Crayon and Character: Truth Made Clear Through Eye and Ear: Or, Ten-Minute Talks with Colored ChalksGriswold, B. J. (Bert Joseph)
Religion
Crayon and Character: Truth Made Clear Through Eye and Ear: Or, Ten-Minute Talks with Colored Chalks
Griswold, B. J. (Bert Joseph)
Chalk-talks; Moral education; Religious education
"One day a lone settler near Marietta, Ohio, saw a strange craft
floating down the Ohio river. The boatman was John Chapman, but from
that time forward he was known as 'Johnnie Appleseed' by the settlers
between the Ohio river and the Great Lakes and as far west as the
territory which is now the State of Indiana. I will draw a map to show
you where he was and where he went.
[In the drawing of the "map," which is, in reality, at the last, the
branch of an apple tree, use brown crayon for the "rivers" and green
for the "orchards," carrying the drawings forward as the various
points are mentioned. Strict accuracy has not been observed in the map
drawing.]
[Illustration: Fig. 74]
"Here is the Ohio river, where he first appeared. [Draw the Ohio
river. Do not label the rivers. The names are given for your guidance
only.] He had two canoes tied side by side, and they were filled with
apple seeds. He paddled against the stream as he turned his canoe into
the Muskingum river, and then up into the Walhonding river, and then
into the Mohican and finally into the creek called the Black Pork. It
took a long time to go this short distance, for he stopped off every
little while to find suitable places in the wilderness to plant apple
seeds. And these, of course, grew up, in later years, to fruitful
orchards. [Draw the orchards in green. Your drawing will now resemble
Fig. 74.] This was but the beginning. From that time until 'Johnnie
Appleseed' was 72 years of age he devoted his life to converting the
waste wild land into orchards. During the war of 1812 he warned
settlers against the Indians and helped to save many lives. He
dressed in skins and was respected by the Indians, who considered him
a very wise medicine man. Many trips he made back to Pennsylvania,
whenever his seed supply was exhausted. In every rude cabin home which
he visited, 'Johnnie Appleseed' read the Scriptures, and hundreds were
helped to better lives through his teachings. He was noted for his
gentleness and kindness. He died, in 1847, near Fort Wayne, Ind.
"Here was a man, boys, who devoted his life to helping others.
Dr. Hillis, of New York, has woven his life into a most beautiful
story, 'The Quest of John Chapman,' and others have sung his praises
in verse and narrative. Let us learn from him the lesson of devoting
one's life to making other people happy. I will add a few lines to
indicate all that John Chapman tried to do. [Add apples in red,
converting the map into a branch bearing apples, Fig. 75.] But he did
vastly more than this. He brought brightness into many a heart during
his long years of usefulness, and while he helped to make the Middle
West a fruit-growing country, the real fruit of his work was that of
helpfulness, sympathy and brightness through Christ, who guided him in
his strange work.
[Illustration: Fig. 75]
"'A sower went forth to sow.' If the kind of ground in which he sowed
did not bring forth fruit, it was not the fault of the tireless
sower."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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