“The Travellers in the Snow.”  Two travellers were on a journey in a sleigh during a very severe winter.  It was snowing fast as they drove along.  One of the travellers was a liberal, generous-hearted man, who believed in giving; and was always ready to share whatever he had with others.  His companion was a selfish ungenerous man.  He did not believe in giving; and liked to keep whatever he had for himself.  As they drove along, they saw something covered up in the snow that looked like the figure of a man.  “Look there,” said the generous man to his friend, “that must be some poor fellow overcome by the cold.  Let’s stop and see what we can do for him.”

“You can get out, if you like,” was his reply, “but it’s too cold for me.  I intend to stay where I am;” and he wrapped his furs closely round him.

The other traveller threw aside his furs and jumped out of the sleigh.  He found it was a poor man, who had sunk down in the snow a short time before, overcome by the cold.  He shook the snow from him, and began to rub his hands and face and feet.  He kept on rubbing for a good while.  At last the man began to get warm again and was saved from death.  Then the generous-hearted traveller helped him into the sleigh, and shared his wrappings with him.  The exertion he had made in doing this kind act put him all in a glow of warmth.  He made the rest of the journey in comfort.  But when they stopped at the end of their journey, the selfish man, who was not willing to do anything for the help of another, had his fingers, and toes, and nose, and ears frozen.  This illustrates the lesson of liberality; and shows that “giving is God’s rule for getting.”

Here we see the truth of the lines which someone has written: 

  “Numb and weary on the mountain
    Wouldst thou sleep amidst the snow? 
  Chafe the frozen form beside thee,
    And together both shall glow. 
  Art thou stricken in life’s battle? 
    Many wounded round thee moan;
  Lavish on their wounds thy balsams,
    And that balm shall heal thine own.”

“The Officer and the Soldier.”  In one of the terrible battles in Virginia, during the late war, a Union officer fell wounded in front of the Confederate breastwork, which had been attacked.  His wounds brought on a raging fever, and he lay on the ground crying piteously for water.  A kind-hearted Confederate soldier heard the touching cry, and leaping over the fortifications, with his canteen in his hand, he crawled up to the poor fellow and gave him a drink of water.  O, what a comfort this was to the wounded man!  His heart was filled with gratitude towards this generous and noble soldier.  He pulled out his gold watch from his pocket, and cheerfully offered it to his benefactor; but he refused to take it.  Then he asked the soldier’s name and residence.  He said his name was James Moore, and that he lived in Burke County, North Carolina.  Then they parted.  This noble soldier afterwards lost a limb in one of the Virginia battles, and returned to his home as a cripple.