The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1912-12-26
Mr.. Fishers Talk to the
S. S. Children at Christian
Church Christmas Eve

ana Dig children, young cHllurcn ana
old children, for We are all but chill
dren at best-Or rather, we are all
best as children-we are here to
take part in another Christmas fes.
tival; and perhaps there may be
some Of the Grade rolln among us
who have never seen Christmas,
so for them wen say:
/ Hang up the babys stocking,
BE sure you don't forget;
For the little dimpled darling
Has never seen Christmas vet. "
Now I'm not going to deliver a
lecture tonight, but am just going
to tell you couple OF little stories
that may interest you enough TO
quiet your Impotence until Santa
Claus Gale Is ready to distribute
among you the load of good things
which / think he has hidden in that
little room over there; and perhaps
we may be able to make some appli-
Christmas spirit.
There is a beautiful legend asso-
ciRted with the ground on which
Solomon's temple was builded. The
legend says that the land, which
was then fertile field, was owned
and titled jointly by two brothers.
One Of them was married and the
other was without family. Their
crops were bOuntiful, and one year
at harvest time, when the grain
vas all gathered, they fairly di-
vidcd the crop, one placing his
share over here in one part Of the
field, and the other his share over
there IN another part Of the field
That night the unmarried brother
sat alone in his home pOndcriu-,
aud this thought came into his
heart. My brother is married and
has wife aud children to look af-
ter and provide for, while / have no
one to care for but myself, and that
is MI easy matter, for it doesn't take
much for one. | will do what can
to lessen my brothers burden, by
increasing his store" And SO he
arose and went out into the field,
and taking OF the sheaves from his
own pile he carried them over and
laid them on his brothers pile. He
then returned to his lonely home
with a great peace and love in his
heart.
While he was engaged In this work
of love, the married brother was
saying to his wife, 1--WE have a
gOOdly home and our hearth is made
joyous by the Apply voices Of our
children, but our brother is over
there alone. There is no hand to
light the fires, no wife and happy
children to brighten his home com
ing. He has, then, the more need
Of IA larger share Of this world =
goods to make up for the blessings
which we enjoy So he went out
in the night, and taking the sheaves
from his own share of the crop, car
ried them over and carefully laid
them on the unmarried brothers
pile.
The next morning the two broth
ers took their accustomed walk over
the fields, and each was secretly as
tonished that his share of the d.
vided crop was as large as it was
when they had gone home the even
ing before. But OF course they
didn't say anything to each other Of
what was In their hearts. That
night, however, the unmarried broth
er went out into the field again and
went through the task OF carrying
sheRves from his own pile and plac-
ing them on that OF his brother.
The married brother did the same
thing, without meeting the uumar-
rled brother, aud the next morning
LlltN Wtlt vi at anNOIlCll'u w
find that the share OF each was as
large as ever. This was kept up for
six nights without the brothers hap
pening to meet up with each other in
their generous act, so each one de-
cided in his own heart that he would
watch on the seventh night and try
to solve this mystery. And on that
night each met the other carrying
sheaNes from his own pile to that of
the other, and the hrotherly love
between them was cementcd and
made stronger, and blessed them all
the rest Of their days.
This spot, says the legend where
so beautiful thought was born in
the hearts of the two brothers, was
deemed place pleasing to the great
loving heart of God and was chosen
and blessed as the site of His Holy
Temple.
They were brothers who thus loved
each other and were so thoughtful
and considerable the one Of the other,
you may say. But does not this
| thought come To yOu-it does To