The Mena weekly star., 1911-03-23
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT


eAo odSiS Oh study IN D0tn moral
beauty and reason. When its beauty
IS pointed out to the children, and
they are made to see how the world
appreciates it and elorifies the actor,
and are urged to set right value on
it, they need to be shown how deep
into life self-sacrifice sends its roots
Neither human or animal life is pos
sible without it. Self-perservation is
the first law of nature only when the
future interests of the race are not in
volved. When the mother hen watches
and fights to keep her little brood safe
from the pirates of the sky, it is not
natures purpose to make a fool OF
her, but to have her protect those
now helpless for future usefulness.
The winning types are those fixed on
the horizon. Personal human heroism
is only one of the admirable forms of
self-sacrifce, the test of which is that
its benefits shall accrue TO those who
might suffer without it.
Its beauty and Importance can be
UNNECESSARILY heightened by rearing
up alongside of it careful study of
its Shiny opposite--avarice. whose
gorge ingluts more than every beast
beside, yet is not filed. There are
perhaps as many now as ever whose
creed is, rich preys make poor men
thieves. and whose principle Of ac-
ton is that the Bastard in King John
Bell, book and candle shall not drive
me back,
When gold and silver becks me 10
cone on.
And the historical materials for
study of this vice are all too abundant.
For biographies, there are Alcabiades
and Demosthenes-- chronic bride TAX
ers-and Lysander, who spoiled his
people S character with gold; Claudius;
who bribed his soldiers to spare his
life; and far-siehted Enmenes who, in
stead of giving, borrowed money from
the Grandees. who would have killed
him and walked thenceforth in safety.
From modern history, Turkey, the |
vilest government in Europe, could be |
shown to owe its safety to its debts. |
If in an evil moment it should pay its
European bon iholders, the great |
christian nations would crush it for
its crimes. For its effect on patriot
ism, attention might be called to the
Of Birmingham, England,
who sell guns secretly to the barbara
ans that fight England openly; the
South African mine owners for whom
their country waged unrighteous war
and destroyed two brave nations, and
who in turn import Chinese coolies
and establish semi-slavery and help
bring on the political overthrow OF the
party that did their bidding; and poor
stand with a veil over
our eyes and yet clearly see a nation
great army on the verge of
a land boundary and powerful and
invincible navy on her two water
fronts-for what purposeY-to fasten
land and mine pirates upon soil once
the home OF the Montezumas and now
governed by an Indian despot. against
the will of sixty per cent of her popu-
lation.
From such examples as these it can
be proved that moral fortune is bet
ter in old age than financial one. 1t
is not enough to preach the wrong of
avarice to an avaricious people. We
cure malaria by draining mosquito
ponds and not by gathering more
Peruvian bark for quinine. So the
power of contentment can be taught
from the life of Dcntatus and a thou
sand others.
Promise breaking. too, could be
made wonderful study II the social
necessity of fidelity to pledges were
taken as the starting point. From
this point of view it could be shown
by the words, Il do hate thee worse
than a promise breaker" express the
bitter limit Of contempt, and why men
so utterly despise those who break
their oath and resolution like thread
of rotten silk" A good way to
strengthen a moral feeling is to give a
reason for it.
One of the profoundest bits of phil
osophy ever uttered is the saying
whatsoever hath. to him shall be
given; and whatsoever hath not. from
him shall be taken away even that
which he thinketh he hath. 1t is the
doctrine of cumulative effects, the
moral form of the law of gravita-
tation. Herbert Spencer wrote a
group of chapters to give it adequate
treatment: Jesus embalmed it in
sentence. Illustrations for it can be
n;cked I'M for il in the street and in