Show USE A POWER OR LOSE IT by THOMAS ARKLE CLARK late dean of men university of illinois illinoi Illi noi brown who hag been proud of his ability to do athletic stunts hurt his shoulder a few months ago the doctor to whom he went gave him some simple durec alons about what he was to do to get him into shape again told him not to use his arm too strenuously while the joint was in flamed and let him go bbown fol low ed his durec alons favored the arm whenever it was possible and since his job in bolves mental rather than physical activities used the muscles on his left side very little he was sur one day when he caught a glimpse in a mirror of the back of his shoulder to see that instead of a round vigorous muscle there was only a depression where the muscle had once been mt having been used for several weeks it had atrophied and the distressing part of it all lay in the fact that having lost the power it took a great deal longer to get it back than it did to lose it I 1 was the lightning typographer for a time in the printing office in which I 1 worked to earn my living while I 1 waa in college I 1 could carry on a running conversation fall my stick accurately and rapidly at the same time as any typesetter can I 1 knew the case perfectly that was a long time ago I 1 hardly know where a letter Is now I 1 would set a line of type hesitatingly it I 1 held a stick in my hand and it I 1 had to employ the less used letters I 1 would grope about as I 1 might try to find in a dark room a lost collar button the power and skill which I 1 once had Is gone because for a long period of time I 1 have not used it these are largely physical or mechanical ch things to which I 1 have been referring but what Is true of them Is equally true of spiritual or intellectual things one has only to neglect moral obligations to discover how much easier it Is entirely to ignore them once slip and it Is hard to get back unused power is weakened or lost 1932 union |