The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-10-05
AHero,s promotion.

@i14< Is 10 the lore AIpI1LS GUM
monplace travel letters are extremely
worth while as revealing the original
sources of much of his best later
works There the reader finds many
dents which later were wrought into
fiction and poetry. This is the charm
of biography: it Introduces one to the
factors that went into the making of a
largest on the horizon of IsraePs his
tory. az the Sunday schools are study
ing it, It Is, worth while to look behind
the promotion, and see Joshua in the
making.
A hard boyhood. that school In
which SO many great men have been
trained, educated Joshua to LIES
actualities. He had known the rigcrs
OF slavery in Egypt, and all the black
ness of that pit out of which Moses led
the nation. Then, better than col
lege course, Joshua had been servant
and associate of Moses. He had seen
der his leadership that Ama1eh was
smitten, while Moses prayed, Aaron
and Hur holding up his hand. Always
Joshua appears as man or action,
with the virtues of the doer, and the
warrior. Most commonly, though, he
is remembered some of the two spies
who brought back a favorable report
from the Promised Land. His fear
bitten comrades had persisted miser-
ably in the Wilderness; mere, at least,
he was vindicating his earlier 5udg-
ment by himself leading the host into
the Iong-desired Canaan.
A Man Who Was Somebody"
Every appearance of Joshua in his
tory suggests Personality. He was
character. In d colorless crowd he
stood out like red flag on a green
field. The Bible honors personality;
today 1t is seemingly discredited by
society. Civilization appears to be de-
termined to wipe out distinctive lines;
to dress us all alike, house us all alike,
make us walk and talk alike, and all
things to compel us to conform to its
dead-level standards. The greatest
harm done byS the changing styles is
that they tend to make men and wo-
men as much alike as wooden figures
from a toy Noah's ark.
There is no vital need that one should
be in the fashion; there is greatest need
that one should be ones self. 1t is ev-
erybody's business in the world to ex-
press his own individuality, to live his
own life, TO make his own definite con-
tribution to his time; in a word to be a
personality From the thin ranks of
the personalities God has to select all his
leaders of men. even as he chose
Joshua from the characterless crowd
of wanderers. The parents who abet
the modern process of REFRESHING and
effacing the individuality of children,
endeavoring to have all conform to a
conventional model. just as a Chinese
workman carves a thousand ivory fig
ures exactly alike, are doing everything
in their power to prevent their offspring
from ever becoming Joshuas. Instead of
a socialism which would level everybody
down to- the one plane, the world
needs a noble and unselfish Individual
ism which will lift up each person to
the fullest possible expression of him.
self. --e
s'The King Is Dead"
Persons who are in the habit of keep
ing an eye on current events, and of
putting two and two together see a re- |
markable shifting of present-day lead |
ersf1ip. Many old leaders are dying. |
Others are being rerudiated. A new
force of men stand at the forefront to- |
day. All things considered, the change |
has been decidedly for the better.
Faces 'front.'" is the divine command |
Long live the king!" must follow hard |
on the heels OF THE king is dead |
The worlds business must go on: the |
living present is more important than /
the dead past. There is no time to spent
in vain regrets over Moses; for the |
commands of Joshua must be obeyed. |
The attempt to keep q dead leader TO |
the fore is foolish and futile. even China |
is finding that she must shake off the |
dead hand
To say that all the great are dead, |
and that the former days were better, is |
to say that God has failed in his task |
with humanity. Joshua was a better
leader for this new period of IsraePs
life than Moses could have been. The
present days work and women can do |
It best. Remember Moses only as an
inspiration: following Joshua. He who
fails in today's duty is recreant to the
past ALI who let present opportunity
escape, while they mourn at the grave
OF the dear dead, are showing poorest
honor to their departed
'sHeirs of the Ages
AS mountain ozone fills the lungs,
sunmoning every cell and tissue to do
it's best, so a broad and exalted concep-
ton of life and its relations expands and
Quiclkens ones powers To see the pres
ent as but part OF a whole, OF which the
past and the future are also pieces is to
attain q position where symmetrical /
growth and effective service are most
possible. Today Is their of all the ages"
Joshua succeeds Moses, his arm strength
ened by all OF the power of Moses and
his work advanced by nll of the 1atter's
achievements There is scant room for
vanity in the life which recalls that it
stands on the shoulders of all who have |
gone before. Each of us is himself
plus all predecessors. We live In houses
that other men have built and do a
work which other men began. So let
us be humble.
What matter. or they7
Mine or another's day?
So the right word be said,
And life the sweeter made.
''Ring. bells in far-off steeples.
The joy of unborn peoples! i
Sound, trumpets far-off blown,
Your triumph is my owni"
Great experiences are chastenins In
the hour OF his accession to leadership
Joshua doubtless perceived his own
limitations most clearly. Else there
would not have been need for God to
hearten him repeatedly. Whoever un-
dertakes a big job, or gets large con-
ceptfon OF life. is bound to feel ehas-
tened and inadequate.
The Great Partnership.
A journalist stands unabashed before