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T H E K I N G ’S B U S I N E S S
T]~te C h i l d r e n s G a r d e n Sophie Shaw Meader
gospel if they can havé a place in which to be taugh t. Let us pray th a t we may raise th e »money to help those needy ones.” As the pastor closed his rem arks, Mary bowed her head and asked the Lord to help her to th ink of some way th a t she could help.' The twenty-second of F eb ru ary proved to be a perfect day for a party. T h at afternoon the sleigh-bells jingled m errily as th e sleighs dashed up to th e Reed home carry ing th e invited guests to the party. Each little girl carried a white package, which she laid on the table in th é living room, where a blazing fire in the g reat fireplace snapped and sent long tongues of flame up th e chimney. A fter the last crumb of the b irthday cake had disap peared, th e children danced m errily into the living room and surrounding the table on which th e ir parcels were laid, cried, “Mrs. Reed; Mrs. Reed! you are to un tie the packages.” As the first one was opened, a perfect shower of nickels and dimes fell to th e floor and th e girls had a merry chase capturing them as they rolled away. “Watch out this tim e,” cried th e children as th e sècond bundle was untied. This one too proved to be filled w ith shining silver coins. “W hat does th is m ean?” said th e surprised mother. “ I supposed you had brought Mary some little b irthday gifts. W hat are you going to do w ith all th is money?” “Open the rest, quick, quick and then we’11 tell you,” the children chorused. Amidst much applause, ten packages had been opened, for Mary had laid, one on th e table too, each revealing as many silver coins. Above the din, Mary’s voice was heard saying, “ Oh, mother, th is is th e answer to my prayer. I asked Jesus to show me how to help those little boys and girls in Kentucky th a t our preacher told about.” Then all the girls talked a t once, telling Mrs. Reed how they had planned to give some beautiful presents to Mary on hei b irthday ; but, they said, Mary had overheard them talking about it one day a t school and had surprised them by sug gesting th a t they give the money intend ed -for h er presents to the needy children in th e mountainous districts of Ken tucky. Mary, too, had saved some money for th is purpose. The next day the girls carried th e money to the parsonage and th e m inister thanked God th a t his prayers as well as Mary’s were being answered. The following Sunday as he told the story to his congre gation, there was a g rea t stir in the old Westover church. How the dollars jingled as th e baskets were passed! How the checks and bills fluttered into th e baskets! Mary’s h ea rt was filled w ith joy, as th e w hite-haired m inister in closing exclaimed, “My people, the need in th e Kentucky field is met. Let us sing ‘P raise God From Whom All Blessings Flow .’ ” , OUR LETTER BOX “ I am enjoying the work very much. I am trying to get our little neighbor girls to learn the verses and earn a prize. I am trying to earn a Bible for a little cousin of mine. She never believed in Jesus un til I told h er.” E th e l B o d e k er— 11 y e a rs. “ I didn’t get to see th e page for th e children un til a little late but I have caught up and I enjoy it very much. I have never really had a chance to earn a prize or even to have my name pu t on the honor roll because I live in Korea and can not do all the in teresting things in m aga zines because we get them too late so I will enjoy th is more th an ever.”— Mary H unt—N. J. CO R R EC T IO N S In N o v em b er K in g ’s B u sin e ss on C h ild re n ’s G ard en . In sto ry , “th e B oyhood of-— ■ ?”, la s t p a ra g ra p h , in s te a d of w o rd “ I s a i a h ” u se w o rd “M ic a h .” F U R T H E R IN ST R U C T IO N S A l l c h ild r e n m a y u se p e n c i l s if th e y w ish . (Continued on Page 123)
SUNRISE AND SUNSET PRAYERS By Sophie Shaw Meader As’ th e dewdrops catch th e gleams, Of th e golden sun ’s first beams; L et fiiy life forever shine, Subject to Thy W ill Divine. If between th e d a rk and dawn, E re th e tw inkling stars are gone, Christ descends from mansions blest; W atching, le t me rise and rest.
D e a r L i t t l e C om r a d e s o f t h e G a r d e n F a m i l y ,— I h a v è -so m u ch to te ll y o u a n d so little sp a ce to te ll it in, th a t I fe e l a little lik e th e o ld w om an w ho liv ed in a shoe. In th e firs t p lace, I w a n t to se n d g re e tin g s to a ll w h o h av e b ir th d ay s th is m o n th . My b irth d a y g if t to y o u is a w ish th a t y o u m a y h id e G od’s W o rd in y o u r h e a rts . T h is sam e w ish is se n t .to a ll th e re s t. . A ll th e b o y s a n d g ir ls in m y “G ard en F a m ily ” n ow b elo n g to a clu b c a lle d th e “R ed B ook C lu b ” a n d e v e ry one h a s receiv ed a re d b o o k a s a g ift. Do y o u re a liz e c h ild re n th a t w e a r e n e a rin g th e clo se of o u r c o n te st? ^ J u s t one m o re m o n th of B ib le stu d y an d th e n v e ry soon y o u r b o o k s a re to be s e n t to b e ie x am in e d . T h is m o n th I am g iv in g y o u som e w o n d e rfu l B ib le s to rie s to re a d . I k n o w yo u w ill en jo y th em . T h e S u n rise a n d S u n se t P ra y e rs w h ich y o u see on th is p a g e I w ro te ¿ sp e c ia lly fo r yo u “G ard en c h ild re n .” I p u t th is little poem in th e N o v em b er iss u e of th e K in g ’s B u sin ess, a n d it w as co p ied by a m a g a z in e in th e E a s t. P e rh a p s th e e d ito rs d id n o t k n o w th a t it b elo n g ed to y ou ò r th e y , fo rg o t to s a y t h a t it cam e fro m th e C h ild re n ’s G ard en . E a c h o n e of yo u w h o is ta k in g th e B ib le c o u rse g iv e n in o u r C h ild ren ’s G ard en h a s receiv ed a C h ristm a s c a rd on w h ich w as p rin te d th is poem a n d a C h ristm a s g re e tin g . H ow w o u ld y o u lik e to e a rn som e p riz e s b y g e ttin g n ew su b s c rip tio n s .to th e K in g ’s B u sin e ss? . F o r e v e ry n ew s u b sc rib e r th a t y o u g e t y o u w ill re c e iv e so m e th in g nice. I w ill te ll y o u a ll a b o u t it n e x t m o n th . B u t y o u c a n g o to w o rk a t orice. I hope y o u w ill en jo y m y b irth d a y s to r y th is m o n th . H ow I w ish th a t I. m ig h t se e a ll y o u r h a p p y faces. I f y o u w rite to m e, n o tic e th a t m y a d d rè ss is c h an g ed . G ood-bye, m y “R e d B ook C lub.” Y o u r lo v in g frie n d , SO PH IE SHAW M EAD ER . 285 W . 15th St., D ong B each, C a lifo rn ia . MARY’S BIRTHDAY PARTY Mary Reed was nearly nine years old. H er birthday came on th e twenty-second of F ebruary, so her mother often called her, “My George W ashington daugh ter,” which made Mary very proud, for she dearly loved the stories told her of America’s hero. Mrs. Reed had prom ised th a t Mary should have a b irth day p arty when she was nine years old; and Mary was eagerly counting the days in anticipation of the happy event. She had invited nine little girls, one for each year, and they had all accepted her invitation. It was Sunday morning, two weeks before the party. There was a h in t of snow in th e air and the sun peeped fitfully ou t from behind fleecy clouds. Old Mother E arth was already covered w ith a white blanket. As Mary looked out of h er bedroom window a t the glis tening snow, she clasped her hands in glee for h er father had promised to ta k e them all to church in the new sled. A little later, she sa t earnestly listening to th eir pastor, who was telling of the needs of the mountain people in the neglected districts of Kentucky. Many children who ap plied for adm ission to th e Christian schools had to be •turned away because of lack of room, he said. Evolution was being tau g h t in th e public schools and the Bible was unread. “ If th e boys and girls in th a t d istan t sta te are to become Christians we must get them into a school where the Bible is ta u g h t them. Then they need a suitable church as th ere are so many neglected people w illing to hear, the
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