Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-08-25
THoueHrs 10 BE mE,doR1zED

Dear Miss Thomas. -.
To school and I wish that might say some
thing to them and 10 their mothers ana Ia'h,
ers that would make them see the sfeal go"
that an Of them would get from real apph-
cation to their books. In many homes there
are children that wouds make this world bet
ter place II they had the opportunity % . Saa,
are like hundreds cf others and need the steady
hand and the firm viii OF their parents to keep
them up to the marx; then there are the
children that are hungering for knowledge and
their parents think Il all foolshness as they
did not have such opportunities and In their
own opinions they have done very well. On
the other hand there Is the child that VIII not
study and has ambitious parents that would
do anything 10 get him 10 r;and at the head
OF his. class; thus II goes. and FOR the benefit
put them TO thinking: .'Knovledge cannot be
stolen from you. II cannot be bought or sold.
You may be poor and the sheriff come into your
house and sell your furniture at auction or
drive away your cows. take your lambs or
leave you homeless and penniless; but he can
not lay the laws hand the jewelry Of your
mind. This cannot be taken for debt neither
can you give It away. though you give enough
of It 20 I'll 4 million minds
II win tell you what such giving is like
Suppose now that there were no sun nor stars
black brow Of night; and suppose that a
lighted lamp were put into your hand. which
should burn wastelees and clear amid all the
tempests that should brood upon this lower
world.
.Snppose next that there were a thousand
millions Of human beings the aartA with
you. each holding in his hand an unlighted
lamp filled with the same oil as yours. and
these millions should come. one by one, to you
and light each his lamp by yours, would they
rob you OF any liFhtg Would less OF IL shine
on your paths Would your lamp burn more dim
LIZ By lighting a thousand millionsi
Thus II Is young friends. In getting rich
In the things which perish with using. men
have often obeyed 10 the letter that first com
mandment of selfishness: Keep what you
you'd mind with the wealth Of knowledge. you
must reverse this rule. and obey this law
Keep what you give. and give what you can
The fountain OF knowledge is filled By its
outlets, not By its inlets You can learn moth
ing which you do not teach; you can acquire
nothing Of intellectual wealth, except by Civ
ing. In the illustration OF the lamps which
have given you was not the light of the
as much yonr light. as II all came from your
solitary lamp7 Did you not dispel darkness
By giving away lights
Remember this parable and whenever you
fall in with an unlighted mind in your walk
Of life drop a kind AID glowing thought upon
with a light that shall shine in dark
place TO beam on the berkghted."
You may never know how much good you
have done. but In the great hereafter many a
lamp in your hand may say. well DONE. thou
good and faithful servant. enter thou into the
joys OF thy Lord" 1ot may be surprised
and ask when you did all that for the hsbit
The lamp that we have lighted on some pain
racked life may be such that.
Strength sublime may rise from weakness,
Groans be turned TO songs Of praise;
Nor are LIES divinest labots
Only. told By songs Of praise"