Smyrna times., 1875-04-14
Room at the Top.

10 the young men annually making their
entrance upon active life with great am.
oltlons, conscious capacities, and high
hopes, the prospect is in ninety.nine cases
III hundred, most perpleXing. They see
every avenue to prosperity thronged with
their superiors in experience. in social adj
v"ntages, and in the possession of all the
elements and conditions of success.
Every post Is occupied. every office filled.
every path crowded. Where shall
| they find room? 1t is related of Mr.. Web.
| ster that, when a young LAWYER surcestad
10 nm that the profession to which he had
devoted himself was ovcrcrowded. the great
man replied: Young man. there is ALWAYS
room enough at the top" Never was a
wiser or more suggestive word said. There
undoubtedly Is always room enough where
excellence lives. Mr.. Webster was not
troubled for lack Of room Mr.. CLAY and
Mr.. calhoun were never crowded. Mr..
kvarts, Mr.. Cushing and Mr.. OConor, have
plenty OF space around them Mr.. Bpechcr.
DR.. Storrs, DR.. Hall, Mr.. Phillips Brooks.
would never know, in their personal expert.
ence, that it was hard to obtain a desirabIe
ministerial charge. The profession is not
crowded where they arc. DR.. Brown
Sequard, Dr.. Willard Parker, DR.. Ham.
Eond, are not troubled for space for their
elbows. When Nelaton died in Paris, he
died like Moses on a mountain. When
Non Graefe died in Berlin. Eo hadno nciDh.
Dor at his altitude.
1t is well, first, that all young men re-
member that nothing will do them SO much
injury as quick and easy success. and that
nothing will DO them so much good as a
struggle which teaches them exactly what
there Is in them, cducates them gradually
to IFS use, instructs them in personal ccono.
my, drills them into patient and persistent
habit Of work, and keeps them at the foot
OF the ladder until they become strong
enough to hold every step they are enabled
10 gam. The first Years of every mans
business or professional life are wears Of
rHurJtlon. THcy are intended To be. in the
o:t,"r of nature and Providence Door. do
ut open to man until he is prepared to
enter them. The man without wrd,Iino-
garment may set it surrcl,titiouslv, but he
immediately goes out with flea i'm his ear
"" think 1t Is the experience Of most sue |
ccaaiul men who have watched their course
OF the lives in retroapect that whenever
they have arrived at point where they |
were thoroughly prepared to 20 up higher. |
the door to a higher place has swung back
OF itself, and they have heard the call to |
enter. The old die, or voluntarily retire |
Tor rest. The best men who stand ready to |
take their places will succeed to their
positions, and to the honors and emolu.
mcntS.
The Young men will say that only few
en- reach tn" top. That is true. But it is
also true that the further from the bottom |
any One goes the more scattering the neigh |
h"rhood. One can fancy, for illustration. |
that every profession and every calling is
pyra!nidnl in its living constituency: and |
that while only ONE man is at the ton. |
there are several tiers of men below him
who have plenty of elbow-room. and that
it is only at the base that men are so thick
that they pick the meat out of each others /
teeth to keep them from starving. IF
man has no power to get out of the rabble
at tn" bottom, then he is sclfconvictcd of /
h"vlns chosen a calling, or profession to
whose duties he has no adaptation