The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1880-06-25

barred from entering upon that bust
ress for which you are best adapted.
In that case make the best choice in
your power. Apply yourself faith
fully aud earnestly TO whatever you
undertake, aud You cannot well help
achieving moderate success. Pa
tient application sometimes leads 10
great results.
You emphasize the fact Of your be.
ing poor boy, bat this affords no
grounds for discouragement. Not
only many, but most OF our success.
ful business and professional men we're
trained in the hard school of penury.
Stewart, Vanderbilt and John Jacob
Astor struggled upward from youth
Of poverty. A well known Member
Of Congress assured the writer that at
the age Of nineteen he was a aat-boat
man on the Mississippi river. The
obscure beginning Of Abraham Lin
coln Is familiar 10 all Americans.
Yet more remarkable was the rise Of
President Andrew johnson, who did
not learn 10 read aud write till after
he was tweniy-one SO numerous are
similar cases that il almost seems as
if poverty, instead Of being hin.
drance. were a positive help. Rich
boys are often spoiled, and their en-
ergies sapped and undermined, by
luxurious habits. the too free use Of
money, and the lack Of that discipline
which comes from indulgence.
As an element Of success great
stress must be laid upon incorruptible
integrity. which Of late years is I'M
fortunately too rarely found. A bust.
ness man once said 10 the writer:
II can find plenty Of smart young
men to work for me. What | want
is an honest clerk, whom | can i'm.
plicitly trust"
Scarcely a day passes in which some
deialcaiion is not brought to light.
Widespread misery often results from
the lax principles Of some young man
placed in a position Of trust. Let our
young correspondent resolve that he
will live on bread and water rather
than appropriate a penny that is not
his own. Let him initiate the stern
integrity OF John Quincy Adams, who
would not write a private letter upon
Government paper, but provided a
separate stock of stationary for such
uses. A boy or man who establish
Is a reputation for strict honesty will
not remain out Of employment.
Don't give up all your time to bus
mess. Reserve a part, il only an
hour daily, for reading aud mental
improvement. II Abbott Lawrence
had been familiar only with the de-
tails of his business he never would
have received the appointment of
Minister to England, a place which
he filled with credit to himself and to
his country. Some men prominent
in business have found time also for
wide and varied course Of reading,
which made them agreeable and in.
structive companions.
Last of all, remember that you
owe a debt to humanity. Try to live
and labor so that the world may be
the richer and mankind the happier
for your having lived. A great in
yentor, a great philanthropist, leaves
a legacy to his race. Who can esti-
mate the debt of the world TO the in.
ventor of printing. Of the steam en-
CINE, of the telegraph Who will
deny that Washington, Franklin and
John Howard, helped To make the
world better than they found IL
How long will the memory of Scott,
of Dickens and Of Thackery live in
the fund OF innocent pleasure which
their works are destined to afford for
generations TO come. All cannot at.
tain their celebrity or emulate their
great achievements, but no one is so
humble that he cannot promote in
some degree the happiness of those
around him.
A good mother, when her son was
leaving the home Of his childhood
and going out into the great world,
knowing that he was ambitious, gave
him this parting injunction;
my son, remember that though il
is good thing to be great man, il
is a great thing TO be a good man"
No sounder or truer words were
ever spoken. A great man may daz
ale but a good man is beacon shin
ing aiar, by whose beni6oent light q
multitude are enabled 10 walk in safe
~. The best success is often achiev
! ed by the humblesi, aud an obscur,
life, well spent is better than wick
ed renown.
/ The condition Of the public road