‘Do you see that boy?’ I might say, pointing to one of them.  ’His name is M. He is writing for money.  He is saying to himself all the time, “I hope I shall get the quarter of a dollar.”  He is calculating what he shall buy with it, and every good or bad letter that he makes, he is considering the chance whether he shall succeed or fail in obtaining it.’

‘What is the next boy to him thinking of?’

’His name is B. He is copying to oblige a little fellow whom he scarcely knows, and is trying to make his copy handsome, so as to give him pleasure.  He is thinking how gratified his schoolmate will be when he receives it, and is forming plans to get acquainted with him.

“’Do you see that boy in the back seat?  He has maliciously taken another boy’s place just to spoil his work.  He knows, too, that he is breaking the rules of the school in being out of his place, but he stays notwithstanding, and is delighting himself with thinking how disappointed and sad his schoolmate will be when he comes in and finds his work spoiled by having another handwriting in it, when he was depending on doing it all himself.’

“‘I see,’ the stranger might say by this time, ’that there is a great difference among these boys; have you told me about them all?’

“‘No,’ I might reply, ’there are several others.  I will only mention one more.  He sits in the middle of the second desk.  He is writing carefully, simply because he wishes to do his duty and please God.  He thinks that God is present, and loves him, and takes care of him, and he is obedient and grateful in return.  I do not mean that he is all the time thinking of God, but love to him is his motive of effort.’

“Do you see now, boys, what I mean to teach you by this long supposition?”

“Yes, sir.”

“I presume you do.  Perhaps it would be difficult for you to express it in words; I can express it in general terms thus: 

“Our characters depend, not on what we do, but on the spirit and motive with which we do it. What I have been saying throws light upon one important verse in the Bible, which I should like to have read.  James, have you a Bible in your desk?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Will you turn to 1 Samuel, xvi., 7, and then rise and read it?  Read it loud, so that all the school can hear.”

James read as follows: 

“MAN LOOKETH ON THE OUTWARD APPEARANCE, BUT GOD LOOKETH ON THE HEART.”

This is the way to reach the intellect and the heart of the young.  Go into detail. Explain truth and duty, not in an abstract form, but exhibit it in actual and living examples.