Goshen College - Maple Leaf Yearbook (Goshen, IN)

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GOSHEN COLLEGE RECORD. 19 a11d choice. A man develops his phy- sical strength by doing tasks that are difficult. He increases the powers of his intellect by engaging in mental discipline, by applying himself inde- pendently to the solution of problems. The chief source of power in the indi- vidual is the development of these pow- ers which are potentially within him. Strength and stability of character are increased by taking a comprehensive view of the larger mass of humanityg by penetrating deep beneath the sur- face and discerning the Very motives which are impelling mankindg by keen- ly discriminating between the various elements, and deliberately selecting the elements which have value. Moses spent forty years reflecting on the laws of the great nations of l1is time. He controls our jurists today. Milton tells us that he spent thirty- four years accumulating and selecting material for his great heroic poem. Welmster' and Lincoln spent years in the forests and fields reflecting, brood- ing, analyzing and comparing. It is said that when Starr King first saw the great trees of California, standing twenty-five feet in diameter and lifting their crowns three hundred feet into the sunshine he was moved to tears. The cause of his emotion was the thought of the latent powers, the reserve ener- gies that had been compacted into these giants because of their capacity to select the right materials from their environment. Their roots had pene- trated the mountains and select- ed from their mineral deposits, they had pierced the hills and selected rich stimulants from their soilg their strong limbs had lifted their leaves high into the atmosphere where they gathered the sunshine and the invigorating ele- mentsg a thousand summers and win- ters had poured forth their treasure. From all these they selected the ele- ments which formed their mighty trunks. Thus the author, the states- man, the plain man who will help this and the next generation must busily engage in selecting the various elements of worth from the complex life about him, in that way compaeting within himself a thousand knowledges and virtues. The progress of the world depends on the individual. lf the individual de- generates, progress will be arrestedg if the individual developes the world will move forward accordingly. Some are continually mislead, either by their feverish enthusiasms, which tempt them to overlook the immediately im- possible, or by a spiritless submission to discouragement and despair, in which they fail to make a true estimate of the present situation. To vascilate between these two attitudes is exhaust- ing, and disasterous to progress. This is the chief source of retarded develop- ment and stagnation. lt is no doubt true that we learn through failure and disappointment. But such a process of acquiring knowledge is very painful and involves a stupendous waste of en- ergy and loss of time. Those who hold themselves constantly between these extreme moods are not tossed to and fro by passions and circumstances un- til they are finally driven forward. They are the individuals who make even the great mass of humanity move slowly but steadily to higher and no- bler achievements. Much of the progress in the past has been only temporary. Progress has al- ways been irregular and unsustained. It is only through alternating stages of advance and retreat, action and re- action, suceess and failure, progress

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FRED N. BURKEY, A.B. Major. English Ohio, Ill. Some have guiding stars. Mr. Burkey has many, for his sympathies are innumerableg has taken a whiff from the flower of lifeg always ready to share his ripe Wisdom. This adjustability is due to his knowledge and thorough acquaintance with men and Women. From such a background burst forth melodies of music and occasional ori- ginal sketches of poetry. In short there is a serious nature hidden within the jovial. JOHN J. FISHER, AB. Major. Philosophy Kalona, lswa. John Fisher, an Iowan, somewhat adven- turous. The details of his youth are num- erous and complicated, but they have mould- ed in him such a character of which the class of 1913 may Well be proud. His life while in school has been discussed from many standpoints and, although being hard to fathom, he wears. His noble efforts in the various activities of the College are worthy of note. He has stood out as president of the Y. M. C. A., a leader in thought and a marvel in origin- ality. He has become a scientist of no lit- tle note and promises to become a star in his chosen iield. His past achievements and successes form a sure foundation for a bril- liant future. SILAS HERTZLER, A.B. Major. Bible Glenarm, Md. Mr. Hertzler is apparently the most quiet and unassuming of our number, neverthe- less he heartily appreciates the various phases of College life. His integrity and success as a student bear evidence that Where there is a Will there is a Way . He has caught the vision of the need of the World and We bespeak for him a successful career as a medical missionary.

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20 GOSHEN COLLEGE RECORD. and degeneration, that human achieve- ments have been accomplished. A gen- eration of lofty ideals and noble aspira- tions is followed by a generation in which the moral purpose itself becomes unbearable, that men rouse themselves and by renewed effort push forward. This lack of uniformity in the world's progress has been due to the changing attitude of the individual. At one time he has been extremely Optimistic He sanctioned every new idea, every new project proposed. But his liberal views were impractical and he was destined to be disappointed. Thus he in turn became extremely pessimistic, and the period of revolution was fol- lowed by a period of reaction. Wlien the cycle is run little or no progress has been made. It lies potentially within every in- dividual to make a permanent contri- bution to the world's progress. But he must free himself from the influenc of the past, he dare not hold the old in too great reverence just because it is old, nor dare he hold the new in con- tempt. He must be fair minded and honest, tolerant and receptive, willing to look at tl1e same object from many sides, absolutely free from prejudice and insincerity, fearless to examine what seems to be dangerous doctrine, even patient to listen to views that look abhorrent to common sense. He dare not go to the extremes, neither despair of present conditions nor be unreason- bly enthusiastic. Let the individual chose with deliberation the various elements from his environment, let him select the best and noblest from the thought and activity of his age, with these let him ally himself whole heartcdly and propogate them in his life and the lives of others. Then the world 's progress will be uniform and prolonged. The Reconciliation Elnora Kauffman fDlTH VVHITE sat by the window watching the beautiful crimson tints of a winter sunset, when her sis- ter entered the drawing-room and toss- ed a letter into her lap. Hlt's from Madeline , cried Edith, as she hastily opened the envelope. Then suddenly the letter dropped from her hand, she sank back into the chair, while a look of intense pain over- spread her face. She clutched the arms of the chair tightly. VVhy, what can be the matter, Edtih? But Edith only shook her head, and her sister knew by the sign that she wished to be alone. For a long time she sat thus thinking. Her thoughts flew back to her child- hood days whe11 she and Edward had been playmates. She thought of the many afternoons they had romped and played together, and of the picnics and drives they had enjoyed with each other as they grew older. During all this time she had regarded him as her true hero. He had always been so kind and good to her before he went away, and now this was to be the end. 'tl can 't, I can 't give him up! she cried as great sobs shook her slender form. Could she have shed tears, her pain