The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-12-14

city. The fundamental reason for
this Is that everybody perceives the
Importance Of saving society's boys.
An ancient story. which goes deeper
| than many modern books upon the
boy problem. is the Old Testaments
narrative Of the boy Samuel.
Not only because 1t suggests the in
huences which shape boys destiny
| and thus, in turn, mould a nation
but also because it is one of the most
delightful idylls in the collection of
great tales. this story of Samuel is
worth studying. There is little essen
tial difference between a boy of three
thousand years ago and a boy of to-
day. Like the "Old-time religion" of
which the evangelists sing, what was
good for Samuel in Shiloh is good for
boys in this western world which was
undreamed of in his day.
Back OF the story of Samuel lies
the story of Hannah, his pious mother
who was in bitterness Of soul because
she had no children. Upon one of
the annual pilgrimages to Shiloh,
Hannah vowed that If Jehovah would
give her a son she would dedicate the
child to his service.
Every mother dreams dreams for
her boy-sometimes dreams so lofty
that she dare not articuiate them to
herself, much less to anybody else.
But underlying every other ambition
OF noble mother is the desire that
her son may be a good man. With the
deep instinct of a maternal heart, she
perceives that all other successes are
vain, apart from true character. 1t
used to be the common prayer of. the
women Of Christendom that their boys
might enter the gospel ministry; per-
haps that this has gone out of fash
ion is one reason why there is such a
death of candidates for the sacred |
calling. Hannah is not being emulated
as she brought her infant son up to |
the tabernacle to offer him in service
to Jehovah. Every year thereafter |
the mother carried to the boy a little |
robe, into which was wrought such |
love and solicitude as only mothers |
can know. |
This is a story Of a boy who lived |
his life in and about a church. Per |
haps that may initiate against the |
present day attractiveness of it; yet |
Samuel was by no means a ''goody- !
goody' boy. a milksop or a mollycod- |
die. That type is rightly sneered at to- |
day. This sentiment, however, may be-
come too sweeping. |
SamuePs greatness can be traced di-'
rectly back to his boyhood environ
ment. /
The Imagination loves to dwell upon |
the picture of this little Hebrew lad. /
busy about the small tasks of the great !
central place of worship. He was a |!
prop and comfort to old Eli. the HIGH
Priest, whose own sons had failed him.
What were Samuels broodings upon the
glory and mystery of that Presence
which had been Israers guide and pro-
tector throughout it's romantic history?
"A boys will is the winds WILL
And the thoughts of youth are long, long
thoughts
feet character and destiny are those
formed in early youth.
One night Samuel heard a voice call
ing him. He thought it was Els voice.
1t is natural to put the lower inter
probation upon the higher influences OF
life. A person seldom discerns the real
of the greatest events in his
heart history. What happens to a boy
often works out into mighty events in
the worlds history. One day when
Moody and Sankey were in England
Sankey put his hand upon the head
of little Gypsy boy and expressed
the wish that one day he might preach
the gospel That boy became Gypsy
Smith, England's~ greatest evangelist.
His preaching turned to evangelism
DR.. w. J. Dawson, a well known lit
erary man among the clergy. DR.. Daw-
sons sermon on prayer converted Prof.
E. E. Hale, Jr., whose addresses among
educated young men have been a fea-
ture Of contemporaneous American life
as have also the sermons of DR.. Daw-
son and Gypsy Smith. No man can tell !
where the streams will run that have
their springs in the heart of a boy Il
In modern slang, Samuel would be
called a boy ION the job" He was a ,
little minute man." No sluggard or
ie-a-bed was he; at the first summons ,
ne was ready with Here am l." as t
ne hurried to Eli's side. Then was S
to Samuel, by the Lords
voice, the news of the impending doom !
Of Ellis house. 1t was bitter message r
,or the lad to have to hear and carry t
His manner of receiving it was great S
After pondering its meaning through !.
he night he went about the humdrum :
luty Of opening the doors and fulfilling
ais routine tasks. Happy is he who
Knows how to hold fast to common
place, routine duty, even amid the
tragedies of life. When hidden to do
20, Samuel told brave old Eli every whit
hat the Lord had spoken to him.
Out of such boyhood experiences I
emerged Israel's prophet, judge and1
zing-maker. Somewhere today are the q
ads who will be tomorrow's great men.
They are ''only boys now; wise are T
heir elders who look upon them in the
light of what they will become Everv I