The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1897-10-27

Annie H. Stephens.
Boys and girls. the mid-tcrm exam
ination will confront you In n few
weeks. Are you ready for II aud pre-
pared to meet it? DO you carefully
read and ponder over the advice your
'Uncle william gives you from week
to week? II you do you will b. ready
for any and all examinations that may
come. BE ever up and doing. reaching
out for further enligh icnmcnt and fol-
lowing the pleasant paths Of wisdom.
Your school rooms arc nicely decorated
with po,tcd plants. Did you over OBJ.
serve how these plants tend to grow
toward the sunlight? No matter how
you may placo them, they seek the
light. So should it, b, with you. my
dear nephcws and nicccs. The talents
the All-wisc Creator has plan,td in your
being must be carefully cultivated and
nurtured, or they will either wither and
die or grow up feeble and sickly. They
must he taken out Of the darkness of ig-
norancc and placed In the G0d-given
sunlight of knowledge, where they will
bc well watered by the copious showers
from the fountain of Wisdom. Then
will Reason, Judgment, Sensiblity
Will and the other faculties flourish
grow up hardy and strong and bloom
radiantly In the great garden Of learn
ing, emitting delicious perfume TO the
world around. Get out Of the darkness
boys and girls, and stand forth in th,
glorious sunlight. Live TO gain knOwl
edge; lot not a day Dass without having
added something to your store. Knowl
edge is likcned 10 lamp In many ways
you may light thousand lamps from
one and the light Of the first Is no
diminished. A lamp also sheds its radi
ance all around so that everybody ca
enjoy IL. So is 1t with you. You ma
scatter your knowledge around and im
part 1t to hundreds OF others, and it. will
not decrease your store, but on tn
contrary you are benefited; yonr facuI
ties are brighter, besides being cog
infant Of the fact that you are doin
good to your fellow creatures. gainin
friends and shedding u halo around yo
that will cling to you through life. A
elegant lecture course has been provi(
ed for you this season. Watch closel
these eminent men as they appear upo
the platform from time to time and ol
they handle their several topics; the
stop and think for a moment how man
weeks, months and years OF hard to
and study 1t has taken to prepare ar
Gt them to occupy the positions they d
Hov easily they diffuse their store
knowledge to those around them, ar
how with their words OF wisdom, hume
and pathos they hold their audienc
seell-bOund and entranced from start
finish. Could you but know their hi
tory you would find toiing, strugglir
sgainst numerous obstacles. hard STUD
and plenty Of hard work in each
them: many sleepless night and acl
ing brain before the goal W,
attained. Many OF you, my boys an
girls, can fit yourselves for such pos
tiOns as these men hold As well AS Il
Others just as important in our gre,
nation. You each have a mission
performs; you may not know what it
at present, but the knowledge will CON
later. Then let it be your duty to pr
pare yourself for it, whatever it may b.
II will require much earnest, patier
work, but you have the faculties With
you to do it and the power within you
self to use them. Then do so and Go
will bless your efforts and make yo
shining lights in the spacious firm,
ment of knowledge.