Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1871-03-10
Making 4 Mark in Life.
BY HENRY WARD BEEcHER.

Ny DEAR SIR,-Be so kind as TO in
form an ambitious young man, through
The columns of the New York Ledger,
as to the foundation he should build upon.
The resolutions he should make, and
what he should aspire to be, just before
starting in business for himself. And
greatly oblige one who is bound TO
MAKE HIS MARK IN THIS WORLD.
There is no difficulty in making ones
mark in this world But what kind of
mark it is alter it is made. has much to do
with ones happiness, both here and here
after.
Ambition is good thing if it act under
moral limits, and proposes to itself worthy
ends. But success in i merely worldly
career ought not to be- enough for
young mans ambition. 1t is not improp
er for one to begin life with an ardent
purpose to obtain wealth. But there
should be something higher than that be.
fore every young man, and that is charac
ter. \ mans own self is more valuable
TO him than any amount OF riches.
Wealth is not an auxiliary to happiness.
4 mans own nature is the primary agent
in the production OF satisfaction. Thous-
ands OF men get rich without happiness.
Other thousands gain happiness without
ever becoming rich A man should
make his first mark" on himself. You
are placed in life to build up your man
hood All right industries, all care and
enterprise, all hopes, fears, and sorrows,
arc formative inhuenccs-lcssons which
Providence set 10 men in the school OF
lilc and while they may result in pro
ducng wealth, they have failed of their
end il they do not produce manlincss.
l. In the long run, tried and proved
character for truth, honor and honesty
is tie best capital, and gives the largest
interest To he sure, these things will
not alone push man forward. He must
have good sense, enterprise, skill, per-
severance, and steadness. But more
men stumble from want OF moral alities
than from want of business capacity.
NJ eli do not put their standard OF integri.
ty high enough. They do not cling to it
with enough severity. When everything
is prosperous men do not feel the need
of high reputation. But when trouble
comes then it saves them. A good char
actcr is 10 man what n pontoon train
is to an army. An army may march for
days without needing it, and il may even
seem to be hindrance; but the first
broad and deep river reveals its value.
2. There is silent law, of which men
arc mostly unconscious, that works inccs.
sanity in human affairs, and infallibly de-
lermiucs results. 1t may he called the
law of industrial equivalents. In the
great strife Of commercial life, the gains
which men seem TO make, without have.
ing rendered for them fair equivalent.
in some Ghape OF work, skill. thought,
or other valuable quality, will not build
them up. The good old Book cautions
men about "making haste to be rich"
To do one any good, riches must be
earned We must render fair equivalent
of service for every hundred dollars.
Money got by gambling, byArick. by the
lower forms of speculation, seldom stays
by man. Every young man should be
willing to wait till he has fairly earned
his money by good hard work, and
enough OF it.
3. All generous natures promise them.
selves that, ii prospered, they will use
their money benevolently. Thousands
forget the promise. The reason is that
they put off a generous use of their
means to future day. Now every man