The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1890-01-15
THE RENEWAL OF LIFE
Ihe Road to Any Kind of Greatness L;e
Through the Commanders.

Ahe road to Any Kind of Greatness Lie.
Through the Commonplace.
There is an element of romance in
almost every successful life--that pro.
1oundly interesting romance which lies
IN expansion out of small things into
great ones. There is nothing which SO
profoundly interests men as the story Of
the development of a genuine life into
usefulness and power. 1t is a story Illus
trated and described generation after
generation, and yet the interest in it is
more widespread and more intense than
ever before. The most COMMONPLACE
men recognize an element in human life
which they find in others if not in them
selves, which has in it the power and
Inc charm of something mysterious.
something of which the man himself
IS not fully aware; something which
is continually leading him to places
Which he did not expect to reach, and
putting into his hand prizes which he
dld not expect to win. There is some
thing magical i'll the change of position
from obscure and unframed boyhood to
fame, power and that force of manhood
which seems to be equal to all occasions
and to which all opportunities are pre-
sentcd. AS we read these brilliant !
stories we often forget that from the
chief actors the splendid outcome was
concealed. The man of genius, of ar
tlstlc talent. of any sort of gift, works
along quietly from day to day, often
feeling that nothing remains but the
ravellng out OF life; when unexpectedly
some new impulse stirs him to the
depths, some new occasion evokes a new
power, some new opportunity offers the
one thing that was needed to bring ont
all there was in him.
The road to any kind of greatness lies
the commonplace. Those who
walk it often see nothing before them
but the dead level of daily work; it is
only at intervals that the road suddenly !
'scends the mountain-side and the world ,
sweeps into view. 1t is these splendid {
moments, however, in the mans career
which attract u.s. and which we see; the {
ong, arduous, often monotonous, every.
lay journey is hidden from us. And this i
true, not only Of men who attain the S
most eminent success, but of those who +
o any kind of faithful work. Life, for G
ne most part, must be made up of what, !
Or the lack OF clearer insight, we call s
rudgery; which is really discipline /
nd training OF all that is highestand best t
nus. There are times when most of us Y
eel that nothing remains but this dead =
svel OF hard work, that no new doors i
re to open before us and no new prizes G
be gained; but no man who is work b
lg intelligently and faithfully ever /,
'ses the power of growth, and the con- \
'quent expansion Of life which comes
18th it. 1t happens again and again to
L OF us that, at the very moment when h
leoutlook seems most uninspiring, there i,
'ddenly comes new piece of work OF ;,
new opportunity which brings back 4
le freshness of our spirit the joy OF "
II labor, and makes us feel that we \
I'VE taken long step forward. To I,
lose who arc faithful life continually y,
news itself. not only in opportunities, / h
1t in Its promise end ita rswaEds ~ T
aristiaa UaIea, !