The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1891-03-19

amOiIlOn IL was 10 become sailing master.
With that purpose in view he studied hard,
mastered the art Of navigation, passed an
examination. and served two of the four
years required service as able seaman.
Then visions of wealth to be accumulated
rapidly we're spread before him, and the
five years of toll and study and the assured
position of sailing master became as
naught in the overwhelming desire for
wealth. Sufficient to say that his visions
were not realized. Another young man
went through the same course. He became
captain of vessel, but it was not what he
desired, he gave up his mode of life, and
the gradual accumulation of wealth, and
began studying for the ministry. and has
since been ordained. Both of these cases
are facts of my own knowledge, and serve
to show that what one deems success in life
would not be so regarded by the other, for
the last succeeded, but the first did not.
Our Chaplain once remarked that the
want of purpose in life was the chief cause
of many of us being here. l think that it
was in the endeavOr to fulfil purpose that
many of us were brought here. An evil
purpose he probably would answer, and
the probabilities are the answer would be
correct in some cases.
AS said before. every young man com.
mencing the battle of life sets his heart on
some goal or purpose" which he desires to
accomplish. 1t depends then altogether on
the man himself, whether he will attain
that goal or not. He must not Overrate
himself if he desires to succeed nor yet un-
derrate himself. because then. having at
tanned his desire, he will be discontented.
He must guage himself as gnager guages
the wine; and then within the prescribed
limits seek to accomplish his success in life
Thoughts of wealth must not delude him or
he may turn success into failure, and at an
age too when it will be too late to begin
anew.
Victor Hugo says: 1.-THE desire of the
majority of the French middle classes is to
keep up appearances; of the English middle
classes, to be respectable" 1t follows then,
that that being their highest aim in life and
they haveIachieved that aim, then they have
been successful in life.
Success in life may be achieved in the
most diverse ways A man may desire to
be physician. lawyer. an engineer, a
carpenter or mechanic. having accom-
plished that desire and being satisfied with
himself and all around. he has surely been
successful in life.
A man may fail in his desire for wealth
and think life failure, or others may think
his life failure; but it is not so He may
begin again. and by not attempting to grasp
too much, that is by not having to many
desires. he can attain success. But few of
these who have begun anew have accumu-
lated large wealth, though almost all of
them will say that they have been success
full in life.
One other cause whereby many fail to
succeed. is their lack of determination.
They wish to do this or desire to become
that-they are unstable and vacillating;
they lack the determination to pick out a
path and pursue it to the end. AS long as
the way is smooth and clear they 60 ahead.
but when it becomes rough and hilly they
become weary and endeavor to seek an
other path by which their distinction may
be reached. In short, to be successful in
life. we must mark out a course and pursue
it to the end. allowing nothing to swerve us
off from our course, nothing to divert Our
attention, and having reached the goal OF
our ambition we must rest satisfied, for we
will have attained success.
| LEONARDUS.