The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-03-27
A Talk With the Boys About Making
tile Most Of Themselves.

II don't know what to do" said one
just stepping from the threshold of boy.
hood. MY ability is not great. I'll
enter college there must be long years of
preparation. The fitting school, the col
lege, the professional school each demand
their weary years.
"If engage in mercantile business. I
/ must commence at the bottom round. I
must sweep tho store and run errands
| and do up bundles. must slo--ly rise
if at all. How do know I shall rise
have no capital and my business capac.
ity is not wonderful.
IF / engage in manufacturing. there.
too, ] must begin low if | would rise
high. must go into the lowest room of
the mill. must learn nll the disagree.
| able details Of the business. II will take
me years to learn, and after all | NAV
fail.
"lf am to be a farmer I must have
long years of disagreeable plohding. |
must pick up stones and drive COWS and
water horses, and do thousand unheard-
of chores before am prepared to even
run in debt for n farm and 20 into bust.
ness for myself s1ti ia hard row to hoe.
The field Of life is rocky one. Ibelieve
l'll settle down in my little corner, do as
well a | can the humble work that
comes to me, take the bitter with the
sweet, be content with lowly lot, and
fling ambition to the winds. / am a
common boy-I might as we'll recognize
tho fact now as ten years hence"
Let me speak rs friend WHO has
travelled this rocky road many years be.
fore you. Let mo tell my little story.
Let me give you n big dose of that medi-
cine 30 often prescribed, so seldom taken
advice.
And, Gt,t, would say, the way is
rough. There is no fiowery path to sue.
is not a paved one. Whatever vocation
you choose, be it law or medicine, or the
ministry, or agriculture, or merchandise,
it is work, work, hard work, and up hill
work at that
II don't know what to do," you say.
1t may not be time to make final dc.
cision. There are many lessons you
ought to learn, no matter what pursuit
in life you follow. Have you learned
those? But if you feel that the time has
really come, that you must decide and yet
you cannot, then ask advice, ask some
one in whose judgment you have conf
dcnce. Think over it. Pray owe Iit.
Take it. Once taken, don't stop to look
back. Go to work with will. Don't
say, "Ob, dear, l wish had done somc-
thing else; or, / nm not suited to this
business; or, don't believe shall sue.
cecd." Unless health fails, or facts show
Enthusiastically that you are on the wrong
track, push on.
Glow do know l shall RISE" you
say.
Resolve that you will. Where there is
will there is n way.
Those who have made their mark in
almost every calling are not those who
had the quickest apprehension, nor tho
most retentive memory, nor the most
nimble fingers, nor the most unerring
judgment. They are those who have
perscvered. They did not fail, because
they would not fail.
The boy who can work steadily, with
| one purpose in view, who can do little
by little his work, and can keep on try.
ing till he does it we'll, that boy has no
right to say, have no ability. He has
| ability, the highest kind of ability, and
| it is his duty TO make tho most of it. He
owes it to himself. He owes it to the
world. He owes it to his God, and to
those he loves next to God
| Make, then, the most Of yourself, my
| young friend. There is more good ma
terra! than you think. The stee! needs
tempering, the iron needs working, and
it will take time, but it is good solid ore,
work il we'll.
The strongest, the bravest, the best
men have been those who had hard
row to hoe, and who hoed it. Hoe away.
my boys. Pull out the weeds. Work
hard. Don't be discouraged. There is
sunshine on the hilltops. There are
flowers by the roadside. You shall not
want loving word, and if need be
helping hand Golden Rule.