Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1855-05-04
Self Education,


erc,y indiriaual, mus, be chiefly his o'on
acork There is a prevailing and fatal
mistake upon this subject. 1t seems to
be supposed that young man must be
sent first to grammar school and then to
college, he must of course become a scholar,
and the pupil is apt to imagine Re is to
become the mere passive recipient Of in
s,ruction, as he is of the light and the at
mosphere which surronds him. But this
dream Of incidence must be awakened to
the important truth, that, if you aspire to
excellence, you must become active and
vigorous co-opcrators with your teachers,
and work out your own distinction with al
ardor that cannot be euenched, a perseve-
rance that considers nothing done while
anything yet remains to be done.
Rely upon it that the aucients were
right Qais CUE so,;s tortxnos }aJor-
both in morals and intellect, rs give the
final shade to oa- Owe characters, and thus
become enphat;cslly the architects of cur
own fortunes. Eow else should it happen
gentlemen, that young men who have had
precisely tie same opportunities, should be
continually presenting US with different
results, and rushing TO such opposite des-
TIMES Difference in talent vii! rot solve
it, because that difference is very often in
favor of the disappointed candidate. You
nay see issuing from the walls Of the
same school--nay, from the bosom of the
same farily-two young men, of whom
one is admitted to be genius of high
order, the other scarcely above the point
of mediccrity /; yet, you shall see the
genius perishing in poverty, obscuri'y and
Indebtedness while en- the other hand,
you shall observe the mediocre plcdding
his slow but cure way rp the hill of life,
gaining stesdfast footing at every step, and
mounting at length tc eminence and dis
tinction, an ornament to his family, a
blessing to his country.
Now, whcse work is this 3? Manifestly
their own. they are the architects Of
their own fortunes The best seminary
of learning that can open its portals to
you, can do no ro-c than afford to you
the opportunity Of instruction; but it
! nrst depend at last on yourselves, wheth-
er you are instructed or not, or to what
point you will push your instruction.
Aud of this be as.ured-I speak from OBJ
seryation, a cerfaia trah, there is 70 err
ceAeace ,cithost erra. h6er. Il is thu
fat Of Fate from which no power of geni-
US can save you. Genius unexerted is
like poor moth that auttcrs around q
candle i'll it scorchcs itself to death If
genius be desirable at all, 1t is only of
that great and n,agnanimous kind, which
the condor of South America, pitches from
the summit of Chimhorazo above TIE
clouds, and sustains itself at pleasure in
that empyreaH region, with az energy
rather invigorated than weakened BY tie
effort. 1t is 10 this capacity for high aud
long.continued e.ertion-this ca.ceriBg
and wide-sweeping comprehension ofwind
and those long reaches Of thought tia.
rluek bright hoIr5r frc-, tn. pale acel Toou,
Or dive into the bnttcn Of tNe deep,
Where f.tilonci liuc couli never TeHCh he --ouU1
And drag up trcwe'I h ono- BY the locks,
This is the prowess, and those the hardy
achievements which are to enrol your
names among the great r,ea O. ftte e--th
But how are you to gain tie nerve, tha
courage for enterprise, Of this rith and
moment7 l will tell yor-.s Milo ce-
tanned that hoe signo ;e'tcas for tais 'HRsi
be yorr work, not that of your teachers.
Be you not wanting to yor-sel7cs, and
you will accomplish all iha; your parents,
friends and country have a right to ex-
pect.-Hirt.