Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-03
TONIC OF HARDSHIP.
A Popular Theory of Success That is
Wrong, and Even Cruel.
LIFYS WORK is HARD ENOUGH.
Men Who Go High Despite Adversely Would
Go Higher Without 1t.
SIMPLE LITTLE DEEDS THAT COUNT
rwnrrrnx FOR TIE D1srAroH. |

rwR1rTEN FoA TIE DIsrArcH.l
This is the nineteenth century. The
human race, according to its own way of
thinking, has gathered in most of the wis
dom and knowledge that are to be had. So
much the better; for we may hope 1t will
soon have time to sort over and make final
selection of the things it has in possession,
When it sets about that let 1t deal first of all
with its superstitions. It has accumulated
formidable lot of them; and 1t holds on to
them with willful tenacity. 1t refuses to
give them up, even for the enlightened be-
liefs It talks 80 glibly about.
1t is like rambling child who, In coming
through the lanes and pastures, has filled its
little hands with all the worthless weeds
they can hold. Entering the garden at last,
where things grow worth the plucking, it
will not throw away all its weeds even to
make room for the roses and lilies A good
many 1t has cast aside, but good many it
still clings to.
Starvation as Tonic.
One of the lesser superstitions which is
still cherished, and which does as much
mischief in its way as many of the greater
ones, is the belief in starvation as tonic.
True, the medicine is always commended to
somebody else. The one who recommends
tits not anxious to receive its benefits; but
he is sure the other patient would not do
half SO we'll under any other treatment. The
case OF q man known to some of US who
knew Pittsburg good many years ago, will
rat hn Int ~ "a vuod hArr Ina
alley and had sordid poverty for his only
inheritance. Privation and hardship formed
the experience of his childhood. Privation
and hardship, with more work than he had
strength for added to them, formed the ex-
perience of his boyhood and youth. Neces-
sity was the atmosphere he breathed.
But in this youth there was not only the
spark of life, but another spark which all
the muddy waters of adversely could not
quench. He had the unconquerable i'm
pulse to rise. He had not only the will but
the strength to fight circumstances and con-
quer them. He made the struggle for life,
and along with that he made the struggle
for what life has to give. In both strug-
giles he won. He had hunger for knowl-
edge as strong as the hunger for bread and
meat. By dint Of tremendous work he con-
trived to satisfy both hungers. He had am
bition as strong as the instinct to keep alive.
IF he could do this last it seemed all that a
boy SO circumstanced could do.
&x<
He Won the Victory.
But that was not enough for him. If he
lived his ambition must live also. And it
did. It lived and was nourished somehow.
And finally it wrought out its own success.
In spite of all the terrible load he had to
carry, the boy climbed the ladder up which
his ambition led him. Before middle age
he was well toward the top of it, and when
he died he had reached fairly command
ing height. In other words, this poor boy
not only managed to live, but he fought his
way into one of the learned professions and
won conspicuous success for himself there.
And here the superstition have spoken
of comes into play. Other men boasted of
ample of what starvation can do when given
in large doses as tonic. This man started
in the gutter and reached the upper air. He
did it all himself Nobody helped him
when he needed help. Nobody encouraged
him when he needed announcement. AZ
terward, yes. But not then, when little
help or little encouragement would have
been like tidings OF salvation to him. He
took his tonic to the very dregs; and this is
what it did for himl he wouldn't have
done half SO we'll if he hadn't had to 20
hungry in the bsginningl
A Triumph Doubiy Triumphant.
He would have done much better. This
boasted tonic was a poison, and not medi-
cine. This man happened to have vitality
enough to conquer its effects, and to live and
grow in spite OF them. The poison did not
help, it hindered him. The vitality that
might have gone to the ripening and per-
fecting OF healthy life was largely used up
in combating noxious influences. The
strength that might have served to carry the
man to far greater heights had to be ex-
pended in the struggle to get start. When
the start was fairly made the man was al
ready without the best of his vigor. To q
great extent be was worked out before he
had reached the point where his work would
tell most effectively.
He succeeded. Yes. But I happen to
know of his regretful conviction that his
measure of success would have been many
times greater if he had not been handi-
capped by SO crushing weight. BE, at
least, was not convinced that hunger is the
best diet for hard workers: and he ought to
have known, it anybody.
And suppose he had little less strength;
a little less courage; little less ambition.
Suppose his constitution had failed to quite
conquer the poison. Suppose he had been
compelled to give up the fight before victory
had come his way. Then be would have
been that most pathetic and tragical of
human beings-a man who has striven to
the utmost limit OF his strength and endur-
ance, and failed at last. He would still
have deserved we'll of fate, as all men do
who strive with honest energy, but he would
have got only the cold shoulder from her.
Men Who Fight and Fail.
There are myriads Of such men; men who
have done their best in the conflict with ad-
versity only to sink down at last in hopeless
defeat and surrender. If the fight had been
little less hard they would have won. If
the load strapped upon their shoulders had
been little less heavy they could have
kept their feet under it and staggered on to
the resting place of success. Surely such
men deserve something better than to be
overwhelmed in the dust Their efforts
nave earned for them some wholesome re-
turn. They have struggled hard enough, if
the conditions were little more kind, to
win the reconpense Of moderately fulfilled
hopes. Yet the conditions are as they are;
SO the poor fellows have to 60 the wall. If
they could have saved some OF their strength
at the start they might have had enough