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Children's Sermon
Seeking the Best Things.
By Rev. Stuart Nye Hutchison, D. D.
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst
after righteousness: for they shall be filled. ?
Matthew 5:6.
Did you ever know a little boy who was not
collecting something? I saw one not long ago
picking up something on the ground. I stopped
to see what it was. He was gathering acorns.
He had several boxes full. I asked him what
he was going to do with him. He said, "I
don't know. I am just getting them."
Some boys collect marbles. They have fine
collections of agates, and shooters, and all
kinds that boys like.
There are others that love to gather postage
stamps. They are always looking for some
new kind of stamp. They have stamps of Eng
land with the king's head on them, and pretty,
queer stamps from China and Japan, and
dozens of other countries all over the world.
Almost every boy has a collection of some
kind. Some one said one day, "What funny
people boys are. They are always looking for
something." "Well, boys are not any different
from grown-up men. Everybody is seeking
for something in the world. There are some
people who spend all their lives seeking for
money. They want a great deal, and when
they get that they will want more. If some
one were to ask them what they would do
with it, they would say, "I don't know. I am
just getting it," like the little boy who was
gathering acorns. Gathering money never
satisfies anyone. I wonder if you have ever
taken a drink of ocean water. Perhaps when
you first went bathing at Ocean View or Vir
ginia Beach you swallowed a little of the water.
You know it isn't like the water we drink at
home. Instead of satisfying our thirst, it makes
us more thirsty. And the more we drink of
it the thirstier we get. That is the way with
the man who lives to make money. The more
of it he gets the more he wants. He is never
satisfied, and often the people who have the
most of it are the most unhappy and discon
tented. So money doesn't bring happiness.
Then there are others who are always seek
ing pleasure. A little pleasure is a fine thing.
But wh6n we have much of it we become very
weary of it. Some day you are off on a picnic.
You go to the seashore or the country, and
you have a good time all day. When it is all
over you think how good it would be if you
had a picnic like that every day. But if you
were to have one every day you would soon
become very tired of it, and want to go back
to school and to work again. All pleasure never
makes anyone happy.
What is there that we can seek that will
bring us real happiness? In this verse Jesus
tells us, it is righteousness. This means doing
good.
Oncc there was a king who had a son whom
he loved very much. But the young prince had
very poor health. The king was very much
worried, lie knew that if anything were to
happen to him he would have no one to Tie
king after he died. He had the best doctors of
the realm to come and see him, and they did
their best, but there was not one of them who
was able to help him, and he grew worse and
worse. At last the king thought that he would
surely lose him. One day there came to the
court a wise old man. lie said to the king,
"I ean cure your son, but he must do exactly
as I tell him." The king was very glad and
said, "If you will cure him I will give you
anything that you ask." The old man said,
"I do not care for any reward. I only want
the prince to get well."
The old man took a piece of paper and wrote
something on it with an invisible ink. lie gave
it to the prince and told him after he had gone
to hold the paper up to the fireplace. The
prince did as the wise man told him. He held
the paper up to the fire and when the print
became warm, the writing came out so that he
could read it. This was what was written
there, "P something for someone else every
day you live." Well, the prince did as the
wise man advised. He began to think about
other people instead of about himself, and it
was not long before he was well and happy.
Do you know that when you are getting
things for yourself and doing things for your
self, it is not very long before you become very
tired of it. But begin to think about others and
do something for someone else every day that
you live, and it will not be long before you,
too, will be happy. This is what Jesus meant
when he said, "Blessed are they which do
hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they
shall be filled."
Norfolk, Va.
"I had so many, and I shall only have one,"
she thought.
"Now, let's see them," exclaimed the im
petuous group when all were inside.
Celia opened the box slowly. A chorus of
"Oil's" greeted the appearance of the blos
som*, then "I wish I had some," was repeated
over and over.
Celia looked at the five pairs of longing
eyes.
"They don't have flowers, either," she con
sidered, "and thev want 'cm as much as I do.
I s'pose I'd feel the same if one of them had
'em."
One after another she picked up the slender
stalks with their snowy blossoms and gave
them out to the waiting band.
"Don't let 'em freeze," she cautioned. She
tore into small pieces the paper which had
wrapped the flowers. "Here, put them in
this." Then with her lone flower she left the
house and went on to her own home.
"I b'lieve I've got the prettiest one any
way," she declared when she took it from
the box. She held it up and examined it care
fully. "There couldn't be a handsomer one.
And maybe, after all, it's better for six people
to be happy than just one."
Surely Celia was right, and do you know,
1 think that it was the sharing of her treas
ures which imparted such great beauty to the
one flower that she kept for herself. ? Am.
Messenger.
ENJOYS THE PAPER.
Dear Presbyterian: I am a little girl eight
years old, and I am in the third reader, and in
spelling. My school teacher is Miss Grace
Wiest. My Sunday-school teacher is Miss
Nellie Groff. I like her very well. We enjoy
your paper very much.
I will close now.
Gerrardstown, W. Va. Isabel Miller.
. FIVE SISTERS AND ONE BROTHER.
Dear Presbyterian : I am a little girl eight
years old. I live in the country. I go to school
every day that I can. My teacher is Miss
Beatrice McLean, and the principal tcacher is
Mr. John W. Monroe. I go to Sunday-school
and church every Sunday. I have five sisters
and one brother, all going to school and en
joying it very much. This is the first letter I
have written to your paper.
From your little unknown friend,
Carthage, N. C. Johnsie Louise Caddell.
Dear Johnsie : I am glad to hear that-you
and all your sisters and your brother enjoy
Sunday-school so much. IIow large is your
Sunday-school ? H. A.
BIG BOYS NOW.
Presbyterian of the South, Dear Sirs : When
we were little boys, four and six years old, we
wrote to you that we had recited the little
Catechism. Now that we are big boys, seven
and. nine, we write to tell you that we have
perfectly recited the Shorter Catechism. We
want you to put our names on your Roll of
Honor. . Your friend,
William and Thomas English Hill.
104 Gordon Street, Atlanta, Ga.
My Dear Big Boys: It is fine to know that
you have recited the Shorter Catechism per
fectly*. Won't you write us another letter and
tell us about some of the other things you do?
H. A.
FOUR CATS AND ONE DOG.
Dear Presbyterian : I am a little girl ten
years old. I go to school. I am in the fourth
grade. I go to Sunday-school whenever I can.
I have four cats and one dog. My cats' names
are Nigie, Blackie, Dumpy and Spot. My dog
is Bill. My papa takes your paper, and I en
joy reading the letters. I hope you will print
this, as I want to surprise my papa.
Your friend,
Nannie Wilson Moore.
News Ferry, Va.
Dear Nannie: I am sure your papa will be
pleased with your letter. H. A.
Dear Presbyterian : I am a little girl twelve
years old. I go to school. I am in the fourth
grade. I go to Sunday-school. Mrs. Coleman
is my teacher. She sent me a nice Christmas
present. I have a father and two sisters and
two brothers. My oldest sister keeps house.
My mother is dead. I have three pets, a co\^
and two cats. I belong to the Presbyteu^
church and the Ladies' Aid Society. I re
the Child's Catechism. Please put fhy iBme
on the Roll of Honor and send me a certificate.
I was at a nice Christmas dinner yesterday at
my grandmother's.
I will close for this time, as Cfiis is my first
letter.
Please print this, as I want to let my Sun
day-school teacher read it.
From your unknown friend, fl
Nelly's Fc.'d, Va. Lena Bell Berry.
Dear Lena: We will send you the certifi
cate in a few days. When are you going to
begin on the Shorter Catechism? H. A.