Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1891-06-20
What Is Success ?
(Conmunicated.)

Webster defines success as, "The hap
by termination of any affair."" and froI
this we conclude that the term is relativ
and that very much depends upon th
standpoint from which we base our con
illusions. What might be considered
successful achievement by one might b'
called a dismal failure by another
Among humanity we find every variety
of taste and disposition and as conse
ouence we all have different ideas of what
constitutes successful life. AS oul
natures and ideas are so widely dis
similar SO must be our criterion Of
success.
To illustrate: Here we have our hon.
est, Woodworking neighbor, who has g
few acres of land, a comfortable home
keeping out of debt and surrounded by a
family of healthy, rosy-cheeked boys and
girls. He has been successful according
to his ideas, and if, 'He who causes two
blades of grass to grow where only one
grew before is public benefactor" he is
entitled to the plaudits of his neighbors.
No difference if his daughters have not
learned to play the piano; no difference if
they never saw fashion plate and are
profoundly ignorant of the latest styles of
bonnet or the most approved fad in hair
dressing. No difference if his sons know
more about good horse than they do of
Shakespeare and can talk about cabbages
and pumpkins with greater huency than
they can of political economy. It takes
all kinds of people to make community,
all cannot be learned in the ways of the
world without neglecting their business
and therefore we think our neighbor has
been success from worldly standpoint.
The highest aim of the professional
man is to excel in particular, chosen field
To accomplish this he bends his energies;
devotes the best years of his life. But
success CROWDS his efforts and he wins the
applause of his fellow men. Tue laurel
wreath is placed upon his brow. He has
burned the midnight oil. He may have
even sacrificed health upon the alter of
his ambition, but he has attained the goal
for which he has striven and society gen.
orally, as well as the profession of which,
he is an honored member, profits by his
toll and ambition. From the usual criter-
ion the professional mans life has been
success, without any limitation or refer
ence to its final termination.
Some men start in life with the aim and
object, primarily at least, of amassing a
fortune. By hard work, strict economy,
and close attention to business they sue
coed. In their haste to acquire wealth
they may not be over scrupulous, at times,
as to the means to be employed. Their
social, intellectual and moral natures are
perhaps dwarfed and starved; but what |
matters it? Their check is good for a
million and the world with the greatest
unanimity exclaims, behold successful
man.
And so we might multiply examples of
successful men in all professions and in |
every branch of business. Men who have |
achieved that for which they have striven |
and for which their fellow men are ready |
to do them homage.
But is true success in life to be always |
measured by the number of dollars placed
to ones credit; by the position attained in
the literaty or professional field? If so
then the great majority of mankind who
have lived and died have beed failures
Because man is so mentally constituted |
that he cannot reach, intellectually. the
summit, is he therefore failure? If, for
the same reason or for any other reason
and through no fault of his own he fails
to acquire even competency, to say
nothing of wealth, as we use the term in
these days-is that man necessarily a
failure? So far as the world is concerned
we must answer afirmatively.
We have been placed in this world to
prepare for future life and to be of use
to our fellow men while here. at is not
all of life to live nor all of death to die"
The really successful man is the one who
fills his allotted place, no matter how
humble it may be, to the full measure of
his ability, and who makes the world bet
ter for having lived in it. The man who
loves his fellow man sincerely may not
lay up so much treasure on earth but his
memory will live enshrined in other
hearts long after he has passed away.
Many man, is hero who is unknown to
fame or fortune, and his life measured by
the true standard has been grand sue
cess. His life work may have consisted
in caring for an invalid sister, wife, moth
er or other relative orjfriend, and in order
to throw little sunshine in their lives he
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