I was standing in Tiffany's great store in New York, and I heard the salesman say to a lady who had asked him about some pearls, "Madamn, the pearl is with $17,000." I was interested at once. I said, "Let me see the pearl that is worth $17,000." The salesman put it on a piece of black cloth, and I studied it carefully. I said, "I suppose Tiffany's stock is very valuable? and as I looked around that beautiful store, I imagined them brining all their stock up to my house and saying "We want you to take care of this tonight." What do you think I would do? I would go as quickly as I could to the telephone and call up the chief of police and say, "I have all of Tiffany's stock in my house, and it is too great a responsibility. Will you send some of your most trusted officers to help me?" You would do the same, wouldn't you? But I have a little boy in my home, and for him I am responsible. I have had him for nine years, and some of you may have just such another little boy. I turn to this old book and I read this word: "What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" or "What shall he give in exchange for his soul?" It is as if he had all the diamonds and rubies and pearls in the world, and held them in one hand, and just put a little boy in the other, and the boy would be worth more than all the jewels. If you would tremble because you had seventeen thousand dollars worth of jewels in your house one night, how shall you go up to your Father and the lad be not with you? -J. Wilbur Chapman
