The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-11-21
Failures IN Life.

From Rural Notions in Providence Journal.
Tyre and SIdon persisted gradually
Pompeii was buried In an hour, Some
men are eonstitutionally stumblers IN the
highway OF life; some, IKE the ambitious
athlete overtask uncommon power, and
break down on tho instant with paralysis,
Whether or no q man has failed In lie,
depends, taking worldly view of it,
upon what in the first place, he has
striyen for, and secondly upon what he
ought, considering his relations TO society,
to have attempted. The mere idler is q
failure anywhere and everywhere and
ever. No man has q right, however
much Of wealth he possesses, to fold his
hands In utter Incidence; nor are there
any who are 80 disposed. The difficulty
Is that most Of US arc ticketed for the many
stations, not that we are inclined not TO
go anywhere. II takes halt lifetime TO
lind out that we are pursuing Q calling
we have no taste or qualification for, and
when WO do find 1t out, we are too old
and surrounded by too many impediments
TO make q change. Parents are more to
blame than children for this. PhrenOlo-
gists tell US that critical examination of
the Uranium will disclose exactly the nat
ural bent OF the mind, and tell precisely
what the boy can and cannot do in the
worlds warfare. We see no reason why
this should not DO so; we have never he'd
the slightest proof that 1t Is, But this
much Is true, q careful study Of youthful
characteristics and q strict adherence 10
~, aiN l., ItnaktsSa L., tho nhnina nj q huat,
ness or profession would make wonder.
full change in the quality Of the "stock"
OF the bar, pulpit and medical faculty, as
well as in other aVoCations, Enough
were we to 20 on we might arrive at tho
conclusion, II not able 10 appreciate the
wisdom OF Plato in his saying that none
Of the occupations which comprehend the
ordering Of State belong to woman as
woman, nor yet TO man as man; bnt nat
ural gifts are 10 be found here and there,
in both sexes alike; and, so far as her ma
tur0 Is concerned, the woman Is admissi-
Bile to all pursuits as well as the man.
though, in all of them the woman Is weak
or than the man." ..
But, to 20 back o little; q man may
have failed In 80 far that he has not been
of much service to the world, and yet, not
have failed In respect Of his purposes or
anticipations, There are some who de-
llberately refuse TO scramble for high
place, either In tho Textbook or the official
calendar, from an instructive and perpet'
ual fear Of falling; they prefer quiet view
from Mount Hope, whence they can
speedily and safely get home at night, TO
the eelGt and danger oil climbing Mount
Blanc. This may be all wrong In regard
to their duty 10 the world, ii might be the
better of, IL such made fortune OF hun
dred or two thousand dollars In ten years,
and lost 1t in one; but these people, mas
much as they had no choice about coming
here, are determined, in spite Of the
whips" OF commerce, agitators and fash
ion TO live In some degree after their own
inclination. The question Is, whether In
this aspect oft they have failed. Agood
many times they will wish they had taken
the other road; but they should remember
that the fellow who took 'tother track 10
very likely just as uncertain as to his
whereabouts, and quite as positive that he
Is having o hard time Of II. Its doubt
lul II any one can satisfy himself that he
has not made failure; II Is impossible for
any one else to know that he has. Few
would DO willing TO live their lives over
again; none would be willing To give up
t6eir personal identity. II we could tell
how things would have been, had they not
happened as they have, we should have o
criterion by which to Judge, but that We
never can know, so that In Striking the
balance for ourselves we are ever and ever
shall be in the dark.