A Millionaire and a Caterpillar
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LIKE many another man, Titus Salt, a factory boy in England, began life poor. A hard worker with
an inventive mind, he developed a process for using coarse Russian wool, and became one of
the wealthiest woolen manufacturers. After he invented "alpaca," he became a multi-millionaire. A
man of many interests, he built a model town, called Saltaire, for his workers. Later he was
elected to Parliament and, because his progressive ideas had benefited the whole industrial life
of England, Queen Victoria made him a baron.
Was Sir Titus Salt satisfied? He was not. As wise King Solomon had said long before, "The eye is
not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing" (Eccl. 1:8). All that Sir Titus Salt had
heard, seen, and possessed had not given and could not bring him satisfaction.
One Sunday Sir Titus heard a preacher tell about how, while sitting in his garden, he had
watched a caterpillar climb a painted stick which had been stuck into the ground as a decoration.
The caterpillar slowly climbed to the top of the stick, then reared itself, feeling this way and that
for some juicy twig on which to feed, or for some way of further progress. But the caterpillar was
disappointed. Groping about, it found nothing. Slowly it returned to the ground, crawled along
until it reached another painted stick, and did the same thing all over again. This happened
several times.
"There are many painted sticks in the world," said the preacher. "There are the painted sticks of
pleasure, of wealth, of power, of fame. All these call to men, and say, 'Climb me, and you will find
the desire of your heart. Climb me and you will fulfill the purpose of your existence. Climb me and
taste the fruits of success. Climb me and find satisfaction.' "But," continued the preacher, "they
are only painted sticks."
The very next day the preacher had a visitor. It was the wealthy Baron, who said, "Sir, I was in
your congregation last night, and heard what you said about the painted sticks. I want to tell you
that I have been climbing them, and today I am a weary man. Tell me, is there rest for a weary
millionaire?"
The preacher had the great joy of pointing that sin-burdened soul to Him who said, "COME UNTO
ME, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I WILL GIVE YOU REST" (Matt. 11:28). And Sir
Titus, who long had sought satisfaction from this world and had never found it, laid his heavy
burden at the feet of the Lord Jesus, receiving Him as his personal Saviour, and was able to sing
joyfully (as so many of us can),
Friend, are you, too, climbing the painted sticks of this world, in the vain pursuit of pleasure,
wealth, power, or fame-living your whole life away from God? The Scripture says,
"Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and
walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these
things, God will bring thee into judgment." (Ecclesiastes 11:9)
Are you not burdened about your sins? Turn now, like Titus Salt, to the only Saviour, and there
at His feet, confess that you are a sinner and that you want to be saved. In Him you will find
pardon, peace, and joy forever. His precious blood cleanses from all sin (1 John 1:9). "He
satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness" (Psalm 107:9).
"I came to Jesus as I was,
Weary and worn and sad;
I found in Him a resting place,
And He has made me glad."
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