The old woman was blessing him. She held out her hands like a patriarch:
"Oh, that was such a beautiful prayer! I'll not forget the words all the
night through and for many a night. The Lord Himself bless ye! Are you a
preacher's son, perhaps?"

He shook his head; but he had no smile upon his face at the thought, as
he might have had five minutes before.

"Well, then, yer surely goin' to be a preacher yerself?"

"No," he said; then added, thoughtfully, "not that I know of." The
suggestion struck him curiously as one who hears for the first time that
there is a possibility that he may be selected for some important
foreign embassy.

"Well, then, yer surely a blessed child o' God Himself, anyhow, and this
is a great night fer this poor little room to be honored with a pretty
prayer like that!"

Scarcely hearing her, he said good night and went thoughtfully down the
dark stairs, a strange sense of peace upon him. Curiously enough, while
he felt that he had left the Presence up in that little dismal room, it
yet seemed to be moving beside him, touching his soul, breathing upon
him! He was so engrossed with this thought that it never occurred to him
that he had given the old woman every cent he had in his pocket. He had
forgotten entirely that he had been hungry. A great world-wonder was
moving within his spirit. He could not understand himself. He went back
with awe over the last few minutes and the strange new world into which
he had been so suddenly plunged.