{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_44531/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_44531","id":"gutenberg_44531","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/44531","summary":null,"tags":["Bible stories, English -- New Testament -- Juvenile literature","Category: Children & Young Adult Reading","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Jesus Christ -- Biography -- Juvenile literature"],"text":"THE BOYHOOD OF\n    JESUS\n\n    [Illustration]\n\n    PUBLISHED BY\n    DAVID C. COOK PUBLISHING COMPANY\n\n    Factory and Shipping Rooms, Elgin, Illinois\n\n\n\n\nTry to be like Jesus.\n\n\n    The Bible tells of Jesus,\n        So gentle and so meek;\n    I'll try to be like Jesus\n        In ev'ry word I speak.\n\n    For Jesus, too, was loving,\n        His words were always kind;\n    I'll try to be like Jesus\n        In thought and word and mind.\n\n    I long to be like Jesus,\n        Who said \"I am the Truth;\"\n    Then I will give my heart to him,\n        Now, in my early youth.\n                     --_Lillian Payson._\n\n[Illustration: THE BABY JESUS.]\n\n\n\n\n    COPYRIGHT, 1905,\n    BY DAVID C. COOK PUBLISHING COMPANY.\n\n\n\n\nThe Little Lord Jesus.\n\n\n    Away in a manger,\n        No crib for a bed,\n    The little Lord Jesus\n        Laid down his sweet head.\n    The stars in the sky\n        Looked down where he lay--\n    The little Lord Jesus\n        Asleep on the hay.\n    The cattle are lowing,\n        The poor baby wakes,\n    But little Lord Jesus\n        No crying he makes.\n    I love thee, Lord Jesus;\n        Look down from the sky,\n    And stay by my cradle\n        To watch Lullaby.\n                --_Luther's Cradle Hymn_\n\n\n\n\nThe Child Promised.\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nTHERE was once a time when there was no Christmas at all. There were\nno beautiful Christmas trees and happy songs and stockings filled with\npresents. No one shouted \"Merry Christmas!\" or \"Christmas Gift!\" No\none told the sweet story of Jesus, because Jesus had not come into\nthe world and so there was no Christmas. You see Christmas is Jesus'\nbirthday, and before he came, of course people could not keep his\nbirthday. You have heard of how wicked and unhappy the people were long\nago. Although God loved them and tried to make them do right, they\nforgot about him and did so many naughty, disobedient things that they\nwere very miserable. Then God sent a wonderful message to them. He told\nthem that some day he would send them his own Son, who should be their\nKing and teach them how to do right. He said that his Son would come as\na little child to grow up among them to love and help them. God even\ntold them what they should call this baby who was to be their King. God\nsaid that Christ would be like a beautiful light showing them where to\ngo. It would be as though some people stumbling sorrowfully along a\ndark street should suddenly see a bright light shining ahead of them,\nmaking everything cheerful and pleasant. They would be joyful like\npeople who gather in the harvest. Jesus makes his children happy, and\nhe wants them to shine out and make others happy. These people who were\nso unhappy before Jesus came, were very glad to know that some day he\nwould come. They talked about him and waited a long, long time before\nhe came and brought Christmas light into the world.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n[Illustration: THE BABE IN BETHLEHEM.]\n\n\n\n\nThe Coming of Jesus.\n\n\nLONG ago there lived a good man named Joseph, a carpenter of Nazareth,\nwho built houses and made many useful things for people. He also loved\nto read God's Gift Book, and tried to obey its rules. One day the king\nof the land where Joseph lived ordered everyone to write his name in a\nbook, and pay a tax, in his own city. So Joseph and Mary his wife got\nready to take a long journey to their old home, Bethlehem. There were\nno cars for them to ride in, so they must either walk or ride a donkey.\nAs the fashion was there, Mary wore a long, white veil which covered\nher beautiful face.\n\nThe streets were full of people, walking, or traveling on mules,\ndonkeys, or camels--all going to be taxed. It was winter, but in a\nwarm country, and they went through valleys of figs, olives, dates,\noranges and other good things.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nThey must have been very tired when they reached Bethlehem's gates,\nfor they had come a long distance, and the dust of the road, the\nbustle of traveling, and the strangeness of it all, seemed to add\nto their trials. The people of Bethlehem had opened their homes and\nwelcomed the strangers, until every house was full, and still the\npeople kept coming. They could scarcely go up the steep hill, they were\nso weary, and Joseph tried to get a place to rest, but there was no\nkind invitation, no welcome in any house for them, and the inns were\ncrowded. The inns were not like our hotels for travelers; they were\nflat-roofed stone buildings, without windows. There were no warm rooms\nwith carpets, and soft beds for tired travelers to lie on. There were\nonly bare floors, and everyone had to bring his own bed and food. The\ncourtyard was full of animals--donkeys, mules, camels, sheep and cows.\n\nAfter Joseph had tried and failed to get a resting place, as there\nwas no room anywhere, some kind friend told him of a cave on the\nhillside which was used as a stable, and to this they gladly went.\nSweet-smelling hay was all around, and the floor was covered with\nstraw; possibly mild-eyed cows and gentle sheep were sleeping in their\nstalls. Along the walls were mangers, or boxes to hold the grain and\nhay when the animals were fed. Here Mary and Joseph found a shelter\nand a sleeping place; indeed, they were thankful to be led there to\nrest upon the hay. In the night a wonderful thing took place: God sent\nthe baby Gift Child into the world. This gift had been promised long\nbefore to Adam and Eve, and now it had come--the most beautiful and\ndearest Baby ever held in a mother's arms. The night grew dark, the\nhouse-lights went out one by one, and the people in Bethlehem slept.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n[Illustration: THE ANGELS' SONG.]\n\n\n\n\nThe Angels' Joy.\n\n\nTHE happiest song that was ever sung was sung on the first and best\nChristmas of all. There was a time when there was no Christmas. Can you\nthink how glad you would be if you had no Christmas, and then one day\nall at once you had the first and best one of all?\n\nThis song was sung and the first Christmas came one night long years\nago, far over the sea, near a little town called Bethlehem. It did not\ncome first to kings and great people, but to some shepherds who were\nsitting up all night watching their sheep.\n\nOutside of the city were beautiful sloping green fields where the\nshepherds let their sheep run about and eat the grass. The weather\nthere is very pleasant at Christmas time; not at all like our weather.\nThe shepherds can sit out on the grass all night, watching their sheep.\n\nDid you ever see a sheep or a lamb? Do you know that your mittens and\njackets and nice warm dresses are made of the wool which the sheep have\nto spare for us? The shepherds have to stay out with the sheep all\nnight because they are very gentle and timid animals. They cannot fight\nfor themselves, and if they were left alone the wolves would catch them.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nOne night about 1900 years ago some shepherds were watching their sheep\nin those fields. Very likely the shepherds were some of the people who\nwere hoping that Jesus would soon come; perhaps they were talking about\nhim, and wondering how they would know if he did come.\n\nAll at once a bright light shone about them, and they saw an angel and\nheard him speak to them. Very kind and beautiful the angel looked, but\nthe shepherds were frightened.\n\nThe angel said to them, \"Fear not; for behold, I bring you good tidings\nof great joy, which shall be to all people; for unto you is born this\nday in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this\nshall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe, wrapped in swaddling\nclothes, lying in a manger.\"\n\n[Illustration]\n\nAs the angel was speaking, the shepherds saw with him a great number of\nbeautiful, shining angels. Then was sung for the first time this grand\nsong, for Christmas had come. I do not know the tune, but the very\nwords are in the Bible: \"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth\npeace, good-will toward men.\" Glory to God, for the greatest gift that\never came; peace on earth, for all who love this Savior.\n\nAs soon as the angels finished the song they went back to heaven, and\nleft the shepherds alone.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n[Illustration: THE SHEPHERDS VISIT JESUS.]\n\n\n\n\nThe Shepherds Visit Jesus.\n\n\nWHAT would you do if you had been one of those shepherds to whom the\nangels brought the good news of Jesus' birth? I will tell you what they\ndid. They left their sheep to take care of themselves, and hurried off\nto Bethlehem, for that was the city the angels meant.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nThey went in the gate and at last found the right place. It was called\na stable.\n\nThey soon found the dear little baby Jesus, just as the angels had\nsaid, lying in a manger, and Mary his mother and Joseph taking care of\nhim.\n\nThe little manger was in the stable, and there the shepherds stood\nbeside it and looked into the face of the babe.\n\nDo you think the dear little baby had a nice bed to lie in? It looked\nlike a block hollowed out. It was the box out of which the cows ate.\n\nIt was warm and soft, because his mother had put nice soft hay in it,\nand wrapped him all up with a long strip of cloth. They were in a\nstable because so many people were in the city that there was not a bit\nof room left. I think it must have been a clean place, with lots of\nnice, sweet new hay.\n\nWhen the shepherds saw the baby they knew that he was really Jesus\ntheir Savior. They knelt at his feet and worshiped him. They were so\nhappy that they could hardly say what they felt. They soon went away\nand told the good news to every one they met. They were very glad\nbecause Jesus had come. He came as a little baby so he would know\nhow to love and help all other babies and little children, and be an\nexample for them to follow as they grew older.\n\nWe are glad Jesus came, and we love to keep his birthday, because he\ngives us joy and peace, fills our hearts with love, and helps us to be\ngood and happy here and to get ready to be happy in heaven.\n\nGod, our Father in heaven, sent to us this wonderful Christmas Gift.\nThink of the great love he must have for us, to give us his Son. Think\nof the great love Jesus had for us, that he could leave his beautiful\nhome in heaven to come and help us and show us how to live. Let us\nthank him every day for his great love. \"For God so loved the world,\nthat he gave his only begotten Son\" to be our Savior.\n\n[Illustration: THE BABY JESUS IN THE TEMPLE.]\n\n\n\n\nThe Child in the Temple.\n\n\nJOSEPH, and Mary the mother of Jesus, stayed in Bethlehem for a while.\nWhen Jesus was only eight days old he received his name; he was called\n\"Jesus,\" as the angel had told Mary. It was the custom of the Jews to\ntake their first son to the temple and present him to God, so Joseph\nand Mary went to Jerusalem to present Jesus to God in the temple.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nAt the time when Jesus was born, there was an old man, named Simeon,\nliving in Jerusalem. He was a good man and was looking and wishing for\nJesus, the promised Messiah, to come. God's Holy Spirit had told him\nthat he should not die until he had seen Jesus. Simeon went up to the\ntemple to worship God every day. One day while he was in the temple\nMary and Joseph brought the child to present him to God. When Simeon\nsaw them he knew that the infant in Mary's arms was his Savior. He at\nonce took Jesus in his arms, and with a heart full of joy he blessed\nGod and said, \"Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace.\" He\nhad seen the Savior for whom he looked, and had nothing more to wish;\nhe was perfectly satisfied to die, now that he had seen Jesus, the\nSavior of the world. When Jesus comes into our hearts we are satisfied,\nand not only ready to die, but we are ready to live and do with glad\nhearts all that God wishes us to do. The best way to praise God for\nhis wonderful gift is to _live for him_ and lead others to praise him.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nGod's Spirit was upon Simeon, and he rejoiced to see Jesus his Savior,\nwhom God had sent to his people. Do you wonder that Simeon's heart was\nfull of joy at seeing God's greatest gift to man? Should not we praise\nhim for it?\n\nAt the time of Jesus' birth, the world was very dark and sinful. People\ndid not know much about God or what he wanted them to do. In Jesus,\nSimeon saw a great Light which would lighten the world.\n\nDid you ever try to walk in a dark night where there were no lights to\nshine on the pathway? If so, you were sure to go the wrong road, or to\nstumble and fall. While you were walking in the darkness, did a great\nelectric light suddenly shine out, making all light about you? So into\nthe dark lives of the people Jesus came to be a Light. We are sure that\nJesus is a Light to us and to all the world. He lived a holy life, so\nhe made a right path for us to follow. He showed us how to live and how\nto die, so that we may live forever in heaven. If we take his love into\nour hearts and do as he tells us, we shall walk in the light. Just as a\nrailway locomotive runs in the great light from the lamp that sends its\nbright rays along the track, so Jesus dwelling in our hearts shines his\nlight just where we are to travel--that is, he tells us by his Spirit\nand by his Word how we are to act and what we are to do.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nWhile Mary and Joseph and Jesus were yet in the temple, Anna, a\nprophetess, came in and saw Jesus. Then she, too, praised the Lord\nbecause Jesus had come to be a Light to the world. She told the people\nthat Jesus was the Son of God who had come into this world to live in\nour hearts and be our Light. Jesus in our hearts is like a torchlight\nwhich we carry with us always, and which never goes out, but gives us\nlight wherever we go. We follow this light when we do the things that\nJesus taught us to do, and when we follow the example that he left us.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n[Illustration: THE WISE MEN VISIT JESUS.]\n\n\n\n\nThe Journey of the Wise Men.\n\n\nTHERE were some very rich, wise men living away off in another country.\nGod wanted them to know about his Son. He did not send angels to tell\nthem; he took another way. He put a strange new star in the sky. These\nwise men spent a great deal of time studying about stars, so when they\nsaw this they were very much interested in it. When they saw strange\nstars they thought strange things would happen. They had heard that the\nJews were looking for Jesus to come and be their king, so they thought\nthis star must mean that he had come. They thought very likely that he\nhad come to Jerusalem, for that was the great city of the Jews. So\nthey started on their long journey.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nThey traveled on until they reached Jerusalem. Then they went at once\nto Herod the king and asked him where Jesus was who was born King of\nthe Jews. Herod had not heard that Jesus was born, and when he heard\nthis question he was troubled, for he was not born king--he had been\nmade king. So he was very much afraid that Jesus, who was born King,\nwould take his place.\n\nHe called in the Jews, who he thought ought to know, and asked them to\nfind out where Jesus was to be born. They looked in the Bible and found\nthat he was to be born in Bethlehem.\n\nWhen Herod heard this he told the wise men to go to Bethlehem and look\nfor Jesus, and when they found him to bring him word so that he might\ngo and worship him. He wanted to kill Jesus, but he did not tell the\nwise men so. They again started out, and they were very much pleased to\nsee the same star still shining in the sky.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nThis star went before them to guide them to Bethlehem. They believed\nthe star would guide them right, so they followed it until it stood\nover a house in the city.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n[Illustration: THE WISE MEN'S GIFTS.]\n\n\n\n\nThe Wise Men's Gifts to Jesus.\n\n\nWHEN the wise men went into the house they found Jesus there with Mary,\nhis mother, and Joseph, her husband.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nAs soon as they saw him they knew it was Jesus, whom they had come so\nfar to see. They fell down before him and worshiped him. They brought\nhim rich gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. These gifts of gold,\nfrankincense and myrrh were costly and useful; they must have been of\ngreat help to Mary and Joseph, who were very poor. These gifts from\nthe wise men to Jesus showed their love for him. Those who truly love\nJesus now will be glad to give of their money to help the poor and\nneedy, and to teach those who do not know about him; and what we do for\nhis sake he counts as done for him. But the greatest gift that we can\ngive Jesus is the gift of our hearts.\n\nWhile they were there worshiping Jesus, God was looking into the heart\nof Herod, reading his wicked thoughts. He knew that if the wise men\nwent back and told Herod where Jesus was, he would come and kill him.\nSo when the wise men were ready to go away, God warned them in a dream\nto go back another way and not to go near Jerusalem, where they would\nmeet Herod. They believed God in this too, and did as he told them to.\n\n[Illustration: ON THE WAY TO EGYPT.]\n\n\n\n\nThe Flight into Egypt.\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nWHEN the wise men were gone, God sent an angel to warn Joseph to take\nJesus and Mary, his mother, and leave Bethlehem. He told him to take\nthem to Egypt and stay there until he told them they might return. Why\ndo you suppose God told Joseph to leave their home? He knew that Herod\nwanted to kill Jesus, and that it would be dangerous to stay there.\nIf they went to Egypt they would be safe, for Herod had no power over\nEgypt. They would find friends there too, for a great many Jews were\nliving in Egypt then.\n\nJoseph loved God and believed him, so he proved that he loved and\nbelieved him by obeying at once. He did not wait until morning, but at\nonce arose, got ready, and took Mary and Jesus and they started in the\nnight for Egypt. They did not go to some other place instead. They went\njust when God told them to go, and went just where he told them to; and\nthey were safe while they followed God's directions.\n\nJesus was soon safe in Egypt. Herod did not know this, and was still\nmaking his plans to kill him. He was a very wicked, cruel man. He was\nwicked enough to kill two of his own sons, so you see he did not care\nmuch about killing a baby.\n\nHe did not know just how old Jesus was, but thought he could not be\nover two years old. He did not know where he lived, for the wise men\ndid not go back to tell him. But he was bound to kill Jesus, so he\ntold his cruel soldiers to go into every house in Bethlehem, even into\nthe houses near Bethlehem, and kill every boy baby they could find two\nyears old or less.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nSo they went around killing all the baby boys. They would go into a\nhouse, snatch the baby out of its crib, or out of its mother's arms,\nand kill it right before her eyes. That was a sad time in Bethlehem;\nfor many poor mothers were weeping for their children. It was very sad\nfor the mothers, but the little boys were safe in heaven with God.\n\nGod was still watching over and taking care of his Son; so when at last\nHerod was dead, God again sent an angel to Joseph, telling him to take\nJesus and Mary and go back to the land of Israel, or the land of the\nJews. So Joseph again set out on a journey. But he heard that Herod's\nson was king, and he was afraid to go back to Bethlehem, so he went to\nNazareth.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n[Illustration: THE BOY JESUS IN THE TEMPLE.]\n\n\n\n\nJesus in the Temple.\n\n\nWHEN Jesus was a very little baby, his mother took him to the temple,\ntheir church, and gave him to the Lord. I suppose they wrote down his\nname, as we do our Cradle Roll babies. If they did, I think we may call\nJesus a Cradle Roll baby. I am sure that Mary and Joseph did all they\ncould to help the baby to grow up a good, wise, loving boy. The dear\nlittle babies do not stay babies long; then their toys go and they want\nbooks, for they must learn a great deal before they are grown-up men\nand women. So Jesus' toys were soon put away, and he began to study\njust as you do. He grew bigger and stronger every day. At last he was\nas big as you; then bigger, until he was as big as your brother or\nsister.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nDo you know someone who is twelve years old? At last Jesus got to be\nso old. At that age a boy was no longer a Cradle Roll baby, nor even\na child. Jesus' mother said that now he could go with her and Joseph\nand their friends when they went up to Jerusalem to church. Did you\never go on a journey? How did you go? On the cars. Were you glad to\ngo? You got tired, I know. A picture of Joseph and Mary and Jesus on\ntheir way to Jerusalem would show you that they all walked. It was a\nlong, hard journey, for they not only had to walk all the way, but\nthey had to carry all their bundles. They went in a company, so they\nhad a nice time talking with their friends as they walked. Then when\ntired or hungry, they would stop by the way in the shade of some great\nrocks--for in that land rocks are found oftener than shade trees.\n\nYou can make a picture of this journey in your mind. Think of the wall\nof the city of Jerusalem and the open gate; inside the wall is the\nchurch, or temple; there is a road of sand, and on both sides of the\nroad are a few trees and a good many rocks.\n\nAt last they all reached the city, and slept and rested and ate their\nfood, then bathed and dressed in their best clothes, and went to the\ntemple to worship God and hear about his law out of the Bible.\n\nAll this was very wonderful and beautiful to Jesus. He began to\nunderstand that God was his Father, and that he had some very great\nwork to do in the world. He was so interested that when it was time to\nstart for home he stayed after all the rest left, and went back to the\ntemple. Perhaps he had been allowed to go by himself and did not know\nthey had started home.\n\nMary did not miss Jesus for some time. She thought he was with his\nyoung friends having a good time. At last she became frightened, for\nshe found that he was not with any of these friends. Oh, how frightened\nshe was! Her beautiful boy that she loved more than her own life, was\nlost! I once knew of a very lovely boy who was lost all night. How his\nmother cried, and how we looked for him all night! In the morning his\nmother was the one to find him, then her sorrow was changed to joy.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nMary and Joseph left their friends and went back to the city. In her\nheart Jesus' mother knew where to look for him. Can you think where he\nwas? They found him in the temple talking with the teachers. They were\ntalking about God's law. They had their books, reading and studying\ntogether. These books were made of strips of parchment or paper\nfastened at both ends to round sticks and rolled up.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nWhen Jesus saw his mother and knew how she had grieved about him, he\nleft the teachers at once and went back home with her and Joseph. He\ntold them that he knew God was his Father, and that he must be about\nhis work. But quickly and lovingly he obeyed his mother and went with\nher, even though he longed to stay.\n\nDo you think Jesus was about his heavenly Father's business when he\nobeyed Mary and Joseph and went home so lovingly with them? He surely\nwas, for some of his work that he came to earth to do was to show\nchildren how to treat their parents. One of the great laws of God is,\n\"Children, obey your parents.\"\n\nJesus loved to be in the temple, but he quickly and cheerfully went\nhome with his mother and Joseph. I think that as he and his parents\nwere with many of their dear friends, he was allowed to go around among\nthem and with them when they went to the temple, so when his parents\nleft he perhaps did not really know when his mother started. Do you\nthink she was careless to go off and leave him? No, I am sure she was\nnot; she no doubt thought he was coming along with his aunts or cousins\nor his little friends in the company.\n\n[Illustration: THE BOY JESUS IN HIS HOME.]\n\n\n\n\nJesus in His Home.\n\n\nDO you like cold, dark, stormy days? How do you feel when you get\nup and find the sun shining in your window? You cannot help feeling\ngood--some of it gets into your heart and makes you feel happy. You\nmake us think of sunny days. Sometimes children are cross, and they\nmake us think of stormy days. The gloomy, naughty, selfish child makes\neverything in the house seem sad. But how about the bright, happy,\nlaughing, helpful child? When he comes into the room, it seems as if he\nbrought some sunshine in. He is a sunshiny boy.\n\nDo you know I am thinking of a boy who I believe was the sunshiniest\none among all the sunshiny children in the world. Who was he? He was\nJesus, the dear boy who was so ready to obey his parents. He started\nhome with Mary and Joseph, perhaps telling Joseph all about how it\nhappened that he was left behind them.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nAfter their long, hard journey, how glad they were to get home! I am\nsure Jesus did all he could to get everything ready. First he helped\nJoseph bring in all the things they had with them, and Mary stood, at\nthe door of the little house, looking at the boy she loved so much, and\nfeeling so glad and thankful that he had not really been lost.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nThen when they were all settled and rested and Joseph had to go to his\ncarpenter work, Jesus would do such little things as he could to help\nhim, while Mary was doing her work. Joseph was a carpenter. What do\nyou think he made? What tools did he use? Then I think Jesus must have\nlearned to use them, too. Perhaps sometimes Mary was sick, and then I\nam sure he did all he could to help and comfort her and make her forget\nher pain. He would bring the jar of fresh water, bathe her head and\ngive her a cool drink. If your mamma was sick, what could you do to be\na blessing to her? I knew a little boy who was a real sunshine boy.\nWhen mamma was sick he would set the table for papa, and hand mamma a\ncup of tea, and give her a smile and a loving kiss. We can all do so\nmuch, and many other things. Think of some of them. You can pick up\nyour toys and books and keep them tidy, without waiting for mamma to\ntalk about it; you can always run to her with a loving kiss when you\nwake up and when you go to bed; you can be very gentle and kind to your\nlittle brothers and sisters; you can try every day in every way to\nmake sunshine in your home--to make your home the most beautiful place\nin the world. Boys and girls who do that can make their homes next to\nheaven.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nJesus did that even when he was very small. As he grew older he grew\nwiser and better. He helped Joseph more and more in his shop, and what\nhe did not know, Joseph taught him.\n\nHe did not spend all his time in the shop, He perhaps went to school,\nfor he loved to study. I think Mary loved to teach a boy who was so\nready to learn. He would stand beside her while she read to him.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nHe liked to play like other boys, but he always did the things that\nother children should do, so they would know just what was right. That\nis why I tell you so much about him. Perhaps children would not know\njust the right way, if Jesus had not been a boy and lived with his\nmother and loved and obeyed and helped her.\n\n\n\n\nAround the Throne.\n\n\n    Around the throne of God in heaven,\n        Thousands of children stand,\n    Children whose sins are all forgiven,\n        A holy, happy band.\n\n    What brought them to that world above,\n        That heaven so bright and fair,\n    Where all is peace and joy and love?\n        How came those children there?\n\n    On earth they sought the Savior's grace,\n        On earth they loved his name;\n    So now they see his blessed face,\n        And stand before the Lamb.\n                     --_Annie H. Shepherd._\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nTranscriber's Notes:\n\nPage 27, repeated word \"him\" removed from text. Original read: (praise\nhim him for it)","title":"The Boyhood of Jesus","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":5280}