The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1895-02-14
CONTROL THYSELF.
TIMELY SUGGESTIONS FOR OUR
YOUNG MEN.

Requisites to Success in Business
/ Careers-The Need of Self-controI in
Small Things-By the Disregard of
| These Advancement is Slow if Not
Altogether Impossible.
Baltimore Suul
The need of self-control in small
things as well as great is illustrated in
all the affairs of life, but especially in
the business careers of those who at
tain positions of trust. To be success
full they must maintain a high reputa-
ton in and Gut of business hours, and
this they can only do by keeping con-
slant control of their appetites and
passions. Overindulgence in anything
which units them for the performance
OF their business duties will injure
their reputation and put check upon
their promotion. Some who avoid
liquor as very obvious source of in
jury to reputation are not SO careful in
guarding against overlndulgence of
the appetite for other things. One
may overfeed and render his mind
dull and sluggish; another may tire
himself out in the evenings by atten-
dance al balls, by oversludy or bv too
much reading. In any case, if his
habits, good or bad in themselves,
lead to exhaustion of his nervous en-
ergy SO that he goes to his daily work
llstless ard tired he is incapable Of rem
derlng full service, and will surely be
passed by his companion who keeps
his appettes under control and re-
serves his best power for the services
OF his employer. The remark is often
made by young and inexperienced
men that they have a right to do as
they please during off hours that their
employers pay them only for certain
hours OF the day and that the interve-
ming period is "a their own disposal,
free from control. This is true only
in limited sense. Ones duty to an
employer requires him to be in per-
feet condition during the hours of labor
to do his appointed task. He may do
as he pleases with his leisure hours
only on condition that the use he may
make of them shall leave him in good
condition for the next days work. If
he shall habitually neglect to take
neediul rest, or shall be intemperate
in eating or drinking, and shall in con-
sequence return to his daily labors
duiled in intellect, lacking in energy
or with nerves disordered, he has un-
fitted himself for the best service.
His employer may not dictate to him
how he shall spend his leisure hours,
but he may, and doubtless will tell
him, after time, that unless he can
come baCksto work refreshed and in
good condition bis services will be dis
pensed with. If the offense is not SO
grave as to bring about this sentence
it will nevertheless prove bar to pro-
motion, and thus the young man vho
fails to obtain self-control will also
fail to advance in his chosen calling.
Men in active business have little time
to study out the qualities of their en-
ployees and no inclination perhaps to
trace the causes of differences, but
they know almost instinctively that
one young man is attentive, full of en-
ergy and untiring, and that another
has his mind filled with outside pro-
jects and personal schemes or exhausts
himself during his leisure hours with
diversions having no relation to his
business. And this knowledge is quite
sufficient to determine which of the
two should be given a higher place.
Thus the young man who has his APP
petiteS and passions under control so
that he is always fitted to do his days
work is put insensibly in the line of
promotion, while he who is self-indul-
gent and pays no heed to his employ
er's interests except during the ap-
pointed hours of labor is passed by and
either suffers degradation or fails TO
get advancement. TIE young man
can scarcely observe these things for
himself as the social movement is quite
slow. When, however, he has reached
middle age he can look back, and,
reviewing the life history of his friends
and acquaintances, he will find that
those who have risen, have, as a rule,
kept firm control of themselves and
that those who have failed TO advance
have had some fault, perhaps trivial
one, which has injured their reputa
ton. There are Of course other elc-
ments 0! success or of failure and good
or bad fortune, that is chance, plays
some part in the life history of men ;
but the important element, after all,
is character, and that can be estab-
lished and maintained only by those
who maintain complete control over
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