habits formed in youth, and to make it clearer the speaker said, "Boys,
do they ever lay cement walks in this neighborhood?" Every eye was
riveted on him, as they answered, "Yes!" "Did you know," he continued,
"that if you were to take a sharp-pointed stick and write your name in
the cement while it was soft, it would harden and remain there as long
as the walk lasted?" "Of course," he hastily added, as a significant
expression appeared on their faces, "no boy here would be mean enough
to do such a thing," but it was too late--the picture had done its work
and the purpose of handing autographs down to posterity would be
executed at the first opportunity.

Such is the power of the image or picture to lead to action. Only the
Father knows how many sons have come home from the far country because
of the matchless story of the prodigal. Only He knows how many
consecrated men and women are in Africa and China and Japan because they
saw the heroes in God's Hall of Fame. Surely this is why the Holy Spirit
inspired Paul to write, "Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things
are honorable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure,
whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if
there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things."

5. If the imagination steadily hold the picture, some day the life will
be like it.

It is impossible for the soul to look day after day upon anything
without unconsciously being changed into its likeness. Hawthorne has
exquisitely portrayed the transformation of Ernest into the image of the
Great Stone Face, and, in so doing, has told the story of every life
that gazes fixedly on its ideal. Herein lies the blessed secret of
Christ-likeness: "We all, with unveiled face reflecting as a mirror the