San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1884-08-07
SUCCESS.

IF. L. Hosmer, in Unity Festivals.
SUCCESS
GRACE aIpDINas JULIAN.
The desire for success is universal
and it finds expires sion in methods as
manifold as the pursuits and ambi
tions of men, This is perfectly nat
ural, and without it society could not
exist. But what do we mean by sue
cessi The answer to this question
involves considerations of the grav-
est moment, and especially to those
just entering upon the work of life.
I can think of no topic more timely.
That which is commonly counted
success, or getting on in the world"
is too often achieved by means which
make it in fact a failure. Wealth is
frequently gained by trampling down
the rights of others, and political
honors by the basest arts. Success
in the serious business and real work
of life can only be secured by fidelity
to the principles of rectitude and
truth, and this will often involve the
necessity of sacrifice and apparent
defeat Burns gives us the true
idea,
"Were this the charter of our state
On pain of hell be rich and great
DamnatiOn then wOuld he Our fate
Beyond remead;
But thanks to Heaven that's no the gait,
We learn our creed"
Undoubtedly, prudence and econ
omy in the ordinary affairs of life are
to be seduously cultivated and prac-
ticed but these are not the highest
virtues. The problem of life is not
one of profit and loss. Carlyle tells
us, in his quaint English, that Chris
tianity was not established by prize
essays, Bridgewater bequests, and a
minimum of 4,5O0 year 1t has
been aptly said that the primal truths
for which our revolutionary fathers
contended were not bread and but
ter. They did not take up arms for
"$2,00 day and roast beef" When
they began their work the chances of
success were overwhelmingly against
them. Of one thing only were they
sure, and that was that England had
no right to bind them by laws in the
making of which they were denied
any share, and that they were ready,
if need be, to offer their lives as hos
tages to liberty.
Those to whom life means some
thing more than mere browsing ex-
istence, who resolve to fight it's bat
tie bravely. who ask no mans favor
and fear no mans frown in the advo-
cacy of what they believe to be the
truth, cannot fail. To such, duty is
law, and before it -perils, opposition
and difficulty melt away and light
the path to true success. The exam
pie, the spirit of such characters, long
surviving them, becomes asilent force
in the mightiest movements for the
regeneration of the world. They
become co-workers with the good OF
all the ages, and although the path
way of their lives may at times be
thorny and rugged, they are are con-
stantly cheered by the joy of duty
fulfilled, and are at last handed down
to their graves in peace.
Quite recently the whole civilized
world bowed it's head in commemor-
alton of the death of an American
citizen. Recall the story of his life;
born of a cultivated and aristocratic
family, himself gifted, graduate OF
Harvard and her law school, his pros
poets were most alluring if he could
simply have kept in the conservative
and respectable groove out OF which
only a heroic soul, under such cir
would have ventured.
But his attention was early drawn to
a race oppressed and down-trodden,
with almost none so bold as to raise
a voice in its behalf. Duty called
him to become the advocate and
champion of this poor and despised
people. Ambition painted for him
the brilliant future he would surely
gain as a lawyer, statesman. or man
Of letters. Duty demanded of him
self sacrifice, the enduring Of innum-
erable hardships-hatred, insult and
abuse. Which did he choose.
The accomplished young gentle
man Of Boston turned his back on
friends and gave up the career which
opened so bright before him, to brave
the fury of popular opinion and the
contempt and scorn Of his aristOcrat-
ic associates. Even his own family
refused to countenance him, and be
was obliged to face the most savage
nObs: but his conscience urged him
on: and no sacrifice could deter HIM
His whole life Vas made Al offering
Tor the poor and the Oppressed. and
Grsdu1tzz ess.y rcd before the oiaz
q 1884 ofBafisr Unlverzify. IrT1nT1Ou, lad. (
b fhs dE1ekter q Hoa- Geo. ". JulHn