Mower County transcript., 1871-07-27
Tho Will and tho Way.

"
doubt there are limits to all human capa
biity in Ill human affairs; in every spher
OF activity men may meet obstacles whicl
oven the utmost energy cannot overcome
Almost every man Is more or less the vic
tim OF circumstances, which sometime
operate so powerfully that it is impossibl
to crush his way through them. But tn
frequency with which such urCasinnS Occu
is greatly over rstilnatcd; and thu fact tina
mountains 50 often tlwindlc into molchill
when wo once irsolutcly determine t.
cross them, shows that, after every allow
ancc of extraordinary eases, the old Saxol
saw is still true GENERALLY, and that he wh(
iN;cnscly wills to do IL thing will tin;!
way. Aud intense desire itself transform
possibility int, reality Our wishes ar,
but prophecies Of the things we are capa
bic of performing; while, ON the othu
hand, the timi>t, fecblc-willed man find
everything impossible because hr believe
it to be SO. As Virgil says Of his boat
mcu, men are able because they think the,
art abl,-possunt qni0 possunt 0tlent"r; t<
resolve upon attainment is often attain
mrnt itself. We are all aware of the fac
that the roads which VIC incline not t.,
travel are all sadly bcset by specimens o
the feline tribe; and, when gentleman Il
asiAtd for money by Il nciylbor often il
n,cd of ii, hc is extremely apt to have !
large and cxhausting payment to make al
the end Of the week But, when one il
really determined to push his way along
tho road, opposing lions have usually little
terror for him, and, if he is anxious tc
oblgc his friend, he will almost certainly
be able to do 50 without breaking any o
his own engagements
1t is, indeed, wonderful, at times, to see
~1sohn hnI hxyr 1np,
ac,ing under the impulse of powerful
viii. A remarkagle example Of this is
furnished by the captured Texans Of the
Santa Fc expedition, who, after having
marched until they were nearly dead with
fatigue and exhaustion, yet, being told
thai any who should prove unable tc
walk would be shot. contrived to pluck uI
and set OFT at round pace, which they
kept up all day So Quintin Matsys, the
famous Dutch painter. in his youth, de
SPARED of ever being able to paint, till his
master told him that ouly by producing 6
picture of merit within six montha coulC
he have his daughters 5 hand; and then ht
set vigorously to work and brought fortf
me Msers a masterpiece OF art, which
counoisseurs have admired for ages. 1t is re
lated OF young French Officer that HI
used to walk about his apartment exclaim
great general" and his burning desire
proved presentimcnt of his success
Smiles, in his "Self-H Help" tells Of al
English carpenter who was observed ont
day planning magistrates bench, whicl
he was repairing, with more than usua
carefulness, and, when asked the reason
replied, "Becalse wish to make it cas-,
against the time when I como to sit upol
it myself" Singularly enough, the ma
actually lived to sit upon that very benc]
as a magistrate.
Nearly all great mcn-those who hav
lowered high above their fcllows-hav
been remarkable above all things else 70
their energy of will.
Among the many causes of failure il
life none is more frequent than the feeble
ness of the will, which is indicated by
spasmodic action-by titful effort, or lacl
Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, "the more
am certain that the great difference be
tween men-between the great aud the
insigniticant-is energy, invinCible de
termination, an honest purpose once fixed
and then death or victory. This quality
will do anything in the world and nc
talents, no circumstances, will make (
two legged creature man, without it.
The very reputation of being strong willed
plucky, and interchangeable, is of priceless
value 1t often COWS enemies and dispels
at the start opposition to ones undertak
ings which would otherwise be formidable
Men feel that it is useless to struggle
against man who will never yield. II
such man does encounter opposition 4
becomes help, rather than hindrance
to his general success. The difficulties he
cOnuuers are his stimulus and aliment
they are his gymnasium and palestra, by
which the muscles are strengthened. II
is the belief of the savage that every
enemy he slays passes into him, ana is
added to his own, accumulating u warriors
strength tor the day of battle; and it is SC
with life's trials. It has been said that
you may put Yankee on desolate island
i'll the Pacific, and only leave with him a
jack knife and he will get home as soon
as, if not sooner than, the ship that lef,
him there. Put him in anywhere, and he
will grt out if he wants to-: put him Out
anywhere, and he will get in, il
he wishes to-" This is the spirit
that guarantees success in every calling and
profession. 1t is true that many persons
bo h wind and tide and it seems at times
as if th We're doomed to "wage with
fortune al eternal war" But who evel
heard of mans failing to succeed at las
in any business which he had stuck Il
faithfully for ten years together? LOOl
at Bulwer His whole life has been Sc
rjr~ of temporary failures, crowned will
ultimate triumphs His first novel was
t'i are; his first drama was u failure; hi
fir, pu'n~ were failures; and so were hi
fir, speeches. But he fought his way t,
r'tinel.ce; fought it throug b defeat ant
rl''.cule till now he has his own enchanted
circle, where "none durst walk but he
and stands on one of the SUBMITS of tn
and rhacktray Look at Disrael'. COughel
and hi~sed down on his first essay in Par
Lament, ht told the House that the tim
""nld come when they would hear him
and be persevered until they under who's
laughter he writhed were made to with,
in their turn under his terrible sarcasm
Look at Brougham. Ranging duriD
sixty years over the fields, not only of Ia,
and politics, but Of science and literature
he triumphed in all and such was his low
of excellence, 80 indefatigable his perse
verance, that it has been said that, if b
b.i begun life as shoe black, he woul,
never have rested content till he had be
come the best shoe black in England.
In further illustration Of the same poin
might site the case of Robert Hall, VIII,
broke down in his first extempore address
anil covered his face with his hands, cry
in, Oh! have lost all my IDEAS" ant
Who experienced a Sc GcOnd and yet NOR
notifying failure, yet lived to be one o
tAc gr atcst pulpit orators Of England
a.. still further the experience Of Currar
VINO tells US that, when he first rose in
debating cluh in Dublin, the features c
tne audience swarm before his eyes, an
the candles seem to glare most unmcrc
tully upon him, almost dCpriving him {
'"rlnce, but wbo ere long charmed til
most ftstidirus ear Of the House Of Con
u MS, and made u corrupt bench trembl,
A2ain, might point to Talma, the grea
e,' Of Frcnch actOrs-Shcrilan, the OratC
-C"bden, the ca piou Of the Corn La
rcfurm-aud AlstOu, the paintcr-all
" ,om failed III their first efforts. NJ
l'ls, after the latter had taken rank wit
tue great master of his art, d picture by
young NAN vas brought to him for h
opinion. "T" deal plainly with you
sid Aston, after examining it careiull.
vt is a wrctci,ed affair There is q
gjpund for hope-not even for hope IL
hin give up the idea. lie never ca
lake painter" "It was painted
ynursclf" "No-impossible! at wa
lpok-thcre is your nAmc and here, Sc
here is thu dat.:-mly seven years ag
you perceive" Keats fret p'cm was
t:rlurc; but, though damned by the critic
b. Was not dishcartened, for he felt tn
the gcnious of poetry must work "
its own salvation, and that by lea
ing headlong into the sea,