Smyrna times., 1900-06-06
OUR BIRTHDAY BOX.
BY REV. EDWIN GARDNER,
(PdsiOr of ChesaOOld ". Z. ChuTch.)


Have you ever heard of our Birthday Box
You little folks with golden locks
That come to school each Sunday morn
To learn of Christ, the ''lowly born?"
You say you have-then if you'll stay
I'll tell you why we take to-day
To celebrate the strange event
OF something stranger to us sent.
In eighteen hundred and ninety five
Dear Doctor Smith was then alive
And CheswOld school was growing fast
With noble souls whose zeal would last;
And Brother FOgle, still so dear
To many hearts, was pastor here.
They thought the time was near at hand
When every member of this band
Should fill his mind with choicest lore
Cleaned from the books of learning's store.
And so they fixed upon this plan
That every woman, child and man
Should give cent for every year
That God had let them live down here.
This offering they'd be asked to pay
The Sunday after their birthday.
This made the old folks twist and screw,
For it was hard ON them they knew;
But worse upon their pocket-books
As you could notice by their looks,
For some had passed beyond their prime,
| While others lived ON borrowed time.
Young ladies thought this wouldn't pay
For it might give their age away
This little fact they keep secured
As precious coin in vaults immured.
And so they often passed lie by
Without a glance from either eye.
| The little tots were better bent,
For each began to hunt cent
For every year since he was born
To bring to church next Sunday morn.
The teachers wondered what to do
With all the money then in view,
And where to keep it safe from harm
So as to cause them no alarm.
| Then Doctor Smith with bowed head
Came to the front and gently said:
1--WE have prepared a special box
| That has no doors, or keys, or locks;
1t has no shutters, blinds or sash
Through which to break and get the cash.
'Tis small, know, for small it looks,
Yet it will hold enough for book"
This was in June of that same year;
And many saw the way was clear
To buy library for the school
If each would heed the simple rule.
So all the scholars then began
To carry out the novel plan;
Except some girls still in their teens
Who thought they could not spare the means,
For summer suits, and bonnets too,
They thought, e'er long, would soon be due;
And so they said they'd save their cash
And buy their bcnnets, dress and sash.
Now some cared little for their looks
But gave their mites to buy the books,
Forgetting not that their great need
For better work, was books to read
And now, I'll tell you what is true
About this fund which grew and grew,
Until one day the Doctor said
"This little box seems just like lead
Come, let us count the Off'rings made
And see how much the school has paid"
They strained apart the cover wide,
And there within that box they spied
The finest lot of cents and dimes
To purchase books ''up to the times.'
The plan had proved no meager guess,
Indeed, it was grand success.
Now, all our shelves are full of books,
They're found in all the racks and hooks.
Our scholars read them day and night
And in them take great delight.
But we need more, and so we ask
For your assistance in this task,
Now come and help us what you can
To make each boy useful man;
And every girl, so blythe and free
To be what every girl should be,
A model woman, staunch and true
To work for God and country too.
This is the cause which we maintain,
All other work we will disdain,
And ever by our efforts try
To lead these souls to God on high.
, Now little box we look to thee
! For light, and joy, and liberty.
And as you gather in Christ's hocks
| Mo-, Haavan bless the Rirthdav ROx