[ Copyright, 1886.] 
 
 No. 76. 
 
 GIVERS FOR-JESUS. 
 
 “Of a truth, I say unto you that this—hath cast in more than they all; for 
 all these have of their abundance cast into the offerings of God ; but she of 
 her penury hath cast in all—that she had.”— St. Luke, 21 : 3, 4. 
 
 I N the beautiful island of Ceylon many years ago, the native 
 Christians who had long worshipped in bungalows and old 
 Dutch chapels, decided that they must have a church built 
 for themselves. Enthusiastic givers were each eager to forward 
 the new enterprise. But to the amazment of all, Maria Peabody 
 a lone orphan girl, who had been a beneficiary in the girl’s 
 school at Oodooville, came forward and offered to give the land 
 upon which to build, which was the best site in her native village. 
 
 Not only was it all she owned in this world, but far more, it 
 was her marriage portion, and in making this gift, in the eyes of 
 every native she renounced all hopes of being married. As this 
 alternative in the East was regarded as an awful step, many 
 thought her beside herself and tried to persuade her from such 
 an act of renunciation. “ No,” said Maria, “ I have given it to 
 Jesus, and as He has accepted it, you must.” 
 
2 
 
 And so to-day the first Christian Church in Ceylon, stands 
 upon land given by a poor orphan girl. 
 
 The deed was noised abroad, and came to the knowledge of 
 a young theological student, who was a'so a beneficiary of the 
 mission, and it touched his heart. Neither could he rest until 
 he had sought and won the rare and noble maiden, who was 
 willing to give up so much in her Master’s cause. 
 
 Some one in the United States had been for years contribu¬ 
 ting twenty dollars annually, for the support of this young Hindu 
 girl, but the donor was unknown. Rev. Dr. Poor, a missionary 
 in Ceylon, visiting America about that time, longed to ascertain 
 who was the faithful sower and report the wonderful harvest. 
 
 Finding himself in Hanover, N. H., preaching to the stu¬ 
 dents of Dartmouth College, he happened in conversation to 
 hear some one speak of Mrs. Peabody, and repeated “ Peabody; 
 what Peabody ?” “ Mrs. Maria Peabody, who resides here, the 
 
 widow of a former Professor,” was the answer. “ Oh! I must 
 see her before I leave,” said the earnest man, about to continue 
 his journey. 
 
 The first words after an introduction at her house were: “ I 
 have come to bring you a glad report, for I cannot but think 
 that it is to you, we in Ceylon owe the opportunity of educating 
 one who has proved as lovely and consistent a native convert, as 
 we have ever had. She is exceptionally interesting, devotedly 
 pious and bears your name.” 
 
 “Alas!” said the lady, “Although the girl bears my name, 
 I wish I could claim the honor of educating her; it belongs not to 
 
3 
 
 me, but to Louisa Osborne, my poor colored cook. Some years 
 ago in Salem, Mass., she came to me after an evening meeting, 
 saying: “I have just heard that if anybody would give twenty 
 dollars a year, they could support and educate a child in Ceylon, 
 and I have decided to do it. They say that along with the 
 money, I can send a name, and I have come mistress, to ask 
 you if you would object to my sending yours.’ “At that time,” 
 continued the lady, “ a servant’s wages ranged from a dollar to 
 a dollar and a half a week, yet my cook had for a long time been 
 contributing half a dollar each month, at the monthly concert for 
 foreign missions. There were those who expostulated with her 
 for giving away so much for one in her circumstances, as a time 
 might come when she could not earn. ‘ I have thought it all 
 over,’she would reply, ‘and concluded I would rather give what 
 I can while I am earning, and then if I lose my health and can¬ 
 not work, why there is the poor-house, and I can go there. You 
 see they have no poor-house in heathen lands for it is only 
 Christians who care for the poor.’ ” 
 
 In telling this story, Dr. Poor used to pause at this point and 
 exclaim: “ To the poor-house! Do you believe God would ever let 
 that good woman die in the poor-house ? Never!” We shall see. 
 
 The missionary learned that the last known of Louisa 
 Osborne, she was residing in Lowell, Mass. In due time his 
 duties called him to that city. At the close of an evening service 
 before a crowded house he related among missionary incidents, 
 as a crowning triumph,^the story of Louisa Osborne and Maria 
 Peabody. The disinterested devotion, self-sacrifice, and implicit 
 
4 
 
 faith and zeal of the Christian giver in favored America, has been 
 developed, matured, and well nigh eclipsed, by her faithful 
 namesake in far-off benighted India. His heart glowing with 
 zeal and deeply stirred by the fresh retrospect of the triumphs of 
 the Gospel over heathenism, he exclaimed: “ If there is any one 
 present who knows of that good woman Louisa Osborne and 
 will lead me to her, I shall be greatly obliged. ” The benediction 
 pronounced and the crowd dispersing, Dr. Poor passed down 
 one of the aisles chatting with the pastor, when he espied a quiet 
 little figure apparently awaiting for him. Could it be ? Yes it 
 was a colored woman, and it must be Louisa Osborne. With 
 quickened step he reached her, exclaiming in tones of suppressed 
 emotion, “ I believe this is my sister in Christ, Louisa Osborne ? ” 
 “That is my name,” was the calm reply. “Well, God bless you 
 Louisa; you have heard my report, and know all. But before 
 we part, probably never to meet again in this world, I want you 
 to answer me one question. What made you do it ? ” With 
 down cast eyes and in a low and trembling voice she replied: 
 “Well I do not know, but I guess it was my Lord Jesus.” 
 
 They parted only to meet in the streets of the New Jeru¬ 
 salem, for the missionary returned to his adopted home where, 
 ere long, the loving hands of his faithful native brethern, bore 
 him to his honored grave. The humble hand-maiden of the 
 Lord labored meekly on a while and is ending her failing days, 
 not in a poor house verily, but through the efforts of those who 
 knew her best, in a pleasant, comfortable Old Ladies’ Home. 
 “ Him that honoreth Me I will honor.” 
 
5 
 
 The seal of Calvin, one of the great apostles of the Reforma¬ 
 tion, represents a hand holding a burning heart, illustrative of 
 his life-principle: I give Thee all; I keep back nothing for 
 myself. Centuries afterward, two humble followers of the 
 Master caught a kindred inspiration from the same divine source. 
 Shall we, to whom so much of privilege and bounty is granted, 
 lay down this marvelous story of self-renunciation, and let its 
 lesson be lost on our own lives ? 
 
 To WHOM MUCH IS GIVEN, MUCH ALSO WILL BE REQUIRED. 
 
SKETCH OF LOUISA OSBORNE. 
 
 Louisa Osborne was born in Boston more than seventy 
 years ago, and when ten or twelve years of age her mother died. 
 She was left to the care of a stepfather, who had always been 
 very kind to the child, but having some better chance for em¬ 
 ployment in a distant State, decided to place little Louisa where 
 she could be taught a renumerative trade. Shortly after, Louisa 
 was told she was to have a ride, and was driven to the poor- 
 house at Charlestown. The man and woman in charge chanced 
 to have known her mother, and became much interested in this 
 child and decided to place her in a comfortable home. Louisa 
 was bound in her eighteenth year to a farmer, who promised to 
 send the girl to school some months of the year. 
 
 She remembered sadly the woman who met her, exclaiming, 
 “What did you bring a nigger for ?” Her life proved a very 
 hard one, for the family was large, and often was she so ragged 
 she was the butt of the farm hands. Not allowed to go to school 
 her one desire was to have an education, as she could barely 
 read or write. One day there chanced to be a poor draggled 
 turkey left from a flock, and the farmer said Louisa might have 
 it. She cared for it night and day, and then sold it for a dollar. 
 This was the first money she ever possessed, but to this she was 
 able to add a few others. When her eighteenth birthday was 
 approaching, she told the farmer’s wife she was going to leave, 
 
7 
 
 but the woman laughed at the idea, saying, “ You have neither 
 money nor clothes, nor place to go to. ” When the birthday came 
 she rose early for her usual work and then, before the house¬ 
 hold was awake, walked toward Charlestown. She was success¬ 
 ful in getting a situation where she could go to school. When 
 her young mistress, to whom she was much attached, married 
 Prof. Peabody, she went into her service. Louisa had become 
 a Christian, was a regular attendant upon the prayer meetings 
 and was much interested in Foreign Missions. She had heard 
 that $12.00 would support a girl in Ceylon, and was dis¬ 
 appointed to find the sum needed was $20.00. 
 
 Nothing daunted, she determined to contribute the sum 
 required, and to make up the deficiency, procured shoes to bind 
 from the factory at Lyme. This work she did late in the evening 
 after household duties were accomplished. Louisa is now a 
 dignified looking old woman, with snow white hair, modest and 
 quiet in her manner, and very much surprised that anything she 
 has done should be made the subject of a “Leaflet” for a 
 Missionary Society. 
 
 OFFICERS OF THE WOMAN’S UNION MISSIONARY SOCIETY. 
 Mrs. Henry Johnson, President . 
 
 Miss S. D. Doremus, Corresponding Secretary. 
 
 Miss Elizabeth Stone, Assistant Treasurer , 
 
 Mission Room, 67 Bible House, New York. 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 .1 
 
 . 
 
 
 ■ 
 
 
 
 
 . 
 
 
 
 
 .