3
MENTAL AND SPIRITUAL ILLUSION FOUNTAIN OF SOCIAL DISORDER
Arrogance Breeds Anarchy, Ruin, Sorrow, While Spirit of Humility Is Forerunner of Peace and Happiness, Says Pastor in Pleading for Response to World's Call for Christian Men and Women.
THE SUNDAY OliEGOXIAX, PORTLAND, JANUARY 18. 1920
BEBMO.N BY REV. HAROLD N. GRIFFIS,
Kirst Christian Church.
Text: "Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the klngodm of heaven."
Matt. v:.l.
THE Sermon on the Mount is the
constitution of Christ's kingdom.
This constitution is unique in
that it presents mainly not a set of
laws or a system of government, but
a portrayal of the men and women
who are to be members of the king
dom. The document is not legal, but
personal. Its very first section, rep-'
resented by the beatitudes, delineates
the great essential qualities of the
kingdom's citizenship, while the very
first sentence of the sermon is a
clear-cut statement of that funda
mental attribute' which is indispen
sable to all that follows and is the
vital germ from which alone can be
derived all the flower and fruitage of
the Christian system. "Blessed are
the poor in spirit, for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven."
Botanists tell us that the violet
possesses parts unknown to many
other and more pretentious plants
and that from a scientific standpoint
it is the most nearly perfect of all
flowers. And as it is with the em
bem of humility, so it is with humil
ity itself. Just as the violet com
prehends all parts -of a plant, so the
spirit of humility holds the essence
of universal goodness and is the key
to Christian character. "Blessed are
the poor in spirit, for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven."
The beatitudes have been called the
liturgy of the gospel, in contrast to
the Psalms, the liturgy of Judaism.
The difference between the two is
strikingly suggested by a comparison
of their opening verses. In the first
verso of the first Psalm we read:
"Blessed is the man that walketh not
in the counsel of the ungodly, nor
standeth in the way of sinners, nor
sitteth in the seat of the scornful."
In the first beatitude we read:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
In these opening sentences we have
Siberia Today, by Captain Frederick P.
Moore. Illustrated. . Appletoa & Co.,
New York city.
Siberia is much in the public mind
Just now in this country, due to the
fact that so many American soldiers
had been sent there on military duty.
somewhere between Vladivostok and I
the larger Russia ruled by the bolshe
vik armies.
Therefore this book is most welcome
as a typical one in presenting infor
mation on a subject of current inter
est. It is written with the graphic
ease of a trained newspaper reporter,
to which profession our author for
merly belonged.
On the title page we read: "Fred
erick F. Moore, late captain, intelli
gence division, general staff, A. E. F.,
Siberia." The little word "late" ex
plains why our author is so frank and
fearless in his criticism of American
military policy in Siberia and in criti
cism of red-tape methods from Wash
ington, D. C. If he had still been an
officer in the American army prob
ably he would not have cared to write
so frankly as he has done. Captain
Moore, however, did not see any of
the fighting in Siberia, therefore his
book is not one of bloodshed, with its
pictures of wounded. He was in .Si
beria on military intelligence duty
and was kept busy on administrative
detail.
Captain Moore once passed several
years in the far east in our regular
army and as a correspondent in the
period when our arms were making
history in th Philippines and in China.
So he is familiar enough witn several
phases of Asiatic conditions.
On page 1 we learn that it was in
the latter part of July, 1918, that our
author, then in Washington, D. C,
received military orders detailing him
for duty in Siberia, with particular
Instructions to report for duty in Vla
divostok. He was told by a superior
officer that plans had been estab
lished to make a new front against
Germany In Russia and that he had
better' make hi3 will and buy some
tur mittens.
Reaching San Francisco, in company
with several other American army of
ficers, our author was commanded by
one busy-body officer, whose Identity
Is hidden in the name of Smith, to ob
serve secrecy in the approaching de
parture of the transport Sheridan.
But the hotel clerk bawled out the
news to the assembled onlookers that
the officers were going to Siberia
uid secrecy then appeared to be at
an end.
It seems that everybody on board
the transport fondly imagined that
they were going to fight the bolshe
vik! and were primed full of fight
accordingly. Vladivostok was found
to be swarming with soldiers in the
uniforms of many nations, also blue
jackets from Japanese. French. Brit
ish and American warships in the bay.
The city, which has a normal popula
tion of 40,000 p ople. had now about
ISO, 000, and refugee barracks on the
edge of the city were filled with peo
ple from the interior, among them be
ing many typhus victims. The opin
ion is expressed that "they smelled
like a circus menagerie." Money could
not buy shelter in the hotels or room
ing houses, and even billiard tables
commanded a good price as places of
hard repose.
Captain Moore received orders to
board a troop train for distant Kha
barovsk to call the attention of the
troops to the third liberty loan. On
board the train dirt was found every
where and delays en route numerous.
The train crew worked leisurely and
there were many stops in order that
the crew could alight and ,drink tea.
When asked what time the train
would be moved the invariable Rus
sian reply was "sichass," meaning
"some time." On the way to Khabar
ovsk it was noticed that in spite of
the rumor of famine in Siberia there
were vast plains dotted with shocks
of unthreshed wheat, possibly stacked
for two years. Near stations wheat
sacks were found plied in sacks
acres of sacks ten feet high. The top
sacks as a rule were rotten, having
been there many months. "The drosky
drivers fed their horses freely from
the piled grain. The field mice had
established their winter homes in the
piles, thus realizing some of the bene
fits of bolshevism."
It was found that the Sibeian
was Asiatic in his viewppint. being
fo closely in touch with China and
Manchuria, and that Asia is the land
In which the bearing of burdens
marks one of the lowest caste. The
baths met with in the towns en route
were dirty.
Captain Moore was ordered to vari
ous army posts, the chief one being
Chita, known as the former city of
convicts under the old Russian re
gime of czardom. It was not uncom
before us two blessings, the blessing
which belonged to the Jew and the
blessings which belongs to the Chris
tian. The psalmist says: "Blessed is
the man who lives a perfect life."
Jesus Bays: "Blessed is the man who
feels that he cannot live a perfect
life." Why should Jesus require les3
than does the representative of a
vid? The Old Testament insists on a
man's aiming at perfection; why
should the New be satisfied if one
can say: "I am a poor creature?" Be
cause, my friend, that means for you
a loftier attitude and a height more
difficult to reaeh. The self-satisfied
man connot realize his noblest possi
bilities. It is only the man with a
profound sense of his own weakness
who can aspire and attain to worthy
heights. The spirit of genuine hu
mility is the key that unlocks the
door to the kingdom of heaven, the
treasure-house of all moral and spir
itual values.
It is the key to personal redemp
tion. God accepts us not for what
we are, but for what we realize we
are and for what we earnestly strive
to be. External life la a gift. If we
are finally redeemed it will not be
chiefly because of what we ourselves
have done, but because of what Jesus
Christ has done and because of' our
willingness to rest our case with him.
Humble w mut be if to heavn -e go;
High is the roof there, but the gate is low.
Pharasaical self-righteousness has
no place "in true Christianity. The
New Testament tells me plainly that
I must come to God, not in my own
name, but in the name of Jesus Christ.
By this I understand that in that
day of final reckoning I shall be
judged not altogether by what I am,
but by what I have aspired to be. It
is not that God does not love me for
my own sake, but,' thanks to his
amazing grace, I am not required to
come to him on the basis- of my own
meager and disappointing attain
ments; I am to come in the name of
Christ. Just as I appreciate better
music than I can produce, just as I
love beter pictures than I can paint,
so in my heart of hearts I feel that
I am a better man than anything I
have ever succeeded in accomplishing.
I see in Christ that which I would
mon to experience 70 degrees below
zero and frosted feet, hands and faces
were common.
Siberians in most cases were dis
covered to be examples of mental in
stability. They spoke and acted like
little children. "They will spend
hours settling a problem, and, having
threshed out all the details and ar
riving at a logical conclusion, some
body remarks: 'Maybe we are wrong
after all' and away they go again on
the argument from the beginning,
getting themselves more enmeshed in
doubts than ever and finally having
to quit in exhaustion without reach
ing any decision."
On one railroad trip our author ob
served several peasants supposed to
be suffering from want of food had
greased the wheels of their wagons
with the best Siberian butter (page
131).
Many Japanese officers and soldiers
were encountered on army duty, and
willing tribute is paid to their mili
tary efficiency and discipline. The
Japanese are classed as "astute."
It is stated that the trouble with
the Siberians is that their brains seem
to be congealed (page 28). "I be
lieve it will take several hundred
years before the mass of the people of
Russia will have attained a mental
capacity on a par with the civiliza
tion which we know. A country so
vast and so various, with the blood f
so many nations running through the
people, cannot be administered im
mediately according to our ideal. The
best that can be hoped for Is a con
stitutional monarchy, and even if that
form of government is gained it will
be for some time a dictatorship.
"While I assent that the salvation
of Russia lies in the hands of the
peasant class I mean the peasant
class that has -brains and wants to de
velop them, not the peasant who
wants to kill everybody wearing a
white collar I mean that Russia
should be led by men who spring from
the people and have the balance of
sanity. Russia will develop its own
Lincoln, but before that time I be
lieve it will have a national Na
poleon. The latter will do It a serv
ice by first co-ordinating and stabil
izing the natipnal spirit and bring
ing the shattered remnants of the
vast land under one government. This
is the only kind of ruler the people
will understand and obey now." -
Our author confesses (page 244)
that when the time came that his mil
itary superior asked that he class
himself for discharge or for a per
manent commission in the army he
requested discharge and got it. He
adds that when he safely got ashore
in Japan and away from Siberia, be
felt that he "had escaped from an
insane -asylum" (page 257).
Father Duffy's Story by Francis P. Duffy
chaplain, math infantry. N. Y. Illustrat
ed. George li. Ioran Co.. New York.
Told with a good humor that is Ir
resistible, this modestly written rec
ord of the many experiences of a
Catholic priest as chaplain of the
fighting 69th regiment of New York J
known officially as the 165th Infan
try in war service in France, will
be sure to win the reader's regard.
The principal tragic note in the
recital was that Joyce Kilmer, the
poet, a member of the regiment, who
was to have written this book, vas
killed in action and that Father Duffy
then took over the task.
So wide, however, are the Celtic
sympathies of our author that his
record does not only portray the
heroism won under fire by his own
regiment, but he cheerfully chroni
cles the valorous deeds of other regi
ments also associated with the Bain
bow division.
It seems that many of the mem
bers of the 165th were Irish and mem
bers of the Catholic church, but others
in the ranks were men of different
creeds but they all were fighting
Americans. . Some of them were
Jews.
In his preface Father Duffy writes
"I am very Irish, very Catholic and
very American but just plain hu
man."
The one big. heroic figure in the
book is that of the fighting head of
the regiment, Colonal Donovan, and
It is worth while to read about him
The general and intimate record
begins from Camp Mills, New York,
to service with the army of occupa
tion in Germany. The losses of th
regiment in action are: Killed. 644:
wounded. 2857; total, 3501. The kilo
meters gained were 55, headquarters
were in 83 different places and there
were 180 days of contact with the
enemy.
In thrilling style we read about
fighting in the Luneville and Bacca
rat sectors, the Champagne defense.
like to be and humbly, therefore, I
come to God in Christ's name.
To discern the real genius of the
Christian religion we need to study
the parable of the Pharisee and the
Publican, in which the "holier-than-thou"
attitude of mind, so frequently
assumed by professed Christians, is
shown to be the diirect contradiction i
of the spirit approved by our heaven
ly Father. "Two .men went up into
the temple to pray,- the one a Phari
see and the other a publican. The
Pharisee stood and prayed thus with
himself: 'God. I thank thee that I am
not as the rest of men, extortioners,
unjust, adulterers, or even as this
publican: I fast twice in the week;
I give tithes of all that I get.' But
the publican, standing afar off, would
not lift up so much' as his eyes unto
heaven, but smote his breast, saying,
'God, be merciful to me, a sinner.'
And the Master added: 'I say unto you
this man went down to his house jus
tified rather than the other. "
Tes, and it is this publican with his
profound humility that explains to
us the meaning of the statement:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for
theirs is the kingdom o'f heaven." The
Pharisee, so far as the record shows,
had been guilty of no wrong. Nor
had the publican any good deed to
his credit. "Wherein then slay the
superiority of the one over the,, other?
In this: the Pharisee compared him
self with other men and was satis
fied; the publican compared himself
with God and was humbled to the
dust. The Pharisee's trouble was
that he did not know himself and his
limitations and consequently was be
yond all reach of assistance, either
human or divine: the publican's merit
was that he did know himself and
his Imperfections and desired to be
come better. The publican was justi
fied, not because he was wicked, but
because he knew he was wicked and
because he longed for righteousness,
and therefore his was the kingdom
of heaven.
In the second place. I would have
you note that this spirit of humility,
represented by the first beatitude, is
the key not only to personal redemp
tion, but' also to worthy attainment.
John Ruskin said: "I believe that the
first test of a truly great man is his
the battle of the Ourci) and the St.
Mihiel and Argonne offensives. - In
telling of observations when our
army invaded Germany our au
thor, in common with those of other
observers, reports that the Americans
were civilly treated by the German
population and that the German chil
dren met with were fat and showed
every other evidence of having been
well fed. It is stated that it was a
rare thing to hear a soldier in a com
bat division talk about, "Huns" it
was always the "Heinies," the "Jer
ries," the "Boches," or simply the
"Germans."
To give the reader an idea of Father
Duffy's agreeable literary style, here
is an extract detailing the fisist Christ
mas on the Rhine after the armistice
was signed:
"Christmas mass on the Rhine! In
1916 our midnight mass was under
the open sky along the Rio Grande;
in 1917 in the old medieval church at
V J 1 HUH, ,11 tllC V UBgVO, O-UU UUW, LIId.ll l i
heaven, in this year of grace, 1918,'
we celebrated it peacefully and trl-
umphantly In the country with which
we had been at war. . Atendance was,
of course, voluntary, but I think the
whole regiment marched to the ser
vice, with the band preceding them
playing 'Onward, Chitiaaroldiers'
and 'Adeste Fideles.' Wo '"took full
possession of the churclj, though
many of the townsfolk came in, and
when, at the end. ourTnen sang the
hymn of thanksgiving, "Holy God,
we Praise Thyt Name.' the Germans
swelled our chorus in their own lan
guage, 'Grosser Gott wir loben Dlch.'
I preached on the theme. 'Can the
war be ascribed to a failure on the
part of Christianity?' I have often
been irritated by ideas on this sub
ject coming from leaders of thought
who have given little place or oppor
tunity to Christianity in their loves
or projects. As Chesterton savs:
Christianity has not been tried out
and found wanting; Christianity has
Deen tnea a little and found diffi
cult.' Father Hanley sang the mass,
the guard of honor with the colors
being from company K. with Captain
Hurley In charge.
or the company dinners I waji
able to supply ample funds through
the never-ceasing generosity of our
board of trustees in New York city,
and funds also placed at my disposal
which were sent by Mrs. Barend Van
Gerbig through the veteran corps of
tne ostn new York. But inUhelr pur
chase of food the wily mess sergeants
iouna mat soap was a beter medium
of exchange than money."
Here is another delicious bit of hu
mor: I
"I got a letter from Tom Rellley,
who is back in New 'York and dis
gusted with life because he Is no
longer with us; and he gave me some
choice ammunition. "Father Duffy,' he
said, 'you are certainly a wonderful
man. Your press agents are working
overtime. Recently you have been
called the Miracle Man,' thus depriv
ing George Stallings of the title. In
the newspaper league you have BUI
Donovan beat by 9306 columns. I
wish you would tell me, how do you
wade through a stream of machine
gun bullets? And that little stunt
of yours of letting high explosive
shells bounce off your chest you
could make your fortune in a circus
doing that for the rest of your life.' "
Common Sense in Labor Manaxement. bv
Nell M. Clark. Harper & Brothers, jjew
York City. .
A shrewd, sensible message affect
ing labor and capital and told in
practical fashion, with many illus
trations of the manner in which af
ferent businesses are run.
Our author takes the view that the
problems of business in the broad
spaces of the world are amongst the
greatest tasks facing us today. It is
stated that far from the least of them
are the tasks of management. Our au
thor also shows that a new spirit is
moving through all business a spirit
tnat is tending to make busness more
like the professions. In point of ser
vice to society.
Theodore Roosevelt: The Man as I Knew
Him, by Ferdinand Cowle Inglehart.
D. D. The Christian Herald, New York
City.
Dr. Inglehart was for 24 years pas
tor of Park Avenue Methodist Episco
pal church. New York city, and he
and Mr. Roosevelt were associated as
intimate friends In Mr. Roosevelt's
work as police commissioner in clos
ing saloons on Sundays.
Out of that long friendship our au
thor has written a sincerely told, at
tractively fashioned portraiture of
the late president, a portrait showing
his many and varied activities and
opinions. Especially do we find ad-
humility." If it is true that only the
poor in spirit can attain to the king
dom of heaven in the literal sense, it
is equally true that only the poor in
spirit, or the humble hearted, can at
tain to any of the great prizes of life.
All real worth of character is born i
of self-abasement. The paths that
lead to honor start in the valley of
humility. Men are worthy only as
they feel unworthy. The supreme
satisfactions of this world belong to
those who have a docile mind, a
child-like heart and a humble spirit.
"Blessed are the meek, for they shall
inherit the earth." In science, in art,
in education and in religion the suc
cessful man is the meek man. "He
that exalteth himself shall be hum
bled, but he tha-t humbleth himself
shall be exalted."
"Know-It-A Us Hopeless."
Lowliness of mind is the condition
of success and excellence in any
sphere. The greatest scholars have
been at the same time men of pecu
liar simplicity and unaffectedness.
They had nothing to disguise or pre
tend; they knew how little they were.
A workingman was once given a copy
of Plato's dialogues, and after read
ing them exclaimed: "How simple
they are. A child could understand
them." And so to the young people
who aspire to be doctors, lawyers,
scholars or scientists I would say:
"Blesesd are the poor in spirit
blessed are they who are conscious
of their defect and want for to them
belong the high places of their pro
fessions." The only hopeless people in the
world are the people who know it all,
the people whose minds are corked
with the stopper of egotism. On the
other hand, the only man who will
ever be recognized as a great Scholar
is the man who is keenly conscious of
his own ignorance; who feels, like Sir
Isaac Newton, that he has but gath
ered a few pebbles along the shore
of the infinite ocean of truth: who
carries his satchel still, like Michel
Angelo, into a ripe old age, and who,
like Gladstone, dies learning.
To be convinced that humility is
the secret of success one has only to
look at its opposite, pride, and see
how the latter is the root of all un
mirable intimate viewpoints of Mr.
Roosevelt, the man.
One of the most interesting and
notable chapters of the book is chap
ter 14, dealing with "Heart secrets
told in a walk to the White House,
where particulars of a remarkable
talk is given of Mr. Roosevelt's views
as to sacred things and his duty as
a man "raised up by God" (p. 199) t4
lead the nation's fight in the "illegal
despotism of combined wealth, in col
lusion with corrupt municipal, state
and federal officeholders." Mr. Roose
velt Is quoted as saying: "The repub
lic cannot live ten years if things so
on this way."
The book is rich in its Roosevelt in
cidents and stories.
The White Ksvgle of Poland, by E. V.
Benson. George H. Doran Co., New York
City.
American readers, up to now, have
looked upon Mr. Benson as one of the
leading English novelists. Here he
is in a new field, as a lucid and logical
historian n depictng what is known
as the historical controversy of Po
land. The first part of this book of 55
pages treats of the vital Importance
of Poland as part of a cordon of In
dependent states; and the second part
deals with the state of Poland since
the armies of the late central em
pires have occupied it. Polish, Ger
man, Austrian and Russian sources
of information are drawn upon to
show the nefarious designs of Ger
many in this regard.
A First Rook In Algebra, by Fletcher
Xurell. Ph. D.. and E. E. Arnold. Charles
E. Merrill Co.. Mew York City.
Dr. Durell is head of the mathe
matical department of the Lawrence
ville, N. J., school, and Mr. Arnold is
supervising principal in the public
scnools. The Pel hams, N. Y., and for
merly -specialist in mathematics in
the University of the State of New
York. This book of 322 pages with
index and answers to problems is a
valuable contribution of its kind and
Is well suited to meet the changes in
high school work which have been
developed in recent years. The les
sons are simple, yet practical.
The Barrel Mystery, by William J. Flynn.
The James A. MoCann Co.. New York
city.
Mr. Flynn is known as chief of the
United States secret service. He has
arrested many desperadoes, but is
also known as a writer of real facts
in sleuthing that read like those of
fiction. In this book of 265 pages
we read of the measures taken by of
ficers of the law to run to earth many
criminals who tried to ruin this coun
try in the recent past, by murder,
robbery, etc. "Black Hand" activities
occupy a principal portion of the
stage.
Th Art of Photoplay Wrltinc. by E. P.
Barker. Colossus Publishing Co-. St.
Louis, Mo.
Here is a little book that will be
in much demand when its purpose is
known. Mr. Barker, in every-day
language and easily understood sen
tences, tells what to do in writing
photoplays. He Instructs you as to
the manner of preparing manuscripts,
a model scenario, what to write about,
the plot, scenes, climax, etc. One
hundred pages.
Mince Fie, by Christopher Mortoy. Illus
trated. George H. Doran Co.. New York
City.
It is difficult to place Mr. Morley
as an essayist on gentle thoughts of
leisure, and as' a quiet joker as to
literary subjects, in America. In
England, now, he would be recognized
as of the Charles Lamb type.
It is really a mental relaxation to
read such quiet, polished, cleverly
written American essays and poems
of current interest.
The Giddy Globe, by Oliver Henford.
George H. Doran Co, New York city.
It is said that no less an authority
on humor than President Wilson has
spoken of Mr. Herford as "that very
delightful wit and artist."
This is a new geographical book of
laughs, in picturing in amusing de
tail different countries and peoples.
fjnhappy Tar-Off TbJngs, by Lord Dun
sany. LltUe, Brown & Co.. Boston.
One dozen short, graphically and
some of them tragically-; presented
sketches of finely written' prose, de
picting scenes of the aftermath of
battle in France, as the Huns recent
ly left that counry.
Bishop Cuts His Own Salary.
LIVERPOOL. The Right Rev. Fran
cis Chavasse, bishop of Liverpool, has
voluntarily cut his salary down more
than half in order that the vicars and
curates in his diocese may receive
better salaries. Dr. Chavasse receives
$21,000 a year. He has announced that
$10,000 is sufficient for him and that
the remaining $11,000 can go towards
the sum being raised to secure a sal
ary of $2000 a year for every vicar
and $1000 for each curate.
lovely qualities and most failures. '
Many a young man is doomed to de
feat for the sirapie reason that he
knows more now than he will know
ten years from now. Not only is
pride a barrier to future success, but
it is also a certain destroyer of suc
cess already attained. Egotism can
quickly neutralize the fairest grace
or accomplishment. Sometimes when
we hear a man proudly affirm that i
he is a self-made man, the architect
of his own fortune, we find it hard
to suppress the feeling that it was a
lucky thing for him that the building
inspector did not appear on the job.
The author of Proverbs says that
"pride goes before destruction, and a
haughty spirit before a falL" The
reason why pride goes before de
struction is that pride exalts that
which alone is always a failure
self. The proud man Is the self
willed man. He refuses to recognize
any authority or power higher than
his own selfish wilL He cherishes the
silly illusion that he is the lord of
creation and can browbeat the uni
verse. Alas, for his miserable self
idolatry! For neither nature nor the
human heart can be bulldozed into
giving up their treasures. The man
who would win there must wear no
mask of self-sufficiency, but must
gird himself with the humility that
learns and serves.
; Successful fellowship Possible.
In the third and last place. I would
have you note that this spirit of hu
mility, emphasized in the first beati
tude, is the key not only to personal
redemption and to worthy attainment,
but also to successful fellowship. No
man can be said to have made a suc
cess of life until he has mastered the
art of living smoothly with his fel
lows. The character that is con
stantly in a scrap with its neighbors
is fundamentally defective.
Now for the prservation. of those
right relations that should exist be
tween brothers and sisters in the
great family of God nothing else is
more essential than a deep, strong
humility of soul. Ninety per cent of
all church quarrels originate in con
temptible conceit. Strife for pre
eminence and wounded pride lead to
endless turmoil. It is the attitude of
BY ETHEL R. SAWYER,
Director of training class. Library Associ
ation of Portland.
UNDOUBTEDLY more people read
books and magazines today than
ever before. The. fact recently
noted by the publishers of Harold
Bell Wright that the sales of his
novels alone were approaching the
9.000.000 mark, would indicate a fev
erish eagerness on the part of the
American reading public to possess i
all. the (W)right books but does a
larger reading public necessarily con
note a growing fondness for and ap
preciation of literature? There seems
to be some doubt of the essential
agreement underlying these two phe
nomena in the minds of our more
pessimistically inclined commenta
tors upon literature and life.
To avoid the charge of unpatriotic
criticism of our fellow countrymen
and "a bolshevik" attitude toward es
tablished popular literary govern
ment, let us point our moral from
foreign short-comings. In a letter to
the New York Bookman from a Lon
don booklover we find, following a
commentary on the fact of a larger
reading public, these significant sen
tences:
"But it Is an undoubted fact that
unless the modern reader belong to
the producing or critical world of
letters, literature is no longer to him
a vital matter. He does not care, as
his forbears cared, for new books
and their writers." And he proves
this charge by adducing the fact that
new writers, even those who have
been hailed as exceptional, have oeen
at once forgotten unless they kept
themselves before the public by pro
duction at regular intervals. How
many successors to Meredith or ri
vals of Hardy (see publishers' ad
vance advertisements) have lived
their mushroom life and faded away
into silence within the last 15 years?
Miguel Zamacois, contributor to
the French "Figaro," and "Les An
nales," in traveling about the conti
nent, finds what to him apparently
constitutes the two chief elements of
this "larger reading public"
"The booksellers repeat to us ad
nauseam that they are not selling any
books. When, before the departure
of the train, I beheld the little station
book stalls assailed by purchasers, 1
understood what an affront to the
literary body this unaccustomed avid
ity marked.
"We no longer read save when at an
absolute loss as to what to do! Now
adays only prisoners read; those forcl.
bly imprisoned in places of detention
or voluntary prisoners in railroad
coaches. Furthermore, these two
classes of prisoners have recourse to
reading only as a last resort, and as
the result of persistent insomnia.'
Now it has occurred to us while
reading these Jeremiads that perhaps
one reason for this apathy toward lit
erature as distinguished from reading
matter may be in part, at least, the
result of shell shock of the literary
nerves produced by the incessant bar
rage and bombing campaigns of pub
lishers' advertisements. They have
let off such a quantityyf high explo
sives in -their efforts to open a path
to success (i. e. large sales) for their
individual literary sallies that the soil
of the ordinary human mind is all
torn up and so devastated that any
real cultivation of It. or the raising
of a genuine crop of literary appre
ciation seems hopeless. So out of the
din of "most-famouses and "great
est successes" and "best sellers" and
"epoch makers" and "biggest hits of
the years" the deafened and stunned
reader makes off quietly with a sweet
and happy book or with & galvanic
battery of pep and thrills, and bids
"literature" go hang.
We. therefore, in the interests of
sanity and a peaceful community life,
boldly launch our little exploiting
craft, not to practice any nefarious
submarining of enemy ships (at least
not yet) that were too heavy a task
for our maiden trip but to offer the
services of our literary periscope in
an attempt to sight for our readers a
few of the noteworthy or interesting
barques sailing the ocean of letters
and print, in whose boisterous waters
we are all more or less submerged
or helplessly sinking.
Our effort shall be to share with
our readers any little bits of infor
mation and gossip we may happen to
gather about the doings in the world
of books and authors.
In view of the approaching visit
of the famous English novelist, Hugh
Walpole. under the auspices of the
Portland center of the drama league,
it may be of interest to quote the
following appreciation of his work by
a brother craftsman, Joseph Herges-
heimer, whose own contribution to
the art of novel writing has enriched
our 'modern literature by a inoSL
unique and individual flavor:
1 "His books, from first to last, have
'IMP
childishness, as distinguished from
that of ' childlikeness. When ques
tioned by his disciples as to who
would be the greatest in the kingdom.
Jesus took a little child and placing
it in their midst said: "Kxcept ye
turn and become as little children ye
shall in no wise enter into the king
dom of heaven. Whosoever, therefore,
shall humble himself as this little
child, the same is the greatest in the
kingdom of heaven." And what was
that scene but the Master's own com
mentary on the words which he him
self had spoken in the opening state
ment of his Sermon on the Mount:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven"?.
Nothing is more beautiful in this
world than the artlessnes of a nor
mal, natural child, and few thfngs are
more disgusting than the selfishness
of the child that has been humored
and spoiled. Some church members
act more like spoiled babies than
they do like followers of the strong,
humble Son of God. Their self-con-sciousnesa
and self-absorption and
self-will would indicate about as
much familiarity with the first beati
ture as a Hottentot has with the
dramas of Shakespeare. Like the
Pharisees of old, they love the chief
seats at the feast and in the syna
gogue. Like spoiled children, they
refuse to play or to pay when they
can't have their own way.
Beecher Wanted Horse.
Henry Ward Beecher was an ad
mirer of good horses as well as a
keen student of human nature. One
day he rented a horse and buggy from
a livery stable and as he took his
seat in the vehicle and gathered the
reins to drive off, he asked the livery
man, "What sort of horse is this, any
way?" "A fine one," was the reply.
"That horse will work anywhere you
put him." And then Mr. Beecher's
eyes twinkled as he observed: "How
I do wish he was a member of my
church!"
All honor to the man whose great
Christian humility of heart enables
him to say with John the Baptist, "He
must increase, but I must decrease.
Believe me, friends, when I tell you
that the finest of all arts in the great
school of life is the art of taking sec
not become antiquated; they are as
fresh today as they were at any time
through the past ten or twelve years;
the people in them, true in costume
and speech to their various moments,
are equally true to that which in men
is changeless. . . . Mr. Walpole is a
part of that great necessity of the
longing, really, for perfection, for
perfect beauty. This. too. Is the only
salvation for ease; the animal, when
he is replete, fat. dies; and man. suc
cessful in the flesh, degenerates. There
only spirit, beauty, animates the clay.
Roses, in the end, are more insportant
than cabbages. Here, Hugh Walpole,
cultivating the fine flowers of hia
imagination, setting out his gardens
In the waste, is indispensable. . . .
Very few have accomplished that."
Mr. Walpole has been producing stead
ily at the rate of a novel a year since
the publication in 1912 of the "Pre
lude to Adventure." It was with "For
titude." in 1913. that he really got the
public ear, however, and there are
many whose affection for that novel
has not been alienated by his later
books. In connection with his present
lecture tour his "Secret City" will
doubtless prove most Interesting. Oth
ers of his novels are: "Duchess of
Wrexe." "Golden Scarecrow," "Wood
en City." "Dark Forest," "Green Mir
ror." He has also written the volume
on Joseph Conrad in that timely lit
tle series of biographical-critical
books caUed '"Writers of the Day."
How long the discussion as to who
wrote "The Young' Visitors" can be
kepf up almost supersedes in interest
the original question of authorship.
However, Miss Ashford's publishers
must be enjoying the effect of the
skepticism (or credulity) of the read
ing public, as that much-discussed
book has been selling at a phenomenal
rate 100,000 copies by Christmas in
England alone was anticipated as
probable; a sale which for English
records is remarkable, "Mr. Britling,"
with all its advertising and its time
liness in furnishing reassurance for
a groping humanity, not having, I be
lieve, touched that figure in its orig
inal form.
Corroborative evidence of the real
ty of Miss Ashford is offered by the
Bookman "Londoner," who assures us
that she is only one of a trio of tal
ented children, and another novel of
hers is cited "The Hangman's
Daughter," written at the mature age
of 15 or 16 years. Even more deli
cious than this gloomy tale sounds
one of her sister's youthful efforts
with the alluring title, "The Jealous
Governess." This story sets forth the
dark and devious means by which a
governess, stirred to horrid envy by
her mistress' joy in her baby, pre
vails upon the doctor to secure one for
herself, even announcing herself
as willing to go to the length of mat
rimony to achieve one. After this
terrible threat, seeing that nothing
will daunt the desperate woman, the
doctor sends a brand-new babv with
bill enclosed in the package, "To one
baby, 1." However, the unsophisticat
ed governess, upon examination of
her purchase, is disgusted by its un
attractive "newness" as contrasted
with her mistress' old baby with its
more definitely settled features and
complexion, and she throws it away
and basely kidnaps the coveted child.
The nefarious plot works out quite
along the accepted lines of high trag
edy, I believe In the face of such evi
dence, where lies the necessity for Mr.
Barrie's offices?
t
SUNFLOWERS CAIRO CROP
Illinois Farmers Grow Them for
Oil and Cattle Food.
CATRO. I1L Cairo's unique crop is
sunflower seeds. E. A. Smith is the
elader in this unusual line of farming
and has several thousands of rich
land along the levee, which is exclu
sively devoted to the raising of sun
flowers. The business has become so
profitable that many other farmers
have ceased raising corn and wheat
and sowed their land with sunflower
seed.
The rich, alluvial soil of the bot
toms appears to be ideal for the
growth of the great yellow flowers,
measuring 12 to 18 inches in diameter,
and the sight of the tracts in full
bloom is a remarkable one, forming
a dazzling expanse of orange that has
no coutnerpart in the United States.
In the morning the flowers turn their
faces to the east and in the afternoon
they incline toward the west, follow
ing their lord and master, the sun.
Once planted the sunflower requires
no more attention until the harvest,
and this is a big item with a busy
farmer. The harvest, now on, keeps
a large force of men busy for a few
weeks. The heads containing the
with them.
ferrls are cut off and wagons loaded
Oil mills in the vicinity convert the
seeds into a high-grade of oil akin to
ond place In order that the pirlt of
Jesus may have the first. The fact is
that from a human standpoint, taking
second place is "many times really
more of an accomplishment than
holding first place. It is often easier
to lead than it is to follow. A good
loser is better any day than a good
winner. Just as a good second fiddler
is better than a superb first violinist.
and is much more difficult to secure.
In the home, in the church, in the
state, in the market place, the only
guarantee of smooth living is the
application of the first beatitude
the incarnation of the spirit of hu
mility. What is the trouble with
the world today? Looking at the sur
face of things, we specify unjust
laws, corrupt courts, bad economic
conditions and the unequal distribu
tion of property. These things are
significant, but they do not explain
the world's woe. The fountain of
our social disorder is not a material
maladjustment, but a mental and
spiritual illusion. The curse of our
present-day society is nothing more
or less than that false pride which
is based on things rather than on
character and which is not confined
to any one class, but permeates all
classes. In the mad struggle for this
world's goods the rich are competing
with each other for social prestige,
while the envious poor struggle to
imitate the foolish rich. It is the
autocracy of self-will, with its de
mand for the submission of others at
whatever cost of blood and tears, as
distinguished from the democracy of
humility, with its recognition and re
spect for the rights, liberties and
opinions of its ncghbors.
Arrogance Breeds Anarchy.
In the . economic world, as well as
in the religious world, it is only the
poor in spirit, or the humble hearted,
that can insure the kingdom of hea
ven, which is the kingdom of social
righteosness. Humility is the brood
er of peace: self-will is the inciter
of war. Humility believes that right
makes might: self-will is determined
that might -shall make right. Humil
ity says, "come and let us reason to
gether ; self-will says, "Come and
let us fight it out." And the outcome
lis that this spirit of arrogance, can
cotton seed. The sunflower oil is used
for various purposes. The mills also
utilize the by-products of the stalks,
heads and husks of the seeds for stock
fed and other uses, being ground in
machines to a pulp.
There is a strong demand for the
oil and the quality is said to be su
perior to that produced by any other
plant. Each year sees an increase in
the sunflower acreage hereabouts and
the industry is reaching notable pro
portions. So far as known more sun
"California Syrup of Figs"
For a Child's Liver and Bowels
Mother! Say "California,", then you will
get genuine "California Syrup ofFigs." Full
directions for babies and children of all ages
who are constipated, bilious, feverish, tongue-'
coated, or full of cold, are plainly printed on
the bottle. Children love thiifdelicious-laxative.
FIFTH AVENUE
TRUSSES
A poor fitting truss by not
properly holding rupture is dan
gerous and worse than no truss
at all. Anyone can sell a truss,
but it takes an expert truss fitter
to fit one. We specialize in fit
ting trusses, guaranteeing satis
faction in every instance. The
Seeley Spermatic Shield Truss is
the best, usually closing the open
ing in ten days. Send for illus
trated circular and measuring
blank.
Also Abdominal Supporter. ElMtfe
Stocklng-a, Shoulder Braces, etc.
-BELT-
Laue-DavisDrugCo.
TRUSS EXPERTS
Dept. 3.
3d and Tamhill Sts.. Portland. Oregon
Our Store Closed Sundays
Fevr Drops When -Corns Hurt,
Pain Stops! Corns Lift Out
Don't let corns ache twice! Lift any corn or
callus off "with. fingers Here's magic t
Ho- htrnjbugt Any corn,
whether hard, soft or between
the toea, will loosen right up
and lift out, without any pain.
This drag is called freezone
and is a com pound of ether dis
covered by a Cincinnati chemist.
- Ask at any drug store for a
small bottle of freezone, which
will coat but a trifle, but is
alficient to rid one's feet of
every corn or callus. It is the
most marvelous drag known.
lng itself by the boasted tttle of in
dependence, breeds anarchy, ruin and
sorrow, while the spirit of humility,
with, its mutual respect and depen
dence, is a forerunner of righteous
ness, peace and happiness, not only
for the individual who possesses It,
but also for the home In irhich be
lives and for the community which, ha
honors with his presence.
Men and women, let me assure you
that Jesus Christ knew what he was
doing when he made humility of
heart the key to Christian character
by declaring that to the poor in spirit
belongs the kingdom of heaven. True
humility is the key to character be
cause it is the primary prerequisite
to personal redemption, to worthy at
tainment and to successful fellow
ship. The truly Christian man Is a hum
ble man, and without humility no
man can rightfully be called a Chris
tian in the New Testament sense of
that term. What God wants today,
and what the world needs, are gen
uine New Testament Christians
men and women who through their
Christlike self-abasement are strong
enough to lay aside the thought of
their own rights and their own dig
nity and their own reputation that
they may protect ' and uphold the
rights and dignity and reputation of
others. That. my friend. is the
world's great need. Won't you help
to answer that need?
For Christian humility la not weak
ness. It is not softness. It is not
that mushy sentimentalism which
renders a man foolish and worthless.
The' humility which Jesus wants and
which ho himself exemplified, is a
form of strength. Its secret lies in
coming close to almighty God. We
are told that it was while Jesus knew
"that he came from God and was
going back to God" that he girded
himself with a towel and proceeded
to wash his disciples' feet. The rea
son why so many of us make such a
f u.3 about sustaining our honor and
our dignity and take such a delight
in putting on airs is that we do not
know, that we have come from God
and forget that we are going back to
him. Only he who is sure of God
posesses the secret of genuine humil
ity. flowers are produced In this vicinity
than in any other locality in the
United States.
English Fear Inrlnenza.
LONDON. Medical opinion seems to
be divided here as to whether English
people will experience another out
break of influenza, but the ministry
of health has taken active steps in
preparation for a possible recurrence
of the plague
TITTH AVENUE
-DLLL
Put a few drops directly npon
any tender, aching corn or cal
lus. Instantly the soreness dis
appears and shortly the corn '
or callus will loosen and can bo
lifted off with the fingers.
' Treezoae doesn't cat out the
corns or calluses but shrivels,
them without any Irritation.
Women! . Keep freezone on
your dresser and apply a few.
drops whenever a corn bepins
aching. Pain stops, corn goes!