THE KING’S BUSINESS In consequence of this, many have been led to see and feel their need of a Saviour, and have been, led to accept the Lord Jesus Christ. Then the better side of the character of many young men has been brought out. Not a few who have been leading an utterly selfish life have had their thoughts turned toward others, toward the Belgians for example, and their misfortunes, and also toward the need of their country at the present time. While many of those who have entered the army have entered simply because they were drafted, thousands have gone in because they have been awakened to a sense of their duty to their country and to the oppressed and wronged in other lands. And men who have been living lives of self-indulgence hitherto have taken upon themselves hardships of all kinds and done it cheerfully, in order that they might do their duty toward their country and toward the world in .this trying hour. In addition to all this many have very cheerfully given up the lavish expenditure and waste that has characterized their lives in the past, and entered upon a life of comparative simplicity and economy. Doubtless if the war ends soon this new and wiser and better mode of living will be followed by many even after plenty and prosperity return. The sacrifices that people in America have been called upon thus far to make in “meatless days” and “wheatless days” and “ice-creamless days” are no real hardship. A very large share of our population will be better off physically for having one meatless day a week. An overwhelming proportion of the people in this country eat altogether too much meat any way, and certainly two or three meatless days a week would do them no harm, but oftentimes much good. Not a few of our people, even peo ple in very moderate circumstances, have been lavish in their expenditure of money on food, clothes, and luxuries, and anything that causes us to_exhibit a stricter economy along pretty much all lines will be a benefit to the individual and the family and the nation. A MOTHER’S TALK TO MOTHERS. The talk on prayer of which we give an outline below, was given at a mothers’ meeting by a mother of three children (the^ oldest eight and the youngest two), who does her own housework and does it well. The notes_ fell into our hands and we thought them worth giving a wider circulation, especially in view of the circumstances under which given: _ , “ P r a y e r . —Prayer should play an'important part in each of our lives, and yet what an unimportant factor it often is. There are among us too many Marthas,’careful and troubled about many things, life has become so complex, and too few Marys who have ‘chosen the better part.’ Oftentimes prayer is cut down to just a few hurried petitions the last thing at night,, which are uttered through force of habit', rather than a yearning to talk with our Father. “Plow unnatural and hard a person would be considered who bore the strained and hurried relation with their earthly father that many do with the Heavenly Father. If we were living in the same house with our father and spoke to"him only once or twice a day and then only a few hurried sentences, something surely would be vitally wrong. “Should we not commune with our Heavenly Father with even a greater degree of love, trust, freedom and understanding than with an earthly parent?
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