The Green caldron - University Library

18
ON
The Green Caldron
"To Thy Happy Children of the
Future Those of the Past Send
Greetings"'
Donna May Shapiro
Rhetoric 101, Theme 7
THE FOURTH FLOOR OF LINCOLN HALL AT THE
University of Illinois is a Classics Museum. Within its four walls
are remnants of past civilizations — statues from ancient Egypt,
dioramas of old Norseland, jev^elry from the iron age, and paintings from
several ages; but of all these objects of beauty and age, one is outstand-
ing — the little drinking fountain way off in the corner. Its importance
stems not from the liquid refreshment which issues from it, nor from its
artistic beauty, but from what it represents — the twentieth century.
No civilization can or should get entirely away from the past, for
in it lies the foundation for the future; however, no civilization should
depend upon its past, or it will never find the future. The future is what
we shall establish, and the future is what we should look to as a guide.
No one ever went forward while looking backward. As it was impossible
for the museum to eliminate an invention of the twentieth century, so it
should be impossible for the children of the ages to eliminate the present.
That little drinking fountain may very well be the "Fountain of Youth"
which Ponce de Leon spent his lifetime searching for. One need only
turn a handle and the life-giving fluid streams forth. What can be more
remarkable ?
With so much beauty in the museum, few visitors notice the fountain,
and fewer can see the message it carries. If more would stop and think
about it, less time might be spent reminiscing about the glories of the
past, and more time might be spent on the days to come.
^ These words are inscribed on the Alma Mater Statue at the University of Illinois.
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