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10
VOICES OF YOUTH
The Man Who Conquers Himself
By Elisha Safford.
I have sung my songs to the valiant knight
In his shining helmet and shield,
But today I sing of a nobler knight
And a nobler battlefield;
When the warrior’s paeans have died away
And his epics mould on the shelf,
The song that will live is the song of the man
Who has learned to conquer himself.
Not where the bayonets gleam afar
Through the battle’s sulphurous breath,
Not where the bugle’s loud clarion shrills
Above the wild tumult of death;
But where never a silken flag unfurls
To gladden the patriot’s sight,
He has bared his breast to a higher call,
And struggled for God and the right.
To the hero fresh from the ranks of strife
We haste with our garlanded bay,
And deck the shrines that he battled for
With the loveliest flowers of May.
We rear to his fame our stateliest shaft,
And blazon his victories won,
But for him who battled ’gainst self and wrong
There is nought but oblivion.
When the echoes of war are lulled to rest
In the heart of a peaceful world,
When the swords of conflict are red with rust,
And the flags forever are furled;
When the laurel fades that adorns the brows
That struggled for glory and pelf,
To him shall be given the fairest crown
Who has learned to conquer himself.
—Success.
Our Plans For the Future.
This week we find our letter box so full that it
will be impossible even to begin a series of articles
for this department, the first of which we had hoped
to present with this number. But it will be of
interest to our young people to know that there
is in course of preparation another prize contest,
which will be in line with our usual work. By
this we mean a prize which will inspire youth to
a higher and holier plane of living by considering
the great lives and the great deeds of others.
We intend to give a certain amount of space
each week to a series of “Hero Stories,” and we
want the help of every young reader of this depart
ment. While we, ourselves, shall use only such
stories as are historically true, we know that heroic,
self-sacrificing acts are often met w T ith in every day
life and from the very humblest sources. It is of
such acts, occurring in the knowledge of yourself
or your friends, that we want you to tell us. We
mean to give you until our paper’s first birthday,
February 22, for this work, and on that day we will
announce the winner of the Hero Prize.
First of all, dear young people, let us remember
that heroism does not mean standing face to face
with a big gun in the thick of a battle; it does not
even mean rushing into a burning building and
rescuing the threatened inmates; nor throwing one
self gallantly into the ocean and swimming to the
aid of a drowning comrade! While all such acts
are, of course, “heroic,” they do not necessarily
cover the whole field of heroism. A boy or girl,
man or woman, may, by his choice between duty
and inclination, show that he is of the right sort
of stuff to make a hero. He may silently choose
to remain beside a helpless parent when his com
rades are making away in the world for them
selves; he may even fight a battle with himself
and some special “unseen foe” and prove himself
a hero by his victory. He may sacrifice himself to
some high ideal of honor, to some demands of friend
ship, and by his loyal courage win the best fight
of all. It is of such cases as well as those of
physical courage that we would hear and of which
we shall also tell. We await the first letters on
this subject and we hope next week to tell a story
—a true one —which shall inspire and interest
you all.
With Our Correspondents.
“Already One of the Best Young People’s Pages.”
Dear Editor: —Here comes another girl asking for
a little space in your page. I have never written
before. My father does not take the Golden Age,
The Golden Age for January 24, 1907.
but we get it from a friend. I enjoy reading the
letters, but have never seen one from this place.
I think it so kind of the editor to allow a space in
his valuable paper for the young people. I think
all young people should write to papers and also
read all good books and papers that they possibly
can. There is nothing I enjoy more than good
books. I am now reading “Prince of the House of
David.” I think it a splendid book. I wish all the
young Southerners could read it. But there is
more for us to do than to read books. We must
w r eave the good things suggested in them into our
own lives. It seems to me that each and every one
of us should join hands with Mr. Upshaw, and give
a helping hand toward making our page more inter
esting. It is already one of the best pages in the
Southern papers which is devoted exclusively to the
young people, but with the help of the dear editor
who untiringly edits our column we can make :t
the most interesting and helpful paper in the South.
I feel sure that no other paper is as worthy of a
successful young people’s page as The Golden Age,
for already I have heard lots of young people talking
of the interesting letters which some of the young
people write. For fear my letter will find its way
to the waste basket I will close, wishing the editoi’
success to The Golden Age, I am your friend,
Norcross, Ga. Mattie Singleton.
‘‘Sunshine from a Shut-In.”
Dear Editor: —I tried to send out a little Christ
mas sunshine from my shut-in corner, yet I feel
that I did very little. I sent out a great many
letters and gave some of my books to those too.
poor to buy them. I also sent all my back numbers
of The Golden Age away and gave a doll to a little
girl, as well as giving all my Christmas cards to
others. I hope the receivers were as happy as the
giver! I spent a very quiet and pleasant holiday.
Only left my room one day to attend a dining at
my brother’s. The children here were very happy
over Santa Claus. Uncle Sam was very kind to
remember me as he did. I wish all a very bright
and happy New Year. May each young heart be
full of the Savior’s love —the sweetest Christmas
gift, from the Giver of all good things.
“The Author of a Little Sunbeam,” or
“Mollie Darling.”
We want to thank the writer of this letter for
her effort to bring the helpful influence of her own
brave cheerfulness into our circle. All of our young
people will remember a brief editorial notice which
appeared in The Golden Age a few weeks ago, tell
ing of the publication of a delightful book entitled
“Little Sunbeam.” It is the “Shut-In” writer of this
book who sends the letter just above. Although a
woman in years, she is a child in stature, but a giant
in beautiful Christian strength, courage and pati
ence. She is very welcome, therefore, and we be
lieve the story of her life would be a good one
for our Hero Series. Look into it, young people.
Write her direct to Yatesville, Ga., and get some
“facts” for our Prize contest.
‘‘Learning to Love The Golden Age.”
Dear Editor: —I can not refrain from saying some
thing to you. I am not a subscriber to The Golden
Age, but I am fortunate enough to get it from a
friend, and can you imagine how proud I am to get
the papers? I certainly do enjoy reading good pa
pers. While I have only read your valuable paper
for a short time, I have really learned to love it,
and every one grows better. I enjoy all the editor
has to say, because in years that are gone by he
was a contributor to the children’s page in the
Christian Index. I learned to love his letters and
now watch for one with the name “Earnest Willie,”
but since he has grown into an editor himself, I sup
pose he hasn’t time to visit us. I like the Order of
The Golden Age pledge and only wish every one could
sign it. Many that are now more than the required
age should only be glad to sign and live up to the
order. I for one. I will tell of my country home,
situated near Norcross, Ga. I live on a beautiful
farm and think country life is the pleasantest life
one can live. In spring time the birds sing their
sweet songs and the beautiful flowers come forth
and make us so happy. In all it is a beautiful place
to live in. I live near a country church, where my
mother and father are members. We are three
miles from the town of Norcross, where we attend
church and have a nice Sunday school. My two
sisters and myself are members of the Baptist
church at that place. While I cannot go every time
to Sunday school, I try always to attend preaching
as often as I can. Our beloved pastor, Brother
DeWeese, has resigned and Brother Jennings has
been called and accepted. As my letter has grown
quite long, and this is my first opportunity to write,
will close, wishing the editor a happy New Year
and that The Golden Age may live long to brighten
the many lives of its readers, with love shining
through its interesting columns. I am your true
friend, Dessie Singleton.
Norcross, Ga.
This very interesting letter gives us some charm
ing details of a young life that should indeed be
a happy and a useful one. We wonder if Dessie
knows how much such a life holds for which one
should be thankful? A good home, loving Christian
parents, and happy, helpful church life! A lucky
girl you are, Dessie, and we hope you will write
us again.
‘‘Looking for The Golden Age as for a Dear
Friend.”
Dear Editor: —I have read and received so much
good from your paper I can’t help telling the young
readers how much I appreciate it. I always look
forth for The Golden Age as I would a dear friend,
and, most always turn to the young people’s depart
ment. I- have read with interest the letters on mak
ing others happy Christmas, and I hope to know
soon who won the prize. I want to say to all the
boys and girls, make good use of your school days,
for long as it may seem to you, the time soon comes
when you are expected to bring forth the talent
you have been improving. I send the signed pledge
with this and ask our kind editor to please send
me some sample papers, for I am anxious to have
The Golden Age in the homes of my friends and
neighbors. Listen! won’t it be nice for us to be
known as workers of this dear paper by that little
pin? I guess I had better stop and give some one
else a little room. Your friend,
Dexter, Ga. Ida C. Ussery.
P. S. —I forgot to say anything about the change
in name of this department, but I think it has the
right name now. Ida.
In addition to putting your name on the Roll of
Honor, Ida, we want to thank you for your helpful
letter and for your interest in our work. We will
give a picture next week of the Gold Pin we are
offering for new subscribers and which shall also
show that its wearer is a member of the Order of
The Golden Age. We hope you may be, yourself, one
of its first owners.
Do You Know ?
Do you know that the largest leaf in the world
is the leaf of a plant called the Victoria Regina,
and that some of the leaves of this plant are more
than six feet in diameter? This curious leaf has a
rim five or six inches high, and in the center is a
beautiful flower which is white at first, but changes
to a pale pink. The leaf grows in the water like
a pond lily, and is a native of tropical climates.
Do you know that sometimes as many as fifty
thousand immigrants come to our shores in a single
week? No country in the world welcomes so many
immigrants to its shores as does America, and no
country offers them such opportunities as they find
here.
Do you know that the coldest inhabited place on
earth is Verkhoyansk, in Northwestern Siberia? In
January the thermometer drops to ninety degrees
below zero. In July the mercury will run up to
eighty-five in the middle of the day, but it drops
to the freezing point at sundown, even in the sum
mer months. The town has about one thousand
inhabitants.
Do you know that the greatest height ever reach
ed by man was seven miles? This great height
was attained by a balloonist named Glaisher in
1862.—Boys’ World.
Conundrums.
Why is a crow a. brave bird? Because he never
shows the white feather.
What did Adam fiist plant in the Garden of
Eden ? His foot.
Why is a stick of candy like a race horse? Be
cause the more you lick it the faster it goes.
What kind of robbery is not dangerous? A
safe robbery.