The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-03-01
Business sopccess--Tts Secret.

i'll busines? This question S"'''is i
asked. by a young correspondent
gTaVeIy as If it could be answered bv
chapter and verse out of some we'll
Known text book. It may do him and
others good, however, to discuss 1t hit
tie, And first it is not genius. AllWith
such peculiar gifts make bad managers
OF any business, and are too efratic for
ordinary executive purposes. And it is
not high intellectual attainments. Few
schol larlly men will lay aside their dcvo-
ton to letters fOrtheir own sake and fol
low the pl0dding course bywhich success
Is to be attained. And it lies not in the
t0rce OF circumstances. Some who
might nave otherwise been successful
III clear course have doubtless broken
down III the face OF peculiar obstacles:
Dutthe man Who can bend circumstances
ana occasions to his will can achieve
MS triumph IN spite OF adverse circum-
stances 1t rs net luck. There is
less happy chance in success than js
commonly supposed. 1t is true that
| many tempt their fate and escape ms
by miracle, but this can form no rule
OF lite; success in business is Obetlient
to law that can be clearly and distinct
ly traced throughout the whole of ones
career. This law is based on the Driu-
ccl1pIe that everything has its price, and
they only who are willing and able to
| pay 1t, can acquire that which they
c0Yet. Some are unable through want
OF nerve, or failing health, or defective
Judgment, or other mental or physical
detects,, to succeed in the strHggle. Bat
| more who are able fail because they
are, unwilling. to meet the cost. They
seek the end, but viii not, by patient,
earnest seIf-denial, employ the means.
Present qualification, some form of in
| dulgence, not consistent with the end
winch has been proposed, offers Il temp
tatIOn too strong for them to resist. To-
morrow they will begin asterner course:
next week they will. turn ever a new
leaf with different reading OH the OBJ
verse side; but to-day let the hands be
folded and the old cncumbrance re-
main. No man is OH the road to Suc-
cess, who has not already paid part of
the price, and is now holding out. to
fortune in full the next installment that
is due. Many fancy they are rendering
the price and wonder that the ground
does not grow solid beneath their feet.
IF they will look again with a keeneI
eye, they will sec that their hands arc
filled with cOuntefeit offerings which
will never be accepted The toile1
may deceive himself, but he can never
get the principal. Something for moth
ing is contrary to the constitution of
things. Everything for it's price, is the
universal law, but no bogus coin is tax
en- in this bargain.
THERE'S still another question of still
greater Importance. Is that greatmeas-
lre OF success, which most people cov-
ct, worth the price at which alone it can
be recovered? =? Is it not often, if not
always, bought too dearly, and at IL sac
rkfice too great for the real value? And
another Of even more practical impOr-
tance, is personal happiness at all de,
pendent on this measure of success
We hold that happiness is not depend,
ent on outward circumstances. 1t is
the QutgrOWth Of desirable moral char.
acter, and is built Of no sordid mate
rails. IN truth, the enjoyments of ou7
present state, are more evenly distrfbu.
ted than they are willing to admit al
applied to their own case; this one fact
alone proving the truth of our asSer.
tiOn.-[N. Y. Journal Of Commerce.