Or Some people think themselves better than others. Perhaps it is because they live in better houses. wear more costly clothes, or have more money to spend. People even think that if they make a great show of being good it proves that they are good, and God is pleased with them. But God sees our hearts. He knows whether we do right for the right reason. He told Moses to write in the law those words of our memory verse. (Repeat it.) Love is something that is inside of us. God knows whether it is love for Him and for others that makes us kind and good, or whether we do things to be praised. The Bible says-(have Junior read 1 Samuel 16:7) and so He knows that we are right through our good clothes and money and our behavior. It Jesus told a story once that shows us this. A lawyer came and asked Jesus a question. sounded as if he wanted to be good, but Jesus saw into his heart and knew he was just trying to trap Jesus into saying something to get Himself into trouble. That wasn't being a good neighbor, was it ? Have Luke 10:25-29 read-a verse from each of five Juniors. This was what Jesus did. He told him a story about four men who went along a road. The first man got into trouble. Robbers came out of their hiding places in the rocks and attacked him. Have verse 30 read. Oh, if somebody would only come by and help him! Hark-some one is coming! Oh, it is a priest from the temple at Jerusalem. Look at his snowy robes and his head-dress. Of course he will help the man. He has just come from the temple, his heart must be full of love for God and others. Of course he will be a good neighbor to the man who was hurt. Don't you think so? Read verse 31! Why he did not even go over and look at him, did he? You see looks and a big show of goodness did not make him true to God's words in our text, did it? Wait-here comes another man. He too is one who is in the temple very often; it is his duty to help and to keep it clean and attend to many things about it, for he is a Levite. Have verse 32 read. Oh! he was just curious, not kind. Why, he ought to be used to doing things-he could just as easily have helped as have looked! But he did not. Then Jesus says another man came. He was a Samaritan. The priest and Levite despised him; they would have nothing to do with him, and thought themselves much better than he they called him "that dog of a Samaritan." But listen-verses 3335. Oh, this man had love in his heart, did he not? And if you want Jesus to be pleased with you that is the kind of a boy and girl you must be. None of you can be a real neighbor-to foreigners in your school or on your street, to people who are in trouble or are old or sick, unless you love Jesus and for His dear sake love other people and love to help them. Think what you would like if you were a stranger far away in their land. How lonely you would be! Go and be a neighbor. If you were in a foreign school where everything was strange and queer and nobody talked your language and you needed a friend-oh, how glad you would be if some boy or girl would be a real neighbor to you. If you were 33 sick or old, or blind! If you had just moved in and were a stranger in the neighborhood-how glad you would be for a real neighbor. Don't be like the priest or the Levite-for Jesus asked the lawyerread verses 36 and 37. AUGUST 28, 1921. BOOKS THAT ARE WORTH READING (Practical) DAILY BIBLE READINGS. Prov. 4:5-8 (Brenda L. Mehlhouse.) "Workers Together With God"-Jonathan, Prince and Friend. Sunday-1 Samuel 14:1, 6-16. Saturday-1 Samuel 31:1, 2; 2 Samuel 1:17, 19-27. Books are lifelong friends. Next to our home folks and our friends our closest companions are the books we have read and learned to love. Boys and girls can make friends with the best books when they are but children and the thoughts and beautiful passages which they find there will not only be in their minds all their lives, but will help them grow and become better men and women. The first books that most of us remember are the picture books and story books of our eary childhood, and the fairy tales which thrilled us and which we acted out and played in our games. Andersen's and Grimm's Fairy Tales give us many stories that we can read and read again. Next come our school-books. Some of us, especially the boys, do not consider these our friends, yet what would we do without our school-books? Who would want to grow up a dunce, without knowing the things which are inside the covers of our Speller, our Arithmetic and our Reader? Why shouldn't we like to take a trip 'round the world and learn about all the strange lands about which our Geography tells us? And who would want to give up the stories of Columbus finding our own America, and the stories of Washington and Lincoln and all the interesting things which we find in our History? Our school-books give us our first steps in training us for life, and we should all make the very best use of them. Many a person grown up and out in the world sighs to go back to the days of school, so that he might gain more knowledge and education, more help to fit him for the difficulties which face him. Our school-books are indeed our friends. As soon as one has learned to read well, a new fairyland of enchantment and pleasure is open to you. A good book, and a comfortable easy chair, and everything else but the story before us is forgotten. There are so many fine stories for boys and girls, it is easy to find good, wholesome stories and store our minds with good things-so that Wild West stories and all such need not be hunted for! Some of Alger's and Henty's and Castlemon's books are the best kind of books for boys, and stories of travel and sport and adventure there are aplenty. For the girls there are many good series of stories about girls and the things they like. How about books like "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm," or "The Little Colonel" series, or better still, the stories of Louisa M. Alcott? These stories will not be forgotten, while others will soon slip from your mind. Books of poems like James Whitcomb Riley's, and Eugene Field's will interest you, and help you as you grow older to enjoy all that our great poets such as Lowell, Longfellow, Tennyson, and others, have written. There are fine books of short stories which you will all enjoy. Carolyn Bailey's "Twilight Stories" and "Holiday Stories"; Mary Stuart's "Tell Me" series of short stories: Laura Richards "The Silver Crown" and "The Golden Windows" are all fine for you to read yourself, or to have mother or teacher read and tell to you. " Then there are thrilling books of missionary stories which both boys and girls will like. "Fez and Turban Tales," "Red, Yellow and Black,' "Livingstone, the Pathfinder," "In the Tiger Jungle," "In the Cobra's Den," "Junior Mission Stories," are all full of more excitement and more good stories than any other good books of stories you can find! Then, how about the reading course which is arranged for Junior Leaguers? Surely you will want to read that. Have you read the story of "The Other Wise Man"? "Lamplighters Across the Sea" But it depends on the way we make use of these runs of a ladder, and having cards for each Junior, moving these up as the child reads the books named See that in your own library there is a good book on story-telling. St. John's "Stories and Story Telling" is recommended. REQUIRE BIBLE AND SHAKE SPEARE The Harvard Faculty has done the cause of American culture solid service by demanding that all students who concentrate in English or in ancient or modern languages shall have a good working acquaintance with the English Bible and with twelve plays of Shakespeare when they appear for their final examination. Without this knowledge there is to be no graduation. The announcement setting forth the requirements laid down is significant and fully interpretative of the action of the faculty. It says that the Bible and the plays of Shakespeare are works of literature without which an adequate appreciation of English letters is impossible, and it adds: "The King James version of the Bible is one of the great monuments of English prose, but any standard version, ancient or modern, may be used. The plays of Shakespeare as foremost among the masterpieces of the English tongue are indispensable to all students of literature. If Moreover, the All this, however, is not enough. This is all food for our mind, but if we use just these books it will not help us very much. We must not forget the greatest book of all. The Bible is the Book of Books. You will find it the greatest story book in the world. No matter what kind of stories you like you will find them there. you want stories of adventure, where is there better or more thrilling ones than the story of David and Goliath, Samson, Daniel in the lion's den? If you want stories of kings and queens, think of all the stories of kings in the Bible. If you like wonder stories, think of the wonderful story of the wise men and the angels, think of all the wonderful miracles that Jesus performed. I might go on for a long time telling of the wonderful stories in the Bible and would not reach the end. But the Bible is more than a story book. It tells us the great story of Jesus and how He died for us, how we may be saved, and it teaches us how we are to live day by day. This is what makes it the greatest book in the world. Take it, read it every day, learn from it every day, and make it your favorite book, your best book-friend. HINTS FOR LEADERS (Continued from page 31) hands of the people, we have misery, unhappiness, ignorance, and superstition. South America shows us this. Questions to Be Asked in the Meeting. Name three of your favorite books? Tell some of the books you have read this last summer? What kind of stories do you like best? For the Superintendent. One of the greatest opportunities a teacher has is to direct the Juniors' reading. The books the children are reading and the stories they are told is one of the most powerful influences in a child's life. "Rather the Children's Story Teller, than the Queen's Counsellor." pared at this meeting to suggest a list of good children's books. See that the Sunday School library is used by the Juniors. Cooperate with the public library. Also plan for systematic Bible study. Be pre At this meeting let the children discuss the different groups of books mentioned in the Topic. Put up a series of posters or charts advertising some good children's books, illustrating them with pictures cut from magazines. (The catalogues of our Publication Houses will give you suggestions, and you can get hints from Children's Week, and Religious Book Week in the bookstores.) Get the Senior League to cooperate by furnishing a Junior League library. Try the plan of having the Seniors to each adopt a Junior, and buy a book. By all means get the Junior Luther League Reading Course and put it into circulation. Try a "Book Ladder," by putting the names of the books on the language of Shakespeare, like that of the Bible, has become part and parcel of our familiar speech." Considered purely from the educational standpoint, the fragmentary knowledge of the text of the English Bible possessed by tens of millions of Americans is a deplorable, almost appalling, thing. And the widespread lack of knowledge regarding even the relatively best known of the plays of William Shakespeare is absolutely pitiable. Altogether the prevalent and, we' fear, growing ignorance of the contents of the Bible and the works of the bard of Stratford is responsible for a large amount of superficiality and flatness of outlook among present-day Americans, and it is refreshing to find the oldest institution of higher learning in this country taking so firm and thoroughgoing a stand in behalf of these fundamental masterpieces of the language. From the Detroit Free Press. WHAT IT WAS She was a stranger to London and was travelling from Brixton to the Elephant and Castle. She had worried the passengers on either side of her as to whether she was nearing her destination. Finally, getting really anxious, she reached over and deliberately poked the conductor with her umbrella. "Tell me, my man," she said, "tell me, is this the Elephant and Castle?" "No, ma'am, it isn't," sharply replied the man. "It's the conductor."-TitBits. Composed of the President, Vice-Presidents, General Secretary, Literature Secretary, Treasurer, and the following members: Hon. E. F. EILERT (Chairman), 318 W. 39th St., New York City, N. Y. I. S. RUNYON, 502 W. 136th St., New York City, N. Y. Rev. G. F. GEHR, D. D., 521 N. High St., Bethlehem, Pa. Rev. M. J. BIEBER, D. D., 1316 W. 25% St., Minneapolis, Minn. O. C. C. FETTA, 511 K. of P. Bldg., Indianapolis, Ind. Rev. LUTHER M. KUHNS, Litt. D., 458 Saunders-Kennedy Bldg., Omaha, Neb. Rev. H. C. ROEHNER, D. D., 30 Mulberry St., Mansfield, Ohio. WILLIAM C. STOEVER, Esq., 524 Walnut St., Philadelphia, Pa. All communications should be addressed to the General Secretary, Harry Hodges, 427 Drexel Bldg., Philadelphia, Pa. Literature Committee HARRY HODGES, Chairman. Hon. E. F. EILERT, New York City. I. S. RUNYON, New York City. Rev. J. S. ALBERT, Oshkosh, Wis. Rev. C. P. HARRY, Philadelphia, Pa. Mrs. R. S. SEASE, Parlin, N. J. Rev. H. C. ROEHNER, Grand Rapids, Mich. Finance Committee P. WALTER BANKER, Chairman (address above). H. CAEM MERER, Washington, D. C. RAYMOND LUTZ, Akron, Ohio. A. ELFERS, Detroit, Mich. Intermediate Committee Rev C. TEUFEL, Chairman, 126 Orchard St., Woodlawn, Pa. Rev. A. T. MICHLER, Philadelphia, Pa. Rev. C. P. HARRY, Philadelphia, Pa. O. C. ROHDE, Toledo, Ohio. Miss ZOE I. HIRT, Erie, Pa. Junior Committee CHAS. W. FUHR, 333 S. Lang Ave., Pittsburgh, Pa., Chairman. Miss BRENDA L. MEHLHOUSE, 427 Drexel Bldg., Philadelphia, Pa. Miss LAURA WADE RICE, Baltimore, Md. VOL. XXXIV. Luther League Supplies Luther League Topics "These are the best topics ever issued for use a young people's devotional meetings. The Lessons are arranged in accordance with the general plan of the Church Year. They are Biblical and Doctrinal, His torical and Missionary and contain appropriate Daily Bible Readings, Scripture references and illustrative suggestions. They are largely used and deserve to be adopted by every Lutheran Young People's Society." Issued Quarterly as a 32-page Pamphlet in December, March, June and September Each quarterly number ready on the 15th of the month preceding. AUGUST, 1921. Pennsylvania NO. 5. Published Monthly by LUTHER LEAGUE REVIEW, 318 W. 39th Street, New York City. Entered as Second-Class Matter Aug. 9, 1900, at Post Office, New York, N. Y., under Act of Mar. 3, 1879 Subscription price. 75 cents per year. Of the Church - By the Church - For the Church Luther League Review Luther League Hikes BY CARL HASSOLD. F all the enjoyable features of a OF Luther League perhaps one of the most beneficial as well as enjoyable is the hiking. It is on one of these hikes that the different individual likes and dislikes of the participants can be recognized. Here the camera enthusiast gets a chance to gain practical knowledge, the nature lover gets an opportunity to get @ close to nature, and the boy, the plain American boy, gets a chance to exhaust some of that superfluous enthusiasm and hilarity which has been stored up throughout the week at his school and other less strenuous and carefree occupations. Naturally, these hikes are chiefly for the i boys of the League, but less strenuous walks can easily be made beneficial and enjoyable for the girls. The best and most beneficial hike is started early in the morning. No good hiker can be a sleepy head. Seven o'clock is not too early to make the start. In many cases the boys are fortunate to live near the open country, but in as many instances the country is some distance from the starting place. There should be appointed one or two more experienced fellows to act as pacemakers. At the beginning of the hike the pace should be lively and rather fast, because it is then that the body is best fit for the work, and in this way the destination can be reached before becoming too tired. Of A fact which most inexperienced walkers do not know is that a lively pace is much less tiring than a slovenly one. course, if the walk is arranged more for the recreation than for the distance to be traveled, a game of baseball or the like can be arranged for the noon hour. Although the term "hike" is used for walking in general, a walk is really not a hike unless it is over one day's duration. It is naturally most customary to take the one-day walks, and in this case it is advisable to go slow enough for each mem ber to be able to enjoy the surrounding country in every detail. But if the hike is to last for several days a certain number of miles should be covered, and therefore the walking should be forced. In the case of the one-day walk fifteen miles a day should be sufficient for the average group of Leaguers, while if the walk is to be a real hike and the boys are sufficiently developed, the walk should be made from twenty-five to thirty miles a day. When long walking trips are taken, then walking becomes a sport. A sport which requires the same "sand," "pep" and "nerve" as any other sport, and there can be no better training than these occasional one-day walks. Having the opportunity of living in the country myself, I have had the delight of cultivating the walking habit. Recently I went on a hike with a number of fellows from Philadelphia to New York, and it was then that the training showed. Physically able and physically fit seems to be an ideal for every American boy, and there is no way in which this ideal can be so thoroughly developed as in walking. Every muscle of the body is brought into action, and if anyone thinks it is a "goody goody's" game, let him try it. That was the idea of most of the fellows that started on our New York hike, but they soon found out that to walk 106 miles in three days was not as easily accomplished as talked about. Of course, the meal cooked over the open fire, the building of the fire itself and similar features of the walk all help to make the "hike" a most enjoyable feature for our Luther Leaguers. At this time when we hear so much about preparedness, let us realize that to be physically fit is to be more than half prepared. Start these features of physical training early and be prepared to fight the battle of life with a physically fit body. |