Daily Kennebec journal., 1870-08-18

Ill, .s ;uuior and senior, was the de-
ue' D " ,;.ws and opinions. l never,
.Ne.y recollection, said a word tn the
..o;nd;ce ~ of any one, or ever said word
Phssh could hurt the feelings or pre)udces
49, respectable member of society.
NJ aim was always to impress those whom
met with feeling that was sound,
cautious. good-tempered man OF business
and of business aims. =,
TrI have a taste for anything besides
business. it is what believe no man ever
suspected. | am fond of horses; and what
il more, am good Judge OF morse.
But no one ever heard me talk OF horses.
Even since my success IN business oeIaii.e "a
decided, have not induiged myseh IN
keeping horse The young man VINO
wants to succeed, will do wen 10 ioiio"
nv example. If he allows himseii even
to talk about any amusement lor wii'c,i nc
may have taste, 1t Is astonishing NOW
CON ba may have a reputation fixed upon
b;n, far being knowing in It, He will have
,,ianty of rivals. eager to talk of him as a
good shot. good fisher, knowing in
borses-being well aware that such rep
utatiou is certain to be most injurious,
nrobably fatal, to his business prospects.
when a Young man, | was a member of a
debating society i'm our town. | never
smoke except when the business of the So
eiety was concerned. My reason for being
member was that good many men OF
Influence belonged to it, with whom had
thus an opportunity of becoming acqualnt-
ed. Nv friend Sam was distinguished
member: and recollect going to his lodg-
ings one night out of curiosity, when he
had a meeting of his choicest friends.
They were drinking toddy-a composition
which hate indeed | hate all spirits; ;
and as to smoking, it is a method of em-
ploying time which has always seemed to
me suitable only for those of weak intel
lect. was prevailed on, | remember. to
try a pipe--faugh. 1t was the first time
and the last They tried to encourage me
to "persevere," by holding out the pros
pect that by so doing should become a
smoker in time. Dare say | might have
succeeded in making myself a slave to an
expensive and idiotic habit bad chosen
but that should, by learning to smoke,
be putting down the smallest item to the
credit of my account with Fortune, was
what could not see much less did ! SEE
that any balance was thereby likely to ac
crue to Profit thought it as well to re
serve my perseverance for somewhat diff
ferent objects. So much. suppose, TO
not being clever. But the talk was tn
wonderful thing. ''What was love?"-
"Did men act from free will or from he
cessity?" and l fancy that they dram
whiskey-and-water, smoked their vile to
bacco, and muddled the small modicum O
brains which God had given them, two o
three nights a week in this way. If there
is ANYTHING for which, from by boyhood
l have found it difficult to hide my con
tempt, it is man occupying himself witt
poetry, metaphysics, and such stuff, IN
stead OF giving himself to the honest and
obvious work of life, and pocketing the
honest payment for it. | well remember
how my clothes smelt of tobacco next
morning, and what a fright was in lest
our master should notice this. was, how
ever, at the office as usual half-an-houi
before regulation time, and | can remem-
ber that got u job to do which would have
fallen to Sam had he been there in time
1t put half sovereign in my pocket-a
sum not to be despised in those days.
Now do not mean to say, in giving the
above sketch of my own animus, that men
have not arrived at fortune whose mental
machinery would, if dissected. show very
different arrangement of wheels and piv-
OTIS. Sheer audacity will sometimes do
wonders, especially in public life. Yet |
think my own plan has been about as sure
and as easy one as can be followed. If |
were to name one advantage OF mind
which have had over other men, should
say it is this-I was a sensible fellow as a
young man. Byreason of pride, concit, or
being over ambitious, you will often see a
man between his twentieth and twenty
fifth year commit an error which he never
has chance of retrieving. Opportunity
gone is gone forever, He is thrown off tn,
life-shunted-so to speak, and the rest o
life is embittered, not only by the con
sciousness of failure, but by the conscious
ness that he has only his own vanity t.
blame for the failure. Generally have
noticed that the causes of mans failure
are distinctly visible to every one but him
self. l have known men with capital busi
ness heads, and with all the inclination tc
work, the mystery of whose lives-inscru
table to, and undreampt of by, themselves
lay in their manner; shy, retiring fel
lows, who never make acquaintance, bu
allow any man to cultivate them; hence
their tendency is, inevitably, downward,
in the social scale A shy man. whose
mental cuticle is SO tender that the BLOOD
comes at every scratch, may perhaps sue
ceed as clergyman, or doctor, ol
chance may put him in a safe business po
sition. but to push his way through the
rough and thorny brushwood which beset'
the outset of business career, is what ht
need never try.
Know your business, scrupulously re.
spect the worlds conventionalities, face il
boldly, receive its kicks and its cuffs-oi
which. you will have good allowance at
starting-with invincible patience and
good. ,humor, and it will come round to
you in time, But it is coy mistress. and
one with many lovers. Unless you woo
with perfect self-mastery, and with know
ledge Of its ways. your suit will not pros