The southern enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1854-1870, 1856-10-23

large wa'hes-low;he finally conquered all
difficulties, fairly Untitled the conditions re.
qured, and received the eco 900, and en-.
fJoyed the fame to his genius and perscvcr.
ance-most people know, and those who do
not can easily learn from the pages Of the
biogrnphical Dictionary. Er ... LIP,
| " Iil'am Gliiordiwas the son Of n dissipa
ted and abandoned man who had no care
for his offspring. and who closed Il varabond
lIe by premature death. Ills widow soon
! followed him to the grave, and at IL wears
OF age young Clifford was left alone in the
world. During his parents life he had
known nothing but poverty and wrctc,ed.
ness IN their worst foims, and after their de.
cease lie was bound apprentice to shoe
maker. who proving q hard an; ,vrannical
master did not much%bettcr his lot. The
boys single Possession was one book. a
Treatise on Algebra but this was n seale.l
book to him, owing TO his ignorauce of the
elementary principles which would have en-
ablcd him to understand it. Happily his
masters son had a copy Of 'Fcnning's Intro
duction,' and through reading this bv
stealth, Clifford was enabled ut lenph To
make one OF his own volume. Being with.
out pens, ink and, paper. or n farlhino to
purchase them with, he hit upon the ran
OF beating out fragments Of feathers with his
hammer, and working the problems upon
them "ith n blunt awl. His progress. tho
slow, was solid and real. A ludicrous blum
Ger on the part of painter, at length elected
his dangerous Ia lcnt for satire and vcrsifcation
which hc exercised so clevery rs 10 win the
admiration of the whole town, and, ,unhap.
PLY, to excite the i'll will of his master, who
sealched the lads, garct, pounced upon his
little library, his paper and mathematical
diagrams, and vigorously forbade all further
Application 10 study. The circumstances.
which threatened 10 overthrow the lad',
prospects, and doom him ignorance. proved
the cause Of his eventual prosperity. Mr..
Cooks'ev. surgeon in the town.. being
struck with the rigor and soliditv of the
young mans productions. visited him, heard
The particulars of his history, and innne di
a'' 'Iy raised y subscription for the purpose
Of buying up his indcntures and releasing
him from the tyrannical shoemaker. This
iiberality WAS not thrown away. In two
ye@rS from the time Of his release, Clifford
had prepared himself to enter the univcrsi
~. The same kind friends sent him to Ok
ford, where his fine talents and finer indus
try, enabled linn to support himself. lie
gained the regard Of Earl Grosvenor, who
became his patron, and made him tutor to
his son, with whom lie made the tom Of
Europe. On his return TO England he de.
voted his life to literature, and from that
time TO the day Of his death rose in favor
and popularity wit, the IubIic, and gather.
ed honors. and emolumcnls rarely cnjoved
oy members of the literary profession. The
Shocmakers apprentice achieved u reput,tion
Of the first rank became the companion of
mobiles and statesmen, died in opulcnt cir.
cumstanccs, aud was buried in Westminster
Abbey.
Here, then, arc examples Of men who
have risen from the very lowest condition Of
life to reputation, honor and cmoumcnt.-
Were it desirable so TO do, we might in.
crease the four 10 fo:ty, and in fact TO an in
definite amourt beyond that, hy extending
re,carchcs among the biographies Of the iv-
ing, and the above narratives show there is
Il way, because n rcsoluc and determined
will wills to make way for itself and gath.
crs fresh strength from The conflict with op
posing obstacles. If it be objected that, of
the above examples, three, at least were
helped onward to the goal by Other hands.
Tc would reply that all three of them had
really won The prize before they got it that
Stone in his garden; Da Val in his forest,
and Clifford in his cobb!cr's stall, had al.
ready fought and won the battle with cir
and were worthy of tic guer-
don they received. Whoever will strive as
they stroyc shall assurcdly rise not, it may
we'll be to honor equally conspicuous and
remarkable--bnt to a higher level than that
from wlirI, they start at the outset.
Yet let It's not be misunderstood. We ad-
duco the above examples as proofs Of what
may be done by the diligent use of the fac.
ulies given to us by eur Creator not rs re-
our readers to aim mt social
elevation, ms tho chief cml Of selfculture. 4
higher motive should stimulate us in the
race; and in viewing success in life, we
should ever remember that il purchased at
the expense of the eternal interests, it is
bought too dear. 1t is we'll remarked by
the writer of Successful Men of Modern
Times,' and the remark ought to be kept
in view by the young rcader--that 'he who
gnins crown of glory which never fades
away, and who is admitted to the participa.
tion of pleasures which eye bath rot seen
and ear hath not heard, nor the heart of
man conceived, is after all the truly success.
a .