The Five-Dollar Gold Piece
*’ ‘A friend,’ says a venerable clergyman. Rev. Mr. H,
’ at a time when gold was scarce, made me a present of a five-dollar gold piece. I resolved not to spend it, and for a long time carried it in my pocket as a token of friendship. In riding about the country, I one day fell in with an acquaintance, who presented a subscription-book for the erection of a church in a destitute place.
“* I can do nothing for you, Mr. B,’ said I; ’ my heart
is in this good undertaking, but my pocket is <»,ntirely empty; having no money, you must excuse me.’
“‘Oh, certainly,’ said he; ‘all right, sir. We know you always give when it is in your power.’
“We parted; and after I had proceeded sorofi distance, I bethought me of the piece of gold in my vest pocket. ‘What,’ said I to myself, ‘I told that man I had no money, when I had by me all the time this gold pocket-piece. This was an untruth, and I have done wrong.’ I kept reproaching myself in this way until I stopped, and took from my pock«t the five-dollar piece.
“‘Of what use,’ said I, ’ is this piece of money, stowed away so nicely in my pocket?’ I made up my mind to turn back, and rode as fast as I could until I overtook Mr. B,
to whom I gave the coin, and resumed my journey.
“A few days after, I stopped at the house of a lady, who treated me very hospitably, for which I could make no return, except in thanks and Christian counsel. When I took leave, she slipped into my vest pocket a little folded paper, which she told me to give to my wife. I supposed it was some trifle for the children, and thought no more of it until I reached home. I handed it to my wife, who opened it, and to my astonishment it was a fiverdollar gold piece, the identical pocket-piece I had parted with hut a few days before. I knew it was the same, for I had made a mark upon it; how this had been brought about was a mystery, but that the hand of the Lord was in it I could not doubt. See,’ said I to my wife; ‘I thought I gave that money, but I only lent it; how soon has the Lord returned it! Never again will I doubt his word.’
“I afterward learned that Mr. B had paid over the coin
to the husband of the lady at whose house I staid, along with some other money, in payment for lumber, and he had given it to his wife.
“Take my advice, and when appealed to for aid, fear not to give of your poverty; depend upon it the Lord will not let you lose by it, if you wish to do good. If you wish to prosper, Give, and it shall be given unto you; for with the same measure that ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.’ Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.’”