Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1852-02-17

the Oxford Professor. Osgood, the American
painter, when n boy, was deprived by an aus
tere relative, of the use of pencils and paper
bat he set to work and practced drawing on
the sand of the river side Clifford, late editor
of the Quarterly Rerieio, worked his first prob
lens in mathematics, when contemporaries,
upon small scraps Of leather, which he beat
smooth for the purpose. Bloomfield, the au-
thor Of the . .Farras - Boy" wrots his first
poems on the same material with an awl Be-
wick first practiced his genius on the cottage
walls of his native village, which he covered
with his sketches in chalk Rittenhouse, the
astronomer, calculated eclipses on the plow-
handle. Benjamin West, the painter, made his
first brushes out Of the cats tail.
1t is not accident, then, that helps man on
in the world, but purpose and persistent indus
try. These make man sharp to discern op-
portunities, and to use them. To the sluggish
and the purposeless, the happiest opportunities
avail nothing-they pass them by with indiffer-
ence, seeing no meaning in them. Successful
men achieve and perform, but they have the
purpose to do so. They "scorn delights, and
{ice iaborous days" They labor with hand
and head. Difficulties serve only to draw forth
the energies of their character, and often their
highest pleasures is in graphing with and over
coming them. Difficulties are the tutors and
monitors of men, placed in their path for their
best discipline and development. Push through,
then strength will grow with repeated effort
Doubtless Professor Faraday had difficulties
to encounter, in working his way up from the
carpenters bench to the highest rank as scien-
tific chemist and philosopher. And DR.. Kitto,
had his difficulties to overcome, in reaching his
present lofty position as one Of the best of our
Biblical critics deaf from very early age, he
was for sometime indebted to the poor-rates for
his subsistence, having composed his first es-
says sin workhouse." And Hugh Miller, the
author of "The old Red Sandstone" had diff
culties to grapple with, in the stone-quarry in
Cromarty, out of which he raised himself to q
position of eminent honor and usefulness
And George Stephenson too, who was q trap
per-boy in coalpit, had difficulties to encoun-
ter, perhaps greater than them all; but like
true and strong man, bravely surmounted and
triumphed over them. "Whatw said John
Hunter, the first of English surgeons, original
ly q carpenter, I" Is there man whom difficult
ties dishearten, who bends to the storm! He
will do little Is there one who a0iR conquer?
That kind of man never fails"
Man must be his own helper He must cul-
tivate his own nature. No man can do this for
him. No institution can do it, Possibly man
may get another to do his work for him, but not
to do his thinking for him. A mans best help
is in himself--in his own heart, in his own soul,
in his own reso!ute purpose. The battle can
not be fought by proxy. A mans mind may
be reused by another, and his desire to improve
and advance himself excited by another; but
he must mould his own stuff, quarry his own
nature, make his own character Whatifa man
fails in one effort? Let him try again Let
him try hard, try often, and he cannot fail ulti-
mately TO succeed. No man can tell what he can
do until he tries, and tries with resolution
Difficulties often fall away of themselves, be-
fore determination to overcome them. "Therc
is something in resolution" says Walker, in
the Original, (which has an influence beyond
itself, and it marches on like mighty lord
among its slaves. All is prostraton where it
appears. When bent on good, it is almost the
noblest attribute of man; when on evil, the most
dangerous. 1t is only by ha6itual resolution,
that men succeed to any great cxtent-mere
impulses are not sufficient"
Some are scared from the d;gent practice of
selfculture and self-heIp, because they find
their progress to be slow. They are in des-
pair, because, having planted their acorn, they
do not see it grow up into an oak at once
These must cultivate the virtue of patience
one of the quietest but most valuable of hu-
man virtues. They must be satisfied to do
their true work, and wait the issues thereof
" How much" says CARLYLE, "grows every where
if we do but wait! Through the swamps one
will shape causeways, force purifying drains;
we will learn to thread the rocky inaccessible
ties, and beaten tracks, worn smooth by mere
travelling human feet, will form themselves
Not difficulty but can transfgure itself into a
triumph not even a deformity, but if our own
soul have imprinted worth on it, will grow dear
to u.s."
Let us have the honesty and the wisdom to
do the duty that lies nearest us; and assuredly
the first is the culture of ourselves. If we can
not accomplish much, we can at least do our
best. We can cultivate such powers as have
been given to us. We may not have the ten
talents, but if we have only the one, let us
bring it out and use it, not go bury it in the
earth like the unworthy man in the parable
" If there be one thing on eartb," said DR.. Ar
mold, switch is truly admirable, it is to see
Gods wisdom blessing an inferiority of natural
powers, when they have been honestly, truly,
and zealously cultivated" Let us strike into
the true path, and keep there, working on hope
fully, patiently, and resolutely-not turned aside
by temptation, nor putting off the work from
day to day by vain resolutions to do things that
are never done; but no, with all our might,
what the hand indeth to do; and we may safe
ly leave the issues in the hands of Supreme