Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1894-02-15
CHOICE EXCERPTS.

CHOICE EXCERPTS.
If we are ever in doubt what to do,
it is good rule to ask ourselves what
we shall wish on the morrow that we
had done.
A MAN that is rightly kind never pro-
claims good turn, but does another as
soon as he can, just like a vine that
bears again the next season.
MAKE your dwelling tasteful and at
tractive, both within and without; the
associations of the home of our early
days have strong influence on the fu-
ture life.
ZEAL for the public good is the char
acteristic of man of honor and gen.
tleman, and must take the place of pleas
ures, profits and all other private graft
fications.
WHAT proposition is there respecting
human nature which is absolutely and
universally true? We know of only one
and that is not only true but identical
that men always act from self-interest.
A LOVING hoart carries with it, under
avery parallel of latitude, the warmth
and light of the tropics. 1t plants its
Eden in the wilderness and solitary
place. and sows with flowers the gray
desolation of rock and MOSES.
UNTIL man can control his own ma
ture, with its various desires and pas
IONS thoughts and emotions, actions
md expressions, he cannot acquire that
real strength which will enable him to
conquer the difficulties of life or to OBJ
tain any true influence over others.
EVERY intelligent man and woman
can teach something to others and learn
something from them, and we make a
fatal mistake when We ignore those
whose literary attainments have been
less than our own. A broad culture in
its true sense is always conscious of its
own ignorance and anxious to repair it,
while it is too generous to refrain from
giving of its own stores to those who
need.
Now and then one meets with an eX-
ceptional case in which energy seems to
have been entirely omitted in the moral
- makeup" of the individual; but hu-
man beings totally devoid of this ele-
ment of worldly success are about as
rare as brawnless living skeletons. Civ
en- single spark of energy, it may be
unquestionably increased and utilized
by cultivation.
He who is open as the day, who has
nothing which he cares to conceal, is
pretty sure to have come by his posses
sions honorably. They stand for earn
est honest labor of head or of hand,such
as helps and never hurts mankind. They
are the signs of his energy, his industry,
his economy, his faithfulness, his abili-
ty. They reflect honor upon him; where
as gains secured without such equiva-
lent and at the expense of others can
only reflect disgrace.
EVERYTHING in this world of ours
has its limits-time, place, opportunity,
human power. life itself-all come to
An end. One of the great arts of living
well and successfully is to understand
these limits aud to adapt ourselves to
them. For the want of this many ex-
cellent schemes come to naught, many
worthy people fail in their efforts. much
strength and energy and talent are
wasted. Every one realizes the itnpor-
tance of making beginning. but few
appreciate that there is an equal impor-
tance in making an end. How and when
to do this is deserving of much more
| thought and care than is usually be-
slowed upon it.
"YoU have done great thing when
you have brought boy to have enter
tainment from a book" observes Dr.
Johnson; and whoever had the training
of young folk, especially of youths who
did not naturally take kindly to reading,
is likely to agree with him most fully.
Certainly the most essential and often
the most difficult part of boys educa-
tion is just this point of teaching him
to care for reading. Once this is done,
the hardest part of the battle is over. 1t
is careless or dull parent who cannot
do much for boys mind if once he has
got him to be fond of reading. 1t is after
that question of guidance; and, if they
are not driven, there is little that cannot
be done in the way Of guidance when
one is training boys.
THE value to the world of any natural
gift or talent depends on two separate
pOwers--that of producing excellent
work, and that of bringing it to the no
tice of those who can appreciate and use
it. Very few persons unite in themselves
these two capabilities. 1t is rare thing
to find man or woman possessing
very marked talent in some one depart
ment, and also the tact, the Judgment
the knowledge of the world needful to
make the most and the best of it. Many
indeed have a limited share Of each,
and may to that degree be success
full in their pursuits; but the highest and
finest abilities in production usually so
fully absorb the performer that he has
neither ability nor inclination to push
them into public notice Thus it often
happens that special excellence is hid
den from the world, and society is de-
prived of its beneficent results.