Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1872-04-05
How To Get On In Life.

How To Get On In Life.
A young man writes tosus that he ha.
had ''ten years Office experience, we sup
pose as clerk or bookzkeeper. during
which time he has saved -''the sum tota
of $75.' which is his all. He wishes te
settle in sone growing young town and
grow up with it," He is evidently sincere
and his letter shows that heis not deficient
in ability, and has some good sense. We
therefore say to him. plainly. that success
in life does not come in that way. Nc
man finds fortune by chance. nor can he
''grow" into state of prosperity merely
by planting himself in fresh virgin soil
Everything in life worth having is wrest.
led for and acquired through severe labor
and elf-denial. -
1t is great mistake to suppose that the
failures of aspirants in this line come from
adverse surroundings. Circumstances
have much less to do with uaterial pros,
perity than is generally supposed. Fa-
voring conditions may accelerate the ac-
QUESTION of an estate. but the same
application and self-denial will guarantee
the final result under any conditions.
There are exceptions. of course, but this
is the rule. A man without family who
has been toiling in New York for ten years
and has laid up but $75 would not ''grow
up" into anything better. even amid the
stimulus of that wonderful activity which
marks the youth of athriviug town. The
accretion that comes upon man who waits
to grow up by outward helps. is only the
OVERLAPPING of rust and canker that gnaw
ont the vitals.
The true growth is that. which comes
from within. and employs every faculty in
the earnest effort. Nearly all of our young
men make the same mistake which our
correspondent confesses-they spend too
large proportion of their earnings for
adornments and unhealthy indulgences OF
the baser appetites. Fine clothes, jewel
ry, cigars. liquors. pleasure hunting. and
other costly or vicious habits, waste no
inconsilerable portion of their annual in
come.
We heard man spoken Of the other day
as one who had been remarkably ''lucky" ;"
in establishing himself in a comforta-
BILE home, and that was the only word used
to distinguish between him and an associ-
ate who had more brilliant talents, but
failed of success. There was no luck in
the matter, for we knew them both. They
were both married, without children, and
each entering upon salary Of 81 900
per annum, went about the same time to
look for board in Brooklyn. The "un-
fortunate" man took board for himself and
wife at $40 per week, which he said was
the cheapest at which he could get COM
Portable room in first.class house. The
''lucky" man looked for some time until
he found clean, healthy quarters in third
story room at So weak for the pair, his
wife to do her own sweeping and make her
own bed. He lived within his income
and laid up money from the start; the
other ran in debt and became embarrassed
from the same hour.
There is no secret in such histories he
who runs may read them. H'any one as
sumes that the nobler part is to ''enjoy
life' as we GO; and that the acquisition
of an estate, the foundation of which is
laid in early se1f-denial. and the structure
built. in patient toll with the same preva-
lent spirit ever present. is an ignotle am
bition, we shall not argue the case. But
we do say that those who desire this result
can persue it safely and surely In no other
way, and if man after knowing what it
will cost. will not pay the price for it. he
should not grumble at the fates, nor mur
mur against discriminating Providence.