The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-05-25


An appalling percentage of our pop
uiation is illiterate. One out Oh one
hundred complete the high school course
one out Of one thousand take the coi-
lege course and fewer take diplomas
from the universities. Many OF those
who enter school drop out all along the
way for business careers thinking TO
get a start on those who iinger longer
in school. They are, however, like the
ships, they get the bunkers full oeiy
to be overtaken and passed in mid
ocean by the ship which remained IN
the coaling station until completely
slowed for the voyage.
Supreme opportunities are open to
superior men. At the hour of COM
mencement they should be sounded IN
the ears of every prepared man the
clarion call for supreme service. The
distinction should be clearly made in
answering this call, between a career
to make living and career to make
life. In the choice of a life work
there are usually three motives which
decide the career-money, ambition or
service Money and ambition are not
worthy motives in the face of the
worlds great needs. ITO service, il
the heroic call. In answering this
call, we build our monuments in wor
thy deeds of daily life. When ths
Egyptian rulers came into power, theil
first thought was to build for them
selves an enduring monument. This
they did by piling huge stones ont
upon another. The only monuments
they left are the gigantic pyramids that
stand in mockery of selfish ambition
A short time ago stood in st. Paul's
Cathedral in London where's rests tbs
body of Sir Christopher Wren, tbs
most famous architect of his country
He was a builder with unselfish pur
pose to serve his people and his coun
try. On his tombstone are written thesa
words, Underneath is laid the builder
of this church and city, ChristOphel
Wren, who lived more than 80 years
not for himself but for the public
good. Reader, If you seek his monu
ment, look around" He lives in wha
he built for others.
A tragical fact in modern collegiat,
equipment lies in the contradictory ant
neutralizing influences of college life
A university student, seated in elias
sic and historic room in the presenet
of a removed professor at 8 o'clock OF
Friday morning, and lounging in fra
ternity house in a drunken debauch al
2 o'clock Saturday morning, is a pa
thetic joke on modern education. A
bunch of university students in a neigh
boring city. at 10 o'clock Saturday morn
ing before an eager and applauding au
dience of thousands Of citizens, exhibit
ing by splendid physique and manly
feats the success Of their college in thu
production of physical manhood alonf
with the intellectual development, anC
the same bunch of chaps pulled off Of
the ball room floor of a prominent hote
and carried to police headquarters from
drunken caFousal at o'clock the next
morning is another tragical picture oil
modern education. A trip through a uni
versity with millions invested in equip.
ment of buildings, libraries, laboratories
and other university facilities, with g
company of honorable professors at 1G
O'Clock Saturday morning, and a triT
through the dormitories of the same in,
stitution with young chap who knows
the ropes" and can SHOW you" at ]
o'clock Of the same night with card
tables, poker chips, dice, cigarette and
alcoholic fumes and profanity, gives an
other pathetic problem in modern educa'
tion. a visit to various questionable
quarters from 10 o'clock at night until
2 o'clock in the morning marking the
presence, number and conduct of uni.
versity students, gives US still another
puzzling problem.
"Be thou strong, show myself q
man." Two fine words, Strength
and manhood" David marks out .tc
Solomon the path by which he may &C.
complish this command, Keep the
his ways, to keep his statutes and his
commands and his judgments and his
testimonies as it is written in the
law Of Moses, that thou mayest pros.
per in all that thou doest and whittier.
soever thou turnest thyseH," When
David called upon his son to become
strong and manly, to keep the charge
Of his God and to walk in his ways,
he made a most vital appeal. Scholas-
tic preparation embraces the develop
ment and enlargement of the intellect,
the strengthening and broadening of the
Judgment, the knowledge of nature and
the laws and relations of things about
us and is therefore a supreme advan-
tage, however the best equipped man
and woman of any age may be quick
ly dissipated, weakened and dethroned
by vice. The charge of David there
fore to his son to be Obedient to Gods
statutes and commands is necessary to
a prosperous useful and happy life,
one with scholastic equipment fortified
by faith in God walking consistent with
His laws has a superior chance for a
great life and a supreme service. A
locomotive engine with the highest
workmanship and equipment is help
less off Of the track. It mires down
and becomes unable even to carry it.
self. The best equipped man and wo-
man can only be successful on the high
way of Gods truth and law. An alum
nus of a university in a drunken de-
bauch on the night of his graduation is
an engine in the ditch; whatever Of
splendid preparation and scholastic
equipment he may boast, he is a wreck
incapable of using his splendid acqui-
sitions either for himself or in service
to his fellows. A man who puts the
charge of God as the chart and compass
of his splendidly equipped ship is he who
is insured a most prosperous and sue
cessful journey. Strength and manliness
lofty ambition, indomitable
purpose and unconquerable persistence.
A company Of young men from Chris
tian homes, trained to believe in the
Bible as the only infallible and trust
worthy message of God to His chill
dren, sitting in class room listening
to q SOPHISTICATED professor degirOuR of