Page 98 - Living Epistles

assurance that to wait His time was best, and that God in some way or other
would interpose on my behalf. So I waited, my heart being now at rest and
the burden gone.

"About five o'clock that Saturday afternoon, when Dr. Hardey had finished
writing his prescriptions, his last circuit for the day being taken, he threw
himself back in his arm-chair, as he was wont, and began to speak of the
things of God. He was a truly Christian man, and many seasons of happy
fellowship we had together. I was busily watching, at the time, a pan in
which a decoction was boiling that required a good deal of attention. It was
indeed fortunate for me that it was so, for without any obvious connection
with what had been going on, all at once he said

'By the by, Taylor, is not your salary due again?'

"My emotion may be imagined. I had to swallow two or three times before
I could answer. With my eye fixed on the pan and my back to the doctor, I
told him as quietly as I could that it was overdue some little time. How
thankful I felt at that moment! God surely had heard my prayer and caused
him in this time of my great need to remember the salary without any word
or suggestion from me. He replied,

"'Oh, I am so sorry you did not remind me! You know how busy I am. I wish
I had thought of it a little sooner, for only this afternoon I sent all the money
I had to the bank. Otherwise I would pay you at once."

"It is impossible to describe the revulsion of feeling caused by this unexpected
statement. I knew not what to do. Fortunately for me the pan boiled up and
I had a good reason for rushing with it from the room. Glad indeed I was to
get away and keep out of sight until after Dr. Hardey had returned to his
house, and most thankful that he had not perceived my emotion.

"As soon as he was gone I had to seek my little sanctum and pour out my
heart before the Lord for some time before calmness, and more than
calmness, thankfulness and joy were restored. I felt that God had His own
way, and was not going to fail me. I had sought to know His will early in the
day, and as far as I could judge had received guidance to wait patiently. And
now God was going to work for me in some other way.

"That evening was spent, as my Saturday evenings usually were, in reading