The Washington times., 1920-02-16
Boy, Here Is
Courage
BY DR.. VIM. A. McKeever,

Professor In the University OF Kan
sas AnA . well-known Educator.
~ Y, did you ever fall in with
X Courage? Did you ever have
a real mix-up with Hard
knocks?
Think Of 200 young college and
university students, leaving their
soft beds, their class rooms and
their joxfal sociability to go out and
mine coal That IL q picture Of
Kansas pluck. when recently these
courageous 200 went out in the rain
and cold sleet with pick and shovel,
loading coal from the strip mines,
to keep the home fires burning
and to keep Kansas from freezing
Could you 20 in with the brave
200 and do your part cheerfully as
they did It? Would you, II there
were an opportunity? Many of
these college youths were seasoned
In theswar. Through the rigors Of
that period they found an entirely
new. and unexpected quality hid
within themselves, the quality of
physical and moral courage. They
learned to take a dare.
But how. Is it with you, my young
eiRhteeh-year-old friend? Will you
ever learn to take q dare, to throw
the whole force Of your might and
prowess into something difficult?
Could you leave your soft, easy
place and get down into the mud
and sleet?.
1 hope you may be SO fortunte as
to enjoy some of this rigorous
in SO. the experience will bring you
delightful sense of your worth
and ability. You will stop shivering
with fear of the future. You will
cease to be afraid of the prob
lem of holding your position and of
making a living.
II you wish to cast out fear and
timidityi and cringing from your
life. 60 forth to meet Trouble,
look Difficulty in the eye, challenge
Trial to come out and meet you.
dare Danger to Tight you to a finish.
Until you get into this rough game
in some form and win at it-which
is really winning over yourself-the
world will never wholly respect you
and you will never be wholly pleas
ed with yourself. 1 am proud Of
these college coal miners, not mere
ly because they helped to keep us
from freezing, but because they
conquered fear and weakness, and
I want you to Join some such cour-
ageous gang till you, too, are self
redeemed.
II you are merely a nice, WE'LL
groomed "Papa's boy" going to
school or doing some light protect
ed duties In connection with Papa's
affairs and gently looking, for,
ward to the day when you will take
over the paterial business, why, that
is rather sorry position for you.
I do not, for the life of me, see how
inherent strength and bigness of
personality through such soft meth
DDS.
IT. Do not go as young gentle
man with a roll of money in your
pocket or a bunch OF Fathers
checks to draw on. No matter how
much wealth there is in the fam
ily account, you simply must make
yourself by your own efforts, or
forever remain unmadc.
Darn Dads dollars" That is
what I heard splendid young
high school graduate say twelve
years ago this winter when he left
n well-to-do home and spurned an
indulgent fathers proffer Of help in
getting a start. 81 am going to
make my own start" he declared,
as he went into a store at $40 per
week. Today he Is assistant man
arer OF. n big concern, with $1,000
per year as his salary check, with
. neat little home of his own. and
that filled with the wealth Of q
wife and two happy babies. What a
fine piece Of work this young man
has made of himself At thirty.
You can do II. my boy. Set your
jaw. Dare to take the next step.
Forget your soft place. Dig. mine
coal. haul water, stoke q furnace
anything. A plunge OF this kind
may save you from the blight Of
,Jos 10 Iessvo woIJ puv wei
mediocrity.