Lincoln University - Lion Yearbook (Lincoln University, PA)

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22 LINCOLN NEWS THE WORLD BEFORE YOU LIES To I hose who «lo nol have to work, wlio.su every wish has been granted, and for whom sin s have risen in glory nilil sel in spleiiilor. I he world is a pretty good ohl place In live in. Those whose existence has lieen Ihe very op- posite. for whom Iln iloors of waul amt hunger openeil early in life, ami who have been rehulToil so often by those who conlil have «lone them worlds of good. hold. however, a ileeiileilly dif- rereiil view of I lie worlil. The laller an Ihe ones who fonml on1 early in life I ha I lif« is Ihe only thing that, is really given ns. dial for everything else we musl strive, ami nol merely strive, hill light. before soim one with a longer reach amt a greater willingness lo light, snalcln s before our very eyes, (lie lliiugs we wmilil like lo have. Every man owes something lo Ihe world- -a natural ami reasonable ilehl which can hi discharged best only hy exertion. To pay Ibis ilehl should he the steady aim of everv individual, and for Ibis imrpose Ihe life of a .Methus- elah is loo short. Service, il has been. Dial creative and pervasive historical force, operat- ing like gravity, as a constant press- ure, llial has carved ami mouldol into their present shapes. Ihe historical landscapes of humanity. The man whose atleulion is centered principal- ly on himself never truly appreciates service. Instead of looking up where the stars crown the brow of night, or looking out upon the fields rmliunl with summer llowers. he looks wilhin seeking some new gralillcaliou of ap- petilile or ambition, lie heroines like Ihe slothful man. hound hy chains, and compelled lo sit in Ihe seal of idleness, while Duty appeals wilhin him, ami waves her trophies before him in vain, Passion loosens his arm- or, then strikes him with deep painful wounds. Folly leads him into the thorny ambush, (lieu mocks him in his distress. It is pitiful lo see such mean forces conquer him ami lay waste the glory « f his life. Charles Wesley was walking along a country road one day about uoon- liile; nature was bedecked in an n- lirely diderent garment from dial which she wears to-day. (She does these things once in a while to show us that her wealth of Ireasurv is nol exhausted entirely by flic splendor of Spring or the quid of Summer). Slu had touched every blade of grass wilh frost, she had silvered every ohjecl with railianl sparkling beauty, ami then illuminaleil the lavish decoration with sunbeams Dial broke against the sky in dazzling light and color. Il was terribly cold llial day, so cold dial every animal form was lucked away safely from its iev sling. As Wesley wulkcil along there came from somewhere all at once a sudden chirp, followed by a Hupping of wings, and as he looked lie saw a tiny spar- row trying lo bury il self within Ihe iiiiilUrr which he was wearing around his neck. Wesley did not drive il away, hut tucked il safely away beneath his coal and carried il home, lei il gel warm and Mien freed it. As In sal by the live coals of his lire llial evening, the words of llial immortal song came to him. “Jesus Lover of .My Soul. Let me lo Thy Hosom Fly. The point which I want lo stress is Ibis, dial we musl be awake ami alerl at all limes, for Ihe many filings dial arise. The ollirers of a ship keep watch, nol only at night, bill during do quiet calm of noon-1 ide as well. From every lillie incidenl w« should lie ahh to glean some lesson, and in our pilgrimage dirough life we should learn I - keep pen our eyes not only in prosnerily, bill in adversity as well. The world before you lies- fake from il wlial you will! Hul Ah! There's the rub! Mow many oT us know jusl wlial lo take? If man alone were al- lowed lo make his choice, it might be wise, lull very oflen a veiled lady conies along who chooses for him. Slu lures him with her subtle llullery into die miilsl of «lungers; she holds up a screen of llowers («» hide tin ambush in which lurks his ruin. Slit wears al- ways a mask of lies, and although mail has proved her false innumerable limes, yet he yicltls lo her «leci'pfions again ami again, and goes ulfimalelv 10 his ruin. She is ubiquitous and omnipresent. If we onen a visla info Mu distant past more ancient Ilian lh« crumbling pyramids of Egypt, or the broken tablets of Ibihylon. we liml her I hen . II was she who sappeil Ihe vi- tality of the fircriau power, unlil now 11 is nidhing more than a mocking memory! Tin name of this young lady is Templalion! Hewn re of her! The worlil before you lies- --achieve! The one and only requisite to success is Failli In Self. Insleuil of Ihe words. I Hope I dan we say now I Know I Gan. History has long since sloppuil stress- ing flu fact dial this is a red man’s la ml. for the serpent dial did sling die r« il man’s neck, now wears his crown. In .jusl such a manner dial the red man's land was changeil iulo a while man's land, even so can the white man's land he changeil into a Democ- racy. (Nol in theory alone, but in acl- ualily.) This can be «lone hy giving lo the worlil dompelenl Service, ami hiking from il the truil of a well-earned har- vesl. Tin world is a grid tv good idd place lo live in. Live while you live. To «•very man. black, wind , ••irh and poor. Ihe linger of desliny is pointing -“The World Before You Lies,” so. Twi.xf what thou art. ami wlial Ihou woiildsl lie. Let no if” arise on which to lay Ihe blame. Man makes a mountain, of (lull tiny word, hut like A blade of grass before Ihe scythe, il falls ami withers When a human will, stirred by crea- tive force. Sweeps towards ils goal. Thou art wlial thou woiildsl be. Gir- cilinslance is lull Ihe Toy of genius. For when a soul burns willi a (iod-like purpose To achieve, all obstacles between il ami ils goal .Must vanish, as the d« w before Ihe morning sun. MARKS! MARKS! MARKS! If Ibis paper hi Ihe voice «if I In sluilenls. I« l il speak oul! If il is able lo praise lln good I lungs, why can il nol decry lln things llial are oul «if joinl ? Every Winl.« r and Spring wi are conrrouled with marks. Iml wlial. in realily «lo I hey mean? To me the answ- er is “Nothing ! Absolutely, nothin ! I'uless I know the fellow ml her w« ll. his place on the honor mil means no- thing to me. I Is not wlial one tines, it's wlial one gels caught doing dial proves delri- iin ulal. Them's «mile a hi I of trill It in that maxim. I need speak no plainer. Every Lincnluilc knows exarllv wlial I mean. If tin idenlily of lln wriler «»T Ibis article wen revealed, lie would he hcaildeil as Dogmatic. Iml wind's dial «'«•nipared with wlial In is Hi inking of Hiem? It is mil enough dial such lliiugs should occur, hul lhi r« musl he even a hnnsl of il. Ibili! IT il w« n I. I would rallu-r hide myself in a cave of shame! Il's nol tin professors who an being fo«de«l. but yourselves, jl is mil yourself dial you are injur- ing. but die fellow who woulil play die game squarely. From him von are faking lln thing lo which In is die rightful owner. Studies are gelling to be like politics, draft, grad, ami more graft! Ami Ihe mail who tries to «lo Ihe right lliing is die sull'crer. If a man makes a live in a subject. In is ridiculed and srorneil. hul I give more credit lo llial man who earns his live honestly. Ilian I do lo dial man who makes his «mes otherwise. II is mil enough lo say dial ev« ry man has die same privilege lo lo as lln y are doing. 'Twen heller if he sai«l Every man lias Ihe same opportunity lo lu as unprincipled I Merender, show m« nol Ihe honor list., lull (In nii ii. for I herein I can see lln honor for myself. As a mere insight upon this, lei me cifi a poem which appeared in How- ard I'mversily's llilllop. With Apologies to Al Jolson When I here are poor marks. I don't mind those poor marks, I still have you. Pony «tear. Teaclu rs may forsake no . Let them all forsake me. You'll pull me Ihrough, Pony dear; You're sent from heaven And I know your worlil. You've mmle il easy For me right here on earth; When I'm old and gray. dear. You may run astray, dear. Then rule my kills. Pony dear. THE ORIGINAL WORK CONTEST This eonlesl which has been foster- ed by the Phi Lambda Sigma Lilcr«»rv Society since .March 8. emli «l on April lf . The purpose of il was. as it shall he every year, lo slimuhile creative inter- ns I in original work, ami lo “locale wril« rs of ability who have nol I....... aware of I heir possible lah nl •Many very «•xcelleul articles have I..a received, and il is «•xpecled dial lln winner will lie nnmuinrrd very soon. Tin present rosier of literali in- cliules: Mr. Fannin Helcher. '28: Mr. dharles (!. Lei . ‘211. Pres.; Mr. Ilowanl M. Jason. 211. Tn as.; Mr. IL T. Wash- ington. '21». S« « .; Mr. .1. L. Hughes. 25»; Mr. L. .1. Marlin. '2'.»; Mr. Ber- ryman. 'SCI; Mr. W. A. Jackson. '.'10; Mr. L. IL Young. 10; Mr. Thurman o’Dauiels, '.'IP; Mr. dharles llollowav. 30. Thinking of Old Timers I wonder wlial has become of lln red-blooded, lie-man, who used lo strike lliese Search Light Matches on his paid legs.

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LINCOLN NEWS 21 DRAMATIC SOCIETY 1 111 I.AMDISA SIGMA LITERARY SOCIETY DELTA KIIO FORENSIC SOCIETY

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LINCOLN NEWS 23 Y. M. C. A. CABINET THE OLD E88AYI8T8 AND THEIR WORK8 One fold, gloomy winter's day I went into my study to finish the work or reading which I had begun some months before. A bright lire blazed in Hie fire-place, everything was cozy and conducive to study. I glanced at my desk while contemplating which author should entertain me. Lying where I had dropped them, as I finish- ed with them, wore various volumes of essays. Written by those immortal au- thors: Montaigne, Bacon, John Drown. Addison, Steele, Ooldsmith, Lamb. Dope. HazlilL. Coleridge and many oth- ers. As I looked from one to the other of these volumes a different picture arose against the flickering back- ground of the lire and the shadows cast upon the walls. The word, essay, filled my unsettled thoughts, adding its quieting, soothing, settling touch and conjuring a picture of the first; the father of the essay, Manlaiguc. Montaigne says that: his sole ob- ject is to leave for his friends and relatives a mental portrait of himself, defects and all; ' e cares neither for utility nor for fame. A story is told of how be began I his form of literary work, but why, his biographers alone seem to know. “Digressions are so constant in his essays that they have the appearance of being wilful. The lilies are of a diverse character whose real meaning often have no bearing upon the substance of the essay. Whatever the fault of his works all critics agree that Montaigne has giv- en to the world a powerful, limitless, and unrivalled Torm of literature. During these reflections I had drawn up my chair to the desk and begun to look over the books, intending to choose one for reading. On my right, near the edge of the desk, almost ready to fall ofT, was one of Macau- ley s brilliant essays on Milton. I saw. as in a dream, a wonderful man. said to be an English historian, a politician and an essayist. I fell again the grip of interest. I saw again the panorama of pictures drawn by his words. From his discoursive style one would say I hat he must have been a brilliant conversationalist, this, his biograph- ers say. is true. Hut I had read this, so I looked to another. There was one volume which seem- ed to possess something odd enough lo attract the roving eye. The oddness or individuality of I his book belied its author, Macon. Who can say that Ha- con did not possess a quaint original style, full of witticism and allusion? The matter ‘or Huron's essays’ was familiar and practical; the thoughts were weighty and just, hidden helicalh the outer covering of morality so fa- miliar in his essay. Bacon, I he mail, an English philosopher, a statesman, who failed, was left only literature in which lo express his thoughts, his natural turn was to the essay, thus leaving lo posterity Hie greatest there was in himself. Leaving Bacon, I picked up anulhcr book and opening the pages without looking to the title, I saw a topic. Hood Temper . This at once remind- ed me oT Steele and as one cannol think of Steele without Addison com- ing in for his share of thought, I na- turally linked the two together. In doing so I remembered that Steele claimed that Addison , his dear friend, was greater than he. This perhans is true in that Addison pos- sessed the great gift of genius, lad I'm inclined to agree with the biogra- phers that one is the complement of the other. Another book revealed lo me a mas- ter of expression, a genius, a great artist. I had read his Dream Cliild- ren. So real was the picture depicted that I heard the pattering of flic lit- tle feet; the musical echoes of the voices, and when he awoke. I believed Hint I too had been dreaming. Lamb was an English essayist and critic. His works are exquisitely refined, humorous. genuine and cordial. Throughout his essay runs a vein of pleasantry and heart touching pathos, with great delicacy and tenderness. Indeed, he is among the great, classed with Montaigne. Sir Thomas Hrowue, Steele, and Addison James the Doorkeeper” gave me a view of John Brown, the Scottish phy- sician and author who believed that an author should publish nothing un- less he hud something to say, and had done his best to say it right. This essay was tilled with humour and ten- derness, being in part a character sketch and part a preachment. I could not find upon my desk the author I wanted, so I went to my hook case just inside the door and searched for Holdsmilh, the English poet, play- wright. novelist and essayist. I found his volume of the Citizen of the World . Selecting the first topic to suit my fancy, The Man in Black . I drew up my deep arm chair before the open fire and proceeded to read. Al once I was gripped with the soul stir- ring pathos and the grim humour or flu black clothed gentleman, who preached selfishness, cruelly and hale lo hide the real unbounded, gentle, uu- selllslt love of a noble character; who prcuchcd and yet could not practice what he preached because lie was overflowing with a great, self-sacrillc- ing all-giving love for Immunity. Cold- smith is also ranked with llu greatest of the great. For who, but I be great, can picture so vividly their thoughls as to grip ami hold Lhe interest nT a tired, weary, wandering mind? MACON M. BEUHY.MAN The 1929 auto tags in the District of Columbia arc black and yellow, which means that if Marcus Harvey lived there, lie would be Provisional Commissioner of motor vehicles. The Price of This Com- mencement Number is 50 Cents