This is a lesson on the folly of judging by appearances or coming to
a conclusion from knowing just one side of the truth, which in the
language of the people is called "jumping at conclusions."
Secure ten or twelve paper drinking-cups; cut them all except one
into two parts, put the top parts into each other, so that they will
look like a pile of cups, but the only real cup is the bottom cup.
Say: "Here we seem to have a stack of drinking-cups from which to
drink when we are thirsty. Here we seem to have enough cups for a
party of ten or twelve [according to the number you have] but in
reality there is only one cup that is a real cup that will hold
water."
Take the half cups out of the pile, and show the children they are
mistaken. You only appeared to have a collection of cups. Then teach
the danger of judging by appearances; always be sure you are right
before you speak and judge. _Look into_ the cup as well as _at_ it
before you declare that here there are ten (or more) cups. It is a
dangerous thing oftentimes to judge by knowing a half-truth only.
People who jump at conclusions are in the way of making frequent
mistakes and often do great mischief. A woman standing in line before
the window of a New England savings-bank, waiting her turn to deposit
five dollars, saw a man step up and draw out nine hundred dollars.
She was not used to the sight of so much money, and, supposing that
this meant a heavy drain on the resources of the bank, held on to her
five dollars, and not only that, but went and told her friends about
it, saying that the bank must be in danger. The news spread, and soon
there was a "run" on the bank. Before the panic was over, and scared
depositors satisfied that the bank was sound, between ten thousand
and twenty thousand dollars had been withdrawn. Better be sure of
facts and not judge by appearances. This "supposing" things makes
trouble.
Some time ago a young man in looking around among the people at a
public gathering, noticed a tall, heavyset, well-built man, and made
up his mind that he was the new minister. He went up to a friend and
said: "Very strong, good-looking man, isn't he? I am well pleased and
satisfied he will make a very good minister." That man replied to his
friend, "Why he is no minister, he is the manager of the new
theater." It takes more than a fine-looking man to be a minister. He
may only look like one, and be only half a cup.
A gentleman noticed a refined-looking stranger seated opposite to him
at the table. He had a magnificent forehead and a fine, venerable,
bald head. His eyes were shooting off sparks of expression which
seemed to be born of the fires of genius. "Ah," thought he, "if he
could but speak, what grand words we would hear! What large
utterances would fall from his eloquent lips!" Suddenly the gentleman
who possessed the venerable head and a great talent for silence spoke
and said, "Hand me them dumplings, them's the jockeys for me." He was
wise only in appearance. He was half a cup. There was nothing of
eloquence or talent in him. Things are not what they seem to be.
[Illustration: Rev. C. H. Woolston and Professor Homer Rodeheaver]
In 1 Samuel 16:7, the Bible teaches us this lesson: "Look not on his
countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused
him." God saw both sides of the man. What he looked like, and what he
really was. "Man looketh on the outward appearance, but God looketh
on the heart" (1 Sam. 16:7). Learn to see things as God sees them,
then you will see aright.
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