Show the Pro progress b of personality by LEONARD A BARR BARRETT ETT I 1 our thoughtful observation of plant and animal life convinces us that the secret of all organic development is assimilation but in order that there may be proper assimilation there must be present in nature elements which have an affinity for the plant or animal the law that like attracts like proves true even on the lowest plane of organic life in other words wards plants and animals grow to their best advantage in in the absence of obstructions A pebble in a scanty brook may change the course of many a river a dewdrop in a scanty brook may dwarf a giant forever storms annually lay bare a large acreage of wheat and other grains they also tear down trees and destroy the produce of the soil the absence of rain may play havoc with summer crops or its untimely fall ruin many a harvest the intense li heat at of the sun beyond the power of the plant to assimilate causes it to wither and die parasites abound every owner of an orchard knows that it is necessary to spray his trees we must destroy the enemies of organic life we must kill the parasites if we would have a beautiful garden thus in the organic world the law seems to be HES A BUSY BEE T 71 f 11 V X Z fa 1 V io V n I 1 lou fette brilliant freshman right hander of the boston bees is the top twirler of the club that calamities check development and opposing forces destroy even unto death the human race is also dependent upon affinities from which it assimilates simi lates elements essential for growth but in the development of personality the law works the other way opposing forces weaken and perhaps destroy the plant but they are a valuable and constructive contribution trib ution to the development of personality sona lity there is no other way to release the deep reservoirs of spiritual and mental strength than by contact with competition opposition and even oppression the enduring growth of personality depends upon the degree in which each person stores up and uses the reserve power that rightly belongs to human life as oxygen belongs to pure air with conscious reserve power no calamity can break down poise nor destroy human purpose the progress of personality depends not upon an external weapon of resistance but upon internal reason contrast the life of one who has never suffered with that of one who has drunk deeply from its cup the truth is evident fighting the good fight against opposing forces has given strength to both character and soul nothing grows unless it has a central core of identity which does not change the central core of personality is its identity with the spiritual laws of human life by use of reason man has found the laws of the cosmic world and has used them in building up the civilization of 0 a great scientific age by concentration of that same reason upon the laws of personality man will discover greater worlds of human achievement than hitherto known As man enters into the quest of his own spirit and establishes his identity with the spiritual spirit nal laws I 1 so shall come the progress ot of personality so shall come the meaning and the merit of human life Q western newspaper union |