The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1912-11-21

There il only one way to measure
the future history OF civilization. and
that is by scanning the past history
Of civilization. We have no instru.
ments with us in our journey that
are more powerful than the instru-
ments that the prophets OF ciyiliza-
ton have used. and they have al.
ways based their calculations for the
future on the history Of the past
Now the history OF the past Is the
story OF the soul OF the past. Wher-
ever a race, a nation or an individual
has succeeded In history the reason
for the success is found in the kind
OF soul the race, the nation. or the
individual has accomplished. The rea-
son that the little nation. that was
bid in that strip OF land between
the Taurus mountains and Egypt,
climbed past the greater nations OF
Assyria, Babylonia and Persia. is be-
cause the descendants OF the man.
Abraham, had a greater soul than
the nations that were nelghbors. So
a. one scans the past. with all It's
mystery and problem. there Is no
one thing Of which he may be more
sure than that II was the soul that
girded the moving bands See IL as
you look down the vista. Now see
the on-sweep OF the nations OF great
souls. The fragrance Of tropical gar
dens entice. but the souls OF great
"a.
drink the fragrant air and. leaping
the walls, rush on to their destiny.
Prejudice weaves a web OF threads
of iron; conservatism uproots trees
and leaves then-root and branch
to obstruct the way. ignorance digs
foul holes In the path OF nations go
ing, but the souls OF great nations
have broken the web OF prejudice,
climbed the fallen trunks OF conserva-
tsm and filled the holes OF ignor-
ance with fresh waters. bleeding
bruised and wounded they have ris.
en- and trod the heights again.
Now. this fact is particularly inter
ssting when We apply II to the life
Of the Individual Here Is young
man who has decided that an educa-
ton Is a worthy object. He has talk
Cd TO his pastor and his pastor has
told him that with an education he
can better his physical conditions. A
lawyer has pointed out that there Ia
Q worthy position in law for him at
the end OF his collegiate education. A
business friend has told him that
there are places In the great world
Of politics for young man with an
education. The young man decides to
get the education. lie succeeds In
finding an institution That will give
him scholarship. lie leaves home
and enters on the new life. The first
week opens we'll The next week the
instructors call for results In the
class room. The man in geometry
tells him that he must do better work
in geometry. The English Instructor
tells him that as a matter OF fact
the most important work In the
school Is English and that ho must
do better work In English. The In
structor In Latin tells him that for
mind development and his future
vocabulary there is nothing like
Latin and that he really should give
better results in Latin. In each room
that he enters on this particular Sec
ond Thursday OF his education he is
met by remarks. Each department
requires It's pound OF flesh.
At the end OF the day he goes to
- 10. tAA IN n
work lie certainly wants an educa-
ton. He will work as hard as he
can, but he can work no harder than
he has been working. Perhaps II
isn't In him. Perhaps his family are
Of those who never could be educat-
cd. He has read OF that somewhere
In a magazine. He remembers that
his father never got an education.
and surely his grandfather never was
educated. I ask you. as this young
man Is making his decision In this
room, what do you consider that
his answer will rest uponf" The
answer comes back with a thrill, 1T
win depend upon the soul the young
man has" II the lad can say, yes.
Il Is true that failed to-day In geo
metry, yesterday In Latin. the day be-
fore In English. but | know ! can
win, that there is an education be-
fore me II l try. | shall do better to-
morrow and the next day, shall do
still better. and some day | shall
have Il all. know can win. feel
Il In me somewhere" II that is h.
answer he will win. But what real ]
ly, then, does his answer DEPEND up
ont II depends upon the size and
the quality OF his soul II there is
something swelling up within him
that makes him stay. II he has q
great soul that will not let him go,
he wins. II his soul tells him that
because OF heritage or environment |
or absence from school for a period
a years, II his soul tells him these
things and says them loud enough
the youth will 90 down In defeat.
You ask me how far his defeat will
70. ! tell you that he may be as
whipped dog through all his life. He
win be defeated until he gets soul.
Q great soul. . soa big enough 10
win '