Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-05-04
SPIRES OF TIE SPIRIT
Signing a Dream
BY DIR. FREDERICK BROWN HARRIS
Chaplain Of the United states senate

etNAseNNAN tAAAAhs AA1R9 VI
ink tracing out q name on
a piece OF paper represent
the highest value In the uni
verse - personal integrity
For back Of the name is a
person who Is pledging his
sacred honor. Every bank Is
built on human signatures,
The lifeblood Of business In
stitutions Is In promises 10
which are attached the sig
natures OF individuals. The
most momentous require
ment is sign here"
The Declaration Of Inde-
pendence would have been a
glittering and futile gener-
atty without the daring, sig
natures Of those who changed
a parchment into a righteous
sword. Those who S igned
knew. as they themselves
put II, that they were pledg-
ing their lives. their fortunes
and their sacred honor. In
Franklin's words from then
on they would have TO hang
together or hang separately.
All their names were signed
in the spirit Of John Han
cock who, in bold strokes.
made his name stand out
from the rest so that George
III could read II without his
spectacles. These men who
knelt around the cradle Of
a nation signed a dream. It
was their signatures that set
the Liberty Bell ringing.
The world has gone for
ward on the faith of those
who were willing to attach
their names to dreams. AS
the author Of Hebrews puts
1t in that long list Of dream
ers and their exploits, they
endured. as seeing the invis-
ible" with a faith which is
"the assurance of things
hoped for, the conviction Of
things not SEEN"
Each year another new
group Of students known as
Rhodes scholars crosses the
ocean to spend golden years
of study and training amid
the romantic and scholastic
quads and spires Of old OK
ford, England. Who pays for
this priceless privilege for
students from various coun-
tries each year? Answer: A
young man who counted
chickens before they we're
Matched. His name. Cecil
Rhodes. He carved out a fab
ulous fortune with the SPAR
king gems Of the Kimberley
diamond mines. But the sig
nificant thing is that when
this future Croesus was "a
years Of age, without a for
tune, he made a will. In it
he earmarked astronomical
sums for various causes which
had stirred his eager young
heart. AS a matter Of fact he
had not yet amassed any Of
the millions he so naively and
blithely proceeded in that will
to give away. This penniless
young man was signing his
name to a dream. 1t turned
out to be a boon to the world
that he did. Having made the
requests which simply regis
tered the determination OF
his iron will, he set out to
make it come true.
When We scan the crowd
ing centuries We see clearly
that the greatest contribu-
tions to the commonwealth
of the world have been made
by those who have been will
ing to put their signature to
dreams as yet unfulf1lled.
This procedure which has
paid the highest dividends
seems in direct contradiction
Of what has been accepted
as wise old maxim which
warns against counting chick
ems before they are Matched.
Years ago / met a very
wise man who, out of the
ripening experiences of the
long years, uttered words I
have never forgotten. He
said THE man who never
counts his chickens until
they are Matched, very sell
dom has any chickens worth
counting. The only time
there is any credit in count
ing chickens is before they
are Matched. Any fool can
count them afterwards"
In the lovely chapel of
meditation in the United
States Capitol, in pictured
glass, is a representation of
the Father of His Country