literally filled with nails. The boy did not like the looks of the door,
the thought of it began to trouble his conscience. So he spoke to his
father about it. "Well," said his father, "I'll tell you what we will
do. Every time you are obedient, every time you do a good deed rather
than a wrong one, we will pull a nail out." The bargain was struck, and
as, one by one, the nails were driven in, so, one by one, they were
pulled out.

Finally the day arrived when there was but one nail left. You can
imagine the joy of the boy when he and his father went together to pull
that nail out. With great glee the claws of the hammer were fastened
about the head of Mr. Nail and, jerk, out he came. "Oh," exclaimed the
boy, "the marks are left." Yes, it was true, for every nail driven in
and pulled out a mark was left, and it was an ugly looking door. "That
is the sad thing about it all," said the father, "every time you do an
evil deed a mark is left upon the life. It is never the same as if the
evil deed had not been committed. It is fine that we have all the nails
out, but it would have been much better had they never been driven in."

MEMORY VERSE, _Jeremiah_ 2: 22

"For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much sope,
yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord God."

MEMORY HYMN [348]

_"Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to thee."_