The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-08-07
LEES BATTLE.
success or Failure Dependent Upon the
Measure Used in Determining Them.

tracing of life's puzzles is that of sue
cess or failure. The difference between
men who succeed and fail is in many
cases not perceptible. Between the
extremes-as between the industrious
and the indolent, the sober and the in
ebriate, the shrewd and the dull, the
economic and the eXtrayagant, the rea-
son is plain enough. But inside Of
these limits there are large numbers
of men who differ so little in their
habits, temper and abilities, that it is
next to impossible to say why one, or
rather ten if not hundred should fail
and one succeed.
Many q man has had occasion to ask
himself this question. His investments
made with apparently as good judg.
ment as his neighbours go to pieces;
his neighbours grow like rolling
SNOWFALL. He writes a book. If he
is so fortunate as to get it published, it
brings back nothing and falls as unno-
ticed as November leaf in an unin.
habited forest His neighbor, appar-
emily no cleverer, no wiser, no more
industrious than he, puts forth book
or a play and fortune and fame come
TO him at almost telegraphic speed.
The shaflowest catch-penny, the sneak,
the loud-voiced and leather-lunged are
always at the front, the painstaking
artist, the scientist, the truth-seeking
and truth-speaking politician in the
rear.
In spite of numerous books on the
subject of How to succeed in Life"
and biographies of men who have sue
ceeded, it is doubtful if the proportion
of failures to successes has much di-
minished. Many are still called but
few chosen. An association in Great
Britain for procuring and disseminating
useful information has recently sent
out large number of circulars to as
certain the causes of the failure of I'M
successful men. But the plan itself
does not seem to be success. Several
10 whom circulars were sent returned
them in the shape they received them,
as much as to say: This is none of
your business. Some who received
the letters of inquiry about the cause of
their failure in life thought they were
sent to them by mistake and for that
reason returned them. Not few con-
sidered themselves insulted, and so in
formed the secretary. Several women
took the matter up and sent letters to
the officers of the association, indig-
nantly asking by what right they called
their fathers and husbands failures.
On the other hand, several persons who
were not regarded by the officers of the
society as failures have sent for blanks
to be filled out.
TIE whole question apparently de-
ponds upon what men call success or
failure: and in each mans case that
definition depends upon the individ-
ual's temperament. If he is of 4 sam
guine, good-natured, contented dispo-
sition, interested in other people more
than in himself, easily diverted and
usually pleased with his own conduct,
and especially if he be c0nceited and
self-reliant, he will be inclined to be-
lieye himself successful in what he
undertakes; or if not, that he will DO
before he dies. If he is the opposite
of all this he will think himself more or
| less of failure, no matter how success
full the world may account him.
The question of success or failure de-
ponds, therefore, upon the measure or
standard that is used to determine it.
| If one trusts what most sO-called sue
cessful men have to say about their
mothers influence, those humble,
obscure. but good, strong women,
achieved in their sons. greatness a
splendid success and were not the APP
parent failures which, in the seclusion
of their chimney corners, the world
supposed them TO be. Many a man
happily married, the father of children
who bring him comfort and do him
honor, for whom by industry and good
sense he is able to earn livelihood,
and to give them as fair start as the
large majority of their associates have,
ought, as things 60 in this world, tc
set himself down as success and not
failure.
But what is generally meant by sue
cess are the prizes in the lottery of life
Life is, in fact, a lottery which has com
parately few blanks. To nearly all who
snare in it, it secures some return. But
its great prizes are few, and they whC
lose them are pronounced failures
Besides all this, it may well happier
that those who draw these prizes have
failed to secure many blessing tina
the lower shares confer upon thos'
who draw them For the high prize
often bring with them responsibility
anxiety, envy, distrust of ones fellow
men, a thousand cares, often barren
ness of domestic joys, if not domesti
discord, the clamor of beggars, tn
fierce conflict with rivals, and, to en'
all, some blasting disappointment rem
dered all the more bitter by previou
success. Any thoughtful, upright maj
of decent behavior might well hesitat
to pronounce his life failure even if
had not brought to him the highe
prizes. ITO do all the good we can, an
no harm that we know" said bushes
man whose pecuniary success was un
doubted, sis my idea of successful
life," and any life of which man ha
made the moss as near as his vision lie
him see his opportunity and capacity
has achieved success. For we often dc
termine our failures by our enlarge
experience afterward instead of by on
Judgment and insight at the time, whic
was all we had to guide us.-Detro
Free Press.
Some Sort of Sad News.