The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1854-12-16
For the n nnesotian.
For Young Men.-No. III.

For Young Men.-No III.
Always have definite object in view. There
is seldom any great end accomplished without
having the mind steadily fixed upou that end
There is u power in the intensity of desire that
controls the will, and leads to a wise selection
of means, and a vigorous application of all our
powers in executing the mandates OF the will.
As man thinkcth. so is he,' and some one
has said in substance, That a young man can
accomplish anything, or be anything, in the
range of human possibilities, that he determine
ed to accomplish or to be-" If this be true, the
limit Of your success is marked out by your
own will. under and subject to the government
of God. who smiles upon the full exercise of our
powers in the pursuit of objects worthy OF be-
;ngs created for two worlds Mind has such
dominion over matter. that it seems to mould
into shape, and combine in one structure, what
ever it material it chooses. A house is but
thought material:zed and made palpablc to the
senses a fortune is but succession of thoughts
realized and gathered around the same point.
A man grows rich by fixing his mind upon some
definite object and keeping that steadily in
view he may have thousand different sources
of gain, and as many schemes Of speculation.
but all subservient to his one great aim he
puraues all these. not for themselves, but for
the sake of the profit he hopes may arise from
each. The learned man has acquired his know
ledge by a like laboriOus application of his
powers in the attainment Of the object upon
which lie has fixed his mind. The man eminent
in his profession. has attained that eminencc
by Applicant n in the same direction. The real
statesman, who is high up the ladder of fame
has attained that h sh position by laboriously
climbing up towards the mark upon which he
has fixed his eye. Labor conquers all things"
The blacksmith hammers out his fortune, stroke
by stroke. The carpenter planes and saws and
chiscls out his and fastcns it with nails The
tailor bends over his and scws it together stitch
by stitch; and the setting Of his goose brings
out eagles. The men who have succeeded in
their business. or professions are those who had
Il definite object before them, anu kept steadily
in pursuit of that object.
Were ship to put to sea without any port
in view, with determination to keep her prov
to lceward. and a canvass spread to catch what
ever wind might blow, and sail before it, there
would hardly be possibility that she would
escape being wreck. One day she might sail
rapidly towards some port Of safety. but the
wind shifts and she is driven in another d:rec-
ton over the boundlcss deep; at one time she
rides the waves safely in an open sea at ano-
Their, she plunges among breakers or is driv-
ing hard upon lee shore and as there is only
here and there a port along the vast extent OF
shore, she is not likely to enter any. How DIFF
irrcnt with the bark that has poT. in view
Bound for Liverpool is her motto, and for Ii
verpool she steers. no matter how the wind
blows she may have to tack first in one diryc,
ton and then in another. but all the time keep
ing the port in view and nearing it as rapidly
she can. She may encounter storms and
head winds and be long at sea. but she will at
last ride safely into port. Lie is an ocean a:l!
there are storms upon its dark waters there
are breakers, and Ice shores. and hidden roek-
and reefs more dangerous than the coral: and
its surface is wh:tcned with sails OF human Wy
ayers moving in every direction. some contend
ing manfu!ly with the waves and winds. sailing
10y SAFE stars; others are driving madly before
the winds of passion and appetite. already
among the rocks on which thousands have been
wrecked. Fix then upon an object worthy OF
your choice-make that your AIM Fasten
your will upon it, and you will bring it nearer
and nearer. GILLIN.