The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1891-01-23
Young MEN GIVE HEED.
Discussion Of the Grave Question Of Get.
ting Fame and Fortune.

Dy tue lOauS OF letterS-ir0m all
parts of the country, and on every
conceivable subjecl-which daily
| come 10 this office.
One Of these letters. just receiv.
ed, runs in the following strain:
81 am a country boy. | came
from a farm in New Hampshire to
New York with the hope of max
ing name and a fortune. Either
the fame or the fortune would sat,
isfy me, but prefer both if they
are in reach. Will you kindly tell
me how | can carve out for myself
a successful carrersp
The results of our experience
and observation are entirely al
your service, young man.
Suppose we begin our conversa.
lion by defining terms. What do
you mean by "a successful career?r
Ii, as you say. you are ambitious
to become millionaire two OF
three times over your chance is
a thousand.
Possibly you may be that one.
1t depends upon your natural gifts
and opportunities. But how about
the other 999? Are there lives TO
be failure because they cau't ac-
quire an immense bulk of capital
In other words. is surplus OF
cash the prime factor in the prob
lem of happiness, and is a citizens
usefulness to be measured by his
bank account solely?
You may also get The fame you
wish. 1t depends upon your edu.
cation, on the quantity and quality
of your brains, and on your native
genius. With these everything is
possible; without them you will
everlastingly hunger for the unat'
tainable, and IN the end draw The
coverlld of wasted life over your
head aud die disappointed man.
The number Of those who achieve
such greatness that The public
build monuments to their memory
is very few, but if your name hap
pens to be in that list the Herald
will gladly subscribe for the pur.
pose.
Don't make any mistakes in this
matter. If you wish TO get out OF
life all there is in it-for you
there is a way 10 do it.
Real happiness consists OF health,
self.respect, the good will of the
community and a sufficient income
to crafty your reasonable wants.
Everything else is trivial and not
worth bothering about The man
who has steady work, fair wages,
a cosy home, enough 10 eat, a
thick overcoat and the conscious
ness Of personal integrity, is a
favored fellow, IN posses
sion of more than three-quarters OF |
The best things which this world |
Now, you can have all this If
yeu make certain rules the basis
Of your conduct.
/. Don't aim too high, but aim
straight. Emerson's advice to
'hitch your wagon to star" is The
merest buncombe of rhetoric. You
will produce larger practical re-
suits if you hitch your wagon to a
well-fed mule.
Longfellow's poem. Excelsior
s another bill Of exquisite trash.
)f course il is beautiful, "and all
ike that, you know" but it is not
to a rough and tumble
light with circumstances.
The young man in that poem
shoulders a flag and starts for
veil, nowhere, so far as we can
discover. He is one of the climb
,rs-an explorers OF the Celestial
Alps. When he gets TO The top of
/ hill he turns back and screams
,ut Excelsior - What for we
ant say. This is free country,
however, and he can do as be
,leases. Up he irudges until he
.ets to the snow-capped summit of
he next ascent. Unreasonable
10Y he seems 10 be just as dissat-
SIZED as ever. Evidently he wants
he earth. In spite of a chronic
and in constant danger
II pneumonia, he waves his bunt-
ne, yells "Excelsiorr' once mere
md strikes out for an altitude
where the mercury freezes In the
bulb.
He may be going yet, for ought
ve know. He has undertaken a
,ough job, though, and his flag by
his time must be In iatters.
You want to gel rid of a good
leal Of this "excelsior" folderol.
It is a mighty poor investment Of
alent. Stay down below, and let
he glaciers and the mountain
peaks take care of themselves.
2. Do your work we'll, no matter
what il is. Study your business.
Make yourself master oi IT by put
ing your head and heart into it.
II il Is bookkeeping, then keep the
books in such fashion that the An
ye! Gabriel will want 10 lend you
his crown in token OF approval. |
If you are mechanic, or artisan,
Or farmer, be proud of yourself, and
Ihe rest of the world will soon
come 10 be proud of you. Nothing
IS needed so much in this genera
lion as a man with skilled fingers. !
You may have a long pull, but tho |