The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1878-05-16
Obstacles.
BY SAMUEL C. LoNGBoN.

Obstacles are found in every place and in ev-
cry condition of life, and every person has his
share of them to encounter. Let no man de-
ceive himself by supposing that his pathway
will be free from Obstacles or that his case will
be an exception to that of all others.
man who is always parading his own trou-
bles and inflcting Oh his neighbors long stories
of his bad luck, his difficulties and his obsta-
cles, has just one duty left to perform, and that
is, to die as soon possible, for he is al
ways a failure, and success comes only to such
as struggle to overcome obstacles, and not to
such as can do nothing but tell doleful tale
about their trials and their temptation.
Obstacles are of two classes, the surmountable
and the insurmountable. We should never be
discouraged by the former, nor should we ever
attempt to overcome the latter. What from the
very nature of things is impossible, we should
not attempt; what is possible, or what has not
been clearly demonstrated to be impossible, we
may undertake with q fair prospect of success,
if we are bold, brave and determined.
In considering an obstacle with a view of
overcoming it, it is very proper to ask, will it
pay? Will the end justify the means? 1t is
neither policy wisdom to waste valuable
powder on insignificant game. 1t does not pay
to spend precious time in even the sure accom-
plishment of what will be of no use or benefit
either to ourselves or to any body else; but if
the end sought be clearly possible, and suffi-
ciently desirable, then no labor is too arduous
no sac rifice too great to be expended in its at
tainment.
We need not be afraid of obstacles, nor need
we fly at their approach, for many of them di-
minish as we reach them. They seem greatest
at distance, and in this case, il is not distance
but nearness that lends enchantment to the
view. Many of our obstacles are imaginary
We build them as easily as we do air-castles,
and frequently the greatest obstacles to success,
| have no existence save in the disordered fancy
of the timid, and the faithless, who have neith-
er the soul to dare, nor the will to do. What
| are obstacles to one, are not to another. The
child sees many, the man few and what the
! child deems insurmountable, the man easily
| overcomes. The school boy has his OBJ
stacles to encounter-obstacles Arithmet tical
Geographical, Grammatical. If he determin es
! to succeed, he conquors them one by one, gains
new strength at every conquest, and forces his
way through the alphabet, through the lesson,
through the book, through life.
| There are several ways of disposing of obsta-
cles. Some may be removed, some we may go
around, others may be surmouuted; but what
ever may be the obstacle, or whatever may be
the method employed to remove it, or to over
come it, nothing less than an indomitabls will
and persistent effort will secure victory.
There are many obstacles in the way of a
fortune, many in the way of good education
many between every man and the fulflments
of his hopes. We do not expect to scale the
Andes without effort, or to ''be carried to the
skies on fiowery beds of ease." Every tempta-
ton is but an obstacle to put our virtue to the
test. We are either to win or to be overcome
and if we would win, we must fight, we mus
labor, we must wait, we must persevere.
Successes come from struggles. In addition
to our most laborious efforts, must be brave
or rather we must be more than brave, we mus
| be courageous, we lust be determined; and then
toiling and trusting, waiting and hoping, hav-
ing "heart within and God o'erhead," we
shall come off more than conqu eror through
Him who hath loved us and rede emed US.