The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1888-04-27
Fence Rail Philosophy.

grumbler who explains his wan
Of success in life by saying; 1T:
getting so now that there's Nc
chance for a poor man in this
country. The big fish viii eat the
little ones every time"
Very well,' 1 say to him, then
why not be a big fish? Isn't il
more agreeable to eat than to be
eaten? All fish were minnows
once, and those that became big
fish in most cases had no better OPP
portunities to become big than the
little ones"
SO if a person is a little fish in
life it is because he did not improve
the opportunities for making him
self a big one.
A man who is small because he
couldn't help it, is simply unfortu-
nate, but if he is small because he
stnnted himself in his youth by
neglecting the means of self-de-
yelopment, he is not unfortunate,
but is Il self-made failure.
The Declaration of Independ-
ence afirms that all men are born
equal; and so they are, in the re-
sources by which life is made a
success or a failure.
The mental and moral qualifica-
tons that make success in life are
the result of intelligent develop
ment
Last year, as a matter of expert
ment, 1 planted two kernels of
corn. They were from the same
cob, exactly alike in every respect
so far as could see. One L plant
ed in a deep, rich, well pulverized
soil, and the other in a poor, hard,
clay soil. They both terminated
and were ready for the develop
ment of cultivation. The one l
planted in the rich soil l left to
take care of itself, but that planted
in the poor soil l took especial
pains with. l loosened up the
earth so that it could get all the
benefits of the sun and rain. /
fortified the soil, AMI l raised the
destroying hand against every
weed that appeared. That little
puny plant soon began to respond
to these developing influences,
and from a weak little stem it be-
came q strong, healthy stalk.
When the harvest time came l
found three finely formed ears of
corn on the one stalk; and so my
little kernel Of corn, although
planted in a poor soil, with circum-
stances against it, was, by intelli-
gent development, made a perfect
success.
But how about the kernel that
was planted in the deep, rich soil
that was neglected? Why, it grew
nicely for a little while, but some
weeds started up by It's side that
were better soil feeders, and the
natural result was that my poor
stalk of corn, having no friendly
hand to remove the weeds, was
Systematically robbed by these en-
emies. When l visited the poor
thing at corn cutting time l found
a little puny stalk with one wee
nubbin of corn on it. I called the
attention of the calf to it, and she
swallowed it at one gulp.
Now, I see Just such human
plants every day. 1 see two boys
born equal" so far as manual
strength is concerned. One may
be planted in the rich soil of wealth
and the other in the barren soil
of poverty. But the poor boy
may fertilize his mind by educa-
ton and cultivate it by study;
while the rich boy may allow vice
to choke out all the good in mis- ma
ture. The life of the poor boy is
made a shining success, that of the
rich boy dismal failure, and from
the same causes that made one
kernel of corn produce three ears,
and another one insignificant little
nubbin. Western Plowman.