Evening star., 1919-08-30
BY REV. HUGH T. STEVENSON.

Schooldays are times of testing
During the period spent in the pre-
paratory school and college the stu.
dent finds himself. He reveals his
character, which is the foundation OF
his success. when he faces the tempta-
tions of school life. Daniel. when he
was enrolled as student in the royal
college of King Nebuchadnezzar, soor
manifested the fact that he was des-
tined to fill position of prominence
and power in the world. The Hebrew
captive lad had not forgotten in the
glamour of Babylonian greatness the
God of his fathers. The king, upon
the death of his father, adopted the
mental service a certain number OF
young noblemen. who had been taken
as prisoners of war. by instructing
them in the learning and the tongue
of the Chaldeans."
Babylon was at that period the CEN
ter of the worlds commerce. culture
and religious life. 1t was also the
leading manufacturing city of that
AAy. Amidst it's cosmopolitan citizens
Aculd be found the leaders of human
nations, so that its culture was the
best of the ancient world. 1t sur
passed any of its day. Writing. that
has preserved the records of the past.
w>es in all probability the invention
o, she Babylcptan scientists. The di
vMlon of time into its present system
of reckoning was their contribution.
The great library of Assurbanipal. !.
which was placed in the palace school
fo-' the instruction of the kings sub
Jtt1s- contained grammars, diction-
a~s"s. histories, geographical encyclo-
uses upon mathematics. religion and
the sciences of geology, mineralogy,
zoology, botany and astronomy. The
British museum contains many tablets
taken from this library that was dis
coveyed by Layard- II would probably
be aasy to make out from them the
curriculum that Daniel studied during
his student days
When the young Hebrew student
entered the royal college he pur-
defile himself either with the food
or wilma which was furnished the
students In this decision Daniel
proved [is loyalty and love of Je-
hovah. 1t revealed the elements of
his character that later made him a
leader among men. When he and
three other Hebrew princes were en-
rolled as students on the college reg
lister they were given new names. evil
IDENTIFY with the purpose of eradicat-
ing from their minds the influence
of their race and religion. The effect
in each case was the same. for they
gave each one of them names that OBJ
liberated the name of Jehovah and
substituting that of the name of some
Babyloni-.s deity. Daniel whose name
meant tsod is my Judge was chang
ed to B'sfteshazzar, meaning Bel. pro-
, significd Jehovah is gracious" was
registered as Shadrach. command of
Aku. the moon deity" Mishael, or
who is equal to God" was called
Meshach, name that has puzzled the
scholars Delitzsch claimed that il
whose name testified that God is my
helper" was called Abednego, ser
Fant of Nebo." Changing names did
not change the character of Daniel
and his associates.
They successfully met the temp
tations of the new environment be-
cause they adopted as principles of
action the determination to serve
Jehovah They had the same standard
Of life for college life as they had
At home The student who can en-
ter college or commence any career
termination to be loyal to his re-
1igious convictions is certain of sue
cess The destiny of ones life may
frequently be determined, as in the
c.se of Daniel and his fellow students
6oring the early days of their college
eareer. The formative period of char
aeter is to be found in the years that
are usually spent in the high or other
preparatory school. Principles of
life are determined then that will
reveal their forces in the battles of
life later. When Daniel faced the
problem of choosing between follow
ing custom or creed, policy or prin-
ciple. he found that the pressure of
social custom. college traditions and
. court usage were all antagonistic to
his faith The offering of portion
of the food and drink to the pagan
idols contaminated the rest Of the
:tneal 50 that Daniel Influenced his
companions to refuse to partake of
that which would defile their bodies.
He was moved to this action from
purely religious motives, out OF
loyalty to Jehovah.
When one considers the tremendous
= advancement that the temperance
cause has made in recent years he
can find many different elements en-
tering into the decisions of men and
nationa Science corrected the teach
tings that our grandfathers had
learned that alcohol was q food, and
sour fathers that II was a stimulant.
yby teaching the present generation
That It was a poison. The end of such
rinstruction given in the public
dren caused its influence upon in
dustry to be studied from a purely
economic point of view. with the re-
ssult that John Barleycorn has been
.ouuawed by the great industrial
leaders. commercial organizations, in :
'surance companies. railroad corpora
tions. fraterpal orders and countries
in their efforts to promote efficiency
and remove barriers to their welfare
In making this decision the religious
inIo hot 81 cd 10 ~
Daniel have had an important part
In the battle that the temperance
forces will now be compelled to wage
TO make the prohibition amendment a
success and prevent its repeal it il
worth while to remember the relig.
ious teachings concerning temper.
snce so that in the struggle for the
success of temperance principles there
may be the same foundations for VIC
tory as in the case OF Daniel. His
action was primarily a religious one
The success of the four young Hebrew
students has been followed by CEN
turtles OF conquest made by others
who have practiced temperance from
religious pricniples. The one who
through the unselfishness of duty tc
his brother who is weaker than he. 4.
the apostle advises in his letter to the
Romans, or from the motive of self
control. which Paul points out in the
passage selected from the Corinthians
practices total abstinence, is sure OF
the same success as that achieved b,
Daniel and his companions in Twins
upon the simple diet of the peasant
God did not have to perform any
miracle TO give them pre-eminenc,
over their wine-drinking fellows
Probably one of the greatest by
products of the world war has bee
the triumph of the temperance cause
Walking along the streets of Londo
upon three different occasions, tn