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PINEY
WOODS
Here is a “dandy,” wide-awake story
for The Golden Age boys—yes, and
girls as well. It was written by Her
man L. Driskell, the plucky and re
sourceful young assistant pastor of
The Tabernacle, Macon, Ga., and ap
peared first in that enterprising pub
lication, Hall’s School Magazine. “The
Gang” of “boys about town” in every
community in the land ought to be
backed up in a corner somewhere and
made to listen to this wholesome story.
After they had heard the first para
graph, they would then want to hear
the rest. And the reading would sure
ly “make them over.” Here goes!
The Gang.
The “gang” was at work as us
ual. Its chiefest purpose and glory
w’as to worry the town marshal into
spasms, at night to open the Widow
Flynn’s backyard gate and let the p 4 g
and old brindle cow wander off ,and be
lurking around somewhere near to
hear her explosions of wrath upon its
discovery. One among the things in
which the gang found the greatest
delight, was to turn old Towser loose
and see how fast Farmer Brown's
calves could sprint across his choice
hundred acre lot, and see how fast his
pet cat could get up a nearby orchard
tree or over a wall.
Their meeting place was in a desert
ed store room after supper. Here
they met and consulted as to what
they could do that night to make the
marshal stamp his foot in righteous
indignation, and utter imprecations on
the boys of this little country hamlet.
One of the main attractions of the
“gang” was its swimming pool, below
the outskirts of the little town. It
was here they fished and went in
swimming during the spring and sum
mer months. When recess came at
school they all ran for this pond, most
May 11, 1913.
Time —1715, B. C.
Gen. 41-25 to 40.
Place —Pharaoh’s Palace.
THE GOLDEN TEXT—“God giveth
grace to the humble.” —I. Peter 5-5.
SUGGESTIVE THOUGHT.
What Should I Do?
I. —Confess God at all Times. —Vs.
25 to 32.
Joseph was a man of God and al
ways confessed God and his faith in
him. Therefore, God was always with
him and gave him favor and power
with men. Also gave to him wisdom.
It may have looked to Joseph some
times that God had forsaken him. His
road to the throne was a hard one.
There were many things calculated to
make him doubt God’s word and his
vision of exaltation. Many things
seemed to stand in the way of the
fulfillment of God’s word. The mur
derous purpose of his brethren, the
wickedness of Patiphar’s wife, and
the ingratitude of the king’s butler.
These seeming hindrances were the
stepping stones to the throne. He
loved God and confessed God, therefore
God caused all things to work together
foi his good. (Rom. 8-28.) God has
called us, and if we love him and be
obedient to his word and acknowledge
and confess him in all our ways, he
will do for us just as he did for Jo-
1 ’<x3sbKi
of them being undressed by the time
they had reached the water’s edge.
The greater number of the boys were
expert swimmers, the pond affording
ample room for swimming contests.
One night when all of the boys
had assembled for their night’s sport
and fun as usual, their leader, George
Granberry, was unusually silent and
still. This was not noticed by the
frollickers for a time, but finally the
“gang” began to take note of their
leader’s quiet manner. One of them
said “Grandy,” for this was the name
he went by in the “gang,” “wake up,
old boy, you haven’t turned a single
handspring tonight, and you look as
solmen and wise as an owl after mid
night. What is the matter with you?”
By this time the attention of the
whole “gang” had been aroused, and
was followed by cries of “come on,
Grandy, come on, let’s have a good
time; let’s turn this old town upside
down.”
Upon being addressed thus by his
companions, he slid down from the
head of the overturned barrel where
he had been sitting and said, “Boys,
I have been thinking. I noticed today
that the Widow Flynn’s yard fence
needed mending, the slats are torn off
in a number of places, as you know,
by our rough fun. And I heard father
say tonight that the Widow Grey need-
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
By B. LACY HOGE, Richmond, Va.
seph. (Prov. 3-6; I. Cor. 28-9 and 10;
Jer. 10-23; Rom. 8-28.) As God caused
the butler to remember Joseph just at
the right moment, so he will use that
seeming failure in our lives at the op
portune time to give the great bless
ing to us and others through us.
II. —Have Faith in God. —Vs. 25-32. __
The visions and promises given by
God to Joseph had not been realized
and it seemed as if they never would
and yet Joseph never lost faith in
Gcd, and his word. He did not hesi
tate to tell Pharaoh that the vision
was from God and that God was sure
to establish it and shortly bring it
to pass. The prediction of Joseph
came true to the letter. Joseph be
lieved God and honored God and God
once honored Joseph. (I. Sam. 2-30;
Ps 15-4: Ps. 18-19 to 21; Ps. 91-14
and 15.) It was God that gave Joseph
authority and power in Egypt. (Acts
7-9 and 10.) Joseph realized that his
great power and high position was giv
en to him by God as a sacred trust to
“save much people.” (Gen. 50-20.) All
our gifts and opportunities are God
given and are given to us as a sacred
trust. If we are faithful in the use
of them, he will give us large oppor
tunities and more power. If we are
not faithful, he will take from us those
we have. (Matt. 25-21 to 29.))
The Golden Age for May 1, 1913
ed help. She is almost without food
and clothing, and what wood she has
needs to be placed in the cellar. I
have been thinking how nice it would
be for us to form ourselves into a
Boys’ Mutual Aid Society. We should
meet in the evening and instead of
worrying the marshal, and the Widow
Flynn, by turning out her pig and cow,
it would be a nice thing for each one
of us to bring along some money to
buy food for the Widow Grey and ham
mer and nails to mend the fence
around the yard of Mrs. Flynn. I have
also thought that it would be well
for us to help one another in devel
oping good morals in our own lives,
by earnest effort to destroy the faults
in us, and develop the good.”
The boys at once entered heartily
into his spirit. For they all loved
and respected “Old Grandy,” as they
had lovingly dubbed him. They elect
ed him president of the “Aid Society,”
and begun to make plans for the exe
cution of the things they had in mind.
At their meeting the next night things
were vastly different from what it had
been formerly. Instead of so much
fun and laughter, they were serious
and in earnest about their work. They
first counted the money brought, and
found that they had enough to furnish
the Widow Grey’s pantry with food.
They also had hammer and nails to
111. —Prepare for the Future. —Vs. 33
to 40.
Joseph interprets God’s message to
Pharaoh and then advised him what
to do in the years of plenty, so as
to be prepared to supply the people’s
need in the time of famine. God has
given to boys and girls the fullness of
youth, with its opportunities for edu
cation, for study, for reading, for
forming good habits, for forming of
character, and to make full preparation
for the work and business of life.
Those that neglect to make prepara
tion in youth will not be able to fill
the places of trust and supply the need
o e the future. Neglect to lay up in
the full years, means you will have
an empty storehouse in the day of
future need. Neglect in youth fills
old. age with suffering, sorrow and re
gret. God has given us this life to
prepare for eternity and if we neg
lect to make the preparation that he
commands us to make, we shall suffer
for it. If we neglect to accept Jesus
as our Saviour, we will miss heaven
with its joy and blessing and be cast
into the place prepared for the devil
and his angels. If we accept Jesus
as our Saviour, yet do not fully obey
and follow him, but build upon the
right foundation wood, hay and stub
ble. our work will be burned and we
SKETCHES
By MARGARET BEVERLY UPSHAW
mend the Widow Flynn’s yard fence.
It was decided first to go to the vil
lage grocery and procure the supplies
for the widow. This done they set
out at the proper time on their mis
sion for the night. The first visit was
paid to the Widow Grey’s, her pile
of wood was silently carried into the
cellar, they then deposited the grocer
ies on her front door step. Their
noise had awakened the widow and
she came mumbling to the door to see
that it was safe from any intrusion of
the boys. As she opened the door
she was uttering threats against them,
about what she would do if she ever
succeeded in laying her hands on them.
She stopped in amazement. What did
aH this mean? Here were the things
she had been praying for that very
day. Surely those “pesky” boys could
not have done this.
The next morning the Widow Flynn
arose making a resolution to herself
that she was going to take vengeance
on those little wretches for keeping
her awake so late during the night
with their noise and knocking around
her house. When she went out to
milk, she stopped in wonder. There
was her fence neatly mended and her
cow safe in her stall, and nothing to
make any bluster about.
These things continued until the
whole village was in a surprised won
der. What had come over the boys?
was the question on the lips of every
one who had come in for their share
of furnishing a brunt for the boys’
fun heretofore. Even Farmer Brown’s
cat seemed to notice the change, and
took her morning stroll with more de
liberation than it had been her custom
formerly.
The boys continued to do something
every evening that would help some
(Continued on page 14.)
will suffer loss and be saved as by
fire. If we accept Jesus and do what
he wants us to do, and go where he
wants us to go and be what he wants
u. 5 to be, we will be saved and also
rewarded for our obedience and ser
vice. (I. Cor. 3-8 to 15.) It is of great
and eternal importance that we accept
and confess Jesus as Lord, and then
do all he commands us to do. (Rom.
10-9 and 10; Matt. 7-21; Matt. 5-19.)
IV. Be Filled With God’s Spirit.—Vs.
38 to 40.
Joseph is exalted by Pharoah be
cause he “is a man in whom the spirit
of God is.” A spirit-filled man is al
ways the best man to put in author
ity (Num. 27-18; Acts 6-3.) We
should select to rule in state and in
church men who are filled with the
Holy Spirit. If we would be careful
to do this we would have clean poli
tics, good laws- and a pure church
filled with power.
V. —Supply the People. —Vs. 34 to 36.
Joseph not only advised, but he sup
plied the people when the famine came.
There is now a famine in the land,
not of bread or of water, but a famine
“for hearing the words of the Lord.”
(Amos. 8-11 and 12.) Learn God’s
word and proclaim it to the people and
thus supply their need. (Ezeh. 33-7;
11. Tim. 4-2 and 3.)
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