Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1861-10-10
Be Diligent in Business.

Fra nklin has somewhere said, that he
owed considerable share of his success
in life to the impression made upon him,
while yet boy at home, by passage
in the Book of Kings, that those who
will be diligent in business should stand
in the presence of princes. 1t is we'll
known that few men were more indus
trious, more energetic. 1t is equally
we'll known that while he began his ca
reer as poor boy and labored assidu-
ously as ''jour" printer, he lived to be
an able and honest ambassador at the
Court of the proudest monarch in Chris
tendon. He was an example, therefore
"a proud one of the fulfillment of the
text.
But he was not the only man who re-
allied its truth. We doubt, indeed, if
any man ever succeeded in life, who was
not diligent in business--wh was neg
ligent and fond of pleasure. The sup
posed instances to the contrary, so often
popularity quoted, invariably prove fall
lacious when carefully investigated
Curran, the great Irish orator, was said
to have eloquence native born. But, on
the contrary, he has left it on record
that he took the greatest pains to per-
feet his elocutior, his gesture, and his
knowledge oflaw. Burke, distinguished
for his eloqucnce and learning, built up
the edifce of his fame by slow, perse
vcring, laborious effort. 1t is well
known fact that he Philadelphia million
aire Girard, amassed his colossal fortune
by assidious attention to business
Clay, Webster, Calhoun and Benton, all
worked hard-the latter incessantly y
And Napoleon the First, who was born
genius, if ever man was, achieved most
of what he did, by unceasing labor,
often debating to several secretaries at
once, and always firing out everybody
about him.
If these great men achieved distinc-
ton only by their diligence in business,
or even if this, as none can deny, was
the principal cause of their success, how
can those of far inferior abilities expect
to prosper unless they follow the same
example He who neglects his business
will soon find his business neglecting
him. Ability, without industry, will
not do, and rarely aceomplishes anything
worthy of mention. Men who think to
succeed by doing half a days work,
must sooner or later 60 to the wall. There
is but one way to rise ; it is to be dill
gent, always diligent. Without energy
and industry no man ever conquered
difficulties or achieved greatness. -
The merchant, who leaves his store to
take social drink ; the mechanic, who
stops work to have a blue Monday :
the professional man, who goes off on
parties of pleasure, and misses the chance
of clients or patients calIing--all these
either fail utterly in life at last, as is the
case in nine examples out of ten, or fall
short of that complete success which
they might otherwise havo obtained
The old fable of the tortoise, who beat
the hare to the goal, because the latter
stopped so often, is realized every day
and hour in life. The old adage, fire.
quently ridiculed, SLOW but sure,' is
verified continually by experience. Even
genius itself has been said by no less
thinker than Sir Jas. Mcintosh, to be
only another name for industry. Go
and ask of the scores of beggard old
men who, once prosperous, now eat the
bread of dependence, what it was that
ruined them, and they will answer, if
honest, because we were not diligent.'
1t is young men just starting in life,
who should especially ponder we'll on
this truth They must not foolishly sup
pose, because they see their rich en-
ployers living in fine houses. dressing
expensively. doing little hard work, or
lavishing time or money in other ways,
that they may also do the same. If
their superiors had not been diligent, in
early life, they would never have earned
the means to live luxurOusly. A clerk
is not the head of firm, or an appren-
tice master mechanic. The distinc-
ton should not be forgotten. By dill
gence in business thousands of poor
lads have risen to opulence, and come
at last to have all the leisure they de-
sired. But tens Of thousands, who