The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1889-01-24

Stillwater Minn., Thursday, Jan. 24, 1889.

quire an effort and strong concentration
of will but as the days and weeks pass by,
the duty becomes a second nature and
ceases to be an aft ction. Habits of N
duStry then. is one OF the prime factors of a
successful life. A definite object is another
one. Ii we start out to accomplish Il def
mite something and keep it constantly IN
view. the daily labor becomes more and still
more pleasant AS we approach the elld. Ii
materially assists in forming industrial llab-
stS. and is just as essential as the other two.
The last. and perhaps the greatest, agent
in making work pleasant. is determined
will to accomplish the object aimed at.
The will To overcome habits of SlOthtulneSS
or dissipatiOn-the will to become a man.
1t is almost unnecessary to cite examples OF
what the golden combination of definite
object. strong will. and industrious habits
will accomplish. LOOK at Calhoun, when
but STRIPPING at school he was the butt
of his class because he said that he was
studying to fit h,mself for his senatorial du-
ties. With this one great object in view.
he made all things >ubservient to his will.
and by interchangeable application he arr.\ I'd
at the goal upon which hiS youthful eyes
had gaZed with earnest longing. Can YOU
find greater example OF perseverance than
is exhibited in the character of Columbus?
For years he haunted the various courts of
Europe, inSulted and ridiculed; until finally
getting a few small vessels. he started
dauntlesSly on all unknown path towards
an undiscovered haven. What upheld him.
thousands of miles from home. sailing he
knew not where. and harrassed by muti-
nous crew? Did his will falter? Did he
allow diScOuragementS to overcome him?
No. he pressed onward. still onward. to
fame and Immortality. History is full OF
like examples. circumstances are made
OF iron for weak men; of rubber for strong
men," Do not sit down and grieve that
you have not the ability or opportunity fOr
self-imprOvement. You have opportunities.
You can make them. But whatever you
start to do have definite object in view.
For instances: Several of my comrades COM
menceu shorthand about the same time.
With one exception they had no definite OBJ
ject in view; and with this one exception.
one by one they gave it up. They all
worked hard at first. but shorthand. like all
other arts and sciences, requires hard study
to master it. There is a certain amount OF
drudgery to be gone through before the de-
velopment of the subject adds pleasure to
its study. They worked by fits and starts,
few starts and more fits | guess. for very
soon number of shorthand books were for
sale at a discount. Another friend of mine
started bravely in on German, but with no
we'll defined object. He formed no regular
habits of study: when he reached the separ-
able verbs his will weakened and that was
the end of it. Another started in on history.
mo object" he told me. ''Only it's good
thing to be up in." He read hard at first,
then in desultOry manner and then-gave
it up to indulge in AmelIe Rives. | could
20 on almost indefinitely and nOint ont fail
ureS; are these not exact cOunterpartS of
disgrace is not in failing but in falling to
rise again." When will we learn wisdom
if not from our present bitter experience!
l can give you few pleasanter pictures
than the above; but, alas. they are rare yet
they stand out gloriOusly from darkened
background. One young man of my ac-
quaintance is struggling through the intri-
cacies of 'RobnsOn's Progressive and the
P. M. tells me that he works at it nearly all
the time. Another friend spends hours
every day upon grammar and rhetoric; and
they who have had teachers and every IA
cility to aid them in the study of this SUBJ
ject, can little appreciate the labor neces-
sary to understand and master its princ-
piles. alone, without assistance. There are
few other examples l can call to mind;
but as said, they are very rare.
The three things. then, that most of us
lack. are purpose. will, and habits of indus
try. Ii we are in the world to work. and
these three things will make work pleasant,
and profitable. is it not our duty, if we ever
intend to be men, to commence at once to
decide on the first and to acquire the other