so mercilessly scourged through the public press, as was Abraham
Lincoln. Yet, through it all, while thousands were dying on the field
of battle, while pestilence and want stalked through the states, and
while the finger of hatred and scorn was pointed at him as the man who
had brought devastation and death upon the nation, he stood steadfast,
with a firm, unimpassioned face, never swerving an inch from the path
of right and duty. Warring factions all about him, who tried in many
ways to sidetrack him, failed in every attempt. To them he said, 'Let
us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith let us do our
duty as we understand it.'
"In his memorable second inaugural address, he said, 'With malice
toward none, with charity to all, with firmness in the right, as God
gives us to see the right, let us finish the work.'
"In those tumultuous times, he often seemed to stand almost alone,
like a lighthouse away out from the rock-bound coast, lashed by the
fierce waves, driven by furious winds. [Draw the lighthouse in brown
and the waves in blue, completing Fig. 35.]
[Illustration: Fig. 35]
"But the fiercest storms never moved our human lighthouse! Nor did
the light which was to finally guide the Ship of State into a safe and
peaceful harbor fail to send out its clear, pure rays.
"The lighthouse which we have drawn must stand upon a firm and solid
foundation to endure the force of the storm. Abraham Lincoln must have
stood upon a firm and solid foundation in order to endure the fierce
storms of the darkest years of the nation's history. Let us see what
this foundation was made of.
"We must go away back to the early days of his life until we come, in
1816, to a little cabin in Gentryville, Indiana--a one-room log cabin
with a dirt floor and with no glass in the windows. Here lived Thomas
Lincoln and his wife and two children, Sarah, aged ten years, and
Abraham, eight years old. They had recently come from Kentucky.
"Although Thomas Lincoln could neither read nor write, the mother
taught her children to read the one book which they had, a Bible. The
sweetness of the character of this gentle mother was reflected in the
lives of her children. For three or four months, Abraham managed to
attend the rude school of the neighborhood. He soon learned to know
much of the Bible by heart. When he was ten years of age, the greatest
calamity of his life occurred; his mother, always frail and delicate,
passed from earth. Abraham Lincoln never recovered from the shock. The
rude casket was placed in a grave near the cabin. Nine months after
that sad day, Parson Elkins, whom the family had known in Kentucky,
answered the repeated appeal of Abraham to come one hundred miles on
horseback to preach a funeral sermon at the grave of Mrs. Lincoln.
"Many years afterward, when the cares of state weighed heavily upon
him, President Lincoln spoke the words which tell us the secret of his
wonderful calmness and steadfastness. Listen to them: 'All that I am
and all that I hope to be, I owe to my mother. Blessings on her
memory!'
"Do you understand, boys and girls, that it was the thing which this
mother put into the life of her boy that made him a great and a good
man? Do you now understand what Paul meant when he said that there is
no other foundation on which to build your life 'than that is laid,
which is Jesus Christ?'
"Let us, then place the word, Christ, upon this rock, the unseen
foundation upon which this great life stood so steadfastly. I leave
with you the picture as a memory of the secret of a wonderful life.
[Draw lines of rock and lower portion of the lighthouse; add the word
"Christ," completing Fig. 36.]
[Illustration: Fig. 36]
THE BLESSEDNESS OF WORK
--Labor
--Diligence
The Truly Happy Life is the One Filled With Honest Employment.
THE LESSON--That in childhood and youth we should train ourselves
to work.
Work is the keynote of the successful life. "An idle brain is the
devil's workshop." The talk is designed to catch the attention with a
smile and then give an opportunity to present some valuable thoughts
in the matter of diligence and the fulfillment of life's mission
through honorable employment of the mind and the hands.
~~The Talk.~~
"Very often we read some very curious things. The manufacturer of one
of the well-known breakfast foods, has placed this strange statement
on the outside of each of the packages: 'Tell me what you eat and I
will tell you what you are.' It seems impossible to do this, and the
writer of the words probably had an entirely different way of
explaining how he would do it from the way we will demonstrate it here
on the drawing paper today. Let us suppose that we make the statement
that we can tell what a man is if we know what he eats. All right,
then, here is a case: There is a certain man who eats three meals a
day out of a dish shaped something like this: [Draw lines representing
Step 1 of Fig. 37.]
[Illustration: Fig. 37] [Illustration: Fig. 38]
"And then, let us suppose that the food he eats is heaped up like
this: [Add lines to change the drawing to Step 2.]
"Now, what do you think this food is? Ice cream? Ah, no, because when
I tell you that this is steam rising from the food you will know it
isn't ice cream: [Add lines to change the drawing to Step 3.]
"But you will begin to see what it is when I tell you that these two
lines represent chopsticks: [Add lines to change the drawing to Step
5.] What is it? Rice? Yes, it is rice, and we will label it in this
way. [Add the letters, to change the drawing to Step 5.]
"And now, having found out what the man eats, let us see if we can
find out who he is. [Remove the sheet from the drawing board, hold it
up and turn it over, exposing Fig. 38 to the audience. With the
attention thus centered upon your work, the boys and girls will listen
with eagerness to whatever else you may have for them.]
"And so, I tell you of another thing that we can do.
"Listen! Tell me what a boy thinks about, and I will tell you what
kind of a man he will grow up to be.
"The man who swears, thought of bad things and used bad words when he
was a boy. The man who is a thief thought about dishonest things when
he was a boy. The man who is happy and who finds it his delight to do
good, formed the habit of thinking and doing good things when he was a
boy. The man who loves his work learned to like to work when he was a
boy.
"And it is work that I want to speak about today.
"There is no place in the world for a lazy boy or girl. Nobody wants
them. Boys who hate to work are the kind that loaf around poolrooms
and pollute the air with vile cigarette smoke and language which
bespeaks an empty mind and a corrupt heart.
"As Jesus is our great example in every way, He stands out strongly as
our example of how a workman should delight in his employment. We
should first find the thing which God intends that we shall do, for we
are all fitted to do some things better than others, and we should
then put forth our best efforts to learn to do that one thing as well
as we can. We must center our thoughts upon the things we want to
do. Life will then become a delight, because the world is always
crying for workers who know how to do their work. The other kind is
always to be found but never wanted. The demand is for the ones who
know how. It is a significant fact that the first recorded words of
Jesus Christ are, 'Wist ye not that I must be about my father's
business?' This makes of Jesus a _Business boy_, and it was God's
work he began so soon.
"Gladstone, an inspiring example of the true workman, says, 'The
thrift of time will repay in after life with usury of profit beyond
your most sanguine dreams, and the waste of it will make you dwindle
alike in intellectual and moral stature beyond your darkest
reckoning.'
"The happiest people in the world are those who are busy at something
worth while, and the most miserable are those who are in idleness for
lack of ambition or else are engaged in work which they themselves
loathe because of its baseness."
THE DOORWAY
--Easter
--Death
The Resurrection of Christ the Hope of the World--An Easter
Thought.
THE LESSON--That death is but the doorway between the earthly life
and the heavenly life of the believer.
There is no new thought or theory concerning the dead in Christ. The
most profound thinkers of the ages consider death as the entrance to a
future life. The illustration here presented has been employed in
various forms, but is given with the hope that it may, at Easter, help
someone to a clearer conception of the reward which awaits the
faithful.
~~The Talk.~~
"James Russell Lowell, dwelling upon the darkness of the cloud of
sorrow which death brings into the home, wrote:
"'Console, if you will, I can bear it,
'Tis a well-meant alms of breath;
But not all the preaching since Adam
Has made Death other than Death!'
"How true! And God intended it should be so. Surely, it is His desire
that we should love to live in the earth which He has given
us. Surely, it is His desire that we should love those who are about
us, and that we should mourn when the earthly parting comes. And yet,
'it is impossible,' as Jonathan Swift has said, 'that anything so
natural, so necessary and so universal as death should ever have been
designed by Providence as an evil to mankind.' With this thought, we
may lift our faces once more, and as we dry our tears, forget the
problems, the sorrows and the triumphs of earth as we ask ourselves
the question, 'What shall _we_ be in the coming ages?' Compared
with this question, all others sink into insignificance. Science,
discovery, commercial achievement, social problems, the rise and fall
of nations--all come to us and claim attention, but we brush them
aside as we repeat, with passionate earnestness: What shall _we_
be--_we, ourselves_--in the coming time?
"No matter how long we ask the question, no matter how earnestly we
seek the solution, we shall not be satisfied with an answer, for God
has not intended that we should know. The Apostle John, 'whom Jesus
loved,' admits that 'it doth not yet appear what we shall be.'
"Does it mean, then, that we should look ahead, and see nothing before
us but the grave--the end of all? [Draw the grave, the headstone, and
the word, "Death," with black, completing Fig. 39.]
[Illustration: Fig. 39]
"Perhaps the disciples, their hearts bowed down with grief and
disappointment, held this thought as they saw the tomb of Joseph of
Arimathea sealed upon the body of their beloved Master. But three days
pass, and lo!--all is changed! The stone is rolled away and Christ has
risen! How the message spreads! He is with them once again, and
blessed days they are! But it is not for long, for heaven receives Him
from their sight. Clearly, then, came to them again His words, 'I go
to prepare a place for you, that where I am ye may be also.' What!
They, too? Yes, for did he not say, also, 'Marvel not at this, for the
hour is coming, in which all that are in their graves shall hear His
voice and come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection
of life.'
"Today, there comes to us anew the revelation of the truth which came
to the disciples on that wonderful resurrection morn. True, it may be
that our pathway may lead more quickly than we think to this place
which we call the grave. [Draw pathway to the grave.] True, there is
a wall between human vision and the mysterious beyond. [Draw the
wall.] But true, also, and gloriously true, is it that the grave opens
to us the mysteries beyond the wall. [Draw line to change headstone to
door]--while the pathway leads to--what? We can only suggest it here,
with a few feeble lines. [Draw distant city, in red, using orange for
rays of light. Add the word "Life," completing Fig. 40.]
[Illustration: Fig. 40]
"Someone has said that the night of life is the dawn of peace.
Browning says that 'you never know what life means till you die.'
Another has said, 'The dead are glad in heaven; the living 'tis that
weep.' And all, though they point to the pathway beyond the wall as
that toward which we should push forward, are firm in the knowledge
that the earthly pathway of peace and love is more essential than
this, for without it we cannot reach the other. 'There is but one way
to get ready for immortality,' says Van Dyke, 'and that is to love
this life, and live it as bravely and cheerfully and faithfully as we
can.' And I know it is our prayer that we may do this in the fullness
of the meaning of the words."
THE PUZZLE PICTURE
--God's Love
--Nature
When We Have Solved It, Let Us Learn to Find God in All His Works
of Nature.
THE LESSON--That we shall find the loving presence of God
everywhere in nature, if we but seek Him.
This illustration, dealing with a popular pastime, points to a great
lesson, the fact that God is to be found in all our natural
surroundings, if we but seek for Him in the same manner that we
endeavor to find the unseen in other ways.
~~The Talk.~~
"How many of the boys and girls are fond of puzzle pictures? Hold up
your hands. Ah, I thought so. I believe nearly everyone likes puzzles;
we are attracted to many things which possess an element of
mystery. So I am going to draw a little puzzle landscape today and see
if we can get a lesson from it. [Draw the landscape, naming the
objects as you complete them--the tree, the land, the water, the
distant foliage, and so on, finishing Fig. 41. This completes the
drawing for the entire talk.]
[Illustration: Fig. 41]
"Here is the story: A farmer, living near this spot, came down to the
shore of the lake, untied his boat from its fastening, and rowed out
onto the lake to fish. With the approach of dinner-time, the farmer's
son came down to the shore to call his father to dinner. It seems that
the father had rowed so far away that he could not hear the lad's
voice, so the boy is still waiting here for him. Can you see the boy?
Ah, yes, here he is. [Remove the sheet from the drawing board, reverse
it, and hold it up for the inspection of the school. Fig. 42. After
all have discovered the face of the boy, do not return the sheet to
the drawing board, but lay it on the floor or elsewhere out of sight,
as it has served its purpose and should not be allowed to detract from
the attention needed for the remainder of the talk.]
[Illustration: Fig. 42]
"Yes, it is interesting to study puzzle pictures to discover in them
the persons and objects which we may not see at the beginning. But I
wonder how many of us do a similar thing when we see the real woods,
the real lake and the real flowers? As in the picture, the boy's face
was made by the outline of the tree and the shrubbery, and the hair
was shown by the shading of the grass, so also may we find great
hidden truths in nature all about us. The poet Bryant, in Thanatopsis
says that
"'To him, who in the love of nature holds
Communion with her visible forms she speaks
A various language.'
"And Shakespeare tells of finding 'tongues in trees, books in running
brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything.'
"Greatest of all is the fact that God is there. Every tree, every
bush, every blade of grass, every flower, speaks of His presence--of
His love and care for us. Dr. Van Dyke, in many beautiful passages
pleads with us to turn our thoughts from the things which make us
unhappy--the wild rush for fame and fortune, for the attainment of
that which disappoints and discourages--to the quietness expressed by
nature. In his book, 'The Ruling Passion,' we find this beautiful
sentiment: 'It is the part of wisdom to spend little of your time upon
the things that vex and anger you, and much of your time upon the
things that bring you quietness and confidence and good cheer. A
friend made is better than an enemy punished. There is more God in the
peaceful beauty of this little wood-violet than in all the angry
disputation of the sects. We are nearer heaven when we listen to the
birds than when we quarrel with our fellow-men. I am sure that none
can enter into the spirit of Christ, His evangel, save those who
willingly follow His invitation when He says, 'Come ye yourselves
apart in a lonely place and rest awhile.'
"It is a most beautiful thought. Let us ponder it in our hearts. Let
us seek to find God and His goodness to us in everything that He has
placed about us. Many a man who says he has not found God in nature
has failed to see the blessings which have come to him--which are his
every moment of his life. The fruit, the flowers, the grains--everything
that supplies him with the necessities of life and earthly happiness
come from the hand of God. Let us feel that _all nature is a sort of
puzzle picture_, and that by looking, looking, looking, we can find
God in everything. And in finding Him, let us learn from nature the
lessons of humility, of sacrifice, of joy and good cheer; for it is
for this that God has given us these blessings. It is only when we
thus seek Him that we may look 'through nature up to nature's God.'"
THE HEART of the TROUBLE
--Temperance Day
--Sobriety
A Temperance Talk in Acrostic--One Great Evil Power--Beware!
THE LESSON--That the deadly drink evil appears to its victims in
the most alluring and deceptive form.
The following talk necessitates the use of lettering only, but it
affords an opportunity for the audience to take a part, especially if
the company of hearers is made up largely of children. The climax is
not to be anticipated, and the effect cannot be other than
lasting. The talk may be varied to suit local conditions; specific
incidents make the best impressions. It is suggested that you watch
your newspapers for a period preceding the talk and make clippings of
incidents to fit the points of the first seven paragraphs. It is well
to ask the children to repeat each word as it is placed on the drawing
paper.
~~The Talk.~~
"The thing I am going to speak about today is not a pleasant one. The
fact is that nothing good can be said about it, for it deals with
sorrow and death. You may wonder, then, why we do not speak of
something bright and happy; and I answer that if you learn the lesson
about this thing of sorrow and death, your lives will escape its
influence and you will be many more times likely to be happy; and if
you do not learn the lesson, you may suffer distress and anguish all
the years of your later life. This thing is known as a great evil
power. Sometimes we hear of it coming into the home and making a
brute out of a loving husband. Where there was happiness and joy there
is now sorrow and despair. [Place the word Sorrow on the drawing
paper. When adding the succeeding words, be sure to place them exactly
as indicated in Fig. 43.]
[Illustration: Fig. 43]
"Again, this evil power creeps into a home and fastens itself upon a
young man who had before him every promise of a bright, successful
life. So relentless is it that the young man, in despair, takes his
own life. [Add the word Death.]
"Again, we see a man, successful in business, with no seeming obstacle
in the way of greater achievement, when, one day, we find his doors
are closed. This evil power has come upon him and he is a bankrupt and
a failure. [Add the word Failure.]
"Again, we hear of a man who has been a leader among men--a brilliant
lawyer, a keen thinker--taken from his place and confined in a
hospital for the insane. The same evil power has done this. [Add the
word Insanity.]
"Again, we know of a young man who was strong and robust, a splendid
specimen of physical manhood; now he has lost his health and
strength. The same evil power has come upon him and has placed him on
a bed of sickness from which he cannot rise. [Add the word Sickness.]
"Again, how often do we hear that a man, respected and honored, has in
a moment of passion, taken the life of another man, just because this
evil power came in and caused him to do it. [Add the word Murder.]
"But more common than all the other terrible things which this great
evil power does is the bringing of wretchedness and want to the wives
and the children of the men who are its victims. These innocent ones
suffer for the common comforts of life, food and clothing. This we
call poverty. [Add the word Poverty. This completes Fig. 43.]
"Many more words could be added to this list, representing the
misfortunes which come to the victims of this great evil power. In
every instance it deceived its victims into believing it was
harmless--that in accepting it there was no danger or risk.
"What is this great evil power? [With red chalk draw the heavy line,
completing Fig. 44, to bring out the word Whiskey.]
[Illustration: Fig. 44]
"Now, boys and girls, consider this not as a puzzle drawing. It
represents a truth almost as old as the world. Concerning strong
drink, the Bible cries out, 'Beware!' Remember that every drunkard
believed he could taste liquor and then leave it alone if he wished.
You, in your happy homes, may think you are safe from it. Beware!
Some day, the temptation will come to you; someone will test you.
Beware! 'Whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.' 'Who hath woe?
Who hath sorrow? Who hath babbling? Who hath wounds without cause? Who
hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine.' Beware! Be
not one of these.
"No, let us keep our minds on the pure, the upright, looking ever to
Jesus, who is our strength and who will keep us from the power of this
evil thing. 'Then shalt thou walk in thy way securely, and thy foot
shall not stumble.'"
IF WASHINGTON LIVED TODAY
--Washington's Birthday
--Character
The Principles Which Underlie Success Are the Same at All Times.
THE LESSON--That true success will attend those who found their
lives on the principles which governed the life of Washington.
Properly handled, the illustration designed for the following talk
will prove a revelation to young and old. The application fits the
illustration so well that the talk should prove of absorbing interest
and lasting impressiveness.
~~The Talk.~~
[Before beginning the talk, make the following preparations very
carefully: Attach several thicknesses of your drawing paper to your
board, leaving the outer sheet free at the bottom by tacking at the
top only. Next, with a sharp pen-knife, cut a hole in the outer sheet,
indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 45, and throw away the piece
which has been cut out. The object of this preparation is this: When
you draw the portrait of Washington, represented in Fig. 45, a portion
of your drawing will appear on the outer sheet and part of it--the
face--on the next sheet beneath. If your preparations have been well
made, the outer sheet will lie flat against the one beneath, and the
audience will not see the hole until the proper time comes.]
[Illustration: Fig. 45]
"I am going to draw first an outline portrait of George Washington,
copied from the profile crayon sketch of St. Memin. [Draw Fig. 45,
complete, being careful, in moving the crayon from one sheet to the
other, not to tear the outer sheet.] This view shows plainly the style
of wig and military clothing of a gentleman of the revolutionary days,
and, as we look at it we note what a difference there is between this
and the dress of the men of today. Do we also feel that there is a
great difference between the men of colonial days and the present
time--the same difference in character that there is in dress? If
this thought has come to us, we have also asked ourselves, perhaps,
this strange question, 'What kind of a man would George Washington be
if he were living at the present time?'
"Of course, if he had not performed his great work in helping to shape
the destiny of our nation, it is probable that America would have had
a vastly different history. We will assume, however, that Washington
were a product of the present day and that the present conditions
prevailed. What, then, would Washington be like? How would he act?
What would he do?
"Perhaps we can best transplant him to our day by dressing him in the
clothing of the man of the present. [Slowly fold back the outer sheet,
so the audience may see that you have already drawn on the under sheet
a portion of the second "scene"--the most important part, in fact. As
you continue the talk, add lines to complete Fig. 46.] In the first
place, Washington, with his abundance of natural hair, would not wear
a wig just for style, so we will draw his head as we think it would
appear naturally. Nor would he wear the colonial style of clothing, so
we will substitute the coat, collar and tie of an American gentleman
of today. And here we have Washington as he would look if he lived in
our own time.
[Illustration: Fig. 46]
"I do not believe Washington would be a military leader in this latter
day. He was essentially a man of peace, and everywhere in his writings
we find expressed a longing to return after the strife of battle and
the weary days in the presidential chair, to his quiet, beloved Mount
Vernon, to carry on his extensive private business and enjoy his
friends and the sweets of home life.
"But we cannot doubt that he would be a great leader in the struggle
for right against wrong in every form. From his childhood, he loved
truth and honesty. He was a deep and careful student. He worked hard
at his duties as a surveyor of the wilderness and then came the call
from Governor Dinwiddie to carry a message to the French over hundreds
of miles of unknown land, in the dead of winter. It was the most
perilous undertaking ever entrusted to any man in the new land of
America up to that time, but he met the task manfully. It was such
victories as these in his youth that made him the Father of His
Country. It is the meeting of our own problems in the same spirit that
means our own success in life.
"If Washington lived today, his career would be vastly different from
what it was, yet he would have made his place, and the world would
have been eminently better for his work. Let us study to apply to our
own lives the principles which made Washington truly great."
[In closing, restore the outer sheet to its first position, thus
presenting the original portrait. It may be necessary to fasten it
down with a thumb-tack.]
EVOLUTION OF THE JUG
--Temperance Day
--Slavery
While Strong Drink Makes "Poverty and Rags," the Pure Life Brings
Earthly Prosperity.
THE LESSON--That intemperance is the chief cause of the world's
poverty and misery.
This talk deals especially with the point that the use of strong drink
consumes the income of the wage earner, unfits him for his work, and
brings suffering and want to himself and those dependent upon him.
~~The Talk.~~
[Illustration: Fig. 47]
"It is a common belief that slavery was wiped out of America by the
Emancipation Proclamation of President Lincoln, sustained by the
victory of the union armies in the war of the rebellion. And so it was
as far as the negro is concerned; but there is in America today
another form of slavery which no clash of arms can eradicate, and this
is the picture of the slaveholder: [Draw Fig. 47 complete.] The
'little brown jug,' which we use as a type of the saloon power, holds
millions of men and boys in its grasp, consuming their brains, their
bodies, and their money, and bringing misery and hopelessness to them
and to those who love them. From Europe comes many a cry of anguish,
showing that the same powerful slaveholder holds sway across the
ocean. Listen to the words of the great English statesman, Joseph
Chamberlain:
"'If there is in this whole liquor business any single encouraging
feature,' he says, 'it is to be found in the gathering impatience
of the people at the burden which they are bound to bear, and
their growing indignation and sense of shame and disgrace which
this imposes upon them. The fiery serpent of drink is destroying
our people, and now they are waiting with longing eyes the
uplifting of the remedy.'
"Again, from the island of Madagascar, off the east coast of Africa,
we hear the queen of that island declaring herself in bitterness of
spirit, in these words:
"'I cannot consent, as your queen, to take revenue from the sale
of liquor, which destroys the souls and bodies of my people.'
"The Hon. Carroll D. Wright, while United States commissioner of
labor, tells, from observation, of the slavery of strong drink in his
own country and in Europe. He says: 'I have looked into a thousand
homes of the working people of Europe; I do not know how many in this
country. In every case, so far as my observation goes, drunkenness was
at the bottom of the misery, and not the industrial system or the
industrial surroundings of the men and their families.'
"And so the testimony goes on. It is the same everywhere. There is no
need of more proof that strong drink is the world's greatest curse. To
every one of you boys, I am going to say that success in life cannot
come to you in its fulness if you ever allow yourselves to get this
deadly habit. Let it not break into the abode of your soul--and by
this I mean your own bodies--and make you depraved captives for
life. The first taste of strong drink, even though it may seem to be a
very little thing, may mean that you will become banished from God
forever. Remember, boys, that Satan is deceitful. He never tells you
the truth. He is always trying to juggle you with his jug and to make
you believe that black is white and wrong is right, and even that
sorrow is joy and 'a good time.' It is against those who would tempt
you that Jesus said, 'And fear not them that kill the body, but are
not able to kill the soul; but rather fear him that is able to destroy
both soul and body.' Such a destroyer is strong drink.
"As the years go by, you will find that you need all your energy, your
brains, and your physical strength to enable you to meet the problems
of life. You will find that your later years will be filled with
battles; the defeats will be bitter; the victories sweet. One of the
necessary victories is the successful earning of a living. Money is a
splendid thing. It is the love of it and the wrong use of it that is
'the root of all evil.' In the later years, if you are a slave to
strong drink, you may recall with bitterness the warning of the
Psalmist who declares that 'the drunkard and the glutton shall come to
poverty, and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.' But true
prosperity comes most surely when the life is pure. I know you are
resolved that yours shall be such lives, so we shall change the
drawing to indicate something more acceptable to the life that well
deserves a reward for right living. [Add lines to complete Fig. 48.]
[Illustration: Fig. 48]
"Paul pictures to us the successful man when he uses these words, 'Not
slothful in business, fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.'"
THE CIGARETTE FACE
--Temptation
--Evil Habits
A Unique Presentation of a Truth Important to Every Child and
Youth.
THE LESSON--That Indulgence in injurious habits undermines the
moral and physical structure and is a barrier to true success.
The chalk talk here presented is certain to prove of enduring value in
impressing upon young minds the truth of the deadly effects of the use
of cigarettes. The talk may form a part of a program given on
Temperance day, as the cigarette habit and liquor-drinking are very
closely allied.
~~The Talk.~~
"We are going to talk for a few minutes about our food. Of course, we
all know that when we are very young children our food consists very
largely of milk, and the physicians say that boys and girls should not
be allowed to drink tea and coffee or to eat meat and other solid
foods until they have reached a certain age when their bodies demand
such food. But ofttimes we find that parents do not know about this or
else they try to please their children, for they frequently allow them
to eat and drink the forbidden things. The result is that as they grow
older, their bodies, having become accustomed to the foods which were
too strong for them, demand still stronger food. So it is, often, that
a young man possesses a craving for a stimulant which is unnatural at
his youthful age, and we find him turning to drinking and cigarette
smoking. But this does not satisfy the hungering and thirsting for
stronger and more exciting things. Many times the life of the young
man is ruined in his mad search for something to meet the demands of
his physical nature and he goes down to the grave a physical, mental
and moral wreck!
"And now, with this thought before us, I want to speak for a few
minutes particularly about cigarettes. And in this, also, I want to
speak only to the girls. Will every girl please listen and do as I
ask? Now, then: I am going to ask you to take your paper and pencils,
if you have them, and copy the picture that I shall draw, and, if you
haven't them, carry the picture with you in your mind so that you may
use it when the occasion comes.
"Here we go! Whenever you see one of your boy friends with a cigarette
in his mouth, ask him if he ever saw the picture of the 'Cigarette
Face.' Of course, he will say, 'No.' Then you will ask him to spell
'cigarettes' for you, very slowly, and as he pronounces the letters,
you put them down, just like I shall do. Now, watch:
[Illustration: Fig. 49]
"'C' [Step 1, Fig. 49].
"'I' [Step 2].
"'G' [Step 3].
"'A-R-E-T-T-E-S' [Step 4].
"And now, we will draw the cigarette itself [Step 5].
"And finish the picture by drawing the encircling smoke. [Step 6,
completing the final scene].
"Is it a true portrait? Go and ask any physician. Go and ask the
warden of any insane asylum. Go and ask many a heartbroken mother.
"Does cigarette smoking make criminals out of boys? Magistrate LeRoy
B. Crane, of New York City, says that three hundred boys were brought
before him, charged with crimes. All but five of them were cigarette
smokers, and that report ought to _cure forever_ every boy in
this town of the expensive _curse_.
"Does cigarette smoking make failures out of boys? Once, when he was
asked about it, the late E.H. Harriman, one of the greatest railroad
managers in the history of America, said that railroads might as well
go to lunatic asylums for their employes as to hire cigarette
smokers. Yet some boys I know haven't a bit more sense than to smoke
them. Girls, isn't it a pity?
"Let us remember that habit is the very foundation of our lives.
Everything that we do repeatedly becomes easier for us to do each
succeeding day. This would be a most discouraging condition if it
applied only to bad habits. But, thanks be to God, the rule applies
equally well to good habits. Diligence, economy, perseverance,
gentleness, pure thoughts--may all become the governing habits of our
lives if we will but center our attention upon them repeatedly and
crowd out the evil tendencies. We are so constituted that we must form
habits. We cannot think or say or feel anything without leaving an
effect which will influence every succeeding thought or action or
feeling. Let us, therefore, look carefully to the forming of our own
habits and to helping others form theirs."
CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS
--Prayer
--Faith
Although He Died Believing His Mission Had Failed, His Prayer Was
More Than Answered.
THE LESSON--That "the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man
availeth much."
The life of Christopher Columbus contains much to inspire the
present-day youth. In studying it, however, one should always take
into account the prevailing superstitions, darkened by the bigotry of
the times. But above and beyond all this shone the steadfast belief of
Columbus that his every act was directed by God. The talk is suited to
all ages, for the mere mention of the name of Columbus will excite the
interest of young and old.
~~The Talk.~~
"Every one of us knows that Columbus discovered America, but unless we
have studied the life of this wonderful man we do not know of the
great difficulties and hardships he endured before he was able to do
it. We know that Ferdinand and Isabella, rulers of Spain, furnished
him with the ships with which he came to the new land; but we should
also know that for years and years he worked and struggled through
sickening discouragement until he finally succeeded in procuring the
support of the Spanish monarchs. We know that he found a great
continent, and that his name is honored above all others of his time;
but we should also know that he himself never knew that he was the
discoverer of a new land, and that he died a broken-hearted, ridiculed
man whose mission had failed miserably.
"And what was that mission? What was Columbus trying to do when he
discovered America? He was simply trying to find a short way to reach
India. Ferdinand and Isabella provided him with the ships only with
the hope that he would find rich deposits of gold for them in some
strange land. Both missions failed! But God was directing the life of
Columbus. He put into his heart the firm belief that the world is
round, and made him anxious to prove his theory to be true. Finally,
down through years of hardship and discouragement, God brought
Columbus to the age of maturity and wisdom, fully equipped for the
great task which was before him. Then the Spanish monarchs provided
the required vessels for the voyage. Here we have one of these quaint
caravels, the Santa Maria. [Draw Fig. 50 complete, or, on account of
the detail, prepare it in advance.] There were two other ships, the
Pinta and the Nina. What curious looking boats they were! They left
the coast of Spain on Friday, August 3, 1492. Where were they going?
Nobody knew. But there was one man in that company who, deep in his
heart, believed that God was directing the course of those three
little caravels across the vast ocean. Washington Irving, in his Life
of Columbus, says, 'He was a devoutly pious man. Religion mingled with
the whole course of his thoughts, and shone forth in his most private
and unstudied writings. Whenever he made a great discovery, he
celebrated it by solemn thanks to God. The voice of prayer and melody
of praise rose from his ships when they first beheld the new world,
and his first action on landing was to prostrate himself on the earth
and offer thanksgiving.'
[Illustration: Fig. 50]
"Such a man was Christopher Columbus--_a man of faith and
prayer_; He had prayed that God would direct him in the discovery
of a new route to India. God answered that prayer in a richer, greater
measure than Columbus ever knew, for to him whose life had been one of
devotion and communion with God, was given a name above all other
names written in the world's list of navigators and discoverers! He
prayed for a great blessing. God gave him a greater one. As the Santa
Maria entered the harbor of the little island of San Salvador and the
crews of the three vessels, numbering 120 in all, knelt and thanked
God for His great mercies, Columbus believed he had reached a distant
coast of India. [Draw the ground and trees, Fig. 51.] But, in truth,
it was infinitely more than that--he had found A NEW WORLD! [Add "A
New World," completing Fig. 51.] Such was the blessing which God gave
to Christopher Columbus. Such is the blessing he will give to all who
trust Him and love Him. Always does the true Christian receive more
than that for which he asks, for the human mind cannot know the
thoughts of God or of His love for those who give their lives wholly
into His keeping."
[Illustration: Fig. 51]
THE THIEF OF CHARACTER
--Meditation
--Conscience
The Unholy Thought Robs Life of Its Choicest Treasures--The Voice
of Conscience.
THE LESSON--That as we use care in the selection of our
confidential friends, so, also, should we guard the choice of our
thoughts.
It was Lowell who said:
"Ah! let us hope that to our praise
Good God not only reckons
The moments when we tread His ways,
But when the spirit beckons--
That some slight good is also wrought
Beyond self-satisfaction,
When we are simply good in thought,
Howe'er we fail in action."
The truth that good thoughts must be encouraged every moment of our
lives, if we would really live, is expressed by every great mind that
the earth has known. It is here reviewed once more.
~~The Talk.~~
"I am going to place on the drawing paper today the picture of a young
man of the type which we admire--a young fellow of upright life, good
habits and Christian principles. We want him for our friend. [Draw
Fig. 52, complete.]
[Illustration: Fig. 52]
"But there is another type of man whose character we can well
illustrate by changing the lines in this first portrait. [With the broad
side of your black crayon make the changes needed to produce Fig.
53. Shade the face with a light touch of the broad side of the crayon.]
He is a dishonest man--he is willing to risk his life in taking from
us that which does not belong to him. Do we welcome such a man to our
homes? No. The hand of every man is against a thief and a robber. He
is an outcast. The law seeks to protect us from him by putting him in
prison if he can be caught.
[Illustration: Fig. 53]
"I know that we agree that we should be very careful about the kind of
people whom we welcome to our homes. But, nevertheless the hand of
forgiveness and uplift should be extended to every repentant sinner,
for Christ has so taught us. But if we should be so careful about the
people whom we admit into our homes, why should we not be still more
careful about those other visitors--our thoughts--when we admit them
to our minds? Did you ever think of your thoughts as your visitors?
No, I suppose not; but we are going to consider them as visitors
today.
"Ah, here comes a nice-looking thought that wants to enter into your
head. Fortunately, you have a faithful servant who answers the
doorbell every time a visitor comes. It is your Conscience, and if it
is well trained, it will admit to your mind only the pure thoughts,
and it will slam the door in the face of all harmful intruders. But,
alas! we are the master of the house and sometimes when Conscience
would close the door to an unholy thought, we tell the servant to step
aside, and we admit the visitor. It is a shame! And the worst of it is
that Conscience, like an obedient servant, finally lets us have our
own way and then we have thrust out our best friend!
"Here is a boy who has lagged behind in his school work. A
nice-looking little thought comes along and says, 'Why not cheat just
a little? No one would know anything about it.' In a jiffy, Conscience
is on hand trying to shut the door. But the boy welcomes the thought
into his head. Conscience, made bold by the threatened disaster, tries
to show the lad that he can succeed more surely by remaining true and
honest, but the thought prevails, and before the boy knows it, the
door is opened to a multitude of other thoughts, and the ones which
came last are worse than the little one which entered first. When such
a boy is grown to young manhood he finds himself robbed of character,
robbed of honors, robbed of noble ambitions. He is a failure. No one
trusts him for he cannot trust himself. He is completely at the mercy
of his evil thoughts, and Conscience can no longer serve him.
"How gladly, then, should each one of you boys and girls welcome good
thoughts. Make Conscience your door-keeper. The same good thought will
come again and again, bringing other splendid, helpful, delightful
thoughts, and they will become the greater part of your life. Every
one of you has a thinker in his head. Be careful to keep it clean and
pure."
JENNIE CASSEDAY
--Children's Day
--Service
A Children's Day Story of What One Girl Did to Make Others
Happy.
THE LESSON--That one little act may multiply to bless countless
thousands.
The story of Jennie Casseday is one of the sweetest narratives of
humble service that can be told to children and their elders. It is a
chapter from real life which may be copied in varied form by each one
of us. Its use is suggested for Children's day, but it is good for
many other occasions.
~~The Talk.~~
"This morning, while we are surrounded by these beautiful flowers, and
while our hearts are light as we think of all the beauty and
brightness that God has given us, I want to tell you the story of
Jennie Casseday and what she did to bring beauty and gladness into the
world. You may think that Jennie couldn't do very much, because she
was a poor little cripple girl. She lived at Louisville, Kentucky.
When she was small, she was just as lively and happy as any other
little girl; but one day she suffered from a terrible accident and
from that time she was helpless. I am going to draw a picture of
Jennie's crutch to represent her suffering and her helplessness. [Draw
crutch with brown, Fig. 54.]
[Illustration: Fig. 54]
"Have I said she was helpless? Well, this is what I mean: She could
not help herself, but she could help others, and this is how she did
it: For several dark, painful years Jennie Casseday suffered and
waited--waited for something which she could do to enable her to send
some ray of light out into the world which would brighten other
hearts. One day she read in the New York Observer how a young girl
school teacher, who lived in the outskirts of the city of Boston and
was employed in one of the down-town schools, was bringing brightness
into the homes of many poor people by taking with her large baskets of
beautiful roses and lilacs and snowballs and many other kinds of
flowers from her suburban home and giving them to the children whom
she met. It was a simple little act, but the reading of it by Jennie
Casseday brought a transformation in her life. I wish I knew the name
of this young school teacher in Boston, but I can't give it to
you. But it was she who gave to Jennie Casseday the thought for which
she had longed. Jennie's suffering was almost forgotten in her
planning and determination to raise flowers and give them to the sick
and the needy in Louisville. Her friends soon learned of her plans and
there were many willing hearts and hands to help her. Under her
guidance the Louisville Flower Mission was established, and it soon
proved to be a great and growing blessing. It had been doing its
beautiful work for four years when Miss Frances E. Willard, head of
the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, visited Louisville. There she
heard of the mission and the noble young woman who founded it. Miss
Willard visited Jennie Casseday in her sick room, and when the
conference had closed, Jennie had been placed at the head of the
Flower Mission department of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union,
which was at that time brought into existence. This was in 1882, and
Jennie continued in this great work until the time of her death in
1893. June 9 is observed as the Red Letter day of the Flower Mission
department of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, for this is the
birthday of Jennie Casseday. Every year, thousands of bouquets of
beautiful flowers find their way into homes of the sick and the poor
throughout the land. And so, with the forgetting of the sufferings of
Jennie Casseday and the remembrance of her beautiful life, I think we
may well change this crutch to something more commemorative of her
life. [With green chalk, change the crutch to a stem of a carnation,
and with pink draw the blossom, Fig. 55.]
[Illustration: Fig. 55]
"In Louisville, the people have sought to honor the memory of this
young woman by the establishment of the Jennie Casseday Infirmary and
the Rest Cottage Home for Working Girls. The school children of
Louisville erected a beautiful monument to her memory bearing an
appropriate inscription.
"Some of us who have our health and strength may well wonder if we are
fulfilling all of God's demands. Boys and girls, let me impress upon
you the thought that it is not the great, showy thing that makes
people love us, but the careful doing of the seemingly little things,
which, when summed up, make a magnificent whole. Jennie Casseday did
what she could. No more is required of us. But that much is certainly
expected, and we will fall short if we fail to meet the expectation."
[A beautiful close to this talk would be the recitation or reading of
Dr. Van Dyke's poem "Transformation," which may be found in "The Blue
Flower" or in "The Builders and Other Poems."]
MOTHER
--Mother's Day
--Home Training
The Great Men of the World Pay Her the Highest of Tribute--A
Carnation Day Thought.
THE LESSON--That the welfare of the church and of the home rests
more with the mothers than with the Sunday School teacher.
It is interesting to read the recorded words of some of the world's
greatest minds in tribute to motherhood. The following talk, quoting
some of these, should be an impressive lesson to the young and to the
mothers as well.
~~The Talk.~~
"Who are these mothers for whom we have decorated our school room and
ourselves with these beautiful flowers? [Draw, in black outline the
carnation blossom; add the stem in solid green, and place the
lettering in purple, red or blue, Fig. 56.]
[Illustration: Fig. 56]
"Surely these mothers must be of great importance or we would not be
having a special service for them today. I have been reading a little
about mothers, to see if they are really of much value to the world,
and I want to repeat some of the things I have read. [It is well to
have all of these quotations in note form to be read with accuracy.]
"I find that John Randolph, one of America's greatest statesmen, said,
'I should have been an atheist if it had not been for one
recollection--and that was the memory of the time when my departed
mother used to take my little hand in hers and cause me on my knees to
say, "Our Father who art in heaven."'
"I find that Abraham Lincoln said of his mother, 'All that I am and
all that I hope to be I owe to my mother. Blessings on her memory!'
"I find that George Herbert said, 'One good mother is worth a hundred
schoolmasters.'
"I find that Oliver Wendell Holmes said,
"'Youth fades; love droops; the leaves of friendship fall;
A mother's secret hope outlives them all.'
"I find that Coleridge said,
"'A mother is a mother still,
The holiest thing alive.'
"I find that Beecher said, 'A mother's heart is the child's school
room.'
"I find that Benjamin West, the great artist, said, 'A kiss from
my mother made me a painter.'
"I find that General Wallace, in Ben Hur, said, 'God could not be
everywhere, so he made mothers.'
"I find everywhere the great men of the world paying loving tribute to
these mothers, and after all there is only one real perfect, true and
faultless mother in all the world and that is our own mother, whether
she be gone before or whether she be still with us. I am sure that
every one of us older ones will find ourselves in tune with the
expressive words of George Griffith Fetter, who wrote:
"'The noblest thoughts my soul can claim,
The holiest words my tongue can frame,
Unworthy are to praise the name
More sacred than all other.
An infant, when her love first came--
A man, I find it just the same;
Reverently, I breathe her name,
The blessed name of mother.'
"And so, I answer the question that I asked at the beginning, who are
these mothers? Really, it seems to me that the mothers of the world
are the power which keeps it moving toward all that is good and high
and holy. Mother love has been a power in the world since history
commenced, and the scriptures are filled with beautiful demonstrations
of it. How we love to read the story of the mother of Moses who hid
her child in the bullrushes and then succeeded in being engaged as his
nurse. How often has the heart thrilled at the hearing of the story of
Samuel and his mother! How strongly the mother love manifested itself
at the time of the judgment of Solomon who was called to determine the
possession of the child claimed by two women. And what could be more
beautiful than the pictures of the devotion of the mother of Jesus to
Him who was to be the Savior of the world?
"Verily, 'the hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the
world,' through the love of good which the mother hopes for her
child. The mother of today in America has a greater problem than ever
before. The boys of today are the men of tomorrow. The boys will be
what the mothers make them; and with this thought, I want to change
our drawing slightly to indicate the ever-present problem which is
never safe except in the hands of the right kind of mothers of the
boys of today and of the future generations. [Add the words to
complete Fig. 57.]
[Illustration: Fig. 57]
"May God bless you, mothers, and help you to help these boys and these
girls to meet the great problems which are before them. You must help
them. Without you, they are on unsafe ground, treading perilous
paths."
NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS
--New Year's Day
--Watchfulness
Most of Them May be Rolled into One--"Hold Fast to That Which Is
Good."
THE LESSON--That the positive life, rather than the negative life,
knows true happiness.
While this talk is planned for the special application to the opening
of the fiscal or the school or church year, it may be revised very
easily to fit many other occasions.
~~The Talk.~~
"Right now, at the beginning of the new year, we hear a great deal
about making resolutions, 'turning over a new leaf,' and so on. In
many cases, these things are spoken of lightly and laughingly, and
yet, I know that many of us, away down deep in our hearts, are
thinking of things which we are resolving to do during the new year
and also of things which we have made up our minds not to do during
the coming twelve months.
"What does it signify when we do this? It means that we have made
mistakes and that we do not intend to make the same mistakes again. It
is a strange thing to say, but it is true, nevertheless, that a man is
a good deal like a fish in some respects. Whenever you go fishing, you
use just the kind of bait which you think will fool the fish the most
easily. You should know where a certain kind of fish is likely to
abound and then use the style of bait which that kind of fish is most
apt to mistake for something which it is not. Here, for instance, is a
cork bobber on the surface of the water of a lake, with the line
attached to it, and here, below, is the hook, nicely concealed from
view by the bait in the form of an angle worm. [Draw the lines to
follow the talk, completing Fig. 58.]
[Illustration: Fig. 58]
"It is evident that the fisherman who holds the line is not after the
kind of fish which are to be captured by trolling or casting, for he
is using the method known as still-fishing. And, sure enough, he has
attracted a victim, a blue gill, which is making straight for what he
thinks will mean more life to him but which probably means sure death
unless he succeeds in getting away again. [Draw fish, completing
Fig. 59.] So, the ingenuity of man is kept active in devising means of
capturing game of all kinds.
[Illustration: Fig. 59]
"And are we not like the fish? Haven't you bitten into any baited
hooks during the past year? Haven't you been fooled into thinking
something was good for you when it turned out to be bad? Hasn't some
alluring amusement or pastime brought disappointment or shame when you
thought it would bring delight and satisfaction? Ah, yes. All of us
have been fooled in one way or another, and when we come to this time
of the year and decide to start anew we find that it isn't so easy as
we thought, to get rid of many errors or vices which we would
eliminate from our lives. Perhaps some have fallen victims to habits
which grip us relentlessly, and if so we can doubtless agree with Pope
that
"'Vice is a monster of so frightful mien
As to be hated needs but to be seen:
Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face.
We first endure, then pity, then embrace.'
"As Shakespeare says, 'There is no vice so simple, but assumes some
mark of virtue on his outward parts.' There's where the trouble
starts. We're completely fooled. And when we come to purify our lives
by eliminating this thing and that, we are discouraged with the
result, and in many instances we give up in despair.
"How, then, are we to make our resolutions good? How are we to be sure
that the new leaf which we turn over will not be blown back again by
the first wind of passion or discouragement which comes?
"I believe we can do it by making our resolutions positive and not
negative. Let me explain what I mean. We are normal human beings. We
demand activity. There must be something doing. If we are giving our
time wastefully to society, to the theater, to the many other forms of
amusement we shall find ourselves most miserable if we simply resolve
to eliminate these things from our lives. To do this is to make a
negative resolution. No, the thing to do is to resolve that hereafter
our time will be spent in busying ourselves at those things which are
wholesome, helpful to others, and of such a character to bring delight
to us because of the service we can render to the world. What can you
do? Why, the field to do good is never overcrowded. The church and
the Sunday school offer many avenues of activity. Find out the thing
you can do best--uncover your talent. Get busy at good works, and then
there will be no room for the objectionable things and they will die
out because good habits are growing in their stead.
"To do this is the surest way to 'set your mind on the things that are
above, not on things that are upon the earth,' and when this is done
we need have little concern about our happiness."
THE MOUNTAIN CLIMBER
--Light
--Danger
All Light, Shining in the Darkness, Is Either a Guide or a
Warning.
THE LESSON--That the Bible sends out two kinds of light, guiding
and warning, and that all who neglect it are groping in the dark,
"loving darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil."
The word Light, appears very frequently in the scriptures as a type of
the highest human good. All of the most joyous emotions of the mental
and physical natures of man are described in the imagery of light.
Throughout the Book it is used to typify the true religion and
happiness.
~~The Talk.~~
"When we go riding in an automobile after dark, we light the lamps at
the front and at the rear. Why do we light the lamps? So the light
will shine on the roadway and we will be able to see where we are
going and thus avoid mishap and injury? Yes, but how about the lamp at
the rear? Oh, we light that one so other people will not run into
us. Yes, and that, too, is one of the great reasons why we light the
front lamps. If we were to start out on a night journey with no lamps
burning, there would be great danger of accident, and especially if we
were to meet another automobile which had no lights burning. We would
be apt to bump into each other. The law recognizes all this and
compels us to keep our automobile lights brilliantly shining.
"Dwight L. Moody, the great evangelist, tells the story that as he was
walking along a dark city street one night, he met a man, who carried
an object in each of his hands. Something about the man's actions
excited the curiosity of Mr. Moody, and he stopped to speak to
him. The thing that caused Mr. Moody to wonder was this: The man held
in one hand a lighted lantern, and in the other a cane with which he
was feeling his way along the street. As he stopped, Mr. Moody saw
that the man was blind. He was so much interested that he spoke to the
man, saying:
"'Since you are blind, why do you carry a lantern? It doesn't help you
to see your way.'
"'No,' replied the man, 'I carry it to keep people from running into
me.'
"So, here, you see, was an instance of carrying a light, not to enable
one to see his way but to guard himself against harm from those who
would be warned thereby.
"Ofttimes, you have seen red lanterns placed along streets where
dangerous obstructions are left in the pathway of travel. These lights
are to warn people of possible harm.
"As Christians, we, too, must have a light on our pathway to guide us
through life, and this same light will also guard us against harm.
That light comes from Jesus Christ through his word. With the light of
his love within us we can never mistake the way. If we have that
light, temptations may come to us, but they cannot harm us because
that light warns them away. This light is our guide and our guard.
God's word, the Psalmist declares, 'is a lamp unto my feet and a light
unto my path.'
"The story is told of a traveler in the west who, separated from the
other members of his party, was climbing slowly up the rocky side of a
rugged mountain. [Draw the man and the lines of the mountain.] His
progress was slow, not only because of the difficulty in climbing up
the slippery and treacherous rocks, but because the mountain top was
shrouded in a heavy mist or cloud, which made it impossible for him to
see more than a few feet ahead of him. [Draw the cloud line to
complete Fig. 60.]
[Illustration: Fig. 60]
"All at once, the bright sunlight broke through the mist, and the man
was horrified to find that he was on the very brink of a high
precipice and that a climb of a few more feet would have meant death
and destruction to him. [Draw lines to complete Fig. 61.]
[Illustration: Fig. 60]
"Everywhere in life does our pathway lead toward danger. The saloon
would claim the young man. The Light says, 'Whosoever is deceived
thereby is not wise.' Perhaps the temptation comes to be dishonest in
dealing with other people. The Light says, 'All things therefore
whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, even so do ye also
unto them.' Whatever the temptation, whatever the perplexity, however
deep the darkness, this Light is ours, not only to brighten the way
but to warn the evil thing to depart from us. And, having received
this light, let us remember continually that Christ said, 'Ye are the
light of the world. Let your light so shine before men that they may
see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.'"
THE OPEN SALOON DOOR
--Temperance Day
--Destruction
The Young Man Who Enters Therein Endangers His Whole After
Life.
THE LESSON--That both the soul and the body are threatened with
destruction by indulgence in strong drink.
This temperance lesson possesses one of the "surprise" features which
are permissible only when they lose themselves in the greatness of the
truth they present. In preparing for the talk, be sure that your guide
lines are properly placed. You must be provided with a sharp penknife
to use in cutting the "doors" in the picture. The dotted lines for
enlarging the picture are omitted for fear of confusion, but these may
be drawn over Fig. 62, with a hard pencil, and the desired purpose be
accomplished.
~~The Talk.~~
"To us who realize the terrible results of the use of strong drink,
and who are trying to do our part in protecting the boys and young men
from the blighting influence of the saloon, there is something most
discordant in the way in which these places parade their false
attractiveness; for many there are who do not realize that they are a
trap which, to enter, may prove fatal to life and hope.
"The great question is, why can they not see the danger? That is the
mystery, for down through the ages has come the thunder of warning
against this great enemy of mankind. 'Look not thou upon the wine when
it is red,' cries out King Solomon. 'At the last it biteth like a
serpent and stingeth like an adder.' 'Who hath woe? Who hath sorrow?
Who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of eyes? They that
tarry long at the wine.'
"One look at the saloon door should cause the young man to recoil in
horror, for he may see there, if he but heed, the very warning of
death. Let him look upon it. Let us see what he may behold. [Draw the
outline of the windows, the sign and the lower horizontal line of
Fig. 62, omitting, for the present, the lettering.] This, let us
suppose, is the front of the saloon which invites him to enter its
doors. [Draw very lightly the lines indicated by the dotted lines A.]
Prominently displayed are the evidences that intoxicating liquors are
sold there. [Draw with red chalk the words, "Dealers in Wine, Porter,
Whiskeys, Bourbon, Etc.," completing Fig. 62. There is no more drawing
to do; the remaining step is taken by the aid of the penknife.] Here
we have the front of the saloon.
[Illustration: Fig. 62]
"There is one thing about the drink habit that we can easily
understand, and there is one thing about it that I suppose we shall
never understand. We can realize why the man who is bound by this
awful curse does not break his bonds; how willingly would he do it
_if he believed he could_. But, as we have observed, it is a
mystery why a boy or a young man, with numberless powerful and
convincing proofs before him, will deliberately enter the doorway of a
saloon. But once within, all may seem bright and happy and
joyous--perhaps the victim is led to believe that father and mother
are misinformed, since there seems to be nothing but gaiety there. But
he finds, all too soon, that the liquor which seemed at first to make
little difference in his life, is becoming his master, and never does
he realize it so well as when he tries to free himself. Why and how
has the saloon changed his life? The story is a simple one, and he
should have seen the reason before he entered, because there it is,
written plainly upon the outside of the place which has meant his
ruin.
[With your penknife cut the paper along the lines A. Do _not_ cut
on the lines B. Fold back the two "doors," at B, as if they were
hinged. It may be necessary to hold them back with thumb tacks or
pins. To heighten the effect it is well to have placed a blackened
sheet of paper beneath the top sheet, so as to produce the effect
illustrated. Add "And Poison Kills!" This completes Fig. 63.]
[Illustration: Fig. 63]
"The saloon may try to hide its real self, but every time it opens its
doors to allow one of its victims to come out, it proclaims to the
world that it traffics in _poison_--poison fatal to happiness,
fatal to hope, fatal to health, fatal to all the higher and nobler
aspirations of life. Everywhere is this truth proclaimed. From the
insane asylums come the testimony. The jails cry out that it is
true. The poor houses tell of its blight. Poverty-burdened homes and
broken hearts everywhere proclaim the awful truth.
"And yet, the land is cursed with these dram shops whose owners care
only for the money which comes to them and which should go to the
advancement of the happiness and the uplift of him who is their
victim. Boys, may we plead with you today never to allow this thing to
enter your life to keep you from being all that God wants you to be?"
THE SIMPLE LIFE
--Haste
--Quietness
The True Christian Life is the Safe, Sensible, Simple Life.
THE LESSON--That speed and greed must of necessity end in dire
disaster.
It is a splendid thing to teach the boys and girls the lesson that
true happiness attends the quiet, yet active life, while the race
after vain things brings only bitterness and disappointment.
~~The Talk.~~
[Because of the details in the drawing of the boat, it is advisable,
we think, to complete Fig. 64 before beginning the talk.]
"In these days the very air seems filled with the 'speed germ.'
Automobiles whiz here and there, and many a hen which now tries to
cross the country road never gets more than half way. We who live in
town have to keep a sharp lookout or we are apt to share the fate of
many a valuable Buff Cochin or Plymouth Rock. Trains speed along their
glistening rails faster than ever before. Great ships skim across the
ocean in days instead of weeks. The aeroplane, which needs neither
steel rails nor water to glide upon, darts through space still more
rapidly. Everybody seems to be in a hurry, whether he is or not. We
are impatient if the street car is half a minute late, when we are
fully aware that we have plenty of time to reach our destination.
"Again, we fret and work because we aren't getting rich fast
enough. We get mad at our neighbor because he buys an automobile and
despise him because we can't figure where he got the money with which
to do it. We aren't satisfied with having $50,000. We want
$500,000. And if we should get it, we would be just as dissatisfied
and go chasing after a million. What's the matter with us? Are we
crazy? Some women spend $50,000 a year on their clothes, whose mothers
dressed better, looked better, felt better and were better on $500 or
even a single hundred! In our mad chase after vain things how blind we
are to the things of true worth and usefulness!
"Every little while we get a shock that ought to bring us to our
senses. When we learn of a terrible railroad wreck, we may expect to
find the blame placed on someone for disobeying orders, or for other
carelessness, but the true cause in nearly every instance is the cry
of the public--of you and me and the other fellow--for speed--more
speed--and still more speed!
[Illustration: Fig. 64]
"The greatest marine disaster in the world's history was the staking
of the magnificent White Star line steamship, the Titanic, in April,
1912. [Remove your cover sheet and display Fig. 64.] Larger, faster
and more costly than any vessel ever before built, it left its docks
with its hundreds of passengers and members of the crew--a floating
city in itself. Among the passengers were many whose names are
recorded on the rolls of the world's greatest scientists, financiers,
artists and authors. With eager, happy hearts, they looked forward to
the celebration in New York which awaited the arrival of this foremost
of the world's floating palaces. Alas, it was never to be! The story
is too horrible for repetition. The fatal collision with the great
iceberg--the heroism, the sacrifice, the loss of hundreds of precious
lives as the vessel plunged into the depths of the ocean, are known in
all their horror. [Add lines to produce Fig. 65.] The few in the
lifeboats, looking toward the sinking vessel, heard the ship's band
playing 'Nearer, My God, to Thee,' as the great ship, with its living
load sank from sight. Hundreds of broken hearts still mourn the loss
of dear ones, and all because the big, loaded ship was forced to run a
race with time! Those in charge knew of the presence of the
icebergs. They could have saved the loss by changing their route or
slackening their speed, but the cry was, 'Hurry! Hurry! Break the
record!'
[Illustration: Fig. 65]
"Aren't we all doing the same thing! The speed mania possesses us. The
senseless race for worldly wealth and honor blinds us to the presence
of threatened disaster. Let us quickly change our course. Christ our
Master, points the way of safety. He has gone that way himself, and he
asks each humble follower to take the course which He has so plainly
marked out. It is the way of truth and peace. If we take it, we shall
avoid every danger of a spiritual crash, which may mean disaster for
soul as well as body."
WARMTH AND COLDNESS
--Sunday
--Rest
A Talk on Sunday Observance and Its Relation to the Christian
Life.
THE LESSON--That the things we think and do on the Lord's day are a
true index of our character.
The importance of the matter of Sunday observance must not be
underestimated by the teacher whose endeavor it is to mould into true
manhood and womanhood the lives of the boys and girls in her care.
~~The Talk.~~
"How many of you boys and girls ever played the game called 'Hide the
Thimble?' Ah, I thought so--nearly everybody. One person bides the
thimble and all the others try to find it; the one who discovers it
first gets the chance to hide it the next time. Sometimes, the one who
has hidden it assists the others to find it by saying, 'You are warm'
or 'You are cold,' depending upon the nearness to or the distance from
the hidden thimble.
"When we stop to think about it, we find that many things in the world
are just like this game. Your life and mine are a great deal like
it. Sometimes there is something within us that tells us we are
wandering away from God--that tells us we are _growing cold_. And
then, if we heed the warning, we hear the same voice saying we are
_growing warmer_, and we know it to be true for we feel the
assurance that we are nearer to the Master than before.
"I am going to draw on the paper this morning a thermometer, and with
this thermometer we shall make some tests to see just what it means to
be warm Christians or cold ones. [Draw the thermometer, Fig. 66,
complete, excepting the liquid in the bulb.]
[Illustration: Fig. 66]
"Now we are ready to make the test, and we are going to do it by
finding out how we spend our Sundays. Why? Because if you can know
just how a boy or girl or a man or woman spends the Lord's day, you
can tell pretty nearly just what kind of a person that one is in the
sight of Jesus Christ.
"God gave us this one day for our greatest good. He wants us to use it
as a day which shall make us strong and well, bright and happy. If we
use it any other way, we are sure to make one of the greatest mistakes
of our lives. So certain is God that we must have a day of rest and
upbuilding once in each seven days that he made a law concerning
it. It is one of the Ten Commandments, which says that we must
'remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.' God knows best. When He
establishes a law, _it must not be broken or the one who breaks it
will suffer_. If the child touches fire with his hand, after being
warned by his mother not to do it, his suffering is the result of
doing what the mother forbade. When God tells us to keep His day holy,
every one of us who disobeys that command must suffer. Let us see how
it works. Bishop Vincent says: 'Sunday is ill-spent if it sends us
back to our weekly work irritated, weary and reluctant'--and Sunday
will never do that for us unless we misuse the day which God has given
us. If we spend the day in worrying about our everyday affairs, if we
spend it in chasing around after senseless amusements which weary the
body without enlightening the heart and the mind, if we allow
ourselves to follow paths which lead away from truth and right, then
we will show up Monday morning irritated, weary and reluctant and our
Sunday observance temperature is low indeed. [With red chalk, fill
the bulb and a portion of the thermometer tube, completing Fig. 66.]
"But Bishop Vincent also says, 'Sunday is well spent if it sends us
back refreshed in body, mind and spirit to take up our duties with new
inspiration of hope, patience and courage.' And we can all do this;
and, as we do it, we shall find a growing delight in it. If we have
been wasting our Sundays--spending them in such a way that when Monday
morning comes we look back upon the Sabbath with regret--let us begin
right now to form habits which shall make Sunday a delight--the
brightest, the most restful, the most interesting, the most refreshing
of all times. And let us be thankful that a day of this kind can come
to us so often. It is then that our Sunday observance temperature will
rise to its highest point. [With red chalk add lines to complete
Fig. 67.]
[Illustration: Fig. 67]
"Dr. Lyman Abbott, like many others points out the folly of attending
church services in the morning and then passing the remainder of the
day in noisy or wearisome celebration. He calls it a 'weekly composite
of Thanksgiving and Fourth of July,'--Thanksgiving in the quiet of the
morning, and Fourth of July in the noisy afternoon.
"Such an observance of the day is displeasing to God who gave us the
day for our greatest good and not to be wasted in idleness and folly.
"Keeping the Lord's day holy doesn't deprive us of activity, but it
changes the course of our action from paths of wastefulness to fields
of the greatest good. There are many things to do on Sunday, and in
the doing of some of them right at your hands, you will have
discovered the best way for you to get the most out of one of God's
greatest gifts to his children."
THE DESERT and the MOUNTAIN
--Decision Day
--Conversion