The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1854-05-10

ures you can make TINS to appear
to the satisfaction Of half.dozen good
citizens, come to me, and will pay
your board and clothe you. But I will
pay neither grog nor cigar bills, nor for
theatre tickets, nor for extravagant
clothing either.
Young man, you must cease to build
castles in the air over night, which are
to be dissipated with the fog, by next
mornings sun. Gold mines and rich
wives and dead uncles or aunts, leaving
you fortunes, are things very uncer-
tain. And the fact that you look for
such things, proves you TO be worth.
less.
Decision Of character is fortune
ITSELF Determine upon some honest
employment, and 60 q. it with might
and main, and the work is done almost
as soon as begun, for you gain the
confidence and respect of all good citi.
zens at once, and your ultimate success
is rs sure rs clap of thunder accom-
panies n vivid flash Of lightning.-
Pshaw! Don't tell me you can get no.
thing to d., or that your business don't
support you, when your face indicates
high health, and you smoke spanish ci.
gars and wear coats worth twenty five
dollars. Don't talk in this way, when
thousands Of dollars are made by others
while you are snoring most inglorious-
ly--or spending your time around tav-
ern doors, or even in worse manner.
can point out a number Of young men
in this community, who, few years
ago were worth nothing but sound
bodies and honest hearts and determ.
lned wills, who are now growing rich
and have oil along been respectable,
because they wcre not ashamed to
work. You know them too.
real some years ago, in book
called Decision Of character by John
Foster, a story to the following i'm.
port, as illustrative of the question he
was discussing, viz: the success which
crowns the efforts Of determined pur
pose. The principle is involved in the
anecdote, although to my mind the re-
suits were any thing than happy. The
story runs thus: Il quote entirely from
mernory.)
a young man had been left by his
father in the possession ofa large prop
erty. f1e became dissipated and ex
travagant. A gai'g Of base men prey.
ed upon his iszsrperience until finally
they swindled him out of every cent
of his large Patrinony. After they
had got all. they had no further use
for him, and turned him out to starve.
He was in dispair. He bad neycr felt
the pressure Of want, and more to be
beggar, the idea was insupportable.
lie resolved to destroy himself by
drowning. Wild with despair he
marched to the banks of a neighborng
stream. But before the fatal plunge,
he determined to survey once more
the world which he was about to leave
forever. His position commanded a
view of all his former landed posses
sions. He viewed them long and in
tently. Suddenly he changes his fell
purpose of self obstruction. He had
come to n detcrmination-a full do.
termination so regain those lost lands.
He wen: directly to a neighborng
town. Flc saw pile Of Goals lying
before the cellar door of q gentleman,
| he proposed to take them down for
some small sum, he was allowed to do
so. After his work was done and he
had received his small pay, he begged
tor some cold victuals, it WAS readily
given. Off he went in the pursuit Of
something else to do, it was soon found.
Again he received his pay, s'.d again
he begged for small quantity of food.
He soon got little amount of money
in this way. And then he embarked
in some regular business. The result
was he not only regained his los, pos.
sessions, but he becam immensely
rich, and died an invetcra.e miscr.
Here was decision Of character. It
took an unhappy direction it must be
allowed, but the proposed results were
more than accomplished. Now if any
young man in this community will
come to virtuous resolve to make a
support and comfortable one too,
and follow his resolution up with in.
stant energetic action, not waiting for