The Penn's Grove record., 1912-11-01
<THEA21
HOUR
LIES WORTH ONLY
AS 1T is OF USE

KXYHAT Is our education but a
NNE preparation and a guidance
for the investment of life?
These tens of thousands of
boys and girls who are crowding for
the first time to the doors of our
schools and colleges came here to
learn how to invest their powers and
years to the best advantage. Each
has a gift in the hand-the gift of
a life and power which the world
needs and they alone can give. The
figure of Christ's parable holds. The
master Of Life has called his servants
and given to each a sum to be used
in life's business-to one ten talents,
to another five, to others one or two.
Life is of no worth unless it is put
to use. The money that is merely
boarded cramps the soul. The scholar
who thinks of learning Only as &C.
emulation has no reason to expect
useful or happy days. The school and
the scholar must think of their work
as training for investment. The
teacher who best succeeds in kindling
the imagination and relating present
tasks to future purposes will accom-
plish most and earn most Of the pu-
pills gratitude ms memories to come.
Lies Real Value.
Just in these days of school comes
a worldwide reawakening of discus
sion about the origin of life which
will work its way down In influence
to the minds of all our children. Just
now, also, we have that noble, but
mistaken action by which a great man
of Japan has taken his own life as
a protest against the growing luxury
and carelessness of the boys under his
charge in the mobiles school. Both Of
these bring warning that life is to be
weighed in its qualities and not as a
thing of value in itself. They urge US
to make wise investment of our years.
The life that begins in such simple
forms that the chemist is beginning to
believe that he can fashion it, is not
to be compared in value with the life
which the boys and girls are learning
to invest for the good of others and
their power and joy.
Quality Above All.
These discussions which seem to
call in question the value of life in
itself considered, have this to say
to all of us-that quality is the great
thing after all. Suppose the chemist
succeeds in putting together the form
which life, as we say, inhabits, SO
that 1t moves, 1t feeds, it enc its
tissues, it divides and multiplies. Be-
tween that simple form of life and it's
development into the lowest type of
man, there are millions of years Of
struggle and endeavor, running
through u%ncounted millions of separate
lives. Before the lowest savage could
rise to the level Of the American
schoolboy's opportunity there were in
Vulnerable years and uncounted lives
of struggle and self-sacriice. OF all
these years and lives we are the in
heritors. 1t is the fruit of these strug-
giles and savings which we are learn
ing how to invest.
If we invest selfshly and unwisely.
we are bringingeall the efforts of the
ages in our behalf to naught. We are
defeating all the winners of these
countless battles. We are disappoint-
ing God, our Heavenly Father, and our
fathers and mothers upon earth. Such
splendid attainment, measured by
such countless years all whose patient
ly accumulated treasures of power
and quality are trusted to their hands
for investment! Shall we fling back
into the gulf of darkness whence 1t
came? Or shall we take our part in
the advancing multitude of those who
are studying how to invest their lives
for God and for their brothers THE
Congregationalist and Christian
World.