Commandments

At Simmons College, Boston, back of the Art Museum on Huntington Avenue, 835 girls are studying to become private secretaries. Later they will learn the dreariness of this type of work. But as yet they retain their maidenly assurance. And it was in this mood that last week, at the behest of their Director Edward Henry Eldridge, they examined the current prudency of the Ten Commandments. They found that God had graven His Commandments

3,500 years ago in this order:*

1) Thou shall have no other gods before Me.

2) Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image. . . .

S) Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. . . .

4) Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy. . . .

5) Honor thy father and thy mother. . . .

6) Thou shalt not kill.

7) Thou shalt not commit adultery.

8) Thou shalt not steal.

9) Thou shalt not bear false witness. . . .

10) Thou shalt not covet. . . .

The young women at Simmons, remembering these Commandments/- decided a more prudent arrangement would be this:

1) Honor thy father and thy mother (5). 2) Thou shalt have no other gods before Me (1). 3) Thou shalt not kill (6). 4) Thou shalt not commit adultery (7). 5) Thou shalt not steal (8). 6) Thou shalt not bear false witness (9). 7) Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain (3). . . . 8) Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image (2). . . . ) Thou shalt not covet (10).... 10) Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy (4). . . .

* The Old Testament gives two slightly different versions of the Ten Command ments, EXODUS 20 : 1-17, and DEUTERONOMY 5 : 6-21. It has been a bitter problem collating and dividing these Laws. Jews follow the Talmud's order, Calvinistic and Eastern Orthodox churches Philo's, Roman Catholics and Lutherans St. Augustine's.

/- Few people know all Ten Commandments. Last year Associate Professor Walter B. Pitkin of Columbia, in serious wonder, tested out 14 college professors, 18 newsgatherers, 10 writers, and 6 businessmen. Only one -- Professor William P. Montague of Columbia -- knew all (TIME, April 5).