat I C'innoi liflp vnu,' sfiii] I, and palrjng my h.ind inio my pocket, I acciilentnlly felt my purse, wliich contained itboiit tsvo dolhr.s: he$e 1 su id cnnnot extricnte hcr from diffieulty for she rcquíies í-ix; besificf, if even they could, I hnve need of this mnney for eome other purposes. - Tummgf to the widow, I so id: 'Havc vou no frir-nds, no relativos, who could give von ihis triflo?' No, not a sou). I nm aslinmed to po. from honseto honse. I would rntlier work d;y and n ght. My excuse Cor bemg heré, '?y (lint people spek so rrmcli ol' your goodnesf. - Tf, howcver, yu cnnnot nsíiíit nip, yon will at least forgivo me I he inirusion: íind Goti, wlio lias never yet foreoken m, wil! no turn me awny in my sixty sixth yenri' At tliis mornont, ílie door of my npnrtment )peiiod, nnd my wife entered. I was nshnmpci nud ve::;d, plüdlv would I hnve sent hor oíF. for conscience whíspered, {,'ive to liim thitt askeih of ihee, nnd of him that would borrow of thee turn Ihou uot away.' Slie carne up to me and eaid witli much sivcetneps, 'this is a íjood oíd womnn, she has certainJy íieen ill of Inie, assist !nr f yon can.' Sluime and com paesion etruggled in my darkened b-oul. 'I have bnt iwo dollars,' I said in a vvl.ispcr and she reqnires six. - 'IMI give her a trin? in hnul and let her go. - Lnyjng her band on my arm, and smilinjr n my fnce, my wife snid nloiul whnt consciance had whispered before, 'G've to liim tliat asiteih of tliee, and from li ni tlmt would borrow of thee, turn not thou awny.' I bliisliod and replied with some lit'I'.1 vcxM'iun - Won ld ymi give your rin for tiat purpose?' 'With pleasure, answered my wire, off her ring1. The good o!d widow was eilher too piniple or too mode:-t t" noiice what wns póirrjï on, oud was preparing to rulire, wben my wife reqnosted her to unit in the lobby. Wiien wc were left alone, I apkrd my wife, 'Are you in barnest abont the ring?' 'Certainly, huw can yon doubt it?' site nid, do ynu tliii.k I would tnflo wiih chantyf 'KtMiicniber wlini you ?ajj] to me a yar ag-o; 'Oh, ray dear friend. fel ns not make a show of the gospH.' Y"" Ríe in general so kind, 6O Bympnthiing, how is it that yon f;nd it so difticull to assist the poor woman? Why did you not without hesit'-tion. give her whut yon had in your pocket? And did you no. kuow that th?re were yet six dollars in your desk, and thaf. the 'nartcr will bc paid to U8 in less than eightliüvöt She ihcti udded wiili mucli fêëtTrtgv 'Take no thought lor yoir life, wliat yeshall pat, or wliat ye hall dink, nor vet your body, whl yo shnll put on. Behold the fowls of the air; they tow nor, neitherdo thoy mup or L'ntlior int o birn, yet your hsavenly fa hor Tiedoth theni.' I kisscd my wiie, whüe tears rulled down my cherks. Thnnksj a thousand thanks, Tor this huniil - at ion!' I turned to ihe desk - took from it tiiesix dollars, nnd oponed the door to cali the poor widow. 'Tïere is wliat you necel,' Í said. addressing the widow. At first Fho scemed not to onderstand wlmt I inennt, and lliougbt I wns oiTering hor a smal] contrihution, for which she thnnked me nrid pressed my hnnd; ppreeiving1 tliat I liad civen lier the wliole Bum, elie scarcely could find words to expre.ss her fieoling. She crifd, 'Denr i?ir, T ennnot repny; all I posFe?8 is this poor bnok, nnd it is old.' 'Keep your book,' I said, and the money too, and thonk God and not me, for I deserve no thunks, after hnving so ]onr resi.sled your entreaties; go in pence and forgive an erring b rot her.' I returned to rny wife with downcast looks, bul she Éthiied nnd páidj 'do not tnke it so much at lieart, iny friencl, you yieided nl my first suggestion; hut promise mo so long as I wcar a golden ring on my iinger, and you know that I possess severa! bes!de?, yon will liever allow yourself to say lo any poor person, 'I ennnot help you.1 Sbe kissed me and left the apartment. VVhen I fourtd rnyself alone, T snt down and wro'e tltis accouni in my diary, in order to humble my deceittul heart, tliis heart which no longer ago than yesterd'iy, dicla'ed the words, 'Of all characters in the world, there is none I more anx'iously desire to nvoid tlian n hypotnle,' vet to preach the whole moral law nnd Oi'fil niily pnrt of it. is hyjr crisy. ] rend over once ftíorpj the ciiapler I luid rca( in the mrtrniiffe wifh so litüe oenefit, and fel i more and mnre athamed and convineed tba t.hero was no pcace except where precept an prnclice are in perfect acconianee. pe::cefu!ly and liappily I might have pnded ihis ox.y, liall ,-ictetl up conscicritiously lo the blessed doctrine ) preach.