Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1881-05-30
y1onlh's Column.
III WERE A BOY AGAIN.


If were boy again would prac-
tiee perseverance oftener, and never give
thing up because it was hard or incon-
venient to do it. If we want light, we
must conquer darkness. When I think |
of mathematics | blush at the recollec-
ton of how often I s'caved in years
ago. There is no trait more valuable
than determination to persevere, 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 | would establish with myself
if the choice were again within my grasp
would be never to relinquish my hold on
a possible success if mortal strength of
brains in my case were adequate to the
occasion. That was capital lesson
which Professor Faraday taught one of
his students in the lecture-room after
some chemical experiment. The lights
had been put out in the hall, and by &C.
cident some small article dropped on the
floor from the professors hand. The pro-
fessor fingered behind, endeavoring to
find it. "Never mind" said the student,
sit 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 princi-
pie, that am not foiled in my deternas-
nation 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,--the eagle and the snail.
If [ were a boy again I would school
myself into habit of attention oftener.
| would let nothing come between me
and the subject in hand. | would re-
member 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 that
particular moment; we do not bend our
energies close enough to what we are do
ing or learning; we wander into half
interest only, and SO never acquire fully
what is needful for us to become master
of. The practice Of being habitually at
tentsve is one easily obtained, if we be-
gin early enough. often hear grown
people say, 81 couldn't fix my attention
on the sermon, or book, although wish
ed to do so," and the reason is that a
habit of attention was never formed in
youth. Let me tell you of a sad instance
of a neglected power of 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 power to read After few
| days he returned the volume, saying il
9 was no doubt work of great value AND
, beauty, but that the aOiU to enjoy it had
, left him forever, for other matters woulc
+ intrude themselves on the page he was
a trying to understand and enjoy, anG
+ rows of figures constantly marshalleG
themselves on the margin, adding them
selves up at the bottom of the leaf
, If I were to live my life over again
> would pay more attention to the cultiva
ton of memory. would strengthen
that faculty by every possible means ant
on every possible occasion. 1t takes +;
little hard work at first to remembe
things accurately, but memory scol
helps itself and gives very little trouble
1t only needs early cultivation to be
come poaoer. Everybody can acquire it
When l was youth, classmate o
mine came to me with a long face ant
told me he was in danger of being sup
planted in the regard of young persol
of the gentler sex by smart fellow be
longing to another school, who was dali
in the habit Of calling on the lady an
repeating from memory whole poems Q
10 considerable length. 'What would 20
tie do ?" sighed the lad to me. "Do :?
u said I, II would beat him on his ow
e ground, and at once commit to memor
Sc the whole of Paradise Lost, book b
=. book, and every time the intruder lei
m Amelia's house, would rush in and fir
g. away Depend upon it, l said, 'she
ar quite taken by surprise with the skillfr
memory Of her new acquaintance, an
I'd you must beat him with surprising feat
" of the same quality" 'Oh, but" sal
n. my friend, 81 have, as you know, yer
poor memory 1.-THE more reason no
al for cultivating that department of you
intellect | rejoined. "If you give wa
h. h. to idle repining and do nothing, tn;
fellow will soon be firmly seated In you
ut place. [ should not wonder if he Wa
to now at work on .Thompson's Seasons
for his Infamous purpose. Delay I
=. longer, but attack John Milton after SUI
per tonight, and win the prize abo,
est all !! competition !" Ezekiel went to wol
:. in good earnest. and before the SUNNI
he was half over, he had memorized Il
5" whole of paradise Lost" rehearsed it
=, Of Amelia, and gained the victory.-Jama
., z. Fields, IN "Underbrush."
ant *-s-s-----
n1u A gentleman ON hoard a steamhn