Crayon and Character: Truth Made Clear Through Eye and Ear Part 12

~~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.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 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.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 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 amus.e.m.e.nt 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 a.s.sumes 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 pa.s.sion 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 amus.e.m.e.nt 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 b.u.mp 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.

G.o.d'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.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 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.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 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.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 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 ill.u.s.trated. Add "And Poison Kills!" This completes Fig. 63.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 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 n.o.bler 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 G.o.d wants you to be?"