Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1868-02-26
- ~ - ''7l.s-,i
Holding On.

Professor Hart, in his little volume,
/" Mistakes of Educated Men," says the
following excellent things to young men
who meet with discouragements in their
early beginnings of professional life:
Another point on which young men
make a mistake is in not holding on TO
the calling or profession auhich he chooses
Of course, one may make SO foolish a
choice, may err SO egregiously in the first
step, that tojretrace it, and begin anew
at something else, is Indispensable. The
tendency however, is very strongly IN
one direction. When one man pcrsevers
in a calling that he ought to abandon, q
dozen men abandon their calling who
ought .to. stick tosit. 1t is not difficult to
account for this. All.those kinds of bu-
siness which are surest in the end, which
paw best in the long run, are slowest IN
beginning to yield return. The young
lawyer or physician has to creep along at
first at most discouraging pace. In
those early years of professional proba-
tion, when: the man is hardly earning his
salt. some, other business opens before
him that promises an Immediate income
something that will bring him at once
| two or three times what he is receiving.
The temptation is strong indeed. In the
eagerness for immediate results, he is apt
to forget one essential point of difference
between the two prospects. The one is a
little rill which is destined to flow on
with ever increasing volume, till it be.
comes the brook, the majestic river, the
other as canal, no bigger or deeper at
the end of it's course than OF the begin.
ming. In determining the question, then
whether to hold on to the profession OF
business which you have chosen, think
not of the present size of the rill, bu'
whether it is likely to expand as it pro:
ceeds. And be not easily disheartened
Let me say for your encouragement, il
it be needed, that four thousand young
men who have been under my care as
an educator, and whose career in life ii
has been-m privilege more or less te
observe, 1 have very rarely known one te
fail who industriously persevered in the
calling which he chose. Teaar propo
sih,," is the commenda,ion Of the Roman
moralists. Stick to your purpose. j
is most valuable habit Of mind to cult
vate. You need not carryitt to obstinacy
though even that error is better thar
its opposite. Do not shrink from th'
reputation Of being a plodder. 1t is
better augury of a young man than t.
hear of him as being prematurely bril-
lant-as starting off in the career o
life with q grand dash.
Look into your own minds now, Will
Just pausing upon the Threshold OF you
career, and see if there is within you thi
vacillating disposition. See if you ar
disposed to begin study or an enter
prise of any kind, and after chasing i
awhile, butterAy-like teygive it up 70
some new fancy. It's. q most common
habit of the mind with the young. 1t is
however, habit which at your age Cal
be overcome. | have known hundreds o
instances of young men who. being un
steady and tickle Of purpose, have becom
steadfast, unwavering, tenacious. Wha
is needed to bring about such chance
an honest deliberate review Of one
character in this respect, and firm re
solve to amend what is found amiss.
is with view to do for you what thirt
years ago was done for me, that nov
place this point so distinctly before YOU
Tenacity Of purpose is the indispensabl
condition of success in whatever you ur
dertake. You must learn to hold on.