Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1851-09-18
The Aims OF Life.

as saying, 81 began 10 look around me to
learn what kind of place was in, and what
was next to be DONE" How many thrown, or
perhaps we may say, shipwrecked, on these
shores of time, forget the lessons oftheir con-
ition. They show but little curiosity todfnd out
"what kind of place they are in,'' or "what
is next to be DONE" They seem to take it
for granted that it is of little or no conse-
quence. This is the great secret of wasted
talents and ruined reputation. The best
part of life, if not the whole of it is spent, be-
fore the soul awakes to a consciousness of
it's state and destiny. This is the case with
some of the noblest intellects that God has
ever bestowed upon the world. One of the
most eloquent lawyers that ever grace the
English bar-Thomas Erskine--was twenty
eight years of age before he commenced his
studies, or had formed his plans of life In a
letter to an old classmate, Willberforce, then
in the zenith of his fame, he says, sit is scarce
too much to say that deem myself to have
dream, to have recovered, as it were, the
wanted first principles, at least, which alone
deserve the character of wisdom, or bear the
impress of truth" With many the whole
life is a dream.
They awake only on their death-bed to find
that their more golden moments have fled for
ever. There is no modification like that of
feeling that, after all, life has been only a cy-
pher. Every young man, especially, should
look about him to see what kind of place
he is in, and what is next to be done His
early years are his most precious. In them
he is to lay the foundation of his after course.
If they are neglected, he will be like "the
man who built his house upon sand" For
such neglect no man in our country and in
our day, can have any excuse. The bless
ings of such an education as shall fit him for
his task in life may find their way to his hum
blest home. He need not be serf, except
from choice. If he lives to no purpose, or
makes life failure, his wasted years write
suicide upon his career. There are thousands
of young men in our land, into the hands of
some of whom these lines may come, who
have within their reach treasures of whose
value they have but feeble conception
They may be found by the plough or the an
vii, at the desk or in the workshop. They
may seem to themselves, bound for life to an
obscure druGgery, toiling on wearily from day
| to day, and from year to year, with little to
cheer or animate them in the prospect. And
yet it is within their power to enoble that
drudgery by high and noble purpose. There
is no necessity that they should sink into
mere mechanics for blowing fields or shaping
nail. They may make their daily tasks,
works of duty, the monuments of life of in
telligence and industry and integrity-the
noblest proofs of manhood, of principle and
virtue.
They may rise above serflom to their trades,
to the true dignity of men. They may write
excelsior" on every step of their career
They may leave behind them as they leave
the world, legacy of more than houses and
lands-a memory that will be blessed.
Bunyun, in his allegory ocpilgrirn' Progress,
presents us, at the house of Interpreter, with
some striking and suggestive emblems. A.
mong them is ''the man with muck rake, '
gathering the straws of earth, neglectful ol
the splendid crown over his head, which is
handed down to him by an angel. We won.
der at his stupidity and folly, but is not hi:
case PARALLEL by the conduct of those who
work on their farms or by their work bench
forget their manhood, and value their III
tellect and knowledge merely as they do thei
ploughs or planes, for their utility to execute
labor What should we say of man OF
whose farm was to be found the richest soil
that might be easily titled, and would repay
cultivation with the most abundant harvests
| if instead of improving it, he should leave
to thorns and weeds, and waste his toll ant
sweat on some rocky and barren spot, tha
could never be made to produce harves
that would repay him! How strange woul'
it be to see him forgetting that he owned an.
thing but rocks and sand! And yet full a
strange to us is the forgetfulness of thos
who overlook the mind that God has givel
them, who make their farms a garden, bu
leave their intellects waste. There IS no la
Dor so well repaid as that whcha man expend
upon himself He may not be quick OF appre
henson, he may have rough and rocky so
for the seeds of knowledge. Neglect may hav
suffered thorns and thstles to spring up upo
it; but vet, upon the same soil he may gathe
!, more than golden harvests, treasure OF 100
for thought that will enrich the very winle
, of his age How strange and lnexcusaolt
then, that he should forget it! There are me
sitting California sands for geld. There ar