wMi.
LITTLE TALKS
to LITTLE PEOPLE
'f
T
VMES
FARRA
JUL 1 9 1916
^5iC/;l '^
.^^.
BV 4315 .F377 1910
Farrar, James M.
Little talks to little
people
LITTLE TALKS
TO
LITTLE PEOPLE
LITTLE TALKS
TO
LITTLE PEOPLE
BY
( JUL
JAMES M. FARRAR, D.D
Pastor of the First Reformed Church, Brooklyn, N. T., and
Minister of the First Organized yunior Congregation.
Author of ** A Junior Congregation^^
FUNK& WAGNALLS COMPANY
NEW YORK AND LONDON
19 lO
Copyright 1910
BY
FUNK & WAGNALLS COMPANY
[Printed in the United States of America}
Published September, 1910
All Rights Reserved
Contents
SPRING
(Begins March 21st) Paee
1st Sunday — Every Tomb a Sleeping-Room 11
2d " All Fools' Day 15
3d " The Little Brown Bed 19
4th " Music Lessons 25
5th " The Garden of the Soul— (Grant's Birthday) 30
6th " Grandpa's Dream 35
7th " Sentiment 39
8th " Apple-blossom Sunday 44
9th " Why? 49
10th " Painting the Face on the Inside — (Memorial
Day) 53
11th *' Head and Heels 57
12th " Flag-day 62
13th " The Invisible Prince— (Rose Sunday) . . 67
SUMMER
{Begins June 21st)
1st Sunday — Love and Sunshine Company 75
2d " The Pathfinder 79
3d " The Gold Bullet 84
4th '• The Cure for Curiosity 89
V
CONTENTS
Page
5th Sunday—Eyes That See 94
6th " Faultfinders and Faultreceivers .... 98
7th " Peacemakers in August 103
8th " One for You and One for Me 109
9th " Playing to Music 114
10th " The Land of Forget 119
11th " The Vex Hospital 125
12th " A Good Telltale 130
13th " Heartsick and Homesick 135
AUTUMN
{Begins September 21st)
1st Sunday — Canned Simshine 143
2d " Jack Tar, Jr 148
3d " Diego, the Dago 153
4th " The Shadow Child 157
5th " The Secret Word 163
6th " HaUowe'en 168
7th " Chrysanthemum Sunday 173
8th " Fruit for Thanksgiving Dinners .... 178
9th " Thanksgiving Ragamuffins 182
10th " The Lure of the Lesson 187
11th " The Call of the Church 191
12th " Finding a Good Thing 196
13th " A Ring to Make Him Sing 200
vi
CONTENTS
WINTER
(Begins December 21st) p
1st Sunday — Christmas Measure 207
2d " The Athletic Day 213
3d " The Pity Ear 218
4th " Alongside of God 222
5th " Take It With You 225
6th " Bone Breaking 230
7th " Lincoln's Birthday 235
8th " St. Valentine's Day 242
9th " Washington's Birthday 248
10th " Getting Ready for Church 253
11th " The Village Blacksmith 257
12th " Lessons from Lent 262
13th " Children's Palm Sunday 268
vii
FIRSTWORD
FIRSTWORD
FOR CHILDREN ONLY
IN 1908 I wrote fifty-three letters. Fifty-two;
one for each week of the year I wrote for you.
Funk & Wagnalls Company bound them in a book
and named it "A Junior Congregation." The first
letter was for your pastor, parents and other people,
telling them about the Junior Congregation and
how the children can have a church and congregation
all their own. This letter added to your fifty-two
made the fifty-three bound in the book. All these
books were sold and a new edition was printed. The
children from different parts of the country asked
for more letters, as they wanted to hear and read
more stories. Here's a letter from a far-away Junior :
Dear Doctor Farrar :
I am a little girl and my grandmother
reads your sermons to little children every
week to me, and I like them very much. I
shall always remember what you said about
"Palm Sunday," it was so good. I think
3
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
you are very good to talk so much to little
children like me.
My father preaches every Sunday to big
folks. When I grow bigger, I hope I shall
understand him better.
I thought you would be pleased to know
about me. I wonder if you have a little girl
like me. My name is
"EHzabeth "
Your new book, "Little Talks to Little People," is
the answer to the many requests for more stories.
I had to write it. Indeed I just could not help wri-
ting it. Why.'' Because I could not get close enough
to speak to you. Some day I hope to have a chil-
dren's wireless telephone. We may some day have
one that will let us see each other while we talk. Yes,
see each other when we are hundreds of miles apart.
Then we will arrange a day and hour when I can see
you all, say "Good-morning," and tell you a story.
Until that someday comes, we will just have to write
and read the letters.
Fifty-two stories in the first book and fifty-two in
the second book, one hundred and four stories. Have
I any more in store.'' Yes, I have more stories in my
brain-box. What do I mean by a "brain-box?"
4
FIRSTWORD
Every day I am looking for some good stories for
my Juniors. When I find a story that makes my
heart thump and sends a bump in my throat and
dumps a tear out of my eye, I know that is the story
for my Juniors. How do I know a child will enjoy the
story ? Will you keep the secret ?
When I grew to be a man I took the boy, that I
used to be, with me, and he loves me and plays with
me every day. Sometimes he says, "Come away from
these grown people, leave your silk hat at home and
romp with me." When the boy in my heart tells me
the story he likes, I put it away. On a card I put
the name of the story and where I have hidden it.
The cards are put in a box called a "card-index," and
this box I call my "brain-box."
Did your father or mother ever find and read a
letter written just for you? Did they say it was
not worth reading? Probably your answer was that
it was not written for them. Except they "become as
httle children" they can not enjoy your letters. These
letters are all just for you, this is true. In this Httle
book of fifty-two letters your friend hopes to lead
you to read. Great Talks to Little People. "Great
Talks ?" you say. Yes ! In Great Talks you will find
sixty-six letters. In the first part are old letters;
5
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
thirty-nine in all; in the second part you will find
twenty-seven new letters. In these Great Talks you
will read the most beautiful and interesting stories
ever written for boys and girls. There are really
sixty-six Great Talks; thirty-nine called Old Testa-
ment, and twenty-seven called New Testament. They
are all bound in one book called The Bible. At the
beginning of each of the Little Talks you will find
a quotation from the Great Talks.
If the Little Talks will help you to find and to
enjoy the Great Talks, then your friend will be very
happy. Shall I tell you a story.? Here is one that
should be fresh and cool as I found it in "The Well-
spring."
One night a man took a little taper out of a drawer
and lighted it, and began to ascend a long, winding
stair.
"Where are you going.?" asked the taper.
"Away high up," said the man, "higher than the
top of the house where we sleep."
"And what are you going to do there.?" said the
taper.
"I am going to show the ships out at sea where
the harbor is," said the man, "for we stand here at
the entrance to the harbor, and some ships far out on
6
FIRSTWORD
the stormy sea may be looking for a light even now."
"Alas ! No ship could ever see my light," said the
little taper, "it is so very small."
"If your light is small," said the man, "keep it
burning bright, and leave the rest to me."
Well, when the man got up to the top of the hght-
house, for this was a lighthouse they were in, he took
the little taper and with it lighted the great lamps
that stood ready there with their polished reflectors
behind them.
Hoping these little talks may light the great lamps
of love in your souls and show you the way to "The
Great Talks," I am.
The Junior's friend,
James M. Farrae.
SPRING
(March 21- June SO)
THE COMING OF SPRING
There's something in the air
That's new and sweet and rare —
A scent of summer things,
A whir as if of wings.
There's something, too, that's new
In the color of the blue
That's in the morning sky,
Before the sun is high.
— N. Perry.
FOR FIRST SUNDAY IN SPRING
EVERY TOMB A SLEEPING-ROOM
"In the garden." — John xix., 41
GOD made this world, but did not finish it. He
did that part only that no other person could
do. Then God made man and told him to complete
the work. As Adam, the first man, had no experience,
God gave him a sample of the world's work. He
made a large garden, and through it caused rivers
to flow, and in it trees to grow. Flowers were made
to bloom; He gave days without gloom. In the
sand by the riverside was gold, and in the land there
was wealth untold. He gave the birds a song, and
in all the garden there was no wrong. God gave
Adam a wife from his own side, that from him she
might not hide. Adam's rib was his wife's crib, that
rocked when he laughed.
From that time on men and women have been at
work making the world into a garden. They are
making the wilderness to blossom as a rose — gardens
in the country, gardens in the city, gardens in the
dooryard, gardens on the roof-tops, gardens every-
where.
11
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
Our text tells us of something wonderful in a
garden. You have seen many beautiful things in
gardens, but nothing so wonderful as this: "In the
garden a new sepulcher." It was Easter morning
and over the sepulcher the trees were bending, the
flowers were blooming, and birds were singing. By
the sepulcher Christ was standing, and saw the
women who were weeping. Christ had risen from the
dead and had stept out of the sepulcher into the gar-
den. Had the women believed what He told them
before He died, they would have been smiling, not
weeping. Under the fruit-trees He stood, Himself
the first fruit of all who sleep.
Our word "cemetery" means a "sleeping-room."
Sleeping-rooms in a garden. Our cemeteries are the
world's most beautiful gardens. Greenwood in Brook-
lyn, Mount Auburn in Boston, Laurel Hill in Phila-
delphia, Spring Grove in Cincinnati, and Lone Moun-
tain in San Francisco. On the last Easter morning,
the resurrection day, the dead will rise and walk
out into the garden. Joy, joy, joy, more joy at
Easter time. Flowers and song, song and flowers,
more flowers and song, for Easter is the world's
garden with an empty tomb! I wish I could march
through Greenwood to-day with the Junior Congre-
12
EVERY TOMB A SLEEPING-ROOM
gation, out through the cemetery where our loved
ones sleep. Every tomb a sleeping-room, where we
with our loved ones will some day wake and step out
into the garden to meet our risen Christ. Shall I
tell you a story, just as I read it?
The Moravian Graveyard at Salem, North Caro-
lina, tho more than a century old, is laid out in as
perfect order as any of the modern city cemeteries.
The headstones are all exactly alike, and are placed
flat upon the green mounds. On the afternoon pre-
ceding Easter, a large number of citizens meet at
the graveyard for the purpose of scouring and polish-
ing the headstones, in preparation for the early serv-
ice. Every stone is left shining in its pure whiteness,
and the graves are literally covered with fragrant
blossoms.
On Easter morning, long before the sky begins to
redden with coming day, the Moravian band makes
a tour of the city. With sweet music, they wake the
people to take part in the hallowed sunrise service.
The music in the still morning air is touching, sweet
and pathetic. At half -past five they gather by the
thousands in front of the Moravian meeting-house to
join in the first responsive service. At the close of
these services, the many attendants march, with
13
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
almost noiseless tread and In solemn silence, to the
graveyard beneath the stately cedar-trees, the band,
meanwhile discoursing the sweetest music.
Upon the arrival of the procession thousands of
men, women and children stand along the walks be-
tween rows of well-kept graves. Then all join heart-
ily in singing the resurrection hymn, "Now is
Christ risen from the dead," and while they sing, each
one lays an Easter lily upon the grave at his feet.
After the triumphant closing, "He rose, He rose. He
burst the bars of death and triumphed o'er the
grave," the congregation unites in the closing por-
tion of the litany, and with the final "Amen," the
sun rises majestically over the eastern hilltops, flood-
ing with Easter brightness hundreds of joyful faces.
14
FOR SECOND SUNDAY IN SPRING
ALL FOOLS' DAY
"Who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool?" —
Eccl ii., 19
THE word "fool" has rough edges ; it almost
scratches the tongue. In our text it means
thick-headed; — "Who knoweth whether he shall be a
wise man or thick-headed?" Some of you boys and
girls will learn on April first whether you are wise
or thick-headed. April first, "All Fools' day," a day
when you must have your wits ready for use. It is
the meanest day of the year. The meanest because
it is the day when we try to make others feel mean.
In England those who think they are wise try to send
the thick-headed on foolish errands, for example; to
ask some one the name of Adam's grandfather. In
Scotland they call the foolish one a "gowk." Some-
times the one who is supposed to be thick-headed
proves to be the one who is wise. This was true in
the first celebration I can find of April Fools' day,
443 years ago. It was the occasion of a wager in
1466 between Duke Philip of Burgundy and his court
15
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
fool. The wager was that, if the jester succeeded
in hoaxing the Duke on April first, he was to have
his fool's cap filled with golden ducats. If the Duke
succeeded in hoaxing the jester the latter was to
pay the penalty with his life. The Duke at once
set to work to make the jester very drunk, and suc-
ceeded in his efforts. Early on the following morn-
ing soldiers seized him, brought him into a room all
hung with black, where a mock trial resulted in his
being sentenced to death. The block and the execu-
tioner were brought in and the jester, blindfolded,
was laid on the block. The executioner struck the
jester with a stick, pretending it was a sword. As
he was struck some one poured warm blood on his
neck to make him think that he was bleeding. At
this moment the Duke thought it was time to laugh.
So did all those present. But the laughter stopt
when the jester remained apparently Hfeless. "Ter-
ror has killed him," cried the Duke. Then he sent
for the doctors, who labored over the alleged corpse
for some time before the jester opened his eyes and
laughing, cried, "April fools, all of you. Now, Duke,
pay me my gold." Then it was time for the Duke to
ask, "Who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man
or thick-headed .f^"
16
ALL FOOLS' DAY
Some of our wise people believe that the time has
come to change All Fools' day into an All Wise day.
The members of the Optimists' Club of America
have made it Optimists' day. On the last day
of March more than a thousand members held
a watch-night service at the Waldorf-Astoria and
welcomed April 1, 1909, as the first Optimists'
day. It is a day upon which every one should
do some kind act, and say some kind thing. It is
a day on which men, women and children can send
out cards and try in some way to lift the gloom which
hovers around many lives. Your pastor wants his
Junior Congregation to join the Optimists' Club,
and he hopes each member will frown on the idea of
"All Fools' day," and will try to make it All Opti-
mists' day. Optimist is a big word, but not too big
for my Juniors. It means seeing the bright side of
things, and taking both sides of the best things.
A pessimist is one who sees the dark side, and takes
the worst side of everything. Some one has tried to
show the difference between the two in the following
way. Suppose there is a large cruller on the plate,
the optimist would take the cruller, while the pessi-
mist would take the hole. Southey, in one of his
letters, writes of the Spaniard who always put on
17
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
his spectacles when about to eat cherries, that they
might look bigger and more tempting. He was an
optimist.
Here is a story to show you how a little girl, who
was a pessimist, was converted into an optimist. She
did not believe that God could hear her prayer amid
all the music of heaven. She was a pessimist. Pro-
fessor Drummond, who related the incident, told her
that if it were necessary, God would say to cherubim
and seraphim and all the angelic choir, "Be still;
there is a little girl down on earth who wants to
speak to me." Believing this, she became an optimist.
A colored man was asked how he managed to be
so contented and joyful. His reply was, "I jes'
walks out on de promises of God, and I lies flat on
my back, and I prays straight up." Try this plan
and it will make you an optimist.
I hope you all will learn these lines :
It is easy enough to be pleasant
When life flows along like a song,
But the Junior worth while,
Is the one who will smile
When everything goes dead wrong.
18
D
THE THIRD SUNDAY IN SPRING
THE LITTLE BROWN BED
I sleep, but my heart waketh." — Solomon's Song, v., 2
ID you ever see a flower going asleep? When
it begins to droop and hang its head, it is get-
ting sleepy. Watch it and you will see how snugly
it rolls itself up in a little brown bed you call a seed.
In this bed the flower is sound asleep. The flower
sleeps all Winter, "as snug as a bug in a rug." What
you call "Spring," the season after Winter, is
"Mother Nature," going from bed to bed to wake
up her flower friends asleep in the seeds. She has
a big family to wake up. She lifts the shades of
Winter and lets in the bright light. If they do not
wake she sprinkles water on them, shakes them, and
keeps her temper until all are awake. Some are easy
to wake and they get right up, others are very sleepy
and dear old Spring has to be very patient. They
sleep, but, way down in the seed something is awake.
They sleep but the seed heart waketh. Some one
whose name I do not know, a friend of "Mother
Spring," says:
19
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
"Far down in Mother Earth a tiny seed was sleep-
ing, safely wrapt in a warm bed. The little seed had
been asleep for a long, long time, and now somebody
thought it was time to wake up. This somebody was
an earthworm, a friend of Mother Spring. He had
been creeping about and found all the seeds in the
neighborhood had roused themselves. They were
pushing their roots down into the earth and lifting
their heads up through the soil into the bright sun-
shine and fresh air. So when the v/orm saw this little
seed still sleeping, he cried, 'Oh, you lazy fellow,
wake up ! All the seeds are awake and growing, and
you have slept long enough !'
" *But how can I grow or move at all in this tight-
brown sleeping-gown.'^' said the seed, in a drowsy tone.
" 'Why, push it off ; that's the way the other seeds
have done. Just move about a Httle and it will come
off.' All the time the worm was telling him how
happy the other seeds were, now that they had lifted
their heads into the sunshine.
" 'Oh, dear ! Oh, dear !' said the seed, 'what shall
I do.? I am so sleepy I can't keep awake any longer,'
and he fell asleep again.
"The little seed slept soundly for a long time. At
last he awoke and found Mother Spring throwing
THE LITTLE BROWN BED
water in his face. She called it a Spring shower for
the May flower.
"Then he felt so warm and happy that he cried, *I
really believe I am going to grow after all. Who
woke me up and helped me out of bed? I don't see
any one near by.'
" 'I woke you,' said a soft voice close by. 'I am
a sunbeam. Mother Spring sent me to wake you, and
my friends the rain-drops washed the sleep out of
your eyes.'
" 'Oh, thank you,' said the seed. 'You're all very
kind. Will you help me to grow into a plant too .?'
" 'Yes,' said the sunbeam, 'I'll come as often as I
can to help you, and the rain-drops will come too. If
you work hard, with our help, you will become a
beautiful plant, I'm sure.'
" 'But,' said the seed, 'how did you know that I
was sleeping here? Could you see me?' '
" 'No,' said the sunbeam, 'but Mother Spring saw
you. She saw you beneath the ground trying to
grow. She called the rain-drops to her, and said,
'One of my seed children is sleeping down there, and
he wants to grow. Go down and help him and tell
the sunbeams to follow you and wake the seed, so
that he may begin to grow as soon as he will.'
21
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
" 'How kind she is,' said the seed, 'if she had not
seen me sleeping here I should have slept on and on
and on, slept forever in my little brown bed. How
did Mother Spring know I was here ?'
" 'She is a servant of God, who knows all things.
He knows where every seed sleeps and sends Mother
Spring with her friends to wake them up.'
" 'How can I thank Him?' said the seed. 'What
can I do that will please Him very much?'
" 'Grow into the best plant that you possibly can,'
said the sunbeam. 'That will please God most
of all.'
"So the seed grew into a beautiful vine. He
climbed higher and higher toward the heavens, from
which the Father smiled down upon him to reward his
labor."
There is some one more beautiful and valuable than
a flower. Some one who needs sleep more than the
seed needs it, and who says :
"Rock me to sleep, mother, rock me to sleep."
This some one is a little child.
Before going to sleep you should say, "In the
morning wake me from sleep — mother, wake me from
sleep." How often you would be late for breakfast,
late for school, late for church, if mother did not
wake you.
22
THE LITTLE BROWN BED
What part of you wakes up the rest of you when
mother calls? The part of you that does not sleep.
The part that keeps on thinking while you sleep.
You call the thinking a dream. What does our text
say? "I sleep, but my heart waketh." It is that
part that will never sleep. What we call death the
Bible calls sleep. There is a short sleep from which
we wake in the morning. Then there is a long sleep
from which we will wake some morning in heaven.
There is a beautiful story in the ninth chapter of
Matthew.
A man came to Christ and told him that his dear
little girl was dead. Christ went home with the
father, and when He saw the Httle girl. He said,
"She is not dead, but sleepeth." The people laughed
at Christ and told Him the little girl was dead.
Christ woke her as gently as Spring wakes the seed,
took her by the hand and she arose. She was only
asleep. The word "cemetery" means sleeping- place.
As Mother Spring wakes the seed, so your mother
wakes you. Our greatest friend, Christ, will some
day wake all who sleep, all who are called dead.
Listen !
"My beloved spake, and said unto me, 'Rise up, my
love, my fair one, and come away, for lo, the Winter
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
is past, the rain is over and gone, the flowers appear
on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is
come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land ;
the fig-tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines
with the tender grapes give a good smell. Arise, my
love, my fair one, and come away.' "
Would it not be splendid to write on the tomb, "I
sleep, but my heart waketh."
Rejoice, for Spring is here!
Q4,
FOR FOURTH SUNDAY IN SPRING
IVrUSIC LESSONS
"Add to your faith."— 77 Pet, i., 5
MOUNTAINS and mice are musical. In Hawaii
there is a singing mountain. If two persons
whose voices chord, sing from one of the heights, the
mountain will catch up the song and take it from cliff
to cliff, carrying it off into the distance in one direc-
tion, and bringing it back to another, until all parts
of the mountain are singing. Then if the singers
suddenly cease their song, the mountains will go on
singing it for quite a long time after they are silent.
The natives hear the music and believe that the souls
of their departed warriors have gone to this moun-
tain and are singing of their victories.
I read of a mouse that sang like a small bird.
The writer said it looked like other mice, but acted
like a wren. Such a quivering, musical warble he
said, could scarcely come from any other throat
than that of a tiny bird. The writer said this mouse
was caught and put in a cage and petted like a
canary. In Japan there are insects that sing, and
25
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
one that sings very sweetly is called "Insect Bell,"
its voice being like a little silver bell.
Mountains may be musical, but they can not take
music lessons. It may be true that mice can sing,
but I fear they would make some excuse if they had
to practise. Probably they would tell mama there
was a cat in the music-room.
Job tells us that when God laid the foundations of
this world, "The morning stars sang together, and
all the sons of God shouted for joy." I believe that
God put part of that song into everything He made.
We find music in stones, in running brooks, in spin-
ning tops, music in mountains and mice, in animals
and men, and, best of all, in boys and girls — music
everywhere. The world is full of music that came
from heaven. When you came into the world, voice
culture was your first music lesson. You worked
overtime and woke up at night to practise. Your cry
was not very musical, but it was the best you could
do at that age. Now you can do better, and you
should do your best. Every boy and girl should take
music lessons. God put a song in your heart and you
should learn to sing it. I heard Doctor Talmage
say, that any one that can sing and won't sing, should
be sent to Sing Sing.
26
MUSIC LESSONS
In your soul there are eight sweet voices. One is
a solo voice, and seven are chorus voices. One sings
and the others join in the chorus. In our text the
little word "add" means to chorus. What Peter
really said was: "Chorus to your faith virtue; and
to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance;
and to temperance patience; and to patience godli-
ness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to
brotherly kindness charity." You have eight sweet
singers in your heart. Faith is the leader, and you
should train the other seven to join in the chorus.
Faith is trust in God. If your soul is sad, faith
sings. When the meadow is damp and cold, the lark
rises above the fog into the sunshine and sings. When
your soul is cold and dreary, your faith, hke the lark,
rises above your sorrows and sings. Do you want
to know about the other voices that are to sing in the
chorus ?
The first one is virtue. Virtue means strength and
courage. The next one is knowledge. Let your
knowledge, all you know and all you learn, join and
sing with faith. Temperance is the third voice — the
voice that can not sing if you eat too much, play too
much, dance too much, play cards too often ; the voice
that strong drink spoils. The fourth voice is patience.
27
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
Impatience is patience out of tune. When you feel
impatient, stop and tune up. Tune patience to the
key-note of faith. Next comes a wonderful voice,
godliness — a voice like God's voice. This voice can
not join in wicked songs. The sixth voice of the
chorus is brotherly kindness. It is being as nice to
your sister as you are to some other boy's sister.
There was a brother and sister who loved each other
very much. The brother was taken ill and died. His
little sister held his hand and kept saying, "This
hand never struck me." That was brotherly kind-
ness. The seventh and last voice in the chorus is
charity. Charity suffereth long and is kind, charity
is love. All these singers are in the music-room of
your soul. Give them music lessons. Teach them to
sing in chorus.
Our story was written by a friend of yours, and
is about a class of eight boys and girls who took
lessons from Professor Music. Miss Faith had a strong
soprano voice. She sang the solo parts. Master Vir-
tue, Miss Knowledge, Master Temperance, Miss Pa-
tience, Masters Godliness and Brotherly Kindness and
Miss Charity were in the Chorus. Professor Music had
much trouble in training them. Faith would get a
doubt in her throat and could not sing. Virtue would
28
MUSIC LESSONS
act silly. Knowledge would lose her lines. One night
Temperance ate too much and was out till twelve
o'clock. The next rehearsal found him dull, stupid
ajid cross. Patience would "flat," and sometimes lost
the key. Godliness came to the class with a lie in
his heart, which is worse than "a frog in the throat."
Brotherly Kindness made sport of Miss Charity's
"Merry Widow" hat; said it was too large for a
parasol, and not large enough for an umbrella. She
got cross and would not sing. Poor Professor Music !
What a difficult task he had of training Faith, and
of teaching all the other children to sing in the
chorus. He took them all to the Junior Congrega-
tion on Sunday and found them wiser and better on
Monday. Week after week he worked until they all
sang like angels. Miss Faith reached high C without
a break, and the "Hallelujah Chorus" sounded like
the morning stars singing together. The audience
was about to shout for joy when Professor Music
struck the stand with his baton. He had missed one
voice. Miss Knowledge thought that when all were
singing so loud and sweet, her voice would not be
missed. But each voice had a place and was needed
for a full chorus. Professor Music missed that one
voice. Learn to chorus 3^our faith.
29
FOB FIFTH SUNDAY IN SPRING
THE GARDEN OF THE SOUL
"Their soul shall be as a watered garden."— /er. xxxi., 12
"fnriHEY will need horses for their Spring plow-
X ing." In each of these eight words was a
handful of seeds. Whenever the plow turned a fur-
row these seeds grew and blossomed. Does this
sound like a riddle.? We shall try to make it flow
through your mind like a rill. At the close of the
war, General Grant, the great leader of the Northern
Army, and General Lee, the great leader of the
Southern Army, met on April 9, 1865, at Appo-
mattox. General Lee surrendered the Confederate
Army of Northern Virginia, about 26,000 soldiers,
practically ending the Civil War. In a friendly and
brotherly way they brought the war to a close.
General Lee was as brave in defeat as he had been
in victory, and was ready to make a complete surren-
der. General Grant was as manly in victory as he
had been in defeat, and was ready to accept surrender
as a brother. To General Lee he said : "Your soldiers
are mainly small farmers. They will need horses for
their Spring plowing. Let them keep them and
30
THE GARDEN OF THE SOUL
ride home to their farms." So the boys in gray,
on horseback, returned to the beautiful Southland,
and the boys in blue hurried back to their homes in the
North. Many of the boys in gray began to plow
and to get ready for the coming harvest. If a gun
were fired near the field, the old war horses would
throw up their heads and start to run. They forgot
that the plow was not made for a row. The farmer
would say, "Whoa! whoa! You old fighters, don't
you know the war at last is past?" Then he would
talk, half to the horses and half to himself, of the
battles, lost and won, and of loved ones in unmarked,
unknown graves. The farmer would often repeat
Grant's words : "They will need horses for the Spring
plowing." Each word had seeds of kindness that
dropt with the farmer's tears into the furrow back
of the plow.
Flowers of sympathy, flowers of kindness, flowers
of love ! You can not see them, but they are bloom-
ing everywhere, in the North and in the South, in
the minds and in the hearts of all good citizens.
Blooming in the garden of the soul. The graves of
brave soldiers are being covered with flowers. The
bright and fragrant flowers that we see represent
the heart flowers we can not see.
31
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
In a few years, on Memorial day, you boys and
girls must scatter the flowers. The florist will furnish
the flowers you can see, but in your hearts must be
cultivated the flowers of sympathy, kindness and love
that you can not see. A little girl was asked how she
raised such a beautiful flower. She said, "I loved it
a little, coaxed it a little, and pushed it a little."
The boys and girls in the North and South should
plant flowers of sympathy, kindness and love in the
garden of their soul, and should "love them a little,
coax them a httle, and push them a little." Then
they can meet on future Memorial days and cover
the soldiers' graves with flowers invisible on earth,
but visible in heaven. Flowers the angels can see
and over which God will pronounce a benediction of
peace. Plant flowers of sympathy, kindness and
love in the garden of your soul.
Little Mabel dropt a few flower-seeds into a box
filled with earth, and placed the box on the window-
sill. The sun loved the seeds a little, coaxed them a
little, and something inside the seeds pushed them a
little. In a few days little leaves began to peep up
to see what it all meant. They enjoyed the sun-
shine and air so well that in a few weeks they were
big and strong. Then came buds and beautiful
THE GARDEN OF THE SOUL
flowers, and a fragrance that filled the room. Each
day Mabel would carry the box into a little back
room and leave it for an hour with an invalid child.
Sometimes she would take a flower to an old lady
over the way. Mabel's mother told her that every
heart was a little box filled with "Garden of Eden"
earth. Then Mabel began to drop kind words into
every heart and watched them grow. Mother told
her to love them a little, coax them a little, and push
them a little. Soon she saw with great delight
the buds and flowers of love, bright faces, smiles and
thanks. She planted seeds in the garden of her soul.
I have a story for you. It was a cold, stormy
Sunday morning in the early Spring of 1909. Your
pastor was working on the Junior sermon when the
door-bell rang. A special-delivery package was put
on his desk, close to the manuscript of the Junior
sermon. What was it? Off* came the string, the
wrapper and the lid. What did he find? Flowers,
sweet, fragrant flowers ! Where could they have
come from? In the corner of the box was a letter
from a Httle girl in the South to your pastor in the
North. From a sweet little friend of his, who reads
the Junior sermon every week. When our gardens
here in the North were frozen and the air was full
33
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
of snow, she, of the sunny South, where the birds
were singing, had gathered these flowers from her
garden and sent them to your pastor. When he
came to church the storm was left outside and your
sermon was full of flowers. The beautiful flowers
were temporal and in a few days faded and died.
But, in Marguerite's heart the flowers of sympa-
thy, kindness and love do not fade, will not die. I
am glad my little friend did not wait in order to send
the flowers for my grave. I enjoyed them so i^xuch
better on my desk.
Some of the brave and bullet-scarred soldiers are
still living in the North and in the South. A few
flowers given to them now will be enjoyed much bet-
ter than wreaths of flowers placed some day on their
graves. Only a few more years must pass before
we of the North and South will meet on the same
Memorial day, and together decorate all the graves
because the men were brave. Let us be patient while
we wait.
Plant patience in the garden of thy soul.
The roots are bitter, but the fruits are sweet,
And when at last, it grows a tree complete.
Beneath its spreading shade the burning heat
And burden of the war shall lose control.
Plant patience in the garden of thy soul.
34
FOR SIXTH SUNDAY IN SPRING
GRANDPA'S DREAM
"The voice of the bird." — Eccl. xii., 4
IF birds could talk we would not walk; we would
run. How frightened we would be if a bird cried
out from a tree : "Do not throw stones at me." "Take
my feather off your hat." This is a short sermon,
but before you go may I tell you a story of a long,
long time ago.?
A man had a beautiful garden, and he was in the
habit of rising early in the morning to watch the
flowers grow and the buds blossom; to hear the
birds sing and the church-bells ring. One day he
noticed that some flower beds were damaged, and
each day the rose-bushes were broken. He hid him-
self behind the hedge and saw a little bird, no larger
than a sparrow, pick at the leaves of the flowers until
the petals fell off one by one. He set a trap and
caught the bird. The man was very angry and was
about to wring the little bird's neck when, to his
amazement, the bird opened its mouth and began
to plead for its life.
35
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
"Do not kill me, please, of what use would my
death be to you? I am only a little bird, and you
are a big man. There is not even enough of me to
satisfy your hunger. Please be kind to me. If you
will spare my life I will teach you three wonderful
truths, which will prove very helpful to you." The
man was so surprized that he released the bird and
started to run. The bird cried, "Come back, come
back, I am not large enough to hurt you." He turned
back and asked the bird to tell him the three great
truths. The little bird flew to a higher limb and then
said: "The first truth is, do not be unhappy over
anything you have lost that can not be recalled. For
example, do not cry over spilled milk. The pitcher is
broken, the milk is gone. It is fooHsh to cry over
what you can not get back. Second, do not covet or
try to obtain what you can not reach. For example,
if an apple on the lower branch is as good as one on
the top branch, why leave the lower one and covet
the one you can not reach? Do not covet what you
can not reach. Third, do not believe what is impossi-
ble, for it makes you seem like a foolish man. If you
believe things that are impossible, even the little chil-
dren will laugh at you. Remember these three truths,
for you will need them." The little bird flew to a
GRANDPA'S DREAM
still higher limb and then began to laugh loud and
long. The man asked : "Why are you so merry ?"
"Oh, you fooHsh man," said the bird. "Do you
know what you have lost.? Had you killed me you
would have found in me a pearl as large as a goose-
egg, and you could have lived in comfort the rest of
your days."
When the man heard this he tried to coax the bird
back. He extended his hand and said : "Come to me,
little bird, come ; I'll take good care of you, you will
be as dear to me as a child. I shall make you very
happy."
The bird only laughed the louder and said : ^'How
foolish of you to forget the three truths so soon. I
told you not to be unhappy over anything you have
lost that can not be recalled. You have lost me.
You are now trying to get me back. You are un-
happy because I can not be recalled. I saw you
angry; never again can you catch me. You do not
have wings, I have — ha ! ha ! Why do you pray for
happiness and then make yourself unhappy? The
second thing I told you was not to covet nor try
to obtain what you can not reach. I am beyond your
reach, but still can preach. Listen to my Junior
sermon and do not covet what you can not reach.
37
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
This I preach and teach. The third thing I told you
was not to believe what is impossible. Now you be-
lieve I have in my body a pearl the size of a goose-
egg, when, Lo ! my whole body is not as large as a
goose-egg. You are not a good pupil, you forget as
soon as you hear. I am afraid you could not pass
a good mid-term examination. You are too old to
learn. Go home and teach these three truths to your
grandchildren. They are young and can remember.
They have a long time to live, a long time to be
happy."
The httle bird flew away and everything faded
away from the man. He faded away from himself.
The next thing he knew some one was leading him
out of the darkness. When he opened his eyes there
were the grandchildren ready for a morning romp.
At the breakfast table he told them his dream about
the little bird in the garden. A dream, a dream, a
dream, but out of the dream three truths. The
grandchildren never forgot the three truths in
Grandpa's dream. These three truths made them
happy all their days.
38
I
FOR SEVENTH SUNDAY IN SPRING
SENTIMENT
"Why was this waste?" — Mark xiv., 4
HEAR some one asking "What is sentiment ?" It
is something that comes when you are not looking
for it. It comes from your heart. Let us take an
example. As you walk along the street you see a
man whipping a boy. This makes you think. If
you hold the "think" in your brain it will keep cool
and you will be able to reason about it. You will
say, probably the boy was bad and needed a whip-
ping. You can put the thought in cold storage ; that
is, in your brain, and pass on. But if you let the
thought get into your heart, warm storage, you will
begin to be sorry for the boy. A tear will come
into your eye, and you will go up and ask the man
not to whip the boy. "Please, mister, give him an-
other chance." The feeling that made you sorry for
the boy is what we call "sentiment." It is a cold
thought from your brain warmed up in your heart.
You should think, and think hard. Make your brain
39
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
work. But you have a heart as well as a brain, and
through your heart you should pass all your think-
ing. The warm heart will soften the edges of your
thought and give you some "sentiment."
There are some people who think they should obey
what the brain says and not listen to the heart. I
heard of a boy who decided that he would only put
"think" through his brain, and not through his heart.
He was determined to be guided by reason alone, and
not by any sentim.ent. One day he did something
that was wrong and that made his mother cry. He
took one of her tears to his chemistry teacher and
asked him to analyze it. The teacher told him this
tear was composed of phosphate of Hme and soda.
The boy went home and told his mother that when
she cried she was wasting her lime and soda. He did
not have any "sentiment." Another boy saw his
mother crying and the tear on her cheek not only
went through his brain, but he let it go through his
heart. His heart told him that the mother's tear
was composed of love and sympathy. Putting his
arms about his mother's neck, he said: "Mother, I
am sorry to vex you, I shall be a good boy and not
make you cry again." One boy used his brain, but
not his heart. The other boy used brain and heart.
40
SENTIMENT
Which of the boys do you Hke better? I am sure
that you hke better the boy who let his thought pass
through his heart, and whose sentiment prompted him
to be kind to his mother.
When Christ was visiting in Bethany a woman
broke a box of precious ointment and poured it on
His head. Her thought about Christ was not in her
brain only, but also in her heart. Those who had
no sentiment said, "Why was this waste?" They did
not let the thought into their hearts. She was pour-
ing out her love, but all they saw was the ointment.
Cold brain said she was wasting the ointment. The
broken box became her monument. Christ said where-
soever His gospel is preached in all the world, this
story shall be told.
I want my Juniors to think about Christ. "What
think ye of Christ ?" But do not forget to hold your
"think" in your heart until there is a tear in your
eye. Your brain will tell you that Christ is the great-
est man who ever lived. Your heart will tell you
to love Him as your best friend and Savior. Love
is a great sentiment. Do not forget that there is
plenty of room in your brain and heart for both rea-
son and sentiment. Napoleon had a big brain and
could reason out great problems. He also had a big
41
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
heart, and had room for sentiment. One day when
marching rapidly to a great battle, he stopt to turn
over a turtle that was struggling on its back. That
was a good "sentiment."
The woman who poured the ointment on Christ's
head got a great reward. But she was not expecting
any reward. I read in the Christian Herald of a
girl who got a reward for sentiment. This young
girl had nursed an aged relative who was neglected
by her other relatives. When the woman died she left
some money and an old watch. This watch was to be
given to whichever one of the heirs might choose to
take it instead of five hundred dollars. One after
another examined it, and said:
"Give me the five hundred dollars, the old watch
rattles but will not tick."
But the girl who had nursed the old lady said she
would take the watch because it had her friend's
picture in it. She was ridiculed for her sentiment,
which the other relatives called foolishness. But she
got an unexpected reward for her sentiment. One
day, when looking at the picture, she accidentally
touched a secret spring in the watch. It flew open
and she saw why the watch would not tick. The
wheels had all been taken out. What do you suppose
SENTIMENT
they had heard rattling in the watch? Not loose
wheels, but beautiful diamonds worth thousands of
dollars. Each stone in the watch looked like a big
tear molded by sympathy into a precious diamond.
Her sacrifice and love were not wasted.
FOB EIGHTH SUNDAY IN SPRING
APPLE-BLOSSOM SUNDAY
"I raised thee up under the apple-tree." — Solomon's Song viii., 5
THE apple-trees are in bloom. I hope you chil-
dren are all enjoying this beautiful world and
its apple-blossoms. There are many delightful days
and weeks and months, and as visitors to this planet
you can be very happy. If you had known you were
coming, what would you have brought with you ? God
knew you were on the way and He sent with you the
three things you need most for a happy visit. First,
a portable house, called a body, in which to live. Sec-
ond, an intellect to help you to enjoy the world and
the people you are visiting. This intellect is very
busy gathering a library in the memory room, hang-
ing pictures on the wall, teaching you how to use the
tools in your workshop, and doing a thousand other
things. Third, a spirit that keeps you from get-
ting lost in this world. The spirit tells you not to
forget yourself in this world; you are only visitors.
It tells you of the beautiful world and home to which
you are to return after your visit here. A spirit into
44
APPLE-BLOSSOM SUNDAY
which you go and close the door when you talk with
your Father in heaven.
Had you known you were coming, what else would
you have brought ? A small boy said, after his mother
had punished him, "If I had been given the choice
of a mother, I would have taken grandma, she is so
good to me." Wliat would have been your choice
of a birthplace ? Our text tells of the beautiful birth-
place of a little girl. "I raised thee up under the
apple-tree." It is a wonderful song-story. The little
girl had grown up and with her husband had gone
back as bride and groom to the old home. He pointed
to the apple-tree where she was born — the same
apple-tree under whose shade they had often sat, and
where he had told her of his love for her. Do you
► wish you had been born under an apple-tree.? You
can if you will. The Bible says you must be born
again, born a second time. You can select your
second birthplace. There is a spiritual world right
here under the apple-blossoms, and wherever God is,
into which you can be born. The Bible says Christ
is like an apple-tree. "As the apple-tree among the
trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons."
As a child of God you are born again, born in the
likeness of Christ, born under the apple-tree. Pos-
45
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
sibly, when the visit is ended and you return to your
home in heaven, you will sit down under the shade of
a tree by the river of life and talk to Christ about His
love. I hope the tree of life in Paradise will be like
an apple-tree in blossom.
Apple-blossoms are beautiful, but there is some-
thing more useful to follow. After the blossoms
come the apples. Apples are blossoms filled with
fragrance, sunshine, colors from the rainbow and
nectar. In Europe, before our ancestors became
Christians, it was the custom when a child died to
put an apple in his hand with which to play in Para-
dise. There is a legend that represents the angel of
death, whose duty it is to separate the souls from
the bodies of those who are dying, holding an apple
close to the one who is about to depart from life, so
that the first thing the spirit will see in the new world
will be a beautiful apple. "As the apple-tree among
the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the
sons." We as Christians expect to see Christ first in
heaven.
It is time to close, but I must give you two minutes
in order to hear a quaint apple story. If your
father and mother came from the country they will
tell you how, as children, they played under the apple-
46
APPLE-BLOSSOM SUNDAY
trees. Children play in the orchard and put sticks
for legs in big apples and set them up as animals.
With a little imagination added to the apples and
sticks they soon have a menagerie. This quaint play
has an interesting origin. In early days, the people
of Athens had a place for worship just across the
river Esopus. They took sheep across the river as
a sacrifice to their gods. There came a very heavy
storm and the river was so swollen that the worship-
ers could not take the sheep across. Some one re-
called that the Greek words for sheep and for apples
were the same. They then put wooden legs on the
apples and offered them as a sacrifice. They used
the same word and believed their gods would not
know the difference. Once a year they put apples
on legs and sacrificed them in commemoration of
this occasion. Children playing under the apple-
trees are still commemorating the old Greek sacrifice.
Christ is compared to an apple-tree, He is so
beautiful. But we must not put these apple-blossoms,
with which our church is decorated to-day, in place
of Christ. We do not worship apple-blossoms, but
we use them and enjoy their great beauty as a re-
minder of Christ, and of how we can be born under
the beauty of His love.
47
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
After your apple-blossom service take these flow-
ers to the sick, take armfuls of them to the chil-
dren's ward in the hospital. Tell them the Bible
stories.
But you can not tell what you do not know. Be-
gin to-day and read and commit everything you can
find about apples. Ask friends to help you to find
the places. In your Bible you will find the apples
spoken of eleven times. In one of these you will
learn how beautiful your words can be made. "A
word fitly spoken is hke apples of gold in pictures
of silver."
48
FOB NINTH SUNDAY IN SPRING
"WHY?"
"The sparrow has found an house, and the swallow a nest for
herself, where she may lay her young, even Thy altars." —
Psalm Ixxxiv., 3
GOD sent children into this world to ask ques-
tions. In this way they educate their parents
and friends. If any person attempts to answer a
child's questions for one year he will receive a liberal
education. I am sure my Juniors want to ask me
a question. I am ready, but do not make the ques-
tion too hard. Why did sparrows and swallows
build their nests in the church ? I will tell you a story
while I am trying to answer your question.
One morning at family prayers, Uncle Jim was
reading the eighty-fourth Psalm. Little Dickie, who
was nestling on his uncle's knee, said: "Uncle Jim,
why did the sparrow and the swallow build their nests
in the church?" His uncle wanted a little time to
think, so he asked Edie. She thought it was because
the mother bird wanted her children on Sunday, to
hear the Junior sermon and the good music. Annie,
49
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
the older sister, said: "I know, Uncle Jim. They
heard the minister say that parents should bring
their little children to church, so the birds brought
their children to church in a cradle."
"Cradle.?" said Uncle Jim.
"Yes, Uncle Jim, didn't you know an egg is the
baby bird's cradle? Once I saw a little bird in the
shell and it was folded up and sound asleep with its
head, I think, under its wing. I once heard papa
say, 'The church is a home for parents and a nest
for their children.' "
Uncle Jim was smiling and all the children said:
"Uncle Jim, do tell us why." Their uncle asked
them to listen to a story in which they were to find
an answer to their "Why.?"
"Not long ago, when I was a little boy, my father
took me to a shipyard where they were building a
ship named Robin. Can you guess why she was
named for a bird.?"
Dickie said they called her Robin so she could fly
through the water.
Edie said, "I know, because we all love the robin
redbreast so."
Annie said, "I think the ship-builder had read the
legend that when Jesus was being led to Calvary, a
50
"WHY?"'
bird flew down and plucked from His brow one of
the thorns of the crown. The blood spurted from
the wound and reddened the bird's breast. That is
why we all love and protect the robin redbreast."
"Not one of you has it right. I will tell you the
story of the robin ship.
"While the ship was being built a bird began to
build her nest in the bow. The ship-builder was a
good man and did not want to destroy the nest, so
he had the men leave that part of the ship until the
little birds were able to fly. There were soon four
little robins who were watched every day until they
flew away. Later the papa and mama robins
came back and again built their nest on this boat.
Now why do you suppose they built it there ? They
had learned that their little home nest was pro-
tected and that the men were their friends."
Then all the children cried out, "Uncle Jim! we
know why the sparrows and the swallows built their
nests in the church. Because good people were in
the church and would protect them."
Their uncle told them that this was the correct
answer. God's house is a house of protection and
blessing. If in God's house there is protection for
the sparrow, the most worthless bird, and a nest for
51
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE ,
the swallow, the most restless bird, surely God will
take good care of His Juniors. There is a blessing
for every one who dwells in the house of God.
"Blessed are they that dwell in thy house."
"What became of the ship.?" asked Dickie.
"She sailed off across the seas," replied Uncle Jim,
"and I am sure she was always a fortunate vessel.
Her builder was called Uncle Robin, and all the
children loved him."
After Uncle Jim read the Psalm they all knelt
and prayed for the Junior Congregation, the par-
ents' church nest for their children.
FOR TENTH SUNDAY IN SPRING
PAINTING THE FACE ON THE INSIDE
"Saw his face as it had been the face of an angel."
— Acts vi., 15
YOUR face has two sides — the outside and the
inside. It is like a stained-glass window —
needs a light inside to reveal its beauty outside.
Education hghts your lamps. The school work
lights the intellect, the church work lights the soul.
These lamps shine through what is called character.
If the character is beautiful, the face is beautiful; if
the character is not beautiful, the face is ugly.
The creation of man was God's best and greatest
work. The face is the most beautiful part of His
best and greatest work. In an old legend we read
that when Adam was driven out of the Garden of
Eden he asked the angel who kept the gate, "What
shall I bring back to God when I return?" The
angel replied, "Bring Him back the face He gave you
in the garden, and I will let you in." A child's face is
like the face God gave man in Eden. Keep your
53
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
lamps burning and jour face will be your "pass"
into God's garden.
Children of a larger growth sometimes paint their
faces on the outside. Their lamps need trimming.
Stephen's face was painted on the inside. His brain
lamp and soul-lamp were shining through a beautiful
character. Those who watched him when he was
being stoned "saw his face as it had been the face of
an angel." Before the beautiful face the gates of
heaven swung wide open.
I found a story for you in Zion's H*erald, Shall I
tell it.?
"Painting, are you.?" asked Uncle Jim. "Well!
well !" and he studied Patty's rose and Betty's morn-
ing-glory with the eye of an art student. "How
would you like to paint bottles as the Chinese paint
them.?"
"Do tell us about the bottles," shouted the twins,
for they hoped a story was coming.
"Wait till I go up to my trunk," said Uncle Jim.
And they did wait, for so many pretty and interest-
ing things had come out of Uncle Jim's trunk since
he had been visiting them. He soon came down, hold-
ing a little bottle not more than three inches long,
and its neck so small you could not possibly have
54
PAINTING THE FACE ON THE INSIDE
thrust even a very slender lead-pencil into it. It was
painted beautifully, too, the twins thought. On one
side a Chinese lady with flowing robes of pink and
blue and green, carrying gorgeous flowers, and with
a long-legged bird nestling against her; and on the
other side a vase of cherry-blossoms and a whole
groiip of curious pieces of Chinese pottery. Then
there were decorations in black all around the edges
and side of the bottle, a Chinese lettering that the
twins looked at with wonder.
"And what a lot of painting to go on such a little
bottle !" exclaimed Patty.
"In the bottle," corrected Uncle Jim. "That was
all painted on the inside of the bottle, and I saw the
artist doing it myself."
"Oh! oh!" said the twins together.
"There is just one place in the world where they
do this," Uncle Jim went on, "a town in China that
I visited to see them work. The artists are in a
room that has no side windows at all, but is lighted
by glass overhead. They lie on their backs, on a
mass of green branches and hold these little bottles
up against the light. The glass has been carefully
ground inside, and they use very slender-pointed
brushes. You can see what a tiny opening the bottle
55
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
has. Think of putting your brush through that and
then managing to paint from the inside. Yes, the
bristles are curved a httle, or they could not possibly
do it. Pretty neat piece of work, isn't it.?"
"Oh, yes !" Patty drew a long breath, and Betty
drew another. It was all so true and exact. Not a
sKp had the brush made. Patty and Betty are now
coaxing Uncle Jim to get them a tiny electric-light
put inside the bottle — they want to see the pictures
at night when they wake up after a dream.
Character is painted best when you are on your
back looking up to God. The best light comes from
above. The brush is made from your thoughts, the
colors are found in your conduct, and the pictures
are sketched by your imagination. The transparent
something upon which the pictures are painted is
called character. The lamps back of and shining
through character are your intellect and your soul.
If the angel looked at your face, would he pass
you into the garden ?
56
FOR ELEVENTH SUNDAY IN SPRING
HEAD AND HEELS
**I thougkt on my ways, and turned my feet." — Psalm cxix., 59
"X XE turned on his heel." The boy was angry
JL X and said, "I just turned on my heel and
went out." His heel was the turn-table of his body.
What part of his body was farthest away from his
heel.? "His head," you all answer. There was some-
thing in his head that turned his heel. What was
it.? John has the right answer ; it was a thought. He
had an angry thought. This thought was sent from
his brain and through his muscles into his heel. On
his heel he turned and went out of the house.
His mother listened to his story and got the angry
thought out of his mind. Then she put a good
thought in its place. He then turned on his heel,
went into the house again, and asked his father to
forgive him. The first thought made him unhappy
and turned his feet in the wrong direction. The
second and better thought made him happy and
turned his feet in the right direction.
A wrong thought not only starts you in the
wrong direction, but it wears out the heels of your
67
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
shoes. How can a thought wear out the heels of
your shoes? By sending you on a long trip.
A boy asked a stranger how far it was to the next
village. "If you continue the way you are going,"
said the stranger, "it is about twenty-five thousand
miles ; but if you turn around and go the other way,
it is only about half a mile." A right thought turned
him in the right direction. His head saved his heels.
If you do your work in the wrong way you will have
to take more steps. Each step wears the heels of
your shoes. A story from The Boifs World will
explain this. A boy had charge of some cattle.
There was running water in the next field, but none
in the field where the cattle were. A bright boy
passing the place saw a young fellow carrying water
in buckets and pouring it into a trough. The boy
asked, "What are you carrying that water for.^*"
"Got to water my cattle, haven't I.?" said the
young man.
"Pretty hard work, isn't it?"
"Harder than asking questions," he replied.
"Well, why don't you open the gate and let the
cattle go to the water?" asked the boy. "It'll take
you all day to water them with those buckets."
"Sakes alive!" said the young man smiling, "I
58
HEAD AND HEELS
hadn't thought of that scheme. I'll just do it." He
had now a new thought in his head that saved his
heels, and his shoes. He thought on his ways and
turned his feet.
Did I hear you say, "When I am grown up I am
going to think, I am going to think hard. The cob-
bler will not get rich mending my shoes." Better do
some thinking now.
There are many things you can think out when a
child that you will not have time to think out when
you are a busy man. A little story will explain. Sir
Isaac Newton had a pet cat. He cut a hole in the
door of his room so that the cat could come in and go
out. One day that cat came in with two kittens.
Sir Isaac did not take time to think, so he cut a
smaller hole in the door for the kittens. Any child
would take time to think that the kittens could go
through the same hole with their mother.
Children sometimes think better than men. A
boy saw a locomotive drawing an express-train stop
near where he was plowing. He left his plow and
horses, and, jumping over the fence, sat down on the
bank and fanned his hot, freckled face with his
dilapidated straw hat. He was a Yankee, and
"wanted to know" why the train had stopt. He soon
59
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
found that one of the side-rods of the engine was
broken and that the other side had stopt on a "dead
center," and would not move forward or backward.
The engineer and fireman consulted, but could not
think how to start the engine. The boy stood up
and waved his hat, shouting, "Back the last car up
the grade and let her come down kerchunk. That'll
start her."
The trainmen laughed, but the passengers sided
with the boy. Finally, orders were given to uncouple
the rear car. No less than fifty passengers caught
hold and pushed the car up the long incHne. At the
top the car was let go, and came faster and faster
down the grade, in spite of the engineer's shouting,
"Let her come easy!" the car crashed into the train
with a thump and pushed the engine off the dead
center. The boy had the better thought. Juniors
can think twice while Seniors are getting ready to
think once.
Before God made you He thought about you. He
made your brain as carefully as He made your heart.
If you love God with your heart you should think
about Him with your brain. You can make your
head save not only your heels but your heart as
well. Think! Think! Think!
60
HEAD AND HEELS
Now you understand the text, "I thought on my
ways, and turned my feet." The man who wrote this
text said he had a wicked thought in his head and
that thought started his feet in the wrong direction.
Then he got a right thought about God and that
thought turned his feet in the right direction. "He
turned on his heel." It is your head that takes care
of your heels and keeps your feet in the right direc-
tion.
If my Juniors are not thinking right they are
walking in the wrong direction. Isn't it strange that
in the print of your foot God can read the thought
in your head.'*
Listen, Juniors, Longfellow is whispering to you:
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time.
61
A
THE TWELFTH SUNDAY IN SPRING
FLAG DAY
"Lift ye up a banner." — Is. xiii., 2
RE any of you boys and girls ready and willing
to die? If so, you have my sympathy, as
there is no call for your services at the present time.
In 1860 there was a call for those who were willing
to die for their country. On Memorial day we deco-
rate their graves. The call of to-day is not for men,
women and children who are ready to die for, but
for all who are ready to live for, their country. It
is more difficult to live for a cause than it is to die
for it. You can die in a few moments, but it takes
a long time to live if you keep at it. Are you boys
and girls ready to live every hour and every day
and every week and every month and every year for
your country?
On Memorial day we had our Stars and Stripes
hung from every window and unfurled from every
flag staff. You were called to "lift up a banner."
June 14th is Flag Day, and again we will be called
to unfurl our national flag. Would not this Sunday
62
FLAG DAY
before Flag Day be a good time to celebrate a church
flag day? Probably some of you do not know that
we have a church flag. The Christian flag was born
in Brooklyn, September 24, 1897. The ground is
white, representing peace, purity and innocence. In
the upper corner is a blue square, the color of the
unclouded sky, emblematic of heaven, the home of the
Christian ; also a symbol of faith and trust. In the
center of the blue is the cross, the ensign and chosen
symbol of Christianity. The cross is red, typical of
Christ's blood. It is a flag that every church can
use, a flag under which all Christians can march. Let
us lift up this banner and under it march, not as
boys and girls who are willing to die for, but as boys
and girls who are willing to live for their church.
To-day this Christian flag is lifted up over our com-
munion-table. His banner over us is love. If you
boys and girls will march through the world with
this church-banner and give to the world what is
represented on the communion-table, you will become
great in the sight of God.
A story known as "The Feast of Cherries" will
illustrate what I mean.
The city of Hamburg was besieged and the people
in the city were very hungry, and the soldiers were
63
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
becoming too weak to defend the walls. Mr. Wolff,
a wealthy merchant, was returning to his house one
morning after helping all night to defend the city.
He was very sad, for on the morrow he knew that for
lack of food they would be forced to open the gates
to the enemy. As he passed to his house, through
his garden, he noticed that the cherries had ripened
and that the limbs of many trees were bending to the
ground with luscious fruit. A thought came to his
mind. The enemy, he knew, had plenty of food, but
were suffering from thirst. What would they not
give for the fruit hanging on his trees .^^ In a few
moments his plans were made, and he gathered to-
gether three hundred small children, all drest in
white, and loaded them with cherries on the branch.
The gates of the city were thrown open and the
children marched out on their strange errand. A boy
and girl beautifully drest led the procession, carry-
ing a white banner bearing a cross. This was their
flag of truce. When the leader of the enemy saw
the city gates open and hundreds of white-clad cliil-
dren coming out, he thought it was a trick by which
the people were trying to deceive him. When the
children came nearer, and he saw the little ones so
pale and tliin from want of food, he thought of his
64
FLAG DAY
own children at home, and tears came to his eyes.
The three hundred children ran up to the soldiers
and handed them the cherries. When the rough sol-
diers tasted the cool, juicy cherries and saw these
beautiful, innocent children clothed in white, they
sent up a cheer that was heard in the city by the
starving people. When the little ones returned they
were accompanied by wagons loaded with food. The
little children had conquered the great army. For
many years the city of Hamburg celebrated this
event and called it "The Feast of Cherries." Throngs
of children marched through the streets, each one
carrying a cherry-tree branch. I hope they took the
cherries to the homes of the poor and to all who were
sick.
To-day we are celebrating the great victory of
Christ when He suffered and died on the cross. On
this communion-table are bread and wine — the bread
representing Christ's body, and the wine representing
his blood. Under this Christian flag, with its blue
field and red cross, you children can go out and take
to the hungry and thirsty people the Christ whom
they most need. You boys and girls can conquer
for Christ. I do not want you to be willing to die,
but I want you to be willing to live. Better than
65
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
"The Feast of Cherries" is "The Feast of Christ's
Love."
Lift up a banner and fasten it to the cross. Our
Flag-Day for Christ and for the world !
Are the members of the Junior Congregation
ready and wiUing to Hve?
66
FOR THIRTEENTH SUNDAY IN SPRING
INVISIBLE PRINCE AND ROSE SUNDAY
"Ask what I shall give thee." — // Chronicles i., 7
IF I could give you Juniors anything j^ou ask for,
any one thing in this world, what would you love
most to get? This question would make you think
quick, and a foolish request would almost make you
sick. One night, after Solomon came home from
church, God said, "Ask what I shall give thee." That
was enough to make Solomon nervous. Any one
thing in all the world he could have for the asking.
What in the world would he select! Let us suppose
you are in one of our big department stores and the
owner says, "Good-afternoon ; I am very glad to see
you here ; 'ask what I shall give you.' " Would that
make you nervous? Anything in that great store
you could have for the asking. Think, think, think,
what would you take? I know what God was afraid
Solomon would ask for ; He was afraid he might ask
for riches. But Solomon proved that he was a wise
man by asking for wisdom and knowledge. Solomon
said, "Give me wisdom, so that I may be a good king."
67
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
God was pleased and told Solomon he made a good
choice, and that He would give him many other gifts
that he did not ask for as best gifts.
God does not speak to you as I do, but He does in
some way say to every Junior, "Ask what I shall
give thee." If you are anxious to leave school and
to take a position so as to make money, then you are
asking for riches. If you are asking God to help
you in school work, so that you may have wisdom
and knowledge, then you are making the same choice
as Solomon made. You can have almost anything in
this world by making it your choice. You can be
rich if you will choose to give up all other pleasures,
working hard, and saving all you make. You can
have great wisdom and knowledge if you select them
as the best things in the world. Then you work
hard at school, give up other pleasures that would
take you away from your books. God is whispering
to every boy and girl, "Ask what I shall give thee."
Have you ever read the story of the invisible
prince? It is just a fairy story, but there is a truth
hid in the story. Here it is :
"A young man was in his garden playing a flute.
He felt something coihng about his leg, and, on
looking down, saw that it was an adder, a beautiful
68
INVISIBLE PRINCE AND ROSE SUNDAY
little creature. It looked at him imploringly and
seemed to say, 'Please don't kill me?' The prince
carried it home and placed it in a room. A couple
of days after he went to the room to look for the
adder and found that it had disappeared, but in the
room was a beautiful fairy named Gentilla. She
wore a beautiful dress of purple satin, embroidered
with pearls and diamonds.
"She told the prince that she had been permitted
to come into the world and to go about doing good.
She said that she could stay on one condition — that
every one hundred years she would spend eight days
as a serpent. If any one killed her while in the form
of a serpent she would have to leave the world for-
ever. She thanked him for not destroying her, and
asked him if she could not do something to repay
him for his kindness. 'Ask what I shall give thee.'
'What can you give.?' asked the prince. 'I can make
you great, prolong your life, give you mines of dia-
monds, a house filled with gold, make you a poet or
a musician, or an artist, or a spirit of the air.' The
prince chose the last, and thereafter became known
as the 'Invisible Prince.' He could become invisible
and go any place and get anything he wanted. Out
of all these he chose to become an invisible prince.
69
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
His wish was granted. He remembered once having
seen some beautiful roses blooming in a forest far
away. Immediately he was lost to sight. He soon
mounted into the air, floated out of the window and
on over the forest stream and meadow land, until at
last he came to the spot where the roses were bloom-
ing. He plucked three and carried them back to the
fairy and offered them to her. But she said: 'You
must keep them. The first rose will give you money,
the second will tell you your true friends, for it will
glow brightly and freshen up when placed near a
true friend, while it will wither when placed near a
false friend. The third rose will give you long life.'
The young prince was very happy. If he needed
any money he would look at the rose and out would
roll the cash. If any one said he was his friend, the
prince would pin the rose on his coat. If he were a
true friend the rose would look fresh and would fill
the room with fragrance. If he were not a true
friend the rose would droop and no fragrance would
come out of it. He was never sick, for the third
rose gave him health and long life."
This is Rose Sunday. If some one should hand
you a beautiful rose and say: "Ask what I shall
give thee," what would you say? I am quite sure
70
INVISIBLE PRINCE AND ROSE SUNDAY
many of you would say, "I want to be an invisible
prince or princess." Now, listen hard, for I have
something to tell you. I can give you a rose that
will do most wonderful things for you. Like the
little fairy, you are in this world for a time and are
living in a body. If you do what is right and do not
permit any sin to kill you, there is some great re-
ward for you. When I promise you a wonderful
rose, I mean a wonderful man who is called the "Rose
of Sharon." Your answer is correct. "The Rose of
Sharon is Christ." When Christ rose from the
tomb, He was the great Invisible Prince. He could
step into a house when all the doors were shut, and
He could think a hundred miles away, and while He
was thinking He was there. One day, when He was
ready to go back home to heaven. He just ascended
and was at home. If we love Christ and live as He
tells us to live, then some day we shall throw off this
body, rise from the grave, and become the invisible
prince or princess. Christ will supply all our needs.
We will never hunger nor thirst. The Rose of
Sharon will give us everything we need.
Only good people can be there. If a bad person
stood beside the Rose of Sharon this bad person would
wilt and fade. But every good person who stands
71
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
beside the Rose of Sharon will be brighter, sweeter
and more beautiful. Your life will have no end.
Christ is the Rose of Sharon, the rose that will make
you rich in heaven, that will give you true friends
and give you eternal life.
72
SUMMER
(June 21-8eptember 20)
VACATION SONG
I have closed mj books and hidden my slate,
And thrown my satchel across the gate.
My school is out for a season of rest,
And now for the school-room I love the best.
My school-room Hes on the meadow wide, \
Where under the clover the sunbeams hide,
Where the long vines cHng to the mossy bars.
And the daisies twinkle like fallen stars.
T3
FOB FIRST SUNDAY IN SUMMER
LOVE AND SUNSHINE COMPANY
"They shall prosper that love thee." — Psalm cxxii., 6
THERE are six words in this text, but two
of them are all I ask you to remember. One
is the word "love," which you all know, and that
leaves but one for you to learn. This one word has
seven letters: "p-r-o-s-p-e-r." They shall prosper
that love thee. What does prosper mean ? We think
of the prosperous person as one who makes money;
but deep down in the heart of the word prosper we
find that the meaning is not "to make money," but
"to make happy." "They shall be made happy that
love thee." This one word, then, gives you the
meaning of the six words in the text : they shall pros-
per, be made happy, that love Thee. Do we want to
be happy ? We shall be happy if we love God. Love
goes out from us to God, and comes back from God
to us in happiness. One of my friends visited Johns-
town, Pennsylvania, and sent me a picture of one of
the large stores in that city. On the top of the
building is a flagstaff, from which floats the name
of the firm, "Love and Sunshine Company, Whole-
75
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
sale Grocers." I hope they are prosperous, and they
surely are, for if love goes out from them to the
customers, it will come back to them in sunshine. I
wish we had a flag floating from this church while
the Junior Congregation is worshiping. On it we
would place in big letters that all could read, "Love
and Sunshine Company, Wholesale and Retail Chris-
tians."
You Juniors are interested to-day in what looks
like a pure white flag spread over the table before
you. I believe you all know what it means. This is
the communion-table, covered with pure white linen.
To-day we are to eat of this bread and drink from
this cup in memory of Christ who loved us well enough
to die for us. It was dark, very dark, when He was
dying, but Christians have had sunshine ever since.
Love broke up the darkness and left in the sunshine.
We prosper, are happy, because we love Christ. At
the communion-table our love goes out to God, and
it comes back to us in happiness and sunshine. I
want you to think of the church as the "Love and
Sunshine Company, Wholesale and Retail Christians."
Now, some one asks, "How can we learn to love
Christ.?" A better question is, "How can we help
but love Christ.?" Shall I tell you a story.?
76
LOVE AND SUNSHINE COMPANY
A gipsy girl? who lived the wild life of her tribe,
had an intelligent and pretty face. A German
painter got her to come to his studio in order that
he might paint her picture. I give you the story
just as I found it.
She had never been in an artist's studio before, and
did not fail to notice on the other side of the room
an unfinished painting of the "Crucifixion of our
Lord." One day she asked:
"Master, who is that?"
"That is Jesus Christ, son of Mary," replied the
painter carelessly.
"But was He a bad man, that they treated Him so
cruelly .''"
"Oh, no ! He was the best man that ever lived."
"Tell me more about Him." And so he did, tho
unwilling to do so.
Day after day, as the gipsy girl came into the
studio to have her picture painted, her face was
fixt upon this painting of Christ. As the last sitting
was over, and she was about to leave the room, she
whispered: "Master, how can you help loving Him,
who, you say, has died for you? If anybody had
loved me like that, oh, I'd like to die for him !" And
then, with a sad heart, she went back to her people.
77
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
And the painter! He was struck as with an ar-
row. God's spirit sent the words home to his heart.
He fell on his knees, and, covering his face with his
hands, confest before God's blest Son how for
twenty-seven years he had neglected Him, and sinned
against Him, and looking for pardon to that cross
of Jesus, gave his life to Him. His heart was filled
with a new joy, and he then became a worker for
Christ. He put aside the half-finished picture, in
which he had thought only of painting the suffering
of Christ, and began a fresh one, with his heart full
of love toward the Savior who had died for him.
As his love went out to Christ, happiness and sun-
shine came back to him. He began to prosper when
he began to love Christ, and his paintings of the
gipsy girl and of his Christ are famous and are in
the Diisseldorf Gallery, in Prussia.
The gipsy girl may not have known it, but she
was a member of the "Love and Sunshine Company."
FOR SECOND SUNDAY IN SUMMER
THE PATHFINDER
"Teach me thy paths." — Psalm xxv., 4
WILL my Juniors fix two words in their minds ?
The first one is "vacation." It is related
to the word "vacant," not occupied. "Vacation" is
an intermission. By changing one letter in the word
"vacation" you will find the second word you are to
fix in your minds. It is "vocation." This word has a
meaning very different from "vacation." "Vacation"
means rest, "vocation" means work. A vacation is a
rest after work ; a vocation is work after rest. All
vocation and no vacation makes Jack a dull boy. All
vacation and no vocation makes Jack a dumb boy.
Each day you have vacation hours ; each week you
have two vacation days — Saturday and Sunday. A
vacation at Christmas, and again at Easter. Each
summer you have two months' vacation. Your vo-
cation is school work, and the harder the vocation
the happier the vacation. When you start to school
this week your vacation will become a vocation.
When God created our world He worked six days
79
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
and rested one day ; six days' vocation and one day
vacation. Work first and rest second; more voca-
tion than vacation.
When God created this world He made paths
through it. Your vocation is to find these paths.
The more paths you find the happier will be your
vacation. Each path leads to some great happiness.
You learn to read, and then by reading good books
you learn of God's paths. Some day you will study
botany. This will be a vocation. When you go into
the garden, your knowledge of flowers will lead you
along some of God's most beautiful paths. In find-
ing God's pathway through the flowers you will
learn the real happiness of a vacation. When Christ
was on earth He led some people through a flower-
bed to God. They were fretting about clothing.
Probably they needed a new suit of clothes. Christ
told them to look at the lilies, how beautiful they
were. Then He said if God clothes the flowers so
beautifully He will surely clothe you. The story
you will find in Luke. The age Christ was when He
first went up to Jerusalem is the number of the chap-
ter. When you study astronomy you will find God's
paths through the sky. "The heavens declare the
glory of God, and the firmament sheweth his handy-
80
THE PATHFINDER
work." Some one has said : "We see God all around
us. The mountains are God's thoughts upheaved;
the rivers are God's thoughts in motion; the oceans
are God's thoughts embedded; the dewdrops are
God's thoughts in pearls."
Your school work is teaching you to read two
books God has written about His paths. One book
is nature, and the other is the Bible. Read the XIX
Psalm and you will enjoy all it says about these two
books.
Every morning when you start to school just
think, "I am learning God's paths; I am a path-
finder." Here is a school prayer for each day:
"Shew me thy ways, O Lord, teach me thy paths."
You know how a prayer should close, "For Christ's
sake." Sometimes the path from you to God is
through some one's heart. A tear is one of God's
tiny electric-lights showing the way.
A story will help you to find this beautiful path-
way to God. One morning a little boy noticed that
his tutor seemed very sad and that there were tears
in his eyes. After lessons, the little fellow asked a
servant what made his tutor so sad. The servant
said that the tutor had a large sum of money to pay
because his bad son had gotten into dreadful debt.
81
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
The tutor was poor and saw no way to get money.
The next day, when the royal family were at break-
fast, the little fellow said, "Grandfather, if I write
well in my copy-book for a whole week, will you give
me something?" "Yes," replied the grandfather.
"Will you give me ten pounds .f^" "That is a great
deal of money," said the king. "What will you do
with it.?" "That is my secret," answered the boy.
So the king smiled at him and promised. All the
morning the little man worked faithfully and steadily
on his copy-book. The birds sang, the tame pigeons
came and sat on the window-sill, merry children
played under the tree, but for once he seemed neither
to see nor hear any of them, but wrote a whole copy
without a mistake or blot. The tutor was astonished.
"WHien his pupil kept up his careful work for a week,
he wondered what had happened. The boy did not
think of anything but his vocation. He was finding
great pleasure in vocation. He was a pathfinder.
At the end of the week he took his copy to his grand-
father. A few minutes later he returned to his tutor
carrying in both hands the bag containing ten
pounds. His face shone with smiles, as he lovingly
gave the money to his tutor. "Here are my wages.
Please take the money. I only worked that I might
THE PATHFINDER
help you." The tear of sorrow dropt from the tutor's
cheek. Then came another tear, the big tear of joy.
The boy's heart was overflowing with happiness. He
had never known what it was to be so happy. He did
not have one dull hour during the day, and at night
he dreamed about being happy. When he prayed he
said God seemed like father and mother standing
beside him. His mother told him that he was happy
because he had found a pathway to God through
his tutor's heart.
My Juniors have started to school, vocation has
come after vacation. Your pastor wants you to
study very, very hard. In every subject he wants
you to find a pathway to God, for that is the real
pathway to happiness. Your vocation will teach you
how to be happy during your vacation. How many
of my boys and girls will be pathfinders? One, two,
twenty, fifty, one hundred, two hundred ! How very
happy God will be when on the way He meets His
little pathfinders! Tell Him that your teacher
helped you to find the way.
I
FOB THIRD SUNDAY IN SUMMER
THE GOLD BULLET
"Eye for eye, tooth for tooth." — Exodus xxi., 24
F the Juniors had a choice, would they prefer to
be boys and girls growing to manhood and wo-
manhood, or would they rather be men and women
first and then grow backward to boys and girls?
I know your answer before you can utter it. It is
a splendid thing to be young and then grow in years,
in size, in strength, and in knowledge. So long as
you think and act, you will grow; when you stop
thinking and acting you will begin to grow back-
ward. Your school work helps you to grow in knowl-
edge. From time to time your teacher gives you a
test, and after the test you are anxious to see your
corrected papers. Each mark is a measure of your
growth. If your marks are, first A, then B, C and
D, you are growing backward ; if the letters go in the
other direction you are growing upward.
Every nation was at first young, like a little child,
and then grew to be strong and great. When a na-
tion is young it thinks and acts like a child. When
84
THE GOLD BULLET
it stops thinking and acting it stops growing up-
ward. There was a nation called Israel that tried
to learn all that could be known about God. The
Old Testament is the school-papers of this nation.
This child nation knew God as a little child would
know Him. If any one strikes a child he wants to
strike back. Israel thought God would want them
to strike back. Our text became one of their laws,
"Eye for eye, tooth for tooth" — that is, if a man
put out another man's eye, then one of his eyes was
to be put out. If a boy struck a companion and
broke his tooth, one of his teeth was to be broken.
You boys would call it "tit-for-tat." They listened
to God as their teacher, but they did not understand
all He said. Their test-papers were not perfect.
Christ, the great teacher, came into this world, cor-
rected their papers, and gave them some new lessons.
Our text is one of the mistakes He corrected.
The Old Testament is their school-papers, the New
Testament is their corrected papers, with some new
lessons. Christ, the great teacher, drew a line
through this text. In Matthew 5 : 38-39 you will
find the correction : "Ye have heard that it hath been
said, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth, but
I say unto you, that ye resist not evil ; but whosoever
85
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the
other also." Many parts of the Old Testament were
not corrected, but were marked "A." These test-
papers were correct. Some good people called Chris-
tians read the Old Testament and overlook the cor-
rection-marks in the New Testament. They take for
truth the parts Christ marked mistakes. I am going
to tell you a story of how a good man in reading the
Old Testament overlooked the correction of our text.
At the time of the Boer War, in Africa, the Dutch
hated the English. They believed that the English
came only to get their gold. A man whose name was
Van Bosboom was considered the best shot in the
Transvaal. It is said that he never missed a buck,
a kaffir, or a wild ostrich, since he was sixteen years
of age. After one of the awful battles between the
Dutch and English, Van Bosboom was told that his
two sons, officers in the Dutch army, had been shot.
He went to President Paul Kruger and asked the
privilege of being sent back into the army. "Oom
Paul," as the people loved to call their President,
asked Van Bosboom if he still had his famous rifle.
"Yes," he replied. "Then you will need cartridges,"
said the President. Van Bosboom answered, "I have
plenty of cartridges; I have made some for myself."
86
THE GOLD BULLET
Then drawing close to "Oom Paul," he whispered
something to him. It must have been astonishing,
for "Oom Paul" let his pipe drop from his mouth.
As he bade the President good-bj, he said: "I will
give these people what they came for." Then he
went to the front and waited for a battle. When the
English army came, he would get as close to them as
he could, and would select two young officers, about
the age of his two sons. A sharp crack of his rifle
would be heard ; then a Httle later it would be heard
again, but no oftener.
When the two young men were carried from the
field it was noticed that instead of the usual two
ounces of lead which formed the Martini bullet, there
was a bullet made of two ounces of gold. That was
what he meant when he whispered to the President,
"I will give them what they came for." He believed
they came for gold. After he had shot two young
officers. In order to be avenged for his own two boys,
he would return to a quiet place, smoke a pipe, and
read his Bible. He read the Old Testament, but for-
got to turn to the New Testament in order to learn
what parts the Great Teacher had corrected. When
the next battle was being fought this man would go
out again and shoot two young officers, and, in every
87
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
instance, in the heart of the young man that was
killed they would find two ounces of gold. He be-
lieved "tit-for-tat" was right.
Every tear shed by a father, or mother, brother,
or sister of the young officer shot with a gold bullet
was a cry, "Oh, that this man had read the corrected
papers! Then he would have used the Golden Rule
and not the golden bullet."
"Ye have heard that it hath been said, an eye for
an eye, and a tooth for a tooth, but I say unto you,
that ye resist not evil; but whosoever shall smite
thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also."
FOB FOURTH SUNDAY IN 8UMMER
THE CURE FOR CURIOSITY
"If we confess our sins. He is faithful and just to forgive us
our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." —
— / John i., 9
«^^ URIOSITY once killed a cat." This is an
V^ old saying, but is probably not true, as a
cat is very, very hard to kill. But curiosity has
killed the good intentions of many of our boys and
girls. They want to do right, but curiosity over-
comes their good resolutions. Last week a girl
climbed into the seat of the scornful. She had never
wanted to sit there until she learned what a mean
chair it was. Curiosity urged her to do what con-
science told her not to do. She got green paint on
her white dress and a sharp pain in her conscience.
She was very, very sorry, but it was too, too late.
How are you to conquer the curiosity that urges you
to do what you know is wrong.? There is just one
way, and that is to take Christ into your heart. "A
lamp in the attic gives no light in the parlor. So
the head may be full of the knowledge of the truth,
while the heart is dark with sin." Christ is not only
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
in jour head, but in your heart, and with full con-
trol from your head to your feet, and from the fin-
ger-tips of one hand to the finger-tips of the other
hand.
The Arabs have a fable that a camel once came to
the door of a tent and thrust in its nose. Not being
resisted, he thrust in his feet, and there being no
hindrance, he came half-way in. After a while he
came all the way in. The Arab said to the camel,
"This tent is too small for two." "Then," said the
camel, "you had better leave." The end of the
camel's nose was full of curiosity, and carried the
head into the tent, then the shoulders, and little by
little until the camel was in possession of the tent
and the master was an outsider. Christ is the only
one who can keep your life free from the camel of
curiosity. "If we confess our sins. He is faithful and
just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from
all unrighteousness." A real Christian can conquer
evil curiosity. You ask if a small boy or girl can be
a Christian — not a name Christian, but a real one.
Just listen to a conversation between a child and her
mother.
"Mother," a little child said, "how old must I be
before I can be a Christian.?"
90
THE CURE FOR CURIOSITY
The wise mother answered: "How old will you
have to be, Mary, before you can love me?"
"Why, mother, I always loved you ; I do now, and
I always shall. But you have not told me how old
I shall have to be."
The mother replied : "How old must you be before
you can trust yourself wholly to me and my care.?"
"I always did," she answered ; "but tell me, please,
what I want to know," and she put her arms around
her mother's neck.
The mother asked again : "How old will you have
to be before you can do what I want you to do ?^^
Then the child whispered, half-guessing what her
mother meant: "I can now, without growing older."
Her mother said: "You can be a Christian now,
darling, without waiting to be older. Don't you want
to begin now.?"
The child whispered, "Yes." Then they both
knelt down, and in her prayer the mother gave to
Christ her little one who wanted to be His. Christ
then moved into her soul and lived in every room. In
every room except one little corner in the curiosity
room.
Mary went out to play but soon came back and
said, "Mama, 1 am going to tell Frank; I want him
91
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
to be a Christian." In the evening Mary came home
with her first convert, her brother Frank.
They tried real hard to be Christhke, but Satan
tempted them, just as he tempts grown people.
Mother told them not to open her desk. Then Mary
— or was it Frank — had a curiosity to know just
what was in the desk. Mother said, "Do not look in."
Curiosity said, "I want to look in." So that day,
when mother was out, Frank and Mary climbed on
the curiosity chair and opened the desk and toppled
over a bottle of ink. "Don't tell her!" whispered
Frank. "We'll shut the door and run away, and
she'll never know who did it." So they ran away and
began to play in another room. But a small voice
followed them. Mary heard a whisper in her heart
that took away the joy of play, "Mary, you have
done wrong." Then she said, "Frank, we ought to
tell mother and say that we are sorry." Frank had
heard a whisper in his heart, but did not heed it.
"No, don't tell ; mother will think Bridget did it while
dusting the desk." Frank looked unhappy and Mary
could not play. "I'm going to tell her this very
minute, before the ink hardens. Come, Frank, and
tell mother." "Run Mary," said mother, "and get a
damp cloth, and Frank, bring the salts of lemon."
99
THE CURE FOR CURIOSITY
Then the work began, and soon the spots were re-
moved. "I am so glad you told me at once," she
said, "for if the ink had dried in, it would have ruined
my desk and carpet; now it will not show at all."
There was a big, black ink splash on the curiosity
chair, but Frank and Mary agreed to leave it as a
warning in the future.
Sin is as black as ink, and always leaves a blot.
Delay makes it harder to confess and makes the
stain harder to remove. If we confess our sins, God,
like mother, is faithful and just to forgive us our
sins. God loves us when we confess our sins, and love
covers our stains. God can also take out the stains,
and he will cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Ought we not to tell God before the stains harden ?
Better tell God in time to get Satan out of the
curiosity corner.
93
FOE FIFTH SUNDAY IN SUMMER
EYES THAT SEE
"The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and
the good." — Prov. xv., 3
YOUR eyes are windows through which you look
out upon the world. You train yourself to
run, to swim, and to do many difficult things. You
should train your eyes to see. Some hunters have
trained their eyes so that they can shoot a nut out
of a squirrel's mouth without hurting the squirrel.
An Indian boy will hold up his hand and permit his
companion to shoot between his fingers. After the
shooting he still has five fingers. The sailor trains his
eyes until he can see a ship at sea long before the
passengers see it. When God made our eyes He in-
tended us to see a thousand times better than we now
see. We have all sinned against our eyes. This is
just a hint about your eyes. It is God's eyes that I
want to talk about to-day. In Psalm 94 : 9, we find
this question :
"He that formed the eye, shall He not see?" If
God made our eyes so that we can see so well, surely
94
EYES THAT SEE
He must have wonderful eyes. God has searching
eyes and can see to the end of the world. The X-ray
enables us to see through solid bodies. God can
look right through the earth. He can see the people
on the other side of the world while looking at us on
this side. Our text says, "The eyes of the Lord are
in every place, beholding the evil and the good." If
you dislike any one, you usually see only the evil in
him. If you love any one, you are quite sure to see
only the good. God has honest eyes and sees the evil
and the good. He sees all the evil there is in the world.
He sees even the evil thoughts. There is nothing hid
from God. Even if you were so mean and wicked as
to try to hide things from your mother, you can not
hide anything from God. He sees the hiding-place
while you are looking for it. He beholds all the evil
in your Hfe. There is something still more wonder-
ful ; listen, and never forget what I am going to tell
you. God sees all the good there is in the world, sees
every good deed and every good thought. Deep
down under a wicked life, God can see the good there
is in that life. Mother has eyes that find nearly
everything there is good in her boys and girls. If
you should hear her talking to her friends you would
be surprized to find how really good you are. But
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LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
there are some good thoughts in your heart that
even mother can not see. You perform some good
deeds that are so small that no one on earth can see
them. But God sees them and never forgets them.
They look large to God. I am so glad this world
has God. If you did not have Him there would be no
one to see the secret good things in your life. Our
God sees all good things. I would like to preach
more on this subject, but I must stop and tell you
a story.
One day an astronomer was engaged in making
some observations on the sun. As it descended to-
ward the horizon, just as it was setting, there came
into the vision of the great telescope the top of a
hill seven miles away. On the top of that hill grew
a large number of apple-trees, and the apples were
large and tempting. On one of the trees was a boy,
and under the tree was another boy.
One was getting the apples, filling his pockets and
hat, while the other was watching to make sure no-
body saw them. "Throw me down a ripe one, Jim,
no one sees us." But there was a man, seven miles
away, with the great telescope directed fully upon
them. He saw every movement they made as plainly
as if he had been under the tree with them.
96
EYES THAT SEE
The astronomer knew the farmer who owned the
apples, so he called him up on the 'phone and told
him what the boys were doing. Soon a big bulldog
came bounding through the orchard. He looked
very hungry. He was not coming for apples. Now,
both boys were up a tree. Soon they saw a farmer
coming with a smile on his face and a whip in his
hand. The farmer was a Christian and felt sorry
for the boys. He knew they did not know how
wicked it was to steal. With the whip he drove the
dog away and with words wrapt in the smile, said,
"Boys, throw those apples away. You will feel un-
comfortable to-night when saying your prayers. I
see your fishing-rods, and I know you are hungry.
You are stealing apples, but I forgive you. Come
down, boys, and come with me to the other side of
the orchard, where the apples are larger and better."
The boys had never been to church, but once they
had gone to the Christmas celebration. Jim whis-
pered to Sam, "Is this man God.^" Sam said, "No,
but I think he must be one of His relatives."
The apples will soon be ripe. Enjoy all the good,
ripe apples you can honestly find, but remember,
"The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding
the evil and the good."
97
FOB SIXTH SUNDAY IN SUMMER
FAULTFINDERS AND FAULTRECEIVERS
"They found fault."— Marfc vii., 2
I HAVE a secret for my Juniors. It is an India-
rubber secret. What is an India-rubber secret?
It is one that can be stretched from your Hps to a
friend's ears. Nearly all secrets have a little stretch
in them. This one has a great stretch, and you can
make it reach to all your friends. The rubber secret
I am to tell you is, that you can nearly always find
anything for which you are looking. I remember
when a boy seeing nearly every day a man riding
past the schoolhouse. He was quite sure to have a
horseshoe in the stirrup of his saddle. Why? Be-
cause he was looking for horseshoes. If there had
been an eclipse of the sun, I fear he would not have
seen it. He kept his eyes on the road, looking for
lost horseshoes. There was a row of all-sized horse-
shoes along the full length of his barn. He found
what he was looking for. If you are looking for
nickels, you will find a number of them during the
FAULTFINDERS AND FAULT RECEIVERS
year. If you are looking for faults, you will be sure
to find plenty of them. If you could find nickels as
easily as you find faults, you would soon be a mil-
lionaire. If we were willing to give away nickels as
freely as we give away the faults of our friends, then
faultreceivers would soon be automobile-riders.
Faultfinders are not the worst people in the world.
Faultreceivers, people who listen to faultfinders, are
very much meaner.
John finds a fault in his friend Robert — probably
not hard to find — and then he finds a boy willing to
hear about it — probably not hard to find. The boy
who hears it would not say anything against Robert,
but feels free to tell all his companions what John
said about Robert. A second-hand secret has a
longer stretch than has a first-hand secret. He can
have the fun of telling, and then have the fun of
seeing John and Robert fight it out.
The man who gathers cigar-butts from the gutters
is a mean fellow, but not so mean as the man who
makes them into cigarets. The man who smokes them
gets all the meanness. The butt-gatherer is the fault-
finder. The man who wraps up the faults in the
tissue-paper of "I heard" is the cigaret-maker, and
the smoker is the faultreceiver, who blows the rings
99
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
of scandal, like smoke, into your life. You know a
smoke-ring, like a rubber-band, has a big stretch.
I want my Juniors to decide to-day not to find fault.
Probably your father and mother, when children,
were faultfinders or faultreceivers. Have you no-
ticed that they now never find fault with any one,
and that they now refuse to listen to the fault-
finder.? Ask father and mother how they got rid
of this bad habit. Beg them to tell 3^ou all about it.
If father or mother blushes, do not ask "Why.'"'
A long time ago, in the far, far away, there were
children, now all dead, who went home from church
and poisoned their parents at the dinner-table —
poisoned their minds by finding fault with the church.
If you should ever find fault with the church, do not
tell your parents, as it might keep your father and
mother away from the church.
Not in your church, but in one far, far away, a
long, long time ago, some good children lost their
love for their pastor and church because their parents
said so many unkind things about the pastor and
the church. When the children grew to be young
men and women, the parents came to the pastor and
asked him why the children did not love their church.
Would the dear pastor pray for their children. Kiss
100
FAULTFINDERS AND FAULTRECEIVERS
father and mother and tell them how glad you are
that they are not like these parents of a long, long
time ago, in a far, far away land. Now, I will tell
you a story. It is just a think story, the kind of
story out of which dreams are made.
A boy who had the habit of faultfinding and fault-
receiving, died, and was admitted into Paradise on
condition that he was not to indulge in this habit of
censuring and criticizing.
He saw two angels carrying a beam crosswise and
knocking it against every object they met, but said
nothing. He wanted to find fault, but did not. He
next saw two angels drawing water from a fountain
and pouring it into a cask which had holes in the
bottom, but he still held his peace. At many other
things of the same kind he also supprest his laughter
and remarks, fearing that he might be otherwise ex-
pelled from the place.
At last he saw a cart stuck fast in the mire, with
one pair of horses yoked to it before and another pair
behind, and the carter urging both forward at the
same time. It was more than this boy could do to
refrain from finding fault, and the consequence was
that he was seized by two angels and turned to the
door. Before it closed behind him, however, he
101
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
looked back, and saw that the horses were winged
and had succeeded in drawing the cart out of the
mud into the air. He was very sorry for being so
fooHsh as to find fault. As the door closed behind
him an angel whispered that there was no doubt that,
in the other cases of the beam and of the cask, there
were equally good reasons for what was done.
Faultfinders and faultreceivers remain for a long
time on earth, but can not stay long in heaven.
102
FOB SEVENTH SUNDAY IN SUMMER
PEACE-MAKERS IN AUGUST
"Blessed are the peacemakers." — Matt.^ v., 9
ON the coldest day in winter which is the best
month of the year to think about? The
answer is a chorus, "August, August, August !" In
which month do you find it most difficult to keep from
getting angry? Again I hear the chorus of
"August." It is a long, hot month. A good month
to think about when you are cold. A difficult month
in which to keep cool when the brain is hot. It is
the month when all find it hard to keep the anger-
pot from boiling. August is the month when many
peace-makers take a vacation. We all love dogs
during eleven months of the year, but many people
are afraid of them during August. Why? Because
there is a star called "dog star" that rises in August
at the same time as the sun. These are "dog days,"
and some people imagine that dogs go mad at that
time. This, I think, is a superstition about dogs, but
I know it is a truth about boys and girls, and some
103
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
other people. How many of my Juniors will make
a special effort to be peacemakers in August?
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called
the children of God."
"I was a peacemaker to-day," said Httle Amy on
a hot August day. Her mother asked, "What makes
you think so .?" "Cause there was something I didn't
tell," replied Amy. This is one of the best ways in
the world of being a peacemaker. Right there and
then Amy became one of the "children of God." If
two strong men are fighting, you may be afraid to
step between them and try to make peace. But, like
Amy, you can all be peacemakers. "Cause there was
something I didn't tell."
Another way to be a peacemaker is by forgiving
those who talk too much. "Cause they have nothing
to tell they enjoy telling what is not true about you."
Can you forgive those who say mean things about
you.?
A story is told of Peter Miller, a plain Baptist
preacher of Ephrata, Pennsylvania, in the days of
the Revolutionary War. Near his church lived a
man who abused the pastor in every way he could
abuse him. This man was arrested for treason — that
is, for not being true to his country. He was tried,
104
PEACE-MAKERS IN AUGUST
found guilty and sentenced to be hanged. Peter
Miller, the old preacher, started out on foot and
walked the whole seventy miles to Philadelpliia that
he might plead for the man's life. Washington
heard his plea, but he said, "No, your plea for your
friend can not be granted." "My friend," said the
preacher. "He is the worst enemy I have." "What.?"
said Washington, "You have walked nearly seventy
miles to save the life of your enemy .^^ That puts the
matter in a different light. I will grant the pardon."
The pardon was made out and given to Miller,
and he at once started to walk to a village fifteen
miles off, where the execution was to take place that
afternoon. He arrived just as the man was being
taken to the scaffold. The condemned man, as he
looked out over the crowd saw Peter Miller come up,
and he said: "There is old Peter Miller. He has
walked all the way from Ephrata to have his revenge
by seeing me hanged." He had scarcely said the
words when the pardon was presented by the dear old
preacher of peace. The life of the traitor was spared,
and the preacher proved he was a child of God.
"Blessed are the peacemakers."
I must tell you about one wrong way to make
peace. A missionary was praying and talking with
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LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
an Indian chief who was dying. The missionary
said : "You have been in many wars, but now before
you die you should forgive all your enemies and be
at peace with them." The answer was: "I am at
peace with all my enemies, for I have killed all of
them." Some one has called this "graveyard peace."
Over their graves we could not write, "Blessed are
the peace-makers."
But I must be a peace-maker with August before I
close this chat with the children. August is the
greatest peace month in the year. It was in August,
1815, that the first peace society of the world was
organized. In the library of a New York merchant,
David L. Dodge, in the month of August, the world's
first peace society came into existence. Three cheers
for August ! It is the best month of the year to or-
ganize yourself into a peace societ}^ If you can
keep peace in August, you can take your own con-
stitution and make a few by-laws for the remainder
of the year. Now for a story as I found it in one
of our Christian papers.
On the peak of the Andes Mountains, fourteen
thousand feet above the level of the sea, and on the
line which marks the boundary between the republics
of Argentine and Chile, has been erected one of the
106
PEACE-MAKERS IN AUGUST
most striking monuments in the world. For genera-
tions the people who live in the two republics have
quarreled about the location of this boundary-line.
Sometimes the disputes led to war and bloodshed.
The two nations are now at peace. They are both
growing in wealth and strength and bid fair to out-
strip all the other countries of the South American
continent.
These Spanish-Americans have warm hearts and
vivid imaginations. When they sign a treaty they
are not satisfied to tie a piece of red tape around the
peace papers and lock them up in a vault of the state
department. That might do for North Americans,
but to them it seems a very dull and stupid way. To
let all the world know that they are at peace they
have made a colossal statue of Christ, twenty-six
feet high, and standing on a granite hemisphere
symbolizing the world. This they have set up upon
the Andean peak, three miles above the level of the
Pacific Ocean. They cut into the pedestal an in-
scription in Spanish which, being interpreted, reads:
"These mountains will crumble to dust ere Argen-
tines and Chileans break the peace which at the feet
of Christ the Redeemer they have sworn to keep."
I hope the children of these two countries will spend
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LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
their August holidays on top of this mountain, and,
joining hands, will play their games around this
peace monument.
Some day we hope to have a Peace monument in
America, around which our children can play. Why ?
Because, the first time a quarrel between two great
nations was settled without war was the quarrel we
had with England concerning the "Alabama Claims."
In 1871 we made peace without war.
108
FOR ETOHTH SUNDAY IN SUMMER
ONE FOR YOU AND ONE FOR ME
"In my father's house are many mansions. I go to prepare a
place for you." — John xiv., 2
DO you have a room or do you live in the hall.?
What a strange question, you say. I have a
room all my own. Is it like grandma's room.? No;
grandma's room looks like grandma, and my room
just looks like me. Papa found out the colors I like,
the kind of a bed I wanted, the chairs I would enjoy,
and he said I might select my own pictures. I do
not know how papa and mama found out, but they
made just the kind of a room I wanted. It is a
dream, and it is my dream. Grandma's room is too
quiet for me and it is not furnished like my room, but
she says everything in it is just what she likes. Wish
you could see brother's room — dumb-bells, Indian
clubs, guns, and, and — just come and see it. There is
nothing in it like a girl's room but girls' pictures.
Papa put a double floor in Jack's room and two mir-
rors in my room. I wish you could see Dick Archer's
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LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
room. He has circus posters on the wall. His neck-
ties are hung on the gas-fixtures and look like a
faded rainbow. The room is like the seashore when
the tide is going out. His father says he is going to
send Dick to military school and give him some les-
sons in art. When Dick gets some new ideas his father
will furnish his room to fit his new life.
There are several rooms in my father's house, but
no two of them are alike. Each room is just a little
mansion — mine is all my own.
Mary, I am so glad you told me about your
father's house and Dick Archer's room, for you have
made it easy for me to tell the Juniors what Christ
meant when He said: "In my father's house are
many mansions ; I go to prepare a place for you."
He knows just what you like and what I like, and Ht
will have a place ready, one for you and one for me,
when we go home. "May I ask a question?" Cer-
tainly, you may ask a question. "Does the text mean
that God, like papa, prepares the kind of a room
we like best, one for Dick Archer and one for me?"
I once read a story, written by a Mr. Wilson, that
just answers your question:
A very wealthy society woman had a dream. She
dreamed that an angel came to her and asked her
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ONE FOR YOU AND ONE FOR ME
if she would like to go up and look at heaven. Her
curiosity at once prompted her to accept the invita-
tion. Up and down the golden street she followed
the angel. Everywhere she saw beautiful, shining
mansions. Some were tall and built of gold and pearl
and precious stones, while others were small and
scarcely begun. Seeing one particularly beautiful
mansion, she said to the angel, "You may reserve this
one for me, faithful guide." The angel smiled and
answered, "You can not choose another's mansion
here ; you must dwell in the one you yourself furnish.
This one belongs to Hannah Laden, your servant."
The woman caught her breath and gasped, "What
can you mean? This grand palace belong to my
common handmaiden?" "Yes," replied the angel,
"all day long she works for you faithfully, and en-
dures your hard service with patience, and when
alone she is always praying for your soul. At night,
when her labors are done, she is out visiting the sick
or reading to the aged and infirm from God's word,
and giving all she can spare from her wages to suf-
fering humanity. Each prayer is a precious gem;
each charity a layer of pearl; each act of mercy a
pillar of gold, which we use in constructing her man-
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LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
The lady was silenced for a time; but finally her
proud nature asserted itself again, and she began
to fancy that if this house could belong to humble
Hannah Laden, then there must be a palace some-
where in heaven awaiting her, and she asked to see
it. The guide led her to a street where the houses
were small, and, pointing to an unusually humble,
unfinished dwelling, said, "This one is yours." She
looked at the structure, and said, "This one for me.^*
Why, I can't believe it! Why is mine so small and
rough?" The angel looked sad and answered,
"Madam, we have used the material you have sent
up for it. When you send more, we shall add to it,
and of such material as you send shall your mansion
be built." And she left heaven, a sorrowing woman.
After she awoke her dream filled her heart and
mind, and she began life anew from that day. She
has been sending up ever since such rich materials
as will insure her a glorious mansion in the sky. She
has so purified her heart and life that when the real
summons comes, and she is taken away, she will surely
not be denied the happiness of looking upon the
glorious face she so desired to see.
One for you and one for me. The rooms will not
be ahke unless we send up the same kind of material.
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ONE FOR YOU AND ONE FOR ME
The material is what we are doing each day. If we
are working for self, then the material is selfish. If
we are working to make the world better, then the
material will be beautiful. Each night when you
pray, ask what kind of material have I sent up to-
day for my mansion. There is one for you and one
for me.
What did you say, Archie.? "I said, we must be
little architects drawing our plans for Christ, who
must be a great builder."
Will each Junior commit this verse, written by O.
W. Holmes:
Build thee more stately mansions, O my soul,
As the swift seasons roll!
Leave thy low-vaulted past !
Let each new temple, nobler than the last,
Shut thee from heaven with a dome more vast,
Till thou at length art free.
Leaving thine outworn shell by life's unresting sea.
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FOR NINTH SUNDAY IN SUMMER
PLAYING TO MUSIC
"We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced."
— Matt.i xi., 17
THE boy or girl who will not dance is a dunce.
I mean the kind of dance that Christ watched
and enjoyed, when the children were playing on the
streets of Jerusalem. Christ speaks of two street-
games — one was funeral, and the other was wedding.
Children then, like children now, imitated the older
people. At a real funeral the mourners played on
reed-pipes, something like our flute. When the sad
and doleful music was heard, the people would la-
ment. Lament means to cry and moan. The chil-
dren would imitate the funeral — they played funeral.
Sometimes when a trifle contrary they refused to
play. "We have moaned unto you," the other chil-
dren said, "and ye have not lamented."
Their other game gave no excuse for refusing to
play. It was the game of wedding. The same
pipe or flute was used, and they played the same
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PLAYING TO MUSIC
tune, but they played it a little faster. There were
some cross-grained children who would not play
wedding. I think that they were the ones who
were not asked to play bride and groom. Then
those who were playing would say, "We have piped
unto you, and ye have not danced." Christ watched
these children when they played, as truly as He
watched them when they prayed. What a beautiful
picture! Children on the street dancing to music
and shouting to one another in great glee, Christ
watching them and rejoicing with them. When I was
a boy the minister preached about Christ listening
when I prayed. How I wish he had told me that
Christ watched me when I played. How much better
I would have played.
The children Christ was watching were not dancing
in the way we mean by dancing. They were playing
to music. In the army they have music to help the
soldiers march. Why not have music to help the
children play? It is better to have music while you
exercise than it is to have music while you eat. You
can eat fast enough and long enough without music.
I wish we could have a band of music on every play-
ground. When music gets into your ears it runs
down into your feet and makes you dance. You
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LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
ought to dance. Dancing in the open air is fine ex-
ercise. God put dance into your feet to make you
grow. I am always glad when I hear the street-
band and see the children dancing. I once heard of
some one who counted the steps taken by dancers.
As many as 56,000 steps are often taken by the chil-
dren. That is three miles longer than the Marathon
race. The children's street dance is the easiest and
best way of exercise.
There are two things I want you to remember.
The first is that Christ watches you not only when
you pray, but He watches you when you play.
Christ was interested in me when, as a boy, I danced
along the streets of the little village of Candor. He
is interested in you as you dance along the streets of
the great city of New York. Isn't it splendid to
know that Christ enjoys your play.? The second
thing to remember is that you have no more right to
be cranky and cross-grained when you play than you
have to be cranky and cross-grained when you pray.
God watches while you play and listens while you
pray.
The Bible says there is "a time to weep and a time
to laugh ; a time to mourn and a time to dance." A
time to dance — that means that we are not to dance
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PLAYING TO MUSIC
all the time. When the dancing-time is up, you
should stop and be ready to do something else. You
ought to work and pray as heartily and cheerfully
as you dance and play. The dance habit, wanting to
dance all the time, is a very bad habit. Dance and
play in order to grow strong and happy. Get strong
and happy in order that you may do great things
for God and man. There are battles to be fought in
life that can not be won by those who know only how
to dance.
May I tell you a story.? The Sybarites were
great warriors. At one time they sent out 300,000
men to fight their enemies. They had fine horses, and
being very proud of them, taught them to dance.
The horses would rise on their hind-feet and then on
their fore-feet, as they kept time to the music. For
more than a year the soldiers had nothing to do, so
they exercised their horses by having them dance.
The horses got into the dancing habit. Then came
a great war, and the soldiers rode out to the battle-
field expecting to gain a victory. The enemy were
on foot and the horsemen expected to ride right over
them, and to easily defeat them. The enemy knew
the horses had the dance habit. They knew the
horses' dance music. So when the horsemen came
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LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
rushing at them, the enemy began to play dance
music. The horses forgot it was war and began to
dance. What a sight! Warriors eager for battle,
sitting on dancing horses. The horses danced, rising
on their hind-feet and then on their fore-feet, turning
to right, then turning to left, forward and back-
ward and balanced all. While the horses danced, the
enemy fought, and the brave horsemen were easily
conquered. The battle was lost because the war
horses had the dance habit. Let us make a resolution
to-day to play and pray, to work and never shirk.
Christ came to set our life to music.
118
FOB TENTH SUNDAY IN SUMMER
THE LAND OF FORGET
"The end of forgetfulness." — Psalm Ixxxviii., 12
THE train starts early every morning. There
are several trains a day for the Land of For-
get. Children are on every train. Sometimes they
come back on the switch-train. We are all tourists
and every one takes a trip to the Land of Forget.
Many things are left on the train as we journey to
this strange land. Guess how many articles are left
in one year in the London cabs by passengers on
their way to the Land of Forget. Can't guess ? Then
I shall tell you, as I have the report: 19,000 um-
brellas, 850 canes, 267 rugs, 742 opera-glasses, 3,239
purses, 926 articles of jewelry, and a number of birds,
dogs and cats. All on their way to the Land of
Forget. Some foolish and funny things are done
in the Land of Forget. Here is one:
A French writer, engaged upon a profound scien-
tific work, rang for his valet. He then sat down and
wrote this note: "Kindly send some one to arrest
the cook. She has stolen my purse." This he di-
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LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
rected to the Chief of Police. The valet appeared,
and, while waiting for his master to finish writing,
picked up something lying under the table. As he
took the note, he said, "Monsieur, here is your purse ;
I found it under the table."
"Ah, just in time ; give me the note, Jean."
He hurriedly added the postcript: "I have found
my purse; it is unnecessary to send any one," and
handed the missive to the valet, saying, "DeHver this
at once; it is important." He then went back to his
writing.
There are too many trains and cabs to the Land
of Forget. I say too many ; but there should be one,
at least, each day. There are some things we should
take to the Land of Forget. God made this land,
and it has room for many things we should not find
room for here. Learn this verse before you take the
morning train. Do not forget !
If you know of a thing that will darken the joy
Of a man or a woman, a girl or a boy,
That will wipe out a smile, or the least way annoy
A fellow, or cause any gladness to cloy,
It's a pretty good plan to forget it.
But how many things there are that we should
not forget. Fathers, mothers and friends are very
much troubled by the Junior's forget. "I forgot!"
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THE LAND OF FORGET
"I did not think !" I fear the Juniors take too many
trips to the Land of Forget. There must be a hole
in the corner of your memory. What a strange hole
it is. If you have "a date" for a party or a day off
with a friend it never falls out through that hole. If
a visit is promised you, it would not fall out even if
the hole were as large as the pocket. But the letter
to be posted, the errand to be run, or something for
mama as big as a barn-door will drop out through
the hole. I know a boy who said, "I fordegot." I
once read a story a Mr. Roach wrote on how to cure
the "fordegot."
"Did my son post that letter I gave him yester-
day .P" asked Ned's mama.
Ned's hand dived into the inside pocket of his coat
and brought out a crumpled letter.
"I'm so sorry, mama !" he cried, seeing the grieved
look on his mama's face.
"I, too, am sorry," responded mama, "as that was
a letter inviting Aunt Amy to stop off here on her
way home."
"Oh! oh!" cried Ned. "And I do so love Aunt
Amy!"
"If you catch this mail the letter may yet be in
time," said mama.
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LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
Ned ran off as fast as he could to post the precious
letter.
Another day it was a school-book which he left out
in the orchard. It rained all right and ruined his
book. Ned tried to remember, but always forgot.
One day Uncle Charlie heard Ned say to his mama,
*'Plague take my forgettery!" Uncle Charlie knew
that Ned had been forgetting again, and he thought
of a plan to cure Ned of his habit.
"Ned will be eight years old Saturday," said mama
that day at tea-time."
*'Can I have a party with both boys and girls, and
plum-cakes and candles?" cried Ned.
"Of course you can," said Uncle Charlie. "I'll
buy the candles — eight and one to grow on."
"I'll bake the plum-cake," said mama.
"I'll write the invitations," said sister Nell.
"I'll make a heaping platter of fudge," laughed
Aunt Amy, who, after all, had gotten the delayed
letter in time.
"And I," said papa, "will send up some ice-cream."
Ned danced for joy and ran off to school with a
hop, skip and jump. Saturday morning Ned's
mama sent him ever so far to Mr. Benton's, who
raised vegetables and chickens to sell. Try as he
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THE LAND OF FORGET
would, Ned could not get home until just dinner
time; but he told Mr. Benton all about his party,
and Mr. Benton gave him a cute little bantam
chicken for his birthday present.
"Do you think," asked Ned at dinner, "my party
will come right at two o'clock?"
"Well, well," said Uncle Charhe, "I forgot all
about those candles !"
"I've been so busy," said Aunt Amy, "that I forgot
to make the fudge!"
"And I," said papa, "forgot to order the ice-
cream. It is too bad!"
"It doesn't matter at all, said sister Nell, "for I
forgot to invite any one to the party."
Ned's face grew longer and longer, and he looked
at his mama, who had not spoken yet. Surely she
had not forgotten !
"Why," laughed Uncle Charlie before mama could
speak, "it'll be a forget party, won't it ?"
This was too much. Ned burst into tears and ran
up to his own little room. After what seemed a
long, long time to Ned and to Ned's mama, too, she
stole up-stairs with a great big piece of plum-cake,
for, try as she would, mama could not forget her little
boy's birthday.
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LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
After that, when Ned forgot, which he seldom did,
some one would say, "I guess we would better have
another forget party."
Solomon was a very, very wise man, and he said:
"My son, forget not my law ; but let thine heart keep
my commandments." Now, I believe we have the real
cure for "fordegot." Put the things you are to re-
member in your heart as well as in your brain. There
is no hole in the pocket of your heart.
124
FOB ELEVENTH SUNDAY IN SUMMER
THE VEX HOSPITAL
"Heal me for my bones are vexed." — Psalm vi., 2
THERE are two little companions who are very
close friends. The name of one is Vex, and
the other one's name is Cry. Vex has a room in
your heart, but often lodges in some other part of
your body. Cry has a room with a bath, just back
of your eye. No one has ever seen Vex, but his
shadow often crosses your face. The moment you
look bright the shadow hides, for it is very much
afraid of light. Cry has a little wheel called a tear,
on which he rolls out on your cheek when Vex calls
for help. Looking through this tear you can almost
see Cry. You can always hear him.
Our text tells us of a man who called, "Heal me,
for my bones are vexed." Vex, the Httle torment,
had taken a room in the hollow of this man's bones.
Cry rolled out to call for help. A man, great and
good, called the Nazarene, sent Sympathy to help
all that Vex annoyed. This friend. Sympathy, was
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LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
very sorry for the man whom Vex was tormenting,
and decided to build hospitals for all in whose bones
Vex was lodging. One of these hospitals was built
near our church, and it is called "Seney." When
any one says, "Heal me, for my bones are vexed,"
we ring up an ambulance and hurry him to the hos-
pital. There he is cared for, and Vex is taken out
of his bones. Medicine will often drive Vex out, but
sometimes the patient must be put to sleep while the
surgeon takes Vex out with a knife.
What do you suppose becomes of Vex when he is
taken out of his lodging.? This is the question I
want to answer. This little torment, Vex, is changed
into a song. The hospital is a place where pain is
turned into praise and into joy. If your eyes were
brighter you would behold Vex, Cry, Pain, Moan,
and Sorrow flying out of the operating-room and
out of the ward-rooms ; flying like song-birds into the
air. If your ears were a little keener, you would hear
Vex and his chorus singing as they fly. The angels
can see them fly, and can hear them sing. In this
Vex hospital. Sympathy asks you to furnish more
looms, to secure more doctors, more nurses, and more
medicine. Sympathy wants to have a larger place
with more doctors and nurses, so that every day he
196
THE VEX HOSPITAL
can change Vex and Cry into song-birds of Joy and
Gladness. A little fairy, called Parody, says that
when an offering is received for a hospital, tkese
birds sing the offertory. But the song is so low and
sweet that only little children can hear it. Parody,
my little fairy, gave me the words. They are a secret,
but I want you to know them. Here they are :
Sing a song of sixpence,
A plate full of cash,
Four and twenty Vex cried.
Cured without a lash.
When the hospital was opened.
They all began to sing,
"Was not that a splendid gift.
To set before our king."
Do I hear you say, "The sermon is long enough,
now tell us a story?" Very well, here is a story you
will all enjoy. There is a man in Tacoma, Wash.,
who every year has hundreds of birds brought to his
home from different parts of this country and from
Europe. In large, bright rooms they are taught to
sing and fly through the house until their songs are
sweet and their wings are strong. When they can
sing well enough, and are strong enough, he opens
the windows and away they fly. Linnets, goldfinches,
English blackbirds, and the many song-birds of our
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LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
country go out from his bird hospital to make boys
and girls happy. Some of them fly very liigh and
sing half to the angels and half for the boys and
girls. Last spring this man, whose name is Dr.
Charles McCutcheon, set free five hundred birds of
seven varieties, all strong of wing and sweet of song.
When asked why he did this, he answered: "Ever
since I was a boy in England I have dreamed of the
days when I rolled upon the green and listened to
the skylarks and finches. I always said I would have
a cage of these birds in my home. But it is a sin to
confine the birds, as they will not sing as sweetly
as they do in the open. There is a beauty about a
landscape that has its song-birds which is not seen
in a stretch of country that is as still as a tomb."
The birds are made happy and they make the world
happy. Would it not be nice to fun-think that all
these song-birds were once called Vex, Cry, Pain,
Sorrow, Heartache, and other like names? Then to
fun-think that all these torments living in your body
can be set free as song-birds of joy and gladness.
Every time you pass a hospital think of it as a great
joy house, where we take Vex and Pain, Tears, Sor-
row and Heartache, and change them into smiles,
joys, health and happiness; the home of Sympathy,
128
THE VEX HOSPITAL
where we take scores of people who cry out, "Heal me,
for my bones are vexed." Then think of how often
the windows of the hospital are opened and from
them sorrow and pain fly out as song-birds to make
the world happier and better.
129
FOB TWELFTH SUNDAY IN SUMMER
A GOOD TELLTALE
"Who knoweth the interpretation of a thing." — EccL, viii., 1
WOULD you use a trunk to carry a note-book
to schooL^ You would laugh at any one
who used even a dress-suit case to carry a pad and
lead-pencil. The words in our text are too large
for what is in them. You do not need a trunk to
carry your pad and pencil, neither do you need the
large words of this text to carry what is in them.
When men translated the Hebrew into English they
once in a while had the bad habit of using long
words. The word "knoweth" is too long; let us use
the shorter word, "knows." "Who knows the inter-
pretation of a thing?" "Interpretation" is cer-
tainly too long; it has fourteen letters. The word
"explain" has the same meaning and just half the
number of letters. The text with the same meaning,
but shorter words, reads, "Who knows how to ex-
plain a thing.?"
You boys would laugh if I said, "Who knoweth the
interpretation of this game called marbles.?" I am
130
A GOOD TELLTALE
sure you girls would laugh if, when playing jacks,
I said, "Who knoweth the interpretation of jacks?"
If I asked, "Who knows how to explain this game?"
you would all understand me. Our text asks, "Who
knows how to explain a thing?" You do not know
anything real well until you can tell it to some one.
You half know it, and telhng gives you the other
half. In school life your home work is half knowl-
edge; reciting the lesson to the teacher gives you
the other half. It is just as much your duty to tell
what you know as it is to know what you tell. We
need good telltales.
You boys and girls come to church to learn about
God and His love. You want to know if He loves
you, and what you must do in order to get His love
into your heart. This is but half of the knowledge.
The other half is gained when you tell some one how
God got His love into your heart, and how you got
your love into His heart. The first part is your
church work, the second is your recitation work.
You really do not know the love of God until you are
able to tell some other person about how it feels to
have God love you, and how it feels to love God.
You do not have your school lesson until you give
it to your teacher. You do not have your church
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LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
lesson until you give it to some one. It is strange,
but true, that there are some things you do not pos-
sess until you give them away. Get your knowledge
of God and of His love into short words and tell it
to some one, to every one with whom you talk.
I have not given you all of our text, "Who knoweth
the interpretation of a thing? A man's wisdom
maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face
is changed." Boldness means pride and selfishness.
Your face shines and you are happy when you ex-
plain something that makes others happy. The hap-
piest people are those who do the most to make others
happy. Happiness takes the boldness out of the
face. You can make people very happy by telling
them what you know about the love of God. You
may make them very unhappy by not telling them.
We sin by not telling a truth as surely as we sin by
telling an untruth. Now, I shall tell you a story of
how a man kept another from being happy by not
being a good telltale.
One of the governors of Virginia at the close of
his term went to Palm Beach, Florida, for rest and
recreation. He tells about his first and only night
at that beautiful resting-place. When he arrived, he
was going to ask for a room — one not too expensive
132
A GOOD TELLTALE
for his purse. Before he had time to do this he was
hurried off to the elevator, taken up-stairs, and
shown to a gorgeous suite of rooms. On the door he
saw this notice: "The price of these rooms is one
hundred dollars per day." The governor had not
saved enough out of his salary to pay such a large
price and he was ashamed to go down and ask for
cheaper rooms. He was so much troubled about the
price that it kept him awake most of the night. He
kept working on the problem, "If this suite of rooms
costs one hundred dollars for one day, how much
will it cost for one night .'^" What was he to do.f^
Early the next morning he went down to the of-
fice and told the clerk that he was obliged to leave
on the next train. The clerk was very much sur-
prized and told the governor that all the people
would be disappointed as they expected him to remain
for six weeks. But the governor said he must leave
on the next train — urgent business. The governor
.vas whispering to himself: "If these rooms cost one
hundred dollars for one day, what will they cost for
six weeks?" He tried to look rich and asked for
his bill. The clerk did not give him a bill, so he asked
for it a second time. "Oh, that's all right; there is
no bill," replied the clerk. "The proprietor left
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LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
orders, as soon as he heard you were coming, that you
were to have that suite of rooms, and that there was
to be no charge whether you remained for one day or
for six weeks. We are only sorry that you can't re-
main." The owner of the hotel had love for the
governor, and was trying to get his love into the gov-
ernor's heart. The clerk knew all about this love,
and he could have and should have explained it to the
governor. The governor was, therefore, made very
unhappy for one night, and lost all the happiness of
six weeks. The clerk had not been "wise," his face
did not "shine," the "boldness" was not changed.
"Who knows how to explain a thing?" The clerk
was not a good telltale. Do my Juniors know the
meaning of our word "gospel." It means good news.
Some one needs the gospel to make him happy. Are
you a good telltale.''
134
FOR THIRTEENTH SUNDAY IN SUMMER
HEARTSICK AND HOMESICK
"We hanged our harps upon the willows." — Psalms cxxxvii., 2
THESE harp-hangers had heart trouble. They
were homesick. It was very mean of their
enemies to ask them to sing home songs when they
were homesick. We do not find fault with them for
hanging up their harps and refusing to sing. They
said: "How shall we sing the Lord's song in a
strange land.'"' Whittier writes:
The homesick dreamer's brow is nightly fanned
By breezes of his native land.
I can almost hear you ask: "Why did they hang
their harps on the willow-trees.'^" I do not know
why. Possibly they were weeping willows. It would
be interesting to know all about these trees, but there
is something in this story more important for you
and me than the harps and willows. Here were men,
women and children refusing to sing because they
were homesick. They were God's people, carried away
as captives into a strange land. The children were
crying and sobbing. They wanted to go home.
135
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
Their ancestors in the wilderness were homesick for
leeks and onions. We laugh at them for wanting
leeks and onions, but we do not laugh at these good
people who hung their harps on the willows. They
were homesick for Zion — their church home. It was
a case of church-homesickness. In the home city,
Jerusalem, was a beautiful temple, with grand music,
where they had met every week to worship God.
They were homesick for their church.
If you boys and girls were carried away as slaves
into a strange country and made to work hard all
week, you would be very homesick on Sunday morning
for your church and Junior Congregation. Home-
sick for your church, I am sure you would not want
to sing your church songs for those who were making
fun of you. You would be looking for weeping
willows upon which to hang your mandolins. If you
were away and homesick for your Junior church, I
would be both sorry and glad. Sorry that you were
church-homesick, and glad that you loved your
church enough to be homesick. I believe God would
be sorry and glad; very, very sorry and very, very
glad.
Satan is your enemy. He is trying to carry you
136
HEARTSICK AND HOMESICK
away from your church and to make you a slave to
some sin. "Sabbath-breaking" is a far country into
which he carries many children on Sunday in auto-
mobiles. Please do not look so sad. Father and
mother will come to church with you and will help
us to keep Satan from tearing you away into slavery.
Cheer up! Look happy! There is another far-
away country into which Satan carries children. It
is a country where there are no weeping willows. It
is a country where there are no weeping willows. It is
the Land of Nod, where they do not weep, but sleep,
the land where people get tired when they have noth-
ing to do. I shall tell you a story. The story is an
old legend about a wonderful bell in the town of
Lenz.
The King of France was passing through the town
and heard the sweet, mellow tones of the bell floating
out from the old church-spire. Pigeons nesting near
the bell flew out when it began to ring. The king,
seeing the pigeons, thought of them as notes of
music opening and floating out from the spire and
lighting upon the homes of the happy people of
Lenz. Out from these homes the king saw fathers
and mothers with merry children wending their way
137
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
to the church, the bell chiming, the pigeons flying,
and the children almost dancing with joy.
The king determined to have the bell removed to
Paris, where he could hear it every day. Down from
the church-spire the bell was carried to the tower of
the king's palace. The legend says that the bell re-
fused to ring for the king. The best bell-ringers of
the city tried it, coaxed it, but failed to make it ring.
Bell-founders from Hungary and Vienna were sum-
moned, but their efforts also failed.
The king, fearing that some harm might come to
him for keeping the bell against its will, sent it back
to Lenz. It made the journey in a cart, drawn by
twenty horses. As it drew near its old home it began
to ring of its own accord. So loudly and clearly did
it ring that the town-folks heard it when it was yet
six miles away. The pigeons flew in ever-widening
circles around the spire, their white wings gleaming
in the sunshine. Children, drest in white, went out
to meet the bell, singing its welcome home. The bell
had been homesick for its church and now rang more
sweetly than ever before — it was so glad to get
home.
At midnight a strange sound woke all the children
138
HEARTSICK AND HOMESICK
of Lenz. The old bell in the church-spire was ring-
ing:
'Mid pleasures and palaces tho we may roam,
Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home.
A charm from the skies seems to hallow us there.
Which, seek thro' the world, is never met elsewhere.
Home, home, sweet, sweet home.
There's no place like home, there's no place like home.
"Homesick" is God's medicine to bring us home.
139
AUTUMN
{September 21st-Decemher 20th)
THE SONG OF THE WIND
I've a great deal to do, a great deal to do,
Don't speak to me, children, I pray ;
These little boys' hats must be blown off their heads,
And these little girls' bonnets away.
There are bushels of apples to gather to-day.
And O ! there's no end to the nuts ;
Over many long roads I must traverse away.
And many by-lanes and short-cuts.
— Selected.
141
FOR FIRST SUNDAY IN AUTUMN
CANNED SUNSHINE
"We love Him because He first loved us." — 1 John iv., 19
MOTHER is in the kitchen, canning." That
is what Helen said when I called at the
farm. It was a beautiful autumn day, the trees were
loaded with fruit, the vines were bending with great
clusters of grapes, and the farm looked like Para-
dise. Mother was busy canning peaches and pears.
Into jars she put them and sealed them safe from air
and germs. On a shelf was a long row of cans look-
ing like pictures of dinners in glass frames. "But why
trouble about canning a few peaches and pears when
you could gather bushels from the trees?" I asked.
Helen smiled and answered, "These are for winter din-
ners." Then she opened the pantry-door and showed
me the preserves — quince and apple-butter, pure
grape- juice and jams — cans, cans, cans on all the
stands. Beautiful autumn canned for winter. Helen
said they were winners. I am going to accept Helen's
invitation to a winter dinner of canned autumn.
143
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
Suppose your teacher were to hold up before you
a lump of coal and ask, "What is it?" What would
be your answer? "A lump of coal is canned sun-
shine." You could not give a better answer. Long
ago plants and trees gathered sunshine, preserved
it and hid it deep in the earth. We now take it out
in black lumps, or cans, that we call "coal." When
we warm up the coal, out comes the sunshine to light
and warm our homes. A lump of coal is an old,
black can full of sunshine. In the ash-can is what is
left when the sunshine is taken out. Thousands of
years ago God, like a loving mother, canned this sun-
shine for you and me. Some rich men propose to
erect a monument of coal to Philip Ginter.
One hundred and nine years ago Ginter lived in
a rough cabin in the forests of Mauch Chunk Moun-
tain. While in quest of game for his family, whom
he had left at home without food of any kind, his
foot struck a black stone. By the roadside, not far
from the town of Summit Hill, he built a fire of wood
and threw pieces of the supposed stone about it, so
that the embers might last longer while he was roast-
ing a fowl. He was surprized after a little while to
see the stones glow and retain their heat for a long
time. He carried a lot of the coal home and burned
144
CANNED SUNSHINE
it there. A monument to the man who discovered
canned sunshine.
On one side of the monument they should put the
name GOD, who canned the sunshine Ginter dis-
covered.
Now, I have a question for you to answer. "Why
is love like a lump of coal?" Because love is canned
sunshine. The heart is a vessel that God fills with
love. When we "warm up" to any one, the can opens,
and love shines out to brighten and warm his life.
A heart may be black and cold like a lump of coal,
but inside there is love. Religion opens the heart
and lets the sunshine out. If you want to get light
and heat out of a lump of coal you put it into the
fire. If you want to get love out of a soul, you must
put that soul into the light and heat of friendship
and kindness.
A little boy declared that he loved his mother
"with all his strength," and he was asked to explain
what he meant by the expression. After some little
time spent in reflection, he said : "Well, I'll tell you.
You see, we hve up here on the fourth floor of this
tenement, and there's no elevator, and the coal is
kept 'way down in the basement. Mother is dread-
fully busy all the time, and she isn't very strong, so
14)5
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
I see to it that the coal-hod is never empty. I kig
all the coal up four flights all by myself, and the
hod is pretty big. It takes all my strength to get it
up here. Now, isn't that loving mother with all my
strength?"
The boy's heart was open, and the sunshine of love
came out. Once he was a cross and crying baby.
His mother took him to the warm heart of her love,
loved him and loved him, until she opened his heart.
He loved his mother because she first loved him.
At a great exposition it was the custom for the
people to sign their names in the different State
buildings. People who registered were asked to give
their occupations, so that the books read Hke this:
"John Smith, carpenter" ; "Thomas Brown, farmer."
A little golden-haired girl asked if she might register.
She was told to write her name and occupation. This
is what she wrote : "Mary Jones, help mama."
Christ came into this world with all the love of
heaven in His heart for you and me. When we come
close to Him our hearts open and let love out. Our
hearts are opened because His heart was first opened
for us. "We love Him because he first loved us."
He died for us, so great was His love. Here is a
story :
146
CANNED SUNSHINE
In a storm off the New England coast a few years
ago a vessel was wrecked. It was impossible for the
life-saving service to reach the drowning passengers
and seamen. At last one of the men began to drift
toward the shore. A line of life-savers was imme-
diately formed, stretching out toward him into the
sea. The drifting man came nearer and nearer, until
the life-saver at the end of the line was able to reach
him and pass him back along the line. He reached
the shore in safety.
The life-saver, in loosing his hand to catch the man
who was floating in from the wreck, was dragged off
his feet by the undertow, carried out to sea, and
drowned. The rescued man was sick for weeks with
a raging fever. When he finally recovered a pecu-
liarity was noticed in his talk. No matter to whom
he spoke, or what the topic of conversation, he al-
ways closed by repeating, "A man died for me once !
A man died for me once!" He never forgot it. He
wanted others to know it.
Love is canned sunshine. Youth is the time to fill
your heart with love. Then when you grow older
and sickness and trouble come, you can open a can
to brighten your life.
147
THE SECOND SUNDAY IN AUTUMN
JACK TAR, JR.
"I know." — Revelation xi., 19
" T ACK TAR" is a nickname for sailors. In the
tJ early times they used to make their clothing
water-proof by coating it with tar. They, there-
fore, called a sailor an "Old Tar." But under "Jack
Tar's" water-proof jacket was a good, warm heart.
On the Half Moon was a "Jack Tar, Jr." His
real name was John Hudson. The first time that we
hear of "Jack Tar, Jr.," was on April 6, 1607. He
was at church and at the communion-table. He was
a whole Junior Congregation. The old record tells
of certain seamen at St. Ethelburga's Church, in
Bishop's Gate Street, London. This was their last
Sunday on land, "purposing to go to sea four days
after." I want you to notice how the roll reads:
"Henry Hudson, master; William Colines, mate;
eleven members of the crew, and John Hudson, boy."
Some one has said : "We point with grateful appre-
ciation to the honored explorer with his son and his
148
JACK TAR, JR.
crew kneeling at the Lord's table to receive the holy
sacrament. It is a touch that joins the valiant souls
who, in the ages past, believed in the Lord Jesus and
gave outward expression of that faith with those who
do likewise to-day ; a link by which living and dead,
they of the past and they of the present, are united
in one mystical communion and fellowship. St.
Ethelburga in Bishop's Gate Street still stands. It
is there that they who venerate the discoverer's
memory may pass through the very doorway and
stand within the very walls, beneath the very roof
that sheltered him w'hen he and his ship's company
joined together in the most solemn worship of our
religion more than three hundred years ago."
"Jack Tar, Jr.," a charter member of our Junior
Congregation. Four days after this communion he
was on the deck, sailing into the shadows of the un-
known— no playmates, no one with whom to plan
pranks, no other boy with whom to share the blame,
no girl friends to see and admire him when he
climbed the mainmast, no more school, no more
church, no mother to bathe his tired feet and to kiss
away his aches and pains.
The upper end of our great Hudson River should
be called "Hudson, Jr." I believe that he saw the
149
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
river first. Boys usually see things first. An Indian
swam under the Half Moon and tried to upset it.
Surely, the boy first saw him and laughed at the
foolish Indian until he had to roll on the deck to rest.
One of the lifeboats of the Hendrik Hudson should
be named "Jack Tar, Jr." He cheered his father
when lonely and discouraged, kept the sailors from
being homesick for lack of time to think, and caught
and cooked the best fish in the river. Yet there is
nothing in the history about him save "John Hud-
son, a boy."
To-day some of the best and bravest people in the
world are boys and girls. This fall scores of boys
and girls could not go back to their playmates and
playgrounds, to their teachers and their schools. A
few days ago I attended a father's funeral. On the
way to the cemetery I asked one of the boys if he
was in school. He said that he was in high-school
and had expected to graduate in February, but must
now go to work and help mother.
There is no record on earth about "Jack Tar, Jr.,"
but there is a record in heaven; no record on earth
about boys and girls who give up play and school and
bright hopes in order to help pay rent and to keep
food on the table. Some one knows. Our text says,
150
JACK TAR, JR.
"I know." Who knows? God, who knows all things.
What does He know.^^ "I know thy works and love
and service and faith and thy patience." Some day
our Father will reward you boys and girls who love
and serve — "John Hudson, a boy," at church at the
Lord's Supper with the grown people. If you, my
boys and girls, have sorrows and burdens, remember
the Lord's Supper is the place to get strength to
bear them.
Now, are you ready to go home ? No ! Why ?
"A story in which to carry the sermon .?" Here it is :
John L. Clem, the famous "drummer-boy of the
Shiloh," at the close of the war went to see General
Grant. The President asked: "What can I do for
you?" "Mr. President," said Clem, "I want to ask
you for an order to admit me to West Point." "But
why do you not take the examination?" "I did, Mr.
President, but I failed to pass." "That was unfor-
tunate. How was that?" "Why, Mr. President, you
see, I was in the war, and while I was there those other
boys of my age were in school." "What !" exclaimed
the President amazed, "you were in the war !" "Yes,
Mr. President, I was in the war four years." He re-
lated his experience, and the President then wrote
something, sealed it, and, handing it to Clem, said:
151
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
"Take this to the Secretary of War. I guess it will
fix you all right." Clem went to the Secretary and
delivered the note. The Secretary read it and said:
"Do you know what this is?" "No," repHed Clem,
"but I hope that it is an order to admit me to West
Point." "Well, it isn't," returned the Secretary;
"it's an order to commission you second lieutenant in
the regular army."
When the President was asked why he gave Clem
the position without a West Point diploma, he said,
"I know." He knew Clem's work and love and
service for and faith in his country. Colonel John
J. Clem is now assistant quartermaster-general in the
regular army. Our Father overlooks some of your
faults, but he underlooks, remembers and rewards
every noble act, every sacrifice that you make.
152
FOB THIRD SUNDAY IN AUTUMN
DIEGO, THE DAGO
"That which hath wings will tell the matter." — Eccl., x., 20
THE world would soon lose its whirl without
our girl. Life would be sad without our lad.
Girls and lads enjoy a holiday. Wednesday will be
their delight — Columbus day, a legal holiday. The
boys and girls of only four other States — Connec-
ticut, Montana, Maryland, and Colorado — have this
holiday. You owe ''Columbus day" to a boy, Diego,
and some birds. There was a boy on the Half Moon,
a boy on the Mayflower, and there was a boy, Diego,
on the deck with Columbus. His father had a vision.
He believed there was a great country to the west-
ward on which he should plant the cross. He was
very poor, and the King of Italy would not give him
ships with which to find the new world. With Diego,
his little motherless boy, he went to Genoa. There
the people thought he was crazy and refused to help
him. Columbus then went to Spain. One day, tired
and footsore, he stopt at a convent to beg some
bread for his child. The superior of the convent was
153
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
interested in the boy and talked with his father. As
a result of the conversation, Columbus was introduced
to the King and Queen of Spain.
Seven years later, with three small boats, one hun-
dred and twenty men and the boy, he sailed in search
of his vision. "In 1492 Columbus crossed the waters
blue." This is true, but we must not forget Diego,
too. After a long, stormy voyage over an unknown
sea, they sailed near to land. Driftwood and land-
birds were seen. To them it was clear that land was
near. A short time, in the direction they were sail-
ing, would have brought them to what is now North
Carolina. This country would then have been Span-
ish. American children would be Spaniards. Our
country would be like South America. Why did
Columbus not sail right on to North America? A
flock of birds were flying southwest. I believe the boy
saw them first. Columbus decided to follow the birds.
They led him to the West Indies. God wanted the
Dutch to come here first — to bring us a free govern-
ment and the public schools. God used the birds.
"That which hath wings will tell the matter." Did
you ever thank God for birds?
Here are two thoughts for you to keep. First,
God used the boy, Diego, when He was ready to have
154
DIEGO, THE DAGO
America discovered. Diego came to be a very com-
mon name with Italians, like our John or Will. The
English sailors, often hearing them say Diego, called
them all Dago. When you get "dago" in your
mouth, stop and think that Diego, the dago, really
discovered America for you. The first boy in Amer-
ica was an Indian ; the second, an Italian ; the third,
Dutch. You came late and should not hate. Second,
God rules and can use not only a boy but a bird to
carry out His plans. Man can use carrier-pigeons to
carry his messages. "That which hath wings will
tell the matter."
As I gave you two thoughts, I must give you two
stories.
In East Africa there is a winged messenger called
the honey-bird. It loves honey. When it finds a tree
where wild bees are storing their sweets, it will chatter
and fly about until some one follows it to the tree.
It wants the honey the man will help it to get. Rev.
Dr. W. S. Rainsford writes about this honey-bird :
"I think I must have followed the bird certainly
more than a dozen times, and it never once failed to
lead me straight to the honey-tree. I had followed
one bird for many hundreds of yards. It would wait
for me, and while it was waiting it would never cease
155
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
to utter its sharp, chirping cry. Once I was up, it
would go on again."
The other story is nearer home. This summer your
pastor followed Peter's advice and went fishing. He
found two men who, like Peter's companions, were
truthful and skilful fishermen. Into the blue sky
they would look for bluefish. At first the idea made
your pastor laugh behind his mustache. But soon he
was looking up and asking the sea-gulls where to find
the fish. That which hath wings told us where to
find them. One day we saw the gulls standing in
line on the shore like soldiers waiting for the battle
call. The fishermen said there is no use of wetting
our lines until the gulls show us where to fish. When
I found this was true, I remembered Psalm 116: 11.
Dr. Henry Van Dyke writes: "Where bluefish are
found the gulls are often useful guides to the fisher-
man. When he sees a great flock of them fluttering
over the water, he suspects that the objects of his pur-
suit are there, feeding from below on the squid, on
which the gulls are feeding from above. So the
fisherman sails as fast as possible in that direction,
wishing to drag his trolls through the school of fish
while they are still hungry."
God wants us to use his messengers as our servants.
156
FOR FOURTH SUNDAY IN AUTUMN
THE SHADOW-CHILD
"My days are like a shadow that declineth." — Psalms cii., 11
DO you want to hear a weird story of the shadow-
child? No one knows when and where he was
born, nor when and where he died. His history is
hid behind a shadow. He had a home somewhere, no
one knows where. He went to school and was well
educated — where, no one knows. His days were like
a shadow. Behind the shadow he grew into man-
hood. One day he came out from the shadow, and for
four years he searched for one thing, but never found
it. That for which he sought was hid behind a
shadow.
Long before white men came to live in this country
the shadow-child came hunting for something that
he did not find. The Indians saw a strange some-
thing swimming or floating and nearing the land.
They thought that it was a spirit coming to them
from another world. It was the shadow-child, who
157
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
remained for a few days, gave the Indians many
presents, then rode away on the moon.
During the four years that he Hved out of the
shadow he appeared at different places, looking for
that one thing he could not find. Then he suddenly
dropt behind a big, black shadow, and no one knows
where he went. No one can find his grave, but you
can see one of his monuments. It is the highest
monument In New York, nearly four thousand feet.
It is more permanent and enduring than granite,
but it is always moving. For one hundred and
seventy-five miles it moves twice a day in opposite
directions, but 3^ou can always find It at the same
place. Once a day this monument Is hid under a
shadow.
The shadow-child's name Is Henry Hudson. He
came here searching for a passageway to China. He
sailed up the river as far as Albany, thinking that he
could go on to China. This river, the Hudson, Is
now his monument, reaching from New York Bay to
the Adirondack Mountains, four thousand feet above
New York. Along this river monument the tide ebbs
and flows twice each day as far as Troy, one hundred
and seventy-five miles. Once each day it is hid under
the shadow of night.
158
THE SHADOW CHILD
In the fall of 1909 we celebrated the three-hun-
dredth anniversary of Henry Hudson's coming to
and going from this river. He did not go away on
the moon in the sky, but in the Half Moon on the sea.
Later, when he was again searching for a sea-road
to China, some bad men tied his hands and feet and
threw him into a little boat that was left to drift out
into a big, black shadow. From this shadow he never
returned. His life seemed to be a failure. He did
not find what he was looking for. It was hid behind
a shadow. Would you like to be a shadow-child?
I hear you say, "No ! no ! no ! I do not want my days
to be like a shadow."
There is another shadow-child whose life is more
interesting and his work much greater than Henry
Hudson's. A few days after He was born He was
carried behind a shadow, and we know nothing about
Him for twelve years. Then we see Him for but one
day. Again He is hid behind a shadow, and we do
not see nor hear from Him for eighteen years. He
is thirty years of age before we see Him for more
than a few hours.
When we see Him, like the other shadow-child. He
is standing by a great river, the River Jordan. Do
you know His name.? His name is Jesus. He, too,
159
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
was searching for a road around the world. He
wanted to save all the people on the earth. For
three years He worked in the light — the light of His
love. He worked to save you and me, and then
passed into the "valley of the shadow of death."
His life seemed to be a failure. It was hid behind a
shadow.
He has a monument that is to be the longest and
highest in the world. It is to reach from earth to
heaven. This monument God asks you to help in
building. It is the Lord's Supper — "do this in re-
membrance of Me." Ask your parents how you can
help to build this monument.
I told you some things about Hudson's monument
that seemed impossible — running in opposite direc-
tions twice a day, but always to be found in the same
place, and once a day hid under a shadow. How
very simple when you understand it. There are some
things hard to understand about Christ's monument,
the Lord's Supper. Some day, when God explains
them, we shall find them very simple, very easy to un-
derstand. Shall I tell you a story in which to carry
your sermon home ? Very well ; here it is :
There is a legend of a saint whose good works so
pleased the angels that they offered him such a gift
160
THE SHADOW CHH^D
that he might have power to do good, as the flower
gives out perfume, without knowing it. The angels
could not give this at once; but after thinking long
and hard, they decided to make this power for him.
So they carried the loom of light into a land where
it was all night.
Out of the darkness they spun threads finer than
those of love that hold hearts together. From these
they wove a web so fine that they could walk through
it without tearing it ; so fine that you can to-day
throw stones through it without breaking a thread
or leaving a mark. This web the angels gave to the
saint, and they told him that if he would work be-
hind it he would be able to do good as the flowers
give out perfume without knowing it. The saint
called this new web his shadow.
This wonderful web is given to every boy and girl
on one condition — you must stand in the light.
Henry Hudson blest the world without knowing it.
He was behind a shadow. Christ has given you a
shadow behind which the world may not see you, a
shadow behind which you may live and do great good
without knowing it. It is the shadow of His cross.
Are you willing to be a shadow-child? I want to
hear you all say, "Yes ! Yes ! Yes !"
161
FOB FIFTH SUNDAY IN AUTUMN
THE SECRET WORD
"Obey them that have the rule over you." — Hebrews xiii., 17
SCHOOL fraternities give their members a secret
word. This word is like a key that opens many-
doors. To-day I am going to give the members of
our Junior Congregation a secret word, one that will
open very many doors. When you stand before
great difficulties where there is no door, this word
will often make a door and then open it. We call it
a secret word because it is a secret of happiness, a
secret of success, a secret of power. It is a secret you
can tell out loud to all your friends. This secret word
is "obey." Professor Huxley says the boy or girl
who learns to obey has a liberal education. My
Juniors have heard of the Lick Observatory. James
Lick, the millionaire who built it, when taking any
one into his service always asked him to plant a tree
upside down — the roots in the air, the branches un-
derground. If there were any protest the man was
at once sent away. Lick saying that he wanted only
men who would obey orders strictly.
162
THE SECRET WORD
I have a friend and neighbor whose dog has seven
puppies. Last week the maid threw some bones to
the mother and the puppies began to bite on these
hard bones. The mother was real cross with her
puppies, bit their ears and made them cry. They
are not big enough to howl, and so I say cry. There
were tears in the sound they made. This was the
mother dog's way of teaching her children the secret
word "obey." She knew they were not old enough
to chew bones. The mother dog was angry at her
puppies because she loved them. If they did not
learn to obey her they would not grow to be big dogs.
Our text says, "Obey them that have the rule over
you." Your parents, your school, your church and
your God have rule over you. Obey is the secret word
of your happiness and success. The mother dog in
her bark language told the puppies to keep away
from the bones. They disobeyed and she gave them
sore ears. The next time they will listen to what
mother dog tells them.
The Bible says obey, "Be not as the horse, or as
the mule which has no understanding." But you
can train a horse or mule to obey. A story from the
Christian Herald will explain this. One day in Texas
eirrht hundred horses broke out of a corral and went
«j
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LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
off at full speed. Two men made an heroic effort to
head them off, but were brushed aside and narrowly
escaped losing their lives. Many of the horses, how-
ever, belonged to the First Texas Cavalry, and the
bugler was one of the men who saw the tumultuous
flight. He made a rush for his bugle and sounded
a call. Instantly it could be seen which of the horses
had received military training. In obedience to the
call, the old chargers formed in line and turned at
right angles. He sounded "Halt !" and the chargers
came to a standstill. The other horses, heedless of
the bugle-call, continued on their mad career. Some
were cut to pieces by a train, others died by collision
with telegraph-poles and other obstacles. Thirty, in
all, were killed before their flight came to an end.
The horses that had learned to obey were not hurt.
Boys and girls have more understanding than a horse.
They should more readily learn to obey.
General Havelock was one night at a public dinner
in London. He suddenly rose from the table and
exclaimed, "I left my boy this afternoon on London
Bridge, and told him to wait there till I came back !"
The general had forgotten his boy. Where do
you suppose the father went to find his son? He
hastened to the bridge where he had left him, and
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THE SECRET WORD
there was the brave boy, patiently waiting for his
father. He had learned to obey. If you will promise
not to forget the secret word, I will tell you a true
bear story. I give it to you just as I found it in
one of our magazines.
Mr. Kipling says the law of the jungle is "obey."
This seems to be the law of Yellowstone Park. There
is a lunch-station at the Upper Basin, near Old
Faithful, kept by a kind-hearted man. He got ac-
quainted last year with a bear, who came to his house
every day. The bear also got acquainted with him,
and would walk into the kitchen seeking food for her-
self and her cubs. The cubs never came with the
mother. The man got on very intimate terms with
the bear, who was always civil and well behaved. This
bear would take food from his hand without taking
his hand. One day toward sunset the bear came to
the kitchen, and having received her portion, she
went out of the back door to carry it to her cubs.
To her surprize and anger the cubs were there wait-
ing for her. She laid down the food, and rushed at
her infants and gave them a rousing spanking, and
so drove them back into the woods, cuffing them and
knocking them at every step. When she reached the
spot where she had told them to wait, she left them
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LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
there and returned to the house. And there she
stayed in the kitchen for two whole hours, making
her disobedient children wait for their food, simply
to discipline them and teach them obedience. The
explanation is very natural. When the bear leaves
her young in a particular place and goes in search
of food for them, if they stray away in her absence
she has great difficulty in finding them. The mother
knew that the safety of her cubs and her own peace
of mind depended upon strict discipline in the family.
"Obey them that have the rule over you."
At the close of a hot day an aged father went
into the field and asked his boy to take a package to
the village two miles away. For a second the boy
hesitated. He was tired and hungry. But God's
good angel helped him, and he said almost instantly
and pleasantly, "Certainly, father, I'll take it." The
father guessed the sacrifice the boy was making. He
put his hand on his arm and said lovingly, "Thank
you, my son; you've always been a good boy to me,
Jim." When the lad returned he saw the farm-hands
all crowded around the door. One of them came to
him and said: "Your father fell dead just as he
reached the house. The last words he spoke were to
you." And those last words had been approving
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THE SECRET WORD
words. '^You've always been a good boy to irie,
Jim." They echoed and reechoed in the orphan's
heart, making such a precious melody.
The Bible says : "To obey is better than sacrifice."
Luther said: "I would rather obey than work mira-
cles." He might have said, "No one can work mira-
cles unless he obeys." Obedience is a key to every
door you should enter. Will my Juniors read a story
of how a Junior became a great man by obeying a
call.? The story is in I Samuel iii., 1-21.
167
FOR SIXTH SUNDAY IN AUTUMN
HALLOWE'EN
"The man that deceiveth his neighbor, and saith, 'Am not I in
sport?' " — Prov., xxvi., 19
THIRTEEN centuries ago Hallowe'en was a
holy day in May. It was called "All Saints'
day." The evening before was known as Hallowe'en,
or holy evening. On November 1st the heathen had
an "All Spirits' day." All spirits, good and evil,
were thought to be on earth that night. Witches
and fairies visited homes and played tricks and had
a good time. In order to keep these evil spirits
away church-bells were kept ringing all night.
When these pagans were converted to Christianity
the Church thought by putting the two holy days,
"All Saints' day" and "All Spirits' day," together,
they would make it easier for the pagans to be good
Christians. They took "All Saints' day" from May
and put it into "All Spirits' day" in November. At
first the real good Christians celebrated the evening
of October 31st in a Christian way. Those who were
168
HALLOWE'EN
not so good celebrated it in their old pagan way.
The pagan evening soon swallowed up the Christian
evening, leaving only its name. Now, after thirteen
centuries, we still have the Christian name and the
pagan celebration. When the boys kindle the bon-
fires it is the old pagan worship of the sun. When
children crack nuts it is a relic of the old pagan su-
perstition. How can we keep all the fun and have
less pagan and more Christian in our Hallowe'en.?
In western Pennsylvania, when I was a boy,
Hallowe'en was a night when boys and girls took the
place of witches and fairies. They would deceive
their neighbors and then say: "Weren't we in
sport?" One Hallowe'en a farmer had his wagon
loaded with wheat ready for market. A number of
the neighboring boys and young men went to his barn
that night, unloaded the wheat and took the wagon,
piece by piece, and put it together on the very top
of the barn. Then they carried up the wheat and
put it in the wagon. It was hard work, but when
finished they rolled on the ground and laughed to
think of how surprized this farmer would be. Be-
fore daylight the farmer came out, harnessed his
horses and got ready for an early start to market.
When he opened the barn-doors there was no wagon
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LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
to be found. He hunted until daylight and then
found the wagon on the top of his barn. They were
not bad boys, but did this in order to have a little
sport. I think those boys could have had just as
much sport and a httle more if they had surprized
their neighbors in another way.
Suppose they had taken a wagonful of flour and
potatoes and meat, and in the quiet hours of the
night had driven to the homes of their neighbors
who were very, very poor, and left some of these
good things at their doors. They could have had a
good, rollicking laugh at the thought of how sur-
prized these people would be when they came out next
morning.
Just imagine a widow with a number of children
and scarcely anything in the house for breakfast.
The next morning she prays that God would send
something to eat. Then she takes the water-pail and
starts for the spring. As she opens the door some-
thing falls on the step. She is so frightened that she
drops the pail and runs back to the window. She
sees a barrel of flour, a bag of potatoes, some meat,
and a number of good things. What a joke that
would be for the boys — to imagine how surprized she
would be. They could roll over the ground and al-
170
HALLOWE'EN
most over themselves laughing at the way the poor
woman would look at the answer to her prayer on
Hallowe'en.
Then suppose there was a farmer who was sick
and too poor to hire men to husk his corn. The boys
could go to his field and husk his corn and put it in
the crib. Imagine the fun of seeing the sick man
next morning in bed leaning on his elbow and looking
out at his empty corn-field and full corn-crib. Boys
will be boys, and in this way they could have funnels
full of fun on Hallowe'en.
Shall I tell you a story? One Hallowe'en a boy
rang the drug-store bell. The clerk came down and
opened the door. All he saw was a pumpkin with
holes for eyes, nose, mouth and ears, through which
a candle was shining. The boys had a good laugh
and meant no harm. They were not bad, only
wanted some fun. The clerk was mad and thought
the boys were bad. When the boy who rang the bell
went home he saw the doctor's horse at the gate.
He ran in and found baby sister very sick. The
doctor said, "Peter, run as fast as you can and get
this medicine." He rang and rang the bell, but the
clerk did not come down. The next morning there
was crape on the door of the baby's home.
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LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
Solomon says: As a mad man who casteth fire-
brands, arrows and death, so is the man that de-
ceiveth his neighbor, and saith, "Am not I in sport?"
Do not forget that Hallowe'en means Holy Eve.
An evening set apart to think of those who were hke
saints of God in your life. Commit to memory now
what Lowell wrote and as you grow older the mean-
ing will unfold and help you to enjoy Hallowe'en.
One feast, of holy days the crest,
I, tho no Churchman, love to keep,
All Saints — the unknown good that rest
In God's still memory folded deep.
The bravely dumb who did their deed.
And scorned to blot it with a name,
Men of the plain heroic breed,
That loved Heaven's silence more than fame.
172
FOB SEVENTH SUNDAY IN AUTUMN
CHRYSANTHEMUM SUNDAY
"The perfection of beauty." — Psalm 1., 2
HAVE you seen the perfection of beauty ? No !
Then you must be asleep all day as well as all
night. Surely, you have seen the perfection of
beauty in a sunset ? Our text tells us that God shines
through the perfection of beauty. As the sun shines
through a beautiful cloud at sunset and makes it
more beautiful, so God shines through the perfection
of beauty, adding the beauty of heaven to the per-
fection of earth. The rainbow is the perfection of
beauty — the beauty of color and the beauty of a
great arch. When I see a rainbow I think of it
as an arch of triumph under which the angels, after
bringing to earth God's blessing of rain, march back
to heaven. I have also seen in flowers almost the per-
fection of beauty. We all enjoy that beauty to-day
as we look at these chrysanthemums. The one I hold
in my hand is nearly the perfection of beauty, and I
can almost see the light of God shining through it.
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LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
But this chrysanthemum in mj left hand, while it
is beautiful, can never be the perfection of beauty.
God will not shine through this one. It is a counter-
feit. It was a beautiful white chrysanthemum, but
the florist has dipt it in some fluid in order to
change its color to salmon-pink. God does not like a
counterfeit. There is no need for counterfeit, as God
has made it possible for us to have every color of the
rainbow in our flowers. We must study the flower
and learn how to get the real color, just as we study
arithmetic to learn the correct answer. To color a
flower is as much a sin as it is to put down the answer
to a problem without working it out. The gardener
can take a seed or a bulb with a brown, dead color,
and make it grow and blossom — pink, blue, red,
violet, and all colors of the rainbow. We train the
plants to grow and look up to heaven.
They meet the beauty and fragrance coming down
to them. The lily rises from the mud at the bottom
of the pond and lies on the surface of the water as
fragrant and beautiful as it would if the roots were
in the Garden of Eden. Dipping the chrysanthemum
to give it a beautiful color is an insult to nature.
The seed and bulb have no fragrance, but they
have hidden away a power to gather fragrance from
174.
CHRYSANTHEMUM SUNDAY
the earth and sky. Those who color chrysanthemums
will be mean enough to sprinkle them with frag-
rance. The chrysanthemum has somewhere hidden
away the power to become as sweet and fragrant as
the violet and rose. It is our duty to develop this
power. God has hid away wonderful things, and
boys and girls are being educated in order to find
these things and give them to the world. When you
study botany, you are learning to find the marvelous
things God has hid for you in the flowers. When
the chrysanthemum becomes fragrant, it will be the
perfection of beauty.
Would you laugh if some one asked you to listen
to a chrysanthemum growing.? Huxley, the great
student of nature, says if our ears were able to hear
the vibrations we could sit down in the garden and
listen to the flowers growing. Just imagine the con-
cert we would enjoy on a beautiful summer morning.
The lily, rose, carnation and chrysanthemum; what
a wonderful quartet. Then the children's chorus —
the pansy, violet, clover, honeysuckle, lily-of-the-val-
ley, sweet-peas and trailing arbutus. I believe the
birds would stop singing in order to listen to this
quartet and chorus. Ear specialists may some day
train children's ears to hear the flowers grow.
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LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
This is a good and great world, but it will be bet-
ter later on. Burbank, or some of his students, will
give us chrysanthemums of all colors and of a de-
lightful fragrance. In everything we are reaching
forward to the perfection of beauty. God has pro-
vided the way ; we must find it.
Shall I tell you a story.?
James T. Field visited Tennyson at his English
country home. After dinner they took a walk
through the garden. Tennyson would stop by a rare
flower, the perfection of beauty, and read its "poetry
of matter." Field lingered to admire a flower, and
when he turned from it he found Tennyson crouching
on the ground and crying, "Down on your knees,
man ! Down on your knees ! Violets ! Violets !" Fol-
lowing the fragrance, Tennyson had found the Eng-
lish violet with its bluish-purple color. Before it the
two men knelt, for behind this perfection of beauty
they felt that God was standing, and through it God
was shining.
I hope our Juniors will study diligently and be-
come great men and women. God has hid away the
perfection of beauty and needs you to find it. Listen
to Tennyson as he cries, "Down on your knees.
Juniors ! Down on your knees !" On your knees,
176
CHRYSANTHEMUM SUNDAY
my boys and girls, for you are workers together with
God in developing the perfection of beauty. Moses
took off his shoes when standing before the burning
bush. It was the perfection of beauty through which
God was speaking.
177
FOB EIGHTH SUNDAY IN AUTUMN
FRUIT FOR THANKSGIVING DINNERS
"The fruit of our lips." — Hebrews xiii., 15
"/^OOD-MORNING, Juniors, and a happy thanks-
Vj" giving for every one." At seven o'clock on
Thanksgiving evening will you all listen, as I want
to say to each of you, "Good-night, Juniors, I hope
every one has made some one happy to-day!" You
may not be able to give a Thanksgiving dinner, but
you can all give some Thanksgiving fruit. Every
boy and girl should plant a tree, cultivate it, and in
a few years it will become fruit-bearing. Then you
can have fruit of your own, to give for Thanksgiving
dinners.
In the eighth chapter of Luke there is a farmer
story, and it tells us about seeds and how they grow.
Then it says, "The seed is the word of God. This is
the seed for you boys and girls to plant in your
hearts, watching over it, cultivating it, until you
have the fruit. Where do you look for fruit.? The
place will depend upon the kind of fruit you are
178
FRUIT FOR THANKSGIVING DINNERS
seeking. Peanuts grow under the ground at the
ends of the roots, apples grow in the air at the ends
of the branches, cantaloups are found on the ground
at the ends of the vine.
Now, if you plant the seed of God's Word in your
hearts, where will you find the fruit? Some good
fruit grows on the eyelashes, known by the name of
tears. This fruit ripens as it drops off the cheek,
falls into the hand and rolls off as nickles, dimes,
quarters and dollars. The tear represents the kind
heart, changed into money for some one in need.
Another place to find the fruit is on your lips. Our
text speaks of the fruit of our lips. When our
thanksgiving is Godward the fruit of the lips is
thanks, and when they reach God, our thanks are
like "apples of gold in pictures of silver." When our
thanksgiving is manward it takes the form of some-
thing that will feed the hungry body or satisfy the
hungry heart.
I want to tell you a story of how a little girl tried
to secure some fruit to satisfy her mother's hunger.
This little child wrote to one of our papers, adverti-
sing her doll for sale. This was a strange advertise-
ment, and a reporter went to the home and found an
eight-year-old girl whose mother was sick and
179
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
starving. The little tot, without saying anything
to her mother, had decided to sell her doll, in order
to buy food and medicine.
It will not take you very long, Juniors, to find a
family in need of food, not only at Thanksgiving,
but during other parts of the year. If you have the
seed of God's truth in your heart, and it has grown,
you will be ready to drop some of the fruit from
the ends of your fingers into their hands. At Thanks-
giving time we all have something to give — chestnut-
fed turkey, cranberry sauce, and all that goes with
a Thanksgiving dinner.
Do we not forget that there is a hunger that
turkey dinner will not satisfy ? The hunger that calls
for one special kind of fruit — the fruit of the lips.
Children and grown people are hungry for a kind
word, starving for sympathy.
Here's a story of a boy who was hungry for the
fruit of the lips. One day he saved a rich man from
drowning. The man took out his wet pocketbook,
full of money, and said, "What can I do for you, my
boy.f^" When he saw this bulging pocketbook, what
do you suppose the boy said.-^ Here are his words:
"I want you to speak a kind word to me sometimes.
I ain't got no mother like some of the kids." This
180
FRUIT FOR THANKSGIVING DINNERS
man had the fruit of the hand and was ready to drop
dollars from the ends of his fingers, but they would
not satisfy the boy's hunger. He was hungry, al-
most starving for a kind word.
Will my Juniors, while remembering the fruit of
the eyelashes and the fruit of the fingers, not forget
the fruit of the lips.?
181
FOR NINTH SUNDAY IN AUTUMN
' THANKSGIVING RAGAMUFFINS
"Old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon
them." — Joshua ix., 5
THIS text tells how jou dress on Thanksgiving
for jour annual game of ragamuffin. Old
shoes and clouted upon your feet, and old garments
upon you. Clouted means patched. Old patched
shoes. On Thanksgiving morning, on our way to
church service, we will meet some of you boys and
girls. Meet you going to church .f^ No! With your
faces painted like wild Indians, drest with old gar-
ments and clouted shoes, we will not expect to see
you in the Thanksgiving service. You will not so
much as play church, except in taking up a collec-
tion. Those of you who have always lived in New
York do not think of this Thanksgiving game of
ragamuffin as a strange custom. But the strangers
coming to our city are greatly surprized and ask
what it means. Ragamuffin day is all that is left of
an old New York custom. Men and women richly
183
THANKSGIVING RAGAMUFFINS
drest would parade on Thanksgiving as our Phila-
delphia friends do on New Year's.
The children, quick to see a chance for fun, began
to imitate the grown-ups. Dressing in old clothes
many sizes too large, painting their faces or putting
on a mask, the children went out to mimic the seniors.
The grown-ups have given up their custom, but the
children keep up the imitation. One part of the game
is to ask the passer-by for pennies. Frequently the
ragamuffins ring the door-bell and ask for money and
for something to eat. It sometimes happens that a
well-to-do and generous man will meet on the street
and give money to his own child, thinking that he is
helping some poor boy or girl.
The text I have given you to-day is a part of a
quaint story you will want to hear. When Joshua,
with his army, was marching through Canaan, he
drove the people out and took possession of the
country. The land had been given to him, but the
people were not willing that he should take pos-
session. The inhabitants of Gideon, who lived close
to Joshua's camp, came to him one day wearing old
patched shoes, ragged clothes and with many other
things to indicate that they had just ended a long,
long journey. Joshua believed them and promised
183
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
to protect them when he came to their country. After
Joshua gave them this promise and oath, he learned
that they were his neighbors. He kept his promise,
but as a punishment for deceiving him he made them
all servants, "hewers of wood and drawers of water."
That meant they were to cut all the wood and carry
all the water for the soldiers. Servants because they
were deceivers.
Your ragamuffin play on Thanksgiving morning
is very much like the game in earnest that was played
on Joshua. The difficulty about that old game was
that they were deceiving. The patched shoes and old
garments were telling a lie for these people. The
Gideonites were too cowardly and lazy to fight
Joshua's army. They made a lie on which to lie.
But your game is all fun, and every one knows you
are not trying to deceive.
The Thanksgiving custom of our Juniors is, I be-
lieve, here to stay. In fact, I would be sorry to see
it given up. If it is here to stay how can we make
it pay. Here is an idea; will you catch it in your
heads and drop it into your hearts? On Thanks-
giving morning put on old, patched, but warm shoes ;
old ragged, but warm clothes ; paint your faces or
put on a mask, and then go out into the crisp morn-
184
THANKSGIVING RAGAMUFFINS
ing for an hour's fun. Collect all the pennies the
people will give; get dimes and dollars if you can.
Tell the people the money is for the poor. Then
scamper home. Put on your respectable countenance
and good clothes and go to the Thanksgiving service.
When the offering is received for the poor, as it al-
ways is on Thanksgiving, put in the money you have
received. Handsful onto the plate, pour it out for
the poor. In this way you can keep up the custom
that gives so much pleasure to all Juniors. No one
will be deceived, and you will be helping the poor to
be thankful on Thanksgiving. Last year three of
my Juniors tried this plan, and when they came to
church it was not with a miserable collection but with
a grand offering.
Shall I give you a story in which to carry this new
plan home.'' One day, not a long, long time ago, a
boy brought home a dog. Some of you know how
happy a boy is with his first dog; he is almost as
happy as the dog. The boy's name was Sam ; the
dog's name was Bruno. On Thanksgiving morning
Sam put an old collar on Bruno, a black patch over
one of his eyes and one foot in splints. Sam and
Bruno went out as ragamuffins. The basket hung
around Bruno's neck was nearly filled with pennies
185
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
and nickles. At the dinner-table the mother noticed
the boj was putting to one side of his plate a choice
part of the turkey and pushing aside the best por-
tions of his Thanksgiving dinner. The mother said,
"Sam, you must eat that piece of turkey; you need
it to make you strong ; you must not waste these good
things." Sam's answer was, "I am saving these for
my dog, Bruno. He is waiting for his Thanksgiving
dinner." The mother scolded Sam and told him there
would be plenty of scraps left for Bruno. The father
remembered when he was a boy and expected to give
Sam a good "helping" for his dog. But after dinner
father, with his cigar, forgot all about Bruno. Sam
took a plate and went 'round the table finding a bone
on father's plate, a piece of gristle on the next plate,
a crust at another, and poured some cold gravy over
them. On a silver tray he carried a dinner to
Bruno. His sister overheard Sam talking to his dog :
"Poor Bruno ; I expected to bring you a Thanksgiv-
ing offering, but here I am with only a collection."
186
FOB TENTH SUNDAY IN AUTUMN
THE LURE OF THE LESSON
"I have learned." — Phil, iv., 11
c<X URE" is a good word to learn. It means to
M J call, a peculiar call that attracts. Lure was
in the call of Orpheus, which brought wild animals
like pets to his feet. In the call of the school you
can hear the lure of the lesson — a sweet, clear call,
coaxing you to master every subject. If each lesson
is well prepared, the recitation will be a delight.
School days and school work will flow along like a
song. If you start right, master each lesson, you
will hear the lure each morning when you wake, and
it will make you sing like the lure of a swing. Then
you will not want to stay at home from school; you
will not listen to the lure of "hookey."
It is easy enough to be pleasant,
When school flows along like a song;
And the Juniors worth while, can always smile
When recitations are never dead wrong.
These are lessons to learn on the playground, at
home, in church — lessons in the school of joy and
187
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
in the school of sorrow. Paul, in our text, says, "I
have learned." What did he learn .^^ He learned to
be content, to be satisfied. "I have learned, in what-
soever state I am, therewith to be content." This
is a hard lesson. Last week I read of a man who
said: "Have patience and wait. In seeking to raise
a choice variety of grapes I waited twelve years be-
fore the vine bore, and then it bore only six grapes,
and I was overjoyed. No ; twelve years was not long
to wait. I was after a definite object, and time and
patience bring success." Discontented boys and
girls are never happy, because never content. A
good teacher can help you to learn your lessons.
Paul had a good teacher. He says, "I can do all
things through Christ which strengtheneth me." I
want my Juniors to hear and heed the lure of Christ's
school. Learn from Him how to be content. Read
one of the gospels each week, and find how many
things He did cheerfully that would make you un-
happy. Christ heard the lure of His Father's call.
Learn from him to be content.
There is a fable I want you to find for me. It is
about a king who was unhappy, never content. Some
one told him that if he could find a happy man and
wear this happy man's shirt, he would always be
188
THE LURE OF THE LESSON
contented. It took him many days, weeks and months
to find a happy man, and when at last he found him,
he had no shirt. He was so poor that he could not
afford a shirt — he just kept his coat buttoned.
Hear what Christ said when on earth: "Foxes
have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the
son of man hath not where to lay his head." If he
had been discontented He would have gone home to
heaven before suffering and dying for you. Learn
from Him to be content. Be able to say, "I have
learned." If you are tempted to fail, tempted to be
discontented, find some one who has less than you
have, but who has heard the lure of content. Here
is a story I found in one of our daily papers :
"Were you ever in your life glum and discon-
tented?" asked unhappy Will.
"Yes ; once I was plumb down in the mouth," owned
Uncle Henry, with an air of candor. "But I got
cured right off, and I ain't ever had an attack of the
'blues' since then."
"Do tell us about it."
"Well, it was when I was a young man. I had just
got a job workin' on the Erie Canal. It was gettin'
late in the fall, and I hadn't any shoes to my name,
and I had to send home every red cent to help mother,
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
except what would feed me. I didn't see how I was
to get a pair of shoes before the winter set in."
"Well, that was hard lines."
"So I thought," said Uncle Henry, smiling, "until
one day I saw a feller on the street that hadn't any
feet. I can't rightly say as I've ever been discontented
since then."
The story cured unhappy Will.
"Listen ! Can you hear the lure of the lesson.?"
190
FOR ELEVENTH SUNDAY IN AUTUMN
THE CALL OF THE CHURCH
"Let every man prove his own work." — Gal.^ vi., 4
" T^ ACK to your books !" is the call of the school.
1 J You will find one end of your recitation-room
painted black. Some white marks on this black-
board will tell the teacher how your brain is working.
You will put a problem on the board and get the
correct answer. The teacher will ask you to explain
and prove your work. Then the trouble will begin.
The addition and division are wrong — strange that
the answer should be right. You have the answer,
but can not prove your work. The white marks tell
not only how your brain is working, but they may
tell as well how your heart is working.
"Back to the Junior Congregation!" is the call of
the church. Have you solved the problem of how to
be Christ's boys and girls ? Some white marks on the
blackboard of sin will tell how your brain and heart
are working. You write in clear white letters,
"Christ, faith, love, repentance, obedience." Then
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LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
put down the answer, "Christian." The answer in
correct. Can you prove your work? Have you
worked out the problem, or have you just put down
the answer .f' Are you as good a Christian on the
playground as you are on the blackboard?
We must prove our faith by our works. Josiah
says he is a Christian, loves God and His children.
But he gets very angry and strikes a playmate.
Josiah's answer was correct, but the work, or fight,
did not prove the answer. Prove your work.
Two illustrations will help you to understand what
I mean by proving. Tommy came to his father and
said: "Does the Golden Rule, 'Do unto others as
you would have others do unto you,' mean papa as
well as Tommy?" His father said, "Yes, my son."
"And is it perfectly right to follow the Golden
Rule, papa?" "Why, certainly," returned the
father ; "we should all obey the Golden Rule." Then
Tommy went to the cupboard and came back with a
knife and a large apple-pie. "Papa, you can eat
all you want of it." His father had worked the
problem ; now Tommy asked him to prove his answer.
During the Civil War a man told Secretary Cam-
eron that he had invented a bullet-proof breastplate
for the soldiers. He had the bullet-proof breast-
192
THE CALL OF THE CHURCH
plate with him, and wanted to furnish one for each
soldier. The Secretary asked, "Do you guarantee it
to be bullet-proof?" The inventor said, "It is im-
possible for a bullet to go through it." "Very well,"
said the Secretary, "just put on the sample you have
been showing me, and stand on the other side of the
room while I try a few shots at you with this pistol."
The man refused to furnish the proof. "Let every
man prove his own work." Paul says, "Prove all
things; hold fast that which is good."
There are two problems on our church black-
board for you Juniors. First, are you a Christian?
You have the answer ; can you prove your work ? A
clergyman asked his Juniors if they had ever done
anything they knew was wrong. They were honest
boys and girls and answered "Yes." He told them
they could not be Christians until they were sorry
for doing wrong and repented. Then he asked if
they knew what was meant by repentance. A little
boy raised his hand. "Well, what is it, my lad?"
"Being sorry for your sins," was the answer. A
little girl on the back seat raised her hand. "Well,
my little girl, what do you think?" asked the clergy-
man. "I think," said the child, "it's being sorry
enough to quit."
193
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
He next asked the Juniors to count how many
things they had done that were wrong and that they
were sorry for doing. "Now, one more addition,"
he said ; "how many times have you been sorry enough
to quit doing what you knew was wrong?" From
the number of times you did wrong and were sorry
for it, subtract the number of times you were sorry
enough to quit. Let every Junior prove his or her
own work. Second, are you doing anything to prove
to others that you are a Christian? Something that
will cause others to follow Christ. Listen to a story
that was told at a meeting in the Old John Street
Church, New York. In Alabama a godly man died
leaving four unconverted sons. Each built a new
house on the large estate. One day all were en-
gaged in tearing down the old home. Suddenly one
of them dropt and began to cry. The other brothers
supposed he was injured. Rising, he pointed to the
floor he was tearing up. There, he pointed, are the
marks made by the toe of father's boots. They knew
this was where he knelt for twenty-five years at
famil}^ prayers. The four knelt at the mark of the
old family altar and gave their hearts to God.
The father was dead, but he had left the proof.
There is a legend of a monk at whose door stood
194
THE CALL OF THE CHURCH
one who said he was Jesus Christ. After a searching
look the monk asked, "Where is the print of the
nails?" The mark of the true Christ was not there,
and the man pretending to be Christ could not prove
his problem. As a Christian boy or girl, you will not
have the nail-print in your hand, but there will be
something in the touch of your hand, as you go
about doing good, that will prove to all that you are
a child of the Christ.
"Let every man prove his own work and then shall
he have rejoicing." Let every Junior prove his or
her work, then play and pray.
195
FOR TWELFTH SUNDAY IN AUTUMN
FINDING A GOOD THING
"It is a good thing to give thanks." — Psalms xcii., 1
TELL your day-school teacher that you are
looking for a good thing. The teacher will
say, "You must not use slang." You can answer,
"A good thing, is not slang. God says, 'It is a good
thing to give thanks.' " If you are looking for "a
good thing," look for something for which to give
thanks. Fourteen more days to Christmas — just two
weeks in which to find a good thing. You can find a
good thing if you are looking for it.
A little girl's mother asked her, "Why are you
tearing your doll to pieces.?" Her answer was, "Papa
says there is a grain of comfort in everything, and I
am looking for it." When this child was older she
went to a party where everybody was strange to her.
She grew very homesick and was crying when she
started home. When at the door she remembered her
lesson, and running back, a smile shining through her
tears, said: "Good-by, Miss Smif ; mama told me to
196
FINDING A GOOD THING
be sure and tell you I had a nice time." Surely, you
can find one grain of comfort for which to be thank-
ful. She found a grain of comfort in her home-
going.
Happiness is a good thing for which to give
thanks. Can we, in eleven days, find any happiness .f*
Listen to two stories.
"Guess who was the happiest child I saw to-day .f*"
asked father, taking his own two little boys on his
knees.
"Oh, who, father?"
"But you must guess."
"Well," said Jim slowly, "it was a very rich little
boy, with lots and lots of sweets and cakes."
"No," said father. "He wasn't rich; he had no
sweets and cakes. What do you guess, Joe?"
"He was a pretty big boy," said Joe, "and he was
riding in an automobile."
"No," said father. "He wasn't big and wasn't
riding in an automobile. You have lost your guesses,
so I will have to tell you. There was a flock of sheep,
and they must have come a long way, so dusty and
tired and thirsty were they. The drover took them
up, bleating and lolling out their tongues, to the
town pump to water them. But one poor old ewe
197
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
was too tired to get to the trough, and fell down on
the hot, dusty stones. Then I saw my little man,
ragged and dirty and tousled, spring out from the
crowd of urchins who were watching the drove, fill
his hat with water and carry it — one, two, three — oh,
as many as six times, to the poor, suffering animal,
until the creature was able to get up and go on with
the rest."
This boy found happiness when he was not looking
for a good thing — found happiness in doing a good
thing.
There was a young lady once who was very un-
happy. She lived in a fine house, and had lots of
toys, and a pony, and a watch, but she was very,
very unhappy. Nothing could please her. Even
the weather was never just what she wanted; it was
sure to rain when she wanted it to be fine, or it was
sure to be fine when she took out her nice new um-
brella. From morning till night she murmured,
murmured, grumbled, grumbled, and was very un-
happy.
One day she came upon two poor children playing
in a field, and they were having a hearty game. You
could hear their shouts of laughter almost over the
village. "These children are very happy; their eyes
198
FINDING A GOOD THING
are so bright, and they seem so fond of each other,
I think I shall ask them what makes them so happy."
So she summoned up courage and went to the big-
gest boy — he was about seven — and said, "You are
very happy; what makes you so?" The boy was a
little shy at first, before this fine little lady, with her
very fine dress, and his little brother came and half
hid behind him.
"What makes you so happy ?" asked the little lady.
"I don't know, Miss, what you mean," said the
boy; "what's happy.?" "Why," she repHed, "it
means bright, glad, fond of things."
"Oh!" said the boy, "Jim and I are always glad;
ain't we, Jim.^"' And the eyes of the little brother
danced like sunshine upon ripples as he said, "Yes,
always glad."
"But what makes you so glad.'"'
"I don't know, I'm sure. Miss," said the boy, "ex-
cept that when I try to make Jim glad I get glad
myself."
I want each and every one of my girls and boys
to get glad before Christmas. "It is a good thing
to give thanks."
199
FOR THIRTEENTH SUNDAY IN AUTUMN
A RING TO MAKE HIM SING
"A ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet." — Luke xv., 22
IT was very kind of that father to give his son a
pair of shoes. The boy had been away from
home. He had spent all his money, worn out all his
clothes, and tramped out both his shoes. An unkind
father would have told him to go back and get his
shoes where he foolishly spent his money. But this
father was good and wise. I do not think any one
should have objected, even if he had given the boy
two pairs of shoes. But why did he give his younger
son a ring when he needed so many other things? I
believe you can guess the reason. The clothes and
the shoes made the boy feel comfortable; the ring
made him feel at home. The shoes told him of his
father's pity; the ring told him of his father's love.
The shoes warmed his feet; the ring warmed his
heart. It was the ring that made him sing, "Home,
Sweet Home."
In our works of charity we give clothes and shoes,
200
FINDING A GOOD THING
but too often we forget the ring. We provide for the
body, but forget the heart. Sometimes you meet
people whose hearts are starving. A tear dropt on
this story when your pastor read it: The tall, awk-
ward boy, just in from his work at the shop, care-
fully unrolled the big bundle he carried, and dis-
closed a plant in full bloom. As his toil-roughened
hands busied themselves with folding up the paper
and string, a woman who felt that neighborly
services gave her the right to free speech, looked at
the flower and remarked, "It's pretty; but there are
plenty of things needed a sight more than flowers in
this house." "It's for mother," answered the boy.
"She's had a whole lifetime of doing without things
she liked because something else was needed worse.
She's going to have flowers now, if I can get them."
It would not be for long; they both knew that, and
the invalid in her plain little room caressed with
loving fingers and eager eyes the treasures that were
brought to her. She was too weak to question now
with voice or brain how such things were procured ;
she only watched for and enjoyed them, and the boy
saw to it — at what cost of self-sacrifice and overwork
he only knew — that the supply did not fail. But the
well-meaning woman shook her head over each ar-
201
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
rival, and murmured to herself, if to no one else, that
it was "a shame to spend money for just flowers, with
so many things worse needed about the house."
Love's lavish offerings have often a reason and mean-
ing not understood by those who coldly compute the
pence they cost. The flowers in the sick-room were
pleasures and comfort to the dying mother, but who
shall estimate what threads of fineness and nobility
their purchase wove into the character of the boy?
The ring warmed the boy's heart and made him
sing. The flowers warmed the mother's heart and
gave her new power. There are poor boys and girls
whose hearts are starving to death after they have
been given all the clothes and food they need — boys
and girls starving for love.
Here is a story that tells just what I mean. I
visited South Washington to see Margaret Miller.
It went to my heart to see the bright hectic flush,
and the thin, wasted fingers so nervously playing
with the patched quilt. I found that the family had
food and fuel enough for present needs ; but, oh !
those people starve and shiver for the food and
warmth that love and sympathy alone can give. They
are so shut out from all that is beautiful, even if it
be not essential,
202
A RING TO MAKE HIM SING
Margaret welcomed me with a smile more than
usually wistful. I put down the cod liver oil I had
brought and took the little hand in mine.
"You have been so good to me, and given me so
many things that I need," she said; "I wonder if
you'll let me ask for something else — something, oh !
something I do so want to have for my very own!"
Her eyes took the look of happy anticipation. "She
is only seventeen," I thought, "and what can these
bare walls hold to feed her longing?" So I answered,
"You may ask me now." "I want, oh ! I want a gold
ring; I've never had a ring — and please mark it
'With Mrs. Williamson's love.' "
When I returned with the ring, a little band,
simply chased, I slipt it on her slender finger so quick-
ly that she felt it before she saw it.
When she held up her hand and realized that the
glittering gold band was hers — her heart's desire
gratified, her face fairly shone — there was a glory
in it beyond words to express. Its brightness seemed
to hght the dingy room. I was so overcome that
I slipt out as quickly as I could, scarcely knowing
whether I still heard the words : "Mine ! Mine !
Oh, isn't it beautiful!" So small a gift and such a
rich reward.
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LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
I did not reach home until late last night, so over-
slept this morning. With mj mail I found a
crumpled note. "It was left for you very early this
morning," said my maid, "by a ragged-looking boy,
whom the cook found crying at the gate when she
unlocked it."
It read: "My child Margaret went to sleep with
the ring on her finger. She ain't never woke up.
Maybe she's walkin' on them golden streets now.
You made her very happy. Jane Miller."
She had lived only half an hour after we parted.
Her mother said that the smile never left her face.
It was the ring that made her sing, "Mine ! Mine !
Oh, isn't it beautiful!"
204,
WINTER
(December Zlst-March 20th)
BLOW, BLOW, THOU WINTER WIND
Blow, blow, thou winter wind,
Thou art not so unkind
As man's ingratitude ;
Thy tooth is not so keen,
Because thou art not seen,
Altho thy breath be rude.
Heigh-ho ! sing, heigh-ho ! unto the green holly ;
Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly;
Then, heigh-ho, the holly!
This life is most jolly !
— William Shakespeaee.
FOB FIRST SUNDAY IN WINTER
THE CHRISTMAS MEASURE
"And running over." — Luke vi., 38
A QUART measure does not hold a gallon. This,
you say, is true, but it is not new. Juniors,
please do not look so blue, and I may tell you some-
thing new. Do you know that a quart measure will
hold more than a quart? No? Then I can tell you
something true that is new to you. A full quart is
good measure. There is another kind of measure for
the same quart ; it is called gospel measure. When
good measure is prest down a little and shaken to-
gether a little, it will settle a little. Then it will
hold a little more. If you keep pressing and shaking
until it is running over, you have gospel measure.
"Prest down, shaken together and running over."
When you are at dinner to-day, pour water into
a glass until it is just full. That will be good meas-
ure. Then let one more drop fall into it, and then
another one, and then another. Be careful now that
it does not run over on the clean table-cloth. Now,
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LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
steady, careful, now, as you let slip another drop.
These drops are pressing a little, and shaking a
little, making room for a little more. One more drop
and — over it goes. I hear you cry, "Oh, mama, ex-
cuse me! I did not know there was so much to run
over."
Are you ready to give gospel measure for Christ-
mas? There must be enough in your good measure
to have some running over for the poor, who love
Christ as dearly as you love Him. I never knew a
boy to be sick after eating his Christmas dinner if
he gave part of his dinner to the poor. Your Christ-
mas measure must also run over enough to give
Christmas gifts to boys and girls who do not love
Christ. Yes, yes, they must have a part of the
Christmas joy! Christmas is like rain, it is for the
just and for the unjust. Press your Christmas
measure a Httle more and shake it a little more, for
you must have enough running over for the animals.
Ha, ha, you laugh. How can we give Christmas
gifts to animals.? I read this week of two Juniors
who gave a horse a Christmas gift. It was a very
cold Christmas eve and the streets were coated with
ice. This horse had a very heavy load, and was
trying to pull it up the hill where Dannie and Helen
208
THE CHRISTMAS MEASURE
were coasting. When the horse came to a shppery
place he began to coast both ways. His front-feet
were coasting down the hill and his hind-feet were
coasting up the hill. Dannie thought this was great
sport. He said the horse was celebrating. Helen
was full of fun, but she was sorry for the horse.
Away she ran and got a pail of ashes and threw them
around the horse's feet. Dannie saw there was more
fun in helping than in hindering, so off he ran for
more ashes. Soon they had the road sprinkled all
the way to the top of the hill. The driver thanked
the Juniors and said they had helped to pull the load
up the hill. The horse looked thanks and started
up the road with his load. Away ran Dannie and
Helen singing, "Jack and Gill, went up the hill, to
get a pail of ashes." Helen said it was Ash Christ-
mas. There must be enough also in our Christmas
measure to have something running over for the
birds. When Christ came into this world He made
every person and every creature in all the world
happy.
You often speak of the cattle that were in the
stable where Christ was born. Did you ever think
that there may have been birds roosting there that
night? We can not be sure of this, but one thing we
209
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
are sure of, that birds are happier because Christ was
born. How do we know this? Because boys and
girls who love Christ are kind to the birds. Here is
a story of a boy who became a king and was kingly
kind to birds.
On a very cold Christmas morning, the King of
Sweden was coming home from church in a sleigh.
He noticed flocks of small birds flying, then lighting
on the road, and then flying away again, uttering
shrill cries. The king asked his coachman why so
many birds were in the city. The coachman, who
was from the country, told the king that because of
the deep snow the birds had been driven by hunger
from the field and the wood in search of food. "Drive
home as fast as you can," said the king, "and get a
large sheaf of wheat. Bind the sheaf to a tall pole
and fasten it in the snow in front of the palace."
For an hour the king sat by his window and watched
the birds as they came by tens, twenties and hun-
dreds to their Christmas dinner. That night the
king looked from his bedroom window to see if the
birds were roosting on their Christmas tree. It was
so dark that he could not see the pole on which had
been fastened the sheaf of wheat. But that very
night he dreamed that an angel came and split the
210
THE CHRISTMAS MEASURE
Christmas pole from top to bottom. Then each of
these parts was spht in two. The strange vision of
the dream was that no matter how often they were
spht, each part was as large as the original pole.
Soon there was enough lumber from the one pole to
build a palace stable larger and more beautiful than
any mansion he had ever seen. In his dream angel
carpenters seemed to be doing all the work. All
living creatures found a place in this palace stable
and there were splendid homes for the birds. In the
midst of all tliis was a manger, and in it the sheaf of
wheat his coachman had fastened to the pole. In the
manger and on the sheaf slept a beautiful child —
sweeter and more beautiful than any child he had
ever seen. The light from the manger drove away
the night and brought in the morning. The singing
of the birds, sweeter than any song he had ever
heard, woke him from his dream. The king never
forgot his dream-vision of Christmas measure —
something running over for every living thing.
The Christmas feeding of the birds is still kept
up in many parts of Norway and Sweden. Bunches
of oats are placed on the roofs of houses, on trees and
fences, to furnish the birds with their share of the
Christmas gifts. Two or three days before Christ-
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LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
mas, carloads of sheaves are brought into the towns
as Christmas trees are brought to us. Both rich and
poor buy and place them everywhere. Every poor
man has saved a penny or two, or even one farthing,
to buy a bunch of oats or wheat for the birds. It is
a beautiful custom, in which the children take an
active part. Gospel measure is a Christmas treasure
that brings great pleasure.
FOR SECOND SUNDAY IN WINTER
THE ATHLETIC DAY
"Be not anxious for the morrow, for the morrow will be anxious
for itself." — Matthew vi., 34
NEVER cross a bridge until you come to it.
"How foolish," you say; "how could any one
cross a bridge until he comes to it?" You can not
cross it with your feet, but you can think you are
crossing and you can put a fret into each think-step.
There is a bridge between this day and our next day ;
between Sunday and Monday. When you are
anxious and fret about the next day, you are trying
to cross the bridge. Our text means, boys and girls,
do not try to live in two days without having a
night between them.
Do you Juniors know that the day we fret most
about is the day that never comes? The one day
of the year that one will never see ? It is the athletic,
the jumping day of the year. This athletic day
makes a long jump over one long day without touch-
ing it. On Friday, December 31, 1909, to-morrow,
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LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
the day you expected on Saturday, jumped clear
over Saturday into Sunday, January 2, 1910. It
will always keep one day ahead. The day that is
always jumping one day ahead is to-morrow. You
have never seen or lived in to-morrow. At midnight,
when you are fast asleep, to-morrow makes a long
jump, and when you awake, the to-morrow you ex-
pected to see has gone. It has jumped over into the
next day.
This is Sunday, and you say "to-morrow will be
Monday." But on Monday to-morrow will be Tues-
day; on Tuesday, to-morrow will be Wednesday.
God is the only person who keeps ahead of to-morrow.
We should, therefore, put to-morrow in God's keep-
ing, and let Him take care of it for us. "Be not
anxious for the morrow, for the morrow will be
anxious for itself." We should think about to-morrow
and make plans for to-morrow. But we are not to
fret and to be anxious about things we can not do
until we come to them, or until they come to us. I
want you to learn carefully what is called the Chris-
tian law of living: "Do the day's work God gives
you, bear the day's burden God sends you, and be
not anxious about the evil which the morrow may
bring." The to-morrows are keeping ahead of us
2U
THE ATHLETIC DAY
and the yesterdays are running away from us. One
day at a time.
The first day of this year was a hoHday and the
second day was a holy day. There are three kinds
of days in each year — hoHdays, holy days and hard-
work days. The holidays and holy days are given
in order to soften the hard-work days. Our text is
another of God's ways for keeping us happy on hard-
work days. He says, "Be not anxious for the mor-
row." There is no room in to-day for any other
day. When yesterday and to-morrow try to crowd
into to-da}^ it is overcrowded. One day at a time,
Juniors, one day at a time.
A member of our Senior Congregation, who was
once a member of our Junior Congregation, sent me
this illustration: Pile three hundred and sixty-five
panes of transparent glass one upon the other and
try to look through them. What do you see ? Noth-
ing but inky blackness. Take from off the pile one
pane ; look through it. Now what do you see ? You
see everything that is in sight. Thus you face the
year with its three hundred and sixty-five days piled
one upon the other — all is darkness. But if each
morning you take off from the pile of days that one
which comes first, you are enabled to see your duties
215
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
for that one day. Put seven of these panes together
and try to look through them. I hear you say, "It
makes my eyes tired." The man who made the glass
intended that you should look through only one pane
at a time. One day at a time, Juniors ; one day at a
time.
When you tire of calling each day a pane of glass
you can think of it as a letter. You know what a
steamer letter is. Before sailing you get a package
of letters, one for each day you are to be away.
Now, suppose your teacher gave you a steamer letter,
with one lesson for each day. Would it not be wise
to open but one at a time, get its lesson and leave the
other lessons each for its own day?
Ask your father to loan you the old book his
mother gave him. In it you will find the following,
and many other pretty stories : "Why are ye
anxious concerning raiment?" — that is, about your
clothes. "Consider the lilies of the field, how they
grow; they toil not, neither do they spin, yet I say
unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not
arrayed like one of these. But if God doth so clothe
the grass of the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow
is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe
you, O ye of little faith? Be not, therefore, anxious,
216
THE ATHLETIC DAY
saying, 'What shall we eat, or what shall we drink,
or wherein shall we be clothed?' Your heavenly Father
knoweth that ye have need of all these things." Be
God's child, love Him, trust Him, obey Him, and
He will take good care of your to-morrow. If you
will think about this, I will tell you a story from the
life of Martin Luther. Here is what he says about
being anxious concerning the day after this one:
"I have one preacher that I love better than any
other on earth; it is my Httle tame robin, who
preaches daily to me. I put his crumbs upon my
window-sill, especially at night. He hops onto the
window when he wants his supply, and takes as much
as he desires to satisfy his need. From thence he
always hops to a httle tree close by and lifts his
voice to God and sings his carol of praise and grat-
itude, tucks his Httle head under his wing, and goes
fast to sleep, and leaves to-morrow to look after
itself. He is the best preacher I have on earth."
217
FOB THIRD SUNDAY IN WINTER
THE PITY EAR
"He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and
that which he hath given will He pay him back again."
— Pro., xix., 17
THE Lord is rich in heaven, but He is poor on
earth. Everything on earth was once His, but
He has given everything on earth to us. When God
desires to have anything done in this world He asks
us to do it. He borrows from us, borrows our bodies,
brains and spirit ; borrows our money, borrows every-
thing we are wilHng to loan to God. Our text to-
day is God's promise to pay. He has great love for
the poor and for them He asks a loan from us. "He
that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord."
God put pity near our hearts, just as He put ears
near our brain, so that our hearts can hear when He
asks us to help the poor. As wax gets into the ear
near the brain and makes it deaf, so Stingy some-
times gets into "the pity ear" and makes it deaf.
Last winter a Brooklyn little girl gave a pair of
218
THE PITY EAR
shoes as a loan. One of our daily papers tells the
story.
An instance of childish pity and open-hearted
generosity was witnessed yesterday morning on one
of our street-cars. Loans are not often made to the
Lord on a street-car, but this is one of the few. A
prettily drest little girl of eight years sat with her
father, a distinguished-looking and evidently well-to-
do man, in the forward end of the car. The little
girl was hugging a bundle which she from time to
time would look at and smile. There was something
in that bundle that made her very happy. A poorly-
drest woman with a very sad face entered the car.
With her was a little girl eight or nine years old.
The little one's shoes had seen better days. They
were torn in several places and the toes of the child's
left foot were plainly visible. The woman and little
girl presented a most pitiable appearance. The
two sat down almost directly opposite the well-drest
man and his pretty, flaxen-haired daughter. The
girl, whom fortune had favored with better things,
had the "pity ear" near her heart. While she was
looking at the worn shoes, God was speaking to her
heart. He was asking her for a loan. After a
minute or two she turned her face to her father. He
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
leaned over the better to hear her whisper. What
she said seemed to please her father, and he nodded
smihng at her. "Yes," he said, "do so, Dorothy."
Then Dorothy undid the package, opened a paste-
board box and drew forth a pretty little pair of
shiny new shoes, with red cloth tops. These she pre-
sented to the ragged little girl. "Wear these," she
said; "I don't need them anyhow." Many of the
passengers smiled and some of them smiled through
tears.
It was a proud little girl that carried ofF those
pretty little shoes. Each and every one of the pas-
sengers on that car looked as tho he or she would
have liked to shake hands with the generous little
girl.
Dorothy had made a loan to the Lord. Some day,
when she needs it, the Lord will repay her loan with
interest. "He that hath pity upon the poor, lendeth
unto the Lord ; and that which he hath given will He
repay him again." Some day, but not always the
same day. Here is a story you can have as a memory-
pocket in which to carry this sermon.
"My son," said a banker, "I want to give you a
lesson in business. Here is a half-dollar. Now, if
you can find any boy whom you can trust, who will
THE PITY EAR
take this money and pay you interest for it, you may
lend it to him, and if you invest this wisely, I'll in-
crease your capital." When night came, the banker
said, "My son, how did you invest your money to-
day?" "Well, father," repHed the Httle fellow, "I
saw a boy on the street without any shoes, and he
had no dinner, so I gave him fifty cents with which
to buy something to eat." "You'll never make a
business man in the world," said the banker. "Busi-
ness is business. But I will try you once more. Now,
here is a dollar to invest; see how well you can do
it." A loud peal of laughter from the boy fol-
lowed this speech, which was thus explained: "My
pastor told our Junior Congregation that giving to
the poor was lending to the Lord, and he said God
would return to us double, but I did not think He
would do it so quick."
"He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto
the Lord, and that which he hath given will He pay
him again."
S21
FOB FOURTH SUNDAY IN WINTER
ALONGSIDE OF GOD
"Yield yourselves unto God." — Romans vi., 13
WE have passed old Hallowe'en. I know
jou enjoyed the apples and nuts and all the
sports. I am glad you were not like the first boy
who found a hickory-nut. He threw it away. He
did not know of the sweet kernel hid under the bitter
shell. Possibly he took it to his professor, who told
him that the nut came from a North American tree
belonging to the genus Carya, of the natural order
of Juglandese. After hearing these words he would
surely throw it away, believing it was poison. Even
if the professor told him that the fruit was a dry
dupe with a bony nutshell containing four-lobed
orthotropons seed, I believe he might have tried to
interest him in the nut by quoting Bryant :
Loud the black-eyed Indian maiden's laugh,
That gather from the nestling heaps of leaves,
The hickory's white nuts.
If any of you boys had been there you would have
shown him how to crack the nut and find the kernel.
One taste would convert him to hickory-nuts. Later
ALONGSIDE OF GOD
he would learn to call them shell-barks and to know
the tree on which they are found.
Our text is hke a hickory-nut; you must crack
it before you can enjoy it. Many boys and girls do
not Hke texts because their learned friends in explain-
ing them have used so many big, hard words. They
would tell you that the text involved the free agency
of man and a voluntary surrender to the Almighty.
Come, let us open the text and get the sweet kernel.
Leave the big words for those who like them.
The kernel is in the first word, "yield." Let us
open it. The word is made of two Greek words, and
means to set or place alongside. Now we know what
the text means. Put yourself alongside of God.
When alongside of God you will be in such
good company that you will not think of doing
wrong. Let God use you, let him bring out the best
there is in you. He will use your hands and feet,
your head and heart. This thought, hid away in our
text is worth finding. It is as sweet as the kernel of
a hickory-nut. If you want to be a great man or a
great woman, yield yourself unto God. Keep along-
side of God.
My preaching-time is gone, but I have just enough
time left to tell you a story. Thousands of people
223
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
go to Freiberg to see and hear the great organ.
One day a man asked the caretaker to permit him to
play upon the organ. He said, "No, no, you must
not touch the great organ." The stranger finally
got on the good side of the old caretaker, put some-
thing in his hands to think about, and got permis-
sion to play a few notes. The stranger took the
seat and soon the most wonderful music was filling
the cathedral. People were stopping to Hsten, and
all were made happy by the sweet sounds. The care-
taker forgot his rheumatism, and running up the
steps to the stranger asked his name. The organ
seemed to smile in music when the stranger answered,
"Mendelssohn." With tears like musical notes run-
ning down his face the caretaker said, "I refused you
permission to play upon my organ." The organist
would not at first put himself alongside of Men-
delssohn ; but when he heard him play, then he wanted
to stay alongside of him. You can make sweet music
out of your hfe, but if you will let God come along-
side of you, then you will hear from your life the
kind of music angels hear in heaven.
Yield yourselves unto God, let Him get alongside
of you, and thousands will listen to the music of your
Hfe.
FOR FIFTH SUNDAY IN WINTER
TAKE IT WITH YOU
"Our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with
singing." — Psalm cxxvi., 2
A FEW weeks ago every one you met said: "A
happy New Year." If every one is trying
to make your j^ear happy, what then? Your mouth
will be filled with laughter and your tongue with
singing.
"I hope you'll have a good time, son," said a father
as his big boy started out to spend the evening.
"Thank you; I always do have a good time, father,
for I take it with me." If your mouth is full of
laughter and your tongue with singing, you can al-
ways take a good time with you. Those who take a
good time with them are happy and make others
happy.
"What is happiness?" you ask. It is something
that tickles your heart until it fills your mouth with
laughter. When you are happy and your mouth is
full of tickle — I mean laughter — do not let it go
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
out in giggles or be wasted in a guffaw. I heard of
a railroad engine that wasted all the steam when it
whistled and had to stop. Do not waste all your
happiness in a big laugh. If your mouth is full of
laughter, what are you to do with it? That is just
what I want to tell you. Let your tongue sing it.
We should all have a musical laugh. We have sing-
ing-teachers, why not have laughing-teachers.''
Singing is your heart laughing out loud. God
promises to fill your mouth with laughter and your
tongue with singing. A smile is a little tickle; a
song is a big tickle. A laugh in your mouth is your
happiness. The laugh that your tongue ripples out
of your mouth like a song is happiness for others.
Laugh and the world laughs with you,
Weep and you weep alone.
For this sad old earth must borrow its mirth
It has sorrow enough of its own.
Your laugh-song will make others happy. On a
lovely spring evening some lonely children saw a
silent nightingale. They said, "Sing, sweet night-
ingale, sing." The bird answered, "Do you hear the
frogs .'^ They make such a noise that I have lost all
pleasure in singing." "We hear the frogs," said the
children, "but if you were singing we would not hear
TAKE IT WITH YOU
them." There are a few people whose mouths are
never filled with laughter. They have a frog in
their throat. Let your laughter ripple out like a
song, and no one will hear the croak of the frogs.
Croak and the world croaks at you,
Groan and you groan alone.
This sad old earth in you must find mirth
It has frogs enough of its own.
Let your mouth be filled with laughter and your
tongue with singing.
Shall I tell you a story to wrap the sermon in.'*
A boy and girl, whose father and mother died, went
to live with three bachelor aunts. These women were
religious, but were converted in a thunder-storm, and
always took a little of the thunder-storm with them.
One corner of the house was struck with lightning,
killing their canary-bird and pet cat. They had a
funeral for their pets and always took the funeral
with them wherever they went. Took it with them
to church and to prayer-meeting, to the store and
afternoon teas. Some wicked people called them the
"cat-bird funeral."
The two children, the boy with red hair and blue
eyes, the girl with black hair and brown eyes, had
been converted in a Junior Congregation, and they
227
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
took their conversion with them. Took it with them
to church, to prayer-meeting, to school, to the store
and to their play. They remembered a sermon on
this text, "Our mouth was filled with laughter, and
our tongue with singing." They "took it with
them."
The aunts made pets of these children and nick-
named one of them "Laugh" and the other "Song."
As they were nearly always together, they soon be-
came known as "Laugh-song." If one of them was
wanted, both were wanted, so they called them both
at once: "Laugh-song, it is time to go to school";
"Laugh-song, come to dinner."
These children went to church every Sunday.
They called going to church "getting their religion
wound up." On Sunday morning it would be nearly
run down, and did not tick so merrily nor strike so
clearly. Have you noticed how hard it is to be a
good Christian on Sunday morning.? Your religion
is nearly run down. Our religion is a seven-day clock.
On Sunday morning papa and mama are nearly run
down. The Sunday services wound them up again.
Their friends noticed this and began to speak of the
"Laughing church."
As the aunts had forgotten their own ages they
TAKE IT WITH YOU
began to grow young and would laugh and sing with
Laugh-song. They went with Laugh-song to the
Junior Congregation and were converted all over
again. Their new religion had no thunder-storm in
it. It had sunshine and song. They took their
"laugh-song religion" with them wherever they went
— took it to church, to prayer-meeting, to the store
and afternoon teas.
They lived for many happy years ; how many I do
not know, for they lost their birthdays in the thun-
der-storms. After a long and happy life on earth,
they went to heaven. Laugh-song had taught them
that God was not in the thunder, but that He was a
God of love who would fill their mouths with laughter
and their tongues with singing. They were happy
and they "took it with them."
FOR SIXTH SUNDAY IN WINTER
BONE-BREAKING
"A soft tongue breaketh the bone." — Proverbs xxv., 15
ONE day I saw a man strike a boy. The lad
gritted his teeth and muttered, "I would like
to break every bone in your body." I think I know
what he said inside, "When I am a man I will thrash
you." The boy was mad. It is said that yoa can
really make a girl angry if you strike her hard
enough. If she gets real angry, very angry, she
may want to break one or two bones. I am in sym-
pathy with you boys and girls, as I recall my ex-
perience when a boy. There are some bones that I
remember having a desire to break.
As your pastor, I give you authority to break the
bones of any person who imposes on you. You may
break every bone in his body. Wait, wait, do not
rush to the fray until I finish all I have to say. You
may break his bones, but not with your fist or feet,
or even with a big stick. You must do it with your
tongue. Not with a hard tongue, but with a soft
230
BONE-BREAKING
tongue. Some tongues are like a rasp, the kind of
tongue that makes "hide-and-seek" shivers play un-
der jour nerves. A hard tongue sounds like the
bark of a snarling dog. It is often the snarl and
bark in your voice that rouse the fighting dog in
the other fellow. Solomon says, "A soft tongue
breaketh the bone." By a soft tongue he means one
that speaks soft, sweet, kind words. Christian fight-
ing is very different from sinner fighting. There is
more fun in Christian fighting. It requires a braver
boy. Christ said, "Whosoever shall smite thee on the
right cheek, turn to him the other also." It takes two
to make a quarrel. If all your words are soft and
kind before you are struck, and all soft and kind
after you are struck, you will certainly break the
bones of the one who struck you. There the fight
will end. He will feel so mean, so ashamed and so
weU conquered that all the bones of his mean nature
and bad temper will be broken. The fight will end
and blend in friendsliip.
How can my Juniors get the soft, sweet tongue
that will break bones? You must have a soft, sweet
heart. My mother told me, when a boy, that
I must get a new heart. I asked what I would
do with the old one. Her answer was that God would
231
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
make a new one out of the old. I needed a new
heart with a large oil-cup.
You must get the oil of God's grace and love in
your heart in order to have a soft tongue and kind
words. If you have a Christlike heart, then your
answer to those who abuse you will be soft and
sweet. "A soft answer turneth away wrath; but
grievous words stir up anger." An oiled tongue will
not speak kind words if you have a vinegar heart.
The elocution professor can teach you to use the
sweet, tender, kindly voice, but when you are angry
you will forget your lessons. Get Christ in your
heart and never permit Satan to use your tongue.
No ; I have not forgotten your story. I am only
a trifle late in getting to it. Here is your story:
A small boy, whose name was Wendell Phillips, had
a very soft tongue. His words were softer than oil.
He had Christ in his heart, and he so loved the poor
and opprest as to be always ready to speak to them
and for them. When he was grown up he was known
as the "man who had a kind voice." When he was
sixty years old sorrow came to him and made him
believe that his usefulness was ended. He kept his
kind voice, but the people did not seem to listen to
his words. One night, when he was crossing the Bos-
BONE-BREAKING
ton Common, a little girl stept out from the
shadow and asked him for some pennies. She was
begging for her sick mother. Many had refused her,
and she was angr}^ very angry. Her voice was harsh,
and she threw a stone at one man who laughed at
her. She wanted to break his bones.
Being sad and lonely, Wendell Phillips wanted to
make some one happy, and so handed her a bill and
said, "God bless you, little girl!" The child ran
home — almost flew, and rushed into her mother's
room. Her mother questioned her about the giver,
but all she could tell was, "He had a kind voice.
Mother, his voice took all the mad out of me and
made me happy." She tried to imitate the voice;
over and over she would repeat, "God bless you, little
girl!"
Then she found that God was blessing her. She
imitated the kind voice until her own became sweet.
A friend sent her to the Conservatory of Music,
from which she graduated with honors. She was in-
vited to sing at a great meeting in Tremont Temple.
After her part was over, Wendell Phillips arose to
speak. His voice caught the young girl's ear. She
almost cried out, "It is the man with the kind voice."
Now she knew who had befriended her and made her
233
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
great. Closing her eyes, she lived over again that
night in the park.
The one who told this story said, "A few weeks
later the great orator was dead. When the pro-
cession passed his casket a woman, with gray hair,
and a young singer stood long looking into the face.
Then down upon the glass a young girl stooped to
leave a sacred kiss. As she passed on she seemed to
hear the kind voice, 'God bless you, little girl !' " A
soft tongue will do more than break bones ; it will
help boys and girls to become great men and women.
234
FOB SEVENTH SUNDAY IN WINTER
LINCOLN'S BIRTHDAY
**On his birthday."— MarA; vi., 21
ONE hundred years ago a boy was born. The
house he was to call "home" had a kitchen, a
dining-room, a nursery, a play-room, a bedroom, a
library, a parlor and a roof-garden. This, you say,
was rather a fine house, and that boy's parents must
have been rich. But all these rooms were one room,
with a dirt floor. It had one big fireplace, one win-
dow, and but one door. There was but one bed and
the father had made it out of rough boards. This
family was very poor and this one-room log-cabin
was the boy's home. In this home was the original
one-shelf library. On it were five books : "Aesop's
Fables," "Pilgrim's Progress," a "Life of Washing-
ton," "Burns' Poems," and the Bible. If the boy had
known how poor his house and parents were he might
have been lost to the world by dying from over-
crying. A log cabin with a dirt floor — but at the
other end of his life was the White House with tiled
floors.
^5
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
The parents named their boy Abraham, but the
name was too long for one room, so they shortened
it to "Abe," and by this name he has been known for
one hundred years — "Abe Lincoln."
But I must not forget to tell you that inside of
this large-small house there was one of the most beau-
tiful homes ever built on earth. It had a cozy-
corner, light and warm, for Abe there was everything
a boy could ask for in a home. The peculiarity of
this home was that while "Abe" found it inside the
house, it was larger than the house. He continued to
live in the love of this home all his life. When he be-
came President he took his memory and love of this
home with him and found it more beautiful than the
White House. The name of this wonderful home was
"mother." Your teacher will probably tell you that
our three best words are "mother," "home," and
"heaven," but they are like the rooms in the cabin,
all one. It is mother that makes a home, and a home
and mother make heaven, so really there is but one
best word, and that is "mother." Better a log cabin
with a dirt floor and mother, than a palace and Per-
sian rugs without a mother.
He had a strong body. With a helper he in one
day split three thousand fence-rails. This gave him
236
LINCOLN'S BIRTHDAY
a new name, "the rail-splitter." He became the
champion rail-splitter of his district, and turned this
skill to much account, as is seen from his bargain
made with Mrs. Nancy Miller to "split four hundred
rails for every yard of brown jeans, dyed with white
walnut bark that would be necessary to make him a
pair of trousers." He was a very strong young man,
but he was not handsome. He once told about a pho-
tograph he had taken. He said: "This coarse,
rough hair of mine was in a particularly bad tousle,
and the picture presented me in all its fright. After
my nomination, this being about the only picture
there was, copies were struck to show those who had
never seen me how I looked. The newsboys carried
them around to sell and had for their cry, 'Here's old
Abe ; he'll look better when he gets his hair combed.' "
It is better to have strength without beauty, than
beauty without strength.
A poor woman fought her way into his pres-
ence and made a mother's plea for her son,
who had been sentenced to death for some vio-
lation of the military laws. Lincoln listened to
her pleadings, and presently wrote something on a
piece of paper which he handed to her. In a moment
more, seeing that it was her son's pardon, she fell at
237
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
her benefactor's feet, kissed his hands, then looking
up into his face, she murmured: "I knew they Hed;
I knew thej Hed!" Lincoln asked her meaning, to
which she replied, "Oh, sir, they told me you were a
homely man, but I think you are the handsomest man
I ever saw !" 'Twas true. For mercy and humanity's
appeal to his great heart had beautified his face as
they did his life ! He had more than a strong body ;
he had a strong and rugged brain.
He attended a very private school. The private
school was the chimney-corner in the log cabin. His
mother was the teacher. You will be interested in
his writing-pad. It was the back of a big wooden
shovel. When it was written over, he shaved off the
wood and had a new pad. His lead-pencil was a
piece of charcoal. He graduated from the largest
university in the world. The university had three
departments — the fields, the streams and the forest.
When other boys were playing, he was thinking.
If you boys and girls ever visit Rutherford Park,
N. J., you will find a big boulder on which is cut
his Gettysburg address. This rugged boulder is a
good illustration of his rugged nature and strong
brain, and the address represents the wonders that his
LINCOLN'S BIRTHDAY
brain could perform. There are but ten sentences
and two hundred and sixty-eight words in this Gettys-
burg address, but it is the only chapter of American
literature ever taught in an English university.
It is better to have a rugged brain from which
came this wonderful address, than to have a brain so
smooth and so well polished as to simply shine and
nothing more.
He had more than a strong body and a wonderful
brain ; he had a big, warm, rugged heart. His motto
was, "Charity for all, malice toward none." If you
boys and girls will take this for your motto : charity
or love for every person in the world, and malice —
that is, disUke or hatred — for no person in the world,
it will help to make you great. His rehgious creed
was even shorter and better than his Gettysburg
speech, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all
thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy
mind, and thy neighbor as thyself."
In every city, and in almost every village in Amer-
ica, you can see a memorial of Lincoln. In Brooklyn
and Manhattan there are five hundred and ninety-
two of these memorials. This memorial or monument
is the clock in front of the jeweler's store. The
239
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
hands on the clock point to eighteen minutes after
eight. This indicates the hour and minute when
Lincoln was shot.
A little story will show you how large he was. In
"Our Birds and Their Nestlings," we find this story
of Lincoln. In the early pioneer days, when Abra-
ham Lincoln was a young attorney and "rode the
circuit," he was one day traveling on horseback from
one town to another with a party of friends who
were lawyers like himself.
The road which they traveled led across prairies
and through woods. As they passed through a grove
where the birds were singing merrily, they noticed
a baby bird which had fallen from the nest and lay
fluttering by the roadside. After they had gone a
short distance, Mr. Lincoln stopt, turned and said,
"Wait for me a moment; I will soon rejoin you."
As his friends halted and watched him, they saw
Mr. Lincoln return to the place where the helpless
bird lay on the ground, and tenderly take it up and
set it on a limb near the nest. When he joined his
companions, one of them laughingly asked, "Why did
you bother yourself and delay us with such a trifle
as that?"
Abraham Lincoln's reply deserves to be remem-
240
LINCOLN'S BIRTHDAY
bered. "My friend," said he, "I can only say this—
that I feel better for it. I could not have slept to-
night if I had left that helpless Httle creature to
perish on the ground."
Of God it is said : "Not a sparrow f alleth without
His notice,"
241
FOB EIGHTH SUNDAY IN WINTER
ST. VALENTINE'S DAY
"To which of the Saints wilt thou turn?" — Job v., 1
FLOWERS turn to the sun. The sunflower has
a turn-table on which it keeps turning all day
toward the sun. Boys and girls turn to mother
during the day, and sometimes turn in their sleep.
They turn to father when he is at home — usually at
night. There is always some person to whom we
turn. When happy we turn to those who will enjoy
our happiness. When in sorrow we turn to those
who can help us. We are great turners. When Job
was sick, and in trouble, one of his friends asked him
to which of the saints he would turn. If you will read
the Book of Job you will learn to whom he turned.
Did you ever see a saint? "Yes," you say, "in a
picture." But you need not look for saints in
pictures, for there are many of them in the church
and some of them in your home. A saint is a good
person who loves God and his fellow man — any one
who loves twice, one love to God and one love to man ;
any one who loves twice is a saint.
243
ST. VALENTINE'S DAY
There is an old legend about two men who were
called saints. When one of them entered heaven,
Christ said: "What hast thou seen on earth?" He
answered, "I saw a poor man floundering with his
wagon in the marsh." "Did'st thou help him?"
"No." "Why not?" "I was coming before Thee,
and I was afraid of soiling my white robes." The
other saint entered heaven with his white robes all
covered with mud and mire. Christ asked him why
he was so stained and soiled. He answered, "I saw
a poor man whose horse could not pull the wagon
through the mud. I put my shoulder to the wheel to
help him out." "Blest art thou," answered Christ.
"Thou art a real saint, while your friend with the
clean white robes is just an ordinary Sunday Chris-
tian." He was a feeble saint.
An old colored preacher who had never gone to
school was trying to read the hymn, "Judge not the
Lord by feeble sense." He read, "Judge not the Lord
by feeble saints." A feeble saint is a disgrace to
God.
To which of the saints do you turn? There is a
saint to whom you are turning to-day — your good
St. Valentine. He loved God, young men and
maidens, and little children. He was arrested and
243
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
persecuted for being a Christian and a very bright
man was employed to win him back from Christianity
to idolatry. This bright man had a beautiful httle
girl who was blind. St. Valentine loved the little girl
and told her about flowers and birds and many other
pretty things. He asked God for power to make
her happy. God gave him power to open her eyes.
The result was that her father and all his family
accepted Christ and were baptized. This made the
heathen hate St. Valentine more and more, and on
February 14th they cut off his head. The 14th of
February is celebrated as St. Valentine's day.
If you do not really believe in St. Valentine, you
at least like, on February 14th, to play believe.
At Christmas time you play believe in St. Nicholas,
the saint who loves children. When a girl sees a
snake she does not play, but almost prays to believe
in St. Patrick. At Hallowe'en you play believe in
"All Saints." So, on St. Valentine's day you play
believe in dear St. Valentine.
To which of the saints wilt thou turn.^^ The young
people of this country, England and France are
turning to-day to St. Valentine. Some turn to him
in a very mean way — a way that must almost make
him feel sad in heaven. These young people send
2U
ST. VALENTINE'S DAY
horrid and vulgar pictures to the people they dis-
like. They call them valentines. Why should they
do such bad things on the anniversary of a good
man's death? If you are tempted to hate your ene-
mies and to send them hateful pictures as valentines,
just stop and think what St. Valentine did for his
enemy. How happy he made him by opening the
eyes of his little girl.
Let us all turn to this saint to-day and promise
never to send an unkind valentine to any one. Many
of our boys and girls turn to St. Valentine in a very
kindly way. Love pictures and love verses, beautiful
flowers and other gifts are sent to friends. As St.
Valentine blest his enemies, I think St. Valentine's
day would be a good time to send love pictures and
love verses and beautiful gifts, not to our friends only
but to our enemies. How happy we could make them
feel.
St. Valentine is remembered long after he is for-
gotten. Why do you smile? "How?" you ask, "can
any one be remembered after he is forgotten?" Sup-
pose I had a bottle of perfume, and that I should
sprinkle some of it on your handkerchief. You would
say, "This sweet perfume must have come from a
very beautiful flower." Then, suppose I told you
245
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
that no one now living had ever seen the flower and
that there was no description of it in any book.
Would it not be true that the flower was remembered
after it was forgotten — remembered only by its per-
fume? Now, really all we know about St. Valentine
is the fragrance and perfume of his life. St Valen-
tine's day is the bottle that once a year is opened
and the sweet perfume sprinkled on our hearts. We
say, "What a good man he must have been; what a
beautiful life he must have lived." But there is no
history in our books about what he really looked
like and what he really did. By the fragrance of his
life he is remembered long after he, as a man, is for-
gotten. But I must close this bottle and tell you a
story before you go home. Once upon a time, long,
long ago, as this kind of a story goes, there was an
organist who loved his organ, and could make it talk
music. He lived with it, and all his money and jewels
he hid under its pipes. The organ was in a church
that stood in a deep valley. One day a great flood
came and left the church at the bottom of a new
lake. The old legend says that once a year the
church would rise and float on the lake, and that the
organist would come back from his grave and play
the organ until the people would crowd the shore to
94,6
ST. VALENTINE'S DAY
hear the music — music half for angels, half for men.
Just before the church would sink again, the organist
would stand at the door and toss to the children on
the shore the jewels and money he had hidden in the
organ, and they would jingle like music as they fell.
The children would sing sweet songs back to him, and
the angels sang still sweeter songs to welcome him*
back to heaven.
I think St. Valentine, like the church organ, comes
back once a year. But instead of music, St. Valen-
tine opens the bottle of memory and sprinkles upon
our hearts the sweet fragrance of his life. God's
people continue to live and to bless humanity long
after they are forgotten. There are many saints,
angels of God, who are sent by Christ to bring
blessings to our boys and girls.
247
FOB NINTH SUNDAY IN WINTER
WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY
"They go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies."
— Psalms Iviii., 3
WHAT was your first sin? Excuse me, I will
not ask you to answer this question — it is
too personal to be popular. I mean, what is likely
to be the first sin of any boy or girl? Our text says
that a lie is the first sin of every sinner. "The
wicked go astray as soon as they are born, speaking
lies." I seem to hear you say, "An infant can not
talk; how, then, can it tell a lie.^^ My baby brother
did not talk until he was nearly two years old." Is
it possible that we have found something in the Bible
that is not true.^^ I believe the Bible always tells the
truth. There must be some way to explain this text.
Oh, I know, the infant cries as soon as it is born and
its first lie is a cry ! The tiny infant wants mama,
and cries long and loud to make her think he is sick.
The first lie is concealed in a tear. In that tear is
salted away a lie, some great, great, very long ago,
grandfather or grandmother told. Some say it was
248
WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY
a lie that both grandparents, who never were chil-
dren, once told — the way, way back grandparents,
Adam and Eve. Put the blame far enough back, and
it will be easier to say it is true.
We must not be too severe on Adam and Eve.
Poor creatures, they never were children. I have
never known men or women to be very good, unless
they learned to be good when they were children.
After the experience of Adam and Eve, God has
never let any one come into the world except as a lit-
tle child. Even Christ had to come as a babe to
Bethlehem. We can not have good men and wo-
men unless we have good boys and girls. If as boys
and girls you tell little white lies, you will, when men
and women, tell big black Hes.
What is a lie .? A boy once said, "A lie is an abom-
ination in the sight of the Lord, and a very present
help in time of trouble." The boy said this in fun.
Let us see if there is any truth in his definition. A
lie is an abomination in the sight of the Lord — al-
ways has been and always will be. A lie is also a
present help in the time of trouble. The infant finds
it a present help in bringing mama. The boy and girl
find it a present help to escape a scolding or some
other punishment. School children find it a present
249
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
help when on the way to the principal. But the help
is only a "present help," for the lie gets the boy or
girl into two or more troubles where there was only
one at first. Then the lie gets into the conscience and
wakes the har up at night and scolds and punishes
him. If the child had told the truth, one scolding
would have been the end, but a lie starts conscience to
scolding, and it will keep on nagging until the truth
is told.
This week we celebrate Washington's birthday.
Some one may tell you that Washington could not
tell a lie. This is not true, for Washington could
have told a lie if he had tried just a httle. He could
have told a lie about that hatchet and cherry-tree.
George would have found a lie a very present help
when he saw his father break off a rod from that
cherry-tree. Washington could, but would not, tell
a He, and that is what made him a great boy and a
greater man. The story of the hatchet and the
cherry-tree may not be true, but one thing we know
is, that Washington was true.
Last week, in one of our papers, I read of a little
girl, aged ten years, who had written a composition
on the life of Washington. Her teacher wrote that
the composition was composed by this girl "without
950
WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY
outside aid." Before the little girl sent it in to the
judges, she drew her pen through the words, "with-
out outside aid," and wrote, "with a little help from
mother." A lie would have been a present help to
her, but she knew the lie would be in the prize and
would destroy its value. She knew the lie would get
into her conscience and spoil her pleasure in the prize.
In our country, and many other countries, monu-
ments are erected in memory of great men and wo-
men. This is one way in which we honor them.
The Dyaks, a native race of Borneo, build monu-
ments to liars. This is the way they dishonor them.
If any one is found to be a liar, the Dyaks heap up a
pile of branches of trees to his or her memory. A
few small branches, a few dry twigs and leaves — that
is what the "tugong bula" is at first. But day by
day it increases in size. Every passer-by adds some-
thing to it, and in a few years' time it becomes a
large and imposing monument, erected in the memory
of one who was a liar. What a strange place Green-
wood, our beautiful cemetery, would be if such a mon-
ument were put over the grave of every har. What
a peculiar procession of boys and girls on Decora-
tion day. In one hand a flower for the true and
honest man's or woman's monument, and in the other
251
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
hand a stick or a stone for the dishonest man's or
woman's monument. Would it not be well for you to
celebrate Washington's birthday by deciding to tell
the truth on every occasion? How brave it would
make you. If you have done what is wrong, go right
to the one you have wronged, tell the truth, and take
your punishment. Keep the lie and its punishment
out of your conscience. A short story before we part ;
A local physician who acts as examiner for an ac-
cident insurance company said that he has to be
watchful in order to keep the companies he repre-
sents from being defrauded on accident claims.
"A man was in my office who said that he had
fallen from a street-car. I examined his arm ; tho
there were a few bruises on it, it didn't appear to
be badly hurt.
" 'How high can you raise it .?' I continued, and he
answered by raising his arm with apparent difficulty,
until his hand was a few inches above his head.
'Pretty bad,' I commented. 'Now show me how high
you could raise it before this accident happened.'
He lifted it easily then 'way up in the air, and it
wasn't until I began to laugh that he realized that
he had exposed himself." His present help was very
short.
252
FOR TENTH SUNDAY IN WINTER
GETTING READY FOR CHURCH
"He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." — Mark iv., 9
YOU start every day by getting ready for some-
thing. Out of bed and on your knees, in order
to get ready to meet the joys and sorrows of the
day. You get ready for breakfast, and ought not
to be late. You get ready for school and try to
have your lessons ready. You get ready for play,
and it does not take as long as it does to get ready
for breakfast. You get ready for the night by kneel-
ing and saying, "Now I lay me down to sleep." Have
you ever counted how many times you get ready for
something.'* Getting ready tells what you are going
to do. If a boy is getting ready to play foot-
ball you know he is not going to school. If a girl is
getting ready for a party you know she is not get-
ting ready for bed. Getting ready tells a lot of
things without saying one word.
"I can get ready myself." How very proud girls
and boys are when they can get ready without
25S
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
mother's help. One of the very important things for
my Juniors to learn is, how to get ready for church.
First you get the body ready. You are going to
God's house and you want to be clean and sweet.
Your body is the home in which the Holy Spirit
lives. It must be clean and sweet. You take some-
thing out of your pockets before going to church.
If you take jackstones you will be tempted to play
in church if father goes asleep. Little girls had
better not take their dolls. Then you get the mind
ready. You must take out a lot of "thinks" before
going to church. You do not want to think party,
think ball-game, and there are other "thinks" that
might bother you. Most important of all is to get
your soul ready for church. Going to church is
taking your soul to school. God teaches the soul.
If there is any sin in your soul take it out and leave
it out. Sin will tell your soul not to listen while God
is talking. You get your mind ready for a baseball
game. You put your mind on the game. You see
every play and you hear every decision of the um-
pire. You do not hear anything on the other side
of the fence. Getting ready for church is getting
your minds on the subject. You get ready for a
difficult lesson by putting your mind on it. This one
254,
GETTING READY FOR CHURCH
thing you think of, and you think hard. Have you
learned to get ready for church? Have you ever
thought of having your ears hungry? The ear has
an appetite when it is hungry to hear. He that
hath ears to hear, let him get them ready to hear.
Have you ever gone to church with hungry ears?
A story that I found in one of our papers will help
you to remember what I have said. The story is
"Why the sermon was dull."
"That was the dullest sermon I ever listened to !"
exclaimed Sam on Sunday when he got home from
church. "Yes, I thought so myself," replied grand-
pa, with a twinkle in his eye. "Did you, grandpa?"
inquired Sam, glad to have some one to stand by
him. "I mean that I thought you considered it so,"
replied his grandpa. "I enjoyed it, because my ap-
petite was whetted for it before I went to church. I
noticed it was just the other way with you." "Just
the other way !" cried Sam ; "How was that?" "Why,
before you went," answered grandpa, "instead of
sharpening your appetite for the sermon, you dulled
it by reading that trashy paper. Then, after you
got in the building, instead of sitting straight up
and looking at the minister while he preached, as tho
you wanted to catch every word he said and every
255
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
expression of his face, you lounged down in your
seat and turned half-way-around. I never knew any-
body who could hear a sermon right from the side
of his head. Then you let your eyes rove about the
church and out of the window. That dulled the
sense. You dulled your ears by listening to a dog
that was barking, and an automobile that was pass-
ing. You dulled your mind and soul by thinking
you were a terribly abused boy for having to go to
church and stay through the sermon, and you made
yourself a dull listener. I never knew it to fail in
my life that a dull listener made a dull sermon."
I want to make a bargain with my Juniors. If
each week you will get ready for church, I will do
all in my power to get a sermon and a story ready
for you when you come to church. Is it a bargain.?
Thanks. We will ask God to help us all to get ready.
"He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."
256
FOB ELEVENTH SUNDAY IN WINTER
"THE VILLAGE BLACKSMITH"
"Make a chain." — Ezekiel vii., 23
Under a spreading chestnut-tree
The village smithy stands;
The smith, a mighty man is he.
With large and sinewy hands.
And the muscles of Ms brawny arms
Are strong as iron bands.
IF you pass a blacksmith shop this week, I want
you to "look in at the open door." Why.'^ Be-
cause March 7th is the anniversary of the death of
Elihu Burritt, the village blacksmith of New
Britain, Conn. There are some facts from his hfe
that may help in developing your life. Near the
forge he kept an open book, and while blowing the
bellows and heating the iron he was reading and
studying. By using faithfully his spare moments
he became a great scholar. He mastered Latin,
Greek, Hebrew, Arabic, and almost all European
languages. Then, as "the learned blacksmith," he
visited the people in different parts of the world with
257
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
whom he could talk, preaching "universal brother-
hood." In the great Peace Congresses of Brussels,
Paris, Frankfort, London and Edinburgh, he stood
like a blacksmith at his anvil welding together the
nations of the world in universal brotherhood. By
hard work and faithfulness in the village blacksmith
shop at New Britain, Conn., he climbed to the honor
of being United States consul at Birmingham, Eng-
land. This was a long, strong chain.
While looking in at the open door of a blacksmith
shop you can think of ex-Governor John A. Johnson,
of Minnesota, who was the son of a village black-
smith. His father was a drunkard, and after wasting
his time, died in the almshouse. His son determined
to do some good in the world, and worked hard while
his mother took in washing in order to keep John at
school. When he was elected governor, some one
asked him how he had risen from the blacksmith-shop
to the governor's palace. He answered, "I just tried
to make good." One of the most beautiful paintings
at the Columbian Exposition was of a blacksmith-
shop. In the picture you can not see the fire on the
forge, but you see a boy, his face beautifully and
marvelously lighted by the glow of the forge. No
difference how humble your work or home may be,
258
"THE VILLAGE BLACKSMITH"
there is an unseen light and the glow is on your face.
Do something great for God and man ! Ezekiel was
the preacher blacksmith. The Lord told him to
make a chain. He was a great preacher and, there-
fore, I believe that he was a good blacksmith. Will
each one of you be a blacksmith and make a chain.''
Do each day the best that you can in school, at home,
in church work. Do more than your level best each
day. Your enthusiasm will be the furnace in which
you will heat each link. You will shape it on the
anvil of your determination, and your will is the
hammer with which you will shape it and weld it.
Then the finished chain will be your character.
I hear your answer: "I can never be like Burritt
and Johnson." God says to every boy and girl,
"Make a chain." It may not be a chain of iron ; it
may be a chain of loving deeds. "I just tried to
make good." This chain of six word-Knks would be
a good one for you to forge. Try to "make good"
while working on your chain.
The other day I found this story about the chain
which an old blacksmith made. The blacksmith lived
in a village and his shop was near the church. From
early morning till evening each day the people near
could hear the clanging of his hammer upon the
259
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
anvil, and they knew he was forging a chain. Now
and then idlers dropt in to watch his work. When
they saw how faithful and patient he was and what
pains he took never to leave a Hnk until it was as
nearly perfect as he could make it, they laughed at
him and told him that he would accomplish much
more if he took less care.
Hearing such remarks, the old smith could only
shake his head and continue doing his best, making
each hnk as strong as if the whole chain depended
upon it. At last he died and was laid away in the
village churchyard.
The great chain, which was found in a corner of
the village blacksmith-shop, was put on board a ship.
It was coiled up out of the way and for a long time
no one noticed it. But there came a time in the win-
ter when the fierce wind blew a gale. The ship toiled
through the waves and strained and groaned as she
obeyed her helm. To guide her, three men were
needed to hold her wheel. Finally, they determined
to anchor her. The great chain was thrown over the
side into the gloomy waves. The anchor touched
bottom and the chain grew taut and stiff as a bar of
iron. Would it hold.^*
Every one on board anxiously repeated the ques-
260
"THE VILLAGE BLACKSMITH"
tlon as the gale raged fiercer. If one link was weak
or imperfect the chain would part and those on board
would be lost. But the chain was the work of the
faithful village blacksmith and he had wrought each
link as best he could. So this awful night, when the
test came, his workmanship defied the tempest, and
when at length the sun rose and the waves were still,
the vessel with the precious lives in her was safe.
What had saved her.^^ The chain, you say. True,
but what was the quality that had been wrought into
the chain? Fidelity. It was fidelity that had saved
her. Do you not see how the story of the fidelity of
the old blacksmith applies to our daily character-
building? Link by link we fashion it, and in the
hour of temptation comes the test of our workman-
ship. One weak link and we shall be wrecked. But
if we have been faithful day by day our chain will
if we have been faithful day by day our chain will
hold, and the bark of our soul anchored to the rock
Thanks, thanks to thee, my worthy friend
For the lesson thou hast taught!
Thus at the flaming forge of life
Our fortunes must be wrought;
Thus on its sounding anvil shaped
Each burning deed and thought!
961
FOB TWELFTH SUNDAY IN WINTER
LESSONS FROM LENT
"And was with the wild beasts." — 3Iark i., 13
THIS is the first Sunday in Lent. The word
"Lent" has no relation to that large family
of words — Loan, and Lent, and Lend. Lent is not
a loan given on Ash Wednesday to be returned un-
soiled at Easter. We have a loan every year of 365
days, each hour to be returned unsoiled at the close
of the day. Lent does not belong to this family, but
I do not know to what family it really does belong.
It does not belong to the Bible family, for you will
not find its name there. While we find it in the
Church family, it has not always been in the Church.
Lent is old and very respectable, but we certainly
can not say that it came over in the Mayflower. It
does not belong to that large family. The Pilgrim
fathers did not bring any Ash Wednesdays, Good
Fridays and Easters in their boat.
Lent is now kept by nearly all churches in memory
of the forty days Christ spent in the wilderness.
962
LESSONS FROM LENT
You ask, "Why did Christ go into the wilderness, and
why did He remain there forty days and forty
nights?" He had just been baptized, and all who
were there heard God say : "This is my beloved Son,
in whom I am well pleased." Now listen, "Then" —
that is, as soon as God called Him His beloved Son —
"Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilder-
ness to be tempted of the devil." Why.^ In Hebrews
11 : 18 is one answer. He was tempted and tried in
order that He could the better help us when we are
tempted and tried. Then in Hebrews 4: 15, He was
tempted in all points, just as we are tempted, so that
He can sympathize with us in our trials. What a
wonderful friend He is ! If He had not been tempted.
He would probably have scolded us every time we
make a mistake.
There were wild beasts in the wilderness, and at
night I think they came near where He was praying.
They came growling and snarling and threatening
to kill Him. This was a part of His trial, in order
to help Him to be patient with us at night when we
are afraid.
Some boys and girls, when in their room with the
door shut, are afraid of wild beasts — so frightened
that they bounce into bed without saying their
263
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
prayers. Wild beasts can not get into your room,
but they can get into your imagination when you are
alone and kneel to pray. If you are ever frightened
and find yourself trembling with fear, remember that
Christ has sympathy for you. Also remember that
if the wild beasts in the wilderness could not hurt
Christ, then the wild beasts in your imagination can
not hurt you when you are with Christ.
While Christ was fasting and praying, Satan kept
away. The wild animals were growling, but Satan
was quiet during the forty days. Christ had a sword
and Satan was afraid of him. The sword of the
spirit — the word of God. But when Christ left the
wilderness then Satan met Him and knowing that He
was w^eak and very hungry, tried to tempt Him.
Christ was weak in body as a result of this long fast,
but He was very strong of spirit because of His long
talli with God. He was strong enough to conquer
Satan. When Satan was driven away, then the
angels came and ministered to Him. I think this
means that they brought Him something to eat and
drink.
The wild beasts in our imagination may growl and
snarl a little, but I do not believe that Satan tries to
tempt us very much during Lent. He is afraid of
264
LESSONS FROM LENT
us when we are praying. But look out for Satan
after Lent. After Easter, when the Lenten services
close and you return to your every-day duties, then
he will try to catch you and tempt you.
Now, in whatever way you boys and girls decide to
keep Lent, remember that the one important thing
is to get enough strength in your mind and in your
soul to resist Satan during the trying days after
Lent. It is very easy for you to keep Lent and to
give up something when so many of your companions
are doing the same thing. But when you are coming
away from Lent with your Easter hat and new
clothes, Satan will meet you and will tempt you to
break all of your Lenten resolutions.
There are three ways of resisting Satan when He
tempts you. The first way is to tie yourself with a
resolution, to tie yourself up tight with the Ten
Commandments and the other laws — tie yourself so
tight that you can not get loose to follow Satan.
The danger of this plan is that the cords might
break. The second way is to refuse to listen to Satan
when he tempts you. You can put wax in your ears
so as not to hear him when he attempts to tempt.
But the wax may fall out when you need it most. A
third and best way is to keep close to Christ, not
265
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
only during Lent but after Lent — keep so close to
Christ that His love will keep you from wanting to
do anything that Satan tempts you to do.
Now, I am going to tell you a story, and when
you get home tell it to father and mother or to some
friends and ask them to show you how to find in the
story three ways of resisting temptation. The story
is from Greek mythology. It speaks of an island
where strange beings called Sirens lived and sang
like angels but acted like some one else. When they
saw a boat passing, these Sirens would begin to sing,
and the people in the boat would come to the island
to see the Sirens and to hear their song. Then the
Sirens would wreck the boat, rob the sailors, and
often killed them. The story says that Ulysses, on
his way to Ithica, having to pass this island, pro-
tected himself and his crew in the following ways:
He had himself tied securely to the mast of the ship,
and had the ears of each of the sailors filled with
wax. When they came near the island, the Sirens
began to sing and their music so charmed Ulysses
that he tried to break the cords that bound him. But
fortunately the cords did not break. The sailors
with their ears filled with wax did not hear the song
and were not tempted to stop. Fortunately the wax
266
LESSONS FROM LENT
was not melted by the song. They may have heard
a Httle of the song through their teeth. In the same
stories of mythology we read of other voyagers,
called Argonauts, who had to sail past this island.
They had another, and, I think, the best way of
protecting themselves from the temptations of the
Sirens. They took with them, Orpheus, who had x
wonderful musical instrument and played the sw it-
est music in the world. When the Sirens i vng,
Orpheus played, and his music was so much STv^eter
than theirs that no one would listen to the Sirens.
I will give you just one little hint about this third
way. If we have Christ with us. He is so brave that
we will not fear the wild beasts. He is so strong that
we will not be afraid of Satan. The music of His
love is so sweet that we will not listen to Satan.
267
FOB THIRTEENTH SUNDAY IN WINTER
THE CHILDREN'S PALM SUNDAY
"And the children." — Matthew xxi., 15
f ^ 1 HE first Palm Sunday was a day of great en-
X thusiasm. Is the word "enthusiasm" too long
and strong for my junior Juniors? Then we will
take it apart and let you look in it. The Greeks
made this word "enthusiasm" by putting two words
into one word. Their word "en" means in, and
"theos" means God. They jointed them in one word,
"entheos," God-in. When they were very happy and
wanted to shout and rejoice, they said it was their
God in them that made them happy. The English
of "entheos" is "enthusiasm." When God is in our
hearts we are happy, we want to shout for joy, we
are enthusiastic. Now you know the meaning of
enthusiasm and you have had a lesson in Greek.
On the first Palm Sunday morning crowds of en-
thusiastic men and women followed Jesus from
Bethany to Jerusalem. We say men and women for
we do not read of any children being with them. I
believe there were children with Christ on his way
THE CHILDREN'S PALM SUNDAY
to Jerusalem. Probably the fathers and mothers
shouted so loud that the children were not heard.
We know that when Christ entered the city the
children were with Him and were helping Him. In
the morning it was Palm Sunday; in the afternoon
it was Hosanna Sunday. When all was going well
with Christ and every one was happy, the men and
women followed Him waving palm branches. In the
afternoon the people who had stores and shops in
God's house got very angry because Christ drove
them out and upset their tables. In this hour of
trouble and danger the palm branches probably
wilted. Then we read, not of men and women, but of
the children who were there to help Christ. They
shouted "Hosanna to our King!" They were en-
thusiastic ; God was in their hearts.
These children were not able to overturn the tables
of the money-changers and to upset the seats of
those who sold doves. But the children did help
Christ by cheering Him when He was doing this
great work. I believe the cheers of the children
made Christ stronger for the work of Palm Sunday.
The wicked were angry at the children. They knew
the boys and girls were helping Christ. "Stop them !
Stop them !" cried the wicked men. Christ said, "No,
269
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
No ! Their cries and shouts are perfect praise."
They were helping Christ.
A lad helped Christ to feed the five thousand, and
a little child helped Him when he needed an illustra-
tion about the kingdom of heaven. The lad fur-
nished the five loaves and two fishes and the little
child was used as a kingdom illustration. Your pas-
tor believes Christ needed the children's encourage-
ment when He was cleansing the temple. He needed
their shouts. "And the children." He had need of
them.
The boys of a certain Sunday-school were all drest
up in their uniforms for a parade, and the girls all
in their best dresses, were Hned along the sidewalk to
see the parade. One boy cut his foot, and said to
the captain: "Captain, I've cut my foot and I can
not march with the brigade to-day." "Well,
George," the captain answered, "if you can not march
you can stand on the corner anyway, and shout
'Hurrah!' when we come along."
"Yes, I'll do that, anyway," promised George, and
so when the brigade came along he took off his hat
and shouted as loud as he could, "Hurrah ! Hurrah !
Hurrah!" When Christ was cleansing His Father's
house the children were shouting, "Hosanna to the
270
THE CHILDREN'S PALM SUNDAY
Son of David." "And the children." Three cheers
for the children! They were happy. Dear little
Effie exprest their feelings when she said: "I've
never been so happy in all my life; I really couldn't
be any happier 'less I was bigger."
A pretty story is related of the late Dr. Phillips
Brooks, Bishop of Massachusetts. He had long been
a favorite with a little girl of five, the daughter of
a parishioner, and she was always deHghted if she hap-
pened to meet him when out for a walk. The day the
bishop died her mother came into the room where the
child was playing and, holding the bright little face
between her hands, said tearfully, "Bishop Brooks
has gone to heaven." "Oh, mama," was the reply,
"how happy the angels will be."
Christ made not the angels only, but the children
in heaven happy when He went back to them. One
reason Christ loved the children so much on earth
was because they reminded Him of the children in
heaven. You will find what I mean in the following
story :
"Yes, indeed; we have some queer little incidents
happen to us," said the engine-driver, as he plied his
oil-can about and under his machine. "A queer
thing happened to me about a year ago. You'd
LITTLE TALKS TO LITTLE PEOPLE
think it queer for a rough man hke me to cry for
ten minutes, and nobody hurt, either, wouldn't you?
Well, I did, and I can almost cry every time I think
of it. I was running along one afternoon pretty
lively, when I approached a little village where the
track cuts through the streets. I slacked up a little,
but was still making good speed, when suddenly,
about twenty rods ahead of me, a little girl, not more
than three years old, toddled on to the track. You
can't even imagine my feehngs. There was no way
for me to save her. In ten seconds it would all have
been over. After reversing and applying the brake,
I shut my eyes; I didn't want to see any more. As
the train slowed down, my fireman laughed and
shouted to me: 'Jim, look here?' I looked, and
there was a big, black Newfoundland dog holding
the little girl in his mouth, leisurely walking toward
the house where she evidently belonged. She was
kicking and crying so that I knew she wasn't hurt,
and the dog had saved her. My fireman thought it
funny and kept on laughing, but I cried — just
couldn't help it. She reminded me of a dear little
girl in my far-away home."
The children's Palm Sunday ! God bless our chil-
dren. Christ loves them and needs them, every one.
Date Due
N 1 2 '37
Wv 13 '38
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