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A little girl
stood near a small church from which she had been turned away
because it was 'too
crowded.'
'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, and 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. Her 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 red 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
wealthy realtor who offered them a parcel of land worth many
thousands.
When told that
the church could not pay so much, he offered to sell it to the
little church for 57 cents.
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 dividends.
When you are in
the city of Philadelphia
, look up
Temple Baptist
Church, with a seating capacity of 3,300.
And be sure to visit Temple University, where thousands of
students are educated.
Have a look,
too, at the Good
Samaritan
Hospital and at a Sunday School building which houses hundreds
of beautiful children, built 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. Russell H. Conwell, author of
the book, 'Acres of Diamonds'..
This is a true
story, which goes to show WHAT GOD CAN DO WITH 57 CENTS.
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