“Then never say you have not ten good friends, able to help you on in life.  Try what those true friends can do, before you go grumbling and fretting because you have none to help you.”

Now, suppose that we put the word talents, for the word friends, in this little story.  Then, we may each of us hold our two hands before us, and say “here are ten talents, which God has given me to use for him.  Let me try and do all the good I can with these ten talents.”

THE BEST THAT I CAN.

  “‘I cannot do much,’ said a little star,
    ’To make the dark world bright;
  My silvery beams can not struggle far
    Through the folding gloom of night;
  But I’m only a part of God’s great plan,
  And I’ll cheerfully do the best I can.’

  “A child went merrily forth to play,
    But a thought, like a silver thread,
  Kept winding in and out, all day,
    Through the happy golden head. 
  Mother said,—­’Darling, do all you can;
  For you are a part of God’s great plan.’

  “So he helped a younger child along,
    When the road was rough to the feet,
  And she sung from her heart a little song
    That we all thought passing sweet;
  And her father, a weary, toil-worn man,
  Said, ‘I, too, will do the best I can.’”

“A Noble Boy.”  “Not long ago,” said a Christian lady, “I saw a boy do something that made me glad for a week.  Indeed it fills my heart with tenderness and good feeling whenever I think about it.  But let me tell you what it was.

“As I was walking along a crowded street I saw an old blind man walking on without any one to lead him.  He went very slowly, feeling his way with his cane.

“‘He’s walking straight to the highest part of the curb-stone,’ said I to myself.  ’And it’s very high too.  I wonder if some one won’t help him and start him in the right direction.’

“Just then, a boy, about fourteen years old, who was playing near by, ran up to the old man and gently putting his hand through the man’s arm, said:—­’Allow me, my friend, to lead you across the street.’  By this time there were three or four others watching the boy.  He not only helped the old man over one crossing, but led him over another to the lower side of the street.  Then he ran back to his play.

“Now this boy thought he had only done an act of kindness to that old man.  But just see how much farther than that the use of his one talent went.  The three boys with whom he was playing, and who had watched his kind act, were happier and better for it, and felt that they must be more careful to do little kindnesses to those about them.

“The three or four persons who stopped to watch the boy turned away with a tender smile upon their faces, ready to follow the good example of that noble boy.  I am sure that I felt more gentle and loving towards every one, from what I saw that boy do.

“And then, another one that was made happy was the boy himself.  For, it is impossible for us to do a kind act, or to make any one else happy, without feeling better and happier ourselves.  To be good and to do good, is the way to be happy.  This is our mission here in this world.  Whatever talents our Master has given us, he intends that we should use them in this way.”