th John? Well, just this: His
business had swallowed him up! He had given it his whole time for
years, and he did nothing else. It was groceries, groceries,
groceries, and nothing but groceries. It was groceries on Monday,
groceries on Tuesday, groceries on Wednesday, groceries on Thursday,
groceries on Friday and groceries till eleven o'clock Saturday night,
and if John went to church Sunday morning, sat on the front seat, and
looked straight at the preacher all the time (so the preacher would
say to himself, 'John seems to be very much interested in the sermon
this morning, bless the Lord'). Ten to one John wasn't thinking of the
preacher or his sermon at all--just only of groceries--or some big
bill he had to buy or pay on the morrow.

"Now, if the epitaph had said, 'Here lies the body of John Blank; he
was born a man and died a banker,' it would have been just as bad.
Or, if he had died an undertaker, and buried himself, it would not
have been any better.

"Now, John, Harry, Willie, if you want to be a grocer when you grow
up, _be a grocer_ and a big one--a wholesale grocer if you wish,
and be a _good one_--the very best in town, if you can, but
say--don't let your grocery business _swallow you up_ till you
are _not good for anything else_ but to buy and sell groceries!
Be a _good grocer_, but be a _better, bigger MAN!!_

"Perhaps you would like to be a lawyer; very well, be a _lawyer_,
but see to it that you don't _die a lawyer_, and nothing but a
lawyer. Don't let your profession swallow you up, and be bigger than
you are yourself! Yes, be a lawyer, be a judge, if you will; the world
doesn't seem to be able to get along without them--some of them to get
people into trouble and others to get them out of it!

"Yes, but no matter how big and how good and just a judge you are, be
a bigger, better, juster MAN.

"Here is another example. We have had Mr. Slim Jim; now let us have
Mr. Broadman--broad-shouldered--broad-backed--broad-minded--big-hearted,
open-pursed MAN--born a man and died a MAN. [Write last seven words on
the blackboard.] Remember this: It is every man's duty to provide for
his family, but it is no man's duty to provide a _million_ for
them and provide nothing for those who are aged and sick and lame and
blind and poverty stricken, and helpless.

"That kind of charity which 'begins at home' and _stays there_ is
a shame and disgrace to its possessor. It is the kind Mr. Narrow
Minded Slim Jim dispen