Bethel University - Spire Yearbook (St Paul, MN)

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THE BETHEL HERALD 15 The value of reading By EMIL T. CARLSON We arc living in an age of refinement and culture. Schools and colleges are annually turning out vast armies of men and women of refined taste and manners. The illiterate person is a back number in any walk of life today. In our nation, the great melting pot of nations, only 7.7 percent of all its inhabitants are unable to read or write to some extent. In the northern countries of Europe, such as Sweden, Norway and Denmark the percentage of illiteracy is even lower, varying between 2 and 3 percen.t. The condition of the people of these countries is greatly superior to the ignorant and illiterate people of southern Europe. Although we are enjoying these privileges and have access to multitudes of books, yet how few really know and understand the value of reading. A person may have command of one and even more languages, and yet not gain the value from reading that lie should. Ruskin has very ably divided all books into two classes,—the book of the hour an,d the book of all time. These two classes may both of them again be devided into good books and bad books. A book is the product of the man or woman who has made a life study of that particular subject he lias written about. What it has taken them a lifetime to find out through sacrifices and hard labor, we may find out in a few hours by reading their books. The first thing essential for us is to know what is of value in literature and what is not. Just as an efficient goldsmith mu6t know how to distinguish pure gold from alloys and imitations, a reader, to be an efficient reader, must know a book of value from a book of no value. At first sight one may be as attractive as the other. It is through the rigid test of furnace and acid that the genuineness of the pure metal is proven. Our souls may be likened to the smelting furnace, our learning and wit to the acids and tools. It is not enough to have found a good book. After we have found it we must learn to read it. We must let the author’s life become a part of our life. It is not the number of books we read that makes reading valuable. It is the accuracy and thor- oughness with which we read that counts. Men who wrote these books spent years of their life investigating and analyzing these things. Every word and every thought is a gold mine in itself. We must dig anjd we must work. The more we dig the more we find. Books bring to us the best society of all ages. We can associate with men and women of the past better than many of those who live contemporaneously with them. By reading the biography of Lincoln, and his stories wc probably know more about Lincoln than many who were personally aquainted with him. We know more about what Jesus taught and practiced by reading the four Gospels than many a Jew living in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus. The book is the best of the author’s life. Milton said: “A good book is the precious life blood of a master spirit, embalmed and treasured up on, purpose for a life beyond life.” Every man’s life has its drawbacks and faults. Most of our geniuses have been more or less eccentric. But whatever may have been their faults we know this: their books are the best of their lives minus the faults and failures. Books are the stepping stones by which we are to attain our ambitions. They are the inheritance of our fathers. The world today is better than, it was two thousand years ago because our forefathers have forged a way. We study the life and works of Lincoln. Washington was Lincoln’s comrade during those long winter evenings in the log cabin. Washington, in turn fought the great battles of Breitenfeld and Lutzen in company with Gustav Adolph. Through the Bible we can associate with the partiarchs of old and God’s men of all ages. We learn by their mistakes, we profit by their faith and patience. This is no doubt what the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews wishes to tell us in the eleventh chapter of that epistle. In the reading of good literature we are then getting the experiences of our forefathers, handed down to us. They are the bridges for us to use in crossing the marshes and dangerous rivers of life.

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14 THE BETHEL HERALD makes for the spirit of resignation an,d patience, that knows no discontent or lack of control, for whatever comes, when one's life is a part of God’s great plan, is best as a Caroline Atwater Mason aptly puts it: Whichever way the wind doth blow, Some heart is glad to have it so; Then blow is east or blow it west, The wind that blows, that wind is best, Life in this path is making its largest contribution to the fulfillment of the Divine plan, the accomplishment of the Divine program and thus, in the light of Him who knoweth all and doeth all things well, life is making the very most of itself when serving the purpose which He, its author and upholder, lias set for it. Nothing but the highest and best is what we covet for each graduate of Bethel and none the less for every undergraduate. STADET Jag stannade en afton in.vid smedjans dorr, Och horde stadets sftng vid val avslutad dag. Jag s g p golvet slaggor, som jag sett dem forr, De gam la slaggor, slitna utav rens slag. “Hur m nga stad har du val haft, min van, Att slita, nota dessa slaggor ut?” “Blott ett”, sad’ sraeden, men tillade se’n, “Du vet, att stadet gor pit alia slaggor slut! “Guds Ord”, jag tank-te, “stftr lik stadet n, Av tvivlets slag i sekler det berorts, Likval nar ljudet av dess slag dott ban, Oskatt star st det — slhggorna forstorts”. (Efter engelskan av E. Schmidt). + + In the still air the music lies unheard; In the rough marble beauty lies unseen; To make that music and the beauty needs The master’s touch, the sculptor’s chisel keen. Great Master, touch us with thy skillful hand; Let not the music that is in us die! Great Sculptor, hew and polish us; nor let Hidden and lost, thy form within us lie! —H. BONAR. “The human anatomy is a wonderful bit of mechanism,” observed the Sage. “Yes,” replied the Fool. “Pat a man on the back and you'll make his head swell.” —Cincinnati Enquirer. OUR Bl'RDEN BEARER The little sharp vexations and the briars that catch and fret. Why not take all to the helper, who has never failed us yet? Tell Him all about the heartache and tell him the longings too. Tell Him the baffled purpose when we scarce knew what to do. Then, leaving all our weakness with the One divinely strong Forget that we bore the burden and carry away the song. —Phillip Brooks. He died in harness, poor chap.” “Yes, and by the way. did you ever notice how much like a harness life is? There are the traces of care, lines of trouble, bits of good fortune and breaches of faith. Also tongues must be briddled, passions curbed, and everybody ha6 to tug to pull thru.” —Onward. + Maud—Can you run a fliver? Beatrice—No, indeed. Maud—Why, I thot you graduated from an Automobile school. Beatrice—So I did, but I only took the Classical Courses. —Life. Blessed is the man that does not expect anything, he is never disappointed. —Pope.

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16 THE BETHEL HERALD A MODEL LIFE When you think, when you speak, when, you read, when you write, When you sing, when you walk, when you seek for delight, To be kept from all harm when at home or abroad. Live always as under the eyes of the Lord. Whatever you think, never think what you feel You would blush in the presence of God to reveal; Whatever you say in. a whisper or clear, Say nothing you would not like Jesus to hear. Whatever you read, though the page may allure. Read nothing of which you are perfectly sure Consternation at once would be seen in your look If God should say solemnly. Show me that •book. Whatever you write, though with haste or with heed, Write nothing you would not like Jesus to read; Whatever you sing in the midst of your glee, Sing nothing that His listening ears would displease. Wherever you go, never go where you fear, Lest the great God should say. How earnest thou here? Turn away from each pleasure you would Shrink from pursuing If God should look down and say, What are you doing? —Selected. ..Anomalous a6 it may seem, it is the “wets” who arc dry. —Shreveport Times. •' Visitor— I am collecting for the poet's hospital. Will you contribute? Editor—With pleasure. Call tonight with the Ambulance and I'll have a poet ready. —Selected. WHICH FOR l’Ol’? What position,, please do you occupy in the church? Are you An Attender, or an Absenter?— A Pillar, or a Sleeper?—A Wing, or a Weight?—A Power, or a Problem?—A Promoter, or a Provoker? A Giver or a Getter? —A Goer, or a Gadder?—A Doer, or a Deadhead?—A Booster, or a Knocker? A Supporter. or a Sponger?—A Soldier, or a Slacker? There with the goods, or off with au excuse? Ask yourself the question: Which am I? “God asks little of you. but he asks your best.” “Christ is ready to turn our water into wine, but he expects us to keep it from turning into vinegar.” “Every man should keep a fairsized cemetery, in which to bury the faults of his friends.” Grace is better than ability, an.d love of souls is better than talents. - God always gives us our duties. Often lie gives happiness; but it is not the essential thing. Life is never a failure until a man gives up. To the faithful who fail, God opens new doors. ♦ + No one is a good Christian whose peace of mind is at the mercy of events, and not anchored iu God. Sympathizing with the hopes and endeavors of others enlarge the mind more than most studies can do.