The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1897-06-18

| dWdkeLtu Wltnlu you tHe ueSlre 10 IOl
low it for life time. You would be
come a student and delve in nature
and if possible by some new discover.
add something to the sum of the world
knowledge. You feel this passion TO
larger knowledge burning within you
But no you cannot go on. Here ar
the conditions of my life, you say
which forbid it. In order that | ma,
fulfill my obligations to my parents o.
for lack of money, or because of som,
hinderance can not pursue my pur
pose further. / must go to business OF
stay in the home. Now to you my
young friend let me speak word o.
encouragement. You have very much
in this desire for more. There by your
side is your companion, perhaps, who
is perfectly content to stop here. He
has had hard time of it mastering
enough of the arts, sciences, and langu-
ages to pass him and to secure this
high school diploma. Perhaps he thinks
| he knows it all now At least he does
not feel as you do. He has a light
heart and contented spirit. He is 60
ing to graduate, and tomorrow he will
get into some business or employment
and next week he will get married, and
that is the end of all life struggle for
him. Henceforth bread and butter,
and dollars and cents engross the whole
of his time and energy. There is no
struggle against poverty for the sake of
an education. There are no ideals in
his heavens reckoning him on. There
is no burning passion in his soul to
know Gods truth.
You, my friend, with hunger for
more knowledge, you have infinitely
the advantage of your contented COM
panion. j care not how great the diff
culties nor how many, you are sure to
get more knowledge. To you is the
promise that they that hunger shall be
filled. And if your life is doomed to
disappointment it will yet be made a
nobler life because of this hunger that
has been aroused within you.
Old Peter Cooper, who established
Cooper Institute, because of the delicacy
of his health in childhood, was deprived
OF the advantage of an education. He
never attended school for more than
one year in his life, But one of the !
deepest influences Of his life was the |
high value he put upon education. He |
persisted to the last in regarding "the
lack of schooling as the great mis-
fortune of his life. Often there fell |
from his lips the words, eff l could |
have had such advantages as we can
give the poorest boy now, how
much more could l have done" His
hunger for an education which went /
1nsatisfied through his life yet led him
TO plan for the education of thousands |
Of other poor boys in the establishment
of Cooper Institute. And if your high
school course has stimulated in you a
munger for knowledge, then has it
'eryedla great purpose. In fact the
est of any course of study, l care not
low extended it may be, is not in the
mount of knowledge gained but in the
Intensity of the appetite stimulated.
And the student who feels as if he
wanted to swallow everything in the
inc of knowledge is most truly educat-
ID. The teacher who can stimulate the
mind to seek for knowledge is the good
eacher. A wide awake hungry mind
hould entitle its possessor to diploma
rom almost any school, no, matter if
hat mind be not numbered up with
'reat lot of dry facts and dates.
But again let me emphasize the feel
ng of obligation as fitting you for LIES
work. Here you are about to graduate
rom the high school. You have GER
ain qualification for lfe's work, you
AVE gotten it from these teachers and
through these advantages that were
,ours. And now the question is, do
,ou feel that you owe any one anything
VI WudO yOu udNO lSCOlNCos DOOP
lown in your hearts is there desire to
AXE what you have and use it for God
md humanity? Or is your education
ooked upon as little private matter |
Of your own. Is it something that is to
add little dignity to your life, to give
you taste for refined literature, to in
troduce you into society, or to enable |
you to go into business and make |
money for your selfish enjoyment. All,
what does your education mean to you
tonight, my young friends9 Is it an
a trust; or is it an adorn.
ment, tool of selfish gain. 1t would
be very easy indeed to go about it to
prove that you owe somebody some
thing for the privileges you have en-
ioyed. Perhaps your father pays taxes,
but he never paid for one-tenth of what
you have received. There is fidelity
shown you by the teachers that dollars
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