Islands -- Fiction; Love stories; New England -- Fiction; Swindlers and swindling -- Fiction
here, as well as over others who dwell in more favored spots, and that
we have a new and greater cause for thankfulness. Many times we have
repined at our hard lot, at our scanty stores of sustenance and the
bitterness of poverty; many times, too, some of us have felt the burden
of our lives hard to bear, and almost doubted the good Lord's
watchfulness and care over all who believe in His word. It is this lack
of faith, and this lesson of His goodness, even unto us, that I wish to
impress upon your minds to-day, for, although we are but poor and
humble, illy fed and thinly clad, yet we are not forgotten by Him, the
Great Ruler of the Universe."
This peculiar and unusual reference to a mere matter of business and
Winn's mission to Rockhaven did not end his discourse, but it kept that
young man's attention away from all else until the minister closed and
bowed his head in prayer, and, when the inevitable and long-handled
collection box was passed, Winn felt he must, perforce, contribute
liberally, which he did.
When the congregation was dismissed and he and Mrs. Moore reached the
porch, there was Jess with two ladies, one elderly, and the girl Winn
had noticed in Rock Lane, seemingly awaiting him. An introduction to
Mrs. and Miss Hutton followed, and then all five walked homeward
together.
It is said that trifles determine our course in life, that, like chips
floating down the stream, we are moved hither and yon by imperceptible
forces. If it is so with one, it is with all, and was so with the people
of Rockhaven, and their estimate and subsequent opinion of Winn Hardy.
He attended that poor little church that day out of kindly regard for
Mrs. Moore's wishes, he listened patiently to services and the sermon,
only a few sentences of which interested him, and, of course, conducted
himself as any well-behaved and well-bred young man would. And yet that
trivial act was the starting-point in the good will and confidence of
those people, the worth of which he realized not at all then and never
fully until long afterward.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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