If you have ever had a little shock from an electric machine, and can imagine how it would have felt on the tip of your nose, you will have no doubt that pussy was shocked. He backed off very slowly, considering. His topaz eyes got bigger and brighter, and his back higher and higher, and his tail plumier and plumier, every minute. His fur stood out in all directions, and he lifted his paws and set them down most carefully. He backed, and he backed, until he came up against the pillows, and then he turned around and realized that there was another iron thing behind him. Was that bewitched, too? At any rate, he would be cautious this time and see what happened. He sat and looked at it for some seconds. Then he reached out a paw very deliberately and daintily--and got another spark on the tip of that! You see, he had come all the way across the woolen blankets, and made electricity at every step. Then he gave it up. He hopped off the bed in a panic and fled down the stairs. He came up again after awhile, and curled up on his usual cushion to go to sleep, but he was a very much puzzled cat, and there is no doubt that pussy was shocked. OUR LESSON.--For April 19. PREPARED BY MARGUERITE COOK. Title.--The Cost of Discipleship.--Luke 14:25-35. Golden Text.--Whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it.--Matt. 16:25. _Golden Text for Beginners._--_Be ye kind one to another._--Eph. 4:32. Truth.--If we would belong to Jesus, we must deny ourselves. 1. Jesus spoke to a great crowd that followed him and told them that if they wanted to be his disciples they must love him better than all else in the world. [Illustration] 2. He said if they would be his disciples they must be willing to take up their cross and follow him. [Illustration] 3. He meant that they must be willing to do hard things for his sake. 4. He said if a man wanted to build a tower he would first see if he had money enough to build it all. [Illustration] 5. If the man began to build and could not finish it people would laugh at him. 6. Jesus wanted to teach them that they should be patient and finish whatever they began. 7. If we want to be friends of Jesus we must love him best of all and obey his words, no matter how hard we may find it to do so. 8. The love of Jesus in our heart helps us to be good and makes it easy for us to obey him and do hard things for his sake. 9. Salt is useful to keep food good and to make it taste pleasant to us. [Illustration] 10. If the salt loses its taste and strength it is useless and is thrown out. 11. So it is with our love for Jesus; if it is not strong and true it will be of no use to us or anyone else. 12. The true love of Jesus in our hearts grows stronger day by day and makes us useful and helpful to those around us. * * * * * QUESTIONS. What is the Golden Text? What is the Truth? 1. What did Jesus tell the people they must do if they wanted to be his disciples?