THE LESSON—­That we dare not trifle with the devil’s poison.

The world has known no greater foe to intemperance than John B. Gough.  No words of this great leader have left a more lasting impression than those which he used in his striking picture of the young men drifting in a boat on the Niagara river.  Happily, it adapts itself to the requirements of a chalk talk.

The Talk.

“The great temperance leader, John B. Gough, devoted the best years of his life to an earnest endeavor to save hoys from the evil of strong drink, of which he knew so much through long, bitter experience.  Familiar to all of us, perhaps, is the thrilling word picture of the young men who launched their rowboat upon the quiet, smooth waters of the broad Niagara river a few miles above the mighty cataract. [Draw the boat and the young men, completing Fig. 96.  It might be well to prepare this first scene in advance.]

[Illustration:  Fig. 96]

“‘Now,’ says Mr. Gough, as he enters into the narrative, ’launch your bark upon the Niagara river.  It is bright and smooth and still; there is a ripple at the bow; the silvery wake you leave behind you adds to your enjoyment.  Down the stream you glide; you have your oars, and you think you are prepared for every emergency—­and thus you go on your pleasure excursion, thinking naught of dangers ahead.  Some one cries from the bank!  Hark!

“‘Young men, ahoy!’

“‘What is it?’ you ask.

“‘The rapids are below you!’

“‘Ha, ha!  We have heard of the rapids below us,’ you laugh, ’but we are not such fools as to get into them.  When we find we are going too fast, we will pull for the shore.’

“‘Young men, ahoy!’

“’What is it?

“‘The rapids are below you!’

“’Ha, ha!  We will laugh and quaff; all things delight us; what care we for the future?  No man ever saw it.  “Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”  We will enjoy life while we may, and catch pleasure as it flies.  This is the time for enjoyment.  It is time enough to steer out of danger when we find we are going too swiftly with the stream.’

“‘YOUNG MEN, AHOY!’

“‘What is it?’

“’The rapids are below you!  Now see the water foaming all around you!  See how fast you go! Quick!  QUICK!  Pull for your very lives!  Pull till the blood starts from your nostrils and the veins stand like whipcords on your brow!’

[At this point, quickly detach the drawing from the board, turn it one-fourth around and re-attach with thumb tacks; then, add the lines to complete Fig. 97.]

[Illustration:  Fig. 97]

“’Ah, it is too late!  Shrieking, cursing, blaspheming, over the falls you go!—­and thousands thus go over every year by the power of evil habits, declaring, “When I find it is hurting me, I will quit.”  But these latter do not go by the water way, but by the whiskey way, which is a thousand times worse!  No man today fills a drunkard’s grave who did not once think he could quit—­but he found, too late, that he couldn’t.’