South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-11-12
Sunday MORNING Breakfast Talk
By ReU Elmer Ward Cole

years you have neglected to plant
any flowers. You may fancy that
that You have religion but you only
have a skeleton. You are feeding
on the husks The world wants
eyes that can see and a good throb-
bling heart that can love Throw
away your old dry leaves and begin
now 20 PLAN garden. Grow some
thing.
II a home the other day a man
showed me a baby dress 1T IS pref
~ hard 20 keep the tears pack" he
said But you have two fine chill
dren here" said l. oh. yes, they
are fine and don't you know the finest
thing in all the world is 10 see them
kneel down by the bedside and say
their prayers. You know 1 used TO
pray but now It IS only a memory
for me-long ago I have ceased 10
pray" Like the little dress prayer
was only a memory. Too many OF
US have put away our religion and
we only get il out on occasions. Some
way we feel that we have outgrOwn
IL. Do you know that the faith OF
for manhood Yes we need that
purity. that faith, that confidence all
Of which characterized our child
hood days You have lost your faith
in your fellows because you have lost
your faith in yourself. You are no
longer true and pure and you know
Il.
Then in that old Bible was the pic
ture OF the fellow with whom SIS
used TO keep company. She loved
that fellow who long ago went away
but every now and then Sis goes to
that old book, turns its leaves and
gazes on the face she once loved.
That is JUS what you do with your
religion. 1t is an idle love that
gazes only on a memory. The world
with its broken hearts and aching
volds needs a love that turns 10 the
future not alone to the past Yes,
my friend your mother was a re-
ligious woman and that tender mem
DRY is worth while only when you
have put that love into practice.
Love IS valuable only in the pro-
portion that it works in today. You
will feel proud of as she looks down
into your life as you live it today.
Come mother and hold my hand
while 1 go TO sleep said little Curley
Locks the other evening. 1T Is so
lonesome unless you are here" Carry
the philosophy of this little curley
haired girl up into your own life and
see how many lonesome people there
are in the world, lonesome for just
little bit of love Perhaps it Is
child in your own home. You think
YOU love the child but you are so
busy. oh so busy with the business
of the world. You battle away into
the wee hours of the night trying 10
accumulate a competence for the
children. And then the day comes
sooner or later when you have TO go
and leave il all. and what have you
left? A competence but what Is
that TO hungry soul? You had
better leave the memory Of a great
life. of a prayer your children have
heard you utter, of a brave deed that
you have done. OF great love that
you have eXemplified 10 the world.
You had better leave a great Christ
ian character than to leave millions
OF dollars Now my friend what Is
in your Bible? Is it the dried leaves
of an ancient creed--is it the mem
DRY Of a good old mothers religion
Is II a piece Of the baby's dress-is
1t a memory Of a love that you used
to cherish-is this all that is in
your Bible? The Bible is of no use
TO you unless you make II live in the
deeds Of today. The religion Of yes
terday will not do for today. Your
religion must be a religion that
throbs and lives in the life Of today.
The world is hungry-feed it
thirsty-give it drink. There are
others who are chilling with the
wintry blasts because the affections
are frOzen-clothe and warm them.
"In as much as We have done it unto
one Of the least Of these my brethren,
We have done il unto me"