but
their oft-proved Bank of Faith and Prayer, and of Mr. Weaver's coming
North for help, and his return, telling his wife he hardly ever felt so
discouraged. She handed him a letter which came in his absence. On
opening it, he exclaimed, "Bless the Lord! here is a check for $250."
Reading the letter, he shouted, "Praise the Lord! it is $2,500," and he
has been praising Him ever since and praying for more, for he needs
about twice as much to complete and furnish the building, which is 70x46
feet, and three stories high.

The people of Gloucester and adjacent counties have taken about a dozen
rooms to finish and furnish at a cost of $50 to $100 each, and yet there
will be many more wanted by the boys for the coming winter. All the
work, including the plans and supervision, has been done by colored men,
assisted quite largely by the boys of the school. Who will supplement
the magnificent gift of Mrs. Powers of Philadelphia by small or large
amounts?

* * * * *

A PRAYERFUL AND INDUSTRIOUS FAMILY.

One of our deacons is the father and grandfather of a large number of
people among whom he lives, and by whom he is greatly honored. He and
his aged wife, who is good as can be, like himself, toil for their
living all the week, and walk six miles Sunday morning to church.
Sometimes she fails, for she is not quite so strong as her husband, but
he is seldom absent. One of his sons-in-law, who has himself a son in
Talladega College, is the most prompt and regular attendant the church
has, and he comes the same six miles. These are not only faithful in
church attendance, but are also to be counted among the truest of
upright, honest, pure, industrious people.

Between twenty and twenty-five years ago, when they did not have homes
of their own, they rented of a man, who, like Shylock, would hold them
close to their bargain. One year the "destroyer" came, and crops were
short everywhere. When the day was at hand for the landlord to come with
his wagons for his share of the crop, they were greatly distressed.
Acting upon the advice of a Christian woman, who was among them as their
first teacher, they observed a day of rigid fasting and earnest prayer.
"They were heard in that they feared." The dreaded day arrived; the man
came with his wagons. In fear and trembling they turned everything over
to him, but to their surprise he kindly said that he knew it had been a
bad year. His crops, also, had been