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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 illustration for expressive and impressive little, big, ten-minute talks, whenever opportunity offers.
We commend the book with all earnestness, to these various classes 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 illustration, which recites and impresses, now, a great and noble deed of a truly noble 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.
CONTENTS.
Page. INTRODUCTION: The Plan of the Book .......................... 7 The Value of Chalk Talks ...................... 7 The Two-Scene Method .......................... 8 Chalk Work on Paper ........................... 8 Materials Are Cheap ........................... 8 Important to Beginners ........................ 8
EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS: The Drawing Board ............................. 10 The Drawing Paper ............................. 10 The Chalk ..................................... 12
PREPARING TO GIVE THE CHALK TALK: The Method Explained .......................... 12 Outlining the Right Picture ................... 13 Not an Artist, But a Teacher .................. 14 Finishing Part of the Drawing in Advance ...... 14 The Value of Individuality .................... 14 International or Graded Lessons ............... 14 Talks for Special Days ........................ 14 Talk vs. Chalk ................................ 16 Strive Only for Good .......................... 16 Recording Your Talks .......................... 16 A Word to Parents ............................. 16 A Final Word to Pastors ....................... 18
INDEX: Talks for Special Days ........................ 205 Subject Index ................................. 207
His pictured morals mend the mind And through the eye correct the heart.
--GARRICK, on Hogarth.
INTRODUCTION.
To prepare a work which will enable any person, who can speak to a class or an audience, to give a helpful, inspiring illustrated 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 classes of workers, the book should be of special value to you:
(a) Speakers who earnestly want to give illustrated 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.
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.
Added to this feature of securing strict attention, we find in this book another help in the same direction: Every talk is given in two "scenes" or steps. The speaker draws part of the picture, while he speaks, and then, at a little later period, adds the lines to complete the drawing and bring the scene to a climax. In each talk, the upper picture is the first scene, and the lower picture is the second scene, or completed drawing.
The book is planned to encourage the use of sheets of book- or news-paper instead of the blackboard. Paper is used by all leading workers with chalk. To discard the blackboard is to take a forward step. However, if you are "wedded" to the use of the blackboard and can handle it effectively, you will find all but a small number of these illustrations adapted to your method.
Probably your school or church is already supplied with the necessary apparatus to do all the work as planned in this book. However, for any who may need to provide for himself a drawing board and easel, instructions for making them are here given. It is only necessary, then, to procure drawing paper and chalk. These are cheap in price and easy to get. You are urged, therefore, to proceed with the use of drawing paper as here instructed, and to lay aside the blackboard for the more advanced method.
Each drawing in the book, as already stated, is given in two "scenes," in order to show you how your drawing will look when it is partly finished (first scene), and how it will look when it is completed (second scene).
If you are at all "bashful" about taking up the work, let us make this suggestion: In the seclusion of your home or elsewhere, draw the first scene of your talk completely. Thus you will have plenty of time to make it to suit you, with no one to look on and fluster or confuse you. Then cover up the completed work, by placing another sheet of paper over it. When you appear before the audience to give your talk, give your spoken introduction and lead up to the first scene. At this point, remove the cover paper and expose your drawing. Proceed with your talk until you reach the climax in the second scene, at which time you give the picture the final lines with your crayon. Many will find this an easy, satisfactory way to give these talks--indeed many of the illustrations in the book are most effective if given in this way. Experience, however, brings greater confidence, and many will prefer to do most of their drawing in sight of the audience.
Devote yourself to a thorough understanding of essentials, and you will be pleased at the ease with which the field opens. The encouraging words of your associates and the echoes of the good you are doing will strengthen your confidence.
The necessary equipment and materials for the work include the drawing board, the drawing paper and the chalk (or lecture crayons).
Probably your school has a reversible blackboard mounted on an easel, like that shown in Fig. 1. If so, you will find it amply sufficient for your use. The two or three little holes made by the thumb tacks, to attach your drawing paper to the board, at the top, will not injure it in the least. If you haven't such a board, it would be well to procure one, as it can be used for many purposes. The writer has often used a board of this kind in giving chalk talks. The publishers of this book will be glad to give full information as to size and price of such a board.
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