Evening star., 1933-10-02

There was real thrill In the young
fellows voice, as he told about one of
his first experiments In the study Of
chemistry.
He had made oxygen in test tubes,
and 1t seemed such an interesting per-
formance that he wanted to tell the
world about It, Several men whose
school years lay far behind them lis
tened with appreciation.
Surely it Is a great thing to be learn
ing something Really there is no ex-
perience more enthralling. The broadly
inuuiring mind seems to be funda-
mental-shall We say to success? We
shall not!
Many persons have succeeded. and
in large way. without it, by hammer
ing away on one thing, without STOP
ping to look into anything else
Where the inquiring mind does seem
to be essential is in the search for
happiness. Not every one realizes this,
perhaps. So much accent has been put
on success, as thing, that happiness
often is overlooked in the process.
X * X
No doubt this neglect is responsible
tor much unhappiness. for there are
more kinds of success than are recog-
nized by those who refuse to believe in
any except one.
Happiness of no small order may be
willing to make an honest attempt to
learn something new all the time.
This knowledge need not be useful,
In the worldly sense. No man can say
whether information he acquires will
prove useful" or not. What one needs
Is not always announced beforehand.
What one does not need may prove
to be the most acceptable Of all bits
OF knowledge.
The happy thing about youth is that
one Is fully aware then that he Is a
learner.
The sad part about life thereafter,
in far too many cases, Is that the pa
tient goes along under the assumption
that he knows 1t all. Or, II not all,
enough.
The very atmosphere of youth gives
the student the correct idea, that there
is a great deal to learn, and he must
imbibe some Of it. Subsequent ages
lend no color to this happy idea Of the
necessity for the acquisition Of knoWl-
edge III as many forms as possible.
The idea boils down to thin stream
Of necessary knowledge, and Of that no
more than Is absolutely essential.
The fresh thrill OF the really serious
youth in his investigations is very much
worth while
II gets back to enthusiasm.
And enthusiasm is the key to hap
pineSS.
II you want to see the happiest peo-
Pile. you must look up the enthusiasts,
these "wild-eyed" persons. as the eas. =
going call them, who are forever dab
bling in terms of the unknown.
The world may call them radicals,
or what 1t wills. but 1t makes no diff
ference, they are enthusiasts who have
managed to retain at least some spark
OF their oldtime zest for looking into
things
1t has been said that there is moth
ing humanity is more afraid Of than
the unknown. 1t is much to the mass
credit of the race, however, that. II
this is true. still there remains one very
good way to ovrcome it.
That is to face the music. look
squarely into the face of the inevitable,
and then attempt to tell about 1t.
The young chemistry student is asked
by his professor to describe what you
see"
He is attempting to train the boy
In the habit Of careful observation, and
il the ability to put into words what
he sees. He is trying to do something
else. too, but he sldom says anything
about it.