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About Hesperian student / (Lincoln [Neb.]) 1872-1885 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 1883)
HESPERIAN STUDENT UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA. Vol. XII. LINCOLN, NEB., NOVEMBER i, 1883. No. III. MISCELLANEOUS MENTION. "Wo aro shaped nnd fashioned by what wo lovo." Happiness in this world, when it comes, comes incl dcntly. Make it tho object of search and it leads us a wild gooso chase, and is nover attained. Hawthorne. Tho present literary fashion among young ladies is elocution. Many say that tlioy will die happy as soon as they enn win distinclion in this Held. No doubt this is u laudable ambition, and could they bo prevailed upon not to appear in public there would bo no objectiou. Ohanning says "a man's happiness and success dobs not depend on what ho has but what ho is." If wo could all remember this in our struggle after tho phantom of power more sunlight would bo brought into our lives. Wo aro prone- to put too much value on circumstances, and to forget tint its only worth Is the attltudo it causes us to take. George Eliott makes tho remark somowhero in one of her essays that if Dickons had gone deeper not only de picting traits but also tho motive, he would have been tho greatest novelist tho world has known. This crit icism is tho best that has over been nuule. Dickens was a surface writer. What ho saw with his physical eyo ho put down with vigor and clearness, back of that ho did not go. Tho act ho described, tiic causo ho suw not, honco his novels aro true only for his own day. Another generation will read them with less interest. Emer son calls his writings "London tracts," this is somewhat severe, but perhaps true. Tho catholic church, which has stood so loug as an impenetrable bulwark, seems now to bo yielding. A short timo ago a bishop of a church in St. Louis publicly declared that the priest has no right to grant absolution. This may prove tho. beginning which will load to a gen ernl revolution throughout tho church. At least it is only a question of time, no institution can stand still for any great length of timo whilo all other things around it aro growing, eithor it will bo choked out, or olso stim ulated to now growth. The former thus fur has been its fate, whether it will bo-so in tho futuro depends entirely on it3elf. It stands as a livingexamplo of tho fate of all institutions, which attempt to resist tho Incorrigible laws of tho universe. Tho very instruments it used to conquer its adversaries wero turned against itsolf, and experience taught tho bitter losson that truo power is not bom of force. Religion is no exception, it ceases to bo religion when it is supported by external power. When you at. tempt to put chains upon it, like tho fubled ProtouB of old, it has alroady gone. Emerson :aptly says "tho fuith that stands on authority is not faith. The relianco on authority measures tho decline of religion, tho with drawal of tho soul." All colloges soom to bo affected with tho "society" mania. It is tho first and tho hist thing one heard. Prob ably they do soino good, they could hardly be toloratod if tlioy did not, but many dovolo timo to society work to tho detriment of their studios. To como to college with tho avowed purpo 0 of mastering tho course, and thou let ting it go for such a hobby as socioty supremacy seoms tho height of folly. Such students seem to forget what they aro hero for, tho most essential thing is tho habit of thorough, persistent study formed. Practico public speaking till doomsday, and you nover would succeed without this. Another thing is also detrimental and that is the tendency to work to pleaso tho public. People of courso liico to bo amused, but it is rather a costly sacrifice for a student to wasto his timo at tho vory moment whoa ho is preparing for his lllowork,forsuch a paltry cousld oration. Tho object ot society work should be simply to accustom students to bo at homo before an audience, not to get up tho most llowery orations and hair-raising reci tations. It's very pleasant of courso to create au impros slou, but this is hurdiy tho whole end of education. In many respects it would bo better if tho public wore not allowed to attend rhetorical exercises. Tho question is often asked why in tikis ago, celebrated for tho general diliusion of knowledge, there aro not more great wrltors? Our difficulty may bo solved by au illustration from Roman history. In tho reign of Augustas an ordinance was mado and onforcd that only certain wri ters should bo road, tho works of these wero put in every public place, hoping Ihui to makoa nation of scholars. Tho result was, uota single author of any might was pro duced after that. All individuality ami originality was stilled. Tho same troubla affects us, wo liavo been wor shipers of tho past too much. Wo do not scorn torpalizo that tho same things exist for us that did for our fathers, that nature is tho sumo yesterday, today and forever, and all that is needed is an interpreter. Tho mind that clings tootiiors for its tono nnd sustonanco will always remain a parasite. Wo should by no m caus discourago tho study of tho writers of tho past, but having gotouto their ground wo should endeavor to see for ourselves, and not continuo to use their eyes. "Ho who knows that power is inborn, that ho is weak bocuuso ho has looked for good out of him aud elsewhere, uud so perceiving throws himself unhesitatingly ou his thought, instantly rights himself, stands in tho erect position, commands his limbs, works miracles: just as a man who stands on his feet is stronger than a man who stands ou his head," WW(PO