Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-07-29
WORK
Address of Professor T. 6. Harris, Prin-
cipal of the Arlington Normal School.
The Genius of Success is Simply Talent for
Work"-Ihe formulation for All Sue
cessful Living.
Correspondence Of the Gazette

lowing is the address of Professor T. G..
Harris, principal of the Arlington nor
nal school now in session at that place,
delivered before that institution on the
evening of July 90:
1.-The Genius of Success Is Simply a
Talent for Work -
At sometime in boyhood days I read
somewhere that sentence. PhiIosophic-
ally considered, it may not be found to
be rigidIy correct in all cases. Still it
embOdies a great practical truth that is
in a measure applicable to all persons in
all circumstances of life. Hence it is
well worth considering
We admire, almost worship, genius. 1t
/. is deemed a higher, rarer gift than tai
ent, an almost divine attribute, animat-
ing and inspiring its pOssessor to achieve
ments that are to common mOrtals i'm
possible. He who daTes and does trans
cendently difficult and momentous things
is classed a genius, and is supposed ca
pabIe of doing things that others need
not attempt. | repeat that we instinct
lively revere genius, in whatever sphere
it operates. A genius in mechanics, III
the decorative arts, in music, in sci
ence, in mathematics in the languages,
in literature, III poetry, in the art Of
government, in any sphere of human
endeavOT, genius stands out SOLITARY
and alone, - adored by ali, emulated by
few. But of all kinds and grades of
geHids, 1.-the genius Of success is to us
sasfI1fhe most interesting. The genius of
success at once captivates us,
fascinates us, enraptures US.
ole 70
thoughts come thronging in the train of
dismal failure. What q scene of re-
grets, TeprOaches, heartaches and re-
morse in that desert life where failure
stalks and mocks her fallen victim! Who
does not lnstinCtivelv shudder and shrink
from the very thought Of ignoble failure
as from the merciless clutches of a mon
strOus demon? But success! The very
word brings JOY and sunshine and bliss
full hopes. The genius of success!
What a treasure! That Is our ideal
Of all mans best gifts. With
tins genius of success who could not
bravely face the future? What enchant-
ing prospects open before the peering
vision; how the joys and comforts and
pleasures OF earth cluster around the
pathway; how sweet, how enrapturing
life becomes where the genius of success
moves in royal grandeur, conquering
and to conquer!'' But stop. Who
would think that bewitching, ethereal
creature the child Of plain, ploddiug,
homely Work? Can that coveted
gift, the genius of success,
be the offspring of such lOwIy parentage
as honest, patient, persistent toll?
That author says 1.-The genius of sue
cess is simply Il talent for work. - If
l. -
if men are born with different capabili-
ties, if some have only one talent while
others have two or five, yet within the
limits of their several capabilities the
success of each individual may safely and
always be measured by his own personal
efforts. Gods decree to Adam and
Eve settled the fate of every other
human being. ''In the sweat of thy
face shalt thou eat bread - and that not
in mere special sense referring to q
bare subsistence, but IL q most general
application covering the entire range of
mans activity.
God gives us our innate powers, but
they are all dormant by nature; He gives
us our inherent capabilities, but He
leaves them for us to develop and utilize.
God gives to a Napoleon the talents that
make his military achievements possible
for him, but Napoleon has to form and
to execute his own daring plans to cross
the Alps for himself, and to manage his
own muTdeTous campaigns. God gives
to a jefferson capabilities of grasping the
most difficult problems of state, but it is
personal study and application that ena-
bIes jefferson to write Declaration of
Independence. How many, with the
native endOwments Of a Napoleon
or a Jefferson, have failed to
utilize their powers, have simply
God has doubtless given some of us
natural abilities to make ourselves useful
in the grand field in Which we labor, but
he has decreed that by work alone shall
we achieve success. Think of it for
moment and realize the fact. No eX-
tranious appliances will ever develop a
single one of your powers. Every faculty
you possess must be brought into
active, useful, effective condition
by your own efforts. l ask
you 10 give attentive consideration to q
few plain thoughts on the power of per-
siStent work.
If we endeavor to penetrate the ques-
ton why some have accomplished such
great and noble results i'll their time,
while others have had the sadness of fail
are and disappointment to haunt them,
we viii, I think, find more centering in
this one thing than in any other or all
others persistent work. We easily know
what the words mean, but TO
feel and realize all they i'm
port is no slight matter
l would insist on the full effect and i'm
press on every spirit, and we can scarcely
estimate the consequences. BY the ex-
preston l would mean something like
this: Earnest continuance, untiring
effort, Uufinching determination of
spirit and purpose, and wise appropria-
ton Of all available means toward secur-
ing an object which we feel we ought to
attain Now who does this to this
extent that he might and ought?
Is there one here who can answer
I? Fellow teachers, until you have done
this, don't fall out with fortune: don I
charge your failure or meager success up
to the account OF bad luck Place the
blame where II belou"s-a lack of per-
sistent work on your own part. Why,
you viii recall, perhaps, that Newton
said, with that humility which only the
truly great can exhibit, that the only
he had over others was his
application, by which he simply
meant his talent for work.
You viii also remember that the cele-
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