The Overflow
The Worth Of The Schools
Our voluble friend, Jimmie Lovell writes in his usual style (slightly restrained hysteria) in defense of "our schools." And we are right in there with him rooting for them—but we don't propose to be so unreasonable in our defense of them as to be totally blind to their short comings. We believe the truest friends the schools have are those who are willing to point out, and try to help correct their errors—not those who vehemently deny that there are any errors. Modernism and denominationalism are not overcome by being ignored. Somebody must be willing to stand up and oppose them, even at the expense of being labeled "anti Christian education." It has always been so.
—O—
"Will Be Greatly Missed"
The aged farmer was speaking to a friend, "Yes, Bill was a wonderful man. He was a skillful driver who took special delight in weaving skillfully in and out of traffic on a Sunday afternoon. He was a good father and a fine neighbor. He will be greatly missed."
—O—
A Better Draw
One of the Houston churches a few weeks ago hit on the idea of having some of the Houston baseball stars come out and address the children in Vacation Bible school. It was quite a success, according to all reports and the house was overflowing with youngsters for the special occasion. The reporter for the Houston met said the players "used an entirely different set of adjectives from the ones they brought out" in describing the umpire's eyesight the day before. Is that the way to get attendance at a Vacation Bible school? If so, why don't some of the churches try to get Hopalong Cassidy to make a personal appearance? The small fry would probably take the place apart for a chance to meet him. Of course, if any effort were made to get their bald-headed daddies out, Betty Grable or Rita Hayworth would probably be more effective. We wonder how much Bible the kids learned that day?
—O—
Household Hint
"The best way to keep a wedding ring from tarnishing is to dip it in dishwater three times a day." —Louise Grimes
—O—
Straight From The Horses' Tail
A writer in the Gospel Advocate had much to say about the present "cooperation" of churches being on the same basis as the cooperation between two horses switching flies off of each other with their tails. But brother Harold F. Sharp of Blytheville, Ark., wrote that brother as follows: "Dear brother Brewer: Do you not think the position you have been trying to sustain would have been much better pictured if you had had this big hoss take the tails from a number of little horses, and then stand there whisking flies from them all?" That states the case pretty well —and it looks like the good ship, Centralized Cooperation, ought to be pretty well becalmed in the "horse latitudes" by now!
—O—
They Ought To Get Together
Apropos of the above, we see where the editor of the Gospel Advocate is convinced that the Guardian's editor is only a Charlie McCarthy editor, exercising no control whatever over what goes into the paper. And the venerable editor of the Firm Foundation is convinced that the Guardian's editor has exercised so severe and stringent an "editorial restraint" over one of our associate editors as to compel that associate to start his own journal in order to write. Now, we respectfully suggest that our brother editors get their heads together and decide just which angle they want to work from. Since we are the "common enemy" (very common according to some of their writings), they ought to decide how they want to picture us to the brotherhood—are we Charlie McCarthy, or are we a "blue pencil happy" ogre who makes life miserable and intolerable for his poor associates?
"Blue Pencil Happy" Editor
As editor of the Gospel Guardian one naturally collects a choice selection of epitaphs and descriptive phrases. Some of them, of course, are trite and common, showing no imagination at all. But others border on sheer genius, and cannot fail to elicit our admiring wonder. One of the latest describes us as a "blue pencil happy" editor. And almost in the same mail another "friend" suggests that the biggest single need the Guardian has is for a five-cent blue pencil! People are not only funny, brother, they are downright hard to please.
—O—
Work For Small Men
"Despise not any man that lives,
Alien or neighbor, near or far;
Go out beneath the scornful stars,
And see how very small you are.
The world is large, and space is high,
That sweeps around our little ken;
But there's no space or time to spare
In which to hate our fellow men.
And this, my friend, is not the work for you;
Then leave all this for smaller men to do."
--Sam Walter Foss
—O—
Medford, Oklahoma
The editor has just closed a fine meeting at Medford, Oklahoma, a town of 1300 people in the northern part of the state. Having begun just sixteen months ago, the Medford church numbers sixteen members. They have bought a lot, moved an abandoned school-house on to it, renovated and redecorated the building, and have one of the neatest, cleanest, and most attractive small buildings one could imagine. They have received about a thousand dollars from outside sources, have contributed nearly twice that much themselves, and have borrowed another $1750 to complete necessary work on their house. It is an inspiration to any gospel preacher to work with such a group. With zeal, foresight, and an unfailing courage they have undertaken the task of building up the church in their community. May their tribe increase.