Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1873-01-25
Luck and Pluck.

The following is an abstract from one
of Rev. Geo. H. Hepworth's lectures:
"There is, undoubtedly, such a thing
as good fortune, and there is, it may be
admitted, such thing as bad luck; but
hesucceeds who helps things to turn up,
and he fails who idly waits. Men toll
sometimes for twenty years, and anOth-
er steps in to reap the fruits of their
toll. They seem born under an evil
star, and everything goes wrong with
them. Admitting these cases to some
times occur, to come to the hard pan of
my subject, in the long run success in
life can be reduced to science. He
touches the goals ndreachsthe threshold
of the highest SUI ccess who labors truly
and earnestly. This is the universal
law; if you obey it, well; if you DISC
hey it, i'll; you cannot dodge it.
"There is more incentive to labor in
America than elsewhere, because the
highest success is within the reach of
all. When, in England, the poor man
sees a duke ride by in state, he envies
him as one to whose position he can
never aspire. When the rich man here
rides by with his four-in-hand, the Yam
kee boy says: very well for an old
man I'll have six horses when Tn as
old There is something in the atmos-
phere of America which nourishes a
lofty ambition, and it is the honest work
of honest hands and honest BRAINS which
tells in this glorious country. See these
men of every age. We look at the broad
procession of those who have made us,
and as we gaze upon their giant proper
tons, a voice comes to us saying: Not
one of us is so great but you may be
greater / have the minimum belief in
genius; [ have the maximum faith in
work. Every man and woman is hero
once in their life. He could be hero
always; it is in him, and only needs
constant effort to draw it out. Alexan-
der, Caesar, Napoleon are as nothing to
the men and women, who are bearing
heavy burdens and doing Gods will
silently and quietly amidst poverty and
sorrow. Throughout the world there
are unknown heroes, who shall be ac-
knowledged some day, and who, when
measured by the side of those we call
great, shall be found to be greater still.
"There are two elements in the sci
ence of success. If you want to get on
high in life in the highest and best
sense, the first requisite is honesty.
During the fifteen years have been
in public life, have seen men come up
and go down, and have found that the
honest man is the only one who sue
ceeds in the long run-sooner or later
deviltry goes under. If you want to get
on in life, you must be honest and true;
but you must be lucky as well. How
few there are who stand up and fight it
out with their teeth griped close togeth-
er If you are dead, like the 1rishman's
turtle, don't be sensible of it. Be like
the India rubber ball, which rebounds
the higher the harder it is thrown down.
That's manhood; that's pluck. You
must not believe in luck; believe in
yourself. There may be such thing
as luck lying around loose in some cor
ner of nature but the chances are ten
thousand to one that it will not fall to
YOU Make an intelligent plan and
work for it 18th an honest purpose, a
manly heart, and will of nerve, Of de-
termination, Of grit.