Bethel University - Spire Yearbook (St Paul, MN)

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THE' ACORN 7 seem to think it impossible to acquire an education -because they have not sufficient means. We hear this statement so often, • It takes so much money and unless ). have quite a large sum saved before commencing, I might as well give up.” You may ask this person, Why don't you work your way through?” Yoii receive the same old answer, ‘‘Oh! I could never do that- These poor human beings! They rorgei that it is creditable for them to work; their bodies and their minds are benefited by it, and those who can and will work will be advanced by it. Then within the school realm we find so many ‘‘can ts.” Students can’t set their lessens because they aie so difficult! All afternoon and evening is either wasted in-some foolish manner or spent in talking about those hard lessons. Consequently they come to class the next day without them. If these people had buckled down to good, earnest work instead of talking about it, they would at least have been able to do something. Suppose our teachers should say, “l can’t spend my time and patience trying to instruct these pupils because they are so stupid. They are too slow in grasping nr.- idea.” Poor students, if they did! I doubt whether we would get rar. suppose our ministers should sav, “l can't preach to these people; they are so Indifferent! Suppose our missionaries should say, We can't leave our homes and go to the foreign field because there are a thousand obstacles in the way!” Suppose all our writers should have said, I can't.” We would have had none of our beautiful literature . We can do a number of things that seem impossible if we try, but if we stand shivering on the brink and think of the cold and the danger, we will get no further than the shore. Let us not be afraid to leap into the cold water and we shall feel the invigoration of the plunge. —Esther Sundfelt—’14. A LESSON FROM THE FLOWERS. As I sat in the street car one morning gazing out thru the window, my attention was caiied to the many thousands oi dandelions which grew so abundently on either side. I was very much impressed with them and began to wish that more people had some of the qualities which this 1 lower possesses. This mean little flower brot to my mind two lessons which we all need in order to become more successful in our work. The first one was the tenacity and courage that it displays. No matter how people try to destroy or injury it, it still seemes determined to try again. I presume many of us have dug up dandelions in our yards and to our surprise the next day we found the little yellow heads sticking up from amongst the grass as if to say, ‘‘I am still holding fast, you've not discouraged me yet. If the stability that this flower shows would be exercised more by all of us we would be' better orr. great many people are easily discouraged. The first opposition that comes to them they are willing to be subdued by it. In order to become successful inen and women, we must not be discouraged by every little hole and think it looks as tho it were a big mountain. It takes a great deal of strenuous work to exterminate the dandelion. As it were, it seems as tho our superfluous energy were in vain. We find them growing along the well beaten path, by the side of railroads, and in similar places. Places where almost every flower has given up to live. It teaches us that in spite of our disadvantages and environment we can accomplish something in this world if we will never give up. •At tlie same time that this flower tcacu-

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(i THE ACORN to have a place in the world, and among these innumerable good things I am sure He meant, the “laugh'’ to have a big place. If some of these people who are “anti-laughers,’’ and whose greatest pleasure lies in dwelling upon the wickedness ot the world, would take a dose of laughter morning, noon and night, they would find a great deal of the wickedness they supposed was in the world was in reality in themselves, and their heads would become ••light’’ enough to turn upward and to see the true light of good illuminating the earth. But laughter, like everything eise, can be misused, as I said in the case of the unfortunate gentleman. Someone has said that you put your stamp upon yourselves when choosing the object of your merriment. The only true laugh is that of a healthy body and mind. If is a medium thru which we can thank God for life. Have you and I then a right to go about with a long face, beating our breasts and sighing over this world the Lord has given us? No' The Lord put us here to care for our bodies and minds in such a way that our laughter shall be a daily thanksgiving and praise to Him. Sitona Finden—’l l. “DOING WHAT WE CAN'T.” Perhaps there are no two words in the English language that are used more often than “1 can’t.” Some way or other it scorns so convenient at all times to just say, Oh, I can’t.” If there are certain things you do not like to do do. employ I can’t” to serve as your excuse. We find it used by children at a very early age. It gradually develops and becomes a habit. We all know the old quotation, Habit is a cable; we weave a thread ot it each day and at last we cannot break it. This quotation can certainly be applied to the I can’t people. In most cases It is simply a habit. If we only tried to eliminate these words, how much more pleasant life would be. If we only would get at our work and dc( it. instead of spending so much of our precious time saying “ I can’t,” how much more would not be accomplished and how much higher would we not rise! First, let us refer back to history. Not any of our great men belonged to the 1 can’t class.” Why just imagine the low state of civilization in which man would have been today if everybody had just calmly taken the back seat in life, folded their arms and said. I can’t.” The number of miracles and wonders which we:e performed while Christ was on earth altho the people at first did not believe! We know how obedient the fishermen were when Christ told them to throw out their nets again. Altho they had tried all night long and not succeeded in catching a single fish, they did :;o«. say we can’t,” but. we will try again. We know the result. Their beats were filled with fish. At the wedding in Cana, when there was no more wine left, no one present believed that Christ could turn the water into wine but he did. When the lame man was lowered through the ceiling by the four men, in order that Christ might lay hands on him. He told him to arise and walk. The lame man did not say, Oh, I can’t; why the idea! I have net been able to walk for many years.’’ He just simply did as he was told, and he found that he could walk. Thus we could go on mentioning one instance after the other. We need to have more confidence in ourselves and firmly believe when we set out to do anything that we are going to succeed. So many of our young people to-day

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8 THE ACOKN es us a lesson worthy of consideration, nevertheless it shows the strength of evil on the other hand. We hold it as a nuisance and a detriment to the community. We may consider it analogous to the immorality and corruptness that is found all around us. such as the saloon, cigarettes, political graft, etc. The manner in- which the dandelion spreads is similar to that of evil. Only a little wind can carry it miles. When once in the air it keeps right on and we would find it quite a hard task to keep it in check after it once ripened and began floating about. So it is with evil, we must have it in our control before it reaches the stage of maturity, otherwise we will find our cities, homes and friends ruined by this curse, just as we find the most beautiful yards spoiled by dandelions. And so we as a Christian people ought to work earnestly and diligently before we find ourselves in the slough of despond where there seems to be no way of escape. Ruth Larson—'14. DISAPPOINTMENTS. For every victory there is a defeat. There is no gain- without a loss. For every conqueror there is a conquered one. For every gratified wish tnere must be some disappointment. Disappointments come to everybody, rich and poor, in one form or another. What is a disappointment to one is not so to another. We are always expecting them, and yet wo arc always hoping that they will never come. How often we sit down and think of how happy we would be on this little sphere, if there were no disappointments. If we could have everything that wc wanted, how happy it would mako us, at least that is what most of us think, but alas, that can- never be. Oh. the suffering, the sorrow and heartache that disappointments give us. We grit our teeth, clench our fists and some of us moan and groan, because we think that we are getting more than our share. We all seem to think that they are an unnecessary evil which is put in our path to make us stumble and life as a who!© miserable. Did you ever stop to think that most disappointments are blessings in disguise? The man who is a cheerful loser is a whole l°t bigger than the man who is always the winner. He has to fight a good deal harder to keep up courage than his opponent. He has the eyes of the world upon him and no one is afraid to say “there gees the man whom so-and-so beat.” Oh! how those words must rankle in his heart! Didn't he fight just as hard as anjone else would have fought? But he does not let himself stop at such remarks; he squares his shoulders, lifts his head and cheerfully goes forward to do the work before him in spite of the torture that is eating out his heart. That is the kind or men we want. On-e who is able to bear a disappointment cheerfully is also able to bear victory when that conies. It is the storms and blasts that beat against the pine on the hillside that help to make it strong and straight. It is the bearing up against the elements that will make it an honor to all the trees of the forest. Should there always be sunshine and fair weather the tree would grow up and have little chance against the storms when they did come. Disappointments are the blasts that try to uproot us. without them we could never grow up to be strong men and women. They are the refiners thru which we must pass to make perfect character. We find that one who has been disappointed and has stood the disappointments bravely ami cheerfully is a much stronger person as to character than the one who has not had any to contend with. Annie E. Johnson—’ll.