The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1873-12-18
The Road to Ruin.

Some one, it matters not who, said that
Rome was net built in day. This may be
regarded as sort of proverbial expression, de-
noting that no great thing is accomplished in
short time. Some men apparently accom-
plished a great deal. There are not few
authors who have written books enough to fill
a moderate sized bookcase. These men, or at
least most of them, think, when they contem-
plate all that they have done and all that they
have not done, that they have only gathered a
few grains of sand.
To effect anything great and good, takes a
long time. 1t takes whole life to build up q
good name. We must commence with our
Childhood, and struggle, with untiring perse-
yerence until our faces are furrowed with
wrinkles and our heads covered with gray
hairs. TO become skilled in any art or avo-
cation of life, requires years of study. observa-
ton and practice. No man is good In any
thing by Intuition. The road to the accom-
plishment of anything great or good is long,
meandering and difficult An individual may
be born rich and heir to crown; but no one
is born good mechanic, farmer, mathemati-
clan or LAWYER To be good in any of these
things takes long time. The road that leads
to true greatness is long one, and often hard
to find.
Such is not the case with regard to the road
that leads to ruin. 1t is short, and so plain
that the veriest fool experiences no sort of
difficulty in finding it. Often, in the short
period of few years, individuals spend for
tunes which it took three or four generations
to accumulate. The hard earnings of several
individuals, for many years, is often spent or
souandered by one individual in as many
days. Property passes out of the hands of
some individuals, like snow from the bank of
ditch. Rather we should have said, it flies
from them as the morning mist flies before the
rising sun.
Fast and easy as some men may make way
with their property, still faster and easier do
others squander everything Of good character
which they possess, and rush to ruin. If it is
hard to accomplish anything that is good, it is
exceedingly easy to affect our ruin for time
and eternity. The ways which we may ruin
ourselves are infinite. We may contract habits
in youth which will cling to us during life and
keep us poor; cover us with shame and intamy
all our days, and bring us down, unhonored
and hated, to an untimely grave. A large
amount of the human family, in one way or
another, commit suicide They shorten their
davs and make those days full of misery
With speed which is so rapid that it cannot
be checked, they rush headlong to ruin. Some
rbetorician said that it was but step from the
sublime to the ridiculous; from honor to
shame is less than step. The line of dcmar-
cation is invisible with the natural eye. His
torv affords numberless examples of individu-
ala who commenced life with bright prospects !;
but who in moment, as it were, terminated
them in ruin.
Never should the young forget that it takes
long time and continual struggle to ac-
complish even little good; but ruin may be
effected in moment without an effort. 10 90
good is rowing against winds and waves; but
neither winds nor waves are contrary to those
who would rush to destruction YorkuiAe En-
quirer.