Two Moving Word Pictures

Two Moving Word Pictures BY PROF. J. C. IIOGENSON, OF THE SI A I I. AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE.

"Shall the youth of Zlon falter, in defending truth and right?" Shall they fail because they are not improving their time and talent in such a way as to cause them to become shin- ing lights and persons of character later in life, who are able to take hold of the responsibilities of life with a steady hand and carry them on to a full and successful completion? I pray God that the answer may be, No. Some young people in this glorious state of ours, however, are wasting their time largely in doing those things which bring- only momentary pleasures, and which usually bring nothing but disappointment in the end. If a person's youthful days be well spent to a purpose, success is sure to follow later in life. If those days be spent in idleness and frivolity there is not much of value to look forward to in that person's life. I would that I could paint a picture that would impress this so vividly upon the minds of the young people that they would never forget it but I am no artist to influence men to ;

good deeds with brush and paint. I only have words, simple words yet, in a word, sometimes, are thoughts that have stirred ;

the world. In my mind's eye I see before me two moving pictures. One represents a young man standing at the mouth of a rugged can- yon. He has a smile upon his lips, and with outstretched arms looks with gladsome eyes upon a beautiful valley. For days, weeks, months, and years he has been struggling through the chaos of the canyon, hardly knowing what to do or where to go, but with the firm resolve in his mind that he would make the most of life and become a successful man. In the chaos of the canyon when the path was difficult to find, his friends and companions left him and, one by one, fell by the wayside. One left him when they came to the rocks of "Strong Drink," an- other at the river of "Temptation," still another when they had crossed the swamp of a "Good, Easy Time." So, one by one, they left him to struggle alone. Many times he felt like giving up in despair, as the path became more and more difficult and obscure but, with a firm purpose in his heart and a strong re- ;

solve, he struggled on and on, meeting difficulty after difficulty. and overcoming temptation after temptation, until now we see him standing at the mouth of the canyon of "Doubt" and gazing

244 IMPROVEMENT ERA into the valley of "Preparation." It is a beautiful valley, sur- rounded on all sides by high, rugged mountains, except a little gap in the opposite side of the valley, through which he gets his first glimpse into the valley of "Success," which lies beyond. He begins to walk out into the valley. His progress is much more rapid and easy than it had been in the canyon. In the dis- tance, he now sees cities, towns and villages. Fields of golden grain and pastures of green velvety grass seem to beckon to him as he passes, while here and there he sees the cattle grazing upon the thousand hills. In the center of the valley is a river, down which beautiful barges descend and pass through the gap in the mountains into the valley of "Success." At each village, town and city, where the barges stop, a few persons get on board amid the praises and songs of their fellows, who are left behind. They, who descend in the barges, are prepared to enter the valley of "Success." Our young man comes first to the village of "Nature," where he is tutored by a wonderfully wise old lady known as "Dame Nature." She causes him to look upon the world in an entirely different light from what he had looked upon it before. She teaches him the wisdom of God in everything he sees. Next he comes to the town of "Work," where the dignity of common things is learned. The towns of "Concentration of Mind," and of "Contentment" are next passed. In each of these he learns valuabje lessons. Before him now is the city of "Practical Edu- cation," which he enters with a cheerful heart. After passing this beautiful city, he sees to the right and to the left the twin cities of "Usefulness" and "Efficiency." Upon the gates of these cities are -written in letters of gold : "Let him who enters be of service to his fellow men." From these beautiful cities he looks beyond near the gap in the mountains and sees the spires and domes of the city of "Experience." After spending some time in this city, he is permitted to enter one of the barges and pass down the river into the valley of "Success." This valley is beau- tiful beyond description, and in one little spot in the valley he sees his name written upon a beautiful house. His guide leads him toward this, and as they open the gate a beautiful young woman comes running toward him with outstretched arms. She bids him welcome home. As he looks upon her he beholds the little girl friend of his childhood now grown to womanhood, and he is content. They live now in their beautiful home in the valley of "Suc- cess," just where the fields and forest meet, with a mirrored lake in theforeground and the snowcapped mountains behind. To the orchards and gardens show the thrift of right, beautiful fields, the husbandman. To the left are the villages, towns, and cities where the hum of industry is ever heard, and where sweet-toned chimes tell melodiously the passing time of day.

TWO MOVING WORD PICTURES 245

Success, indeed is apparent on every side, and as our friend sits under the shade of the trees, near his home, with his young wife by his side, listening to the sweet voices of their children at play, he lifts his voice to God and says, "Lord, I am con- tent, my cup of happiness runneth over."

The second picture, which I would paint, represents First, :

a young man struggling in the swamps of "Worldly Pleasures." Many of his young friends are lost in this swamp, nut he strug- gles manfully on until at last he stands upon firm ground. He looks back and sees hundreds still struggling in the swamp. Many give up and disappear forever, while some struggle on and they also reach the firm ground. He looks forward and finally sees a path leading onward toward the uplands of "Work." This path he takes because he knows that it is only by hard work that he will ever be able to succeed. When he reaches the uplands the sun seems to shine unusually warm, perspiration stands out in drops upon his brow, but he still travels on. From here some of his companions turn back. "It is too warm," they say. Others return because some well-dressed persons laugh at them and make fun of their rough clothes and toil-worn hands. Our young friend, however, still goes on. He can still look back and see his friends who left him, basking in the shade in the forest of "Ease and Luxury." In front of him now he sees the mountains of "Self-Denial." These he knows he must climb if he would reach success, so he takes the narrow path that leads upward. Dav by day the path becomes more steep and difficult to tread. Each day he suffers from hunger and tlrrst and from the lack of sleep, because of the rocks and thorns which beset his way. The cliffs become so steep that he has to be careful at every step, lest he lose his footing and tumble over the precipices of "Lusts." The wild beasts of "Temptation" growl and snarl at him as he passes. He looks over the cliffs and sees, at the bottom, many of those who began their journey with him. He climbs higher and higher. The little difficulties which before seemed almost unsurmountable now appear like little mole hills below him. He smiles and turns his face again upward. After much climbing he at last reaches the summit of the mountains of "Self-Denial," and sees beyond, still higher, towering toward the skies, mount "Success." With a firm resolve he continues to climb. The mountain sides are steep, and with every step he slides almost as far back as he goes for- ward. Each step, however, enables him to make a little headway, and so he struggles on. His feet are sore, and he aches at every muscle, but still he climbs higher and higher, until, finally, with bleeding feet and tattered clothes, yet, with a feeling of keen joy, pleasure and satisfaction, he reaches the summit called "Success," where he can look down upon all the mountains of difficulty