The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1881-12-08
NO. IS
Life's Brightest Hour.

Not long since | met gallant gentleman
who is assessed for more than million. sill
yer was in his hair, beneath his brow, and stoop
ed beneath his burden of wealth. We were
speaking of that period of life when he had
realized the most perfect enjoyment, or, rather,
when he had found the happiness to be unal-
Logged. 81 tell you," said the millionaire
when was the happiest hour of my life. At
the age of one and twenty had saved up $500
| was earning $500 year, and my father did
not take it from me, only requiring me to paw
my board AT the age of twenty-five had
secured pretty cottage just outside of the
city. / was able to pay two-thirds OF the
money down, and also TO furnish it respect
ably. l was married on Sunday Sunday in
June-at my fathers house. My wife had
come to me poor in purse, but rich in wealth
of womanhood The Sabbath night we pass
ed beneath my fathers roof, and on Monday
morning went to work leaving my mother
and sister to help in repairing my home On
Monday evening when the labors of the day
/ were done, | went not to the parental shelter
as in the past, but to my own home. The
| holy atmosphere of that hour seems to sur
round me now in memory. l opened the door
Of the cottage and entered laid my hat up
on the little stand in the hall, and passed on
to the kitchen, our kitchen and dining room
were all one then, / pushed open the kitchen
door and was, in heaven. The table was set
against the wall, the evening meal ready, pre-
pared by the hands of her who had come to be
my helpmate in deed as well as in name and
by the table, with throbbing, expectant look
upon her lovely and loving face, stood my
wife | tried to speak but could only clasp
the waiting angel to my bosom thus showing
to her the ecstatic burden of my heart The
years have passed, long, long years, and world
y wealth flowed in upon me and | am honor
ed and envied; but as true as heaven, would
give it all, every dollar for the Joy of the hour
of that June evening, In the long, long ago
Pluck VS.. Luck.
In an address delivered before the students
of the spencerian Business College, Washing
ton, d. c., June Goth, 1879, among other
things, Gen. James A. Garfield said
"Now, young gentlemen, let me for a mo-
ment address you, touching your success in
life; and hope the very brevlty of my re-
marks will increase the chance of their MAX
ing lodgment in your minds. Let me beg
you in the outset of your career, to dismiss
from your mind all ideas of succeeding by
luck. There is no more common thought
among young people than that foolish one,
that by and by something will turn up by
which they will suddenly achieve fame or for
tune. No, young gentlemen. things don't
turn up in this world unless somebody turns
them up. Inertia is one of the indispensable
laws of matter, and things lie flat where they
are until by some intelligent mind (for nothing
but spirit makes motion in this world) they
are endowed with activity and life. Do not
dream that some good luck is going to happen
to you and give you fortune. Luck is an
igaus tatuus-you may follow 1t to rum but not
to success The great Napoleon who believed
in his destiny, followed it until he saw his
star go down in blacklist night, when the
Old Guard persisted around him, and Wa
terloo was lost. A pound of pluck is
worth ton of luck Young men talking Of
trusting to the spur of the occasion, that trust
is vain. Occasions cannot make spurs, young
gentlemen II you expect to wear spurs you
must win them If you wish to use them
you must buckle them to your own heels
before you go into the fight. Any success
you may achieve is not worth the having un-
less you fight for IT, Whatever you win in
life you must conquerby your own efforts, and
then it is yours-a part of yourself"