ere the proceeds of an Orphan-Box in a meeting place of
believers, and 85l. from a poor widow, who had sold her little house,
being all her property, and who had put 90l., the total amount she had
received, into that Orphan-Box two months before, on June 9, 1853. In
this box the money remained till it was opened, and then the 90l., with
a few lines, without name, were found in it. As, however, the fact of
her intending to sell the house, and sending me the money, for the
Lord's work, had been known to the brother, who sent me the money, he
did not feel free to send it to me, without remonstrating with her
through two brethren, whom he sent with the money, offering it again to
her; for he knew her to be very poor, and feared that this might be an
act of excitement, and therefore be regretted afterwards. These brethren
could not prevail on her to receive back the money, but they did
persuade her to receive back 5l. of the amount, and then the brother,
referred to, felt no longer free to keep the money from me, but sent me
the 85l.

On the receipt of this I wrote at once to the poor Godly widow, offering
her the traveling expenses for coming to Bristol, that I might have
personal intercourse with her; for I feared lest this should be an act
of excitement, and the more so, as she had received back 5l. of the sum.
This sister in the Lord, a widow of about 60 years of age, came to
Bristol, and told me in all simplicity how ten years before, in the year
1843, she had purposed that, if ever she should come into the possession
of the little house in which she lived with her husband, she would sell
it, and give the proceeds to the Lord. About five years afterwards her
husband died, and she, having no children, nor any particular claim upon
her, then sought to dispose of her little property. However one
difficulty after the other prevented her being able to effect a sale. At
last she felt in particular difficulty on account of her inability to
pay the yearly ground rent of the house and garden, and she asked the
Lord to enable her to sell the property, in order that she might be able
to carry out her desire, which she had had for ten years. He now helped
her; the house was sold, the money paid, and she put the whole 90l. into
the Orphan Box for me, being assured that the Lord would direct me how
best the money might be used for Him.--I still questioned her again
and again to find out, whether it was not excitement which had led her