ere two stones, both taken out of the
same quarry. This one is polished and has a very beautiful surface. It
is very beautiful, not only to look at, but it would be beautiful in any
place you might choose to put it. This other is rough and jagged, and
not at all pleasant, either to handle or to look upon. This rough stone
can be made useful, but it would be no more useful than any other rough
and unsightly stone. It would do very well to place in the foundation of
a building, to be all covered up with mortar and have other stones laid
on top of it; to be built in the foundation down below the ground, where
no one would ever see it. But it would be of no special value in its
present condition for anything other than that.

I think this polished stone may very properly represent Christian
people. For long, long years this stone had been lying peacefully and
quietly in its rocky bed. But one day a man who purposed to build a very
beautiful palace came along, and he found that the great rocks in a
certain portion of the country contained stone that could be polished
very beautifully. They could therefore be made very useful in
constructing his palace or cathedral. So he sent a large number of men
to the quarry and they began to drill great holes in the rock. Now, if
these rocks had any feeling you can see at once that they would object
to having such great holes drilled into their sides, because it would
hurt a great deal. But after the men had the holes drilled they put
powder in them and blasted off great pieces of these rocks. Then these
great blocks were hauled away and placed in the hands of stone masons,
who began with chisels and mallets to cut and carve. After that, with
some fine sand or emery, or something of that kind, other men ground
and polished the face of the stone until it became very beautiful.

[Illustration: Stones Being Polished.]

Now, if these stones had had feeling, you can see at once that they
would have objected to being chiselled and cut, and carved, and ground,
and polished. This process would have hurt so much that the stones would
have cried out, and asked to be delivered from such a painful process.

[Illustration: "The Beautiful Angel Was Carved Out."]

It is related of Michael Angelo, that one day he was passing a quarry
where large blocks of beautiful marble were being taken out. In one
large block he saw a beautiful angel. He ordered the block to be taken
to his studio, or the place w