The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-08-28
For, oh, be stood before me like my youth
Transformed for me the real TO a dream
Clothing the palpable and the familiar
With golden exhalAtlOuE Of the dawn,

Alu Z v NV u 1Gl. ~ y uAGAlN
Clothing the palpable aud the familiar
With golden exhalatlOns Of the dawn.
We have reached the hard realities, the
palpable limitations, the familiar drudg.
cry of actual life, while for these joyous
lads the future is a vision Of limitless pos.
sibilities shaped out OF the golden exhala.
tons OF youth and hope. A long, an earn.
est, perhaps a sad, 7homily Smight be
preached upon this text. Happily for me
l am not called upon 10 deliver It; but l
may at once address myself to these boys,
who are doubtless beginning to think that
l am Numbering, and that II there is any
thing in the world real and palpable, not
to say familiar, it is just themselves. So,
boys, let me tell you that it has given me
great pleasure to come among you to-day,
and to hand you the prizes you have won
for proficiency in all sorts Of intellectual
and some physical exercises; and, IS l
have perfect confidence in the judgment
and in the justice Of those who award
these prizes, l am sure that you deserve
the honors you have obtained, and l offer
you my hearty congratulations upon them.
You have a right to take an honest pride
inyour success, and l would excuse a lit
tie vanity, Il the fit is neither too strong
nor too long. But though self.satisfaCtion,
II one comes by 1t honestly, is q very good
thingin its way, the whole value OF success,
here US elsewhere, does not lie in self.satis-
faction. In the present case l should say
that the chief value OF success lies in the
evidence which it affords Of the possession
Of those faculties which will enable you
to deal with those conditions OF human
existence into which you will be launched,
to sink or swim, by and by. Let me ap-
peal TO your knowledge OF yourselves and
Of your school-fellows. What sort Of
fellows are those who win prizes? Is
there in all the long list we have gone
through to-day the name of a single boy
who is dull, slow, idle and sickly? l am
sorry 10 say that I have not the pleasure
Of knowing any Of the prize.winners this
year personally; but | take upon myself
to answer certainly %not-nay, l will go so
far as 10 affirm that the boys to whom l
have had the pleasure Of giving prizes to-
day, take them altogether, are the sharp
est, quickest, most industrious and strong
est boys in the school. But by strongest
| do not exactly mean those who can lift
the greatest weights or jump farthest, but
those who have most endurance. You
will observe again that l say, take them
altogether. ! do not doubt that outside
the list OF prize-winners there may be
boys OF keener intellect than any who are
in it, disqualified by lack Of industry or
lack OF health, and there may be athletes
who are still more unfortunately idle or
stupid or both. Quickness in learning,
readiness and accuracy in reproducing
what islearnt, industry, endurance these
are, the qualities, mixed in .Sariouss pro-
portions, which are found in boys who
win prizes. Now, there is not the small
est doubt that every one OF these qualities
istof great value in practical life Upon
whatever career you may enter intelleGtu-
al quiCkness, industry and the power OF
bearing fatigue are threegreat advantages.
But l want to impress upon you and
through you upon those who will direct
your future course the conviction which l
entertain that, as q general rule, the rela-
tive importance sof these three qualitica-
tons is not rightly estimated, and that
there are other qualities Of no less value
which are not sdireCtlyltested by school
competition. A somewhat varied expert
|enCe OF men has ledtme the longer l live
to set less value upon mere cleverness; to
attach more and more Importance to in
dustry, and to physical endurance, Indeed
/ am much disposed to think that endur.
ance isthe most valuable Quality Of all, for
industry, as the desire to work hard, does
not come 10 much if q feeble frame is un.
able to respond to the desire. Everybody
who has had his way to make in the world
must know that while the occasion for an
intellectual effort Of a high order Isl rare,
it constantly happens that a mans future
turns upon his being able to stand aisud.
den and heavy strain upon, his pow.
ers OF endurance. To lawyer,
physician, minister or a merchant it
may DO everything to BIO able to work
sixteen hours O day Tor as long as is need.
full without knocking up. Moreover, the
patience, tenaCity and good humor which
are among the most important qualihca.
tons fer dealing with men are inCompati.
Bile with an irritable brain, aweak stomach
or o defective circulation. If any one 81
you prize.winners were q son OF mine Ia:
might have been the case, l am glad C
think, on former o%ccasions), and a good
fairy were to offer to equip him according
to my wishes for the battle OF practical
life, l should say: ~ do not care t
trouble you for any more ~Cleverness
put in as much industry as you can, in
stead; and oh! If you please, q broad
deep chest and stomach OF whose exist
enCe he shall never know anything"
should DO we'll content with the prospects
OF a fellow SO endoYed, The other poin
which ! wish to impresssupon you is, tina
competitive examination, useful and ex
cellent rs it is for some purposes, Is only
very partial test Of what the winners vii
be worth in practical lie. There are PEG
ple who are neither very clever nor YER,
industrious nor very strong, and VIII
would probably be nowhere in an exami