When Daddy Phoned!

Master John was the idol of his daddy's heart. Everything that Master John did was perfectly all right to Daddy.
Mamma would sometimes tell Daddy at nighttime about some of the mischief Master John had been up to during the day. But Daddy would say, without the least sympathy for Mamma, "poor little dear, he had to amuse himself somehow, didn't he?"
Even when Master John had wiped his coal-black fingers over Mamma's newly washed clothes, all that Daddy said was, "Ah, but he's a bright boy; he mush have known those clothes were clean, or he wouldn't have done it."  But one day Daddy had a little experience with Master John himself.
He was in the city and in a terrible hurry to get an important document which he thought he had left at home. In a frenzy of anxiety lest he might have lost it on the train, he rushed to the nearest telephone and tried to call Mamma. And this is what happened next:

"Is that Henford 4242?"
"Yaaaaaaaa."
"I say, is that Henford 4242?"
"Heeeeeeee."
"There's something wrong with the phone. Is that you Jennie?
"Dad-dad-dad-dad-dad."
"What is the matter? I want that document I left on the hall table this morning."
"Goo-goo-goo-goo-goo."
"Can't you understand what I say? I've lost that document. At least I heaven't got it. Is it at home? Can't you hear me? Is that Henford 4242?"
"Dad-dad-dad-dad-dad."

Daddy hung up with a scowl of impatience. When he reached home that night he asked for an explanation. He could not afford to waste good money on telephone calls, he said. And when he did call, why did not someone answer him in an intelligent way! Whoever dared to say all that gibberish when he was anxiously awaiting news of an important document? And so on.
Mamma waited until it was all over. Then she burst in to peals or laughter.
"I came in just as you hung up," she said at least, "and what did i find but Master John trying to talk into the phone with the earpiece held up as if he used it for years."
"Well!" exclaimed Daddy. "So to it was Master John, was it?  A remarkable bot, my dear. I always did say he was a most intelligent child. I must go up and kiss him for that right now, even if he is asleep."
"Well, of all things! said Mamma, as Daddy bounded eagerly upstairs.  ;)

Just Twenty Minutes

Something very wonderful happened to a friend of mine not long ago.  This man has a large family and needs a great deal of money to keep everything going week by week.
Sometimes he wonders how he well make ends meet; but always, just when things look the darkest, a light shines thought.  His great faith in Jesus is always rewarded. There came a time when he badly needed sixty dollars for taxes---not very much for a wealthy man, but a huge sum to this poor farmer.
And he had to have it by Monday morning.   Over and over he thought of his problem.  How could he get sixty dollars by Monday morning? It was impossible.  He thought of his cows. Yes. He would be willing to sell one of them to raise the money, but nobody was buying cows at this time. In fact, no cow buyer had been to his farm for months.  There seemed no way out. What could he do?


In his heat he believed that the dear Lord whom he loved would do something for him, but how or when, he could not think. Sunday morning came, the last day before he had to pay the taxes. 
He rose, as usual, at three o'clock and went out to the dairy to milk the cows.
Returning just before six, he decided to take a brief nap to refresh himself for the rest of the day's tasks. Before doing so, however, he reminded the Lord that this was the day he needed that sixty dollars.
At six o'clock he lay down, and in a few moments was fast asleep. But he didn't sleep long.
Bang, Bang, Bang!
Someone was knocking on the window. 
Startled, my farmer friend awoke, jumped from his bed, and demanded to know what was the matter. For the moment he was too dazed to know how long he had slept, but supposed it must now be eight o'clock at least.
"Sorry to disturb you," said his plowman,  "but there's a man here that wants to speak to you."
"About what?"
"wants to buy a cow."
The farmer was at the door in a moment, his heart beating fiercely with excitement which he dared not show.  Would the Lord now prove  His providential care?
Outside he found a man who lived several miles from his farm, and whom he had seen occasionally before.
"Sorry to bother you so early,"  said the man, "but I'm needing one more cow to complete a carload. Spent all yesterday searching for one in vain. Then i thought of you. Do you have one to sell?"  "It so happen that i do," said the farmer. "Come and look at it."
They went to the barn.
"How much do you want for it?" asked the visitor.
"well," said the farmer hesitatingly. "I hardly know what to say. I don't know what the market price is today, but I do know that I badly need sixty dollars for it." With out a word the visitor took out his checkbook, wrote a check for sixty dollars, and prepared to depart with the cow.
"By the way," said the farmer, "when did you think about coming to see me about the cow?"
"This morning," said the visitor. "At six o'clock I was strongly impressed that you would have a cow to sell me, and that I should come see you. So I got into my car and drove straight here."
"What is the time now?" asked the farmer.
"Six-twenty." 
"Only Six-twenty!" exclaimed the farmer. "Amazing! perfectly amazing."
It was. It had taken just twenty minutes for his pray to be answered.
Don't we sever an awesome God!

Coals Of Fire

DADDY, CRIED Donovan, running in from school, ''that boy Lionel is the meanest fellow in the school.''
Hello, hello, what's the matter now? said Daddy.     ''Oh, he's just terribly mean. He's always calling me names, and everything I do he says is bad or stupid, and he's always setting the other boys against me with his tails.''
"Tut, tut, tut!" said Daddy. "It surly can't be as bad as that."
"Yes, it is," said Donovan. "And what's more, I'm not going to stand it any longer. Big as he is, I'm going to fight him tomorrow."
"Well, that's interesting," said Daddy, smiling. "I hope you will tell me when it's going to come off, so I can come along and pick up the pieces."
"There won't be any pieces left of him," said Donovan angrily. "What, are you going to swallow him afterwards?"
Donovan laughed. " Do you know," said Daddy, "I can tell you how to pay that boy back."
"Can you ?" cried Donovan, all eagerness. "How?" "Would you like to put some coals of fire on his head ?'
"Anything," said Donovan. "anything."
"Well, I'll get the perscription fro you so you can do it."
So Daddy went into his study and brought out a book. After a little searching he found the place. "Ah, here it is," he said. "Listen, Donovan : 'If thine enemy hunger, feed him ; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing though shalt heap coals of fire on his head.' Rom. 12:20."
"Aw," said Donovan, "that's no good; I'd rather fight him."
          "But," said Daddy, "this is much better. If you fight him, you cannot hurt him vary much; but this way you pour coals of fire on his head.
You well burn him all the meanness out of him."
"Fine!" said Donovan. "But I don't like that way of doing it." "why not try it?" said Daddy.     "It's worth trying anyways."     "I'll see, said Donovan. "I'll think it over."
Donovan thought it over, and it was not long before something began to happen.
Next morning, on his way to school, whom should he meet but the hated Lionel.
"Just my luck," Lionel said as he came up with Donovan. "Got up late and missed my breakfast. Suppose you've been eating the fat of the land."
"No breakfast!" said Donovan kindly. "You must be starved. Do have my lunch right now. Yes i did have a good breakfast, and I am not a bit hungry, so you really must have my lunch."

Lionel was as surprised as if he had received a blow between the eyes.  He looked at Donovan and then at the lunch. "You don't mean it," he said.  "Really I do," aid Donovan. "do take it."
"That's nice of you, Thanks," said Lionel, taking the little parcel and beginning to eat.  "But you will have have a bit yourself, won't you?"
Donovan took a sandwich, and they walked on to school together, munching in silence.
"Hot this morning," said Lionel after they had gone some distance. "Wish i could get a drink somewhere."
"A drink?" said Donovan. "Let me see, where can we we get one? I should like one too."
"Pity we can't get some lemonade in that store over there," said Lionel.
"I've an idea," said Donovan. "I have two dimes with me. What about it? Let's go over, shall we?"
"Well, I don't want to take your money," said Lionel. "I'll wait till i get to the playground." said Lionel.
"Oh no, come along with me," said Donovan.  "we'll have a glass each. Looks good, doesn't it?"

So they went in, bought a glass of lemonade each, and then hurried on to school.
That evening Daddy was waiting at the gate for Donovan.
"Well," he said, "how did the fight go? I hope you won."
"I did," said Donovan with a twinkle in his eye. "I just burned him all up."
"Whatever do you mean?" asked Daddy.
"Why, I did what you said. I fed him with my lunch, and i gave him drink of lemonade, and----well,
he suddenly changed. He's been as different as could be all day. We've been like old friends all the time."
''Splendid! Well done Donovan!" said Daddy. "I hope you'll win all you battles just like that."