3. Suppose next, that there were a thousand millions of human beings on the earth with you, each holding in his hand an unlighted lamp, filled with the same oil as yours, and capable of giving as much light. Suppose these millions should come, one by one, to you, and light each his lamp by yours, would they rob you of any light? Would less of it shine on your own path? Would your lamp burn more dimly for lighting a thousand millions?
4. Thus it is, young friends. In getting rich in the things which perish with the using, men have often obeyed to the letter that first commandment of selfishness: "Keep what you can get, and get what you can." In filling your minds with the wealth of knowledge, you must reverse this rule, and obey this law: "Keep what you give, and give what you can."
5. The fountain of knowledge is filled by its outlets, not by its inlets. You can learn nothing which you do not teach; you can acquire nothing of intellectual wealth, except by giving. In the illustration of the lamps, which I have given you, was not the light of the thousands of millions which were lighted at yours, as much your light, as if it all came from your solitary lamp? Did you not dispel darkness by giving away light?
6. Remember this parable, and, whenever you fall in with an unlighted mind in your walk of life, drop a kind and glowing thought upon it from yours, and set it a-burning in the world with a light that shall shine in some dark place to beam on the benighted.
QUESTIONS.—1. What is said of knowledge? 2. What is the giving of knowledge like? 3. In getting rich, what precept have men obeyed? 4. What precept must be obeyed in getting knowledge? 5. How is knowledge best acquired? 6. What is meant by the jewelry of the mind, first paragraph? 7. What, by intellectual wealth, fifth paragraph?
[!-- Marker --] LESSON XX.
EX TIN' GUISH ED, put out.
SOL' EMN, grave; serious.
GAR' RI SON, fortress furnished with soldiers, for defense.
SEN' TI NEL, soldier on guard.
CAR A VAN, company of traveling traders or pilgrims.
CON STEL LA' TIONS, clusters of fixed stars.
BRILL' IANT, shining; sparkling.
HOST, great multitude.
EX' TRA, additional.
CRES' CENT, form of the new moon.
HAIL' ED, saluted.
EF FUL' GENCE, splendor.
RE' GEN CY, rule; government.
WAN' ING, decreasing.
SUP PLI CA TION, prayer; petition.
RAPT' URE, great joy; transport.
[Headnote 1: PAL' ES TINE includes that part of Turkey in Asia, lying on the eastern borders of the Mediterranean Sea.]