p. 166 | HELP ONE ANOTHER

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 18, 1869

HELP ONE ANOTHER.

A TRAVELER who was passing over the Alps was overtaken by a snow storm at the top of a high mountain. The cold became intense. The air was thick with sleet, and the piercing wind seemed to penetrate into his bones.

Still the traveler, for a time, struggled on. But at last his limbs were quite benumbed; a heavy drowsiness began to creep over him; his feet almost refused to move; and he lay down on the snow to give way to that fatal sleep which is the last stage of extreme cold, and from which he would certainly never have waked up again in this world.

Just at that moment he saw another poor traveler coming up along the road. The unhappy man seemed to be, if possible, even in a worse condition than himself; for he, too, could scarcely move, and he appeared to be at the point of death. When he saw this poor man, the traveler, who was just going to lie down to sleep, made a great effort. He roused himself up, and he crawled, for he was scarcely able to walk, to his fellow sufferer. He took his hands into his own, and tried to warm them. He rubbed his temples, his feet, his whole body; and all the time he spoke cheering words in his ear, and tried to comfort him.

As he did this, the dying man began to revive; his powers were restored, and he felt able to go forward. But this was not all; for his kind benefactor, too, was recovered by the efforts he had made to save his friend. The exertion of rubbing made the blood circulate again in his own body. He grew warm by trying to warm the other.

Soon the snow-storm passed away: the mountain was crossed, and they reached their homes in safety.

If you feel your heart grow cold toward others, and your soul almost perishing, try to do something which may help another soul to life, and make his heart glad; and you will often find it the best way to warm and restore and gladden your own.