Bethel University - Spire Yearbook (St Paul, MN)

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THE ACORN 11 fine quay some hundred feet in breadth hoarders the Rhine. There is no river, perhaps, in any country of which we hear more or read more than of the Rhine. Yet we cannot say that it surpasses in beauty some of those in our own country, but the romantic scenery, as well as the picturesque, the varying and interesting sights can hardly be equalled, and then too, the ingenious Germans from ages back have clothed the romantic and the picturesque in romance, and have enveloped these ancient castles, of which only the ruins remain, in legends and In sagas, from the earliest myths in their hero songs. AS YOU GO THROUGH LIFE For there was never yet Philosopher that could endure the tootache.—Shakespeare. The world deals gooduaturedly with good-natured people.—Thackerey in “Henry Esmond . There is no man suddenly either excellently good, or extremely evil. —Sir Philip Sidney. Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt. —Shakespeare. Vita labore nihil dedit mortalibus. Life allows nothing to mortals without great labor”. —Horace. Another course may look easier and more attractive, but pursuing duty for duty’s sake is always sure and safe and honorable. —William McKinley. No man e'er fell the halter draw. With good opinion of the law. —Jno. Trumbull. Worth makes the man, the want of it, the fellow. —Alexander Pope. True hope is swift, and flies with swallow’s wings. Kings, it makes gods, and meaner creatures kings. —Shakespeare. And look before you ere you leap, For as you sow you're like to reap. —Samuel Butler. I Dost thou love life, then do not squander lime, for that i the stuff life is made of. —Franklin. I call that man idle who might be better employed. —Socrates. Tis not in mortals to command success, But we'll do more, deserve it. —Joseph Addison. One of the sublimest things in the world is plain truth. —Buliver. If you wish success in life make perseverance your bosom friend, experience your wise counselor, caution your elder brother, and hope your guardian genius. —Addison. We cannot change yesterday — that is-clear, Or begin on tomorrow until it is here: So all that is left for you and me Is to make todaw as sweet as can be. —Youth’s Companion. In idle wishes fools supinely stay; Be there a will, then wisdom finds a way- —George Crabbe.

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1U THE ACORN Horn the mountain which prevented the onward llow or the river. The highest of the “Sicbengebirge is called Drachenfels. Here the hero Sigfrid of the NiebeJungen-lied, or Sigurd Fafnesbane in the Scandinavian Edda, is said to have won the famous treasure, which was guarded by the terrible dragon. A little toward the south rose Rolandsek. However, as we passed the little island Nonnenwertli, with its cloister, the story came to us, or Roland, the Chivalrous Knight of Charlemagne's court, and of Hildegunde. While the castle on the now famous Rolandsek was being built, the warrior knight was summoned by the emperor, to turn his thoughts and his steps towards leading a crusade against the Moors. Sad tidings came later to Count Heribert of Draclien-burg. and to his daughter Hildegunde. She left the glorious castle for the convent on the island Nonnenwerth, and Roland returned too late. We had now entered the Rhine valley. The mountains, whose sides were wreathed with the trailing vineyards, hovered closely to the banks of the river, while again, a mountain here and there seemed to reced from the shores, giving place to small, white villages. At the juncture of the Moselle and the Rhine, lies the city Coblenz, with extensive fortifications on the one side, a triangle, bounded on the other two sides by these rivers. Even at the time of Drusus it was a mighty post. Directly across on the left bank is the fortress Ehrenbreitstein. Following the shores of Rhenish Prussia, we found that here they surpassed in beauty what we had seen before, and up the river along Nassau, the country seemed to have clothed itself in its most beautiful and picturesque array. But there was a decided change after we left Boppard. Steep, bare and desolate cliffs hemmed us in on both sides. Further on to the right was Sankt Goar, where a saint by that name, first preached the gospel to the poor people living on the Rhine. Most of these villages and towns are poor, and the people depend almost ‘ entirely on their vineyards, where it is possible to grow these, for their support. From Sankt Goar the river became very narrow, the cliffs bordered closely on the waters' edge, and we moved on very carefully, since this was the most dangerous part of the trip. The river made a decided turn, a steep perpendicular rock rose darkly on our left, while our boat steered along the right. We were passing the Lorelei Rock. Every passenger left his guide hook, rushed to the steamer's railing and strained his eyes to see the pole on the top of the cliff which marks the place where the beautiful Lorelei once sat. singing her wonderfully melodius songs to charm and allure the boatmen on the Rhine far below. Toward evening we approached Bingen. Probably because we had forgotten all about the rain, it. in turn, forgot us, for the sun now was sinking toward the horizon in full glory, and at sunset we were steaming by Hattos Island, or the Mouse Tower on a small island just off of the city of Bingen. Here, too. every one of us felt more or less curious, eager to see the desolate little town. The avaricious, heartless Archbishop Hatto of Mainz is said to have met in this stronghold a cruel death, being devoured by the mice which had followed him from his palace across the river. Bishop Hatto. built this tower in order to stop the passing ships and to collect toll from them. But history does not make this imperious prelate so cruel and merciless as the legends do. Our day's journey came to an end at Maniz, often written Mayence. one of the oldest cities of Germany, which still retains many relics, belonging to the days of the Romans. No trace of the ruins is to be seen, of the castle built by Emperor Trojan, nor of that belonging to Charles the Great, nor of Gustafsberg. the fortress of Gustavus Adolphus. The streets running along the river are modern, and handsome, quite different from the others in the city, and a

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12 THE ACORN The A lOOTTI PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE STUDENTS OF BETHEL ACADEMY. EDITORIAL STAFF J. A. Ahlquist, ’ll... Judith Swanson. TO.. ..Associate Editor Albert Dnhlby, TO. . . Nath. Ed wall, ’ll.. I’. Anderson, Tl w. Anderson, 'll.. Edna Skoglun, 'll Olof Okcrlnnd, ’ll. Alice Luiulholm, Tl... Entered as second class matter October L’Oth. 1000, at the Post Office of St. Paul, Minn., under the Act of March 3rd, 1S70. Subscription Price 50c per Year. All articles contributed to the Literary Department should be addressed to the Editor-in-Cliicf. and all business communications to the Business Manager, Bethel Academy, St. Anthony Park. Minn. It is only a short time ago, since one of the Ancient languages was excluded from the list of required studies in the high schools of Minnesota and German or French was substituted SCANDINAVIAN as more practicable. LANGUAGES When wc consider, how-IN SCHOOLS. ever, that the greatest per cent of the inhabitants of Minnesota is Scandinavian, either by birth or heritage, would it not seem judicious to give the Scandinavian language equal place with those already mentioned? As food for thought read the following •clip from an editorial published March 30 in a leading newspaper in St. Paul: “Now that it has grown to be the custom to elect a governor from one of the Scandinavian races, and United States Senators, now that wherever one goes throughout the state lie hears on street corners, either the North peninsular tongues, or else English with the accent of these, it would seem tlie part of the practical to teach these tongues in the ■school. Mow a politician can succeed in Minnesota unless he speaks “the language,” grows more and more difficult to understand, even for the politician himself. As to the Scandinavian languages as substitutes for German, there is room for plenty of argument. The languages are kin. with the same general disciplinary value. The literature of the Scandinavian tongues is also rich, and comparatively little of it translated. There are still much to be done in investigating the old literature, a large part of which will no doubt be accomplished by future scholars of Minnesota. And there is a rich new literature, as vital and searching as the German modern writings, with nearer relation to our own psychological problems.” If an editor were to snap att all inducements held out. he would soon become a millionaire. If he ran a paper according to popular notions he would soon be in the poor house. If he published all items that were sent him he would he in jail half ot the time and in the hospital the other half. —Volante.