The ladies of that congregation were accustomed to meet weekly at the parsonage to sew for those in need. The next week a lady who was visiting in the place came with her friends, and as she entered the parlor she tossed a bundle into the lap of the minister's wife, saying, "Mrs. ----, here is a present for you." The present was a dress pattern of the same kind of material she had intended to purchase. And as she thought to herself, "God has given me this in place of what I have given," she was reminded of the words, "Give, and it shall be given to you." But that was not the end. A short time afterwards she received a letter from the Secretary of the Board of Missions, enclosing a printed copy of her own letter, and asking if she were the author of it; and added, "If so, a large-hearted man in New York has authorized me to send you twenty-five dollars, with a special request that you purchase a dress worth five dollars, and give the rest to your husband and children." There was her five dollars back, with four times as much more added to it. THE BROWN TOWEL. The editor of _The Christian Woman_ tells the story of a poor woman who, in her anxiety to give to the Lord, could find nothing but a poor brown towel. "They must be very poor who have _nothing_ to give," said Mrs. Jarvis, as she deposited a pair of beautiful English blankets in a box that was being filled by the ladies of the church to be sent to the poor. "And now, ladies, as you are nearly through, I would like to tell you an incident in my history; I was once very poor." "You once very poor?" said a lady. "Yes; I was once _very poor_. There came to our village a missionary to deliver a lecture. I felt very desirous to go; but having no decent apparel to wear, I was often deprived of going to church, although I was a member. "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.