Bellevue gazette. [volume] (Bellevue City, N.T. [i.e. Neb.]) 1856-1858, 1856-10-23
Making the Character.

-
There is a little anecdote current Of a
distinguished man who accomplished 50
much within any given period Of his life
as to provoke the question how he could
possibly have done il. His answer wal
very simple-"When I have anything to
do, | do IT," This is only another phrase
to express the idea Of indomitable perse-
~verance, and indomitable perseverance, is
one of the most important elements of
success in anything, and Of human great
ness.
There is not probably a man who has
any ambition, any desire to succeed in
life, any purpose to which he aspires, but
is sensible Of the importance of sustained
effort for its fulflment. We, the world is
full Of people who, with a just sense of
this relation of cause and effect, remit APP
plication, overlook or neglect small things,
postpone those more important, and in
dulge a disposition for present ease at the
expense of future embarrassment, excess
Of labor, and the risk of success. To
such people the duties of life are a con-
slant source of perplexity and irritation,
and in the end frequently of an over
whelming dependency. The nervous
system irregularly employed, is at length
unequal to the accumulated burthen it is
required to sustain, yields to the pressure,
the health is affected, and, finally, the
whole system, mental and physical, sue
cumbs to the consequences of the defect
of character. a
1t is very common for this class of men
to excuse themselves by a mode of argu-
ment they would object to in others.
They see others pushing earnestly and
successfully onward in the career of life,
always employed, always earnest, always
energetic, and they ascribe to these, con-
stitutional qualities which they do not
themselves possess. The meaning of this
| amounts to something more than they
, would like to confess. 1t is in TACT an ad-
| mission to this purport: "They cam
can't" Even a feeling Of this sort should
, be at once put aside as humanity, and en-
tirely inconsistent with the essential du.
}, ties Of life.
5 We do not contend for a momen tina,
such constitutional differences are not
common to men. They certainly are,
and we perceive them very distinctly
marked, both in fact and effect. But they
are by no means to be regarded as with.
y out remedy, or even without some coun.
e ~terbalancing quality of mind. Defects Of
character should early engage the atten'
e ton of young men, and especially at the
outset in business life. The adaptation
y of the character to the requirements Of
business principles should be carefully
considered, and wherever it is deficien
and infirm, there the redeeming purpose
e should be sedulously applied. But i
o rarely happens that the man conscious O
particular defects fails to exhibit othel
% qualities which go far to retrieve them
And an intelligent knowledge of a man.
own self is the best assurance he cal
q possess of his ability to correct, harmonic
and regulate the energies of his mind.
y On the other hand, men who seem I
possess unusual qualities conducive :
progress and success, if they were bette
known, or even severely scrutinized
would often prove ~lamentably deficient il
those elements of character which at ono
enrich, dignity and embellish life, an
?, prove ~inexhaustible sources of happiness
r. In this respect the effect Of diverse char
g acteristics about equalizes the genera
condition of humanity; while the MAJ
who sedulously cultivates his character !
u he who alone rises to the highest enjoy
ment of life in prosperity, and is bes
armed for an encounter with adversely.
q Nascitur non fit is an old adage tina
II used to be applied to the poets-"borr
not made" But it does not follow that
born poet would not make a good parsor
l. a merchant, doctor or lawyer. 1t is tru
le such men are rather chary of a poetica
/; reputation; but within the current centur
we have had increasing evidences of tn
e compatibility of high poetic genius an
e great literary endowments with the mo:
is active and engrossing of the more prac
teal v~ocations of life. One venerabl
man, the poet and banker Rogers,
/, striking illustration in point, has just gon
IL to his rest. In our own country we hav
p a number of living instances of the praC
T. teal energy of the poetic mind. We d
not propose an inversion of the adage-
N that poets are not born and may be made
TX that the peculiar gifts of genius are to b
y acquired. They can be improved. BIZ
q, the illustration of theory we propose is I
"a the fact hat the qualities of mind with
y the ordinary compass Of practical life ma
be cultivated and applied by oil men, an
" the pursuits and occupations in which W
to are respectively engaged be sustained an
IT prosecuted to success by the steadfast an
q. sedulous education of the character.
to "
as An interesting account is given in tn