Norfolk High School - Milestone Yearbook (Norfolk, NE)

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IS THE MILESTONE. to any distinction or gained any reputation and become truly great, who were not enthusiastic? With what great enthusiasm was Columbus inspired! Consider the disheartening difficulties and vexatious delays, the doubts of the skeptical, the sneers of the learned, the cavils of the cautious, and the opposition, or at least the indifference of nearly all! And then the dangers of the unexplored ocean! Is it by any means probable he would have persevered, had he not possessed the earnest enthusiasm which was characteristic of the great discoverer! Think of the conflict with Spain now! There hasn't been such a great excitement in the senate for thirty years, as within the last two or three months. The senators became so enthusiastic over the subject that they could hardly await the time when the president should declare war. What is it that compels so many of our boys to leave their homes, their parents, sisters and brothers, their sweethearts, to go to war? Is it not their enthusiastic love of their country? They are so enthusiastic that they forget the dangers they will encounter. They are willing to sacrifice their lives for their country. During the Revolutionary War, a British officer visited with Fiances Marion. After partaking of a meal which consisted of baked potatoes, salt and water, the British officer said to Marion: How is it that your soldiers are satisfied with such simple meals? Our soldiers have much better meals than yours, still they are never content.” Marion replied: “Our soldiers are fighting for their liberty!” The British officer said In would resign: he did not care to tight such brave soldiers. These soldiers were enthusiastic enough to endure all the hardships, just, to attain their rights to see their country free. The Declaration of Independence would not have been signed so readily, had not some of the speakers been so enthusiastic. Patrick Henry, in his speech, said: (live me liberty or give me death!” The earnestness or enthusiasm of the speakers carried the day. Charles Dickens said: “There is no substitute for thoroughgoing, ardent and sincere earnestness.” What was it that induced Harriet Beecher Stowe to write her great book, “Uncle Tom’s Cabin?” Day after day she saw and heard how cruelly some of the slaves were treated. Her enthusiasm to help the slaves became so great, that she began to write her book, hoping that she would move people to sympathize with the negroes, thus helping them to obtain their freedom or at least to be treated more like human beings. You all know what good this book has done for the negroes. So it is in everyday life, the enthusiastic people rise to the top of the ladder, while those who do not care, remain where they are. or slowly descend. In the school it is also true. The earnest, enthusiastic pupils gain the highest ranks. They are the leaders of their classes. and. as they step into the larger school of life, they never cease to advance. Kmerson justly said: “Nothing great was ever accomplished without enthusiasm.” Economy Essential to Progress. NELLIE VIOLET DINGMAN. The labor problem is the most

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THE MILESTONE. 17 VVliat love is there higher or greater than love of country? A man’s first, duty is to his country. If it were not so, our fathers and brothers would not break the home ties to protect the land which gave them birth. Ah, no! Of what material is a man made who cares naught for his home land? He is as Shakespeare says of the man who has no music in his soul, fit for strategems. treasons and spoils.” “Breathes there the mail with soul so dead. Who never to himself hath said. This is my own, my native laud! Whose heart hath ne’er within him burned, As home his footsteps he hath turned, From wandering on a foreign strand!” It is, indeed, gratifying to note the patriotic spirit shown on the part of the young American at the present exciting crisis. When it appears we are to protect and shield this land we are pleased that such an universal spirit is shown. When our government declared war why did our boys become so enthused ? They left fathers, mothers and sisters to join the ranks. Do they wish to gain fame and honor? Yes; but the love they have for their country is far deeper. Patriotism is the strongest. It stands out more distinctly in their natures than notoriety. Yet, some bright, intelligent Americans are almost devoid of patriotism. It was said, were we to engage in war it would promote patriotism. Hut would not this be rather dear means by which to instill it? Every one should possess it, Americans above all. Old Glory should never be unfurled but each one should feel proud that it is the emblem of liberty, and, “forever to wave o’er ihe land of the free and the home of the brave.” Why is such a feeling of sympathy manifest with our down-trodden sister nation? For over a hundred ye rs we have tasted liberty. We have been an independent nation. We have found our republic government to be the best, and, as a civilized and moral people, we would gladly see other capable nations enjoying freedom. We would have them sing as do we: Sweet land of liberty.” Sweet because our fathers died for it; sweet because it is our native land. Sweet are its rocks and rills, but sweeter still because it is the land of the free! Free! yes, free! That is the cry of the oppressed island. Their native country is far too dear to their hearts, and freedom far too sweet to be ruled and oppressed by another nation. And as this same nation has already shown us hostilities Strike—for your altars and your fires. Strike—for the green graves of your sires, God and your native laud. {g® Enthusiasm. MAGDALENE SIEGLER. The essential element in every great undertaking is expressed by one word, and that is Enthusiasm.” It contains the true secret of nearly all the wonderful successes which have astonished the world. It solves the problems of nearly all heroes whose achiev-ments are recorded on the pages of history, and w hose names will live forever in the remembrance of mankind. In the past. how’ few’ people do we find w ho have risen

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THE MILESTONE. 19 important consideration that can engage the human mind. It underlies all others. It will be contended that the problem of the soul and its future destiny must necessarily be of infinitely greater importance than those of this worid But it is evident that the destiny of the immortal soul is decided to a considerable degree by conditions that environ this life of the mortal body. Can it be said that a life of poverty and ignorance, of constant struggle against hunger and cold, is equally as conducive to piety as conditions that contribute to a life of comfort? Must it not be admitted that millions of those who live in Christian countries are forced, through bad economic conditions, to live lives that are low and degrading, that compel them to cultivate or ( ven understand the higher aspirations of the human mind? But we have testimony from both the materalistic and Christian schools of philosophy. One is that the economic conditions of a people correspond, with absolute exactness, to their social and intellectual conditions. For instance, we cannot imagine the human race attaining any high degree of civilization before the discovery of the art of producing fire. Before such discovery men subsisted upon fruits, nuts and raw flesh; their homes were caves in the mountains, or other crude kinds of shelter. With the discovery of fire the art of cooking began, men changed their abodes from the darkness of the dismal cave to the light of day. Architecture assumed proportion which never would have been attained without the aid of artificial heat. Its dis- covery must have marked an epoch in the history of mankind The change from bone and stone tools to bronze and later to iron, must have made an enormous change in the economic conditions, that found expression in a corresponding improvement in the social and intellectual improvement of the race. When we contrast savage with the civilized races of the present we are at once struck with the difference in their mode of living. The Indian ryot and the Egyptian fellah still plow the ground, as their ancestors did thousands of years ago, with the crotch of a tree drawn by an ox. Their intellectual conditions show little change Coming home to our own time and people, we discover a great diversity of conditions. Poverty and vice, poverty and ignorance, poverty and low degraded ideals are inseperable. I am of course speaking of the average. Once in a while a few, specially gifted with great will power, energy and perhaps genius, will raise themselves from depths to fame, but these are exceptions. The evidence is conclusive; that the existence of poverty among large masses of people is incompatible with the attainment of any high ideal of moral or intellectual elevation. It may be said that no problem concerning the welfare of the people or humanity can adequately be solved until the conditions of men are more nearly equalized Is it- true that nature is niggard; incapable of furnishing her children with means necessary for a wholesome and complete life i Has earth lost its old time fertility or has the population so pressed on