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By George MacDonald
"There was once a woman whose husband was well to do, but he diedand left her, and then she sank into poverty. She did her best; butshe had a large family, and work was hard to find, and hard to dowhen it was found, and hardly paid when it was done. Only hearts ofgrace can understand the struggles of the poor—with everything butGod against them! But she trusted in God, and said whatever hepleased must be right, whether he sent it with his own hand or not.
"Now, whether it was that she could not find them enough to eat, orthat she could not keep them warm enough, I do not know; I do notthink it was that they had not gladness enough, which is asnecessary for young things as food and air and sun, for it iswonderful on how little a child can be happy; but whatever was thecause, they began to die. One after the other sickened and lay down,and did not rise again; and for a time her life was just a waitingupon death. She would have wanted to die herself, but that there wasalways another to die first; she had to see them all safe homebefore she dared wish to go herself. But at length the last of themwas gone, and then when she had no more to provide for, the heart ofwork went out of her: where was the good of working for herself!there was no interest in it! But she knew it was the will of God sheshould work and eat until he chose to take her back to himself; soshe worked on for her living while she would much rather have workedfor her dying; and comforted herself that every day brought death aday nearer. Then she fell ill herself, and could work no more, andthought God was going to let her die; for, able to win her bread nolonger, surely she was free to lie down and wait for death! But justas she was going to her bed for the last time, she bethought herselfthat she was bound to give her neighbour the chance of doing a gooddeed: and felt that any creature dying at her door without lettingher know he was in want, would do her a great wrong. She saw it wasthe will of God that she should beg, so put on her clothes again,and went out to beg. It was sore work, and she said so to thepriest. But the priest told her she need not mind, for our Lordhimself lived by the kindness of the women who went about with him.They knew he could not make a living for his own body and a livingfor the souls of so many as well, and the least they could do was tokeep him alive who was making them alive. She said that was verytrue; but he was all the time doing everything for everybody, andshe was doing nothing for anybody. The priest was a wise man, anddid not tell her how she had, since ever he knew her, been doing thework of God in his heart, helping him to believe and trust in God;so that in fact, when he was preaching, she was preaching. He didnot tell her that, I say, for he was jealous over her beauty, andwould have Christ's bel