16 The Acorn til seven; it prevents him from buying his cigarettes, so that he may carry home a dozen oranges to his sick sister. Another of the various dangers which beset boys, is expressed in the single word "Side-shows." We have excluded under this name "Horse Races, Skating Rink, Base Ball ground, Bad reading flash papers and magazines and novels." Beware, too, of the public billiard-hall. This looks bright and attractive from the outside. The walls are frescoed, and the gas lights are very brilliant, and there does not seem to be any harm in shoving about a few ivory balls; but those innocent-looking balls have kept many a boy out of his rightful inheritance a useful, life. No boy that goes into many of the side-show tents at the fair will be likely to get into the main exhibition, just so no boy who patronizes the moral "side-shows" is likely to get into the main current of business life, nor, if he should, will he carry off the prizes of a successful life. Irving Erickson '08. AN IDEAL CONDITION The best way to overcome selfishness is to learn to live for others; not only live and let live, but live and help live. The doctrine of the survival of the fittest is, "I am stronger than you, therefore I will compel you to help me." If we have an ideal society the doctrine will be, "I am stronger than you, therefore I will help you." Honesty to ourselves and to others will bring about this ideal condition. "To thine own self be true, And it must follow as the night the day, Thou canst not be false to any man. Myron Wade '08. A SEED A kindly act is a kernel sown, That will grow to a goodly tree, Shedding its fruit when time has flown Down the gulf of eternity. O'Reilly. For himself doth a man work evil in working evil for another. We look before and after, And pine for what is not; Our sincerest laughter With some pain is fraught; Our sweetest songs are those that tell of saddest thought. Shelley. The Acorn 17 Indolence A young man, whose early training had been neglected, and his advantages for education limited, found himself at the age of twenty-two occupying the lowest position in a wholesale house of Salt Lake City that of porter at a salary of three hundred dollars a year. He had been indolent and this more than anything else had brought him down to his low position. At fifteen he attempted to learn a trade, and the early hour at which he was required to be at his work, and the steady industry, running from ten to twelve hours a day, which was demanded, was more than he would submit too; so after a short trial he gave up the effort. Unfortunately for him, he had a father upon whom he could lean. Not a rich father, but one in humble circumstances, and one who earned only enough to keep his family from cold and hunger. From the workshop, where he could have learned a useful trade, he went into a store. But as no salary was to be paid until the beginning of the second year, he soon got tired, as he said, working for nothing, and left a situation which might have secured him his good fortune. So it went on for a number of years. Finally his father was stricken down with a disease which soon ended his life. Now, the boy was left to stand alone and make his way in the world the best he could. What could he do? There were his aged mother and several sisters who were younger than he, depending upon him for support. He could not and would not desert them. But where could he obtain a position, as he was ignorant of figures and could not write a legible hand? He came to Ogden and succedded in getting a position at Scowcroft's warehouse. When he commenced this work, he said to himself, "I'll go to night school, and gain a better knowledge of letters and figures." This was only a temporary condition at first. On reaching home at night, he felt weary of the day's work, and lounged through the evening, or spent the night with companions who were idle and aimless. He finally took new courage and started to school. This helped him in the position, he now occupied and he soon found out that he could not get along without a little education. One day the shipping clerk of the firm became ill. A member of the firm who had been watching the porter's actions said to him,