The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1902-01-02
CONVENTION or CENTURIES.

t5zss3s 5CONVENIlON OF CENTURIES.
Az the clock struck the hour Of mid
night on Tuesday, the 3lst day Of De-
cember, 1901, and the twentieth cen.
fury was making ready to take an
other brief spin, the Convention Of
Centuries was called to order at Eterr-
nifty hall in the city Of Everlasting
which is located on the Mount OF For
ever in the Milky Way. @.s:s
| The First Century raped for order
and stated the object of the meeting
which was to form an organization to
promote the good will aud fellowship
OF the ages. The Sixteenth Century
was chosen secretary. No vice presi-
dent was chosen, nor a treasurer, for
it was not calculated that the president
would pass away and as no money was
to be handled no treasurer was needed.
The co vention proceeded to make the
organization permanent. Sa.,' ,7.s''
- II Think" said the Twelfth Century,
that we have made good choice by
electing First Century our president
and the Sixteenth Century our secre-
tary.. The First was made glorious by
the birth, death and resurrection Of
the Son of Man, and the event is sufi-
Gent to cover up the sins of the First
Century whichawere great. Then the
Sixteenth Century gave the world the
Reformation and the freedom of con-
science and belief of man. The two
marked great epochs in the progress
of the world.''
'Yes," broke in the Fifteenth Cen
fury, 81 quite agree with the remarks
just made, but in our day we made it
possible by the invention OF printing to
unlock the bible and remove the chain
that held it from the masses who went
about in darkness and superstition.
We gave the world the first printed
bible and the revival of classical learn
ing. It was the age of Shakespeare
and learning made great advances
'He is quite right,'' shouted the
faint voice of the Second Century, I'm
our day we made Rome wilderness of
barbarism, and while my successor
showed a strange mixture of Plagiarism
and Christianity, there is little that
the early centuries can point to with
pride. But there are few lost arts
that the Twentieth Century will seek
and many that have, perceded it
sought in vain. Had we had the print
ing press of the Fifteenth Century we
might have given the world rich in
heritance. My successor, the Third,
through Theodocius, put an end to the
worship of old heather gods.''
''They might better have worshipped
the old heather gods than to have
bruised the world with the horrible
Inquisition,'' said the Seventeenth
Century. ''But then they say .Thir-
teen is an unlucky number, and I guess
it was to hear the Thirteenth tell about
old times at the club Evermore the
other EVENING" (
"Mr. President" called a muffled
voice from away back, II know the
world has charged the crime against
me, but in my day we were giving the
world more power and freedom. We
sowed the seed of political freedom,
started the growth of towns and mu-
inequalities, trade and manufacture
thrived, and as against che dreadful
Inquisition place the greatest OF all
human achievements of time-the
Magma Charta. We gave the world
Dante with one of the worlds greatest
epics, and in our time fourished the
Hanseatic League which was more or
less of a merger and trade combine.
My predecessor can tell you of the age
of feudalism and chivalry, the age of
grand architecture, the stately cathe-
drals, Greek philosophy, the introduce
tion of Arabian writings on geometry
and physical science into Europe. Then
there were the Troubadours, with the
spirit of poetry and song, there were
the first rays of an intellectual life and
the birth of new age. The Thirteenth
had to bear the crucial test and witness
the transformation from darkness to
light.''
81 believe the Eighth Century should
have the privilege of speaking," said
the Seventh. II know he is modest,
but in our time we were cursed with
the pollution of the HOlv Land and