The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1878-05-10
For the Ouaciiita Telegrapii.l
IS SlNGLEN ESS OF PURPOSE. ONENESS
OF AIM"
NUMBER ONE.

NUMBER ONE.
AS II "motto," propose using the
sublime expression Of Paul, the great
Apostle to the Gentiles, when pressed
by the responsibilities of this world,
and gazing up into the opening reali-
ties of the other, exclaimed, "7his one
thing I DO"
From the first mention of the author
of the passage, where they that stoned
Stephen are said to have laid down
their garments Mt II young mans feet
whose name was Saul, to the very last
record OF his eventtul lite, there is an
identity, IL keeping, II consistency of
character which mark him out us no
ordinary man. 1t would be an inter
esting and perhaps profitable service
to cndeavor to analize the structure of
his mind, and to trace the history of
its development, noting with care the
| influence OF f;avoring and adverse cir
ctsms.ances in the formation of Its
principles and its habits, and reaching
! through this sure process OF induction,
would arrive ut the true philosophy of
his character. Such nm attempt might
| be regarded by some as too abstruce
for II disquisition designed only to give
direction to the youthful mind In the
great battle of life. They need to be
panopled for the conflict, land fully pre-
pared to shoulder responsibilities, aud
thus fortified nble to walk along with II
steady step and an unfaltering resolu-
tion to meet the opening of the 'sbooks"
to be read out amid the assizes OF the
O6servnnt OF effects than causes more
| willing to follow on begun process
than to trace it back to its origin. In
fine, it loves ut whatever point you
commence, to follow onward and up.
ward to its constituent sources. This
Is emphutfcuify true OF the youthful
mind. AS the greater numerical num-
Der of the years OF their contemplated
earthly existence still lie before them,
surely it is not strange that the powers
and attractions Of youth should lead
them in IN onward direction. Forget
ting for the time the things that are be-
hint, both bad and good, the profitable
AMI the worthless alike, they should
press forward. l have not the chiv-
airy, nor do propose in this essay to
exercise the moral courage, to combat
this instructive impulse of youthful
artlor. Rather let me throw myself
| into the onward current, and join com
| paniOnshIp in your onward purposes.
Permit me to say to the young that
my sympathics, my heart, my hopes,
are all with you.
| Onward, onward! In the future,
with just enough distance and linncss
to lend encl,antmcnt to tho view, there
hang tho golden clusters you may
pluck there wave the golden i,arvests
you Inuy reap. And while you look
forward and hasten forward with beat
ing hearts and buoynnt hopes, regard
less of the croaking of the cuptious and
evil tOrebOdings OF those who have
been sOureu by their own miserable
iisnppointinents,i it surely will not DC
deemed out of place to ask your sol
einn, your earnest attention, to two
important propositions:
First--Do one thing ut II time.
Second-Do the most important
thing first.
First-Do one thing at time.
This is natures mcthOd--thc voice
OF universal experience, and the YER
dict of all successful enterprise. Look
through the world, among the high
and the low, the rich and the poor, the
learned and the ignorant alike, and
the failures in Inisspent lives may be
traced to an utter Disregard of this sin
glcncss of purpose this oneness of aim.
The solemn inquiry Of any intelligent,
accountable, immortal being, should
be, What kind Of Il record am | max.
ing up to be read by others when |
step Oft the stage of action: This try
ing ordeal must be met. We too must
hear it's reading at the revelations OF
that day of trial, from whose decisions
there is no appeal. The brightest in
tellccts which have luZZlcd for II time
and won the udmirations Of millions
have been dimcd Of this lustcr, by turn
ing inside into the h0rdcS of sin and
temptation. BY the machinations OF
satan, chain after chain is wrapped
about the limbs Of the unsuspccting
youth, and his lOcOInotiOn in the right
:. direction is destroyed forever. With
no helping hand to lead him back to
the right path, he is left by IL cold, cal
culating and hcartlcss world, alone in
his misery, to die 'unhonorcd, un-
Wcpt and unsunS.'
"'rhis one thing l do,' said Paul,
and il does really seem that he had
+ just been reading some modern treatise
on political economy, and in the chap
ter on the productiveurss Of human in
= duStry, had discovered the advantages
Of the division of labor drawn ont in
: such clear and full specifications, AZ
!. wrought conviction in his mind, and
i under this new iInpulsatiOn he cries