Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-10-02
rive WAYS IN SCHOOL.
Which VIII the Boys and Girls of Sacra
mentO Follow this Year?

mentO Follow this Year?
School doors will open, school bells will
ring, pencils will be sharpened, satchels
taken from the nail, busted and contents
examined. before the familiar walks to the
school-house begin, this first week in Octo-
Der.
Next week begins another school year.
How differently the scholars will begin it
Here comes one with tagging steps, the
books carried hstlessly by the strap, which
only just holds them together; a hat is
pulled down over the frowning forehead.
He crosses the sill of the school-room door
with dragging gait, and sinks into his seat
with frowning indifference. Does it need
prophet to tell how the year will close
with this boy? Not at all. He will do as
little work as possible his average will be
very low; he will make no record that will
reflect credit on either himself or his
school.
Now another scholar comes up the street
His books are carefully strapped, and held
tightly under his arm. His hat sits
squarely on his head, and he whistles gayly,
as he walks down the street, an air from
the "Mikado." He crosses the door-sill
with a noisy GOOD morning." shakes
hands with the teacher, greets his seat
mate with a clap on the shoulder, and
through the whole room shedsi a spirit of
good-fellowship and welcome to the new
school year. A prophet will tell you that
here is boy who loves play, but who loves
work He'll do his best to be first, will be
leader among the fellows, and mothers
will have comfortable thoughts about their
boys when he is their companion. He is
not perfect by any means, but his fun is
honest fun, not sly fun. When he gets into
trouble, or leads others into trouble, it is
from thoughtlessness. never from mean
ness, from design.
When these two boys go into business
the same spirit will animate them. One
will work for the very love of it. He will
bring ambition and wide-awake head to
his employer If the work demands extra
hours service he will give it ungrudgingly
and carefully. Employers will recognize
his devotion, and step by step he will gain
a sure place. 1t is great mistake to think
that employers are cruel, grasping mon
sters, who go about seeking whom they may
keep down to the very lowest place and
poorest wages Employers who have brains
and it does not pay to work for those
who have none-are constantly on the look
out for responsible helpers, men whom
they can trust, men who work for some
thing more than money. Do not imagine
for moment that brains, honesty and de-
votion to work are uhnoticed. If your own
employer is blind, some other employer
has eyes.
The listless boy in school is usually the
one who goes through life at the foot of the
class. When he becomes a man, he is dis
satisfied, restless, goes to business because
he would be forced to beg if he did not
does exactly 50 80 worth of work for $3
pay; thinks himself an unappreciated
genius, while the world knows him as a
lazy man. You can put it down for a
surety that istless, indifferent scholar
never makes successful man. The boy
who will not develop in himself spirit of
improvement, desire to go ahead is the
one who receives the lowest wages when
he goes to work. And he only gives to his
employer a name slightly changed from
that he gave his teacher. One was an
Z" old grind, the other is an old tyrant,"
skinhint when the true tyrant of his
life is his own unconquered habit of lazi-
ness.
The first essential to success is devotion
to the object we have in mind-a determi-
nation to overcome obstacles and under
stand every department of study or work
on which we enter; and, in the business
world, to remember man is never paid $5
for 81 so worth of work. The surest way
to get an increase of wages is to do work
that will yield profit far in advance of the
value of the money received. The boy
who drifts through school is the boy who
drifts through business life. The boy who
works through school life is the boy who
leads eventually in the business life
Read the history of successful men, and
you will find that they had never learned
the phrases It's good enough" 1t does
not make any difference y Twill do just
as well any other time" Nothing but
the best ;" Everything is important; y
"Now :" +" AT once" were the words that
animated them. Which will you use this
year ?-.Selected.