THE LESSON--That as the desert cannot become productive until it
receives the waters of irrigation, so the arid soul, if it is to
become fruitful, must receive the water of life.
While this illustration is especially applicable to the service of
Decision Day, it is recommended for any occasion where there is
opportunity to speak of conversion or a returning to Christ.
~~The Talk.~~
"A gentleman, a little past middle life, was traveling from the east
in a luxurious passenger train crossing one of the far western
states. As he gazed from the car window, his face wore an expression
of interest, which developed into one of wonder and excitement.
"'Can it be,' he exclaimed, addressing the man who sat with him, 'that
I am passing through the very same country which I saw but a few short
years ago? It seems impossible!'
"Now, why did it seem impossible? Let us find out. It appears that
when the man traveled the state before, he looked out of the car
windows upon a scene of barrenness and desolation. [As you speak, draw
Fig. 68 with brown crayon. Be sure to leave the mountain peaks white,
but, in order to secure an impressive pastel effect use the broad side
of your brown and your yellow crayons lightly over the entire area of
desert and mountain side.] The earth was dry and parched, and in all
directions, as far as the eye could see, grew only the sage brush--the
mark of the desert. There was no life, excepting an occasional coyote,
and the reflected heat and light made travel almost unbearable. The
monotonous earth was composed of the leveled deposits of the mountains
which the sun had baked for centuries.
[Illustration: Fig. 68]
[As you continue, change the scene by covering the brown with
green. Draw the foliage of the trees with green and the trunks with
brown. Life may be added by touching the trees with the red and the
yellow and the orange to indicate the fruit. The thought is to
transform the desert into a place of fruitfulness. This completes
Fig. 69.]
[Illustration: Fig. 69]
"But now, all was changed as if by a magic touch. In place of the sage
brush and the broad wastes of baking earth, the man beheld here great
orchards, with hundreds of fruit trees, laden with glistening apples,
oranges and pears, and wide fields were covered with bounteous crops
of grain. The once arid wilderness was now the fertile dwelling place
of many happy families.
"What had wrought this great change? Nothing but the hand and mind of
man, guided by the maker of the universe, who seems to have stored
rich treasures everywhere for those who will reach out for them. It
happened in this way:
"One day, a certain man beheld the snow-capped mountains--cold and
forbidding--and then he turned his gaze to the earth--parched and
dead. He knew that if he could only unite the waters of the
snow-capped mountains with the dead earth below them, 'the desert
would blossom as the rose.' Before this thing happened, two-thirds of
the entire area of the United States was a desert waste. But the
waters were brought down, and the great transformation followed.
Gradually, the arid waste is disappearing and the forces of irrigation
are expanding; and the vast western country is unfolding to the
millions who are spreading over its newly-discovered areas of wealth.
"Let us turn quickly to the application. There are, in every
community, many human deserts--men and women, boys and girls, whose
unproductive lives need the waters of life to make them blossom and
bring forth fruit in His kingdom. Perhaps they have beheld Him only as
a cold, forbidding mountain peak, and if this is true, they should
catch the spirit of the Psalmist who cried, 'My soul thirsteth for
thee; my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no
water is.'
"In the case of the desert, it is conversion, pure and simple. May the
heavenly waters of His grace come to each one of us today, whether it
be a first decision to be united with Him, or whether it be a decision
to return to Him whom we have deserted.
"Our duty toward our fellow men conies before us happily in these
words from the prophet Isaiah, 'If thou draw out thy soul to the
hungry and afflicted soul, thou shalt be like a spring of water whose
waters fail not.'"
REFLECTING AND BLESSING
--Helpfulness
--Testimony
Those Who Are "The Light of the World" Should be a Guide to Those
Who Are in Darkness.
THE LESSON--That those who have received the light from God's Word
should gladly reflect that light to those about them.
The central thought of this illustration is the responsibility which
rests upon God's children in the spreading of the brightness of
Christianity to those who must receive it through them. It is
appropriate for many occasions and will fit audiences of all ages in
which the children form a part.
~~The Talk.~~
"It is said that once upon a time a teacher asked a boy to tell her
whether the sun or the moon is of the greater importance to the world.
"'The moon,' replied the boy.
"'Why,' inquired the teacher, 'do you think the moon is of more
benefit to the world than the sun is?'
"'Because,' said the boy, 'the moon shines at night when we need it,
but the sun shines only in the daytime when we do not need it.'
"That was certainly a strange kind of an answer; wasn't it? I will
draw the earth and the moon to show more plainly just how mistaken the
boy was. [Draw the earth circle and the moon circle, and show the
shaded parts as you proceed.]
"Here we have the earth with one-half in darkness, and here is the
moon with one-half in darkness. This side of the earth is light, while
this other side would be very dark indeed if it were not for the rays
of light coming from the moon, like this: [Draw dotted line showing
rays of light going from the moon to the earth, completing Fig. 70].
[Illustration: Fig. 70]
"Now, then we ask, can the moon shine upon the earth all of itself
without any help? Ah, no--and that is the thing the boy didn't know,
or he never would have answered as he did. Where does the moon get its
light from? Yes, from the sun. I will draw part of a circle to
represent the sun. [Draw the sun.] And this dotted line [draw dotted
line from sun to moon, completing Fig. 71] shows how the sun sends its
brilliant light to the moon, so that the moon may reflect part of it
back to the earth which would be enshrouded in darkness if it were not
for the sun. The moon acts just like a mirror which you hold in your
hand and use to reflect the sun's rays wherever you please.
[Illustration: Fig. 71]
"Sometimes the moon gets between the earth and the sun, and it is then
that it does not reflect the sun's light and it is then that we have
nights of inky blackness.
"I wonder if we have ever stopped to think how very much we Christian
people are, or ought to be, like the moon. Just as the sun warms and
lights everything about it, so the love of God lights and warms those
who turn their faces toward him. We can truly say with the Psalmist,
that 'the Lord is my light and salvation,' but we have not fulfilled
our mission on earth if we are willing merely to receive this light of
happiness, of contentment, of trust and of faith, without reflecting
it in every possible practical way. When Jesus said to those about
him, 'Ye are the light of the world,' he also said, 'Let your light
shine,' and He pictured to His followers their duty of spreading the
light of their blessings to the world of darkness about them. Paul
touched upon the same great truth when he wrote to the church at Rome
that its members should be 'a light to them which are in darkness.'
"How may we best reflect this light of heaven? It is for each of us to
determine this for himself, being governed entirely by his
circumstances, his abilities and his opportunities. But, first of all,
we must be sure we have received that light as God would have us
receive it. None of us can be perfect, but we can live close to our
great ideal and by learning constantly from Him, we shall find the
light coming to us more clearly and more beautifully as the days go
by. We shall find a deeper sympathy for those who suffer, warmer love
for those whom we may have condemned, and an increasing desire to be
of greater help to those who really need help. When we have reached
this condition--when we have truly received the light--we need give
little thought to the manner in which we shall reflect it.
"Abraham Lincoln once said, 'I do the best I know, the very best I
can, and I mean to keep right on doing so till the end.' Such a life
sends its rays down through the generations that are to follow, and
its reflected light never fades away."
HIDDEN SUNSHINE
--Missionary Day
--Love
How the Warmth and Brightness Stored Away Ages Ago Are Now of
Service to Man.
THE LESSON--That the true missionary spirit is the spreading abroad
of the warmth of God's blessings which we have received.
The principles governing missions are permeated with the elements of
love, unselfishness and self-sacrifice. This talk may be used,
therefore, as a missionary day topic or on any occasion in which it is
appropriate to dwell upon any of its attributes.
~~The Talk.~~
"Once upon a time, long before there were any people on the earth and
perhaps before there were any animals or birds or reptiles here, the
world was covered with an immense, luxuriant growth of vegetation.
How do we know it? The geologists tell us so. They have dug deep into
the earth and they have examined what they found, and they have long
ago determined that this condition is true. It would seem that in
those ages of long ago the world must have been very different from
what it is now, for the seas flowed over vast areas which are now
solid ground. Immense trees grew in those times, and the great ferns
and palms and tropical plants grew in portions where now they cannot
grow because it is too cold. I want to draw some trees and bushes to
represent this great growth. [Draw trees and bushes of Fig. 72 in
green.] And also the bright warm sun which, together with the
abundance of water, caused them to grow so profusely. [Draw the sun in
orange, completing Fig. 72.] Then, the geologists tell us, there came
a great change. There were awful volcanic disturbances which caused
the sea to overflow great areas of these trees and bushes and ferns,
and they were buried from sight by a vast expanse of water. Gradually,
though, another change came. The waters receded into lesser areas and
the ground arose from beneath the waves. But the trees and the bushes
and the ferns were gone. Where? They had been buried deep beneath the
mud and sand and stones which the waters had washed over them. Then,
after that, God created the monster mastodon and the mammoth and many
other beasts which have since disappeared from the earth, and finally
man was created to have dominion over the earth. For many centuries
afterward, no one knew that the earth was once the place of immense
trees and ferns and rank vegetable growth which had since been buried
beneath the surface. But one day, some of this old, buried vegetable
matter was found and brought to the surface of the earth. By that time
it was not green any longer. It was hard and compact and looked very
much like black stone. Someone seemed to think it would burn if fire
were applied to it. And, strange to say, it did burn.
[Illustration: Fig. 72]
"Thus was coal discovered.
"Ever since then, we have been digging from the depths of the earth
the coal which was deposited there in those ages of the past. And it
is blessing the world everywhere. [With the broad side of your black
crayon, quickly cover the vegetation of Fig. 72. Then, with broad
strokes of the orange chalk, or with a combination of the yellow and
the red, draw the flames, completely covering the sun, and finishing
Fig. 73.] Coal is now the chief of the elements which bring warmth to
our homes, our places of business and everywhere that we are spending
our time indoors; it is the great factor in our great manufacturing
and transportation enterprises. God laid it all up for us millions of
years ago!
[Illustration: Fig. 73]
"Thus do we find a splendid example of what real service is. Jesus
came to the earth to be of service to the world. When he departed, He
left behind Him the command that the gospel should be preached to
every creature--that the light and warmth from His life should not
remain buried in us but that we should take that warmth to every
portion of the earth, that it might, like the hidden sunshine in the
coal, bring life to those in the cold and darkness of heathenism.
"Not many of us are able to carry this word to foreign lands or to the
distant parts of our own land; but we have an important part in it in
contributing our money, our encouragement and our prayers.
"And not only may we do this but we may begin right here in our midst
to make our school and church a missionary blessing to those nearby
ones who need its warmth. Remember that 'we are ambassadors,
therefore, on behalf of Christ, as though God were entreating by us.'"
"JOHNNIE APPLESEED"
--Boys' Day
--Devotion
Story of the Man Who Braved the Dangers of the Wilderness to Bless
the Early Settlers.
THE LESSON--That the influence of a well-spent life is its best and
most enduring monument. It always adds fame to a good name.
The story of "Johnnie Appleseed" is dear to the hearts of thousands of
boys and girls throughout America. The writer has listened
interestedly to narratives of the late George W. Brackenridge, of Fort
Wayne, Ind., who remembered clearly the visits of "Johnnie" to his
early home. The story is abundant in good lessons, and ought to be of
special interest on Boys' Day.
~~The Talk.~~
"I am going to talk to you today about a man who paddled his canoe
along the rivers in the middle west and roamed the wild forests when
there were very few settlers in that country and while the hostile
Indians brought terror to the hearts of many who had braved the
dangers of the frontier. This sounds like a dime novel tale, doesn't
it? Yes, but it is a true story. It is the story of 'Johnnie
Appleseed.' How many of you ever heard of him? [Govern yourself in the
following remarks, by the acquaintance of your audience with the
subject.]
"It was in the year 1801, that John Chapman then a young man of
twenty-six years, aroused some interest by appearing with several
sacks of appleseeds which he had procured from the cider mills in
western Pennsylvania. The first orchard he planted was on the farm of
Isaac Stadden in Licking county, Ohio, and, from this beginning, his
enthusiasm developed until he decided to go all through the wilderness
as far as he could reach and plant apple orchards wherever they could
be made to grow.
"One day a lone settler near Marietta, Ohio, saw a strange craft
floating down the Ohio river. The boatman was John Chapman, but from
that time forward he was known as 'Johnnie Appleseed' by the settlers
between the Ohio river and the Great Lakes and as far west as the
territory which is now the State of Indiana. I will draw a map to show
you where he was and where he went.
[In the drawing of the "map," which is, in reality, at the last, the
branch of an apple tree, use brown crayon for the "rivers" and green
for the "orchards," carrying the drawings forward as the various
points are mentioned. Strict accuracy has not been observed in the map
drawing.]
[Illustration: Fig. 74]
"Here is the Ohio river, where he first appeared. [Draw the Ohio
river. Do not label the rivers. The names are given for your guidance
only.] He had two canoes tied side by side, and they were filled with
apple seeds. He paddled against the stream as he turned his canoe into
the Muskingum river, and then up into the Walhonding river, and then
into the Mohican and finally into the creek called the Black Pork. It
took a long time to go this short distance, for he stopped off every
little while to find suitable places in the wilderness to plant apple
seeds. And these, of course, grew up, in later years, to fruitful
orchards. [Draw the orchards in green. Your drawing will now resemble
Fig. 74.] This was but the beginning. From that time until 'Johnnie
Appleseed' was 72 years of age he devoted his life to converting the
waste wild land into orchards. During the war of 1812 he warned
settlers against the Indians and helped to save many lives. He
dressed in skins and was respected by the Indians, who considered him
a very wise medicine man. Many trips he made back to Pennsylvania,
whenever his seed supply was exhausted. In every rude cabin home which
he visited, 'Johnnie Appleseed' read the Scriptures, and hundreds were
helped to better lives through his teachings. He was noted for his
gentleness and kindness. He died, in 1847, near Fort Wayne, Ind.
"Here was a man, boys, who devoted his life to helping others.
Dr. Hillis, of New York, has woven his life into a most beautiful
story, 'The Quest of John Chapman,' and others have sung his praises
in verse and narrative. Let us learn from him the lesson of devoting
one's life to making other people happy. I will add a few lines to
indicate all that John Chapman tried to do. [Add apples in red,
converting the map into a branch bearing apples, Fig. 75.] But he did
vastly more than this. He brought brightness into many a heart during
his long years of usefulness, and while he helped to make the Middle
West a fruit-growing country, the real fruit of his work was that of
helpfulness, sympathy and brightness through Christ, who guided him in
his strange work.
[Illustration: Fig. 75]
"'A sower went forth to sow.' If the kind of ground in which he sowed
did not bring forth fruit, it was not the fault of the tireless
sower."
PUBLIC SENTIMENT
--Home Department Day
--Unity
It is a Powerful Element--An Illustration for Home Department
Day.
THE LESSON--That the earnest prayers and work of the stay-at-home
members are a great inspiration to the active workers in the
school.
Home Department Day in the Sunday School may be made a most helpful
event in the life of the school and in the lives of those who do not
enjoy the privilege of attending the services regularly. Many who are
usually employed on Sunday, in hotels, boarding houses, railroad
positions, and the like, can ofttimes arrange to attend this session
prepared especially for them. It is assumed that you have been
supplying the members of the Home Department with lesson helps, and
that you have kept in touch with them. Souvenirs may be sent to
invalids and aged people as well as to other members who cannot be
present. The colors are purple and white; the flower, the violet.
~~The Talk.~~
"I am going to draw for you today the portrait of one who exerts the
most powerful influence in this community. [Draw the outline of the
head, omitting the facial lines. Fig. 76.]
[Illustration: Fig. 76]
"But before I finish the portrait I want you to know that if it were
not for this one we would never have had our beautiful parks or our
magnificent court house. It was he who attended to the paving of our
streets. We would have had no public library but for him. There would
have been no public schools here, and no church spires would be
pointing heavenward, if he had not sanctioned them. We would never
have had our water works system, our sewerage system or our electric
lights. In short, we never would have had any of the great public
benefactions but for him. And I am sorry to add, too, that we would
never have had any saloons but for him.[Footnote: Substitute words
describing local conditions.] [Draw the letters composing the words,
"Public Sentiment," completing Fig. 77.]
[Illustration: Fig. 77]
"Yes, this is Public Sentiment. And what is public sentiment? I think
it may be described best as the expression of the will of the greatest
number of people in a community. It is the voice of the majority. It
is only when people want things that they get them. As the years go
by, the people themselves are becoming more and more mighty in
directing the work of those whom they have chosen to represent them.
"A contractor is not the builder of a public library or a public
school. These are built by the people who are united in sentiment for
a library or a school; the contractor is only the hired man who does
the bidding of the people. The residents of a city themselves bring
into existence beautiful streets, magnificent public buildings and
ideal health conditions; or else they bring to themselves the saloon
and other degrading institutions, all depending upon public sentiment.
"And so it is with the church and the Sunday School. The human factor
which keeps this school prosperous comes not from the superintendent
or the officers or the teachers alone. Its success is due largely to
the public sentiment outside of the school. It is the sentiment of the
fathers and mothers of these boys and girls, many of whom, while their
hearts are with us, cannot attend the sessions regularly. It is the
sentiment of you who are so loyal to us and whose prayers for the
school have been so effective. It is the sentiment of you members of
the Home Department who have shown in every way the appreciation of
this school. The knowledge that you are with us is a powerful help.
"During the dark days of the civil war there were two armies fighting
the battles of the North and of the South--the army that was in the
field and the army that stayed at home, the great silent partners in
the awful conflict. The latter was composed largely of the noble
mothers and sisters, whose daily prayers ascended to heaven while
their sad hearts and nimble fingers provided the comforts for the
brave boys at the front.
"So, with the members of the Home Department, we have come to think of
you as 'silent partners' in the work of our school. And as occasion
develops, we want you to feel that here is your place of
activity--your school.
"But we shall remember the words of Paul, 'We have many members in one
body, and all the members have not the same office,' and we shall not
forget the important places in our school of those who are enrolled in
our Home Department."
THE BROOK
--Gossip
--Our Words
The Life Which is Tainted by the Habit of Speaking Unkind Words
Falls Short of Its Highest Mission.
THE LESSON--That the subtle practice of speaking carelessly
concerning other people poisons many an otherwise worthy life.
The teacher who leads the child to cultivate the strictest care in his
thoughts and in his words, as they relate especially to those about
him, has helped to lay the foundation of a life of true worth to his
fellows. The tendency is toward a habit of fault-finding criticism
which not only harms the object of the disparaging words, but which
injures and undermines the usefulness of the life of the habitually
unfair critic.
~~The Talk.~~
"Marion Lawrance, whose influence permeates much of the work for the
advancement of the Sunday School of today, uses a most striking
illustration to show the baneful result of the use of words which harm
those about whom they are spoken. Standing before his audience, he
displays a rose in full bloom. Mr. Lawrance then deliberately destroys
the beautiful flower by removing one daintily tinted leaf after
another until only the bare stem remains and the delicate petals
litter the floor and the speaker's table. During the process, the
speaker explains that none but God could have made such a rose; it
speaks of His love and His power, of His tenderness and of His care
for His children. But any human hand can destroy it. So it is with
that treasure which we call our good name--our reputation among
men. Through the grace of God we may live so true that we deserve the
respect and honor of our fellowmen; and yet, that good name, that
reputation, may suffer irreparable injury at the hands of one who,
through deliberate design or careless habit, speaks words concerning
us which cause us to be misjudged or misunderstood. Says Samuel
Butler:
"'The feeblest vermin can destroy
As sure as stoutest beasts of prey;
And only with their eyes and breath,
Infect and poison men to death.'
"Let us illustrate the point by placing on the paper a little
landscape. [Draw Fig. 78 complete leaving the right half of the paper
blank.] We have before us a great, wide river, a stream which forms an
important channel of commerce. Each year, traffic is carried over its
waters which amount to many hundreds of thousands of dollars. Cities
have grown up along its banks; in many ways it has been a wonderful
blessing. Its silent waters flow on and on through the years, blessing
generation after generation of men.
[Illustration: Fig. 78]
"But, as we turn from the big silent stream and wander through the
woods our ears catch the sound of falling waters, and then we come
suddenly upon a scene like this. [Draw the second landscape,
completing Fig. 79.] It is a pretty little brook, you say. Yes, it is,
but we smile as we compare the noisy little stream with the mighty
silent river, and our minds dwell upon the fact that they are but
reflections of life itself. Just as the little brook makes more noise
than the big river, so do many people with small minds cause more
agitation and trouble in a community than people whose lives are
governed by the principles of charity, kindness and common sense.
[Illustration: Fig. 79]
"Let us watch, therefore, to see that our thoughts as well as our
words are such as to add to the happiness of those about us. Calmness
and carefulness will accomplish this. Let us guard well against the
ill-spoken word, however harmless it may seem.
"Said one girl to another, 'Don't you think Julia is a splendid girl?'
"Oh, yes,' responded the other, 'but I have sometimes wondered whether
or not she is always sincere in what she says.'
"How easy it is to attach a sting to an innocent remark! Our
lightly-spoken words may blight the life of an innocent one, for words
repeated are like the rolling snowball which grows larger as it is
pushed over the fallen snow. As one dog, howling in the night, causes
all the other dogs in town to howl, so we may start a needless alarm
by a single unfair word.
"Let us praise the good, always, for none--not even ourselves--is
perfect."
THE DECEITFULNESS OF SIN
--Sin
--Allurement
The Modern Artificial Fishing Bait As an Illustration of
Seductiveness.
THE LESSON--That sin gains its victims through the most alluring
deception.
This illustration should prove valuable in presenting to the minds of
boys of all ages the truth of the seductiveness of sin, as the
treatment of the subject brings in a discussion of a sport with which
all are more or less familiar.
~~The Talk.~~
"At the beginning of our talk today, I am going to place on the
drawing paper the picture of a fish. [Draw Fig. 80, complete.] It
looks like a very large fish, but, as a matter of fact, it is a very
greatly enlarged picture of a very little fish. In reality, it is a
minnow only about three inches long, the kind which the bigger fish
like for dessert, and which, therefore, are usually pretty careful
where they go.
[Illustration: Fig. 80]
"Now, I want to see, by having you hold up your hands, just how many
of you boys like to go fishing? One, two, three--why, nearly all of
you. Some, I suppose are fond of still-fishing--that is to fish from
the bank or from an anchored boat, and not move around very much. And
some like to troll, I suppose--that is to use an artificial bait and
let the line drag in the water quite a distance back of the row boat
as you propel it through the water. And others, perhaps, like to
cast--that is, to throw the bait away out into the water and then
bring it in again by winding up the line on the reel. And some, I
suppose, like to use other methods of catching fish. But I am going to
speak only of the artificial bait which is used by those who troll and
cast.
"Nearly always, the fisherman buys his artificial bait from a store
which sells all sorts of artificial minnows and other false bait which
have been made by experts. And who are these experts? They are men who
have spent years trying to find out the best way to fool the fish into
believing they see their prospective dinner, when in reality they are
going to their death. One kind of bait is the artificial minnow. The
manufacturer makes a wooden minnow, shaped like the real minnow, whose
picture I have drawn; then he paints it in the colors of the live
minnow, and sometimes he puts on some bright metal which whirls in the
water and attracts the attention of the fish. If the deception were to
stop there, very little harm would be done, but to all this the
manufacturer adds a lot of ugly hooks, sometimes as many as
fifteen. [It is well to draw the lines suggested as the talk proceeds,
and finish by drawing the hooks at this point, completing Fig. 81.]
When this attractive artificial minnow is made to glide through the
water, the fish, seeing nothing of the hooks or else knowing nothing
of their harmfulness, opens his mouth wide and tries to swallow the
bait. Immediately, the ugly hooks catch him, and unless he can tear
loose he is doomed. He is deceived. He finds out his mistake when it
is too late.
[Illustration: Fig. 81]
"Sometimes, the fisherman uses a spoon hook or other bait in which the
hooks are hidden beneath some bright-colored feathers or other
material which looks tempting to the fish. The intended victim dashes
after the alluring bait, seeing nothing but the glitter of the bright
metal or the brilliancy of the colors. He loses his life as a result.
"It seems strange--doesn't it--that fish can be fooled in this way?
And yet, I am not sure but that people are just as foolish themselves,
very often. Ask the drunkard how he happened to reach the low depths
to which he has fallen, and he will tell you that when he, as a young
man, took his first glass, it was in a brilliantly-lighted place
where, it seemed, the air was filled with good fellowship, and he
thought he was happy. At that very moment, he was pursuing the
glittering, attractive bait which later proved to be his utter
ruination. _He had not seen the hidden hooks._ Ask the thief,
confined in his lonely cell, how he happened to become an outcast, and
he may tell you that it started in school when he thought it a very
happy thing to cheat in his examinations and thus acquire the habit of
being dishonest. He did not see the hidden hooks which the evil one
had placed there to deceive and catch him.
"Jesus wants all the boys and girls to be watchful of the snares of
life and to live so truly that they will easily escape the temptations
which abound everywhere. 'Take heed,' he said, 'Watch ye, therefore,
and pray always, that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these
things.'"
THE MASK
--Sincerity
--Truth
Let Us Ask Ourselves Earnestly if We Are Guilty of Wearing It.
THE LESSON--That the world honors and respects an honest man, one
who does not fear the opinion of those about him.
We recall the words of Jesus, who, in His Sermon on the Mount, warned
his hearers to "beware of false prophets which come to you in sheeps'
clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves," and we reflect how
applicable are the words in modern times. Everywhere, one must beware
the snares and deceit of the servants of Satan, who, with pleasing
outward appearance, entrap their victims. It is a delight and a
satisfaction, then, to find real truth and sincerity in the earth, and
it is to be found if we but look for it.
~~The Talk.~~
"It is said that when a thief wants to rob a house, he tries to find
the home of an honest man. Why? Because he thinks that the honest man,
who never takes advantage of his fellowmen, will be least apt to
suspect that anyone will take advantage of _him_.
"But the same truth holds good when one honest man seeks to deal with
another honest man. A true man, when he comes to us with any plan of
work or investment may be relied upon to say just what he thinks and
believes. He is dependable. It is a pleasure and a satisfaction, when
we are listening to the words of another person, to know that that
other person is speaking the truth. But not everyone is to be depended
upon in this way. There is another kind of man who tells you something
in apparent sincerity, but when he calls upon the next person he may
tell the story in an entirely different way. Why? Because he believes
that the second person will be better pleased with the revised
version.
[Illustration: Fig. 82]
"How often do we find an attractive face which gains our entire
confidence, a face, pleasant to see and agreeable in every way. [Draw
face, completing Fig. 82.] And then, how often are we pained and
shocked and disappointed when something happens which allows us to
look into the real character of the person and we find that his real
self is anything but agreeable and worthy of confidence. [Draw lines
to complete Fig. 83.] Such a discovery, however, should not cause us
to lose faith in our brothers. Truth, character, and a splendid degree
of manhood abound everywhere.
[Illustration: Fig. 83]
"Boys and girls, begin now the formation of habits which will make you
strong, honest, worthy men and women. Sometimes you see a man who is
fiery, cross, ill-tempered and surly. Again you will find one who is
fawning, over-polite, subservient and altogether wearisome because, in
trying to make himself agreeable he becomes a bore and a
nuisance. Both of these kinds of men have failed to reach the right
goal of manhood. We must have backbone, firmness and stamina, but we
must be willing to bend sometimes or we are apt to get some pretty
hard bumps when we hold our heads too high. Remember that you can't
please everybody. Sometimes it is best to say 'Yes' when people ask
you to do certain things, and sometimes a flat-footed 'No' is the
thing. Remember that if you agree with everybody who expresses an
opinion, you have the respect of nobody. Think for yourself, but think
carefully. If you choose to grovel at the feet of those about you, you
must expect to get stepped on and run over. Above all, cultivate a
habit of being so straightforward and above-board that no one will
ever doubt your sincerity. Don't wear a mask of sincerity when the
real character is less honorable. To do this is to cheat yourself more
than anyone else, for the deception is ofttimes but thinly veiled.
"In his early life, in the year 1844, Lord Beaconsfield, said, in an
address before the Literary and Scientific Institution of London: 'A
man can be what he pleases. Every one of you can be what he desires to
be. I have resolved to hold a certain position, and if I live I will.'
It is not known to what position Benjamin Disraeli referred, but he
attained to the highest position possible to any man in England,
notwithstanding that his status as a Jew was a strong barrier against
his progress. On his deathbed he said, 'Nothing can resist a will
which will stake even existence for its fulfillment.'
"That is determination. Such determination will make any man what he
wants to be. It will enable every one of us to reach his highest
ideal. And may that ideal be to shun the dishonest and seek the honest
life in its every element."
WASHINGTON'S STRENGTH
--Washington's Birthday
--Trust
Through His Great Trials He Remained Steadfast in His Hold on
God.
THE LESSON--That trouble either adds to our spiritual strength or
else casts us down, depending on the stability of our character and
our hold on God.
This illustration, especially useful on the occasion of the birthday
of George Washington, on the 22d of February, is adaptable to the
needs of the younger boys and girls, but its significance may give
hope and strength to the older ones as well.
~~The Talk.~~
"Boys, how many of you ever flew a kite? Well, that's fine! You will
be able, then, to answer the question I am going to ask you. Now,
listen. If the wind is blowing from the west, which way do you run to
make the kite go up? Yes, you run toward the west, right against the
wind. If you run with the wind, the kite won't go up at all, will it?
[Draw the kite as in Fig. 84; black outline, red tail.]
[Illustration: Fig. 84]
"One might think that when a strong wind blew against the kite, it
would be blown away like a piece of loose newspaper; but that isn't
so. And when a gentle breeze increases to a strong, steady wind, the
kite goes higher and higher, PROVIDED it is made of good material, and
PROVIDED, also, that someone holds tightly to the other end of the
string. But if the string breaks, down comes the kite! Why? Because
the very thing which holds it down is the same thing which holds it
up!
"You may never have thought of it, but each of us boys and girls and
each one of us men and women is a good deal like a kite. When the
winds of trouble and worry blow against us they may cause us to rise
higher or they may blow us down. Today, I want to tell you how George
Washington acted when troubles came to him, and if any man in the
world's history was loaded down with soul-trying troubles it was 'the
Father of His Country.' Listen while I read for you a few sentences
from private letters which he wrote during the Revolutionary war. [It
will be well to have these and other extracts written so you may read
them verbatim.] 'I am wearied almost to death with the retrograde
motion of things, and I solemnly protest that a pecuniary reward of
twenty thousand pounds a year would not induce me to undergo what I
do, and, after all, perhaps, lose my character.' Again: 'Our affairs
are in a more distressed, ruinous, and deplorable condition than they
have been since the commencement of the war,' and he adds that unless
congress comes valiantly to his assistance at once the country will
sink into irretrievable ruin. Again he writes: 'Every idea you can
form of our distresses will fall short of the reality. I have almost
ceased to hope.' These were dark days, and the winds of adversity were
beating mercilessly against the man into whose hands had been placed
the cares of the great struggle for national existence. He was like
the kite bravely battling against the wind. But he was made of good
stuff, and there was a strong hand holding the string, for we read
again from his letters:
"'How it will all end, God in his great goodness, will direct. I am
thankful for His protection to this time. I have a consolation within
that no earthly effort can deprive me of, and that is that neither
ambitions nor interested motives have influenced my conduct. The
arrows of malevolence, therefore, however barbed and well pointed, can
never reach the most vulnerable part of me; though, while I am set up
as a mark they will be continually aimed.'
"His trust was in God, and so shocked was he when he learned that the
habit of swearing was growing in the army that he issued a general
order calling upon officers to set the men a good example, and added,
'The practice is foolish and wicked--a vice so mean and low, without
temptation, that every man of sense and character detests and despises
it. We can have little hope of the blessing of heaven on our arms if
we insult it by our folly and our impiety.'
"No, George Washington was not the man to give way under severe
trials. He was not like the kite whose framework breaks or whose paper
covering is torn by the force of the wind. Under these conditions a
kite must dash to the earth. [Draw the rent in the kite with
black. Remove the drawing from the board, invert it, and then
re-attach it to the board, Fig. 85.] But when the trials came to
Washington he arose in his might to meet them, knowing that God would
be with him.
[Illustration: Fig. 85]
"Let us ever remember that God is our strength, just as he was the
strength of George Washington."
"A MERRY HEART"
--Cheerfulness
--Smiles
To Cultivate the Spirit of Cheerfulness is to Bless and Brighten
Other Lives.
THE LESSON--That in no way can we serve those about us better than
by the kind of service which reveals the true gladness of the
Christian life.
The Christian religion is based upon principles which lift us from sin
and its attendant evils of discouragement, unrest, despondency and
suffering, to the higher plane of confidence, hope, praise and love.
It is a religion of good cheer, which God's children must reflect to a
darkened world if they are to fulfill their earthly mission.
~~The Talk.~~
"I wonder how many of us are getting too busy or too lazy to smile. I
see some, who were looking pretty solemn before I made the remark
whose faces look a little brighter now--and some have already broken
into a most gladsome smile. I'm glad of it. Smiles, they say are the
least expensive things we can give to other people, and sometimes they
value them more than silver or gold. But how can we smile unless we
feel like it? That's the question. Well, we will feel like it if we
think right things and do right things, living close to the Master,
even if things do go very, very much awry sometimes. The Bible has a
good many things to say about smiles, and it isn't at all guarded in
declaring that smiles are worth a good deal more than words, unless
those words are very carefully spoken. Here is what we find in the
book of Proverbs: 'A merry heart maketh a cheery countenance.' So, we
find, it is necessary to feel happy within before we can show it on
the outside. And then it says: 'He that is of a merry heart hath a
continual feast,' which shows that if we are truly happy, everything
about us will appear brighter and more delightful. Again, it says: 'A
merry heart doeth good like a medicine.' How true this is; you never
saw a sour, gloomy pessimistic person who was in real good health,
while the one who shows the most gladsome face is either in splendid
physical condition or else has risen above his pains and distress in
his appreciation of God's blessings. They are always believing that
'it might be worse."
"But is this cheerfulness for the sole benefit of the one who smiles?
Not a bit of it. We cannot do evil without harming someone; neither
can we cultivate cheerfulness without proving a blessing to
others. Here, I want to draw for you the picture of a boy who doesn't
seem to have this happy disposition of which we have been speaking.
[Draw the lines to complete Fig. 86.] Perhaps he looks this way most
of the time--it is a bad beginning. We see him here, coming down the
street; perhaps he will meet one of the other boys. Ah, yes, here
comes another boy; and this boy has a merry heart, if we are to judge
from his facial expression. [Draw the second boy.]
[Illustration: Fig. 86]
"We have no way of knowing what this second boy said to the first boy,
but we can tell from his face that he has a merry heart. And what
about the first boy? Ah, he, too, has caught it, for his face reflects
the smile of the second boy. [Add line to change the facial expression
of the first boy, completing Fig. 87.]
[Illustration: Fig. 87]
"We refer again to the book of Proverbs, and there we find that 'a
word spoken in due season, how good it is!' It must have been such a
word that the first boy spoke to the second. 'A word fitly spoken,' we
read again, 'is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.' But we
must choose the right words to go along with the smile, and the
greatest danger seems to be that we will say too much, for the same
book of Proverbs says that 'he that hath knowledge spareth his words.'
He knows how to choose and when to stop. Let us remember that the
smile counts for more than mere words. The smile is a universal
language understood everywhere on earth. It is the badge of
friendship, and that is the thing which the world craves.
"A friend of Haydn, the great composer, once asked him how it happened
that his church music was so full of gladness, and Haydn replied, 'I
cannot make it otherwise. I write according to the thoughts I feel;
when I think upon my God, my heart is so full of joy that the notes
dance from my pen.'
"To the one who needs your smile there is nothing else in all the
world, perhaps, that will prove so life-giving. Many a despondent one
has been thrilled with vital power, lifted, and ennobled by the
knowledge that another heart beats with it in tenderness and
sympathy."
WHAT IS BEST?
--Success
--Work
Success Means the Constant Employment of Our Best Faculties in the
Noblest of Service.
THE LESSON--That true success does not depend so much upon what you
get out of this world, as upon what you accomplish for others.
The magic word, "Success," is before each one of us to inspire us to
larger deeds; but let us not forget that many a rich man has made a
great failure of life, while many a poor man has made a great success
of it. The talk deals with the subject in a commercial way, as an
illustration of success in the truest sense.
~~The Talk.~~
"Every one of us desires to be successful. But some of us have one
definition of success while others have an entirely different view.
Many are sure that the attainment of wealth is the measure of success;
some are equally sure that the achievement of political or social
honors marks the arrival at the goal of success; and so on. But, no
matter how we may have defined success, many of us who have fallen
short of our ideals declare in the bitterness of disappointment that
we could have reached the top if we had only had the advantages that
others enjoyed; if we had been helped at the proper time, or if we
could have had enough money or strength.
"Let us take the example of the young man who occupies a high position
in the commercial world. We will draw a picture of him seated at his
desk. [Draw Fig. 88, complete.] This young man is at the head of an
important department of a great manufacturing concern, and there are
rumors that he is about to be advanced to a place of greater
responsibility. He receives a large salary. It is a part of his duties
to direct the work of many men in his department. These men come to
him for instructions. We will draw one of these men. [Draw man to
complete Fig. 89.] What is passing in the mind of the man who stands
here receiving his instructions? This is what he is saying to himself:
'I cannot understand why this other man, who is no older than I am,
should have such a good position, while I must stay in a place of less
importance. He must have a pull.' And he goes away with bitterness in
his heart.
[Illustration: Fig. 88]
[Illustration: Fig. 89]
"The fact is that the man with the lesser position spends his time,
his energy and his talent in pursuing the trivial, temporary things,
the so-called pleasures of life. He is a time-waster. The successful
one has won his way by concentrating his efforts on learning how best
to do his work.
"Do you ever harbor such thoughts about people who have made good in
the commercial life? Have you ever, for example, thought that the high
place in the world of commerce held by Andrew Carnegie was attained
through some strange chance or luck? If you have, perhaps it might be
well to take a glance at the main points of his early life. In
Scotland, his father was a weaver, whose business was destroyed by the
introduction of power looms. One day, when the father came home, he
said to his boy, 'Andy, I have no more work!' The lad knew what it
meant, and immediately he decided to meet his father's problem to keep
the wolf of hunger from the door. He was then but ten years old. It
was decided to come to America, and here Andrew Carnegie, at the age
of eleven, obtained a place in a mill as a bobbin boy, at $1.20 a
week. He writes as follows concerning the great lesson he learned at
that time: 'I was no longer dependent upon my parents but at last was
admitted to the family partnership as a contributing member and able
to help them. I think that makes a man out of a boy sooner than
anything else.' At the age of fourteen, he was a stoker in the boiler
room of a small factory, and then took employment as a telegraph boy
at $300 a year. When he advanced to a place of greater responsibility
as a telegrapher, he made his first investment in the purchase of an
interest in an express company. While still engaged in this capacity
he met Woodruff, the inventor of the sleeping car, and seeing the
value of the invention he later engaged in its manufacture. From then
forward, as superintendent of the Pittsburgh division of the
Pennsylvania railroad, in the oil fields and in the steel industry of
which he has long been regarded as the king, his rise has been the
result, not of good fortune, but of hard work looking toward a desired
object.
"The story of the success of the lives of Lincoln, of Moody, of
Mozart, of thousands of the world's great men is the story of work and
hope, of poverty and inspiration.
"So, in the Christian life, Jesus asks us to cast out of our lives the
pursuit of the vain, transient things and to center our minds and
hearts upon the truest, the loftiest and the best. Success may mean a
most humble place in the world. But the 'pearl of great price' is the
blessing of peace, of faith, of hope and of love which come to him to
whom the Master says, 'Well done.'"
MESSAGES to the CHILDREN
--Cradle Roll Day
--Children
The Scriptures Are Full of Beautiful Thoughts for Cradle Roll
Day.
THE LESSON--That God loves a baby; that both the Father and the
Son, through their recorded words, constantly express their love of
the little ones.
This somewhat "unusual" chalk talk will not fail to accomplish its
object in getting the attention of the children and causing them to
consider some of the especially beautiful thoughts appropriate to
Cradle Roll Day.
~~The Talk.~~
"I want to see the hand of every boy or girl who likes to get a
letter. Yes, and you like to get pretty post cards, too; don't you?
And the reason you like to get them is that you know, then, that
someone thinks of you and cares for you.
"Well, then, on this Cradle Roll day, I am sure we would all like to
get a letter from someone who cares for us, and so, I will first draw
the envelope and then see if there is a message in it for us. [Draw
the envelope on the paper in black outline and then, with the broad
side of your crayon give it an even tinting of pink, light blue or
other dainty color. Then, with your black crayon, address the envelope
to your own school, by revising the wording as here shown. Add the
stamp in brown, and the postmark in black, completing Fig. 90.]
[Illustration: Fig. 90]
"Well, here is the envelope. Now, I wonder if there is anything in it
for us.
[With a sharp pen knife or scissors cut a slit in the paper at the end
of the envelope as if you were opening it. Thrust in your hand and
bring forth a sheet of paper like a letter only much larger--folded to
fit the envelope (Fig. 91). This, of course, is placed there in
advance, beneath the outer sheet, attached with thumb tacks so it will
tear loose readily. The action will arouse much interest.]
[Illustration: Fig. 91]
"Well, surely we have something here that looks like a letter or a
message. Ah, yes, it is a message of love to the little ones from the
Savior Himself, for it was Jesus who spoke these beautiful words:
"'Suffer the little children to come unto me, for of such is the
Kingdom of Heaven."
"And let us see if there is a message for the little boys and girls of
the Sunshine and the primary classes. Ah, yes, here it is; and it is
from the Bible, too (Eccl. 12: 1), and this is what it says:
"'Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, when, the evil
days come not nor the years draw nigh when thou shalt say, I have no
pleasure in them.' And this means that if you are faithful to your
Sunday school and will remember the beautiful things you learn here
and carry them through life with you, you will be more than grateful
in the years that are to come.
"I wonder if there is anything here to let these boys and girls know
whether God thinks they are worth anything or not. Yes, here is a
message from the Psalms which says: 'Lo, children are an heritage of
the Lord. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man, so are children
of the youth. Happy is he whose quiver is full of them!' And so a man
is rich if he has those about him who call him father, and a mother is
blessed in the love of her children.
"Does the message say anything about how the boys and girls should
treat their fathers and their mothers? Let us see. Yes, it says:
'Honor thy father and mother, that thy days may be long in the land
which the Lord thy God giveth thee.' And again it says: 'My son, heed
the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother.'
And then, too, it adds this word: 'Children, obey your parents in all
things, for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.'
"And is there a message for us older ones on this Cradle Roll Day? I
believe there is, for I find here this message: 'Except ye become as
little children, ye shall in no wise enter the Kingdom of Heaven.'
"And is there a message to the parent which sheds any light on the way
they should treat their children? Yes, here it is: 'The rod and
reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself bringeth his mother
to shame.' When we are boys and girls we must obey father and mother
or suffer punishment to keep us in the right pathway.
"And is there a message to the grandfathers and grandmothers on this
glad day? I think so, for I find here this message, 'Children's
children are the crown of old men.'
"Let us remember all of these messages which have come again to us on
this glad Cradle Roll Day."
THE PERFECT LIFE
--Thanksgiving Day
--Perfection
The Love of God in Our Hearts May Be Perfect, Even Though Our Lives
Fall Short of Perfection.
THE LESSON--That if we "hunger and thirst after righteousness," as
did the Pilgrim Fathers, our lives, though imperfect, will be well
pleasing to the Father.
Many of us are discouraged because we cannot, or do not, attain to the
high ideal of life which we find before us. God's Word seems to bring
comfort to the disappointed one by showing him that if he earnestly
desires to attain to the highest ideal, his acts are well pleasing to
God, even though he falls short of his hopes. In using the Pilgrim
Fathers as an illustration, the talk is well fitted to the observance
of Thanksgiving Day, but it is also appropriate for many other
occasions.
~~The Talk.~~
"Any one of us who wants to find something beautiful about us, needs
only to take a good look. Here, for instance, we may see a tall,
straight tree. [Draw the tree, of Fig. 92.] And over here, nearer by,
we may find a rosebush in bloom. [Draw the bush and rose.] And here is
the sun shining in all its glory. [Draw the sun, using orange. Any
suitable color may be used for the rose. The trunk of the tree should
be in brown and the foliage in green. Draw the distant foliage,
completing Fig. 92.] And as we look upon these things we may think of
them as perfect in every way, because they are all God's handiwork.
[Illustration: Fig. 92]
"And yet--
"Let us take a closer look. We find that when the tree is cut down for
lumber it is marred by many imperfections, and that a great deal of it
has to be thrown away as useless. Somehow, we are a little bit
disappointed in the tree, for we thought it was perfect. As we turn to
the rose, we are reminded by a sharp pain in our fingers as we examine
it, that the stems are covered with ugly thorns. [Add the thorns.] And
then we notice, too, that many of the leaves on the bush are deformed
and unshapely. As we turn to look upon the sun, we are dazzled by its
brilliance, at first, and then we discover that even this brightness
is clouded by spots which seem to make it imperfect. Then too, as we
look away from it, we find that the sun, in its passage through the
sky not only brightens many a dark corner, but it casts many a deep,
gloomy shadow as well. [Draw the shadow of the tree, completing
Fig. 93.]
[Illustration: Fig. 93]
"Well, now, wouldn't it be foolish for us to go about finding flaws in
God's creatures, like this? Ah, yes. But it is just this way that some
of us study our own lives. Just because we don't find perfection
there, we are disheartened and discouraged, forgetting that God's Word
is the authority for the assertion, that 'there is not a righteous man
upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.' But we must not forget
that other assertion which is equally true, namely, that they are
blessed 'who hunger and thirst after righteousness,' and nothing short
of this desire for godliness is pleasing to the Father.
"We have before us the inspiring, the ennobling example of the Pilgrim
Fathers, who, denied the right to worship God after their own manner
in their home across the seas, made the perilous journey to the new
world to establish here the beginning of a mighty church and a mighty
pattern for all who were to come after them. They were men and women
who hungered and thirsted after righteousness. But were they perfect?
No. It would be impossible to find, in the world's history a life in
which some imperfection did not lurk? Should the discovery of faults
and imperfections in ourselves or in others discourage us from trying
to follow in the footsteps of the Perfect One? Surely not. We should
see in the shortcomings of others an inspiration to live our own lives
more closely to the measure which we know to be right and true. The
knowledge of our own faults and imperfections should make us more
sympathetic, more helpful to others and induce a spirit of comradeship
with those who need a strengthening band on the pathway of life.
"We know, too, where to take these faults and imperfections of
ours. How often has He answered the prayer, 'Create in me a clean
heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.' To become wearied,
to lie idle and despair because we have not attained to the ideal is
to commit a grievous error. Get busy! In true work for Him is the
surest cure for the trouble. Faulty? Yes. But let us not forget the
truth in Dr. Van Dyke's words, 'the best rosebush, after all, is not
that which has the fewest thorns but that which has the finest roses."
"Let us not lose heart because of our shortcomings, but give thanks
that we may attain to the highest if we but do His will."
BRING FORTH FRUIT
--Children's Day
--Fruitfulness
A Children's Day Thought for the Entire School--The Live
Branch.
THE LESSON--That as the fruit tree fulfills its mission only when
surrounded by proper conditions, so, also, must the child be provided
with the conditions which will help him to bring forth fruit in the
Christian life.
The illustration here given possesses the unusual qualities of
entertainment for the very littlest children of the school, of
enlightment for the juniors and intermediates and of personal appeal
to the seniors and adults--especially those visitors who may be
attracted on the occasion of Children's Day. The use of the colored
chalk makes the picture especially attractive.
~~The Talk.~~
[Before beginning the talk, draw the bare limb in brown.] "What is
this? A dead branch, did you say? Perhaps. Perhaps not. We are
supposed to be looking at it in the winter time, and, of course, it
isn't real easy at first to tell whether it is dead or merely
sleeping; but if we examine it closely we can tell, because the
leaf-buds are formed in the autumn, and if the limb is alive we shall
find the little leaf-buds there. [Examine the branch.] Yes, the branch
is alive, for the little leaf-buds are clustered everywhere, waiting
to burst forth into full-grown leaves. [As you speak, touch the limb
here and there with green and then draw the clusters of full-grown
leaves.] And here, too, I find some little pink buds, and a little
later they open into pretty flowers, for this is the limb of an apple
tree. [Add the flowers, completing Fig. 94.]
[Illustration: Fig. 94]
"And then, as time goes on, we witness another interesting change,
because God intends that the tree shall do more than bear leaves and
flowers. We find that the pretty pink flowers which have filled the
air with their fragrance and gladdened our eyes with their beauty have
gone away, and in their places have come little green apples. [With
green chalk draw the green apples just large enough to cover the
blossoms.] Green apples are good things--to leave alone, so we will
not pick them. We will watch and see them change into something else.
[With red chalk draw the large ripe apples, covering up the green
surface. This completes Fig. 95. If the green doesn't disappear
entirely, it doesn't matter. It is well, however, in drawing the green
apples, to use as little of the color as possible.] And now we have
the ripened fruit of the apple tree.
[Illustration: Fig. 95]
"This part of the story is for the little boys and girls. But we must
say a word also to the boys and girls of the junior and intermediate
classes. It is this: That the branch of the apple tree, in bringing
forth in its time the leaf-buds, the leaves, the blossoms, the green
apples and the ripened fruit, has done nothing excepting that which
God planned that it should do. He asks of it no more and no less.
That is its duty. The lesson for us is this: He expects us to do our
full duty, just as the branch of the apple tree has done. He asks that
we bring forth the fruits of service, of sacrifice, of cheerfulness,
of kindness, of love and of humility. He has surrounded us with the
things which make it easy to do this. Let us find out the best way for
us to do it and enjoy real living as we bring forth fruit for Him.
"And I would also add a word to the seniors and the adults of our
school, as well as to the visitors of the day. We all know that the
branch cannot bring forth its fruit unless it be a part of the tree.
Christ has said, 'I am the vine,' and unless we get the children,
attached to this true vine, their lives cannot bear Christian
fruit. He is our support and our life. Just as the branch must have
the sunlight and the warmth for its development, so must each one of
these children have His love and our love and our help to live
Christian lives.
"It was the Master who said, 'Herein is my father glorified, that ye
bring forth much fruit' In helping these little ones we are ourselves
bringing forth fruit. I believe that in this service, side by side
with these children in the Sunday school, we shall find our Christian
experiences enlarged and blessed. Let us pray, then, that each of
these precious lives may be 'like a tree planted by the streams of
water, that bringeth forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf doth
not wither, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.'"
"YOUNG MEN, AHOY"
--Temperance Day
--Dissipation
John B. Gough's Thrilling Word Picture a Remarkable Temperance
Lesson.
THE LESSON--That we dare not trifle with the devil's poison.
The world has known no greater foe to intemperance than John
B. Gough. No words of this great leader have left a more lasting
impression than those which he used in his striking picture of the
young men drifting in a boat on the Niagara river. Happily, it adapts
itself to the requirements of a chalk talk.
~~The Talk.~~
"The great temperance leader, John B. Gough, devoted the best years of
his life to an earnest endeavor to save hoys from the evil of strong
drink, of which he knew so much through long, bitter experience.
Familiar to all of us, perhaps, is the thrilling word picture of the
young men who launched their rowboat upon the quiet, smooth waters of
the broad Niagara river a few miles above the mighty cataract. [Draw
the boat and the young men, completing Fig. 96. It might be well to
prepare this first scene in advance.]
[Illustration: Fig. 96]
"'Now,' says Mr. Gough, as he enters into the narrative, 'launch your
bark upon the Niagara river. It is bright and smooth and still; there
is a ripple at the bow; the silvery wake you leave behind you adds to
your enjoyment. Down the stream you glide; you have your oars, and you
think you are prepared for every emergency--and thus you go on your
pleasure excursion, thinking naught of dangers ahead. Some one cries
from the bank! Hark!
"'Young men, ahoy!'
"'What is it?' you ask.
"'The rapids are below you!'
"'Ha, ha! We have heard of the rapids below us,' you laugh, 'but we
are not such fools as to get into them. When we find we are going too
fast, we will pull for the shore.'
"'_Young men, ahoy_!'
"'What is it?
"'The rapids are below you!'
"'Ha, ha! We will laugh and quaff; all things delight us; what care we
for the future? No man ever saw it. "Sufficient unto the day is the
evil thereof." We will enjoy life while we may, and catch pleasure as
it flies. This is the time for enjoyment. It is time enough to steer
out of danger when we find we are going too swiftly with the stream.'
"'YOUNG MEN, AHOY!'
"'What is it?'
"'The rapids are below you! Now see the water foaming all around you!
See how fast you go! _Quick_! QUICK! Pull for your very lives!
Pull till the blood starts from your nostrils and the veins stand like
whipcords on your brow!'
[At this point, quickly detach the drawing from the board, turn it
one-fourth around and re-attach with thumb tacks; then, add the lines
to complete Fig. 97.]
[Illustration: Fig. 97]
"'Ah, it is too late! Shrieking, cursing, blaspheming, over the falls
you go!--and thousands thus go over every year by the power of evil
habits, declaring, "When I find it is hurting me, I will quit." But
these latter do not go by the water way, but by the whiskey way, which
is a thousand times worse! No man today fills a drunkard's grave who
did not once think he could quit--but he found, too late, that he
couldn't.'
"'Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging, and whosoever is deceived
thereby is not wise,' says Solomon, and he might have made it ten
times as strong and still kept within the truth. Everywhere, and at
all times, when a young man starts to do evil, he hears plainly and
clearly the cry, 'Young man, ahoy! The rapids are below you!' It is
the voice of conscience, his true and faithful servant. But,
unfortunately, as the voice is unheeded and bad habits grow stronger,
conscience grows weaker, and, after a while, it cannot serve us at
all, for Satan has taken possession of it. The evil one can do as much
mischief with a man's conscience as he can with his heart. He can
'sear it with a hot iron.' (I Tim. 4: 2.) He can 'defile' it. (Titus
1: 15.) He can kill it. (Eph. 4: 17-19.) And how can a seared,
defiled, dead conscience help him to shun temptation and sin? Many a
man, honest in his dealings with those about him, is dishonest with
himself when he begins to allow bad habits to rule his life and to
allow Satan to defile and kill the conscience which has been provided
to guide him in caring for his own body--the earthly temple given to
him by God as the earthly abiding place of his immortal soul."
VALUELESS THINGS
--Boys' Day
--Ability
They May Not Remain So if We Give Them Proper Attention--A Thought
for Boys' Day.
THE LESSON--That our seemingly useless, or even harmful, traits may
prove to be our most valuable talents.
This little fragment of industrial history should impress a lesson
upon all young people, though it is especially adapted to Boys' Day.
~~The Talk.~~
"During the period extending from the time that people first settled
in America up to the time of the civil war those who chose to live in
some portions of the area which are now the states of Pennsylvania,
Ohio and West Virginia selected their land with great care. In some
parts of the land they found a disagreeable kind of oil in the ground
which oozed from the rocks below. When a man bought a piece of ground
he was very careful to find out for sure that there was none of this
oil about the place, and if he did find any of it, it is probable that
he made this fact known: [Draw the signboard and the letters, Fig. 98,
complete.] To him the ground was worthless.
[Illustration: Fig. 98]
"It may be that some of the people knew that this oil was the same
kind that the ancient Jews used in the preparation of their cement for
building purposes, and that it was the same that the more ancient
Egyptians used in the preservation of the mummified bodies of their
dead; but, as the Americans did not need oil for such purposes, they
considered the oil a nuisance. At one time, while a man was drilling
for water, he struck such a strong artesian well of oil that it gushed
out all over the ground; then it ran down to a river and caught fire
as it spread out over the swiftly flowing water. The flames spread
down the river and it looked for all the world as if the river was
burning up!
"They called this oil petroleum--rock-oil.
"One day, in 1859, after there had been a good deal of talk as to
whether or not this oil was good for anything, Col. E.L. Drake hired
some men to drill a well at Titusville, Pennsylvania. The drillers at
first refused to work for a man who was so foolish as to spend his
money in this way, but, finally, they set at work on the job under the
belief that they were really drilling for salt! But the oil began to
flow, and some men soon learned how to make kerosene out of it. This
took the place of tallow candles, and from that moment the world has
been much brighter. The men kept right on with their experiments,
until now we have not only kerosene, but gasoline, benzine, rhigoline,
naphtha, mineral sperm oil, lubricating oils, paraffins wax, carbon
oil and a variety of medicinal products--all made from this
once-useless petroleum. These discoveries have brought also the
gasoline and oil stoves, gasoline and gas engines and the automobile.
Prom the industry has grown the Standard Oil company, one of the
richest and most powerful commercial enterprises in the world. So now,
in these eastern states, it is vastly different from what it used to
be when a man discovered oil on his land. If he finds oil now, and if
be puts up a sign at all, it is apt to read like this: [Revise Fig. 98
to Complete Fig. 99.]
[Illustration: Fig. 99]
"From this little fact of industrial history I want to draw a lesson,
especially for the boys, today. Perhaps we cannot own any stock in the
Standard Oil company, but we have something just as good, and
better. Perhaps we have found in ourselves what we think is a useless
talent--useless unless we refine it and cultivate it. One day some
people living on a certain street in New York raised a big row because
a small, ragged street boy drew pictures all over their sidewalks with
chalk. To them, he was nothing but a nuisance. However, a prominent
man came walking by one day. He looked at the chalk drawings and knew
at once that the boy had real artistic talent. He became interested,
gave the boy an education and now he is one of America's celebrated
painters.
"Study yourselves, boys. Do you love music? If you do, and if you have
the talent to become a musician, don't throw away your talent by using
your ability for any low purpose. Make music, like Haydn, who praised
God through every note!
"Do you like to draw? If you are to be an artist, do not use your
talent for low purposes. Let your work be of a kind to reflect credit
upon you--work which will make other people better for having seen it
and for having been influenced by it.
"Do you like to speak? Do you plan to study medicine, or law, or to be
a teacher? Whatever your plans may be, based on what you believe your
best talent to be, do not let your talent go to waste like this oil
did for so many years. Treasure it up, refine it, and in whatever
direction God may lead you, you may be sure that you will have ample
opportunity to let your talent bring greater brightness into the
world. And then you, too, would not part with your possession for any
price!"
THE STORY OF A HAT
--Politeness
--The Common People
A thought for the Thoughtless Who Have But Little Politeness and
Respect for the Common People.
THE LESSON--That every one who truly fills his high or lowly place
In the world is deserving of respect and honor.