Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-04-20
If 1 We're a Boy Again.

BIT JAMES t. FIELDS
If we're boy again would practice
perseverance, oftener. and never give a
thing up because it was hard or inconven-
lent to do it, II we want light. we mus
conquer darkness. When | think o.
mathematics blush AT the recollection oI
how often "caved in" years ago. There
is no trait more valuable than a determi
nation to persevere, when the right thing
is to be accomplished, We are all inclined
to give up too easily in trying or unpleas
ant situations, and the point would es
tablish with myself, if the choice were
again within my grasp, would be never to
relinquish my hold on II possible success il
mortal strength or brains in my case were
adequate to the occasion. That was a
capital lesson which Professor Faradav
taught one of his students in the lecture
room after some chemical experiment.
The lights had been put out in the hall,
and by accident some small article drop
ped on the floor from the professors hand
The professor fingered behind, endeavor-
ing to pick it up. "Never mind" said
the student; "it is of no consequence
tonight, sir, whether we find it or no.
That is true," replied the professor !;
but it is of grave consequence to me as a
principle, that am not foiled in my de-
termination to find it," Perseverance can
sometimes equal genius in its results.
"There are only two creatures" says the
eastern proverb, who can surmount the
pyramids, eagle and the snail!"
If were a boy again l would school
myself into II 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 o
our great mistakes, while we are young, is
that we do not attend strictly to what we
are about just then, at that particular
moment; we do not bend our energies
close enough to what we are doing OF
learning; we wander into a haf-interest
only, and so never acquire fully what is
needful for us to become master of. The
practice of being habitually attentive is
easily obtained, if we begin early enough.
| often hear grown-up people say, 81
couldn't fix my attention on the sermon
or book, although wished to do so." and
the reason is that II habit of attention was
never formed in youth. Let me tell you
a sad instance of Il neglected power ol
concentration A friend asked me once
to Iend MN an interesting oook' some
thlng that would encnl'n MS attention
for he said he was losing the power te
read. After u few days he brought back
the volume saying 1t was no doubt
WORK OF great Value ana oeauCy, out tna'
the Will TO ENJOY 1t had gone from him
forever, Tor other matters would lntrude
themselves on the page ne Was trying tc
understand ana ENJOY and rows OF hg
ure> constantly marshaled themselves or
the margin adding themselves up at the
bottom OF the ieai!
II | were TO i've my lie over again
would pay more "lIen'lon 10 the cultlVa
ton OF memory would strengthen Una
iaculty ny every pos9iole means and OF
every possiole occasion IL taxes littl'
nara WORK at hrst 10 remember tnlng'
accurately OUT memory soon helPs itsei
anu gives very l'U''e trouole'
III only heeus carry cultivation TO become
power Everybody can acquire IL
"heh l was YOUTH clasSmate OF mine
came 10 me win long tace ana tod me
ne was IN uanSer OF oelhg supplantcd IL
tue reG"Iu ol young person OF the gen
IIer sex ny slh"II le'low peiohSl"S u
Go.gi Sc1Uo bs sH oTy %S a pay IN .nf 'p
vi or'i'lS y" 'ue i"'y "uu lePe"''es u