Part 14

"Now boys, why did the kite fall, when the string broke? Because the very same _string_ which had _held it down_ was the very same _thing_ which _held it up_! And now listen--don't you boys and girls get as silly as the kite was. Don't you jerk, and pull and tug at your mother's apron string and try to break it, so you can be 'your own man' while you are nothing but a boy or a girl? If you break that string too soon, you are liable to tumble in the dirt as the kite did, and go all to pieces as it did; for--don't forget this--the things which _hold you down_ to Sunday School, to Church, to Young People's Meeting, to _School_ and to _work_, are the things which hold you up and lift you up, and keep you up and build you up into _strong_, hopeful, helpful, useful, happy men and women. Don't forget what a fool the kite was, and what happened to it! Go as high as you can in the world but _don't break the string_!"

A STRANGE OLD EPITAPH --Narrowness --Broadness

A Talk to Boys Concerning the Narrow Life and the Broad Life--A Contrast.

THE LESSON--That it is all wrong to be satisfied to be a Mr. Nobody. Do your best and be a Mr. Somebody.

The boy whose days in school and whose hours of serious thought in the home have opened his eyes to future years of responsibility, will drink in the sentiment of this talk and remember the lesson when he reaches the twists and corners of life's pathway which lies before him.

~~The Talk.~~ ~~(By Chas. D. Meigs.)~~

"I am going to tell you today of a very _narrow man_. Suppose we call him Mr. Slim Jim. Later on, I will tell you about Mr. Broadman, and ask you which one you would rather be when you grow up.

"But first, we will turn our minds to a strange old graveyard over in England, a burying ground where there are a good many old tomb-stones like this: [Draw Fig. 128, complete]. If you were to walk among these old gravestones, you would find one there which would make you laugh, even though you were in a cemetery, because the epitaph, on it is the funniest you ever saw or heard of. It says:

"'Here Lies the Body of John Blank. He Was Born a Man But _Died a Grocer_!'

[As you speak the words slowly, draw them on the tombstone, completing Fig. 129.]

"Did you ever hear anything to beat that? Now, that isn't anything against grocery men. A grocery man may be just as good a man as the preacher himself--and just as respectable. We can't get along in this world without groceries, and we just have to have men who will sell them to us. Then what was the matter with John? Well, just this: His business had swallowed him up! He had given it his whole time for years, and he did nothing else. It was groceries, groceries, groceries, and nothing but groceries. It was groceries on Monday, groceries on Tuesday, groceries on Wednesday, groceries on Thursday, groceries on Friday and groceries till eleven o'clock Saturday night, and if John went to church Sunday morning, sat on the front seat, and looked straight at the preacher all the time (so the preacher would say to himself, 'John seems to be very much interested in the sermon this morning, bless the Lord'). Ten to one John wasn't thinking of the preacher or his sermon at all--just only of groceries--or some big bill he had to buy or pay on the morrow.

"Now, if the epitaph had said, 'Here lies the body of John Blank; he was born a man and died a banker,' it would have been just as bad. Or, if he had died an undertaker, and buried himself, it would not have been any better.

"Now, John, Harry, Willie, if you want to be a grocer when you grow up, _be a grocer_ and a big one--a wholesale grocer if you wish, and be a _good one_--the very best in town, if you can, but say--don't let your grocery business _swallow you up_ till you are _not good for anything else_ but to buy and sell groceries! Be a _good grocer_, but be a _better, bigger MAN!!_

"Perhaps you would like to be a lawyer; very well, be a _lawyer_, but see to it that you don't _die a lawyer_, and nothing but a lawyer. Don't let your profession swallow you up, and be bigger than you are yourself! Yes, be a lawyer, be a judge, if you will; the world doesn't seem to be able to get along without them--some of them to get people into trouble and others to get them out of it!

"Yes, but no matter how big and how good and just a judge you are, be a bigger, better, juster MAN.

"Here is another example. We have had Mr. Slim Jim; now let us have Mr. Broadman--broad-shouldered--broad-backed--broad-minded--big-hearted, open-pursed MAN--born a man and died a MAN. [Write last seven words on the blackboard.] Remember this: It is every man's duty to provide for his family, but it is no man's duty to provide a _million_ for them and provide nothing for those who are aged and sick and lame and blind and poverty stricken, and helpless.

"That kind of charity which 'begins at home' and _stays there_ is a shame and disgrace to its possessor. It is the kind Mr. Narrow Minded Slim Jim dispenses!

"Every man owes some of his time, his talent and his money to the town, the state, the nation to which he belongs! He gets their help and protection when needed. Protection and aid perchance in time of fire, flood or cyclone, and police protection as well. And now let me close where I begin with the gravestone and the epitaph." [Here draw picture of grave and gravestone with the epitaph, "Here Lies John Blank, He Was Born a Man But Died a Grocer."] "Let us read together once more this strange and curious epitaph, and make up our minds that no one will ever have a chance to write such a sentiment on _our_ gravestones."

Read it in concert.

INDEX

TALKS FOR SPECIAL DAYS.

Page. ~~Boys' Day:~~ "Johnnie Appleseed" ........................... 121 "Valueless Things" ............................ 157

~~Children's Day:~~ "Bring Forth Fruit" ........................... 151 "Jennie Casseday" ............................. 91

~~Christmas:~~ "The Christ-Child" ............................ 43 "The Christmas Stockings" ..................... 22

~~Cradle Roll Day:~~ "Messages to the Children" .................... 145 "The Little Ones" ............................. 166

~~Decision Day:~~ "The Hollow Tree" ............................. 181 "The Desert and the Mountain" ................. 112

~~Easter:~~ "The Doorway" ................................. 67 "Easter Lilies" ............................... 55

~~Flag Day:~~ "Our Country's Flag" .......................... 163

~~Girls' Day:~~ "Helen Keller" ................................ 196

~~Home Department Day:~~ "Public Sentiment" ............................ 124

~~Lincoln's Birthday:~~ "A Firm Foundation" ........................... 61 "True Success" ................................ 37

~~Missionary Day:~~ "Hidden Sunshine" ............................. 118

~~Mother's Day:~~ "Mother" ...................................... 94 "The Plum Tree" ............................... 178

~~New Year's Day:~~ "Turn Over a New Leaf" ........................ 34 "New Year's Resolutions" ...................... 97

~~Rally Day:~~ "The Two Flags" ............................... 49 "Tree Surgery" ................................ 187

~~Thanksgiving Day:~~ "The Pilgrims" ................................ 190 "The Perfect Life" ............................ 148

~~Temperance Day:~~ "The Key to Failure" .......................... 25 "The Evolution of the Jug" .................... 79 "The Keg and the Bucket" ...................... 31 "Young Men, Ahoy!" ............................ 154 "The Open Saloon Door" ........................ 103 "The Heart of the Trouble" .................... 73

~~Visitors' Day:~~ "Our Hands" ................................... 193

~~Washington's Birthday:~~ "If Washington Lived Today" ................... 76 "Washington's Strength" ....................... 136

SUBJECT INDEX.

Ability--"Valueless Things" ..................... 157 Adversity--"The Burned Book" .................... 169 Allurement--"The Deceitfulness of Sin" .......... 130 Appetite--"The Key to Failure" .................. 25 Bravery--"The Pilgrims" ......................... 190 Broadness--"A Strange Old Epitaph" .............. 202 Character--"If Washington Lived Today" .......... 76 Cheerfulness--"A Merry Heart" ................... 139 Children--"Messages to the Children" ............ 145 Common People, The--"The Story of a Hat" ........ 160 Conceit--"The Story of a Kite" .................. 199 Conduct--"Our Hands" ............................ 193 Conscience--"The Thief of Character" ............ 88 Constancy--"The Wounded Tree" ................... 58 Conversion--"The Desert and the Mountain" ....... 112 Courage--"Flying" ............................... 175 Danger--"The Mountain Climber" .................. 100 Death--"The Doorway" ............................ 67 Destruction--"The Open Saloon Door" ............. 103 Devotion--"Johnnie Appleseed" ................... 121 Diligence--"The Blessedness of Work" ............ 64 Discouragement--"True Success" .................. 37 Dissipation--"Young Men, Ahoy!" ................. 154 Error--"Two Men" ................................ 184 Evil Habits--"The Cigarette Face" ............... 82 Faith--"Christopher Columbus" ................... 85 Fortitude--"A Firm Foundation" .................. 61 Fruitlessness--"Bring Forth Fruit" .............. 151 Giving--"The Christ-Child" ...................... 43 Gladness--"Turn Over a New Leaf" ................ 34 God's Love--"The Puzzle Picture" ................ 70 Gossip--"The Brook" ............................. 127 Haste--"The Simple Life" ........................ 106 Helpfulness--"Reflecting Our Blessings" ......... 115 Home Training--"Mother" ......................... 94 Honesty--"The Hollow Tree" ...................... 181 Humility--"The Fruits of Riches" ................ 40 Ideals--"Two Men" ............................... 184 Industry--"A Busy Life" ......................... 28 Kind Words--"The Man Who Finally Heard" ......... 172 Labor--"The Blessedness of Work" ................ 64 Light--"The Mountain Climber" ................... 100 Love--"Hidden Sunshine" ......................... 118 Meditation--"The Thief of Character" ............ 88 Narrowness--"A Strange Old Epitaph" ............. 202 Nature--"The Puzzle Picture" .................... 70 Needy, The--"The Christmas Stockings" ........... 22 Obstacles--"Tree Surgery" ....................... 187 Optimism--"The Two Faces" ....................... 19 Patience--"The Burned Book" ..................... 169 Patriotism--"Our Country's Flag" ................ 163 Perfection--"The Perfect Life" .................. 148 Perseverance--"Flying" .......................... 175 Pluck and Luck--"A Busy Life" ................... 28 Politeness--"The Story of a Hat" ................ 160 Prayer--"Christopher Columbus" .................. 85 Purity--"The Keg and the Bucket" ................ 31 Quietness--"The Simple Life" .................... 106 Reaping--"Seedtime and Harvest" ................. 46 Repentance--"The Cross" ......................... 52 Rest--"Warmth and Coldness" ..................... 109 Resurrection--"Easter Lilies" ................... 55 Salvation--"The Cross" .......................... 52 Seeing--"Helen Keller" .......................... 196 Service--"Jennie Casseday" ...................... 91 Sin--"The Deceitfulness of Sin" ................. 130 Sincerity--"The Mask" ........................... 133 Slavery--"The Evolution of the Jug" ............. 79 Smiles--"A Merry Heart" ......................... 139 Sobriety--"The Heart of the Trouble" ............ 73 Sowing--"Seedtime and Harvest" .................. 46 Steadfastness--"The Wounded Tree" ............... 58 Success--"What is Best?" ........................ 142 Sunday--"Warmth and Coldness" ................... 109 Teaching--"The Little Ones" ..................... 166 Temptation--"The Cigarette Face" ................ 82 Testimony--"Reflecting Our Blessings" ........... 115 Thoughts, Our--"The Two Faces" .................. 19 Tongue, The--"The Man Who Finally Heard" ........ 172 Training--"The Plum Tree" ....................... 178 Trust--"Washington's Strength" .................. 136 Truth--"The Mask" ............................... 133 Unity--"Public Sentiment" ....................... 124 Vanity--"The Story of a Kite" ................... 199 War--"The Two Flags" ............................ 49 Watchfulness--"New Year's Resolutions" .......... 97 Wealth--"The Fruits of Riches" .................. 40 Words, Our--"The Brook" ......................... 127 Work--"What is Best?" ........................... 142