St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1903-07-18
boy or girl there is behind it. / wo,

Probably there were numerous Oh DOyS
in Palestine who bore the same name
as this boy, and let the name be called
and all would respond and come for
ward, but call for the boy with the
loaves and fishes and just one boy APP
pears, the lad of our text. No boy or
girl can claim exclusive right to the
name they bear and forbid any other
person being similarly named, but
every boy and girl may so live and do
that some deed will mark them as diff
ferent and distinct from every other
boy and girl. You may become known
to God, if not to your companions and
friends, as the lad or lassie who spoke
the kindly word or did the helpful
deed, who had something that Jesus
could use and freely gave it to Him
that it might bless all those about.
7 REMEMBER reading the story q
l good many years ago of the little girl
whose waking thought in the morn
ing was what she might do that would
really count towards helping others.
Instead of waiting for some great and
noble thing to do, and idly dreaming
the morning away, she thought Of
something which every girl, and boy.
too, can do, wear bright smile and
speak the CHEEKY word. You see she
was very practical miss and began
with the thing nearest at hand, and
that which she could do. So she
thought of all the good pure things she
could, she caught the beam of the sum
light in her eyes, she wreathed her face
in smiles, she pitched her voice to the
tune of the birds singing without her
window, and then went tripping down
stairs, her light heart giving wings to
her little feet. The first one she met
was Bridget in the kitchen. She had
cloud on her face that betokened q
storm. The dishes ratified and banged
an impatient discord. It was enough
to make our little girl forget her
good resolution and run of and leave
Bridget to her unhappy mood. TWAS
a hard place to begin. But Jesus likes
to have US begin in the hard places.
And you will see before our story is
done that it was just where this little
girl needed to begin. When our little
girl came dancing in she did not give
the ill-nature of Bridget chance to
chill her heart. She did not say:
"Well, if Bridget is going to beso cross
and mean, l will be cross and mean,
too, to pay her back" No, she just let
that smile shine out. Her bright eyes
put to shame the downcast eyes and
frowning brow Of Bridget. Her CHEEKY
voice called out happy: 'Goodmo
ing" and away she fitted with her sun
shine and her merry laugh, without
waiting to hear the surly grunt Of
Bridget which she meant for "Good
morning"
DUT that smile and that CHEEKY wore
y braved the frown and growl OF un-
happy Bridget and somehow, as theJ
always will, got away down into hel
heart, bringing light and new
warmth there. It set her to thinking
The little girl had preached her bet
ter and stronger sermon than the par
son could have done. She felt sorry
and concluded she would be bright
and happy, too. So, instead Of letting
the meat get as dry and brown as the
frown had been upon her face, and in
stead of swimming it in grease, she
cooked it just to a turn. The mullins
in the oven felt the change of atmos
phere and came BUT Of the oven light
and just tinged with that appetizine
brown, instead of the usual deep brown
and burnt bottoms As she brought il
the well-prepared meal. the master
heard her coming and il-naturedlJ
muttered to himself that he supposed
the meat was as tough as leather ant
swimming in the black gravy as usual
But Bridget came In with . CHEEKY air
she forgot to set the dishes down with
bang, and everything looked SO un
usually good that the ill-humor OF thu
master of the house was driven awcy
The other members of the family
caught the brightness and cheer, ant
the little girl found she was not alone
with her smile and merry voice. And
the day so well begun ranall the day OF
that little girls smile and cheer.
"Good morning. The ripples went cir
cling out until they touched the Office
and store and business world Of tn,
merchant, the social sphere OF tn,
mother, the schoolroom and play
ground of the children. Sister, VIII.
was generally so unobliging because
SO full of her own plans, had time t.
help brother with the hard parts o:
his lesson, and sent him on to the kno
of playmates with new impulses a
work in his heart which made it cas-,
for him to be unselfish in his play ant
more thoughtful towards others. How
that smile was multiplied! How tina
chsery "Good morning." went ringing
down all through the day like tn
words spoken in the grand canyon,
Of the west go bounding from rock t.
rock as the echoes increase and mul
tiply, seemingly Indefinitely, in tn
distance! That little girls name ma,
have been Mary, or Jane, or Clara, O
any one of the thousand and one name
borne by girls, but it's what that ittl
girl did and not her name, that lives 10
us and interests us. So it is with til.
lad with the loaves and fishes. So i
may be with you, my boy, and you, m,
girl. You may be one of the boys o
girls to carry the loaves and fshe
which Jesus will use to bless the ever
widening circle Of those about.
p UT there Is something else abou
d this lad which attracts our atten
ton. Andrew says to Jesus: "Ther
is a Lad HERE" He was q Lad VIII