Object Lessons

Door and Bar

Object: An empty whisky bottle or a picture rep­resenting one. (On one side of the bottle paste a piece of stiff paper, lined to represent a door. On the door write the following words: Want, Broken Health, Sin, Grief, Shame, Darkness, Despair, Strife, Grave, Tears, Aching Hearts, and Hell. On the other side of the bottle paste a piece of stiff paper with holes cut in it to represent a jail door. On the bars write the following words: Manliness, Wealth, Honor, Pride, Fame, Hope, Prayer, Truth, Bravery, Joy, and Heaven.)

This is a strange-looking whisky bottle, isn't it? Oh one side there is a door and on the other side bars reminding us of the door of a jail.

Let me read you a poem which mentions the words that are written on the door and on the bars.

"THE SALOON BAR

"A bar to heaven, a door to hell—
Whoever named it, named it well!
A bar to manliness and wealth,
A door to want and broken health.
A bar to honor, pride, and fame,
A door to sin and grief and shame.
A bar to hope, a bar to prayer,
A door to darkness and despair.
A bar to honored, useful life,
A door to sin and grief and strife.
A bar to all that is true and brave,
A door to every drunkard's grave.
A bar to joy that home imparts,
A door to tears and aching hearts.
A bar to heaven, a door to hell—
Whoever named it, named it well!"

It is not difficult now to see that whisky is a door to everything that is bad and a bar to everything that is good. I trust you boys and girls will remember this strange-looking whisky bottle, and never will drink whisky.