Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-01-08

their lives in retrospect that whenever they have
arrived It a point where they were thoroughly
prepared to 60 up higher, the door to higher
place has swung back Of itself, and they have
heard the call to enter. The old die, or volun-
tarily retire for rest The best mon who stand
ready to take their places will succeed to their
position and its honors and emolumente.
The young men will say that only few can
reach the top. That is true, but it is also true
that the further from the bottom one goes, the
more scattering the neighborhood. One can
fancy, for illustration, that every profession and
every calling is pyramidal in its living constitu-
ency, and that while only one man is at the top,
there are sew eral tiers Of men below him who
have plenty of elbow room, and that it is only at
the base that men are 30 thick that they pick the
meat out OF one another's teeth to keep them
from starving. If a man has no power to get
out of the rabble at the bottom, then he is self
convicted of having chosen calling or profess
sion to whose duties he has no adaptation.
The grand mistake that young men make,
during the irst ten years of their business and
prof ossional life, is in idly waiting for their
chance. They seem to forget, do not know,
that during those ten years they enjoy the only
leisure they will ever have. After ten years; in
the natural course OF things they will be abb
sorbingly busy. There will be no time for read
ing, culture, and study. II they do not become
thoroughly grounded in the principles and prac-
tical details of their profession during their pro-
fesson during those years; If they do not store
their minds with useful knowledge; If they do
not pursue nhDlts OF feauinS anu opserNation,
and social intercourse, which result
in culture, the question whether they
will ever rise to occupy place where there is
room enough for them will be decided in the
negative. The young physicians and young law
yers who sit idly in their offices, and smoke and
lounge away the time "waiting for something to
turn up, are by that course fastening themselves
for life to the lower stratum, where their strug
gle for bare livelihood is to be perpetual. The
first ten years are golden years, that should be
f,c 1tr,sr
Everything that tends to professional and per-
sonal excellence should be an object of daily
pursuit. To such men the doors of success
open of themselves at last. Work seeks the
best hands, as naturally as water runs down hill;
and it never seeks the hands Of the tritier or of
one whose only recommendation for work is that
he needs it. Young men do not know very much
any way, and the time always comes to those
who become worthy, when they lock back with
wonder upon their early good opinion of their
requirements and themselvs.
There is another point that ought not to be
overlooked in the treatment of this subject.
Young men look about them and see great
measure of worldly success awarded to men
without principle. They see the trickster
crowned with public honors, they see the swind-
Ter rolling in wealth, they see the sharp man,
the ovoreaching man, the unprincpled man,
the liar, the demagogue, the tme-seryer, the
trimmer, the scoundrel who cunningly manages,
though constantly disobeying moral law
and trampling upon social courtesy. to keep
himself out of the clutches of the legal
police, carrying off the prizes of wealth
and place. All this is a demorazng
puzzle and fearful temptation; and multidudes
of young mon are not strong enough to stand
before it. They ought to understand that il
this wicked world there is great deal of room
where there is integrity. Great trusts may be
sought by scoundrels, but great trusts nevel
seeks them; and perfect integrity is at prem
| um even among scoundrels. There are some
trusts that they will never confer on ead, other
There are occasions when they need THO i5rvi
ces of true men, and they do not find them ii
shoals and in the mud but alone and in pur,
| water.
In. the realmof eminent requirements and EN-
inent integrity there is always room enough
Let no young man of industry and perfect hon
| esty despair because his profession or calling il
crowded. Let him always remember that ther
is room enough at the top, and that the ques
ton whether he is ever to reach the top or ris,
| above the crowd at the base of the pyramid, viii
| be decided by the way in which he improves tin
| first ten years of his active life in securing t,
himself thorough knowledge of his profession
and sound moral and intellectual culture DR.
J. q. Holldnd .Scrihner for Jan.