Crayon and Character: Truth Made Clear Through Eye and Ear Part 1

Crayon and Character: Truth Made Clear Through Eye and Ear.

by B.J. Griswold.

FOREWORD.

Any earnest Christian who is capable of addressing an audience or a Sunday school cla.s.s, can, by the aid of this book, give a helpful chalk talk. The book has been designed to meet a growing need of this important phase of teaching.

Any parent, with this book in the home, can use it not only to teach the boy or the girl a simple method of drawing, but may implant in the life of the child the good seed of the Tree of Life.

In the preparation of these talks, "Life" has been the keyword. The thought permeates both the text and the style of ill.u.s.tration used.

It is also a feature of the arrangement of each talk whereby a "developing" or "living" picture holds the attention of the listeners through two "scenes" or "steps" of unfolding.

Many of the time-honored symbols will not be found in these pages. The Anchor as the emblem of Hope, and the Crown as the type of Victory or Kingship have given place to symbols and types from nature and from the every-day life of common folks.

Many a smile has been introduced. And why not? We proclaim the Gospel as the Good News, the message of joy and gladness. The New Testament, with its glad tidings of great joy, is one continuous song. Always, however, it has been the aim to lead the thoughts of the listener to Him whose Light we are to reflect among men.

The t.i.tle of each chalk talk appears twice in the index, in order to provide a wide range of subjects from which to select an appropriate lesson for each occasion.

In his years of experience as a newspaper writer and ill.u.s.trator, the author has endeavored to cultivate the art of saying as much as possible in a few words and drawn lines. In this book (and in your chalk talk work) the same thought applies. As a Sunday school superintendent and a teacher, the author hopes that many may not be afraid to undertake the use of chalk after studying the easy method here described. As a means of enlarging your usefulness as a teacher of the Eternal Truth, the book, we believe, contains much that will help and encourage.

Fort Wayne, Indiana.

B.J. GRISWOLD.

"BEFORE TAKING."

There are too many books published which are GOOD for _two things only_:

FIRST--They are good sellers, possibly "Best Sellers."

SECOND--They are good at keeping people out of bed till midnight--because they make such "mighty interestin' reading."

Such books may make their authors famous and their publishers rich, but if that is all they are good for, we would not care to sell, much less to publish, them.

The book which the reader holds is put out, not because it is bound to be a _good seller_ nor because it is _interesting_, but because of its power to HELP Christian work and workers, and of its own ability to give instruction in righteousness to its readers, old and young; to sow seed thoughts of truth in human minds and hearts.

And who will it help?

All Christian platform workers in general and the Sunday School Superintendent in particular.

The Superintendent, especially on all "Special Days."

The Pastor, especially in the prayer meeting where any kind of help, _so it is help_, will be welcomed by most pastors.

It will be useful to all because of its wealth of material and ill.u.s.tration for expressive and impressive _little, big, ten-minute talks_, whenever opportunity offers.

We commend the book with all earnestness, to these various cla.s.ses of people, and will insist that no father or mother will ever be the poorer, but the richer, who will part with the price and get in exchange for it a copy of this book, as a birthday or Christmas gift to a son or daughter between ten and twenty years of age. It will help parents in the uncertain and difficult problem of rearing their children in a way that will make them and keep them a joy in the home, rather than a heartache, a heart break, and the saddest kind of a bereavement, which is too often the case. Surely a dollar spent which may help avert this, is worth far more than a hundred cents lying unused in a bank.

There are sixty-two picture outlines in the book, and with every picture a ten-minute talk, with chalk ill.u.s.tration, which recites and impresses, now, a great and n.o.ble deed of a truly n.o.ble man; now a kindly act with a double blessing in it; again, a warning to those who unknowingly set foot upon the devil's ground and find it a miry or slimy pit; or, it may be a lesson from one of the world's great poets or historians, for the author has evidently been a reader of great books with a mind to recall many lessons learned therefrom.

THE PUBLISHERS.

INTRODUCTION.

~~The Plan of the Book.~~

In the preparation of this book the author has had two great plans in mind:

To prepare a work which will enable _any person, who can speak to a cla.s.s or an audience, to give a helpful, inspiring ill.u.s.trated talk_; to place in the hands of parents everywhere a book to enable them to teach the children a simple, fascinating method of drawing and, at the same time make the great truths of life a part of their every-day learning.

Clear instructions are given as to the method of doing these two things. Then come sixty-two complete talks of special appropriateness for Christian teaching. If you are included in the following cla.s.ses of workers, the book should be of special value to you:

(a) Speakers who earnestly want to give ill.u.s.trated talks, but who feel that they "can't draw a straight line."

(b) Those who are experienced in chalk talk work and are seeking new material.

(c) Teachers of the Uniform Lessons.

(d) Teachers of Graded Lessons.

(e) Sunday school superintendents, for platform work.

(f) Pastors, for use in prayer meetings and many other services of the church.

(g) Temperance workers. In this department of work this book is especially worthy of consideration.

(h) Those who need suggestions to help them work out their own addresses.

(i) Parents for giving instruction in the home. It is a great truth that such teaching is far more effective than any which the church or the schools may provide.

~~The Value of Chalk Talks.~~

Scientists tell us that _nothing which completely occupies the mind for any length of time is ever forgotten_.

This, then, is the reason that the chalk talk method of teaching is so lastingly impressive. People forget everything else while watching a speaker draw a picture. And if they do that, they can never completely forget the words of the speaker or the picture he draws. A baby that doesn't know one letter from another can understand some pictures as well as _you_ can. Try him once and see. And if he lives to be a hundred years of age, he will receive more lasting impressions from pictures than from what he reads. Your audience, therefore, may be depended upon to be "right with you" from the beginning.

~~The Two-Scene Method.~~