American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-04-24
ROOM AT The TOP.

their entrance upon active life, with
great ambitions, conscious capaci-
ties and high hopes, the prospect is,
in ninety nine cases in Il hundred,
most perplexing. They see every
avenue to prosperity thrOnged with
their superiors in experience, in so
cial advantages, and in the posses
sion of all the elements and condi-
tions OF success. Every post is
occupied, every Office filled, every
path crowded. Where shall they
find ro,ms 1t is related OF Mr..
Webster that when young law
yer suggested to him that the pro,
fessiOn to which he bad devoted
himself was OvercrOwded, the great
man replied: "YOung man, there
tOp.o Never was wiser or more
suggestive word said. There I'M
dOubtly 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.. Evarts, Mr.. Gushing.
and Mr.. O'Conor have plenty of
space around them. When Neiaton
died in Paris, he died like Moses
on IN ,untain. When Won Graefe
died in Il rim. he had no neighbnr
ut his altitude.
1t is we'll. first, that all young
men reme;nh-. dist nothing will do
them So much injury us quick and
easy success, a;ui that nothing will
slO them So much good as strug-
gle which teaches them exactly
wl.:t there ia in them educutlOn
them gradually to its use, instructs
them in personal economy, drills
them into u patient and persistent
habit OF work, and keeps them at
the foot OF the ladder Antil they
become strong enough to hold
every step they are enabled to
gain. The first years of every mans
business or professional life are
years of education. They are inten,
ded to be, in the order of nature and
Providence. Doors do not open to
u man until he is prepared to enter
them, The man without a we'd
ding garment may get in surrep
tltiously, but he immediately goes
out with fle.I in his ear. We
think it is the experience of most
successful men who have watched
the course Of their lives in retro
specr, that whenever they have ar
rived at point where they were
thoroughly prepal ed to go up high
er. 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 for rest.
The best men who stand ready to
take their places will succeed to
their position and its honOrs aud
emoluments.
The young men will say that
only a 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 neigh
bOrhoOd. One can fancy, for Illus
tration, that every professional ami
every calling is pyramidal in it's
living constituency, and that while
only one man is at the top, 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 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 a calling
or profession to whose duties he
has no adaptation.
The grand mistake that young
men make, during the first ten
years of their business and profess
sional life, is in idlywaiting for their
chance They seem to forget, or
they 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 absoring!y
busy. There will then be no time
for re aiding, culture, and study. Ii
they do become thoroughly ground
ed in the principles and practical
details of their profession during
those years; if they do not store
their minds with useful knowledge
if they do not pursue habits of
reading and observation, and social
intercourse, which result in culture.
the question whether they will
ever rise to OCCUPY a place where
there is room enough for them will
be decided in the negative. The
young physicians and young lawyers
who ait 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 struggle for a
bare livelihood is to 7oe perpetual. |
The first ten years are golden years
that should be filled with systema-
tic reading and observation.
Everythingt that tends to profession
al aud personal excellence should
be an Object of daily pursuit. To
such men the doors of success open
of themselves at last. Works seeks
the best hands, as naturally IA
water runs down bill and it never
seeks the hands of a tri fer, or one !
whose only recommendation for
works is that he needs it. Young
men do not know very much any
way, and the time always comes to
those who Come worthy, when they
look back with wonder upon their
early good opinion of their acquire
n l.