JOHN D. BOCKEFELLEB 411 and cheery greeting the boy quickly forgot the timidity which had been strong within him, shook hands with the youths to whom the deacon introduced him, and speedily proved that he had studied his lesson thoroughly. And in all the succeed- ing years he maintained his early record for complete mastery of the day's text. That was his first association with what eventually became the Euclid Avenue Baptist Church. Deacon Sked's reputa- tion as a teacher still lives in Cleveland though the pious old man has been laid to rest these many years. He imbued young Rockefeller with much of his spirit. The boy's interest grew ; he attended regularly ; not many years later he was su- perintendent ; and he is still a member. During his stay at Forest Hill he attends the Sunday school regularly. Fre- quently at the dose of the services he has something to say, particularly to the boys. In them he sees the citizenship, the men of affairs of the years to come, and in them he seeks to instil some of the lessons his wide experience has taught him. On one of these occasions, unconsciously illustrating the boyhood inclination toward giving, he drew from his pocket a badly worn little account book which had once been resplen- dent in a red leather cover. Holding it reverently he said : "It is particularly gratifying to me, after my absence, to notice the signs of prosperity in this school. This Sunday school has been of help to me, more than any other force in my Christian life. When you come to the church or the Sunday school, and associate with it as a member, you must put some- thing into it. When a business man associates himself with other business men for, say, the production of the bricks in these walls, or the glass in these windows, he contributes a sum of money to the partnership and its purposes. In pro- portion to what he puts in he receives a return on his invest- ment. The more he puts in, the more he gets back in divi- dends. It is not necessary that you contribute money to a church or Sunday school ; you may not have it ; but everybody must contribute something, be it money or what it may. Put something in; and, according as you put something in, the greater will be your dividends in salvation.
