Page 59 - 1913 November - To Dragma

64 TO DRAG MA OF ALPHA OMICRON PI

I t seems to me that it is one of the large, old-fashioned lamps with
a double wick, that used to illuminate the town-halls of old coun-
try villages. The one wick is the Academic, the other, the Social
or Athletic. Many a time in that old town-hall, one wick was
lighted, the other, forgotten. Now, that surely was better than no
wick at all, but it wasn't quite right.

As we study the lamp of the double wick, there comes up before
us a picture of the youth with no light of "ambition"—a well-dressed,
rather good-looking, defiant-aired person, who walks along with
the air, "Father has paid my bills so far, so what's the use of work
or worry." He has no desire to be independent of father. The only
worry he has is not that, "he and his works, like sand from earth"
will be "blown," but, rather, that sometime the family hoard will be
lowered.

The picture changes, the youth is no longer defiant. He is tired-
looking, hollow-eyed, and with a vacant stare. No! he didn't see
the snow-ball fight. No! he didn't go to the game. No! he didn't
grace the reception hall. He is ever at his work. He has surely
lighted the Academic wick but he has forgotten the other.

We should cultivate the guiding light, well trimmed, both wicks
lighted, in order to attain the goal of the perfect college life.

Now, I shall choose a lamp among my seven, a little different from
these two that have just gone before. 'Tis the lamp of the "happy
heart," the lamp that will bring peace and joy to our college. And
how? do you say? Have you not heard a conversation like this?
"I've just met one of the finest people since I entered college. I'm
so sorry I couldn't have known him before." "Have you seen much
of him?" "No, not so very much." " I thought not, he's been on a
good streak. Beware of him, when he has a grouch on." Of
course we all have our off days, but why must the world know all
about them? Keep them to yourselves, but be known to the world
as guided by the lamp of the "happy heart."

But a college would never go rightly i f it had no lamp of "loyal-
ty." This lamp is seldom wholly lost sight o f ; it burns to a greater
or less extent in the lives of almost every student. This lamp shines
out when we remember our "blanket tax", and pay it. This lamp
shines out when we go to the meets and games and cheer with all
our bodily powers. This lamp shines out when we sit for days in
a brown study, trying to represent our class properly at Junior
Exhibition.

But, of course, we all do these things. There's not one of us
who does not do just as much as she is able along these lines. What