The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1907-11-22
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Lamentable Ignorance of the Bible
Among the Moderately Educated.
Lillian felt glow of pride and pleas
ure in her success at the guessing game
In which some of the elderly guests in
the summer hotel had invited her to
join.
I'VE can't expect to match our wits
with a girl just out of high school,"
said one of the party, with kind
smile at Lillian. eve might have
known that she would recognize Bos-
well as the Englishman whose claim to
fame rested upon biography"
"And she knew 1t was Pepys who
chronicled small beer and great his
torical events in the same cryptic
pages" added gray-haired gentleman.
But If you viii leave the room again,
Miss Lillian, we'll try to find a char
acter that won't be so easy for YOU"
When Lillian was recalled she was
told that the person she was to guess
was leader, lawmaker and a magl-
clan, and celebrated for his meekness
After few moments thought, she
owned herself mystified.
He had stone tables" a lady sug-
gested.
''Was 1t Hadrian?" Lillian asked.
"He had lots of marble furniture"
ours Is an Old Testament charac-
ter, remarked the gray-halred gentle
man, smiling, "and he passed forty
days on mount"
Even this hint did not enllghten Lii
lian. "Ill have to give up" she said,
Moses" merrily chorused all the
players.
"Moses?" repeated Lillian. "Why,
did Moses preach the Sermon on the
Mount?" The merriment died out of
most of the elderly faces, and was re-
placed by grave expression that made
Lillian uncomfortable. Have said
something wrong?" she whispered to
Mrs. Dorsey, her chaperon.
81 think, dear, we are all panied to
find you don't know who preached the
Sermon on the Mount" was the gentle
reply.
few minutes later Lillian answered
a tap at the door of her own room, ant
Mrs. Dorsey entered.
II thought when / missed you thai
maybe you were here alone" she said
and then noticing Lillian's tear-stalned
face, why, my child, you mustn't be
unhappy"
81 can't help 1t. I know every one
| In the parlor was shocked at my ignor.
ance about the Bible"
Perhaps your ignorance Is not alto.
gether your fault. The Bible isn't
taught as 1t used to be. In my early
days it was considered an important
part of education, and think the pres
ent almost total neglect Of 1t In the
home and school is sad mistake. Chill
dren who are not brought up on the
Scriptures as was don't know what
| they are missing. Aside from the grea
| religious and ethical value of knowl
edge of 1t, familiarity with the Bible
is necessary for good understanding
Of literature. DO you know why Mrs
Wharton named her novel The House
of Mirth'T
mo-" answered Lillian.
"Then search the book of Ecclesl
astes. Do you know why Mrs. Delan(
called a story Many Waters'?"
mo; read 1t, and couldn't see any
sense to the title"
'That was because you hadn't reaC
Solomon's Song These two name
happen to occur to me now, and Al
you become acquainted with the Bible
you will gee what fullness and pich
ness 1t has given to nearly all ou
literature"
"Well, | intend to become acqualnt
ed with It," said Lillian. And sh
wrote home that night and asked he
father to send her her mothers Bible
Youths Companion.