The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-01-27
Luck and Pluck.

The following is m abstract from one
of Rev. Geo, II. Hepworth's lectures;
"There is, undoubtedly, such thing
rs good fortune, and there Is, it may be
admitted, such q thing rs bad luck but
hesucceels who helps things TO turn UP,
and he fails who idly wNits. Men toll
sometimes for twenty years, and anoth-
er steps in to reap the fruits Of their
toll. They seem born under MI 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 he reduced TO n science. He
touches the goal Indreachsthe threshold
of the highest success who labors truly
and earnestly. This is the universal
law; il you obey ii, well; If YOU DISC
hey it, i'll; you cannot dodge it.
"rherc is more incentive to labor in
America than elsewhere, because the
highest success is within the rcach Of
Ill, When, in England, the poor man
sees n duke rideby in state, he envies
him rs 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 MI old
man III have six horses when I'm MS
old There is something in the atmos'
pherc Of America which nourishes q
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 Nge. We look ut the broad
procession Of those who have made us,
and us we gaze upon their giant proper.
tons, voice comes to us saying; moi
one Of lis is so great but you may be
greater 1 have the minimum belief IN
genius; I have the maximum faith in
work. Every man and woman is here
once in their life. He could be hero
always; il is in him, and only needs
constant effort to draw il ont. Alexan'
der, Cesar, Napoleon are Ms nothing IA
the men and women, who Rre bearing
heavy burdens and doing Gods will
silently and quietly amidst poverty and
sorrow. Throughout the world there
are unknown heroes, who shall be nc
knowledged some day, and who, when
measured by the side Of those we call
great, shall be found to be greater still.
"Thero 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 l have been
in public life, / have seen men come up
and go down, md have found that the
honest man is the only one who sue.
ceeds in the long run--sooner or later
deviltry goes under. II 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 togetll-
erl If you are dead, like the Irishman'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
rs luck lying around loose in some cor
ner OF nature; but the chances arc ten
thousand to one that it will not fall to
you. Make nm intelligent plan aud
work for it With m honest purpose, n
manly heart, and will of nerve, of de-
termination, Of grit.