"I
can't go to Sunday School," she
sobbed to the pastor as he walked
by.
Seeing her shabby, unkempt
appearance, the pastor guessed the
reason and, taking her by the hand,
took her inside and found a place
for her in the Sunday school class.
The child was so happy that they
found room for her, that she went to
bed that night thinking of the
children who have no place to
worship Jesus.
Some two years later, this child lay
dead in one of the poor
tenement buildings and the parents
called for the kindhearted pastor,
who had befriended their daughter,
to handle the final arrangements.
As her poor little body was being
moved, a worn and crumpled purse
was found which seemed to have been
rummaged from some trash dump.
Inside was found 57! cents and a
note scribbled in childish
handwriting which read, "This is to
help build the little church bigger
so more children can go to Sunday
School. For two years she had saved
for this offering of love.
When the pastor tearfully read that
note, he knew instantly what
he would do. Carrying this note and
the cracked, red pocketbook to
the pulpit, he told the story of her
unselfish love and devotion.
He challenged his deacons to get
busy and raise enough money for
the larger building.
But the story does not end there!
A
newspaper learned of the story and
published it. It was read by
a Realtor who offered them a parcel
of land worth many thousands. When
told that the church could not pay
so much, he sold it to them for
57 cents.
THE ABOVE
PARAGRAPH IS NOT 100% ACCURATE. IT
IS AS I RECEIVED IT. A LINK BELOW
WILL TAKE YOU TO THE FULL STORY AS
TOLD IN THE PASTORS OWN WORDS.
Church members made large donations.
Checks came from far and
wide. Within five years the little
girl's gift had increased
to $250,000.00 a huge sum for that
time (near the! turn of the
century). Her unselfish love had
paid large dividend.
When you are in the city of
Philadelphia, look up Temple
Baptist Church, with a seating
capacity of 3,300 and Temple
University, where hundreds of
students are trained.
Have a look, too, at the Good
Samaritan Hospital and at a Sunday
School building which houses
hundreds of Sunday Schoolers, so
that no child in the area will ever
need to be left outside during
Sunday school time.
In
one of the rooms of this building
may be seen the picture of the sweet
face of the little girl whose 57
cents, so sacrificially saved, made
such remarkable history. Alongside
of it is a portrait of her
kind pastor, Dr. Russel H. Conwell,
author of the book, "Acres of
Diamonds"
