Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1883-10-04
AUNT MAGGIE.
Failures and How They Are Caused.
Especial CORRESPONDENCE of the Sentine1.)

Especial Correspondence Of the Sentine1)
REIDsvILLE, N. c., Oct. IL have
been looking round some, and find so
many people who are complete failures
in everything they do, that [ have
about concluded that the most of them
never struck their talents is why they
get upset, and pass out of sight. Its
a mighty hard undertaking for us to
strike the thing we can do the best.
So many of US are trying to preach,
teach, doctor, Keep store and to be
lawyers, when we would have been a
success in the corn field, or at the car
penters bench, or brick mason, or
blacksmith. For twenty years I've
been doing my very best to strike
the very thing God intended me to be,
but just as [ thought / had struck lie,
failure presented itself. | tried cook.
ing when / was first married and
Thomas Jefferson pronounced me the
darndest cook in America, so [ stop
ped that branch. One day [ was in
deep despair and was wondering what
in the world my talent was, when [
thought of an old proverb, "a fool for
luck ] settled that in minute and
was confident [ was no fool for | had
never had the luck attachment. The
next proverb was "a poor man for
children My stars! | thought, that
must be the talent I've been searching
for in fact But all at once it beamed
upon me like flash of bright sunshine
that [ didn't like the family business,
although it was forced upon me. Last
week l was certain the gem was found.
There would never beno more failures
for me, yet the idea did not suit my
taste, for the proverb was, "a niger
for gourds,' and [ had one of the most
fourishing gourd vines in the State so
/ began to commune with myself and
wonder if that was the talent in ques-
ton. 1t is true it was rather low
calling but howsomever, Gas the mig
gers say,) thought that old brother
Jonah once raised a gourd vine and
was powerful proud of it so it was not
worth while for me to be straining at
camels. If it was rather late in life
before 1 had found my talent I'd just
go to work and keep the worms that
killed that old preachers gourd vine
away and be success at gourds if the
occupation did belong to niggers. Say,
don't you all want to buy gourds.
Mr.. Wendell Philips in one of his
] amusing lectures said that out of a
hundred babies who should be born on
some particular day in New York, so
were to be absolute failures, not able
to take care of themselves at all, q
were to drag out hard working ex
istence, just keeping soul and body to-
gether, Is more were to be bespeculators
inventors, dreamy and impracticable
but able men, and the remaining ter
were to be successful. The way he
fixes it up looks very much like lottery
and it we just get ten out Of hundred
who are not failures | guess the ter
has to be distributed and it is just
once in a while that a successful man
is in sight. But it is my opinion i
the boys would learn trade and gC
to work we will eventually get fit,
men out Of a hundred who are no
failures. 1t is a shame and outrag'
for so many promising young men t.
be lettering their time away eithe
looking for work, or if they have it
in position where their pay is nothing
Learn a trade, young man. It.i
no disgrace to work, but it is dis
grace to be a failure. Become pro
ficient in some industry, so when yol
go forth to pastures new you knoN
within yourself that you have some
thing to fall back upon for a living
Too many expect to climb up the lad
der of fame without working for il
Too many are looking around for pin
to pick up and then marry in ric
family. Hence our failures.