The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1846-02-14
Pc R S E V e X A N C e.
BY T. $. ARTHUR.

heard very good anecdote told of two
negroes who etafter church one Sun
day, and discussed the merits Of the SER
mon they had just heard.
.'Bill," said one Of them, show you
like de sarmint?"
20, berry well, Sam, only dar was
one word couldn't understand, no how
nor nothing"
"Deed And what was dat?'
sparse werance."
"Parse werance! Ho! Ill tell you
what dat mean"
SWELL! What him mean?'
81 ten you"
"Do, il. you please. OATS jis what
dis child wants to know"
"Parsewerance mean-let me see
itmean?"
"Ho! You don't no what it mean"
"Do'nt |? Jist you hold on mint.
Perseverance mean, take hoM. hoM on,
and neber leaue go. OATS what him
mean"
"Sure?"
eyes. Dis child is sure"
"Much 'beeged to you Sam. un-
derstand now. Next time Hector tries
to run off wild me, I'll give HIM little
pGrewerance. guess that will do"
Hundreds of times since have i
thought Of Sans definition OF the word
perseverance when have seen young
men giving up, and sinking down de-
spondingly, after few struggles with
the world. Success is nnl y obtained,
in any pursuit, by perseverance; and
the best definition have yet seen Of
the word is. stake hold, hold on, and
never let go!'' Whoever enters upon
liic with this genuine kind of persever-
ance, will be sure of success; and he
who does not possess it, will be pretty
certain net to succeed.
I'll have seen in my time, great ma
ny efforts made by poor young men to
elevate themselves above the condition
OF journeymen mechanics. or of clerks
in stores. Only few of these sue
ceeded, and they had perseverance Of
the right sort. | will mention single
instance:
Thomas Lands an1 james Wilson
were sons OF poormechancs, who could
give them the merest rudinents of an
education. There were no public
schools, at the time, in the city where
they lived. At an early age they were
apprenticed to tn trade of cabinet
making and worked at it until they
were each l8 years of age. with no
doubt beyond that of being journey
men cabinet makers Git mi ;ht be mas
ter workmen) all their lives. But.
about this time something or other,
awakened in the mind Of each an amb-
ton to rise into one Of the professions;
that of medicine,
Lands mad quick mind. But Will
sons intellect was sluggish. The for
mer first became dissatisfied, and i,n-
parted The contagion TO his friend.
AT first the best they could do was
to attend private evening lectures dur
ing the winter, on anatomy and chem
istry, and to study diligently every
spare moment. A young ply ysican
with whom they were acquainted, Of
iered them every facility his office az
forded-such as books, preparations,
etc. Landis advanced rapidly; but
Wilson made slow progress at first
Ii cost the former little effort to study
to the latter it was hard task. New
ertheless, Wilson had perseverance, and
a will not to be subdued by difficulties.
He rose in the morning an hour ear.
lier than his fellow apprentices, to stu
ady--took but little recreation in the
evening --and was frequently porng
over bis books long after they were
sound asleep at night. When the
spring opene !, after the first winters
hard application, he was as far adj
vanced as his friend Lands. The lat
ter had done very well but if he had
made as good use of his time as tile
other, he would have done much bet
ter. M a
sa.t A good many difficulties and discour-
aging circumstances presented them
selves during the second year. The
! master OF the two lads, or young men
; as they now were. objected to TO course
they were pursuing, on the ground that
it diverted their minds from their work.
Lands was fretted at this, BUT Wilson
did not appear much troubled. The
sardor of.the former was coIored. But
1.-The latter sat up later and rose earlier.
and by this means studied as many
hours as before, and without attracting
so much OF his masters attention.
This course, steadily persevered IN. {
placed him by the next winter in ad- I
unnaa &c [ nndis In thraa uanrc hn | Z