He that is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in much.— Luke 16: 10. 



MYSEIiF AND MV NEIGHBORS. 



WHO IS MY neighbor!— LUKE 10: 29. 



Charity suflfereth long, anrl is kind ; charity envi- 

 eth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not putted 

 up.— I. Cor. 13:4. 



T is nice to have neighbors. Don't you 

 think so, my little friends V And it is 

 nice to have nice neighbors. Are your 

 neighbors all nice ones V or do you talk 

 about them and make fun of them, and, 

 when you sit down to dinner with the whole 

 family, make it a business to talk about the 

 faults of your neighbors V Well, I am pret- 

 ty sure you do not ; in fact, I begin to feel a 

 little guilty myself for just suggesting the 

 idea. If any of you do get into a habit of 

 talking about your neighbors, remember it is 

 a very bad fault, and a very great evil. I 

 know by experience. I am sorry to say, that 

 it comes very natural to me to talk about 

 the faults of my neighbors, and to tell about 

 the trials I have to endure. But I have al- 

 ways noticed this : That I never feel happy 

 after having discussed the shortcomings and 

 failures of my neighbors. I do not know 

 why it is, but this tendency seems to be al- 

 most universal, to talk about others. Even 

 Christians tall into the habit, if they do not 

 look out, of talking about other Christians, 

 and saying, "Why, Mr. So and So is a pro- 

 fessor of religion, and yet gets mad, and 

 scolds ;" or somebody else, although a mem- 

 ber of the church, hardly ever goes to meet- 

 ing. Another one does work on Sunday 

 that he does not really need to do ; or still 



another cheats in trade. Such things may 

 happen ; but I tell you, friends, it hurts us 

 to talk about it. Of course, I mean to talk 

 about it to somebody else, instead of the one 

 who is doing wrong. Now, then, what are 

 we to do V Whenever you feel tempted over 

 the way somebody else has done or acted, 

 just go right to him, and in a kind, friendly 

 way, talk^to him about it, and see if you do 

 not feel happier. If after you have made up 

 your mind that you will go and talk to him 

 about his wrong ways of doing, you^couclude 

 the matter is too small to mention, or make 

 any fuss about, then please do not mention 

 it to anybodv. If you feel pretty sure it 

 would do no good to talk to him, or»for some 

 reason or other you think he would not take 

 it kindly, just tell God about it, and pray'.to 

 him that your friend may do better. Don't 

 you know how our friend the'old gray-head- 

 ed Samuel said, in one of our recent Sunday- 

 school lessons, that. he"; should sin against 

 God if he did not pray for the people V :Now, 

 then, friends, about the^neighbors. 



I do think it pleasant to have near neigh- 

 bors ; yes, and I think it pleasant to have 

 a good many of them. If they are not just 

 what they ought to be, you can help in work- 

 ing and praying for them, and in making a 

 life-study to make them better. If they are 

 good, kind. Christian people, then you have 

 plenty of earnest helpers right near by you 

 in the time of need. You see, a Christian 

 has a right to be happy in any case, no mat- 

 ter whether his neighbors are good or bad, 



A few days ago, when I was taking my 



