Vol. 37, No. 4
this first test? No, no, that simply couldn’t
be!
School over, the last tasks at the school-
house finished, she started for the settle-
ment. Every time she thought of David
and his simple faith, the tears came. Reach.
ing her boarding place, she went in, her
eves red with weeping, Planning tw go
directly to her room, she was stopped by
her landlady’s voice. “Come in a minute,
Ruth,” she called. But when the girl ap-
peared in the doorway, she exclaimed,
“Why, Dearie, what #5 the matter?”
Having found a sympathetic listener,
Ruth Nelson poured out the whole pitiful
story of David's three desires. She finished
with a sob, “And now if his prayer fails,
he'll never believe again, never!” Until
she was almost through her story, she had
not noticed Mrs. Black's visitors. Mrs,
Howard, a neighbor, and Mrs. Richards,
the leader of the district Parent-Teacher
Association, were in the room. The three
women were moved deeply by the story,
and when it was finished, there was a
moment of absolute quiet. Who dare say
that the voice of God was not speaking
to their hearts?
Mrs. Black was the first to speak. I
know how the second request of that prayer
is going to be answered,” she said. And as
soon as her company left, she made a
number of trips to the cellar bringing back
vegetables, jars of fruit, and other canned
goods, which all found their way into a
big basket, When it was full, she surveyed
it with a smile, “You won't get hungry for
awhile, laddie, and when this is gone,
there will be more.” Later that evening the
heaped basket found its way to the Morton
oor.
As Mrs. Richards was leaving, she took
Ruth's hand and said, “I know how the
laddie’s first request is to be answered. Our
organization will be glad to help this needy
child and family in our midst. I'll see that
he has plenty of warm clothes for the rest
of the winter” The next morning she
visited the owner of one of the general
merchandise stores in town, explained what
she wanted; and that is how David became
the proud owner of not just one complete
new outfit of clothes, but two! No more
boots or overalls or ragged coats for him!
But the third and most important part
of the prayer was as vet unanswered—-a
place to live, Mrs. Black's other visitor
went home without making any promises.
That evening she told her husband the
pitiful story. He listened in silence until
she said that none of the women knew of
any place where the family might move,
“Why, I have a place)” he interrupted
gruffly, “that house T've been using for
a granary. It isn’t much for looks, but it
is 2 good tight house, Two rooms can easily
be cleaned out, and they can move in there.
I don’t want any rent, and the baby can
cry all day!”
And so David's prayer, prayed in simple
faith, was answered, Several days later,
when these wonderful things had been accom-
plished, he approached Miss Nelscn's desk
one noon and looked up into her face with
shining eyes. “Teacher. Jesus is so good! 1
mustn't forget to thank Him, must 1?”
“Let's do it right now, David,” she sug-
gested, and there in the quiet schoolroom
they knelt together.
—MRS. LOUIS PINGENOT.
THE CHURCH OFFICERS GAZETTE
April 1
SABBATH NATURE
TRAILS
BY MARIE PFEIFLE
QRDER QF SERVICE
SONG: “O Forest Fair!” No. 136 in MV.
Songs.
SCRIPTURE: Job 12:7-9.
PRAYER.
SECRETARY'S REPORT.
QFFERING.
INTRODUCTION BY SUPERINTENDENT.
SYMPOSIUM: “Why Walk on Sabbath?”
SPECIAL SONG OR POEM: “This is My
Father's World.”
ILLUSTRATED TALK: “Identifying Trees.”
TALK: “Suggestions for Juniors Going for
Nature Walk.”
BENEDICTION.
ORGANIZED WALK: See suggestion in
Notes to Superintendents or use ideas
for nature treasure hunt as given in
Recreational Plans,
Notes to Superintendents
This program has been planned to help
make nature walks beneficial and interesting.
It includes plans for a walk to be taken
after the meeting. Since species of plants
and animals vary with the locality; each
leader will need to make adaptations in the
plan for the walk
Different types of walks may be planned.
You may want to look for trees only, or
for birds only. You may plan to observe
as much as possible in a specific area such
as a marsh, a pasture, a sand dune, or a
creek bank, Or you may plan a walk for
a certain time of day, for instance an early
morning walk to watch the sun rise and
listen to the world awaken.
Whatever type of walk vou plan, you
will find the following suggestions useful:
1. Go over the trail ahead of time by
yourself.
2. Secure permission for your group from
owner of the property where you are to go.
3. Present some definite objectives to
the group.
4. Discuss your plans with the group.
Help them to know what to look for and
how to find it.
5. Divide into small groups of eight to
ten, if possible, with an adult leader for
each group. Provide each group with a
handbook to help identify whatever you
are observing.
Why Walk on Sabbath?
1. To BECOME ACQUAINTED WITH
PLANT AND ANIMAL NEIGHBORS.
All over the world there are hundreds
of plants and animals. You should get
acquainted with those that live near vou.
CL
13
You can find new friends almost every day.
Have you ever wished vou knew someone
who had traveled to a faraway land? Then
get acquainted with some great travelers—
your bird neighbors, You will find that
birds are also cheerful singers. If vou
listen quietly, they will give you a wonderful
concert.
Would you like to know bridge builders,
architects, soldiers, carpenters, nurses, and
paper makers? You will meet all of these
and more among vour insect neighbors.
Do you know mothers who cannot travel,
yet provide their children with transporta-
tion for 2 trip? Some of your “tree-mother”
neighbors supply their “seed-children” with
balloons, wings, or parachutes. You should
learn to know them. You will find clever
advertisers among your flower neighbors.
They use bright colors and perfume to
attract insects to use their nectar and carry
their pollen for them,
Have you met the original user of gas
for defensive warfare? Did you know that
an animal has had bifocals for thousands
of years? Have you met the animal with
the first nonskids? Do you know the living
tank? If not, how about getting outdoors
and making friends with some of our
animal neighbors? You will gain some
lifetime friends by walking in God's great
world,
2. TO BECOME BETTER ACQUAINTED
WITH GOD.
“God has two gates by which He comes
to us, Nature 1s His outer gate. He comes
through the glories of earth and sky. Day
by day, year by veat, He reveals Himself to
us. Let us see Him, feel Him, in the wild
flowers, the fragrant woods and the happy
birds.” —John Pulsford. (Quoted by H. W.
Clark in Ministry of Nature, p. 94.)
“In itself the beauty of nature leads the
soul away from sin and worldly attractions,
and toward purity, peace, and God. . . . In
the natural world, God has placed in the
hands of the children of men the key to
unlock the treasure house of His word. The
unseen is illustrated by the seen; divine
wisdom, eternal truth, infinite grace, are
undetstood by the things that God has
made, Then let the children and youth
become acquainted with nature and nature's
laws.,”—Counsels to Teachers, pp. 186-188.
“So far as possible, let the child from
his earliest years be placed where this
wonderful lesson-book shall be open before
him. Let him behold the glorious scenes