The Alaska citizen., 1912-07-22
The Making of a Man
From the Commoner

S'~SS'S'S~1SSSS until We have determined that our supreme duty is to know His will concerning us and to do 1t. The second thing to be considered in moral development is a rule of con. duct, and We find that in the Bible. We need the word of God; we can not get along without it It gives us the commandments that form the basis of our moral character; it leads and directs us through our mature years, and 1t is our only comfort when death approaches The 1 Bible teaches us Of God and it also reveals to us the Christ whom we need as savior and as example. l Christ gave to the world the law of 1 love; when we obey the law of i love, there is no danger of our 1 breaking any other law, for love Is 1 the fulfilment of the law. If we make our bodies strong: if we give | to our minds the training necessary l and then put back of our physical strength and our mental activity. a | high purpose and lofty ideal, we l can make life success for ourselves ! and bring happiness to those about us. We may differ in the amount | of good that We can do, but all can do enough to make life worth liv- | ing. One of the beauties of the | Christion religion is that 1t can be accepted at any time and can make | even small remnant of a life use 1 ful. l was born and raised in a | prairie section of southern Illinois | and never saw spring until | was twenty-two years old. Since | first saw a spring it has seemed | to me the most fascinating thing in i nature. A pond receives water | from the surrounding land and soon | becomes stagnant; a spring pours
 
 freshing and invigorating.
 Just a word in conclusion God has so arranged this world that we can begin at any time to lead a useful life. and no one can estimate the amount of good that he can do, | if he only tries. When I visited the home of Tolstoy, the great Russian l philosopher, they showed me a ring in the ceiling of one of the rooms 1 of his house from which he had prepared to hang himself at the age of forty-eight. Up to that time life seemed vain and empty to him al though he had distinguished himself in literature and had every social advantage. At the age of forty eight a chance came in his life He was born again; he became a new 1 creature, and for thirty years he preached the gospel of love, and by so doing made his name known in | every civilized land. Let no one tell you that opportunities unim- proved never return. That is a dark and gloomy gospel, as disheartening as it is untrue. Let me give you a gospel of hope rather than a gospel of despair. Let me read to you a poem on Opportunity" written by Judge Walter Malone. It breathes the spirit of Christ's religion. He extends hand to help all who will turn their faces to the light shall not only read you this, but shall with the permission of your warden, Mir. Melick, furnish each one of you with a copy of this poem that you may keep 1t with you and gather from 1t the inspiration which runs through very line None are so good as not to need forgiveness i; none have wandered so far as to be beyond Christ's love and care.
 OPPORTUNITY.
 They do me wrong who say I come | When once I knock and fail to find
 you in;
 For every day stand without your
 door,
 And bid you work, and rise to fight and win.
 Vail not for precious chances pass
 ed away,
 Weep not for golden ages on the
 wane!
 Each night I burn the records oi the day
 At sunrise every soul Is born again Laugh like a boy at splendors that
 have fled
 To vanished joys be blind and deal and dumb:
 My judgments seal the dead pas with it's dead,
 } But never bind a moment yet tt Though deep in mire, wiring no your hands and weep; lend my arm to all who say q , can'
 No shamed-faced outcast ever sanl