| Summary: | Newsletter of the North Dakota School for the Deaf. THE NORTH DAKOTA BANNER A national or social crisis is au occasion that calls forth the best in men and women. Great- popular movements have been accompanied, or rather followed, by great leaders, great statesmen, great orators, great writers, great scientists, great artists. How many of the great names that add to the luster of the world’s history might never have been known to fame were it not that circumstances combined to arouse the latent power that was in them?. Had it not been for the uprising in Gaul, Julius Caeaar might have remained but one among many wealthy and idle Roman patricians. Had it not been for the French Revolution, Napoleon Bonaparte might have lived and died a humble Corsican. Had George III been a wiser king, George Washington might ever have remained a common Virginia planter. Had it not been for the momentous questious of human freedom and state rights that, came to a bloody issue in I860. Abraham Lincoln might never have risen above the plane of a poor western lawyer. And had there been no Civil War, U. S. Grant would pro-badly have been nothing but a poor tauncr all his life, instead of ranking, as be does, among the greatest of the world’s military chieftains. “New occasions teach new duties, time makes ancient good uncouth: They must onward still aud upward, who would keep abreast of truth.” One of the most interesting of studies is that of the influence of natural environment upon plant and animal life. The laws of nature are immutable, but SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF Devils Lake, N. D. Gallaudet Day. REV. THOMAS HOPKINS GALLAUDET Born 1787. Died 1851. December io, 1910. Exercises in the Chapel. 8 P. M. Dr. Gallaudet's Romance - - - Mr. Philip Heupel Poem, Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet - Miss Doris Francis Address - J. L. Smith, M. A., Litt. D., Faribault, Minn. Hymn-Mizpah - - Miss Nola Fee Iteception to Dr. Smith by the Wade Literary Society. in all germ life there is great power of adapability to environment. There arc many characteristics of plant and animal life, which we are accustomed to look upon as a matter of course, which are really the result of a process of adaptation that may have been goiug on for countless thousands of years. Many are the animals whose form, color, covering are specially adapted to the places where they live. The white coats of Arctic animals enable them the better to hide themselves in the snow fields. The .stripes of the tiger are adapted to his lurking in the jungle grass. The brown coat of the wood patridge helps it to conceal itself among the dead leaves and undergrowth. The broad padded hoof of the camel is adapted to the sandy desert where it lives. The boat shaped body of the duck is fitted for the clement in which it sports. And-so on in numberless illustrations that might be offered. Scientists may call this adaptation evolution. But what is evolution but the action of time and circumstance upon man and animals? This iuliuence of environment upon, human life conveys on great lesson to those of us who have to do with the care and training of children. Children are little able to choose their own environments. They have to accept such circumstances as are provided bv those who have authority over them. How greatly, then, does it behoove us, parents and teachers, to see to it that the environments of the children in our charge shall be the best that we can provide. A child of the slums, taken thence and surrounded with good influences, may be led to a great and useful life. On the other hand, a child of refinement, subjected to evil envivonoient, may develop into a criminal and a curse to society. Opportunity comes to us all, old and young, to mould our lives, to make of ourselves something better and greater than we are or have been. “Once to every man and nation comes the moment to decide.” One of the greatest reasons for human failure in this life is that man fails to recognize and take advantage of opportunity when it comes. There is au old story about a man who travelled the world over in search of Fortune, but failed to find her. At last, weary and worn, he returned home, only to find her waiting at his own doorstep. Opportunity comes in varied guise, and well is it if we can recognize her and grasp her. Many a fortune is missed
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