22
THE BATTALION.
out of my environment, my own un
ruly nature. I am here—not part of
me, but all of me—not in proxy, but in
person—to say yes to every righteous
act, and to maintain every righteous
act that virtuous student life requires
of me, I am here to record my vigor
ous nay, my personal protest, against
?very vicious thing in word, thought,
and deed, that would militate against
my work and the work of my compan
ions. We are all here for that. I am,
all of me, unreservedly, here for that.
And if I am not here, all of me, hands,
feet, mouth, eyes, reason, heart,
conscience—why, in rough but truth
ful words, I am lying to myself,
to my superior officers, to my compan
ions, to my God, when I say “here.”
The government accepted an appli
cant for the ranks. To all appearances
he had the qualifications of a soldier,
a stout, healthy body, sufficient intelli
gence, and, best of all, he had volun
teered. He answered to his true name
yesterday morning in a company at the
front. He was a unit in a charge
where honor was to be maintained and
victory grasped at the expense of lives.
At the important moment he shirked.
Isn’t he disgraced? Hasn’t he, to an
extent, disgraced his command, his of
ficers, his flag, his country? Make the
applicaton. A youth whose parents,
friends, state, trusted him and commit
ted to him their hopes and honor, an
swered to his name out there yester
day morning. His class, his professors,
his college trusted him when he said,
“here.” At a critical hour he shirked.
Has he raised the standard of college
excellence and class pride or has he
pulled it down a notch? Has he ad
vanced his name and his father’s name
on the roll of honor, or has he dragged
it down with himself? Was he there
when he answered “here?” How can a
man stand up unblushingly and say
“here” when he knows he is unprepar
ed for the demands upon him which the
answer ‘here” implies?
But I have no individual cadet in
mind when I say these things. I wish
only to impress you with the fact that
what may seem very little and unim
portant matters are most significant
when observed aright and you must see
my meaning waen I tell you that these
repeated and irksome roll calls of ca
det life are only your initiation into an
unceasing series of momentous roll
calls to whch you are to answer so long
as life lasts. You will, some of you af
ter leaving here, apply for position in
employments which are always open to
good men. You will be asked your
name, your age, your antecedents, your
schools;; your diplomas and certificates
will be examined. Some men of good
reputation will probably become secur-
rity for you; your assumption of the
work and its responsibilities is your
roll call answer “here.” I advise you to
ponder well what it means. Do not en
ter upon such position with any reser
vations. Or, suppose you undertake,
after due preparation, to fill some pro
fessional post, say the physician’s. Sup
pose you answer “here” to the call of
some patient dangerously ill. Will it be
enough if you carry about with you the
diploma which grants you the title M.
D.? Will it suffice if you can talk
learnedly of disease and call out the
names of bones, muscles and nerves in
the jargon that attaches to them? I
should, for one, wish to know—is the
man, the gentleman, the sympathetic
friend and nurse represented also in
the titled doctor. I should grant him
still more of my confidence did I know
that he has taken out a diploma in the