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A Sermon in Rhyme, 
F you have a friend worth loving, 
Love him. Yes, and let him know 
) That you love him, e're life’s evening 
— Tinge his brow with sunset glow. 
Why should good words ne’er be said 
Of a friend till he is dead ! 
If you hear a song that thrills you. 
Sung by any child of song, 
Praise it. Do not let the singer 
Wait deserved praises long. 
Why should one who thrills your heart. 
Lack the joy you may impart? 
If you hear a prayer that moves you 
By its humble, pleading tone. 
Join it. Do not let the seeker 
Bow before his God alone. 
Why should not your brother share 
The strength of “two or three’’ in prayer ? 
If you see the hot tears falling 
From a sorrowing brother’s eyes. 
Share them. And, by sharing, 
Own your kinship with the skies. 
Why should any one be glad, 
When a brother’s heart is sad ? 
If a silvery laugh is rippling, 
Through the sunshine on his face, 
Share it. ’Tisthe wise man’s saying— 
For both grief and joy a place. 
There’s health and goodness in the mirth 
In which an honest laugh has birth. 
If your work is made more easy 
By a friendly helping hand, 
Say so. Speak out brave and truly, 
Ere the darkness veil the land. 
Should a brother workman dear, 
Falter for a word of cheer ? 
Scatter thus your seeds of kindness. 
All enriching as you go; 
Leave them. Trust the Harvest Giver, 
He will make each seed to grow: 
So, until its happy end. 
Your life shall never lack a friend. 
- - 
A Hint lor Sunday School Super¬ 
intendents. 
BY “SMILAX.” 
Bethany Presbyterian Sunday School of 
Philadelphia, Pa., is one of the largest and 
best known schools in the United States. 
It takes the lead in Sunday School work, 
being regarded as a model. At present the 
number of scholars and teachers on the rolls 
agregate 2500, while the average attend¬ 
ance is over 2000. The school has attained 
its present popularit y by having introduced 
to its scholars things peculiarly adapted to 
them. Nothing dry or uninteresting is per¬ 
mitted to have a place on its order of exer¬ 
cises but things that will amuse children, 
while they serve to impress earnest truths 
indelibly upon their memories, are dili¬ 
gently sought after. The exercises are 
never tediouo and children all love to go to 
Bethany. The school is under the charge 
Mr. John Wanamaker who has been super¬ 
intendent since the formation of the school. 
The twenty-fourth anniversary exercises 
were held on Thursday, February 16th and 
I want to give your readers a short descript¬ 
ion of a very interesting part of the exer¬ 
cises. After many interesting exercises 
each scholar was presented with four pack¬ 
ets of flower seeds with full directions for 
planting and care, and a flower pot with 
the name “Bethany” moulded on it. It 
was also stated that a flower show vyould 
be held in July at which prizes would be 
given to the scholar making the best show 
from these seeds. This present was receiv¬ 
ed by the children with delight and in 
many homes at the present time the child¬ 
ren are watching the growth of their plants 
with interest. This plan is a remarkably 
good one and one that can be adopted by 
every Sunday School in the country at a 
very small outlay. The superintendent or 
teacher can procure seeds at a very small 
cost from people who make a specialty of 
putting them up. The children will take 
an interest in seeds given them in this man¬ 
ner. They will be diligent in their care, 
will learn habits of industry, will study 
hard to find out the best methods for mak¬ 
ing their plants healthy and strong and thus 
secure a thorough knowledge of horticul¬ 
ture which will be useful to them in after 
years. In large cities the children can thus 
be taught to cultivate plants and then dis 
tribute them to the poor and needy, the 
sick in hospitals or in squalid homes. 
Many an invalid has hailed with pleasure 
the present of a tiny little flower whose rich 
fragrance and beautiful leaves have given 
them something to gaze at with pleasure. 
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