questioning. It is better to be
a sunny Christian, rejoicing, songful, happy, than a sad, gloomy,
despondent Christian. It makes one's own life sweeter and more
beautiful. Then it makes others happier. A gloomy Christian casts
dark shadows wherever he goes; a sunny Christian is a benediction to
every life he touches.

CHAPTER IX.

JESUS' UNREQUITED FRIENDSHIPS.

"Friend, my feet bleed.
Open thy door to me and comfort me."
I will not open; trouble me no more.
Go on thy way footsore;
I will not rise and open unto thee.
"Then it is nothing to thee? Open, see
Who stands to plead with thee.
Open, lest I should pass thee by, and thou
One day entreat my face
And howl for grace,
And I be deaf as thou art now.
Open to me."
CHRISTINA G. ROSSETTI.

There is a great deal of unrequited love in this world. There are
hearts that love with all the strength of purest and holiest affection,
whose love seems to meet no requital. There is much unrequited
mother-love and father-love. Parents live for their children. In
helpless infancy they begin to pour out their affection on them. They
toil for them, suffer for them, deny themselves to provide comforts for
them, bear their burdens, watch beside them when they are sick, pray
for them, and teach them. Parent-love is likest God's love of all
earthly affections. It is one of the things in humanity which at its
best seems to have come from the Fall almost unimpaired. Much
parent-love is worthily honored and fittingly requited. Few things in
this world are more beautiful than the devotion of children to parents
which one sees in some homes. But not always is there such return.
Too often is this almost divine love unrequited.

Much philanthropic love also is unrequited. There are men who spend
all their life in doing good, and then meet no return. Men have served
their country with loyalty and disinterestedness, and have received no
reward--perhaps have been left to suffering, and have died in poverty,
neglected and forgotten; too often have lain in prison, or been put to
death, or exiled by the country which was indebted to their patriotism
and loyal service for much of its glory and greatness. Many hearts
break because of men's ingratitude.

Jesus was the world's greatest benefactor. No other man ever loved the
race, or could have loved it, as he did. He was the divine messenger
who came to save the wo