Christian fiction; Love stories; Man-woman relationships -- Fiction; Nineteen twenties -- Fiction; Young women -- Fiction
Joyce did not get up as early as she had planned. She had been utterly
worn out with the experiences of the last two days and human flesh will
have its revenge. The sun stole into her little casement windows, and
laid warm fingers on her brown hair, but she did not feel them. She was
sleeping deeply. It was the grocery boy with the little yellow Ford
from the store across the way that finally reached her consciousness.
He was possessed of a clear, sharp whistle, and a jazzy tenor voice
and when he was not using one he was using the other while he unloaded
boxes from the freight station.
Joyce roused at last, rubbed her eyes and looked around, for a moment
forgetting where she was. The little house was full of sweet air and
brilliant sunshine, and in the maples overhead two robins were singing
with all their might. The world sounded cheerful and busy and she felt
rested and more ready for life than when she had crept between her
newspapers the night before.
As her eyes wandered over her own painted walls suddenly she saw the
two five dollar bills pinned there, waving a little in the morning
breeze. Where could they have come from? Had some one, a former
occupant, pinned them there for safe-keeping while at work? And must
she waste her valuable time going out to hunt for the owner? Then she
spied the ragged edge of one bill, and a crooked tear half way across,
and noticed that the other was crisp and new. These must be the bills
she had paid the men for their work! That tear was unmistakable. She
had been afraid it would tear all the way across before she got rid
of it. The other two bills she had used had been crisp and new. She
remembered that the man who drove the truck got a crisp, new one. It
was the two older men who had left this money for her. The kindly
spirit of the rough workmen drew sudden tears to her eyes. To think
that such a beautiful act should be done by rough workingmen who were
utter strangers to her. Gentlemen at heart they were. Ah, more than
that, God’s men. Surely her Heavenly Father, knowing her need, had let
them be his ministers. She knelt suddenly beside the wooden box and
prayed a blessing on the men, and a thanksgiving to the Father who
had thus given His help, and arose feeling strengthened. Somehow the
nearness of God her Father, Christ her Companion had become real to her
in a new sense. Some might have said this little bit of money came from
the kindness of humanity, and proved nothing about an overruling God.
Joyce knew better. She had the inner witness in her soul that God was
with her, the spiritual sense that comes to those, and those only, who
believe, and who yield their lives to leading because of that belief,
which becomes Faith, the Faith of our fathers. Because Faith is the
gift of God in answer to our deliberate act of belief. Joyce had no
question but that her Father’s hand was in every happening of her life
and had one suggested that all these things would have happened anyway,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account