Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1892-05-19
HAVE a PURPOSE.
Thus Only Can You Expect to Make Yor
Life "A Success.

Thus Only Can You Expect to Make Your
Life a Success.
Without a plan life would be without
a purpose resembling nothing more
than rudderless ship at the mercy of
wind and wave and with no especial
port in view. And that is the way many
a boy sets out to begin the voyage of
life. If you will look at life as jour
ney. for so it is. and will act with the
same discretion, Judgment and deter
mination to get safely to the end of it,
that you would employ We're you actual
~ setting out for San Francisco or Hong
Kong from your present place of resi-
dence, though you may make mistakes,
they will be but incident to the
way, and may turn out bless
ings in disguise" if you keep
all the way through the aim
of doing right constantly before
you. Then make your plans, but see
that they are noble ones, having pure
motive back. Stick 10 that. and it can
not fall purposeless. Somebody, if not
You will be the gamer. Do not
imagine the moment you have left
school or are free from college that
you are on the nigh road to distinction,
that you are ready to take the world by
storm with your eloquence or to set
your native river on fire by your learn
ing or your wit; and that before you
have put forth a single effort of your
own. Nothing of the kind. You will
need armor for tee conflict of life;
armor that must be worn-to put it off
would only expose you to the foe. and
sooner or later ensure your defeat.
You will need patience and persever-
ance without which all your plans,
however worthy or unselfsh in
themselves viii come to naught If
these be not numbered among your
graces, all your other brilliant gifts
will have an uncertain, purposeless ring
to them that will render them value
less. The quality you are conscious you
are deficient in is the one you should
most cultivate, and that pre-supposes a
supply Of the two god-like qualities
which some regard as commonplace and
slow Remember the fable Of the hare
and the tortoise. Scholars and heroes
grolc. they are never in stock, like
ready-made clothing. Experience is
said to be the great teacher; it certainly
is the hard one. taking time and years
to DO its work. Its work may be fore
stalled, however, by noting the way
by which successful people gained their
success, and by working along those
lines; taking warning by the example
of those whose evil course became their
ruin; the one may be the fingerposts
to guide, the other the signs marked
danger" warning against ruin and dis
aster. You may hasten the work of ex-
perience by cultivating a true soldier
like spirit of obedience. coming under
the sway of the Gospel of Christ and of
all moral and physical law To he sure
of some degree of success, form your
plans and try to carry them out 50 that
they may not clash. You wish to be re-
garded in the world of business as repu-
table. be yourself the exponent of that
virtue YOU admire in others: be honest
and above board in all your dealings
and transactions; but in endeavoring to
become that, don't grow lop-sided by
shipping off the tender shoots of court
esy and kindness in your effort to reach
the moral height you have in view.
You wish to gain your employers conf
dence: nothing more easy if you try to
keep a single eye regarding with
scorn all eye service. and ever keeping
in mind that Greater than your EN-
ployer is watching you. Should your
plan be in the direction of one day be-
coming partner in the business. make
that hope certainty by giving yourSef
to the work Never demur about over
time; give more, never less, than what
the agreement with your employer calls
for. These are simple rules, and they
are not new ones; they have been tried
10y some with advantage The way to
all true success les in willingness to
go dotoa by the steep and rugged way of
self-denial if need be. Strength does not
come all at onee-only after repeated
effort, 1t is step by step not ata single
bound, that anyone attains even a lit
tie measure of success. Christian at
+ Work