101. Your little boy looks up at you,
His big eyes open wide.
He puts his trusting hand in yours,
And says, "Come look outside!"

So you tiptoe to the window
--But there's nothing there to see.
Then he points & whispers softly,
"See that robin by the tree?"

"My child," you think, stay ever young.
That joys like this might last.
But though I know you too must grow,
Why need you grow so fast?"

For soon he'll learn to read & write,
And play guitar & sing!
He'll reach out to the World about
and cut the apron strings!

He'll seem to grow so quickly then,
That days & years shall fly!
The things that made a young child smile
He'll leave, as time goes by.

One day he'll meet that special girl,
And want her for his wife.
They'll leave your care & move away
To build a brand new life.

But just like that, your thoughts come back,
He shouts, "The robin smiled!"
You hug him close & say through tears,
"Thank God you're still a child!"
--Patricia J. White

102.A story is told of a father who took his boy on his knee & told him the story of the lost sheep; now it found a hole in the fence & crawled through; how glad it was to get away; hot it skipped & played in the sunshine until it wandered so far that it could not find its way back home. And then he told him of the wolf that chased the sheep, & how, finally the good shepherd came & rescued it & carried it back to the fold.
The little boy was greatly interested & when the story was over, he surprised his father by asking, "Did they nail up the hole in the fence?"
How often we overlook the "hole in the fence!"

103. In the breast of a bulb
Is the promise of spring.
In the little blue egg
Is a bird that will sing.
In the soul of a seed
Is the hope of the sod.
In the heart of a child
Is the Kingdom of God.

104. Any great painting
Will leave my wife fainting.
Its beauty so powerfully enthralls.
But never before
Did she slump, to the floor
As at Junior's new work on our walls!

105. Train up a child in the way he should go: & when he is old, he will not depart from it.--Proverbs 22:6

106. Said a precious little laddie,
To his father one bright day,
"May I give myself to Jesus,
Let Him wash my sins away?"

"Oh, my son, but you're too little,
Wait until you older grow,
Bigger folks, 'tis true, do need Him, but
Little folks are safe, you know."

Said the father to his laddie
As a storm was coming on,
"Are the sheep all safely sheltered,
Safe within the fold, my son?"

"All the big ones are, my father,
But the lambs, I let them go,
For I didn't think it mattered,
Little ones are safe, you know."

Oh, my brother! Oh, my sister!
Have you too made that mistake?
Little hearts that now are yielding
May be hardened then--too late.

'Ere the evil days come nigh them,
Let the children come to Me,
And forbid them not," said Jesus,
"For such shall My Kingdom be."

107. I do not ask my son to follow in the footprints that I have made.
My faith in him points out his path in bolder steps which lead beyond the narrow borders of my way.
Be his more gentle where my feet too deeply trod, & where I faltered, may his step be firm.
A prouder glory parent never won than this
To give the world a good, a manly son.
--Robert H. Lord

108. Words of praise, indeed, are almost as necessary to warm a child into congenial life as acts of kindness & affection. Judicious praise is to children what sun is to flowers.

109. Somewhere I read of a rough boy who attended a Sunday School & made it tough for every teacher he had. Finally, after a consultation with the teachers, the Superintendent led him to the door one Sunday with this curt dismissal: "There's the street. Go, & never come back to this Sunday School!"
He never came back, but they heard from him again! He began a career of crime & bloodshed that perhaps has never been equalled in modern times. Finally, before a theater entrance in Chicago one evening, his body was riddled with bullets.
In one of the chicago papers a most unusual picture appeared--only the feet of the dead desperado showed. The caption under the picture was brief: "These are the feet of John Dillinger!" The editorial comment was heartsearching: "Who knows where these feet might have gone if someone had guided them aright?"

110. A little boy & his daddy were looking at a litter of puppies, planning to buy one, & the daddy asked the boy which one he wanted. The lad pointed to a pup whose tail was wagging furiously & said, "That one with the happy ending."

111. England's great & good Queen Victoria was being honoured by a great celebration while visiting a city. On a corner of one street a large stand was built where a great company of children was assembled to sing for her. That night after all the excitement was over, the mayor received a telegram. Perhaps he thought it was a compliment about the celebration. But the message was a simple one straight from the motherly heart: "The Queen wants to know whether all the children got home safely."

112. There was a child who went forth every day;
And the first object he looked upon, that object he became.
And that object became part of him for the day, or a certain part of the day, or for many years, or stretching cycles of years:
The early lilacs became part of this child....
And the apple-trees covered with blossoms, & the fruit afterward, & wood-berries, & the commonest weeds by the road;
And the schoolmistress that passed on her way to the school....

The blow, the quick loud word, the tight bargain, the crafty lure, The family usages, the language, the company, the furniture--the yearning & swelling heart.
The doubts of day-time & the doubts of night-time--the curious whether & how,
Whether that which appears is so, or is it all flashes & specks?
Men & women crowding fast in the streets--if they are not flashes & specks, what are they?
These became part of that child who went forth every day, & who now goes, & will always go forth every day.
--Walt Whitman

113. First thing every morning,
Last thing every night,
Sometimes, dear Lord, I grumble,
"Oh, why is this my plight?"

But when my children 'round me
Look to me with such hope,
It gives me faith & courage
To know somehow I'll cope!

Day after day,
Weeks upon weeks,
We wash the same dishes,
Kiss the same cheeks.

But year after year
We see a bit more,
And get a few hints
Of what God has in store!

A princess?--With a dirty dress?
A prince?--With a dirty face?
Yes!--And they shall rule Earth someday
If you'll not lose your faith!

114. After a lecture by the late Francis Wayland Parker, great Chicago educator, a woman asked: "How early can I begin the education of my child?"
"When will your child be born?"
"Born" she gasped. "Why, he is already five years old!"
"My goodness, woman," he cried, "don't stand here talking to me--hurry home; already you have lost the best five years."

115. I learned more about Christianity from my mother than from all the theologians of England.--John Wesley

116. Demoralize the youth of a nation & the revolution is already won.--Nikolai Lenin

117. If you would train your children rightly, train them in the way they SHOULD go & not in the way they WOULD.

118. All anybody expects of an adolescent is that he act like an adult & be satisfied to be treated like a child.

119. With the World in such a confused state, no wonder babies cry when they come into it.

120 A boy who was so slow to learn to talk that his parents thought him abnormal & his teachers called him a "misfit". His classmates avoided him & seldom invited him to play with them. He failed his first college entrance exam at a college in Zurich, Switzerland. A year later he tried again. In time he became world famous as a scientist. His name: Albert Einstein.

121. You don't know what trouble is until your kids reach the age of consent, dissent, & resent--all at the same time.

122. Happy children of the King,
Jesus Children dance & sing!
Watch them dance around His Throne,
The ones He calls His very own!

See them dancing in the street,
Sharing love with all they meet!
They are stars of His great show!
With tears of joy, we watch them glow!

What a wonder He should please,
To use such simple ones as these--
To give us glimpses of above
And show the World His wondrous Love.

Little child, so full of grace,
Jesus shining in your face!
How I wonder if you see--
Jesus, when you look at me?

Little child, by cares unbound
You lighten up the World around!
Jesus grant you by His grace,
To, as you you sleep, behold His face!

Happy children of the King,
Jesus Children, dance & sing!
Dance & sing around His throne;
Jesus loves you as His Own!

Lord, give me faith as a child.
To lose my cares & learn to smile.
To daily show my love to You,
And trust You Jesus, as they do!

123. Children are the greatest child psychologists in the World & they'll pull psychology on you! They know more about it than you do, you've just gotta keep at least one jump ahead of them.

124. "Dear Mother", said the little girl,
"Please whisper to me--Before I am a Christian
How old ought I be?

"How old ought you to be, dear child,
Before you can love me?"
"I always loved you, Mommy dear,
Since I was tiny, wee."

"I love you now, & always will,"
The little daughter said,
And on her mother's should hid
Her golden curly head.

"How old, my girlie, must you be
Before you trust my care?"
"Oh, Mother dear, I do, I do,
I trust you everywhere."

"How old ought you to be my child,
to do the things I say?"
The little girl looked up & said,
"I can do that today."

"Then you can be a Christian, too,
Don't wait 'til you are grown.
Tell Jesus, now, you come to Him
To be His very own."

And so the little girl knelt down,
And said, "Lord, if I may,
I'd like to be a Christian now,"
He answered, "Yes; today."

125. Open the door for the children,
Tenderly gather them in,
In from the highways & hedges,
In from the places of sin;
Some are so young & so helpless,
Some are so hungry & cold,
Open the door for the children,
Gather them into the fold.

Open the door for the children,
This would God have you to do,
Many are there near your doorstep,
Willing to listen to you.
Show them the way of salvation,
Teach them from God's Holy Word,
Reach them while hearts are yet tender,
Lead them in love to the Lord.
--Mary F. Kidder

126. Where did you come from, baby dear?
Out of the Heavens into here.

Where did you get your eyes so blue?
Out of the sky I came through.

What makes the light in them sparkle & spin?
Some of the starry spikes left in.

Where did you get that little tear?
I found it waiting when I got here.

What makes your forehead so smooth & high?
A soft hand stroked it as I went by.

What makes your cheek like a warm white rose?
I saw something better than anyone knows.

Whence that three-cornered smile of bliss?
Three angels gave me at once a kiss.

Where did you get this pearly ear?
God spoke, & it came out to hear.

Where did you get those arms & hands?
Love made itself into hooks & bands.

Feet, whence did you come, you darling things?
From the same box as the cherubs' wings.

How did they all just come to be you?
God thought about me, & so I grew.

But how did you come to us, you dear?
God thought about you, & so I am here.
--George MacDonald

127. Lord Jesus Christ, our Lord most dear,
As Thou wast once an infant here,
So give this child of mine, we pray,
thy grace & blessing day by day:
O holy Jesus, Lord divine.

As in Thy heavenly kingdom, Lord,
All things obey Thy sacred Word,
Do Thou Thy mighty succour give,
And shield this child by morn & eve:
O holy Jesus, Lord divine.

Their watch let angels round him keep
Where'er he be, awake, asleep;
Thy holy Cross now let him bear,
That he Thy crown with saints may wear:
O holy Jesus, Lord divine.
--H. Von Laufenberg

128.As Hannah to the Temple gate
Her dearest treasure bore,
So, Lord, to Thee we consecrate
This child for evermore.

Thy faithful soldier, may he fight
Against falsehood, sin & shame
and losing all to win the right
Confess Thy holy name.

Thy faithful servant, may he learn
To love & labour still,
And with a flaming spirit burn
To know & do Thy will.

O Saviour, all he is is Thine,
And all he yet may be;
O shelter him with love divine,
And draw him near to Thee.

For Thou, O Lord, are all our life
In Thee all struggles end:
Through all the sorrow & the strife
Our Maker & our Friend.
--Bishop Gilbert White

129. He was only three years old when his father died. "So that", he said, "I grew up under the care of my blessed mother. She developed my early talent for drawing, & encouraged me in my visits to the machine-shops of the town." Robert was a poor pupil at school, however, & the teacher complained to his mother. Whereupon Mrs. Fulton replied proudly: "My boy's head, sir is so full of original notions that there is no vacant chamber in which to store the contents of your musty books." "I was only ten years old at that time," said Fulton, "& my mother seemed to be the only human being who understood my natural bent for mechanics.

130. Parents have always sought advice on rearing their children, & they still do. Back in 1853, Mrs. Abell had the following to say.
"Remember that children are men & women in miniature, & though they should be allowed to act as children, still our dealings with them should be manly, & not morose; recollect, also that every look, word, tone & gesture, nay even your dress makes an impression.
"Never correct a child on suspicion, or without understanding the whole matter, nor trifle with a child's feelings when under discipline.
"Be always mild & cheerful in their presence; communicative but never extravagant, trifling or vulgar in language or gesture. Never trifle with a child, nor speak beseechingly, when it is doing wrong. Always follow commands with a close & careful watch, until the thing is done, allowing no evasion, & no modification, unless the child ask for it, & it be expressly granted.
"Never speak in an impatient, fretful manner, if you have occasion to find fault.
"Never disappoint the confidence a child reposes in you, whether it be a thing placed in your care or a promise.
"Always give prompt attention to a child when he speaks, so as to prevent repeated calls, & that he may learn to give prompt attention when you call him.
"Even in sickness, gentle restraint is better for the child than indulgence.
"Never try to impress a child with religious truth when in anger, or talk to him of God, as it will not have the desired effect. Do it under more favourable circumstances.
"Improve the first ten years of life as the golden opportunity, which may never return. It is the seed time, & your harvest depends upon the seed then sown.
"Selfishness that binds the miser in chains, that chills the heart, must never be allowed a place.
"Never reprove children severely in company, nor hold them up to ridicule, or make light of their failings.
"At the table a child should be taught to sit up & behave in a becoming manner, not to tease when denied, or to leave his chair without asking. A parent's wish at such a time should be a law, from which no appeal should be made.
"There should never be two sets of manners, the one for home & the other for company, but a gentle behaviour should be always required.
"Never say to a child, 'I don't believe what you say,' nor even express doubts. If you have such feelings, keep them to yourself, & wait; truth will eventually be made plain."

131. "Jesus loves me, this I know,
For the Bible tells me so:--
Little children ask no more,
For love is all they're looking for,
And in a small child's shining eyes
The Faith of all the ages lies--
And tiny hands & tousled heads
That kneel in prayer by little beds
Are closer to the dear Lord's heart
And of His Kingdom more a part
Than we who search, & never find,
The answers to our questioning mind--
For Faith in things we cannot see
Requires a child's simplicity
For, lost in life's complexities,
We drift upon uncharted seas
And slowly Faith disintegrates
While wealth & power accumulates--
And the more man learns, the less he knows,
And the more involved his thinking grows,
And, in his arrogance & pride,
No longer is man satisfied
To place his confidence & love
With childlike Faith in God above--
Oh, Father, grant once more to men
A simple childlike Faith again
and, with a small child's trusting eyes
May all men come to realise
That Faith alone can save man's soul
And lead him to a Higher Goal.
--Helen Steiner Rice

132. An old sexton in a cemetery took special pains with the little graves. When asked why, he said, "Sir, about those larger graves, I don't know who are the Lord's & who are not, but, you know, it's different with the children."

133. My music is the patter
Of happy little feet,
Exploring house & attic
And scampering down the street.

My art is crayon scribbling
On table, door & wall
In classic style & modern--
I treasure one & all.

My literature comprises
The books my children know
And old tales I remember;
From childhood long ago.

The kind of culture I acquire
No college impart,
Yet wisdom only life can teach
I cherish in my heart.
--Kathrine Kelly Woodley

134. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him, & His righteousness unto children's children; to such as keep His covenant, & to those that remember His commandments to do them.--Psalm 103:17,18

135. They say, "you really pay for having children."--But we RECEIVE much more than we pay! The kids are the pay-off! They're worth it all! One of the most wonderful things we have in this life are children.

136. God shocked the World with a babe, not a bomb.

137. The birth of a baby is God's vote of confidence in the future of man.

138. Everyone needs recognition, but one can carry the need too far--like the little boy who says to his father, "Let's play darts, I'll throw, & you say, 'Wonderful!'"

139. Many years ago a farmer had an unusually fine crop of grain. Just a few days before it was ready to harvest, there came a terrible hail & wind storm. The entire crop was demolished. After the storm was over, the farmer, with his little son sent out on the porch. The little boy looked at what was formerly the beautiful field of wheat, & then with tears in his eyes he looked up at his dad, expecting to hear words of despair. All at once his father started to sing softly, "Rock of ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee." Years after, the little boy, grown to manhood, said, "That was the greatest sermon I ever heard." The farmer lost a grain crop, but who knows but that that was the turning point in the boy's life? He saw the faith of a godly father in practice.

140.There is an old story called "Not One to Spare!" There was a very poor family who had five children, & somehow a very rich old couple became acquainted with them & they fell in love with the couple & their children. They themselves were childless, so they offered to adopt one of the children. They said, "We'll bring up your child in wealth & give him a good education, he'll live in a wealthy home & inherit all our riches! We want to adopt one of your children for our own."
So the father & mother discussed which one they should give up, & they went into the bedroom where the children were sleeping: "Let's see, could we give this one? Or should we give that one?" When the rich couple came back in the morning & asked, "Which one are you going to give us?", the parents answered, "We're sorry, but we don't have one to spare!"

141. A child's ear is a delicate instrument that can't hear a parent's shout from the next room, but picks up the faintest tingle of the ice cream man's bell.

142. The generation that criticises the younger generation is always the one that raised it.

143. Too often an abandoned child is one who is still living with this parents.

144. Watch the kid who's cutting classes at school--he may be in training to be a congressman later in life.

145. All children don't disobey their parents. Some are never told what to do.

146. Nothing makes a boy smarter than being a grandson.

147. Children disgrace us in public by behaving just like we do at home.

148. Most kids can't understand why a country that makes atomic bombs would ban firecrackers.

149. One important way for us to help our children grow up is for us to do it first.

150. If you are disgusted & upset with your children, just imagine how God must feel about His!

151Children are a great deal more apt to follow your lead than the way you point.

152. Children need strength to lean on, a shoulder to cry on, & an example to learn from.

153. You can get any child to run an errand for you--if you ask him at bedtime.

154. Maybe children could keep on the straight & narrow if they could get information from someone who's been over the route.

155. It's extremely difficult for a child to live right if he has never seen it done .

156. A boy is the only thing God can use to make a man.

157. Most children seldom misquote you; they repeat what you shouldn't have said word for word.

158. Every father should remember that one day his son will follow his example instead of his advice.

159. As the gardener is responsible for the products of his garden, so the family is responsible for the character & conduct of its children.

160. Child psychology is what children manage their parents with.

161. Teaching children to count is not as important as teaching them WHAT counts.

162. A meeting was held quite far from Earth!
It's time again for another birth.
Said the Angels to the Lord above,
"This Special Child will need much love.

"His progress may be very slow
Accomplishment he may not show
And he'll require extra care
From all the folks he meets down there.

"He may not run or laugh or play;
His thoughts may seem quite far away.
In many ways he won't adapt
And he'll be known as handicapped.

So let's be careful where he's sent
We want his life to be content.
Please, Lord, find the parents who
Will do a SPECIAL job for YOU!!

They will not realize right away
The leading role they're asked to play.
But with this child sent from above
Comes stronger Faith & richer Love!

"And soon they'll know the PRIVILEGE given
In caring for their gift from Heaven.
Their precious charge so meek & mild
"Is HEAVEN'S VERY SPECIAL CHILD!!!"
--by Edna Massimilla

163. One of the problems of juvenile delinquency is children running away from home. It is entirely possible they may be looking for their parents.

164. Children are like wet cement. Whatever falls on them makes a lasting impression.

165. You can scrape the baby out of the womb, but you cannot scrape the baby out of the mind.

166. A century ago men were following with bated breath the march of Napoleon, & waiting with feverish impatience for news of the wars. All the while, babies were being born in their own homes. But who could think about babies? Everybody was thinking about battles.
In one year, 1809, midway between Trafalgar & Waterloo, there came into the World some babies who were destined to be stars of greatest magnitude--Gladstone, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Tennyson, & Felix Mendelsohn. But nobody thought of babies, only battles. Yet which of the battles of 1809 mattered more than the babies of 1809? We fancy that God can manage His world only with big battalions when all the while He is doing it by babies. When a wrong wants righting, or a truth wants preaching, or a continent wants opening, God sends a baby into the World to do it!

167. A sweet little miniature weaver
Came into our home one day,
Like a wee little queen of the cradle,
God grant her a long, long stay.

Such is the spell she has woven,
We scarce know how it came to be,
Into the meshes of every heart,
Knitting herself tenderly.

Dear little helpless struggler
What strength for such tiny fist,

A fountain of love, and a teacher
Whose lessons so few can resist.

Like a week small glam'rous enchantress
You reign from your magic bed,
A queen from the tip of your tiny toes
To the top of your fuzzy head.

A delegated prophet, whose office
Is to brighten, & deepen home love,
We welcome you, little sojourner
as a loan from the Father above.

168. The mythical country of Boruvia has a law requiring all babies to be named within an hour after birth. One day, a woman was rushed to the hospital, where she delivered twins. At the same time, her husband was rushed to the hospital unconscious with a head injury received on the job. When the man came to, he was informed that his wife had delivered a boy & a girl two hours before, & his brother had given them names. "Oh, no, not by brother," groaned the man, "He's such a practical joker. What did he name them?"
"He named the girl Denise," replied the nurse.
"Oh, I like that name," said the man, obviously relieved. "What did he name the boy?"
"Denephew."

169. My baby when she's nursing,
Doesn't mind my extra flab.
In fact she thinks it's very nice,
Just more of Mom to grab!

170. My day-old child lay in my arms
And I held his pudgy hand;
I whispered softly, "How I wish,
That you could understand.

I've oh so much to say to you.
(He gave a cough & a nod)
Hurry, hurry, hurry & grow
So I can tell you of God!"

My newborn's little mouth was still
As though he didn't hear,
But a kind of light passed thru' his eyes
And I saw this thought appear:

"How I wish that I could speak,
I've a hundred things to say;
Before I forget, I'd tell YOU of God--
I was with Him yesterday."

171. Isn't it wonderful to watch a baby learn & grow? Did you know even while he's still in his mother's tummy the baby is learning?--He's hearing sounds, voices, music, recognising voices, even recognising music!

172. A small boy invaded the lingerie section of a big California department store & shyly presented his problem to a woman clerk. "I want to buy my mom a present of a slip," he said, "but I don't know what size she wears."
"Is she tall or short, fat or skinny?" asked the clerk.
"She's just perfect," beamed the small boy. So she wrapped up a size 34 for him.
Two days later mom came to the store herself--and changed it to a 52.

173. A good man dies when a boy goes wrong.

174. Considering the number of divorces today, it seems that more PARENTS are running away from home than CHILDREN.

175. It is sobering to recall that fathers bear the title God Himself has chosen as a picture of His relationship to His people.

176. The police department of Houston, Texas, issued a leaflet given rules for raising delinquent children:
Begin from infancy to give him everything he wants. When he picks up bad words, laugh at him. Never give him any spiritual training. Wait until he is twenty-one & let him decide for himself. Don't use the word "wrong". It may give him a guilt complex. Do everything for him so that he will be experienced in throwing all responsibility on others. Let him read any printed matter he can get his hands on.
Quarrel frequently in his presence--he won't be too shocked when the home is broken up. Give him all the spending money he wants. He shouldn't have things as tough as you had them. AND prepare for a life of grief--you will have it.

177. A young English boy was called "Carrot Top" by other students & given "little chance of success" by some teachers. He ranked third lowest in class: grade averages for English was 95%, history 85%, mathematics 50%, Latin 30%.
His teacher's report reads: "The boy is certainly no scholar & has repeated his grade twice. He has also a stubborn streak & is sometimes rebellious in nature. He seems to have little or no understanding of his school work, except in a most mechanical way. At times, he seems almost perverse in his ability to learn. He has not made the most of his opportunities."
Later, the lad settled down to serious study & soon the world began to hear about Winston Churchill.

178. A child has to learn obedience in the home or he will never learn obedience to the Heavenly Father.

179 Let thy child's first lesson be obedience, and the second will be what thou wilt.

180. Oftentimes when we hear our children talk, we realize we should have been more careful of what they heard us say.

181. A father is a person who is forced to endure childbirth without an anesthetic.

182. Fathers give daughters away to other men who aren't good enough so they can have grandchildren that are better than anybody else's.

183. For a long time, the Mohammedans had been laying siege to the capital of Spain. Courageously & skillfully King Alphonso led the defense, but by some twist of fate the attackers captured the king's son.
The besiegers made the most of their hostage. The sultan ordered a gallows built in full view of the capital. The young prince was forced to stand under the words, "Alphonso, either the city or your son!"
What a decision for a father to make! Anxiously his advisors & officers watched the face of their king. Will he give up the city & allow the enemy to slay or enslave his people? Or will he give up his own dear son? They had not long to wait, for King Alphonso decided quickly. Back to the sultan went this message: "Let my son die, that my people may live!"

184. A young successful attorney said:
"The greatest gift I ever received was a gift I got one Christmas when my Dad gave me a small box. Inside was a note saying, 'Son, this year I will give you 365 hours, an hour every day after dinner. It's yours. We'll talk about what you want to talk about, we'll go where you want to go, play what you want to play. It will be your hour!'"
"My dad not only kept his promise," he said, "but every year he renewed it--and it's the greatest gift I ever had in my life. I am the result of his time."

185. Lost! A boy! Not kidnapped by bandits & hidden in a cave to weep & starve & raise a nation to frenzied searching. No, his father lost him. Too busy to sit with him at the fireside & answer his trivial questions during the years when Dad is the only great hero to a boy, he let go his hold. His mother lost him too. Engrossed in worthwhile programs, clubs with high aims, she let the babysitter hear his prayers & abdicated her place of influence.

186. If it had not been for a crooked groceryman, J.C. Penny might have become the owner of a grocery store rather than the owner of a dry goods chain & the nation's leading merchandiser.
When he was a teenager, Jim worked for a groceryman in Hamilton, Missouri. He liked the work & had plans to make a career of it. One night he came home & proudly told his family about his "foxy" employer. The grocer had a practice of mixing low quality coffee with the expensive brand & thus increasing his profit. Jim laughed as he told the story at the supper table.
His father didn't see anything funny about the practice. "Tell me," he said, "if the grocer found someone palming off an inferior article on him for the price of the best, do you think he would think they were just being foxy, & laugh about it?"
Jim could see his father was disappointed in him. "I guess not," he replied. "I guess I just didn't think about it that way."
Jim's father instructed him to go to the grocer the next day & collect whatever money due him & tell the grocer he wouldn't be working for him any longer. Jobs were not plentiful in Hamilton, but Mr. Penny would rather his son be unemployed than be associated with a crooked businessman.
J.C. Penny came that close to becoming a grocer.

187. Doctor Potter tells the story of a young man who stood at the bar of a court of justice to be sentenced for forgery. The judge had known him from a child, for his father had been a famous legal light & his work on the Law of Trusts was the most exhaustive work on the subject in existence. "Do you remember your father?" asked the judge sternly, "that father whom you have disgraced?"
The prisoner answered: "I remember him perfectly. When I went to him for advice or companionship, he would look up from his book on the Law of Trusts, & said, "Run way, boy, I am busy." My father finished his book, & here I am." The great lawyer had neglected his own trust, with awful results.

188. Glenn Doman, author of "Teach Your Baby to Read", says, "Parents, in the main, are unmatched in their potential, & they, not the professionals, should be making the decisions concerning their children. A reasonably proficient father is a much better combination than a totally proficient professional like myself."

189. I've made this observation while browsing 'round the town:
Some people bring their children up,
Some people bring their children down.

190. O mothers, so weary, discouraged,
Worn out with the cares of the day,
You often grow cross & impatient,
Complain of the noise & the play;
For the day brings so many vexations,
For many things go amiss;
But mothers, whatever may vex you.
Send the children to bed with a kiss!
The dear little feet wander often.
Perhaps from the pathway of right,
The dear little hands find new mischief
To try you from morning till night;
But think of the desolate mothers
Who'd give all the world for your bliss,
And, as thanks for your infinite blessings,
Send the children to bed with a kiss!
For some day their noise will not vex you,
The silence will hurt you far more;
You will long for their sweet, childish voices,
For a sweet, childish face at the door;
and to press a child's face to your bosom,
You'd give all the world for just this!
For the comfort 'twill bring you in sorrow,
Send the children to bed with a kiss!

191. Everybody has heard of Martin Luther; but who knows the name of his mother, the wife of a coal miner who often went hungry so that little Martin might attend school?

192. You painted no Madonnas
On chapel walls in Rome,
But with a touch diviner
You lived one in your home.

You wrote no lofty poems
That critics counted art,
But with a nobler vision
You lived them in your heart.

You carved no shapeless marble
To some high-souled design.
But with a finer sculpture
You shaped this soul of mine.

You built no great cathedrals
That centuries applaud,
But with a grace exquisite
Your life cathedraled God.
Had I the gift of Raphael,
Or Michelangelo,
Oh, what a rare Madonna
My mother's life would show!
--Thomas W. Fessenden

193. God could not be in every place
With loving hands to help erase
The teardrops from each baby's face,
And so He thought of mother.

He could not send us here alone
And leave us to a fate unknown;
Without providing for His own,
The outstretched arms of mother.

God could not watch us night & day
And kneel beside o your crib & pray.
Or kiss our little aches away;
And so He sent us mother.

And when our childhood days began,
He simply could not take command,
That's why He placed our tiny hand
Securely into mother's.

The days of youth slipped quickly by,
Life's sun rose higher in the sky,
Full grown were we, yet ever nigh
To love us still, was mother.

and when life's span of years shall end,
I know that God will gladly send,
To welcome home her child again,
That ever faithful mother.
--George W. Wiseman

194. An aged, white-haired mother sat with a smile on her face, waiting for her famous son, Dwight Eisenhower, to arrive. Someone said to her, "You must be proud of your great & illustrious son?" Upon which she asked, "Which son?" Each one was equally great to that noble mother.
Said Dwight Eisenhower: "My sainted mother taught me a devotion to God & a love of country which have ever sustained me in my many lonely & bitter moments of decision in distant & hostile lands. To her, I yield a son's reverent thanks."

195. I did not have my mother long, but she cast over me an influence which has lasted all my life. The good effects of her early training I can never lose. If it had not been for her appreciation & her faith in me at a critical time in my experience, I should never likely have become an inventor. I was always a careless boy, & with a mother of different mental calibre, I should have turned out badly. But her firmness, her sweetness, her goodness, were potent powers to keep me in the right path. My mother was the making of me. The memory of her will always be a blessing to me.
--Thomas A. Edison

196. Years ago, a young mother was making her way across the hills of South Wales, carrying her tiny babe in her arms, when she was overtaken by a blinding blizzard. She never reached her destination alive, & when the blizzard had subsided her body was found beneath the snow. But the searchers discovered that before her death she had taken off all her outer clothing & wrapped it about her baby.
And when they unwrapped the child, to their great surprise & joy, they found he was alive & well. She had given her life for her child, proving the depth of her motherly love. Years later the child, David Lloyd George, grown to manhood, & without doubt one of England's greatest statesmen.

197. Parents can tell but never teach,
Until they practice what they preach.

198. She could not paint, nor write, nor rhyme
Her footprints on the sand of time,
As some distinguished women do;
Just simple things of life she knew--
Like tucking little folks in bed,
Or soothing someone's aching head.

She was no singer, neither blessed
With any special loveliness
To win applause & passing fame;
No headlines ever blazed her name.
But, oh, she was a shining light
to all her loved ones, day & night!

Her home was kingdom, she its queen;
Her reign was faithful, honest, clean,
Impartial, loving, just, to each
And every one she sought to teach.
Her name? Of course, there is no other
In all the world so sweet--just Mother!
--May Allread Baker

199. You may have tangible wealth untold;
Caskets of jewels & coffers of gold;
Richer than I you can never be--
I had a mother who read to me.

200. I was aboard a large air liner some time ago which ran into an extremely severe wind & rainstorm. Despite the size of the plane & the tremendous power of its four wing motors, the ship was being tossed violently. A little nine-year-old fellow was my seat companion. It was his first experience in the air, & he was desperately afraid. Suddenly he looked up at me & said, "Are you afraid?" I smiled & replied, "No, this is real fun." And immediate change came over the little chap--fear & tension left him. He, too, had fun.