"Son, go work to-day in my vineyard."

MEMORY HYMN [422]

_"Work, for the night is coming."_

THE BIG STORE

Many of the girls and boys who read this little book live in or near one
of the great cities where they have huge department stores. I love to
visit a big store. I have spent hours, more likely days, if I should
count up all the time, in Wanamaker's in New York and Philadelphia,
Marshall Field's in Chicago, Hengerer's in Buffalo, and Eaton's in
Toronto. Any season of the year, and almost any hour of the day, these
stores are thronged with people, for people like to go to the big store.

Now I am thinking of another big store, a truly big store, the great big
store of Life. We have to visit at this store whether we want to or not.
It is not a matter of choice but of necessity. Every morning you visit
the big store of Life. Every evening you return home with what you have
bought.

Not only must you visit this store but you must also buy. When you visit
Wanamaker's you do not have to buy unless you choose. In the big store
of Life, however, you have no choice in the matter, you must buy. What
must you buy? Well, you may buy anything you choose. This is the
beautiful thing about the big store of Life--while we are compelled to
buy we are permitted to choose. We must also pay.

"Good morning, John, what would you like to buy this morning."

"I think I'll buy a good geography lesson."

"All right, you can buy that, but you must pay the price."

"What is the price?"

"Study, earnest study. Never leave the preparation until the last minute
or trust to luck."

Yes, it is true, right on through every department in the big store of
Life, you can buy whatsoever you choose, but you must pay the price.

MEMORY VERSE, _Philippians_ 4: 8

"Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever
things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are
lovely, whatsoever things are of good report ... think on these things."

MEMORY HYMN [332]

_"Thou my everlasting portion."_

BREAD

I have here a loaf of bread. This is good-looking bread, is it not? I
can almost hear you say, "Please pass the bread." That is, I hope you
say that. I hope you do not say, "Gimme the bread."

Now every girl and boy here knows what it is to be hungry, I'm sure of
that. And when one is real hungry there is nothing that tastes as good
as bread. Of course there should be some butter