The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1891-01-29

wisely f it had stuck its own nose IN
the pail and begun to drink for the
pail was large, and two calves, at least,
could have drunk at the same time
quite comfortably. Then the other did
the same thing and with the same re-
suit. viz: that while they were fussing
and trying to get the red calf away
from the pail, the little red fellow was
getting all the milk.
The wise old bull took in the situa-
tion fully, as is shown by his reply to
the COW: Don't you see, madam"
said he, "that while the two white
calves do nothing but hook and crowd,
the little red fellow just goes for the
milkp" No wonder the little red fel-
low got fat while the other two re-
mained lean and scrawny.
said that the fable was to me pic
ture OF human life. When the pail of
milk was set before the calves. two out
Of the three stood end looked on. + ow
many Of us who think ourselves much
WISER than calves do just the same
thing? In youth, when life with all it's
grand possibilities is before us, we
stand and look on; we hesitate and
doubt; we linger and wait until the op-
portunity has slipped away forever.
Who that has attained his prime does
not often look back over his life and
think with regret of the slighted op-
portunities which, if promptly seized,
might have changed the whole course
Of ones lite. If this wasting of oppor,
tunities happened only in youth it
would not be 50 ruinous, but the thing
is repeated again and again through
the whole course of ones life, yea, to
the very end.
Longfellow has very aptly compared
human life to a great battle field, .
field of strife, not the ignoble strife of
unreasoning brutes, but a strife in
which the wise man seeks, with unwa
vering purpose. to make the very most
Of himself and his opportunities. Life
is what we make it. The history of
our country does not afford brighter
example of this than is furnished in
the life Of Lincoln. Anyone who has
read Thayer's life of Lincoln cannot
but have been thrilled at the recital of
his heroic struggle against adverse
surroundings. He set before himself
the great object Of rising from his oh
scnre position to a higher plane in life.
That was his prize and he won it Lin.
coin event for the milk" We cannot
all be Lincolns, but any mans lif. is a
success if lie fills worthily that station
in life in which he happens to be found
aiming always at advancement.
Some time ago I read Bs!iamy'y
book, "Lo,king Back ward''-a book,
by the way, we'll worth d careful read
ing-and after il careful perusal Of it /
could mt resist ilp c"nvictio that the
| possibilities of advancement in our sos
cial relations are rs great and far
reaching as in amy department Of hu
man progr+ SIS.
But the Millennium has not arrived
yet, nor will it, am afraid. during the
life Of ary Of the people of the present
day. With society rs it is today, tie
man who would be we'll cared for must
care for himself, and the man who fails
to Care for hin self is apt to be very
poorly cared for. A prudent man will
govern himself by his surroundings. by
things as they are, not by what they
will be sometime in the future. Yes,
| life is what We make it. Even in the
delightful state Of society so graphic
ally depicted by Bellamy, the places OF
trust and honor are awarded to those
who have earned them by faithful and
efficient service. Indeed, it is hard to
conceive of any state Of society in
which the same great law would not
obtain, then as now, IF thou be wise
thou shalt be wise foa thyself, but II
thou scornest thou alone shalt bear
it," ROBERT SHORE.