Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-07-18
MENTAL EMBROIDERES.

The trouble with the average stu
7 dent. in the opinion Of the Boston
/ Transcript is that he does not go 10
college TO form his mind. but to dec
crate it, The confidence Of youth is
the subhmcst thing in the world.
Contemplating his assurance Of GER
taiuty about the principles OF all
/ things. the elder man. some II not
an of whose bases have been shaken
. by experience. feels about the sopho-
more at college as Peel felt about
Macauley. that he would give all his
worldly wealth n he could be as sure
Of anything as that chap is Of every
thing Looking back over his life,
the elderly man can find in 1t no
other moment when his knowledge
was so completely satisfactory to him
as when he was 20 years old Nor is
the reason for this far 20 seek. Rela-
lively TO his understanding IS a boy
OF Is. the knowledge OF young man
of 90 Is enormous He finds himself
In the possession Of the keys that un-
lock the secrets Of the gods lie un-
locks the door. II is natural for him
to suppose that the gl.ttering and
glorious prospect that he b5ho.ds con-
stitutes the whole treasure house The
enlightenment has fallen upon him. It
is enough. His task thereafter, as the
Transcript has expressed IT, IS to dec
orate his mind with the jewels that
he at his hand He does not think
about changing others or himself
all he wants is TO shine.
The confidence Of the youth in the
abidingness Of his knowledge in the
completeness Of his discoveries, in the
correctness Of his accepted way--ls a
very beautiful thing But some time
De is likely TO lose all its glamour and
discover that ornamentation Is not
going TO carry him through a busy
and critical world. For that is what
he goes out into the world TO do-to
lose his sublime assurances and 70
awake TO the realization that what he
had valued as precious Jewels were
poor substitutes for the tools OF in
tellectual and physical industry with
which he must hew his way through
busy and Indifferent world His
mind. II It be not opened in college,
must be unclosed by the rude pro-
cesscs OF everyday existence and
struggle The necessity OF this dis
lllusioning experience Is the very
thing which has caused 30 many
grownup men TO complain that college
taught them nothing-that they had
to learn everything afterward and
sometimes unlearn n great deal of
what they had thought was most
worth while. but which failed when
put to the test OF practical use. And
1t is also this same fact that has en-
abled so many men Of good ability
men who never went to college, but
who were getting this mental un-
closing experience while their
brothers in college were busy accu-
mulating mental embroidery and lace
to surpaas IN the achievements OF life
the best efforts OF the college
graduate.
The important thing. II seems to us
is for the young man who goes TO col
Ieee to have n wcll-defined object 10
attain. and concentrate as far as pos
sible his greatest endcavors toward
mastering that which will enable him
to most effectively grasp the goal OF
his ambition. II is not necessary tc
avoid the ornamental. in education nc
more than In any other phase OF life
Beauty IS \ great thing and art is a
jewel But ornamentaton should bC
valued only as ornamentation and
should not be allowed TO take up toe
much time and attention that belonf
to the serious things OF life. Fol
there ls no more serious thing in Q
young mans life than the acquire
ment Of those things which will best
help him 10 make a useful and sue
ccssful citizen
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