Part 5 (2/2)

[Sidenote: All the Difference]

It is of course the motive that inspires us that makes all the difference. To have once realised life, not as an opportunity for self-pleasing, but as an opportunity for service, makes us willing to do the small tasks gladly, that they may fit us for the higher tasks. It would seem as if to us now came with ever-increasing clearness the call to realise more truly throughout the world the great message that Christ proclaimed of the brotherhood of men. It is this sense of brotherhood that stirs us to make the conditions of life sweet and wholesome for every child in our own land, that rouses us to think of the needs of those who have never heard the Christian message of love. As we feel what it means to know G.o.d as our Father, we learn to see all men as our brothers, and hence to hear the call to serve them.

It is not necessary to go far to answer this call; brothers and sisters who need our love and help are round our doors, even under our own roof at home; this sense of brotherhood must be felt with all those with whom we come in contact. To some may come the call to realise what it means to recognise our brotherhood with peoples of other race and other beliefs. Even within our own Empire there are, especially in India, countless mult.i.tudes waiting for the truth of the gospel to bring light and hope into their lives. Do we feel as we should the call that comes to us from our sisters the women of India? They are needing teachers, doctors, nurses, help that only other women can bring them. Is it not worth while for those who are looking out into life, wondering what it will mean to them, to consider whether the call may not come to them to give themselves to the service of their sisters in the East?

But however this may be, make yourselves ready to hear whatever call may come. There is some service wanted from you; to give that service will be your greatest blessing, your deepest joy. Whether you are able to give that service worthily will depend upon the use you make of the time of waiting and preparation. It must be done, not for your own gratification, but because you are the followers of One who came, ”not to be ministered unto, but to minister.”

[Ill.u.s.tration: ”THE SON OF MAN CAME NOT TO BE MINISTERED UNTO, BUT TO MINISTER.”]

[Sidenote: A very singular adventure befell two young people, who entertained a stranger unawares.]

My Dangerous Maniac

BY

LESLIE M. OYLER

It was a glorious July morning, the kind of morning that makes you feel how good it is to be alive and young--and, incidently, to hope that the tennis-courts won't be too dry.

You see Gerald, my brother, and I were invited to an American tournament for that afternoon, which we were both awfully keen about; then mother and father were coming home in the evening, after having been away a fortnight, and, though on the whole I had got on quite nicely with the housekeeping, it _would_ be a relief to be able to consult mother again.

Things have a knack of not going so smoothly when mothers are away, as I daresay you've noticed.

I had been busy making strawberry jam, which had turned out very well, all except the last lot. Gerald called me to see his new ferret just after I had put the sugar in, and, by the time I got back, the jam had, most disagreeably, got burnt.

That's just the way with cooking. You stand and watch a thing for ages, waiting for it to boil; but immediately you go out of the room it becomes hysterical and boils all over the stove; so it is borne in on me that you must ”keep your eye on the ball,” otherwise the saucepan, when cooking.

However, when things are a success it feels quite worth the trouble.

Gerald insisted on ”helping” me once, rather against cook's wish, and made some really delicious meringues, only he _would_ eat them before they were properly baked!

The gong rang, and I ran down to breakfast; Gerald was late, as usual, but he came at last.

”Here's a letter from Jack,” I remarked, pa.s.sing it across; ”see what he says.”

Jack was one of our oldest friends; he went to school with Gerald, and they were then both at Oxford together. He had always spent his holidays with us as he had no mother, and his father, who was a most brilliant scholar, lived in India, engaged in research work; but this vac. Mr.

Marriott was in England, and Jack and he were coming to stay with us the following day.

[Ill.u.s.tration: GERALD LOOKED PUZZLED.]

Gerald read the letter through twice, and then looked puzzled.

”Which day were they invited for, Margaret?” he asked.

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