The Louisiana cotton-boll. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], Attakapas, La.) 1872-1883, 1873-04-02
Charles Dickens Way Of Getting On
in the World,

| have been very fortunate III worldly
matters many men have worked much
harder, and moi succeeded half as we'll
but l never could have done what
have done without the habits of pune
tualitv. orderand diligence without the
determination to concentrate myself on
one object at a time, no matter how
quickly its successor should come upon
its heels, which | then formed. Ny
meaning simply is, that whatever Ihavo
tried to do in life, | have tried with all
my heart to do well that whatever |
have devoted myself to. I have devoted
myself to completely that, in great
aims and in small, I have always been
thoroughly in earnest. / have never
believed it possible that any natural or
improved ability can claim immunity
from the companionship Of the steady,
plain, Woodworking qualities, and hope
to gam its end. There is no such thing
as such fiulfillment on this earth.
Some happy talent, and some fortunate
opportunity, may form the two sides Of
the ladder on which some men mount,
but the rounds Of that ladder must be
made of stuff to stand wear and tear e
and there is no substitute for thorough
going, ardent, and sincere e~arnestness.
Never to put one hand to anything on
which l could throw my whole self, and
never to affect depreciation Of my work,
whatever it was, l fnd now to have been
my golden rules. -DGuid C8pperfold.
The Writing of Histdry.
Within the last score Of years, his
torical judgments of notabe persons
have been revised, and thoses who had
stood in darkness for ages have sudden
ly emerged clad in white raiment, Hen
ry VIII. has been reintrodueed as an
upright sovereign and a pattern of do
mestic virtues the latest portrait of
Mary Queen of Scot represents d guile
less woman with mart Crown ; even
Judas Iscariot has fond an apo1ogist.
Another generation, no doubt, will be
favored with q new view Of Benedict
Arnold, in which his patriotic motives
will be clearly shown. These illustra-
tions of a general tendency toward OPP
timism in Judging of 1.-the great ones
gone" do not, of course, prove that
mankind is growing more charitable,
though that hypothesis wouldlbe pleas
ATTEST but they do prove that the
world is learning to place Il higher
value on fair play, by showing that
there may be- two honest, yet opposite,
views of the same subject. A century
ago, Nh. Froude's portrait of Henry
VIII. and Col. Meline's portrait Of
Mary, would have been contemptu0usly
Kissed. To-day. they win the respect
sven of their most hostile critics, be-
aus they bring to light new facts,
which, though they may fail to change
the popular verdict in either case. have
yeta value as evidence in the estima-
ton OF every honest mind. It is this
recognition Of the value Of facts rs
facts, without reference to their bear
ing ON certain theories Or opinions. that
distinguishes the present age from it's
predeC sors IN the framing If histori-
col Judgments. II IN the natural result
of the spread of Intelligence, of the
more general exercise of our reasoning
powers, Of our measurable emancipa-
ton from the thralldom of opinion in
which our forefathers were held. The
age, however, should not receive more
credit than fairly belongs to it. These
new views of historical personages are
not exclusively attributable to It's intel
ligence and fairmindedness. Time has
had h hand in the work, softening pre-
iudices and illuminating obscure points
that stood in the way Of earlier histori-
ans. Contemporary history is notori-
ously Enthusiastically; the writer Ia more
than mortal if he can avoid the bias of
private interest, or. what liz not less DO
tent, the bias of private opinion. Sup
pose two students in 1879 read the his
tory of the presidential campaign lust
closed, using q file of the Tribune,
the other q file Of the Times; how I'M
fair and inadequate will be the repre-
of the subject projected on
the mind of each The historians.
separated by generations from events Of
which he writes, has no personal ends
to serve, no personal likes or dislikes to
crafty; and can approach the materials
under his hand with u sincere intention
of making them tell the truth. The
historian who writes in the interest of o
religion cannot, Of course, hold this
high ground but the occupation of his
class, if not quite gone, IL rapidly GO
ing, and the exception is growing less
and less important. TO whatever causes
change may be due, it is unques-
aionahIy true that history Is becoming
more impersonal and impartial, rs the
Of individuals and classes Ia de-