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T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
away to the army. The«3oor was ajar, and there was a faint light inside. Was there to be a meeting? Was it that late! What ywould he say to Nancy? It would take only a minute to find out. Quietly he opened the door and looked inside. i Far down in the front, the organist was practicing. One light above the organ cast a golden circle about the instrument and the_ player who just then struck a rich, triumphant chord and swept on into a marching song. Tim caught his breath as he recog nized one of his father’s favorites: “ There’s a royal banner Given for display To the soldiers of the King . . •' And then came the chorus, with its martial strain: Suddenly Tim forgot everything but his father. Dad was a soldier—a good soldier o f Jesus Christ. Dad’s way was right, and just then Tim saw him self as very, very wrong. He leaned his head against the door, closed his eyes, and prayed: “Dear Lord, forgive me! I ’ve been mean and weak, but I ’m sorry. I f you will help me, I won’t let You and Dad down again.” And the Lord answered; He always does. With head up and shoulders back, Tim marched the remaining half block home. As he stepped in, he heard June say, “Where’s Timmie, Nancy? We can’t have our Verse Ceremony with out him.” 1 * , “Here I am,” shouted her brother cheerily. Nancy’s heart leaped with joy at the sight of his face. She asked no questions, but she knew that somehow everything was all right. “Well, let’s get on with our pro gram. We’ll have the carols first, then choose our verses. Then we will sing Dad’s favorite song.” A fter the singing, they took their Bibles and gathered around the table. They knelt by their chairs, and Nancy, taking her father’s place, asked God to ‘ guide each of them to the verse to carry with him or her through the coming year. First , one and then another said solemnly, “ I choose . . .” and then read the verse that was to be a beacon light during the coming year. ’ T im . was the last, not because it was hard to choose, but because he was hunting for a special verse that his father had taught him just before he went away. His voice had a strange, new note in it, as he said: “I choose 2 Timothy 2:3 and 4: ‘Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus “Marchiqg on, marching on, For Christ count everything but loss!”
home while we have to be away frofh you.” “ Tonight is New Year’s Eve,” said Joann. “It will seem queer not to have Father and Mother h e r e , but we’ll choose our verses anyway. Won’t Tim bé home, Nan?” “He should be here very soon,” re plied Nancy, pleasantly, but she Was glad that the twins took up a conver sation between themselves, lost in the glad prospect of their father’s return. In the meantime, Tim was having troubles of his own. On a side street, not far from the church and parson age,' he was arguing with the “Mug gins gang,” ¿s the boys called them selves. Spike Muggins, the leader of the .disorderly little band, was urging Tim to join them in raiding a soft- drink place that evening. “ I tell you, kid,- it’s easy! All we gotta do is just rush the joint. Ole Bill will be scared stiff, and we can run the place to suit ourselves.” Tim shook his head. “The police will be sure to catch you,” he said. “ Aw, you’re just scared! ’Fraid cat, sissy, preacher’s kid, that’s what you áre!” jeered Spike. Tim flushed. “I ’m not afraid,” he snapped angrily. “A ll right, prove it! Meet us here at ten o’clock, and we’ll believe you.” “O. K.,” said Tim shortly, “ But I’ve got to beat it home now.” “Be seeing you then,” chorused the gang as he turned away. Tim wálked slowly down the avenue In the darkness. His mind was in a turmoil. He really did not want to go with the gang in this adventure; he knew it would be wrong. Down deep in his heart he knew he shouldn’t be with those boys at all. It had been easy to drift into their companionship, and it had been easy to be later and later getting home at night. He knew it worried Nancy, but so far, when he had been with the gang, they had done nothing but roam around and talk. Tonight it would be different. He shouldn’t go—Dad wouldn’t like it. Even if he took no actual part in what they planned to do, he should not be there. But Spike had called him a “ ’fraid cat” ! He turned the comer and came face to face with the church w h e r e his father had preached b e f o r e going How to Join the K. Y. B. Club To become a fnember of the know Your Bible Club, read through the Gospel accord* ing to John, using either your own Bible or a Gospel of John which will be sent upon request. When the Gospel has been read and a statement to this effect, signed by parent or Sunday-school teacher, has been 'sent to the Editor of the Junior King's Business, a K. Y. B. C. pin will be mailed. Sunday- school classes or clubs desiring to order ten or more Gospels or pins may wish to share the cost of these supplies, as the Lord di rects: Gospels, postpaid, five cents each— In quantity, three cents; pins, without postage, two cents each. However, no one is to do wthout a Gospel or pin because of lack of money. Address: Junior King's Business, 558 S. Hope St* Los. Angeles 13, Calif.
Christ. No man that warreth en- tangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.’:” “ Tim,” said Nancy softly, “how glad I am that you chose that verse! And Dad will be glad, too.” “Now,” said Joann, “let’s sing Dad’s soldier song.” And together they sang: “Marching on, marching on, For Christ count everything but logs, And to crown Him King, toil'and sing, ’Neath the banner of the cross!” As the music of s t r o n g , young voices, triumphant with the courage and hope of youth,' rang out through the night, outside the house a taxi stopped. From it stepped a tall man in a. chaplain’s uniform. One arm was in a sling. As he turned to extend his good arm to the bright-faced worn- an beside him, he said with a glad voice: “Listen, Nan! The children have carried on—bless their hearts! What a wonderful welcome home . . . this isn’t the end of service, but a begin ning again!” And he took up the song: “Marching on, marching on . .
K. Y. B. C. Bible Quiz
Imagine yourselves in a broadcast ing room o f a radio station. “Station K.Y.B.C.” we w ill call our radio sta tion, which means, as you know, Know Your Bible Club. Our program will be a Bible Quiz, and our contestants will be you boys and girls, readers of the Junior King’s Business. [If this suggestion is used in a Sunday School or Junior Christian Endeavor meeting, it will be most -effective if an improvised microphone is used, bearing the letters K.Y.B.C. Choose contestants to take part, and allow them to stand 'before the microphone as they speak. Keep a score and announce the winners at the close of each program. The announcer will be the superintendent or teacher of the group. 1 Our Bible Quiz program for this month will consist of quotations taken from the Gospel according to John. [Continued on Page 38]
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