Bethel University - Spire Yearbook (St Paul, MN)

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THE ACORN 17 WHEN THE VIOLETS BLOOMED. Little Irene was sitting in her rolling chair. She had been sick all winter, but had been told, that when the violets bloomed, she might be well enough to be out and pick them. How glad she was for every sunny day, noting how the snowdrifts became smaller and smaller, and •’soon , she said, the violets will bloom.’' One day, when it was warm weather, her mother took her out on the veranda, where the fresh, pure air seemed to put new life into her frail body. She was out every nice day after this and enjoyed, not only the fresh air, but. the company of some birds, which were building their nests in a tree near the house. She also watched the grass coming up, and the buds on the trees, and most of all, the spot where the violets were growing. She was planning how she would arrange the flowers and take care of them. Iler parents' hope of their daughter’s recovery revived once more. But one morning she could not sit in her chair. Her eyes were glowing with fever, and she spoke about the violets, which she had expected to come out that day. Towards noontime she grew more quiet, and when the bright sun rays came in thru the window, and she heard the cheerful songs of the birds, she said: “I am so glad that springtime has come, I wish it would never end.” Just then her younger sister came in with some violets from their yard. Irene took the little messengers of spring in her hands, and with new life looked around at her parents and sister with her happy smile and whispered: I am going—where the violets—bloom forever.” She closed her eyes, and in a few moments her spirit was free from earthly bands. The Great Gardener had come to transplant her into a place where death is no more, and where the violets are in constant bloom. Georgina Staverfeldt. BETHEL ACADEMY. O Bethel, Bethel thou hast done A deed that hearts will move— In days that of thy time are gone And days that are thou still do’st loan Thy cunning token from above Of pureness and of love. f J We love the beauty where thou stands And its surrounding hills, The music from celestial bands Us brought by His all-powerful hands, In nature—that our hearts now fills With gladness that us thrills. Thou art not rich and shall not be For those in Mammon’s halls, Try only riches is thy key And guide to those who cannot see A path o’r hills, woods, waterfalls That leads where Knowledge calls. —Joel Anderson. BILLBOARDS. That which will probably first attract the attention of a youngster, at he comes from some remote country place toward a city are the large billboards, with which our cities are so well supplied. These with their attractive advertisements are placed at all favorable points. They will be found surrounding vacant lots, forming barricades along railroads and thoroughfares, thus protecting wayfarers from being suddenly surprised and attacked by robbers. They occupy almost every conceivable spot

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T H E A C O R N 16 Another valuable service is to render aid lo the farmer in enforeinj the trespass law. The object ami purpose of same laws is not only to preserve a few anima s, birds and fishes, but to protect them lrom hunters and increase the useful species for the people in general. It not only tends to pieserve game animals and tame birds, but birds of song and plumage and also those which are beneficial in destroying injurious insects and weeds. The game laws also give that class cf persons who find recreation in observing and studying nature a chance of further research. There aie three ways that game is protected in this state: first, by laws restricting shooting; secondly, by regulating time of shooting, and third, laws forbidding the importation of injurious birds and mammals to the native species. These are all good laws and if they are strictly enforced as they !.cui : be. the game wi'l be preserved for many years to come, but viola tions are going cn all the time as you notice by the accounts in the daily press. Human beings are not the only enemy or game. Storms, wet and dry seasons, and various kinds cf insects w«ho prey upon the eggs and young. Over storms, wet and dry seasons, man has no power, hut he can aid the game by distributing grain and food throughout the stricken districts .inhabited by these. This has been tried in different states and found very successful. In some instances the wild species have become nearly domesticated, where this law has been in vogue. The game wardens attend to this an 1 are required to place at regular intervals during inclement weather, food for the game within easy reach where they stay and frequent. This has relieved the suffering animals and aided them to pass the rigid months ami preserved them for many seasons to come. I have failed to find any statistics showing that Minnesota has ever tried this plan. Minnesota has as vet no game preserve or state park where the many species of mammals, game birds and fish and nongame species may live unmolested and perpetuate the different species. This I believe is an important measure cf conservation and certainly would be an item in the conservation of the natural resources of which we have heard so much recently. 1 believe lhat Minnesota should have a game preserve. The northern part, or almost any part of the state is suitable for this. 'Pile stale owns more land in the northern part which is thickly forested and full of lakes and rivers where the aquatic birds and also fishes could find protection and a place to rear their young. Next the people as a w-hole should be educated and informed in regard to the benefits derived from the preservation or insectivorous birds and mammals. The laws that we now have should be enforced to the letter and if the present laws and force of wardens are incapable of bringing the law-breakers to justice, then more laws should be enacted and the present force of wardens enlarged. In this way the offenders would be caught and brought to justice. Thirdly, the people should co-operate with the wardens and inform them ol any depredation and law-violations that may come under their surveillance. If we must have a law regulating the shooting of game birds and animals. I believe, the number stipulated for one hunter to bag should be lessened and the time and season for shooting made shorter and more remote and less frequent. Proper legislation will do this. As soon as the people awaken to the fact that today the nation’s birds and animals are in most cases becoming extinct, and in some cases already extinct, then and not until then, will the proper precautions be taken nnd laws enacted and enforced. —H. G. Thunell, T2.

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18 THE ACORN where they can be raised up. Though billboards bear many of these favorable blessings, they are notorious to the general public’s comfort and welfare. To the traveler they serve as vexatious impediments. Often when lie wishes to see some country scenery or some object of particular interest from a car window on passing by, some billboard will pass before his eyes and shut off the scenery from his view just at the moment when he could have best beheld his scene. They arc always a great nusiancc to the tralvel-er. Billboards are very attractive, especially to children. The pictures that the lower classed theaters of to-day post, tend to lead young men and women into a life of sin and degradation. Theaters are, however, not I he only immoral advertisers, but the brewers, cigar companies, in short all trades established on the principle, namely to get all the money possible from those whom they can lure by their en- A TRIBUTE TO OU How bright are the honors which await those who with sacred fortitude and patriotic patience have endured all things that they might save their native land from division and from the power of corruption! The honored dead! They that die for a good cause are redeemed from death. Their names are garnered. Their memory is precious. Each place grows proud for them who were born there. There is to be, ere long, in every village, and in every neighborhood, a glowing pride in its martyred heroes. Tablets shall preserve their names. Pious love shall renew their inscriptions as time and the unfeeling elements efface them. And the national festivals shall give multitudes of precious names to the orator’s lips. Children shall grow up under more sacred inspirations, whose elder brothers, dying nobly for their country, left a name that chanting advertisements. These advertise their products by means of paintings that are very enticing and that tend to incite a craving for those dangerous and demoralizing products. People generally take advantage or billboards, especially those enclosing vacant lots, by throwing debris and rubbish in such places. Here it will be hid from view. It will a!so be shut off from being reached by winds. Under such circumstances germs will thrive and grow. Thus from this rubbish disease is liable to spread and endanger the health and life of the people. Billboards tend to lower the morals, and to weaken the stamina of the young men and women of this country and indirectly to endanger the health, and life of the people. When we see they are doing these things, we know that they are detrimental to our country, and we should do all in pur power to obliterate them. —Walfred Anderson, ’ll. =5 HONORED DEAD. honored and inspired all who bore it. Orphan children shall find thousands of fathers and mothers to love and help those whom dying heroes left as a legacy to the gratitude of the public. Ob, tell me not that they are dead— that generous host, that airy army of invisible heroes. They hover as a cloud of witnesses above this nation. Are they dead that yet speak louder than we can speak and a more universal language? Are they dead that yet act? Are they dead that yet move upon society and inspire the people with nobler motives and more heroic patriotism? Ye that mourn, let gladness mingle with your teais. It was your son: but now be is the nation’s. He made your household bright: now his example inspires a thousand households. Dear to his brothers and sisters, he is now brother to every gener-