The Choctaw Freedmen Part 32

"Not too young to love Him, little hearts beat true, Not too young to serve Him, as the dew drops do.

Not too young to praise Him, singing as we come, Not too young to answer, when He calls us home.

Growing up for Jesus, learning day by day, How to follow onward in the narrow way; Seeking holy treasure, finding precious truth, Growing up for Jesus in our happy youth."

--Pres. Board Publication.

OUR HAPPY LAND

A Favorite Children's Chorus.

Land of children, birds and flowers, What a happy land is ours!

Here the gladdest bells are rung, Here the sweetest songs are sung.

With Thy banner o'er us, Join we all in chorus, Land of children, birds and flowers What a happy land is ours.

Let us keep it so we pray, Drive the clouds of sin away; Father by Thy love divine Make us, keep us ever Thine.

With Thy banner o'er us, etc.

Keep us Lord from day to day In the straight and narrow way.

May it be our chief delight, To walk upright in Thy sight; With Thy banner o'er us, etc.

What a happy land What a happy land is ours, Here the gladdest bells are rung, Here the sweetest songs are sung; Freedom's banner o'er us, Join we all in chorus, Land of children, birds and flowers, What a happy land is ours.

THE ARCH

The arch, which appears on another page, ill.u.s.trates in a very striking manner the mutual dependence of all the stones, representing the divinely appointed elements of character, on their crown, the keystone, which represents the Sabbath or fourth commandment, the connecting link between the first and second tables of the law and the visible bond of every man and nation to his Creator.

When the keystone has been placed in position the arch will sustain considerable weight, but if it be removed nearly all of the other stones tumble to the floor in a confused heap. Those who do not remember the Sabbath to keep it holy unto the Lord, may manifest some of these divinely appointed elements of character, but every one who conscientiously observes the Sabbath as a day for public wors.h.i.+p, reading and teaching the Word of G.o.d, endeavors to develop all of them.

The indwelling spirit is dependent on an intelligent knowledge of the Word, and the strengthening influence of the Sabbath is usually according to the good use that is made of it.

EXPLANATORY

A couple of cracker boxes inverted serve for the two foundation stones. The parts of the temple consist of frames made of thin strips, about five inches wide. Each stone is about three inches shorter and one and one-half inches narrower than the one below it, and it rests on supporting strips inserted in the top of the lower one. All can be set aside in the lower one when they are inverted.

All are covered with white printing paper and the letters are fastened with little tacks.

The large letters are 2-1/2x1-1/4 and the small ones 1-1/2x7-8 inches. A bright red color is essential in order to produce the nicest effect. They can be cut very speedily and uniformly if the cardboard is first ruled with a pen, into squares the size of the letters, and then ruled with a pencil one-fourth of an inch distant from the ink rulings.

The arch is four feet wide at the base. The inner circle is described with a radius of two and the outer one of three feet. The curved edges of each are cut with a scroll saw. Strips of orange boxes or sheets of card board, one foot long, are used to nail on their straight edges. All are covered with cheese cloth or muslin and the letters are placed on a curved line. The arch and temple can both be built on a smaller scale with box board. The lifting of the keystone of the arch, when first inserted is a very interesting performance.

REFERENCES

TEMPLE: 1 Cor. 3:16-17; Math. 7:24-27; Luke 6:47-49; 1 Cor. 3:12-15; James 1:22-24; Rev. 2:17; Ps. 18:2; 31:2-3; 71:35; 40:2; 61:2; 62:2.

JESUS. Isa. 28:16; 1 Peter 2:6; Math. 16:15-18; John 1:1-2-14; Dan.

2:34-35; 1 Cor. 8:11; Math 21:42-44; Acts 4:10-12; 1 Peter 2:4-6.

WORD. 2 Tim. 3:16-17; 1 Peter 1:20-21; Ps. 19:7,10; Heb. 4:12; Ps.

119:105,130; Isa. 40:8; Math. 24:35; Mark 13:31; Luke 9:26; Eph.

2:19-22.

FAITH. John 3:16, 36; Heb. 11:1-3; Eph. 2:4-8; Acts 16:31; Heb.

11:23-26; Mark 11:22-23; Gal. 3:6-9; Luke 16:10.

VIRTUE. Phil. 4:8; Josh. 1:6-9; 2 Tim 2:1-3; 1 John 2:13-14.

KNOWLEDGE. John 17:3; 1 Cor. 3:16-17; Prov. 1:7; Isa. 11:1-2, 33, 6; Prov. 4:7-8; 3:16-17.

TEMPERANCE. Gal. 5:22-24; 1 Cor. 8:13; 2 Peter 1:5-6; Gen. 2:16-17; Dan.

1:8; Thess. 5:22.

PATIENCE. Luke 21:19; James 5:11; Heb. 10:35-36; 12:1-2.

G.o.dLINESS. 1 Tim. 4:8; 6:6-7; 3:16; Ec. 12:13-14.

KINDNESS. Eph. 4:32; Luke 6:35; Ps. 103:2-4.

CHARITY. 1 Cor. 13:4-8; 13:1-3; 2 Peter 1:5-8.

SABBATH. Ex. 20:8-11; Mark 2:27-28; Ex. 31:13-17; Isa. 58:13-14; Ezek.

20:13, 16, 20, 24; Luke 4:16:18; Rev. 1:10.

x.x.x

MAXIMS AND SUGGESTIONS

RELATING TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A GOOD CHARACTER AND THE ACHIEVEMENT OF GOOD SUCCESS--NUGGETS FROM SHORT TALKS TO THE STUDENTS ON FRIDAY EVENINGS.

"Precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little and there a little." Proverbs.

Unstable as water thou shalt not excel.

Jacob.

Be gentle in manner, firm in principle, always conciliatory.

Go forward; and if difficulties increase, go forward more earnestly.

In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity. Augustine.

Find a way or make one, is excellent; but sometimes it needs to read, Find employment or make it.

Whatever cannot be avoided must be endured. Endure hard things bravely.

Patience and Perseverance will perform great wonders.

Early to bed and early to rise will make a man healthy, wealthy and wise. Ben Franklin.