MARCH 19, 1942
THE LEXHIPEP
PAGE 3
'Poet’s Corner
YOU’RE THE SUCCESSFUL
ONE!
—E. H, Easter, Jr.
I
Have you ever tried to reach a goal
you knew was out of reach?
Or ever dare to “hope-to-die”
for a cause you wanted preached?
Were all the pitfalls there
To hold you in their grasp
As you passed along that beck’ning
road—
The road to great success?
And when the road got bumpy
And finished at a brink,
Did you sit awhile—just a little while
And really try to think?
Or did the way seem weary?
And was the load you had to carry
along that bumpy road
Too heavy for your humble back?
II
I think not, lad, for you are brave,
and true to every high goal.
And if your fortune does not pave
A glittering path of gold.
You’ll not give up
And say: “I’m licked!
To Hell with all this bickery
Of seeking fame!”—and fortune, too.
For you’re a man
(And not a swine).
With liberty for bread!
Democracy for wine!
A noble cause to fight for;
A glorious goal to seek.
You’re The successful one, my lad.
Your Ace cannot be trumped.
For when the way seems darkest.
And all the bright turns sad.
You’ll keep on traveling;
You will not sink
You’ll push those pitfalls o’er that
brink.
(Editor’s Note: Thanks, E. H.)
A PRAYER
—Bobbie G. Hinkle
Dear God,
With Thy help
Thy will be a way.
Take our boys
As they are needed,
But spare them as You may.
Blessings, Father,
For mothers
For mothers
Who let their dear boys go.
To them
We pay tribute;
You’ll bless them I know.
Dear Lord,
Your help is needed;
With it our fight is done.
Send them on
To victory.
And bless them everyone.
Athletic Teams,
Builders Of Morals
—Parks Easter
THE WIND
—Anne McLendon
Whistling around the corner
And singing a frisky tune;
Hammering against the dormers.
It’s March indeed, not June.
Rushing through the trees
That bend in perfect motion.
The wind sometimes teases;
Some times like a peaceful ocean.
Sweeping sidewalk and road
Playing around about my head.
As if its burden was a light load—
Sometimes quiet, sometimes dead.
Twirling leaves half-up the street.
That seem to jump and float the way.
That playfully dance on imaginary
feet;
It’s merry today, and gay.
Walking in the Wind
I feel it going through—
jf^s if it were sent to mend
And make me feel anew.
.^wing.
Junior “Bobo” Carlton was the only
boy who was not able to win his first
flight. “Bobo” actually won his fight,
because he knocked his opponent all
over the ring but was disqualified for
throwing a foul blow.
All in all, Lexington High boys made
a creditable showing in the tourna
ment, and many have already made
plans to enter next year.
Today, athletic teams play a larger
part in the building of morals than
any one curriculum. Statistics show
that better sportsmanship is developed
when a game between two teams is
played. It teachers the players to be
better sports. They get the chance to
see how it feels to be a loser; the
other players have the chance to show
their will power by not thinking them
selves above the others. It is much
harder to be a loser than a winner.
Usually, the people who participate in
sports are boys. For this reason, the
youth of our country should be re
quired to participate in some form of
athletics in order to improve them
selves mentally and physically. A
daily routine for exercise or athletics
is good for the body; it causes the
person to become alert and enables
him to concentrate on more serious
things at the right time.
The director of athletics has much
to do with the development of the
boys. His influence is usually good
enough to make them obey. The boys
look up to the director as an ideal.
For this reason, the director or coach
can either benefit or harm, according
to his actions. When a coach is seen
doing things that are not right, the
boys begin to lose faith in what he
says about such things as training
and keeping in good condition. Thus
the coach has his duty as well as the
boys.
If more athletics were available ,the
youth of our country would be much
jjetter off than they are now. In
j,:ther words, build the boys today and
|enjoy the profits of good men tomor
row.
HEIGH-HO!
TO RALEIGH WE GO!
(Continued from page 1)
ficers conference, and
ference.
teachers con-
Later, after a hurried lunch the
Lexingtonians gathered in the Sir
Walter lobby and campaigned for
Brinkley. At three o’clock the hour
came! The group ’mid shouts of good
When And How To
Say It
—^Ladine Michael
. To be a good conversationalist, you
SrUst first of all be a good listener—
ot just a listener, but an interested
stener. In that way, you will not
vhly make the other fellow feel good
giving him an appreciative aud-
■W-nce, but you will increase your own
sfiowledge.
Wc
It-Steer the conversation into subjects
th which he is interested—^his hobbies,
ligs school, his ambitions. You will
obably find that here is a fellow
“Wi should have known better long
0, and you will find that his interest
Excuses
Mary Jo Davis
Can you think of anything more
ideal than to live your life so as not
to have to make excuses? Only a few
of us get by without making some
excuse every day.
We get up late Sunday morning-
feeling tireq from the week’s work
and social activities. Immediately
you start thinking of some excuse to
console our conscience for not going
CO church. The telephone rings; it is
^.omeone calling up and asking us to
take part on the program at the eve
ning church service. Before you are
naif through talking to the person,
you have tnought of a good excuse and
a smooth way to put it across so you
will not have to take any part.
When the certain boy, whom you
have avoided as much as possible,
calls you up and asks for a date, you
always have something planned, or
you may have a headache or sore
throat.
The excuses never seem to run out.
We never stop to think that it would
sometimes be better to do what is
asked of us rather than to reap the
results of the untruths as we excuse
ourselves through life.
It might be interesting if we tried
to see how long we could go without
making excuses.
Lil’ Abner
—Phyllis Shoaf
Scouting
—Jack Weddingion
I believe that during the three years
which I spent scouting that I derived
more pleasure and practical knowl
edge than I have ever received from
any other organization. At the time
I dropped out of scouting I could not
see the benefits I had received from
scouting. Now, as I look t>ack on
those days, I realize that they were
probably the happiest days I have
ever lived through.
Scouting does not benefit one in
just one way. It helps build all
round American boys. It teaches boys
to take care of themselves under dif
ficult conditions. The scout courses
and camping trips prepare boys for
manhood. The camping trips help
shy boys to learn to mingle with other
boys. The first-aid courses taught to
all scouts are invaluable in later life.
Boys generally have to be doing
something, because their restless spir
it keeps calling for action. If a boy
is a scout, he generally has enough to
do to keep him out of trouble. Boys
love scouting because when they are
sitting by a campfire it gives them a
feeling of freedom which they just
can not find anywhere else.
In times of strife such as we are
now going through, boys need to learn
to be on their own. They need to
learn the first-aid courses, the signal
ing courses and possible even the
cooking courses. The leaders of Amer
ica will do well to remember that the
boys of today will be the defense
workers and soldiers of tomorrow.
I imagine there are very few people
who ao not know that lovable cnarac-
cer known as Lil’ Abner Yokum. He
IS a tall, lanky boy who lives in the
mils known as Dogpatch. The torn
red shirt, the blue one-strap overalls
and the large brogan shoes are a part
of him as much as his stupidity and
great strength. Honesty and helpful
ness are two of his ideals.
He lives in a log cabin with mammy
and pappy Yokum. Mammy is the
ruler of the house, and the strongest
person in the whole vast country of
Dogpatch. Preserved turnips are pap
py’s weakness, and he would do any-
tning to get them. Their dearest
friend and one whom they all love is
Salomey, the little fat pig.
Lil’ Abner had rather go catfishing
bj'- the moonlight anytime than to
court Daisy Mae Scragg, a beautiful
Dlond girl. Daisy Mae is deeply in
love with him and thus shows it to
him by following him around wher
ever he goes.
By the little everyday happenings in
his life, Lil’ Abner brings a smile to
many people’s faces and happiness in
many houses everyday. If one is wor
ried, troubled, and has a frown on
your face, he will come to the rescue
and change that frown to a smile in
no time.
Yes, A1 Capp has certainly created
a great character, one who will go
down in history (comics history). A
person who can express so much per
sonality in his drawings must have a
grand personality himself. America
should be glad that she still has peo
ple who can continue to bring forth
good feelings from people’s hearts.
Americans should be glad that these
people are allowed to continue theii
W’ork. Although the comics should not
be the only part of the paper read,
characters such as Lil’ Abner have
not hurt anyone yet.
Sadie Hawkins’ Day and Dogpatch
Wooing has been started in many
colleges because of the Dogpatchers.
Because of these any many other
things, Lil’ Abner Yokum, the intelli
gent Dogpatcher, has become an un
forgettable character.
America’s Problem
—iFrajiices Louise McKay
in you increases also.
But hold up your side. And this is
where reading comes in handy—keep
ing and maintaining a keen interest
in what is happening in this busy
world, Reading and making your
mind a wealth of interesting informa
tion makes for sparkling conversa
tion. Be sure to bring your sense of
hiunor along.
It is good to know when to stop
talking as well as when to talk, so
here are two “don’t’s.’ Don’t gossip,
or you will find yourself without a
listener. And don’t offer advice, un
less it is asked.
Simple rules, are they not? But if
you follow them, you’ll find your con
versation is sought by young and old
alike.
Every child born into this world is
given a mind, a body, and a soul.
From the moment he begins to grow,
his mind begins developing. Some peo
ple often spend twenty years or more
teaching their minds how to work and
storing up knowledge. All of this time
their physical make-up is also being
developed. Each time they walk or
run or swim or skate, their body be
comes stronger and more useful. But
although one’s mind and body are per
fected, without a soul, he is nothing.
He can neither be happy, prosperous,
nor benefit mankind without a right
spiritual outlook on life.
Likewise, the United States of Amer
ica is compared to a man with a
mind, body, and soul. It has access
to millions of highly developed minds
of scientists, doctors, lawyers, strate
gists, and so forth. America also has
many strong, well-built bodies. Thou
sands of its people have entirely
changed their positions and their phys
ical routines during this great crisis,
and have given their minds and bodies
to their America. Extensive training is
being given to help in the building of
the bodies and minds of our citizens,
and we are developing a fine moral and
physical resistance. But what this
country really needs is for every Amer
ican to give his soul to God.
Our coimtry was founded upon the
desire for religious freedom. This task
was completed by means of hope and
prayer. Now that we have our religious
freedom we must keep it, not only for
ourselves but for others. The only
way that we can accomplish this pm’-
pose is with a great deal of hope and
by many prayers. America must turn
entirely to God! ! !