October 1931
462
T h e K i n g ’ s ' B u s i n e s s 2. What man was let down from a window in a basket in order to escape from his enemies? 3. What was created and destroyed in one night? 4. Which disciples were nearest to the Lord Jesus in Gethsemane? hy P hiladelphia ! What in the world— !” The Youngest Teacher stopped very suddenly in the middle of the snowy road, her blue eyes dancing with laughter at the odd sight little Philadelphia Tru- gillo made. “You dear chicito,” she finished gently. Now chicito means “little boy” in Span ish, and that was the only word, except his own name, that Philadelphia really un derstood. But he liked the kind voice, and his brown eyes smiled back into the merry blue ones. “Just fancy!” exclaimed the Youngest Teacher a few minutes later at the break fast table in the .little mission house. “I ran down to mail my letters, and coming home, I saw that dirty, adorable six-year- old, who has eyes like brown velvet pan sies and the sweetest smile in the world, trying to cut wood With an ax as long as he is tall. The poor, wee kiddie! But how I wish,” she sighed, “that he would come to school with clean hands and face—once at least! My primary class is having a ‘wash-your-hands-and-face’ contest, and Philadelphia always spoils the record.” Now Philadelphia was, at that moment, wishing that very thing; wishing it with all his loyal little heart. ' Every morning his adored teacher with the smiling eyes inspected the hands and faces of the fif teen little girls and boys of the primary class of La Crescenta Mission School, and every morning when she came to him she soberly shook her head. Then Philadel phia’s tousled, black head hung in shame, and a pain came somewhere under his dirty blue shirt, that hurt badly for a few minutes. His gentle soul did not rebel, but he wished sadly that his mother would get up in the morning and help him get ready for school as other mothers did. . In the days gone by, it had meant only a hurried dressing and a quick breakfast of dry brown bread and cold goat’s milk. But now one’s hands and face must some how be made clean, too. Therefore, Phil adelphia chopped kindlings in the keen air of a New Mexican morning, for he had found by sad experience that cold water did not take off the dirt. But his kindlings were wet with snow, and the school bell rang before his fire had fairly begun to burn, and once more Philadelphia shamefacedly held dirty lit tle brown hands to his teacher. Perhaps it was the memory of the lit tle figure, with the big ax, that changed a gentle rebuke to a cheerful question that morning, “Mañana, Philadelphia?” The brown eyes lighted with a sunny smile, and the little boy’s black head nodded vig orously. Surely tomorrow he would have them clean! The last hour of the morning crept slowly away. All the children of La Cres centa Mission School found that hour slow because in the precious last fifteen minutes the magic music box in the corner played its merry tunes-^and considering there was but one other music box in all
Answers to September Questionnaire 1. John 11:35. 3. Philemon. 2. Psalm 17. 4. Matthew 8 :32. Answer to September Puzzle The text: “Bear ye one another’s bur dens” (Gal. 6:2).
The Editor Speaking Dear Juniors : Your letter comes to you this month from a beautiful valley, with a tiny lake that lies like a blue-green jewel in the heart of it. The valley is 7,000 feet above sea level, and it is like an irregularly-shaped cup on the top of the San Bernardino mountain range in California. I am writing to you on the porch of my cabin, among great pine trees in the tops of which the wind is making a soft, sighing sound. If you have a piano, you can play that song, too, for every sound in nature has also a music tone. Play it slowly and smoothly: C-D-E-G (lower)-C (long drawn out). Sometimes 'a bird note breaks into this song, and just now a scolding sound comes from a tiny, fluttery little nut hatch, sitting on the twig of a tall pine tree. Near that pine tree, there is a tall, dead tree trunk, full of holes in and out of which a second little nut-hatch slips while the first little nut-hatch keeps watch; for that dead trunk is the winter home of Mr. and Mrs. Nut-hatch. They are wee birds, dressed in feathers, a cun ning pattern done in gray and black and white. For two* days there has been a shower of dead pine needles from the hole in the dead tree, as though the tiny birds were having a real fall housecleaning. Today, the new carpet seems to be in the making, for bits of string and moss and cloth are being collected. These birds must have a snug house, because they stay in the mouiitains all winter, when it is cold, and when the snow is sometimes six feet deep. Now I can hear a sharp “tap-tap-tap” inside the old tree. I would think Mr. Nut-hatch was building cup boards for food if I did not know that he lived on the insects he finds on the bark of living trees. Perhaps he is mak ing more room in the house for the baby Nut-hatches that will come in the spring. We read in God’s Word that He cares for the sparrows, and we have seen that He cares for the nut-hatches, too. When I see these little birds getting ready their warm, cozy home, I think of God’s Son, who once said of Himself: “The birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.” He left His wonderful home in heaven to be born on this earth, as a baby boy, that He might win the world back to himself from Satan. • For our sakes, the Lord Jesus chose to become poor and to suf fer, and that is why He can understand us and help us when we suffer. But now it is very different, for He is back in His glory, getting ready a place for those who love Him, and who have believed in Him as their Saviour. Dear Junior, have you believed in Him as your Saviour? If you have, I shall meet you some day in that heavenly home that the Lqrd is preparing for us. Lovingly, Y our E ditor .
PHILADELPHIA WINS B y F rances C. N oble
the village of La Crescenta, it was a treat indeed. , The welcome command sounded: “Put away your work!” The primary class tucked its bits of work out of sight with speed and sat bolt upright, its chubby hands clasped, its brown eyes shining— that is, all the primary class except Con- suelo, who was fidgeting like a wren about her little desk. Philadelphia’s heart was not happy, for of all the little girls in La Crescenta, Philadelphia liked Consuelo best, and she was now in great danger of being “spoken to.” Ah, that was the trouble! Consuelo’s long red pencil, the pride of her heart, had disappeared. “Ramon!” hissed a voice from some where behind Philadelphia. Half fearfully, Philadelphia’s eyes sought big Ramon of the fourth grade, the idol of his child heart; so gay, so brave, so clever was Ramon! Yes, there was the end of the red pencil showing from his pocket. Consuelo’s loss was too much to bear, and big silent tears were rolling down her smooth little cheeks. Philadelphia’s heart was hot. Ramon was strong and big, and yet he was hurting a tiny g irl; Consuelo needed help. Just then Ramon, sensing the accusing eyes of the primary class, carelessly reach ed for the red pencil and dropped*it on the floor. It rolled toward Philadelphia. Hurriedly, he reached for it and then shrank timidly into his seat as Teacher’s voice said in surprise, “What is the trouble with Consuelo ?” Not one, nor all, of the primary class knew the English words she was saying. But each one knew what she meant, and one brave girl, cross at Ramon’s naughti ness, said boldly, “Please, Teacher, the red pencil—he take,” pointing in Ramon’s direction. “Ramon!” Teacher’s voice was sharp. ' “Me, I no haf de pencil, Teacher,” said Ramon in a grieved tone. I tink maybe he—” nodding at Philadelphia. Philadelphia’s downcast eyes, his timid little self, shrinking down behind his desk, and lastly the red pencil itself clasped in his dirty little hand, all were proof of his guilt. “Philadelphia, I am surprised and sorry!” And Teacher’s voice said more than her words. So was Philadelphia; so was the whole primary class 1 But how could they explain in the English they did not know to a teacher who could not un derstand the dear Spanish they chattered so freely? And Philadelphia—even if he could think of the English words, which flew away like birds when one most wanted them—how could he say anything to bring his adored Ramon into trouble? He stood, a silent little figure, in the far corner of the room, bearing his punish ment bravely; but not even the gayest record the phonograph could play brought smiles to the primary class that morning. [To be continued ]
The Memory Four 1st week—Galatians 6 :7. 2d week—Galatians 6 :8. 3d week—Romans 6 :22. 4th week—Romans 6 :23.
Bible Questionnaire : 1. What fruit was given, as a prescrip tion to cure boils, and who used it? :
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker