She read the Bible to him and sang sweet hymns and prayed by his
bedside. He was not a Christian and she hoped that he would be led to
Christ. But at length he recovered and went out again, unchanged, or
even more indifferent than ever to his spiritual interests. All the
faithful teacher's work seemed to have been in vain. Then she learned
that a frail, invalid girl, living in an adjoining house, had been
brought to Christ through the loving work done for the careless
scholar. The songs sung by the sick man's bedside, and which seemed to
have left no blessing in his heart, had been heard through the thin
wall of the house in the girl's sick-room, and had told her of the love
of the Saviour.
The records of Christian ministry are full of such good work done
unintentionally. Failing to leave a blessing where it was hoped a
blessing would be received, it blessed some other life. We may not say
that any good work has failed until we know in the last great harvest
all the results of the things we have done and the words we have spoken.
"Not all who seem to fail have failed indeed;
Not all who fail have therefore worked in vain;
For all our acts to many issues lead;
And out of earnest purpose, pure and plain,
Enforced by honest toil of hand or brain,
The Lord will fashion in his own good time
(Be this the laborer's proudly humble creed),
Such ends as in his wisdom, fitliest chime
With his vast love's eternal harmonies.
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