One day, recently, a lady was crossing a certain station, when an old man stopped her and said:
“Excuse me, ma’am, but I want to thank you for something.” “Thank me,” exclaimed the lady.
“Yes, ma’am. I used to be ticket collector at B., and whenever you used to go by, you always gave me a cheerful smile and a good morning, and you do not know what a difference it made to me. Wet or fine it was always the same, and I thought to myself, I wonder where she gets that smile from; one cannot be always happy, yet she seems to be, and I knew that smile came from inside.
“Then one morning you came by, and you had a little Bible in your hand, and I said to myself, perhaps that is where she gets her smile from. As I went home that night I bought a Bible, and have been reading it, and have found Christ; and now I can smile, too, and I want to thank you.”
For Thou exceedest all the fame
Our ears have ever heard;
How happy we who know Thy name,
And trust Thy faithful Word.
ML 02/11/1945