The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-09-27
By WILLIAM Y. E1LLIS.

By WILLIAM 7. ElLLlS.
The most serious defect in AHeerl-
can life is. to use the parable OF the
wise and foolish lrglns, lack or o.
our young people face the future in
prepared. Germany and Japan may
both be taken as examples Oh pre-
cdr The latter won q great
war almost, as Mr.. kennan's HAPPY
phrase puts it, by prearfaH5enlenI-
japan was ready, Russia was NO..
Germany is today the bosle man y,
Europe because her nelShbors, alu
especially England, see her pfesa.e"
to q degree which they have not Be
gun to attain. In the case OF the ~
dividual. as we'll as OF Inc ndtlo"'
this holds true; the Individual Ger
man looking forward TO i BUSINESS
career. undergoes a preparatory tram
ing almost incredible to American
youth. They learn foreign
In any store OF even hodci"'t 30
tensions in Berlin some one SPEAKS
English and probably also f'rea5A
and Italian.
America has given the world da~1-
zline instances of success by hapha+-
ard: chance and luck are the goo
desses Offences invoked. me mo-
ough training and equipment "hlch
are as reservoirs Of oil Tor the lIeht>
Of the long night are not esteeI1ei ~
highly as they ought to be. lac
businessman who watches World
trends. and who looks to the 1neNlta-
bio tomorrow for his greatest rewards,
is the exception rather than the ruiz
The mechanic who is master OF the
position next above him, as well as
of his own, is the exception, rather
than the rule. The reporter VINO can
write an editorial or make zip the
DAYS issue Of his ape IS not the
average man. The teacher VINO
knows his branch thoroughly, IS not
to be found in every school. me
preacher who. disdainlns cohi1ioh-
places. conventionality and clap-taP'
has pursued his calling to a masters
OF the ripest religious thought, ana
q personal, present experience or Nltai
religion is not in every pulpit. 1He
housewife to whom home-maklnS Is
a science carefully conned is not the
treasured possession Of every husband.
7 q vonrd. lack of oil-failuTe q
preparation-is a real blight upon 'he
life of today.
The Familiar Story.
The Wise Teacher, whose counsei
ALWAYS outran their Immediate al'pli-
cation, Incorporated this phlloSoph3
in a story that was We'll WITHIN 'lS
experience of his hearers. 1t was oi
a Wedding and OF the festal pro-eS
sion to meet the bridegroom. lei
Young women to GEAR the lamps pc
fore the bridegroom, whose conlh=
they awaited. All had oil enough 1o1
immediate use; had the bridegroom
come at once there would AVE beer
no attendants shut out of the feast
But only five of the ten took OIL 1o1
q possible long wait. SO While tn
BRIDEGROOM tarried. all slept-and W.
NAV be sure that those VINO Wer'
preparcd for emergency slumberet
most soundly and peacefully.
At midnight arose the cry, Behold
the bridegroom;' Lies opportunities
come at most unexpected tunes. ohl-
the ready can accept them Five O
the waiting virgins had reservoirs o
extra Oil; five had only b~urned-ou
lamps. Foolishly, they wanted tn
wise to give up their supply, which
would have left eli in darkness an
the bridegroom ~unhonored. one per
son may not impart his preparation t.
another. i Ife's ~extrenlities we can
not share our fitness. Character /
not Transferable. One cannot pas
anothers examinations or give Mn
proficiency in his work, or transfe
health to him. In the day
that are forever confronting US eac
must stand alone. The unready mus
endure their own defeats; althouSf
alas, the unfitncss of one affects many
for the bridegroom was robDed Q
honor by the failure of the foolls
virgins oil. They were shut out bl
the loss was his as we'll as theirs.
OF course. the foolish virgins near
we'll. They made very plausible eH
cuses to their friends, along wit
their complaints; who ever knew tn
failures Of life to lack for excuses
Is there any spectacle in life nor
pathetic than these well-meanln
people who are unft-who have a
the good intentions in the world, b,
no practical sense Of how to do tF
right thing? The maidens real
wanted to honor the Bird egroom ju
as the shiftless Christians really wal
to give money to Gods work and
do service for him; but they ha,
only futile regrets to offer, instead
foresighted readiness.
Every Day a Judgment Day.
The point OF the whole lesson
that of preparedness BE ye al: