The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1860-04-25
sEEE-gg II HIP.

We huye not read tho book Of Mr..
Smiles on ''SelfheIp." We DO not pro
pose to read it. Tie class Of books to
which the volume belongs has done about
as much mischief as it has done good
possible quite as much. Il has been the
fashion, with great many modem wri-
ters for the young, to tell them that man
can make Of himself whatever be chooses
to make; and, acting under their advice,
many man has gone on and inadver-
tenty made an ass Of himself, while
choosing to make something very fine
indeed. Young men who would have
become very cool stage drivers, or dry
goods porlers, have, un.er the stimulus
of this misch:cvous twalje, undert ken
to be lawyers, or physc:ans,or preachers
even. Put this proposition into the hands
Of a weak-hcaded, well meaning fellow,
aud he viii almost always mako n drive
for the ministry Self help, indeed -
AS il a uumb-head could lift himself by
the sack Of his own trowsers into eminent
position and real excellence Of power and
attainment. It can't be done.
The real effect to tho great IN s., Of
books written upon "selt-help' 1--WE thank
Mr.. Smiles for the worl) is TO draw med
;ocritv out Of the lot it was born to, and
adapted to, into field which it can only
dishonor. We very rarely find men too
good, too shrewd, too respectable for the
business or profession which they pursue.
Il is very rare that man is really above
his place and its highest requirements ;but
the world, and particularly the American
world, is fall OF men who dc not begin to
be up to the positions they occupy. TO
a certain extent this must be so, ani to
certain extent it should be. Every pro,
fassion is school and until man is old
he will increase in knowledge and power
it. 1t is well for every man to find
stimulus to exertion in his postion-a
stimulus that will call out all the power
there is in him, and doveope him to the
utternost. But it is not this Of which
we speak; our thought is of men who
have not GOT the brains for the work they
undertake, and who have undertaken
GREAT things under these c0uusels to ''aim
high" We recall at this moment an ut
ter simpIeton who became possessed with
the idea Of 'making something Of HIM
SELF" He studied medi-ine for years,
and, at last, obtained diploma from
medical institution, when (sham to them)
all the professors knew that the fellow
was entirely unsafe to turn loose upon
the community. OF course he sank into
contempt, and was not half rs respccta-
ble as he would have been had he become
the boot black of . first class hotel. This
was hardly an extreme case. We find all
those professions which are deemed the
most desirable, or the most honorable.
crowded with members, two-thirL, Of
whom enjoy but little prosperity, and are
never heard Of out Of their own immedi-
ate circle. 1t IS safe to say that one third
Of those in the practice OF what are call
ed 10y custom and courtesy) the learncl
professions are entirely cut Of place. If
this tI,ird could be withdrawn, and APP
Piled to some productive field Of indus
try, the world would be enriched bv tl!c
operation; and a class Of VERY clever f.l-
lows would ut last find themselves nj
home. A young man 81 genuine talent
very rarely looks into n book on self
help. He has motives and Consciousness
Of power sufficient for himself; but It is
the noodle forever, no pores over tie
sentences which inform him that he has
only ''to will and to work" md he can be
president Of the United States, or send
his name down to immortality on a boat
that goes through without landing" A
guitar canrot be made O a banjo, nor a
bassoon Of q pumpkin vine.
Some Of the most disgusting results Ct
these unwise counsels upon small men are
seen in their creed Of Office. Il is not one
time in one thousand that an Office seek
er is fiIst-cass man; but from second
class nincompoops there is almost q uni
yersal seeking after Office. There are
men all around us who will take anything
in the shape of an ofice-anything that
will bring them distinction and little
Importance, even if there come no emoIu-
ment with it. Anything, anything to
lift their heads, if hut for giddy moment,
above the crowd in which they stand. aud
in which they belong. Something Of
this disposition may perhaps grow out Of
the nature Of our political institutio IS, but
these can hardly do more than give scope
for it. The most Of it grows, we doubt
not, ont Of the counses and maxims that
are iterated and reiterated throughout
large mass of semi didactic literature
taught in tue school-room, enumerated
from the platform, and inculcated to the
family, to the effect that every man can,
and every man should, achieve distinc-
ton.
"Where there's will, there's way
SAYS the maxim, but tho maxim lies
There's will in I'll m,n to get rich, but
there is not q way for more than a fifth
to tiftieth part Of them to do So. "God
helps those who help themselves"
times. It depends good deal upon
what man is trying TO help himself to,
and whether it is, on the whole, desirable
that he should be helped. 'Fll try" has
been doing journey-work in infant seho
and Sunday schools till the poor little
girls and boys have supposed that there
was a magic in it which would ultimately
introduce them to glory eoual To that