From all these Story Lessons you will see that there are a great many
"stones" for the building of "character".
But there is another thought, which is this: a =bad= "stone," =one= bad
"stone" may spoil =all= the rest. You remember we said (Story Lesson 77)
that Selfishness could spoil a character. And there is another fault--I
think we ought to call it a sin--that spoils the character of many an
up-grown person. I mean the sin of Intemperance. You know what that is,
do you not? When we say that people are intemperate, we generally mean
that they take too much beer or wine, and I have known most beautiful
characters spoilt by that bad "stone".
When a man has lovely "stones" like Kindness, Unselfishness and Truth in
his Temple, is it not a pity that these should be all eaten away by the
dreadful sin of Intemperance? Even truth, the foundation, decays, and
often the lovely temple of character tumbles all to ruins.
What should you think is the best thing for children to do? Is it not
this? Never =take= any of these things that =cause= Intemperance, and
then you will never be fond of them, and they will never get the mastery
of you and spoil your character.
(Blackboard.)
It is Better not to Take Things that Cause
Intemperance.