The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1867-08-10
"Be Diligent in Business. -

Franklin has somewhere said that he owed a
considerable share of his success in life 10 the
impression made upon him, while yet a boy at
home, by passage in the book Of Kings that
those who were 'dilgcni in business should
stand In the presence ofprinces. II is we'll know
that, while he began his carver rs a poor boy,
he lived 10 be an honored ambassador at the court
OF the proudesl monarch in Chrisiendom. lie
was an example, therefore, OF the literal fulfill
ment Of the text
But he was not the only man who realized III
truth. We doubt, indeed, IL any man ever sue
ceeded In life who was not diligent 10 business
The supposed instances TO the contrary, so often
popularity quoted invariably prove fallacious
when rigidly examined. Carran, the great Irish
orator, was said TO have eloqnence native born.
But, on the contrary he has lelt Il on record that
he took the greatest pains TO perfect his clocuiion
bis gestures, and his knowledge Of law Burke,
the British Cicero, built up the ediiicc OF his fame
by slow, persevering, laborious effort. The late
Stephen Girard amasscd his colossal fortune by
assiduous attention TO business. Clay, Webster,
aud Calhoun all worked hard And Napoleon
the First, who was n born genius. IL ever man
was, achieved most Of what he did by unccasing
labor, often debating TO several secretaries at
once, and always firing out every body about
him.
II these great men achieved distinction only by
their diligence in business or even ifihis as none
eau deny, was the principal cause Of their success,
how can those Of inferior abilities expect TO pros.
per unless they follow the same example lie
ShO hegiecis his business siii soon iind ais busi-
ness neglecting him. Ability, without industry,
will not do. Men who think 10 succeed by doing
halfa days work must sooner or later 60 TO the
wall. There Is bat one way 10 rise; IL is TO be
diligent, always diligent The merchant who
leaves his store 10 take ''sociable drink - the
mechanic who stops work TO have "blue Mon
day ;, the professional man who goes OF on par
ties OF pleasure, and misses the chance Of clients
or patients callingall 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 have obtained. The old
fable OF the tortoise who beat the hare TO the goal
because the latter stopped often Is realized every
day and hour in life. The old adage "slow bat
sure" is verified continually by experience.
Even genius itselfhas been said by no less . think
er than Sir James Macintosh, 10 be only another
name for industry. Go and ask Of the scores Of
beggared old men who, once prosperous, now cat
the bread OF dependence, what il was that ruined
them, and they will answer, II honest, because
We were not diligent."
II is young men just starting in life who should
especially lay this truth to heart. They must
not foolishly suppose because they see their rich
employers dining in 6ne houses, dressing expen-
sively, doing little hard work, or lavishing lime
OF money IN otneI ways that they also may 90
the same. Iftheir superiors had not been dill
gent in early life. they would never have earned
the means TO live luxuriously. A clerk is not the
head OF n firm, or an apprentice q master-mechan-
ie. BY diligence in business thousands Of
poor lads have risen 10 opulence, and come at
las, TO have all the leisure they desired. But
tens OF thousands, who could not wait TO enjoy
life ill they had won the right 10 Il by "diii-
gence in business" have gone hopelessly down,
In the full meridian Of existence, like the crew Of
leaky ship sinking in sight OF harbor, because
they ate and drank and made merry when they
should have been working at the pumps.