All That Could Be Made of the "Stuff" January 16, 1966
In a strong, short sentence Jean Paul Richter said: “I have made of myself all that could be made of the stuff.”1 The “stuff,” of course, is all that we have and all we are:...
Character Is a Victory… October 30, 1966
From Ivor Griffith comes a short, strong sentence that says much and suggests much more: “Character,” he said, “is a victory, not a gift.” Often we pamper our weaknesses,...
Cleanliness and Competence September 25, 1966
Here are some thoughts from David Starr Jordan on health and habits and cleanliness and competence, recalled for their forthright frankness: “The finest piece of mechanism in all the...
Common Courtesy December 4, 1966
There is nothing new to be said on this subject, but something very old, something essential to peace, to all satisfactory relationships of life — and that is respect, appreciation and consideration...
Each Day Is Decisive March 20, 1966
The choices in life are always and endless. Every hour, every instant gives us something to decide — where we go, what we learn, what we do with time, whether we play or work, develop or drift,...
Failure in the Home May 8, 1966
We turn at this time to a simple basic subject, “Love at home,” which includes both sentiment and service and something else besides⎯the love of mothers, parents, children, in this most...
Fifty-Two Thousand Hours August 28, 1966
By the time a child is twelve, we are told, he would have spent approximately fifty-two thousand hours in his home, besides time for sleep. This is a startling fact on the influence of environment,...
Full Performance October 9, 1966
The Parable of the Talents is more than a parable, it is a law of life that shapes a person to the size and capacity that he sets for himself by his willingness or unwillingness to use the gifts and...
Happiness Is No Accident… October 2, 1966
“Happiness is a habit,” said Elbert Hubbard, “cultivate it.” Margaret Lee Runbeck used this same thought. She was trying to tell another mother what to teach a son who would...
Home Makes the Man December 11, 1966
“It is a common saying,” said Samuel Smiles, “that ‘Manners make the man;’ and there is a second, that ‘Mind makes the man;’ but truer than either is a...
If We Expect Perfection… March 6, 1966
“If one by one we counted people out For the least fault,” wrote Robert Frost, “it wouldn’t take us long to get so we had no one left to live with.” We may well think...
In Touch With Youth… February 27, 1966
In a writing on the rift between generations, a wise professor had some searching things to say: “There has hardly been a time . . . when students needed more attention and patient listening...
Law and Life November 6, 1966
This six-word sentence from Shakespeare suggests a deeply searching subject: “His own opinion was his law.”1 This brings us to the question of freedom and restraint, of law and who is...
Marriage--and Character June 12, 1966
My Criterion of Goodness… June 26, 1966
At a time when we are tightening up our standards on material things, it is ironic⎯tragic⎯that there should be a loosening of standards pertaining to principles, laws, morals, manners. On labels,...
No Man Is Above the Law July 3, 1966
One of the lessons of history is that liberty depends upon respect for law. And on this subject we cite some lines from Abraham Lincoln: “I hope I am over wary;” he said, “but if I...
Nothing Comes From Nothing October 16, 1966
This from a song that is sung is one of the most important lessons of life: “Nothing comes from nothing. Nothing ever could.”1 All the world, and all of us must face the fact that...
Now I Like Good People March 27, 1966
We choose people for certain purposes⎯for friendship, for talents, for business or professional ability, for qualities of character. There are some whose services we never see, and some whose impact...
Parents and Children Pulling Apart August 7, 1966
The differences that sometimes come between husbands and wives, that pull people who should keep closer, is a subject of serious concern. Another side of this subject pertains to parents and...
Patience and Punishment March 13, 1966
On some days our physical and mental mood makes even serious problems seem solvable, while some days, some nights, may make even lesser problems seem more serious. We change much in our feelings and...