The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1873-07-17
Success.

If you do not succeed in life it is your
own fault Rest assured of that, and
blame not your surroundings, your
friends enemies, or the stars which pre-
sided at your birth-blame only your
selves Be convinced that there is flaw
somewhere in your makeup, a defect
somewhere in your nature, weakness
somewhere in your character which is
keeping success from you, and for which
you alone are accountable. You have
doubtless heard such statements as these
many times. You are discouraged-even
disgusted at the lack of sympathy the
authors of them betray-yet you must
excuse them, as you declare they cannot
understand at all how you feel-cannot
realize anything of the amount Of exer-
ton you put forth-of the extent of your
struggles as you endeaver daily to sue
ceed, though destitute of hopefulness
born of success, the latter having never
vet crowned your efforts. Y ou turn upon
u.s. and class us with the rest-still more
harsh, if possible, than they who are ever
condemning you ever refusing to help
you, because you do not help yourselves.
In spite of all this, We stand up boldly
and reiterate: "If you do not succeed in
life it is your own fault" At the same
time, however, we deny being cold, un-
sympathetic, unreasonable, harsh and
request your attention still further as we
give proof of this. When we say that
certain persons have fallen short of sue
cess, all depends upon the definition we
give to the word, when we declare that
they are to blame. The world curses
Charlie because he does not rise
above his misfortunes-his poverty-be-
cause he blocks up the way of those yet
lower than he. "Cnarlie ought to get
along. No reason why he shouldn't. 1t
is application instead of means that is re-
lacks application? Not his employer
not his fellow-worl<men, certainly, for
early and late tolls Charlie. But what
are his poor wages applied to his poorer
family There is wife and five little
ones depending ON Charlie. The wife an
invalid; the children not far removed
lack of comforts the cause. The wife
frets, murmurs constantly-not against
Charlie, but against fate. She sees no
light for her family-herself; she drags
around through the day rests occasionally
in the sunshine, but its rays never pene-
trate her heart, and when night comes and
brings Charlie, he sees only a sad-eyed,
faded-out wan-weary face as he enters
the house, and hears always a wall from
some one of the five, little behind the
rest in its efforts to reach him. But what
does Charlie do? Does he lament with
those who lament? Does he sit down in
the darkest corner of the room and curse
the day he was born He does nothing
of the kind. His heart may be heavy :;
the burden he feels great; he may have
appeared gloomy and morose all day to
the world but he breathes nothing of it
as he enters home-he endeavors now to
forget it all He puts his great arms
around the partner of his joys-to him
and his sorrows, ever present, and kisses
her "Well, little woman, ye're havin' a
| tug O. it." he exclainls "Ive come home
to help ye bit; yell be glad o breath
in spell, God save ye, little woman" and
| he catches up the baby from her lap.
"Ahl Ahl" says Charlie, taking the
scrawny finger of baby from its mouth,
I'VE mus ma swally yer fists, Tam, yer
poor mans young 'un. they're all we've
got to git livin' wi y and seeking
chair, Charlie trots the little one on his
knee Then the rest of the five crawl
around him, and the sorrowful mother,
hearing their merry voices, gradually be.
| comes more cheerful. What there is of
supper to be got, she places before them,
and stirs around as she has not done all
day. As she passes and re-passes Charlie,
he touches her faded calico lovingly, and,
when the baby will let him, pulls down
| her face for kiss He comforts his old
est, who points to the holes in his worn
out shoes, and tells him rich people could
not afford to wear them, and that they
are nicely ventilated for summer. "By
winter" and far-away look steals into
his eyes, ''yes, maybe, Jem, by winter.
we'll all have boots and shoes a plenty.
And he tosses up the baby in his arms,
and thus stiles sigh. Presently he takes
lame Bennie on his other knee, and with
his great, strong hand rubs his little
MANNED limb tenderly. Then he tells
Bennie of the Great Physician who was
once upon earth, who went about healing
the sick, and making little lame boys
walk. "We1l go to his home some time,
little Ben, if we be good, for He's bid
even the likes O. US come, an without
money an no price" and nodding to his
wife, who is devouring his dear face with
her eager eyes, he says, Yes, Mollie, fur
its all paid, long ago-long ago" Bed
time comes Charlie gives the baby to
his mother, leads the little ones to her
side, and lneels close by, himself Then
he asks blessing for them all from the
poor mans God; his salvation he accepts
His help he implores. And thus theil
day-their evening ends If Charlie lies
awake hours after, contriving how he car
earn and save more money; how he car
pay for the little pine coffin he bought {
month ago; if he wonders what is to be