Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1914-06-09
THE DIGNITY OF SERVICE.

An old Arabian proverb says: IL
who knows not, and knows not h
knows not, is fool-shun him. Ill
who knows not, and knows he know
not is simple-teach him. lie wh'
knows, and knows not he knows, Il
sleeplng-awaken him. He whit
knows. and knows he knows, is wise
follow him.
The successful leaders in thu
worlds progress have always beer
those who know, and who know they
know. Ignorance is weakness whll'
knowledge is power.
In knowledge hes hidden the Sc
c-et of success. Helen Gould one
dav addressed a class of nurses, anc
spoke in high praise Of their long
and arduous course of studr. She SAID
she had little sympathy with the am
ateur nurse. One Of the amateur
nurses had taken correspondence
course of three lessons, and then went
out looking for wrecks and runaways
wherein she might test h0, skill. Soon
she was rewarded, and found a man
with a broken leg. Now she would
distinguish herself. She at once took
command, and called for a cane. She
broke it in pieces for splints; she
tore up her skirt for bandages; and
when the ambulance arrived, she had
the injured man pillowed on overcoats,
and bandaged in snowy linen, as
though some eminent surgeon had been
present. The ambulance SUI geon ex-
amined the patient, and with look
of distress, enquired "who bandaged
this limbo" 81 did it, " said the am
ateur nurse. "Well," said the sur
geon, "it is admirably done-but you
made a small error" "What is it,
doctor?" "Nothing,' said the doc
tor, "except that you bandaged the
wrong leg" And so the value OF ex-
act and reliable knowledge is illus
trated every day.
Many a dull boy, and many un-
promising students have proven to be
diamonds in the rough. They needed
only the grinding of study and the
polish of instruction to dazzle the
world with their brilliant achieve
ments. A barefoot boy who drove a
mule on the towpath of the Erie ca
nal, and so earned a meagre living,
in after years by the power of know
ledge, became Garfield, the general,
the statesman, and the president of
his country. A little man, wearing
slouch hat and muddy clothes, driv-
ing an oX-team as he hauled wood
day after day into Galena, after
ward, by the power of knowledge be-
came the victorious Grant, who gave
Lee his Appomattox and saved the
Union. An ungainly and awkward
bacllwoodsman and railsplitter, an un-
couth river boatman, in later years,
by the power Of culture and know
ledge became the defender of the
Union and liberator of the slaves
Lincoln the ilustrious and immortal.
Then be not dismayed, for even mea-
gre talent under the thrill of am
bition and the touch Of culture be-
comes the golden key to unlock the
doors of noblest service.
A patriotic orator recently declared
the United States the greatest coun-
try in the world. The reasons he as
signed were, that we produced more
wheat, corn and beef. more copper,
iron and gold, more sugar, lumber
and woven fabrics than any land on
the globe. But is this the measure of
true national greatness?
True Measure of Our Greatness.
Greatness.
If commercialism is the true glory
of our country, we have small reason
for boasting. Palestine. the home of
true religion, and Greece. the home of
idealism, and Italy, the birthplace of
art, and Germany, the mother of music
and philosophy, all excel us. What
then is the nobest product of any
ration? 1t is men and women of su-
perior talents of mind and heart. We
may point with pride to such type
of American citizen: Washington
and jefferson, Franklin and Beecher,
Z ookes and Lincoln. and thousand
others of heroic spirit. We may
point with pride to a noble galaxy
Of women, like Clara Barton and Har-
rict Beecher Stowe, Frances Z. Will
lard and Fanny Crosby, and thous-
and Others of talent. But thous-
aud citizens of such high type is not
enough. America stands among the
rTca est of the great today, because
She continues TO produce men and
women of this high type. and they
are found in all the walks of life.
Columbia extends the warm hand ,
uf affection and welcome to the hardy
Scandinavian, and the dogged Briton,
and the Studi6uS German. to the ar
lis!ic Italian, and the French with his
ldealiSm, and from this amalgamation
nt national traits, she is moulding the
new manhood and better citizenship :
nj this western continent which is
leading the world.
Important Work of Church and
School
How vastly important is the work {
'f the church in giving a safe moral L
tn nuP aitf,a,aI,,, 81 n