The call of the North. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1923-1924, 1923-08-03

II
referee called out, "Are you ready
Harvard?" And the Harvard captain
called back, "Let her CO." Then he
called "Are you ready West Point p
| And across that field, in the crisp
November air, there came the SHARP
reply, the obedient reply, the gentle.
manly reply Of the West Point cap.
tain, eve are, sir"
Now think of that West Point cap
tain,a put yourself in his place. Here
was the last game he would ever play
for the, old academy; perhaps his best
girl was over there on the bleachers,
and he had to win that game. And
yet, in the midst Of all that excite
ment, ready to begin that play, the
training and habit Of years, four
years of constant effort and practice
in obedience came to his rescue
care you ready West Point?" ave
are, sir" care you ready Harvard 2"
"Let her CO."
Old Bill Anthony
You see the point? Let me il
lustrate once more now in order to
drive my theory home. Take the time
the Maine was destroyed down in
Havana harbor, over 25 years" ago.
Old Bill Anthony, drunken old
sailor, was on watch, and he finally
committed suicide, apparently Of no
use to his Maker or himself. And
yet when the Maine was blown up,
old Bill Anthony made his way for
ward through all the shrieks and the
groans of the dying, to the command
ing officer, and clicking his heels to-
gether as he was trained by habit to
do, he saluted and said, II have to
report sir that the vessel is blown up
and is sinking" Now think how
many years it took to train that
ignorant uneducated seaman in the
habit of obedience. But he never for
got,-'T have to report sir that, the
vessel is blown up and is sinking"
Do I not establish my theory that
obedience is habit, which we must
qualify in day after day, in the
schools and the home and other places,
and that in order that it may be
thoroughly inculcated and be ready
to be used in an emergency, it must
be the product Of habit.
Now let me recapitulate why I have
made only three points. asked for
only three tests. I ask that first, that
this product that comes out of our
great crucible shall know how to
serve; and second shall be willing to
toll; and third, shall know how to
obey. don't say these elements are
wanting, far from it. I am not a
pessimist. But I say, however, good
the conditions are as to these three
points, we can improve upon them.
How Shall We Get These Points
Now how shall we get these points?
From text book? Why a few years
ago we tried that you know. We
tried to teach ethics, as we called it,
which is simply the basis of char
acter making. We tried that by text
book, and it was interesting. You re-
how the text book was made
up. There were little stories in there
intended to inculcate high principles.
There was one story of Jack and Al
phonso. They were sent out from the
school house to bring pail Of water
to school, and they took a pole and
carried the pail upon the pole. And
when they started back with the
bucket full of water, this naughty
Jack persuaded Alphonso to go on
ahead and look at the scenery and
and he pushed the bucket
over toward Alphonso's end of the
pole so that by the time they reached
the school house, Alphonso was carry
ing all Of the pail Of water, and Jack
had only the stick in the other hand,
the stick at the other end. Now
what should every school boy have
felt on reading that story? Why he
should have felt a righteous indigna-
ton arising within him, against that
mean and cruel Jack. That is the
natural school boy, the natural boy.
Of course the natural boy says,
Mother may go to school with
brother Jack today, the day is bright
and very cool, and oh mother say that
I may!" Yes, that is the average boy
as you and know him. >e
Now what did every boy that read
Il. IL.