Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1881-04-15
IL We're a Boy Again,
a PLAIN TALK WITH MY SEPHEWS.


By James T. Fitlls.l
IfIvore boy again would practice
perseverance, oftener, and never give
thing up because it was hard or incon-
venient to do it. Ii We want light, we
must conquer darkness. When l think
of mathematics / blush at the recollection
of how often | ''caved in" years ago.
There Is no trait more valuable than de-
termination TO perseyere, when the right
thing is to be accomplished. We are all
inclined to give up too easily IN trying or
unpleasant situations, and the point L
would establish with myself, If the
choice were again within my grasp. would
be never TO relinquish my hold on pos
sible success if mortal strength or brains
in INV case were adequate 70 the occasion.
That WAS capital lesson which Professor
Faradav taught one Of his students IN the
lecture-rooln after some chemical expert
ment. The lights had been put ont in
the hall, and by accident some small arti-
Gle dropped on the floor from the profes-
sor's hand The professor fingered be-
hind. endeavoring to pick it up. Never
mind. said the student; sit Is Of no con
sequence tonight. sir, whether we ind 1t
or no. That Is true, replied the pro
fessor; ''Dut it IS Of grave consequence
to me rs a principle, that | am not tolled
in my determination to find 1t. Perse-
verance can sometimes equal genius III its
results. There are only two creatures,
SAYS the Eastern proyerb, "who can sur
mount the pyramids, - the eagle and the
snail =
i'll were a boy again / would school
myself into habit Of attention oftener.
would let nothing come between me and
the subject in hand | would remember
that an expert on the ice never tries to
skate in two directions at once. One of
our great mistakes, while we are young,
is that We do not attend strictly to what
we are about just then, at thst particular
moment; We do not bend our energies
ctysc enough to what We are doing or
learning We wander into half-interest
only. aud so never acquire fully what Is
necdful for us to become master of. The
practice, Of being habitually dttentice Is
one easily obtained if We begin early
enough. | often hear grown-up people
say. II couldn't fix nv attention on the
sermon. or book, although | wished to
do so. and the reason Is that n habit OF
attention was never formed in youth
Let me tell Won sad instance Of ne
elected powered concentration. A friend
asked me once to lend him an interesting
book. something that would enchain his
attention. for he said he was losing the
mower 10 rqod After few DAYS he
brouoht back the volume. saving it was
no doubt n work Of great value and bean
ty. but that the tcW to enjoy it had gone
from him forever. for other matters
would intrude themselves on the page he
was irving to understand and enjoy, and
rows Of figures constantly marshalled
themselves on the margin, adding them
selves np at the bottom Of the leaf
III were to live nv life over again |
would pav more attention to the cultiva-
tion of g,cyorg. | would strengthen
that faculty bv every possible means and
on every possible occasion. II takes
little hard work at first to remem-
her tbiurs acrurately but memory soon
helms itself and gives very little trouble.
Ii only needs early cultivation to be
com n ,,1r.c. Evcrybedy can acquire it.
When / was . ynnth. n classmate Of mine
c.p... ;o to. with a lone face and told ne
ne Wa; N danger of ing spplantrd IN
the regard OF n vouno person Of the gen
tler sex by n smart fellow belonging to
onother ecbooI who was daily in the hab-