The pastor of one of the large Norwegian churches in Chicago recently confessed to his banker, after purchasing a war savings certificate, that he had been converted to the thrift movement while hunting a text for a sermon.

"My wife and I have always tried to live as economically as possible," he explained; "and for truth, we have always found it necessary to think carefully when it was a question of the expenditure of my modest salary. We observed meatless days frequently and have never squandered much money on frivolities, for the simple reason that we could not afford to do so.

"We had succeeded in accumulating a little bank account against a rainy day and my inevitable retirement--every minister must look forward to that--and at times in my study I was just a trifle inclined to be cynical when reading about the thrift movement in the daily papers and the periodicals. Had not I and my good wife and our little family lived as carefully as possible? What 2more could we do?

"It was while leafing my Bible that I came across the twenty-fifth chapter of St. Matthew wherein is related the parable of the man who, on going into another country, called his servants to him and delivered into their keeping the five and the two and the one talents to use in the course of his absence. I fell to debating with myself as to which servant I would have proven to be had I been one of the three intrusted with the gold. Financially, here I was in a class with the servant who had been given that one talent. I had only a few hundred dollars, a mere mite, and apparantly of no great value in this war where millions are spent daily. Then, too, like the servant, I might have complained that I knew the master was a hard man, reaping where he did not sow, and gathering where he did not scatter. I was far from being a millionaire although I have always voted and paid my small taxes and tried to live an upright life as a citizen of the United States and as a loyal American.

"Suddenly it dawned upon me that, in keeping my little hoard in the bank when 3it might be invested in war bonds or thrift certificates, I was placing myself actually in a class with the wicked and slothful servant who dug a hole and hid his talent instead of taking it, as his master had suggested, to those who would have paid interest while using it to advantage.

"It was that parable of the talents that converted me to the thrift movement, and I realize now that had I kept my little store hid, I would have deserved to have it taken away from me by some German soldiers, for it is absolutely certain that the Prussians will collect an indemnity from the United States and all of us if they are not decisively beaten in this war, and they can't be beaten if we don't lend our government money to finance the war.

"I am as the boys say, 'strong for thrift now, and I am building a sermon on the text.' 'And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'"