{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_25205/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_25205","id":"gutenberg_25205","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/25205","summary":null,"tags":["Bible stories, English","Category: Children & Young Adult Reading","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Readers"],"text":"Produced by Joseph R. Hauser, Sam W. and the Online\nDistributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n                            Light\n                     On the Child's Path\n\n                      By Wm. A. Bixler\n\n\n    Jesus said, \"Suffer little children, and forbid them not\n    to come unto me; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.\"\n        --Matt. 19:14.\n\n\nTHE WARNER PRESS\nAnderson, Indiana\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration: ON GRANDPA'S FARM]\n\n\n\n\nCopyright, 1918\nby\nGospel Trumpet Co.\n\nPrinted In U.S.A.\n\n\n\n\nCONTENTS\n\n\n    Our Best Friend                                       11\n\n    The Good Book                                         16\n\n    What God Made                                         18\n\n    In the Garden of Eden                                 20\n\n    Our Heavenly Home                                     22\n\n    The Day and Night                                     23\n\n    The Rain and the Snow                                 25\n\n    Winter's Blessings (poem)                             29\n\n    Planting Seeds                                        34\n\n    Flowers of Springtime                                 36\n\n    A Walk in the Woods                                   38\n\n    Our Feathered Friends                                 41\n\n    A Bird of the Night                                   44\n\n    Our Tame Birds                                        47\n\n    Wee Pretty Kitty (poem)                               50\n\n    Creatures of the Water                                51\n\n    Our Tame Animals                                      52\n\n    Little Foxes                                          56\n\n    The Squirrels                                         58\n\n    The Shepherds                                         60\n\n    Jesus as a Child                                      62\n\n    The Good Shepherd                                     64\n\n    Parable of the Sower                                  70\n\n    Parable of the Leaven                                 71\n\n    Laborers in the Vineyard                              72\n\n    The Wicked Husbandmen                                 74\n\n    The Wheat and Tares                                   76\n\n    The King's Marriage-Feast                             78\n\n    A Lesson on Forgiveness                               80\n\n    Jesus Loves the Children                              82\n\n    Jesus Heals the Sick                                  84\n\n    Jesus Nearing Jerusalem                               86\n\n    Jesus Changed                                         88\n\n    Feeding the Multitude                                 90\n\n    The Death of Jesus                                    93\n\n    Jesus Our Savior                                      94\n\n    Moments of Prayer                                     96\n\n    Morning Praise (poem)                                 98\n\n    Evening Prayer (poem)                                 99\n\n    Asking Blessing (poem)                               101\n\n    Visit the Sick                                       102\n\n    Do a Kindness (poem)                                 104\n\n    The Blind Girl                                       106\n\n    The Little Cripple (poem)                            108\n\n    Country Children                                     110\n\n    The Country Boy (poem)                               113\n\n    God Sees All Things                                  114\n\n    Be Kind to the Aged                                  117\n\n    God's Garden (poem)                                  120\n\n    A Baby for a Nickel                                  121\n\n    We All Must Die                                      122\n\n    The Path of God (poem)                               125\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration: COUNTING THE STARS]\n\n\n[Illustration: MORNING CHEER]\n\n\n\n\nOur Best Friend\n\n\nIn a log cabin in the mountains lived a little boy. He often played\nnear the house, but did not go far away. Near the house were many\ntrees and rocks and among these wild animals stayed.\n\n[Illustration: DOWN BY THE SPRING]\n\nOne day the boy missed his mama and thought he would try to find her.\nHe went down the path toward the spring, where he had often gone after\nwater. He went on and on. Finally he wished to return, but did not\nknow the way. Poor boy, he was lost.\n\n[Illustration: THE BEST FRIEND WE HAVE IS MOTHER]\n\nHe started toward what he thought was home, and walked and walked.\nBecoming very tired, he sat down to rest and soon fell asleep.\n\nHis mama missed her boy and hunted everywhere for him. Night came on,\nbut she did not give up her search. She hunted and called, but no\nanswer came. She feared the wild beasts would get him, but prayed to\nGod to protect her child. She hunted all night and in the morning\nfound him safe and still asleep.\n\nThe best friend we have on earth is a good mother. She thinks of her\nchildren at all times. She loves them and lives for them. She seems to\nknow all about our little cares and trials. When we are willing to\nhelp her, it shows that we think of her and love her, too.\n\nHave you ever thought how she toils and cares for you? She works for\nyou every day--gets your meals, breakfast, dinner, and supper; washes\nand mends your clothes and stockings; and at night makes your pillow\nnice and soft for you so you can sleep well.\n\nShe seems to know just what to do if we happen to get hurt.\n\n[Illustration: A MOTHER LIVES FOR HER CHILDREN]\n\nMother is watching after her little ones all the day long, and when\nshe puts her hand upon our heads at night as we bow at her knee in\nprayer, she seems to say, \"God bless and keep my darling child.\" When\nshe tucks the covers tight about us and sits by our bedside, we think\nthat Mama is the best friend we have. Don't we?\n\nNow I will tell you of another friend. This friend lives in heaven.\nHis name is God. We can not see God, but he looks down from heaven and\nsees us. He sees everything we do, and hears everything we say. He\nknows all things.\n\nIt was God who made this earth where we live, and everything that has\nlife. We pray to God, and he hears us and answers our prayers.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n    Now I lay me down to sleep;\n    I pray Thee, Lord, my soul to keep.\n    Thy love be with me through the night,\n    And bless me with the morning light.\n\n\n\n\nThe Good Book\n\n\nThe Bible is a good book. In it we read about God, and about his\nmaking the earth, sun, moon, stars, trees, flowers, rocks, water,\nbirds, fishes, animals, and man.\n\nWe read of Adam and Eve, the first man and woman; of their beautiful\nhome, the Garden of Eden; and also of their children and their\nchildren's children.\n\nIn it there are many, many stories about how God helped people in\ntimes of trial.\n\nWe also read about Jesus, the Son of God, who came down from heaven\nand died for us, that we might have eternal life.\n\nGood men wrote the Bible long, long ago, and the contents have been\nkept, until now we all have Bibles. The Bible is called Holy Bible\nbecause it is God's Word, and is a record of God's work and God's\nwords.\n\nIf we live now as the Bible teaches, after we die we shall receive a\ncrown of life in heaven.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nWhat God Made\n\n\nOur God is a very great God. He made all things. He made this earth\nwhere we now live.\n\nIt seems strange that there was a time, many, many years ago, when\nthis earth was nowhere to be found; but that is so.\n\nWhen men make things, they must have tools to work with. They have to\nmake things little by little, working at them a long time before they\nare done.\n\nIt was not so with God when he made this earth. \"He spake, and it was\ndone.\" At first all was dark. He then said, \"Let there be light,\" and\nit was light. He called the light day, and the darkness he called\nnight. This, the Good Book says, took place on the first day.\n\nOn the second day God made the air we breathe, and in which the birds\nfly.\n\nOn the third day he made the land, sea, and rivers, and the grass,\nflowers, and trees.\n\nOn the fourth day he made the sun, moon, and stars, to give light to\nthe earth by day and night.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nOn the fifth day he made the fish that swim in the water and the birds\nthat fly in the air.\n\nOn the sixth day he made all the animals, and at last he made man. He\ngave them for food the grain of the fields, the fruits of the trees,\nand the vegetables of the garden.\n\nOn the seventh day God rested \"from all the work which he had made.\"\n\"And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very\ngood.\"\n\n\n\n\nIn the Garden of Eden\n\n\nWhen the Garden of Eden was planted with all the beautiful flowers and\ntrees, God gave it to Adam for a home. He told him to take good care\nof it. Adam was glad to work in the garden and use it as he chose; but\nhe had no one to enjoy the things that he enjoyed, no one to help him\nto be just what God wished him to be, no one to love.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nGod said, \"It is not good that the man should be alone: I will make\nhim an help meet for him.\" So he made a woman and Adam called her Eve.\n\nEve was very much like Adam in some ways, yet unlike him in other\nways. Man has some gifts that woman does not have; one is helpful to\nthe other.\n\nAdam's heart must have been glad to see the woman whom God had made\nfor him. He now had some one to enjoy the home with him. Adam and Eve\nwere happy in Eden as long as they loved God more than they loved to\nhave their own way. He knew better than they did what was good for\nthem and what would make them happy, and they were glad to obey him.\n\nBut by and by their own way seemed better than God's way, and they did\nthings that God had said they should not do. When we do things that\nGod says we should not do, we sin. So Adam and Eve sinned, and were\nashamed to see God, and when he came into the garden, they hid among\nthe trees.\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration: _The Lord hath done great things for us whereof we are\nglad_]\n\nOur Heavenly Home\n\n\nGod loves men too well to leave them in sin and sorrow. And though we\nhave sinned, he will forgive us if we are sorry for our sins and ask\nhis pardon. He will give us good thoughts, and help us to love him and\nto love one another.\n\nWe shall all die, but we shall live again; and if we serve God in this\nlife and are Christians, we shall live with him in heaven. There we\nshall never sin and never die. We shall never be sick or sad; we shall\nbe happy forever. There we shall see God. Jesus will be there, and so\nwill all the good people who have ever lived.\n\nGod saw that the people he had made were doing wrong, and he had pity\non the whole world of sinners. So he sent his only Son to this earth\nas the Savior of the world. You will find somewhere in this book how\nGod's Son came to this world.\n\n\n\n\nThe Day and Night\n\n\nGod made the sun to give light by day. The sun not only gives us\nlight, but also makes the earth warm and causes everything to grow.\n\nSometimes when the sun rises in the morning, it looks very close, but\nit is really far away--away off in the sky. When the sun goes down in\nthe evening, darkness comes all around us. This is called night.\n\nWe do not want all daytime, in which to work and play; neither do we\nwant all nighttime, in which to sleep; but we enjoy both the day and\nthe night as God made them.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nAlso, we see the moon and the stars. When the moon is full and round,\nhow large and pretty it looks! God made the moon and stars to shine at\nnight. Have you ever noticed the stars twinkle at night? How pretty\nthey are! There are so many of them that we could never count them\nall. At one time some shepherds saw a beautiful large star; it was a\nsign that the Savior of the world was born.\n\n\n\n\nThe Rain and the Snow\n\n\n    Patter, little drops of rain,\n    Patter on the window-pane.\n    How I love to watch them pass\n    In their races down the glass!\n    Soon the shower will be o'er,\n    Then the sun will shine once more.\n    But I love to hear the rain\n    Beat against the window-pane.\n    Soft and gentle April showers\n    Will bring May-time's pretty flowers.\n\nI think it is pleasant to sit by the window and watch the rain as it\nfalls, sometimes in tiny drops and sometimes in large ones.\n\nThe warm showers make the grass, trees, and flowers grow. After the\nshower is over, the grass looks fresh and green.\n\nThe birds also seem to be glad for the rain. They chirp among the\ntrees when the shower is over.\n\nWe see the pretty clouds in the sky. The wind moves them about.\nSometimes a storm comes, and then we see the lightning and hear the\nthunder.\n\n[Illustration: PLAYING IN THE LEAVES]\n\nWhen winter-time comes, it gets cold, and the ground is all covered\nwith pure-white crystals of snow. Everything looks so clean and pretty\nwith its white coat on. We see the little snowbirds flying around, and\nthey are so happy picking up seeds for food.\n\nThen we love to get on our mittens and warm coats, and go out in the\nsnow, too. People hitch horses to sleighs and enjoy rides. They put\nbells on the horses, and these jingle merrily when the horses go fast.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nIn the far north it gets very cold, and when the people go anywhere,\nthey hitch dogs to sleds.\n\nIn the Bible we read that the Lord will make our hearts white as snow\nif we confess our sins and take him for our Savior.\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\n    Beautiful snow, so soft and so white,\n    Sparkling like gems in the sunshine bright,\n    Robing the earth and decking the trees,\n    Sent by the Lord, the children to please.\n\n\n\n\nWinter's Blessings\n\n\n    Pretty little snowflakes\n      Falling to the ground;\n    Here is one, there is one,\n      Ev'rywhere they're found.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n    See them fall so gently\n      Through the frosty air;\n    Every little snowflake\n      Has its beauties rare.\n\n    Soon the ground is covered,\n      With the pretty snow;\n    Then we see the snowbirds\n      Flying to and fro.\n\n    Do you think the snowbirds\n      Like the wintry day?\n    Do you think they're happy\n      As they chirp and play?\n\n    Happy little creatures--\n      Do not reap or sow,\n    Yet the Master feeds them,\n      Even in the snow.\n\n    Jesus made the birdies\n      Blessings to enjoy;\n    Then, oh, do not harm them,\n      Little girl or boy.\n\n    In the pleasant evenings,\n      Then the rabbits go\n    Through the woods and bushes,\n      Playing in the snow.\n\n    All the night they ramble,\n      But at break of day\n    They must hunt a refuge,\n      There to hide away.\n\n    So these little creatures\n      Love the fallen snow;\n    Should not we enjoy it,\n      Who God's blessings know?\n\n[Illustration: Love thy neighbor as thyself.\n    Rom. 13:9.]\n\n    Should we ever murmur,\n      Should we e'er complain,\n    When God sendeth blessings,\n      As the snow and rain?\n\n    No; we ought to thank him,\n      Yes, for everything;\n    And we ought his praises\n      Daily to him sing.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n    He is love and kindness\n      To us all below;\n    On the just and unjust,\n      Sendeth rain and snow.\n\n    Let us e'er be thankful\n      For his love to us;\n    He's so kind and faithful,\n      Giving blessings thus.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n    Let us ask the Savior,\n      As we kneel to pray,\n    \"Help us to be thankful,\n      More and more each day.\n\n    \"Thankful in the morning,\n      Thankful noon and night;\n    Thankful for the rain-drops,\n      Thankful for the light.\"\n\n\n\n\nPlanting Seeds\n\n\n    Birds are singing, clear and sweet;\n    Flowers are springing neath our feet;\n    Spring at last has come to stay.\n    How we welcome lovely May!\n          Lovely May,\n          O lovely May!\n    Oh, how glad we are to say,\n          Lovely May!\n\n    Winter days were cold and long,\n    But we waited for thy song--\n    Songs of birds and humming bees,\n    And the fresh and lovely breeze.\n          Lovely May,\n          O lovely May!\n    Oh, how glad we are today,\n          Lovely May!\n\nYou may have helped your papa or mama plant seeds in the garden or in\nthe flowerbed. The warm sun and the rain make them grow rapidly.\n\nWe do not plant weed-seeds, but in some way they get into the ground,\nand come up along with the garden-plants. If the weeds are not cut\nout, they will crowd out the good plants.\n\n[Illustration: AN ACT OF KINDNESS]\n\nWhen we do little acts of kindness, it is like planting good seed.\nWhen we are not kind, and say bad words, it is like letting the weeds\ncrowd out the good plants.\n\nIf you are good and kind to papa and mama, brother or sister, today,\nyou will find it easy to be kind to them tomorrow. It makes you happy\nto be good to those around you.\n\nIf you are cross and say bad words, you may want to say them again.\nYou can not feel happy when you have said and done bad things.\n\nGod can help you sow good seed. He will help you to be good. He will\nhelp you to love all around you.\n\n\n\n\nFlowers of Springtime\n\n\nHow pretty and sweet are the apple, peach, pear, plum, cherry, and\norange blossoms! How good God was to make all these things for us to\nsee and smell! We can enjoy the blossoms. Also, we can see the little\napples or other fruit grow until they become large, juicy, ripe fruit.\nThen we can eat them, and oh, how good they will taste! God is very\ngood to us.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nNot a leaf nor a blade of grass could grow if God's hand did not care\nfor it. He causes the warm sun to shine and the gentle rains to fall\nso that everything can grow. Things could not grow without the warm\nsun and the rain.\n\nGod has caused the wild flowers to grow along the road-side and in the\nwoods and meadows so we can enjoy them. How glad we should be that we\nhave such a good God to worship! When we kneel to pray, we can say,\n\"O Lord, I thank thee for all the pretty things I see each day.\" The\npretty things are some of the blessings that he daily gives us.\n\n\n\n\nA Walk in the Woods\n\n\nHave you ever taken a walk through the woods by the brook on a warm\nday? How cool and pleasant the water looked as it ran along over the\nrocks! Did it not make a pleasing sound?\n\n[Illustration]\n\nIt is delightful to go through the woods where you can see the\nbeautiful trees. You can nearly always find some flowers growing along\nthe edge of the brook. Besides, the little birds fly among the trees\nand sing so sweetly. Almost any child would enjoy a walk through the\nwoods. But there are many children in large cities who never have the\npleasure of going to the woods.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nHow pleasant it is to sit down in a cool, shady place, and think of\nthe lovely things that God has given us to enjoy. As we look around\nus, we can see so many blessings that God has given us.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nEven the little birds and flowers seem to be telling us that Jesus\nloves us. God has made many beautiful things for us to enjoy. It makes\nus happy to see the beautiful flowers, and to hear the little birds\nsing so sweetly.\n\n\n\n\nOur Feathered Friends\n\n\nWhen all the trees and bushes and grass are green in the spring, we\nsee the little birds and hear their sweet songs.\n\nHow happy they seem as they fly about from tree to tree, and scratch\nin the ground to find little seeds and insects to eat!\n\nSometimes we find a bird's nest in the bushes or on the ground. God\nteaches the little birds how to build their nests with small sticks,\nleaves, and feathers.\n\nThis is the bird's house. We sometimes see tiny eggs in the nest. The\nlittle eggs hatch, and then there are little birdies in the nest in\nplace of the eggs. The mother bird hunts worms and bugs to feed the\nlittle ones.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nDid you ever see a nest of young birds? How they open their little\nmouths when you come near! They think you have something for them to\neat.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nOnce a little boy found a meadow-lark's nest with young birds in it.\nAs they opened their little mouths, he thought he could feed them\nbetter than the mother bird. He decided to raise them for pets, and so\ncarried them home. He fed them bread; but as the little birds were not\nused to that kind of food, they did not thrive on it; and when one day\nthe boy forgot to feed them, they died. How sad he felt! And how sad\nthe mother bird must have felt when she could not find her babies!\n\nGod made the birds to enjoy the woods and fields. We must not destroy\ntheir nests, for that would be wrong.\n\nThe Bible says, \"Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not,\nneither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father\nfeedeth them.\"\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nA Bird of the Night\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nDid you ever see an owl? Owls fly around at night, as they can see\nbetter after dark than in the daytime. They stay in some dark and\nquiet spot all day, unless disturbed, but at night they hunt around\nfor something to eat. They eat some kinds of birds, rats, mice, fish,\nreptiles, and insects.\n\nThe nest of the owl is made of sticks and twigs, and is oftentimes\nbuilt in rocks or ruins or old houses.\n\nSome owls are as white as snow, and their feathers are as soft as\ncotton. Some are brown, and others are gray.\n\nSometimes in the night we hear their noise, which sounds much as if\nthey were saying, \"Who? who? who?\"\n\nThe owl can not turn his eyes about as we can; so when he wants to\nlook around, he must turn his head.\n\nIn the cold countries where snow stays upon the ground most of the\ntime, there are owls with pure-white feathers. They are very large,\ntoo; yet they can hardly be seen, since they look so much like the\nsnow.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration: GEESE\n\nTHE QUAIL]\n\n\n\n\nOur Tame Birds\n\n\nChickens and ducks and geese are birds, too. But they are tame and\nstay where people do. They do not fly like the little birds, but they\nstay around the barnyard and lay eggs for us to eat.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nDucks and geese love to swim in the water. Both the big and the little\nones can swim, but chickens can not.\n\nThe old mother hen sometimes has many little chicks running around\nher. They stay pretty close, because they are afraid that something\nmight harm them.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nChicks are sometimes caught by hawks, which fly around watching for\nthem. In the picture we see a dog driving a hawk away from the old hen\nand chickens. Don't you think he is a good dog?\n\n[Illustration]\n\nA farmer had a dog whose name was Ring. Even though he was asleep, if\na chicken gave the note of alarm, he would jump up and bark at once.\nThen he would run after the hawk and drive it away.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nWhen lying quiet it was amusing to see how quickly he would jump up\nand bark when any one would say, \"Hawk!\"\n\n\n\n\nWee Pretty Kitty\n\n\n    \"Wee pretty kitty,\n      With nothing to do,\n    Only to take\n      Little naps in a shoe.\n    You look very nice\n      While lying in there,\n    With never a thought\n      Of sorrow or care.\n    Yet I am so glad\n      That I am not you,\n    For I can love Jesus,\n      Which you can not do.\"\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nCreatures of the Water\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nFishes are queer creatures that live in water. Men catch them with\nhooks and lines or nets and use them for food.\n\n[Illustration: THE GUPPY]\n\nSome fish are very large. We read in the Bible of a man named Jonah.\nHe was trying to run away from the Lord, who had called him to a work.\nWhile on a ship, during a storm he was thrown into the water. But he\ndid not drown, for a great fish swallowed him, and carried him\nashore. He then knew that God meant what he said, and so did as God\nhad commanded.\n\nThere are hundreds of different kinds of fishes, and many, many men\nearn their living by catching and selling them for food.\n\nSome of Christ's disciples were fishermen when he called them. He told\nthem that he would make them fishers of men. This meant that he would\nprepare them to help other people to become Christians.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nOur Tame Animals\n\n\nThere are some kinds of animals that are tame, as the sheep, hog, cow,\nhorse, dog, and cat.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nThe horse is a faithful beast and does much work for man. He draws\nthe heavy loads on the road and works in the fields. We hitch him to a\nwagon or a carriage and enjoy a ride, or we can put a saddle upon his\nback and ride there also.\n\nThe cow gives us milk for our food, and from the milk we get cream,\nbutter, and cheese.\n\nThe flesh of the hog is valuable for food.\n\nThe dogs are useful to guard our homes, and cats catch mice and rats.\nBoth dogs and cats make good pets.\n\nSheep have long wool all over their bodies, and men cut it off and use\nit to make clothes to keep us warm.\n\nYoung sheep are called lambs. They like to run and play very much. In\nthe picture we see a lamb that has fallen into the water. The mother\nsheep stands close by and watches the man trying to pull the lamb out.\n\nI suppose the man had missed these two from the flock. He was in\nsearch of the lost ones, and seeing the mother standing near the\nwater, he came and found the lamb nearly drowned. The mother would not\nleave her babe, but waited a long time until help came.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nLambs are innocent-looking animals, and do not make a noise when\nhurt. Jesus said that children are his lambs.\n\n\n\n\nLittle Foxes\n\n\nFoxes are wild animals. They live in the woods and swamps, in places\nwhere not many people live.\n\nThey are very cunning and sly, and catch young chickens, ducks,\nturkeys, and geese whenever they can.\n\nNight is the time when they slip around and catch these barnyard\nfowls. They carry the fowls off to their holes in the ground, and eat\nthem there.\n\nLittle foxes are very destructive, and often spoil grape-vines. In the\nBible we read that it is the little foxes that spoil the vines.\n\nThis also means that our little unkind words and actions spoil the\npeace in our lives and make us feel bad.\n\nLet us be careful that our words and deeds do not make ourselves or\nothers unhappy. If we live to please God, we shall please God's\npeople, and we shall not have to feel sorry on account of some bad\nwords said or deeds done.\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration: THE PET PONY]\n\n\n\n\nThe Squirrels\n\n\nWhen the frosts have colored the leaves of the trees of the woods with\nmany hues, and the nuts have ripened and fallen to the ground, it is\nthen that the squirrels gather a good supply of the different kinds of\nnuts and acorns into their little homes in the hollow trees, to be\neaten during the many long days of winter.\n\nHave you ever seen a squirrel? They love to play in the woods, and run\namong the branches of the trees, and jump from one limb to another.\n\nGod made the squirrels to enjoy the woods, and he has provided the\nnuts for them to eat.\n\n[Illustration: FEEDING THE SQUIRRELS]\n\n\n\n\nThe Shepherds\n\n\nA shepherd is a man who takes care of sheep. During the day he watches\nthem while they are eating grass, and in the evening he takes them to\ntheir fold or barn.\n\nNow, we read in the Bible that an angel of the Lord appeared to some\nshepherds in the night. The shepherds were very much afraid, but the\nangel said to them:\n\n\"Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which\nshall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of\nDavid a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign\nunto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling-clothes, lying\nin a manger.\"\n\n[Illustration: THE ANGEL'S APPEARANCE]\n\n\"And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly\nhost praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest and on\nearth peace, good will toward men.\"\n\nThe babe's name was Jesus, who came as a Savior to all the world.\n\n\n\n\nJesus As a Child\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nGod, who is in heaven, was full of pity for the unhappy people of\nearth. He loved them so much that he sent his Son to the earth in the\nform of a child, a baby in his mother's arms. He came to earth to show\nus how to obey God--how to live so as to do good in this life and be\nhappy both in this life and in the life to come.\n\nHe came as a child, so as to show children how to live. He came like\nother children, and grew up as other children do, only better and\nwiser.\n\nWhen God sent his Son to the earth, he gave him into the care of two\ngood people who lived in a small town called Nazareth.\n\n[Illustration: THE BOY CHRIST WITH THE WISE MEN]\n\nWhen Jesus came to them, they were in Bethlehem. They had gone there\non a journey. There was no room for them in the inn; so they had to\nstay in a place made for cattle. God was not ashamed to place his Son\nin the care of poor people. He was not ashamed to have him born in a\nstable and cradled in a manger.\n\nA bright star appeared over the place where the young child lay, and\nby this sign the wise men that came from the east seeking him were\nenabled to find him.\n\n\n\n\nThe Good Shepherd\n\n\nJesus once lived on this very same earth on which we live. He walked\nthrough grain-fields. He climbed mountains. He noticed the birds and\nflowers, and watched the fishermen and farmers and shepherds. He used\nthe things he saw to teach lessons to his disciples and others who\ncame to hear him.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nIn the land of Palestine, where he lived, sheep-raising was very\ncommon. He said at one time: \"I am the good Shepherd, and know my\nsheep. My sheep hear my voice, and they follow me.\"\n\n[Illustration]\n\nHe was trying to show the people that he was just as anxious to help\npeople live right and to keep them from danger as the kind shepherds\nwho watched over their flocks upon the hills of Palestine were anxious\nto keep their sheep from harm at all times.\n\n[Illustration: JESUS TEACHING THE WAY OF SALVATION]\n\nAt another time Jesus spoke of the lambs and compared them to\nchildren.\n\nJesus went into meeting-houses and taught the people. Many times he\nbrought joy to the hearts of fathers and mothers by healing their sick\nchildren. He did good wherever he went. He was always trying to help\nthose in trouble. He was the best and greatest man who has ever lived.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nReading and studying about him will help us to stand for the right and\nto do good, kind deeds.\n\nWe are his sheep if we are Christians, and the way we follow Jesus now\nis by reading the Bible and living a Christian life.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nJesus gave his life for his sheep while he was here on earth. Now he\nis up in heaven, but he loves the people who follow him, and is still\nour Good Shepherd.\n\n[Illustration: LEARNING OF JESUS]\n\n\n\n\nParable of the Sower\n\n\nJesus taught many spiritual lessons by parables, that is, by stories\nabout the common things people could understand.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nOne day as he sat by the sea of Galilee, he told the people the\nparable of the Sower. The sower cast some seed by the wayside, that\nis, along the edge of the field or road-side. Some seed fell upon\nstony ground, some among thorns, and some on good ground.\n\nThe people did not know what he meant till he explained the lesson to\nthem.\n\nThe great sower is Jesus, but all Christians are sowers under him. The\nseed is the Word of God. People's hearts are the four kinds of soil.\n\n\n\n\nParable of the Leaven\n\n\nAmong the stories that Jesus told was the parable of the leaven.\n\nA woman put leaven in the flour as a baker puts yeast in his bread\ndough. The leaven kept working until it affected all the dough and\nmade it rise and become light.\n\nAs the yeast or leaven goes through all the dough, so the gospel of\nJesus will go to all the nations in the world.\n\nEach one who believes on Jesus enters the kingdom of God. The kingdom\nof God is righteousness, peace, and joy, which we get when we become\nChristians.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nLaborers in the Vineyard\n\n\nJesus told another parable, a story of the laborers in the vineyard.\nYou can turn in your Testament to Matthew 20:1-16, and read about the\nman who hired laborers to work in his vineyard.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nHe had agreed to pay the laborers a penny a day. The men who worked\nall day thought they should receive more than those hired later in the\nday, but the master paid them all alike. Just so those of us who have\nbeen Christians only a short time will receive the same heavenly\nreward as those who have lived a Christian life for years. Salvation\nis just the same to all--it takes sin out of our hearts and fills them\nwith the love of God.\n\nWe must not put off getting saved; for Jesus said, \"Watch, for ye know\nnot the hour when your Lord doth come.\" This means that we are liable\nto die without a warning, and we should always be ready.\n\n\n\n\nThe Wicked Husbandmen\n\n\nAnother parable is about a man who had a vineyard and let it out to\nhusbandmen. When the time for gathering grapes came, he sent his\nservants to the husbandmen that they might receive the fruit. But the\nhusbandmen took his servants and beat one and killed another. He sent\nother servants, and they were treated in the same way.\n\nLast of all he sent his son, thinking they would honor him, but they\ncaught him and killed him.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nJesus spoke this parable to the wicked people about himself at that\ntime. Christ himself had been sent to the Jews, who had been the\npeople of God for ages past, but who had wandered into sin. From time\nto time God had sent good prophets to warn the Jews, but often the\nprophets were persecuted.\n\nAt last God sent Jesus, his only Son, and him they killed.\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nThe Wheat and the Tares\n\n\nChrist told another parable. It was of a man who sowed good seed in\nhis field; but while the servants slept, an enemy came and sowed\ntares, or weeds, and then went away so that the servants knew nothing\nof it.\n\nWhen the wheat grew, the tares also grew. When the servants noticed\nthe tares, they asked the owner what it meant, as they sowed only good\nseed. He answered that an enemy had sown the tares. But he said that\nthey should let both grow till the harvest, and that then the tares\nwould be gathered and burned, but the wheat gathered into the barn.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nJesus explained this: The field, he said, means the world; the owner\nmeans Jesus himself; the wheat means the persons who become\nChristians; the tares are sowed by Satan; and the weeds are wicked\nmen.\n\nThe wicked men and Christians are together here in this world, but at\nthe judgment-day the righteous will go to heaven and the wicked will\nbe punished.\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nThe King's Marriage-Feast\n\n\nAnother parable was of a king's marriage-feast.\n\nThe king invited certain ones to the feast, but they would not come;\nso he made an open invitation and sent his servants into the highways\nto invite as many as they could find, and these people came.\n\nGod sent Jesus to the world, and he invited the Jews to accept the\nkingdom of God, but they would not. Though some Jews accepted Jesus,\nyet as a nation they did not, and God was displeased with them for it.\nWhen the Jews would not accept Jesus, God extended the invitation to\nthe Gentiles, or all other people.\n\nGod now has the feast prepared. He invites people to come to Jesus and\nhave their hearts made pure and enjoy the rich blessings of the\nkingdom--righteousness, joy, and peace. He extends the invitation to\nall.\n\nIf we will not give heed to his invitation to accept Jesus, we shall\nbe left out of the kingdom, and others will take our place.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nA Lesson on Forgiveness\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nThe man kneeling in the picture owed the king hundreds and hundreds of\ndollars. He had no money to pay the king. The king said that this man\nand his wife and children must be sold and the money used to pay the\ndebt. The man begged the king to wait a while, promising that by and\nby he would give him the money. The king then felt sorry for the poor\nman and said the man would not need to pay him any money. The man\narose and walked away.\n\nSoon he met a friend who owed him a little money. He spoke harshly to\nthe friend and told him to pay the money. The friend did not have any\nmoney. He kneeled down before the man and said, \"Wait a while, and by\nand by I will give you the money.\" But the man seemed to have\nforgotten that the king had been kind to him. He had the friend put in\njail. When the king heard about this, he did not like it, and he\npunished the hard-hearted man.\n\nWe are like the man in the picture. We ask God to be good to us and\nforgive us when we do wrong. Then, maybe, we are not good to our\nlittle friends when they do wrong to us. If they do a bad thing to us,\nwe want to pay them back. We should not do this way. Jesus said that\nif we would not forgive others, God would not forgive us. To forgive\nour friends means to be just as good to them when they do wrong to us\nas when they do good to us.\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nJesus Loves the Children\n\n\nAt one time when Jesus was teaching the people, some women brought\ntheir children to him for a blessing. The disciples thought the women\nshould not do this, and thought Jesus did not wish to be bothered\nwith the children.\n\nJesus said, \"Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto\nme; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.\" He loved them and held them\nupon his lap and blessed them.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nAt another time he said that unless people become converted and become\nas little children, they can not enter the kingdom of heaven. This\nmeans that it is necessary for them to have their sins forgiven and to\nbe pure and innocent and free from sin in order to be in God's church\nin this world and to go to heaven after they die.\n\n\n\n\nJesus Heals the Sick\n\n\nJesus spent his whole life doing good. He always helped those who were\nin trouble. He seemed to know of the sick and suffering of the land\nand was always anxious to heal them.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nAt one time he went into the meeting-place of the Jews and saw a man\nthere who had a hand so withered that he could not open it or stretch\nit out. Now, there was a Jewish law that said no work should be done\non the Sabbath. The wicked people watched Jesus to see if he would\nheal this man on the Sabbath-day.\n\n[Illustration: HEALING THE BLIND]\n\nJesus knew their thoughts, and so he asked the people, \"If any of you\nhad a sheep which should fall into a pit on the Sabbath, would you not\nhelp it out?\" Then he said that if it was right to help a sheep, it\nwas much more so to be good to man.\n\nAfter that he said to the man, \"Stretch out your hand,\" and he\nstretched it out.\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nJesus Nearing Jerusalem\n\n\nOne day Jesus and his disciples were on their way to a great city.\nThis city was Jerusalem. Jesus told them that there many cruel things\nwould be done to him and that he would be killed.\n\nThe disciples did not think this would happen to Jesus. They thought\nhe would be a great king and sit on a throne. Two of these men were\nJames and John. They came with their mother and bowed before Jesus as\nyou see in the picture. James and John wanted to be great. They asked\nJesus to let one of them sit on the right side and the other on the\nleft of his throne. Jesus told them that the way to be great was to do\ngood, kind deeds.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nJesus was the greatest person who has ever lived, and he spent all\nhis life doing good to those who were in need of help.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nAs Jesus and his men went toward the city, many people went with him.\nTwo blind men were sitting by the road. They heard the crowd coming.\nWhen they knew that Jesus was coming, they asked him to open their\neyes. Jesus was always ready to help those who were in trouble. He\nopened the eyes of the two blind men so they could see.\n\n\n\n\nJesus Changed\n\n\nMany little boys and girls kneel down at mama's knee or by the bed in\nthe evening and pray to God. Often Jesus went up on a high hill to\npray. In the picture Jesus is on a hill-top. He went there to pray. He\ntook three of his disciples with him. They were Peter, James, and\nJohn.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nSee the two men by the side of Jesus, and see how bright Jesus looks.\nThe two men came from heaven to talk with Jesus. Peter, James, and\nJohn had never seen Jesus look so beautiful before. The Bible says\nthat his face shone like the sun and that his clothes looked bright\nlike snow when the sun shines upon it.\n\nThe three disciples heard God's voice. The voice said, \"This is my\nbeloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.\" When they heard\nit, they fell on their faces, for they were afraid.\n\nSoon the two men went away, and Jesus looked as he did before. He\ntouched his disciples and told them not to be afraid.\n\nThen they went down the hill. They found many people. They saw a poor\nboy who was sick, and Jesus made him well.\n\n\n\n\nFeeding the Multitude\n\n\nWhen Jesus was here on earth, he preached to the people, and many\nlistened to his words. He went from place to place talking of God,\nhealing the sick and lame, and doing much good everywhere he went.\n\nAt one time when he had been preaching to about five thousand people\nfor a long time, they all became hungry. There was no food for the\npeople to eat, except five small loaves of bread and two small fishes.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nBut Jesus blessed the bread and broke it and gave it to the people.\nThey all had all they wanted, and there was a good portion left.\n\nJesus was the Son of God, and anything he said would be done. So it\nwas with the bread. He multiplied it, so that the people were all\nsatisfied.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nIn the Bible we read: \"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and\nforever.\" This means that he has just as much power today and can do\nas much for us as he did when he was here upon earth.\n\n\n\n\nThe Death of Jesus\n\n\nMany were the good deeds done by Jesus while he was here on earth, and\nmany people believed on him and followed him.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nSome very wicked men did not like Jesus and abused him whenever they\ncould. Just before they killed him, they put a crown of thorns on his\nhead, and the sharp points pierced his brow and were very painful.\n\nHe was nailed to a large cross, and was left there until he died. Some\ngood men buried him in a stone tomb, but in three days he arose and\nafterwards he went up to heaven.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nHe died for our sins, so that we can be saved from our sins in this\nlife and go to live with him when we die.\n\n\n\n\nJesus Our Savior\n\n\nOur Savior is Jesus. He died to save us from our sins in this world,\nand to save us from eternal death when we die.\n\nSuppose that a girl should be out on the water in a boat and should\nfall out of it into the water, and some men close by with a large boat\nwould get to her right away; they would save her life, would they not?\nYes.\n\nJust so Jesus came to save us. We were lost because we all have\nsinned and disobeyed God, but we can be saved from our sins if we ask\nJesus to forgive us. He will forgive our sins and will not hold them\nagainst us any more.\n\nWhen our sins are forgiven, we are Christians, and Jesus will help us\nto live right from that time on.\n\n[Illustration: GOING UP TO HEAVEN]\n\nWe shall not have a desire to do the bad things which so many boys and\ngirls do, but we shall want to live right and be good.\n\nHe can keep us from sin every day and hour if we trust him. So Jesus\nis our Savior.\n\n\n\n\nMoments of Prayer\n\n\nHow good it is that all can pray! The Lord is always waiting to hear\nand answer our prayers. When we pray, we talk with God; we must listen\nclosely when he talks to us and do whatever he says.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nWhen we get ready for bed in the evening, we should not forget to\npray. We should remember that the Lord has been good to us all the day\nlong. He has kept us from all harm, and given us food and clothes. We\nshould also thank him for a home and parents and friends. Even the air\nwe breathe comes from him.\n\nThen in the morning we should again kneel down, and thank God for his\ncare through the night. The Lord loves to hear children pray.\n\nAfter we pray, we should try hard to be good. The Lord will surely\nhelp us if we ask him. Then, do not forget to pray.\n\n[Illustration: WE REAP WHAT WE SOW]\n\n\n\n\nMorning Praise\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\n    Father dear, I humbly bow\n    By my little bedside now.\n    Thou hast kept me through the night,\n    Till the morning, clear and bright;\n    Thou hast given rest and sleep;\n    Thou dost e'er a vigil keep\n    Through the silent hours of night\n    While the stars and moon are bright.\n    Blessed Father, through the storm\n    Thou hast kept me from all harm;\n    And thy loving hand is near,\n    Guarding me from harm and fear.\n    Help me now, I ask of thee,\n    That my daily walk may be\n    Like a little Christian true,\n    In my words, and actions too;\n    Keep me from all harm again\n    As thou didst last night. Amen.\n\n\n\n\nEvening Prayer\n\n\n    Father dear, I humbly bow\n    At thy feet and ask thee now:\n    Keep me through this dreary night,\n    Wake me with the morning's light;\n    Let no danger hover near,\n    Let no sorrow, sigh, or fear\n    Break my slumber; but on thee\n    Let my thoughts and dreamings be.\n    Father bless, and may I prove\n    That I've tasted of thy love.\n    Keep my tongue and let me talk\n    Of thy goodness. Help me walk\n    As a Christian every day;\n    Keep me ever true, I pray.\n    Let no harm or sickness come\n    Near our happy little home.\n    In thy hands my all I lay;\n    May I never from thee stray.\n    Keep me, Lord, I ask again.\n    Praise the blessed Lord! Amen.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nAsking Blessing\n\n\n    O Lord, I bow\n      My little head\n    To thank thee for\n      My daily bread.\n    I pray thee bless\n      This daily food;\n    I pray thee bless\n      It to my good.\n\n    Oh, may my soul\n      This day be giv'n\n    The Bread of Life,\n      Sent down from heav'n.\n    Oh, keep me now\n      This day from sin,\n    From harm and sickness\n      Free. Amen.\n\n\n\n\nVisit the Sick\n\n\nDo you not know some one who is sick? Some little boy or girl may be\nin bed with a fever, and would be so glad to see you come into the\nroom with a bunch of flowers or some other little gift. How happy the\nsick one would be!\n\nAre you not glad to see your friends when you are sick? It makes you\nforget some of your pain for a time, does it not?\n\nWhen we give a bunch of flowers to a friend, a teacher, or some one\nwho is sick, it is the same as saving, \"I love you.\"\n\nCan you not get a good book and show the sick ones some pictures, or\nread to them? You can read about Jesus, who had pity on all the sick\nand healed them.\n\nJesus was very kind, and was glad to take away the aches and pains\nwhen the people came to him.\n\nHe had great power to heal all kinds of sickness, and in several\nplaces in the Bible we read that \"he healed all the sick\" that came to\nhim.\n\n[Illustration: TAKING FLOWERS TO A SICK FRIEND]\n\nHe can heal us now if we trust him and ask for his healing power.\nJesus can do all things.\n\nHe can do many things for us if we live true to him, and ask him for\nthe things that we need as we would ask mama for a piece of bread or\ncake. Jesus never fails to supply our needs if we are his true\nchildren and live for him. Let us have faith in God.\n\n\n\n\nDo a Kindness\n\n\n    \"Do a kindness, do it well;\n    Angels will the story tell.\n\n    \"Do a kindness, tell it not;\n    Angels' hands will mark the spot.\n\n    \"Do a kindness, though 'tis small;\n    Angel voices sing it all.\n\n    \"Do a kindness, never mind!\n    What you lose the angels find.\n\n    \"Do a kindness, do it now;\n    Angels know it all, somehow.\n\n    \"Do a kindness any time;\n    Angels weave it into rhyme.\n\n    \"Do a kindness, it will pay;\n    Angels will rejoice that day.\n\n    \"Kindly deeds and thoughts and words\n    Bless the world like songs of birds.\"\n\n[Illustration: FLOWERS FOR MOTHER]\n\n\n\n\nThe Blind Girl\n\n\nBlind persons can not see anything. They can not tell what any person\nlooks like. They can not see the sun, moon, trees, birds, flowers, or\nany of the pretty things that we see.\n\nThey can not read as we do, but they read by feeling with the ends of\ntheir fingers. There are books with raised letters or dots on the\npages for the blind, and by feeling the shape of them they can read.\n\nSee the poor blind girl reading the book. Poor girl! she can hear the\nbirds sing, and can smell the pretty flowers, but she can not see how\nlovely they are.\n\n[Illustration: BLIND GIRL READING]\n\nWhen Jesus was here on earth, he healed the blind who came to him. He\nis still just as able to heal the blind eyes so people can see as he\nwas while here on earth. But it takes faith in God, who is\nall-powerful.\n\n\n\n\nThe Little Cripple\n\n\n    I am sitting by my window\n      In my lonely little room;\n    Every little boy seems happy,\n      While my life is filled with gloom.\n    Yonder see the children running,\n      Hear them laugh in childish play;\n    Like the butterflies and birdies,\n      Playing all the live-long day.\n\n    Once I ran as other children;\n      Now I'm but a cripple-boy.\n    As I watch them through my window,\n      How their games they do enjoy!\n    How I'd love to hear their footsteps\n      Coming to my open door!\n    It would make me feel as cheerful\n      As in happy days of yore.\n\n    Yet I'm thankful for dear mother,\n      Who so gently smooths my brow,\n    Tells me pleasant little stories\n      Of her childhood days, and how\n    She once wandered in the meadow,\n      With the cattle and the sheep,\n    Picking buttercups and daisies\n      Till the stars began to peep.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n    Then she tells me of the Savior,\n      How upon this earth he trod,\n    How he came to us from heaven--\n      Jesus Christ, the Son of God.\n    Now his home is up in glory\n      With the happy angel band;\n    But he comes and blesses children\n      And protects them by his hand.\n\n    Then she kneels down by my bedside,\n      As the twilight shadows fall,\n    And we ask the Lord to kindly\n      Guide and keep us one and all;\n    Then he makes us very happy,\n      Gives us blessings rich and true,\n    And I know with all the children,\n      Jesus loves the cripples too.\n\n\n\n\nCountry Children\n\n\nChildren love to play on the bridge over the creek, or sit down in the\ntall grass on the banks and pick wild flowers.\n\nSometimes the dog swims in the water after a stick and brings it\nashore. Dogs can swim in the water; but if the children should get\ninto deep water, they could not get out, and would drown if some one\ndid not come to help them out.\n\nThere are many, many children living in the cities who do not have the\nchance to play in the green grass or pick wild flowers like the\nchildren who live in the country. How much they would enjoy doing so!\n\n[Illustration: IN THE COUNTRY]\n\nGod made the water and land, the grass and flowers, and intended that\nthe children and all people should enjoy them.\n\nJesus once said, \"Consider the lilies, how they grow; they toil not,\nthey spin not; ... if then God so clothe the grass which is today in\nthe field, ... how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little\nfaith?\"\n\nGod takes care of the flowers, the grass, and the trees, and he can\ncare for us.\n\n[Illustration: FUN ON THE FARM]\n\n\n\n\nThe Country Boy\n\n\n    I love to see the country boy,\n      With body large and strong.\n    He sings while he is doing chores,\n      And whistles all day long.\n\n    He drives the cows down to the lane,\n      And feeds the chickens, too.\n    He carries wood for mama dear,\n      Who has so much to do.\n\n    He goes to school and studies hard\n      His lessons day by day;\n    He's always ready at recess,\n      To romp and jump and play.\n\n    God bless the boys! the country boys!\n      They soon will be our men.\n    We know not then what they may do\n      With deed or thought or pen.\n\n    But other boys as well as he,\n      Can study, learn, and do,\n    Can live a grand and noble life,\n      To right and God be true.\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration: HERE'S A PLACE SISTER WHERE WE CAN HIDE OUR BEANS]\n\n\n\n\nGod Sees All Things\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nOne time a little boy was sent by his papa to plant some beans. He\nworked a while, then he sat down to play. While he was playing, he\nspilled part of his beans. At once he began to pick them up.\n\nThere were so many beans that he became tired. Then he thought he\ncould cover them up with dirt. He thought no one would ever know he\nhad spilled them. At last he got the rest of the beans planted and\nwent home.\n\nHe often thought of the beans he had spilled. But he did not tell his\npapa. Some time after this his papa went to the patch. He wanted to\nsee how the beans were growing. He found that all of them had come\nup--even those that the boy had spilled and had not picked up. The boy\ndid not need to tell his papa then what he had done. For his papa knew\nit all.\n\nSo it is with some bad things you may have done. You may think that no\none will ever know of them. But the secret will come out some time.\nEven if no person should ever find it out, God sees all you do. You\ncan not hide anything from him.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nBe Kind to the Aged\n\n\nOne fine spring day six children went to the woods to gather wild\nflowers. Oh, how they enjoyed the warm sunshine while they filled\ntheir little baskets with violets, buttercups, and spring beauties!\nAnd the air was filled with the sweet perfume.\n\n[Illustration: KIND TO THE AGED]\n\nThe flowers were so pretty and there were so many that the children\ncould hardly stop when the baskets were filled. Soon they started for\nhome. \"Let's give some flowers to the old people,\" said one. \"Yes,\nlet's do,\" said the rest, and off they went, and many were the smiles\nfrom the old people that day.\n\nLet us be kind to the aged. When we meet any one who is old, let us\nspeak to them kindly and give them a smile.\n\n[Illustration: READING TO OLD PEOPLE]\n\nThe old people did much for us when we were too small to care for\nourselves. Let us not forget their kindness.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n    Little thoughts of kindness,\n      Little deeds of love,\n    Lead you from the wrong way\n      To the heaven above.\n\n\n\n\nGod's Garden\n\n\n    \"My heart is God's little garden,\n      And the fruits that grow each day\n    Are the things that he sees me doing,\n      And the words that he hears me say.\n\n    \"The flowers in God's little garden\n      Are 'joy' and 'truth' and 'love';\n    And the seed by the Master planted\n      Is raised in the garden above.\n\n    \"There's a spring in God's little garden,\n      Whose waters, so sweet and clear,\n    Flow out into other gardens\n      Which God plants very near.\n\n    \"I must tend to God's little garden,\n      Lest the weeds and the sharp thorns grow;\n    If the flowers should droop and wither,\n      His heart would be sad, I know.\"\n\n\n\n\nA Baby for a Nickel\n\n\nA man told a little girl that he would sell his baby for a nickel. She\nliked babies well and thought that was very cheap. She ran home\nquickly to get the money. Her mama was very busy. She gave her the\nnickel and did not stop to listen to what the little girl wanted.\n\nThe little girl ran back to the man to get the baby. Of course, the\nman would not give up his baby. He did not mean what he had said. This\nmade the little girl cry very hard.\n\nHer mama always told the truth. She thought others meant what they\nsaid, just like her mama.\n\nIt was wrong for the man not to tell the truth. We often make others\nfeel very bad when we say things that we do not mean.\n\n\n\n\nWe All Must Die\n\n\nSome people are very wicked. This means that they do many bad things\nand do not love God. Some men swear and lie and steal and also do\nother sinful things.\n\n[Illustration: MARILYN'S TEACHER TELLS HER OF THE HEAVENLY HOME]\n\nTo tell a lie is to say things that are not true, and to steal is to\ntake something that belongs to some one else.\n\nNow, it is very wrong to swear, lie, or steal. God does not want us to\ndo any such things. All who do wicked things will some day be\npunished.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nSome day we shall die, for all of us must die. If a man should be\ngoing some place through the deep snow and should get lost and the\ncold should freeze him, it would kill him. He would not live any\nlonger, but would be dead.\n\nIf we love God and live for him, he will give us a home in heaven\nafter we die; but if we are wicked, we shall be lost and punished for\nour wicked ways after we die.\n\nWe should think about our life here and see that we live to please\nGod.\n\nIf we do not, when we come to die we may be like the man in the boat.\nAt one time he could have been saved--while he was floating on the\nsmooth waters. But he has let it go too far, and can only look forward\nto his doom.\n\nLet us love God and live for him on earth, so we can live with him in\nheaven after we die. When Christ was here on earth he said: \"I go to\nprepare a place for you, ... that where I am, there ye may be also.\"\n\n\n\n\nThe Path of God\n\n\n        The path of God\n        That Jesus trod\n    Is just the path for me;\n        I'll walk each day\n        The narrow way,\n    Where all is victory.\n\n        Oh, let us fight\n        For truth and right,\n    And Satan e'er defeat;\n        God giveth grace\n        In every place\n    And victory complete.\n\n        Our life we give,\n        And e'er we'll live\n    For Christ, and tell his love\n        To fallen man\n        Where'er we can;\n    At last be crowned above.\n\n\n\n\nTranscriber's Note:\n\nThe frontispiece illustration has been moved to follow the title page.\nOther illustrations have been moved, where necessary, so that they do\nnot fall in the middle of a paragraph or verse.\n\nThe page number in the Table of Contents for Be Kind to the Aged has\nbeen amended from 118 to 117.","title":"Light On the Child's Path","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":10299}