THE CHEMAWA AMERICAN
PAGE 4
ABT
(Continued from page 1)
When they do work that has character, that bears the
stamp of a master hand, they have classed that work as
an art, or arts, for it is not common. That which is
uncommonly fine must be art—otherwise, what is art?
The ability to take unlimited pains in the accomplish
ment of a given thing, to do it better than ever before,
to create it different, to put individuality, life, into it
is to win the title of artist, we care not what the work
may have been.
Eove of beauty, of things perfect; the ability to
create for the enthusiasm of it, are faculties the posses
sion of which will make artists. Webster says of art:
“The Employment of means to accomplish some de
sired end; the adaptation of things in the natural world
to the uses of life; the application of knowledge or
power to practical purposes.”
There you have it! An artist is one with ability both
to apply knowledge and to create things, both good
and beautiful. The would-be artist must never forget
that “everything yields to unwearied pursuit.”
SELF-CONTROL
Life is made up largely of vexatious incidents.
Nearly every day, or mayhap, hour, something will
happen to try our patience. To give way to our im
pulses and “fly to pieces” is to prove ourselves weak,
indeed. To remain calm in the face of unexpected
trials or calamities is to prove ourselves possessed of
strength. To meet the trials and calamities with for
titude and self-control is to pass the “acid test” of
fitness.
Refined men and women, boys and girls, never per
mit unbridled anger or passion to sweep them off of
their feet and render them coarse in word or deed.
The quality of self-control is an immense factor when
it comes to deciding whether or not a person is a lady
or a gentleman. The person of bad manners, of loud
and boisterous roughness and rudeness of speech,
will find himself shunned by the better class of people.
Often, no doubt, such a person will wonder why he or
she is socially ostracized. They fail to realize their
own glaring and repulsive shortcomings and lack of
self-control as regards the niceties of life—to see them
selves as others see them.
Rough and coarse stories, profanity, and all of those
evidences of lack of culture, are many times attribut
able both to ignorance and lack of self-control. Who
will deliberately elect himself to a low circle of society?
It is not difficult for any person of intelligence to
cultivate habits and manners which shall stamp him or
her as one possessed of refinement. Put on the breaks
against all low thoughts; cast out all that is not good
and pure; resolve to live in a better atmosphere, and
create that atmosphere yourself, or help to create it.
Have a clean purpose. Start in now to control your
every thought and action and you will find it easier
ever\’ time you try. Control yourself—self-control
stands for much that is desirable in the world.
FIRE
An Indian story written by Henry Kitka as a test in
English:
Once upon a time the people of Alaska thought there
was no fire in the world, and that wood would not
burn. The Raven came, at times in the form of a
bird and at other times he was in the form of a man.
He traveled from place to place helping mankind.
One day Raven was going along the shore when he
happened to see a flame of fire come up a long ways
out in the ocean. It wyould appear and disappear.
Just then Raven saw a crane that had a long beak
standing on the shore. Raven had an idea. He
went after some pitch and tied it on the end of the
crane’s beak, and instructed the crane to fly to the
fire and hold the beak still until it blazed and to fly
back to him.
Raven waited for the return of the crane. The
crane finally returned with his beak nearly burned off,
but he had the burning pitch.
The crane did not know what to do about his beak,
it was so badly burned. He told Raven about it and
showed him his beak. Raven told him not to worry
about it, that he would fix it. Raven saw the leg bone
of a deer and stuck it on in place of the burned upper
beak, and the crane flew away contented with his new
beak.
The fire he brought to the land was useful. Raven
put the fire into all the different trees that were grow
ing. He put it into the rocks also. So today the
wood burns when fire is set to it, and rocks give sparks
when struck against each other.
FOAM
Many of our workers, so-called, make a great
splurge, but in reality they accomplish little. At
bottom they are as so much foam and are of little sub
stance. They are what the world in general considers
“grand-standers.” Their whole aim in life seems to
be to pose, to endeavor to impress people with their
own importance, or their position, or something else.
They are just so much foam or froth in human form.
They might be likened to bubbles, as sooner or later
they resolve to practical nothingness. They only fool
themselves in their great game of pretension.
Let our students ever bear in mind that the person
of genuine ability does not have to pose, or pretend,
and be a “grand-stander.” He has capacity and that
is sufficient, provided it is backed up with energy and
initiation. Be real, genuine, just what you are, but
take care that you have true merit in some of its many
forms. There is a power about Capacity that speaks
for itself. It does not need advertising by Foam,
Froth & Co. Keep level-headed and keep on plug
ging in a quiet, purposeful way, and in due time Cir
cumstances will elect to place you in a position for
which you are particularly fitted.