The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-03-31

5
paper standardizes it. Fashions vary
over the earth, but the fashion of tell
ing this story is literally universal:
in local interest it takes precedence
OF politics and business and all public
affairs.
This ever o1d-new story is that a
father has died and that son sue
ceeds him. Human interest which
is the stereotyped shop-talk of news
paper men for the interest that APP
pea1s to the deep and simple concerns
of all human beings everywhere, is the
really great news. 1t represents the
interest of folks in folks. All re-
unions are reminiscent of personan-
ties and of passings. Obituaries are a
part of each days paper. "Abijah
slept with his fathers and Asa
his son reigned in his stead That
is the oldest story in the world: and
it occupies q permanently central po-
sition as &the determinative fact of
life. AS the fathers pass off the stage
and the sons come on, the world asks
itself whether things are thereby
made better or worse. Will sons
reign more royalty than their sire, or
will they play the fool and bring dis
aster to their fathers work and to
themselves?
Seeing Straight on Big Things.
"Advanced'' and modern persons
often scott at oId-fashioned folk and
their simple interest in personalities.
Bohemia has no place for babies and
it shuts its eyes to its funerals. There
is neither nursery nor cemetery in
church, with its marriage altar. The
poor and pitiable deluded creatures
who think. that they are interested
in big things''-such as free verse
prehend that the really important
concerns of life are those which have
been important for all the aeons of
human existence. Transcending trea-
ties and conferences and wars and
economics are the }changeless natural
human relationships of life.
Anybody with the gift of seeing
straight know that, despite all the
national and international crises that
perplex this cIosely-knit Vi I'D of ours,
what kind of children are succeeding
to lifes responsibilities. By the same
token, the training of plastic human
life, by parent or teacher or Sun
task in the world. All things hinge on
the character of the Asas who are
succeeding the Father Abijahs and the
Grandfather RehoboamS. And the
most purbIind person can1rot help per-
ceiving that nowadays the question
of the new generation is more diff
cult and more important that the Far
Eastern question or the Near East
ern question or the Preparations ques-
ton or the disarmament question, or
any other question that is momen-
tariIy to the fore with the statesmen.
Whether it is to the woman i'm
mersed in club affairs or to the man
in politics or business, both
convinced that they are busy about
the most important matters, the truth
needs to be bluntly stated that they
are not seeing straight unless they
are seeing that the most vital ques-
ton of every time is the character of
the on-coming youth The country's
hope is unquestionably in its boy and
girl crop.
Some Present-Day Asas.
We are approaching this quarters
series of Sunday school lessons upon
the history of the Southern Kingdom
of Judah, after having studied for
three months the decline and collapse
of the Northern Kingdom of Israel
from the standpoint of the person
ality of Asa, the good king, who is
this weeks lesson subject. He was a
better king than his father and better
than his grandfather; and fortu-
nately, his reign lasted more than two
score years, recalling the promise,
With long life will I satisfy him"
Some sons are still better than their
fathers Only last night was hearing
in detail the story of a rather color
less, 1rreligiouS man whose boy startled
him by announcing that he was going
abroad as a missionary. Most fathers
known personally to me feel that their
boys are an improvement upon them
selves. We do not read much in print
about the countless splendid young
men and women of our day; for, |
thank God, virtue has not vet got to
the point of being news It is the
fools and the rakes, the spendthrifts
and the plungers, who get their names /
nto the paper. 1t is warrantable to |
ieer at the jazzers, because they think
hat their few sparkling flakes of foam |
On the surface are the real ocean. |
Take heart for the innumerabIe COM
pany of Asas who are the hope of |
0ur time.
Mature men and women are not
com placent ,noWadays. They have left |
too many evils to be corrected by the |
Young kings Worst of all, they have |
TOO often failed to fit the heirs-ap-l
parent to reign regally. The land is |
full of evil practices and heather |
images to be cast down; and many of |
the older generation are welded TO |
heir idols. The other day. in Phila- |
delphia, a maudlin weakling who had |
lccess to the trust funds of an insti- |
,ution was found to have stolen some |
hing like 100000 for purposes of /
speculation He proved q contempti- |
Die figure when caught, b1ubbering |
hat he did it for his mothers sake
thus twice dishonoring her-and |
blaming the brokers that had fleeced /
him. A newspaper owlishIy editor
alized that the real criminals are the
'bucl1et-shops' = saying no word
about the group of eminent citizens /
who had shifted their responsibility
or trust funds upon this unfit youth
While condemnation of present con-
iitions is flying around, let the older
generation be brave to accept its
hare. Some parents have ignored |
he big sanctities of their office and
nave exacted neither respect nor
obedience. y woman exclaimed re-
Gently that her little daughter, of less
han a dozen years, insists upon
-oEging and powdering her face, and
rearing finery and jewe1ry. The hon
ast acquaintance to whom she ap-
1ealed for sympathy glanced sigEffi- +
,antly at the mothers own makeup
Ind asked bluntIy. What else can
-cu expect2' % ont of his royal boun-
Y, God sometimes gives worthy chill