Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1911-06-23

hunger, the fear of want, that dominat-
ed the activity of primitive man, that
ruled as the first principle of milleni-
ums of savagery, is still our unacceptable
birthright. The Galileean pointing to
the lilies of the field and bidding man
live by the beautiful words of God has
had but two thousands years as yet; be-
fore him were the countless ages of
cruelty, whose principles are bred into
our very manhood blood. The harsh
virtues of distant ages, the stern quail
ties by which men preserved their life
and protected their offspring, survive
as impulses within us which lead to
grasping greed and lowthoughted en-
grossment in the baser things Of life, as
in this age they stand revealed.
The need of our time is appreciation
of the values of life as the world S
spiritual leaders have brought them in
to the clear. We want men who know
that a dollar is worth only a dollar, a
certain quantity of the medium of eX-
change of material things, with which
there is no comparison in ultimate value
with the possession of clear conscience,
the faithful loyalty of worthy friends,
the bubbling affection of little child,
the consciousness that you have brought
into the world an instrument for its
betterment that may live while the
tides sweep the sea. We want men to
take stand for the generously right,
free from all taint of compromise, so
nobly and grandly good that the heart
thrills with the joy of 1t. We want
men who will bring into common circu-
lation the insights of the seers, the
visions of the poets, the artistic crea-
tons of Gods gifted souls, make them
common coin in the homes of the hum
Bile, and fuse them into the blood of the
race where now pulses the impulse of
the tigers spring.
Why should not you assume this re-
sponsbiity? | put the question es-
pecially to those who may be inclined
to laugh at the idea of their becoming
religious leaders, even in a non-pro-
fessional capacity. After all, why not?
1t is the greatest work in the world. 1t
is really the single and only work the
world has for men, to make our man
hood more worthy, to lift it to the best
that has yet been made manifest.
Why not take part in it? By whatever
means your taste and talent fit you,
why not make the real push of your
life in the direction of the worlds up
lift? "And he said, Oh Lord, send |
pray thee by the hand of him whom
thou wilt send -
We may apply the same principle to
nearer virtues. Carlyle was doubtless
altogether too cynical when he watched
the London crowds and said millions
of people, mostly FOOLS" But it would
not indicate culpable degree of cyni-
cism if one should observe, millions of
people, mostly lazy! Men of affairs
who receive in their employ large num-
bers of young men testify that only now
and then is one found with the grit and
determination to make prompt and eff
fective use of the opportunities which
open before them. Aside from those
who fail through self-indulgence, there
are multitudes who only half succeed
because they do not set.:..to their tasks
with vigor and keep at them with the
persistent will to do their best.
1t is pity for their own sake, but
it is greater pity for the nations
sake. Ours is great country, and it
is still new. The mighty tasks for
American manhood are numberless, and
they demand supreme effort, consecra-
tion of our last atom of energy. In in
dustry and commerce, in education and
social service, in every phase of pro-