4
THE
CHEM AW A
AM ERICAN
Of voices th a t w hisper, of lips th a t e n tre a t—
W ill th ey live, w ill th e y (lie, w ill th ey strive, will th e y dare?
T h e houses are g a rla n d ed , flags flu tter gay,
F o r a troop of th e G u ard rid es fo rth today.
O h, th e tro o p ers w ill rid e a n d th e ir h e arts will leap,
W hen i t ’s sh o u ld er to sh o u ld er an d frien d to frien d —
But i t ’s som e to th e p in n acle, som e to th e deep,
A nd som e in th e glow of th e ir s tre n g th to sleep,
A nd for all i t ’s a fight, to th e ta le ’s far end,
A nd i t ’s each to h is goal, n o r tu rn , n or sway,
W hen th e troop of th e G u ard rid es fo rth today.
T h e p o rta ls are open, th e w h ite road leads
T h ro u g h th ic k e t an d g ard en , o ’er stone and sod—
O n, up! Boot an d Saddle! G ive sp u rs to your steeds,
T h e re ’s a city b eleagu red th a t cries for m e n ’s d eeds,
F o r th e faith th a t is s tre n g th an d th e love th a t is God!
On th ro u g h th e d aw n in g h u m an ity ! H u m a n ity calls!
L ife’s not a dream in th e clover!
On to th e w alls, on to th e walls!
O n to th e w alls and over!
The biggest job ever set before a mortal is to build a noble character.
Fame and Fortune are more easily won than Character. It is easier to
rule an Empire than the Kingdom of one’s soul. Alexander the Great
could tell us that. When one sets before him the mighty task of build
ing a life he has on hand a bigger job than the man who sets out to
grow rich. A man is making money, hand over fist, by raising red-
haired hogs. The money-making faculty is a God-given quality, but
it is far inferior to other faculties of the mind. Of all the big prizes in
life, money is the easiest to take. The hardest prize to take is the one
most worthy and most lasting—a character that will stand the test of
God’s tri-square, so at last, He will be able to say, “ This is good work,
true work, square work; just such work as is wanted for the building of
the Temple.”
Give your soul a chance. Do not indulge your body at the expense
of your mind. Do not lay on fat at the cost of your soul. The noblest
product of time is a character fit for the glories of eternity! The sad
dest ruin of time is a soul fit only for the hopeless and starless night o f
eternity.