The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1914-11-19
SATURDAY.
SEIM0eSISgz|s9
BY:..s1aa..!
REySAMUElW ". pURv1S.D.D.
THE WATERS OF LETHEl

In newspaper and magazine. Wouldn't
one meet on my lecture trips? To 60
back ten years from now and address
all the folks in the hall by their cor
rect title? When man comes mp aft
er church. You don't remember me.
doctor" "Oh. yes; you are Jack Bone
head. student | met ut the State
Normal school two years ago. How
did you make out In your exam. In al
gebra?" Wouldn't like to roll OF
dates Of battles. names Of kings aud
all the vice presidents Of the United
States to groups Of admiring friends7
Sure! So got every memory training
system then on the market. On that
thir, shelf from the top before me are
fourteen volumns ON the various arts
OF newer forgetting. In the lower right
hand drawer OF my desk are lessons"
galore. ! can c0ntiellse the whole
thing that cost ME over hundred dol
lars In money. much midnight oil and
mental sweat into one sentence and let
you have it for what II cost you. gem
tie reader. to buy this newspaper The
great secret is-n0w. listen. the only
way to remember is to remember. Got
it? Jot 1t down in your mental note
book. ] really mean It, Now let me
give you another great secret-a Phrase
containing deep philosophy pnt SEN
tentiously into a term OF everyday
speech It Is this-forget II! 1t is the
password into the Don't Worry club."
The Devils Pack Horse.
We pray for powers Of memory. We
might do well to ask also for increas-
ed ability to forget No memory onght
to bold at all times everything it has
received To be able to forget that
which one had better not remember is
of equal Importance to remembering
matters one would better not forget.
To permit every plant in the tbickly
seeded row brings a poor crop. Over
crowding Is as fatal as weeds. Fail
ure to forget has caused many an EN-.
Uttered life and crowded the Insane
asyIums. Brooding over mistakes. mis-
fortunes. disappointments. IL like car.
rying nnforgiven sins Forgive and for-
get: then let the other fellow carry the
load if he wants to- Such remem-
brances are exasperating beyond ex'
preston. They rub sore spots into
frenzied agony. Under unhealthful
stress of morbid memory all reasoning
gives way Things lose their proper
ton. In the Christians school Of
Christ ones hardest task may some
times tax the memory. but more often
they simply bid him forget. We should
drop from mind anything in the past
that may be a clog preventing highest
speed in life's race There is too
much possibility of good in each new
day to weigh it down with the wrongs
of yesterday.
Forget Personal Mistakes.
PauTs yesterday held one chapter he
wished to forget It was black mark
across the page of his life's hook.
Tradition says Paul always observed
the anniversary of Stephens murder
That past brought distress and tor
ment Instead Of place of refuge.
tower. it became a tomb. hideOns
and horrid Is your memory tor
ment. hindrance? Have you In
youth betrayed honor. soiled good
name. lost Il golden opportunity: Did
you refuse knowledge. bull headed"
make blunders that cannot he retriev-
ed? Have yon sinned against the
body. drained away precious nerve
fierce and now find life's reservoir dry,
bringing days Of bitterness and nights
Of anguish? Poor Heinrich Heine on
his mattress grave" hears Of u Ger
man city celebrating his birthday,
maiden browning his marble bust with
lanrels. Gods mockery weighs heavy
on me. Would l. were dead q sor.
row. thy name Is Heinrich Heine"
With all his brilliant genius be could
not forget. Try to forget pastsattain.
ments-God has noticed them. Forget
past sorrows-God has Mt least permit
ted them. Forget past mistakps--t;nd
has used them. Forget past sins God
has forgiven them. Leave to the past
all that belongs there. Even God can.
not turn back the universe and give
you Yesterday.
Forget Your Neighbor's Wrongs.
Erase the sins Of your neighlnr
against you Possibly you have exag-
gerated 1t anyhow Our memory Of
our neighbours wrongs Is often more
vivid than that OF our own. Forget
the wrongs. the sights. the insults.
Hell never have the chance to do It
again" Good! One way is to avoid
him and forget It; the other ia to meet
him and remember-and make him
your friend. Better to have love in
your heart than hatred Emerson said
OF one he loved. His heart was az
great as the world. but there was no
room in 1t to hold the memory Of =
wrong" Small souls remember: great
souls forgive and forget. Forgiveness
is the odor Of a trampled flower. Fo
getting is the flower rising In ne,
strength to perfume and gIorify !
surroundings. God Almighty can lrinr
good out Of evil In Greek mythology
Lethe was the stream OF oblivion In
the lower world from which souls
drank before passing to Elysium that
they might forget all earthly sorrow.
The Christians fountain or Letha IL
the grace OF God. There the healing
waters aow For "earth has no sor.