king for a special offering for a needy field in the West. With the
letter was literature setting forth the need. The call appealed to him and
with good heart he prepared a special sermon, calling the attention of his
people to the great need.

Sabbath morning came and he preached the sermon. But somehow it did not
just seem to hook in. That banker down there on the left looked listless,
and yawned a couple of times behind his hand. And the merchant over on the
right, who could give freely, examined his watch secretly more than once.
And so it was with a little tinge of discouragement insistently creeping
into his spirit that he finished, and sat down. And he remained with head
bowed in prayer that the results might prove better than seemed likely,
while the church officers passed down the aisles with the collection
plates.

Meanwhile something unseen by human eye was going on in the very last pew.
Back there, sitting alone, was a little girl of a poor family. She had met
with a misfortune which left her crippled. And her whole life seemed so
dark and hopeless. But some kind friends in the church, pitying her
condition, had made up a small fund and bought her a pair of crutches. And
these had seemed to transform her completely. She went about her rounds
always as cheery and bright as a bit of sunshine.

She had listened to the sermon, and her heart had been strangely warmed by
the preacher's story of need. And as he was finishing she was thinking,
"How I wish I might give something. But I haven't anything to give, not
even a copper left." And a very soft voice within seemed to say very
softly, but very distinctly, "There are your crutches." "Oh," she gasped
to herself as though it took away her very breath, "my crutches? I
couldn't give my _crutches_; they're my _life_." And that strangely clear
voice went on, so quietly, "Yes--you _could_--and then some one would know
of Jesus--if you did--and that would mean so much to them--He's meant so
much to you--give your crutches." And her breath seemed to fail her at the
thought. And so the little woman had her fight all unseen and unknown by
those in the church. And by and by the victory came. And she sat with a
beautiful light in her tearful eyes, and a smile coming to her lips,
waiting for the plate to get to her pew.

And the man with the plate came down the aisle to the end. It seemed
hardly worth while reaching it into the last pew. Just little Maggie
sitting there al