In Russell Conwell's famous story, "Acres of Diamonds," there lived near the Indus River an old Persian whose name was Ali Hafed.   He owned a large farm with orchards, grain fields, and gardens.   Being thrifty, he saved his money and became wealthy and contented.   One day a Buddhist priest visited him, and they began to talk about diamonds.   "One diamond as big as your thumb," he said, "could purchase the whole country, and if you had a mine of diamonds, you could put your children on thrones."   That night Ali Hafed went to bed feeling as if he were a poor man.   He hadn't lost anything, but he felt that he was poor because he was unhappy.   He said to himself, "I want a mine of diamonds," and lay awake all night.

           The next morning, he said to the priest, "Will you tell me where I can find diamonds?"   "What do you want with diamonds?" asked the priest.   Why, I wish to be immensely rich," he replied.   "Well, go find them," said the priest.   "Where shall I look?" eagerly asked Ali Hafed.   "If you find a river that runs through white sands between high mountains, in those white sands you will find them," said the priest.   "I will go," said Ali Hafed.

           Soon Ali Hafed sold his farm, left his family with a neighbor, and started out on a journey which took him to many lands.   Gradually his money dwindled and finally it was all gone, and not finding any diamonds, he finally threw himself into the ocean and died.

           Back in the homeland, the man who had purchased the farm from Ali Hafed led his camel to drink at the brook in the garden.   As he waited, he noticed a flash of light from the white sands of the stream, and picking up a pebble, he put it on his fireplace mantel and forgot about it.   One day the priest came to visit him, and seeing the pebble, shouted, "Here is a diamond!"

           "Oh, no," replied the man, "that is not a diamond; it is just a stone from our garden."

           "But I tell you I know diamonds, and I know positively that this is a diamond," insisted the priest.   Together they rushed to the stream, and stirring up the sand, up came some others more beautiful than the first.   Thus was discovered the Golconda Diamond Mine, one of the most famous diamond mines in the world!

          
It's a story to think about!

          
There are many people who make themselves unhappy by wanting something which they do not have, and feel that they must start roaming the world in search of it.   In the Holy Bible, Jesus tells us the story of a young man who started on a journey to far countries, hoping eventually to find happiness.   Soon he had spent his money and was in such desperate need that he got a job feeding hogs, which, for a Jew, was the lowest work possible, for hogs were looked upon as unclean animals.   In shame, the young man thought about the nice home which he had left and realized that even the servants in that home had better food and nicer clothes than he.   Finally, he said, "I will return to my father, confess my faults, and ask to be one of the servants."   His father, however, had been hoping that his son would return, and welcomed him gladly.   And so it was that the prodigal son finally found the happiness he had searched for . . . in his own home!