The Democratic advocate., 1896-09-12
SOME RAMBLING THOUGHTS.
Written for the Democratic Advocate,
BY MEMO.


LcoPYRIGIITED.l
(Penned by layman in the spare mo-
ments of busy career, and dedicated TO 4
better understanding of life and its varied
opportunities.
Some of you brawny young men have
followed the Thoughts relative to the
new 81 silver certificate Note for our
third topic that the boy in the picture
History Instructing Youth is surrounded
by the names of famous Americans. We
shall consider, therefore, the influence
exerted over us by those who have battled
and succeeded. There will be no indul-
eence in Understanding phrases, though
the topic would tempt one to it; contrari-
wise. every word will be kept down to the
limits of advice that is practical and FEAST
bic for ordinary human beings.
What then is the gain to us in thinking
ON the great lives recorded in our history?
In the first place they have by their con-
tributions to its politics, literature, sciences,
religious life, &c, made our country bet
ter to live in. The deeds they did, just
like your deeds, could not possibly die
with them and you and inherit; we reap
where we have not sown, just as those who
follow us will reap, MUST. REAP, what we
have sown of good, bad and indifferent
effort. In another way they can help us
by the encouragement they give MS, for so
many of our great ones have come up from
very ordinary and obscure places, often
times almost by unaided effort.
But it ocr',rs to me that if 60 into
disquisition pon the early careers and
difficulties of our great men, | may par
italy defeat my hope Of stirring you up to
endeavor and to success For uninten-
tionally you will think, .'Oh, well, there
must have been something out of the usual
about them | can never have the chances
they had. ~ You will be wrong, but you
will Just follow the human tendency to
create heroes and then imagine for them
an atmosphere and world different from
our own So | reflect for u moment and
pick out from personal acquaintance three
young men whose budding careers ought
TO encourage you.
In Gettysburg is rising young artist
who, though brought up on farm, felt
within him the artistic impulse and through
poverty and self-denial carried on his stud
les. Within two years. after serious effort,
all the pictures he submitted, four became
part of the Pennsylvania Art Exhibit in
the World Fair, at Chicago He posi-
lively refuses to exhibit anything that does
not come up to his own severe standard of
excellence As consequence he is step
ping up and has just received, after six
years labor, an appointment as instructor in
the Philadelphia School of Design. He has
no conceit and will not rest satisfied with
deeds already done, and | prophecy for
him in 20 years a name known country
wide in art circles.
Again There is a young man coming
right to the front in New York as an au-
thority on rare and first editions of books.
Yet few years ago he was left in New
England village with no more than one
term of schooling as AN outfit, and the
burden on him of keeping roof over the
head of his mother and her large family
of little ones. Did he finch No. Being
quicker with his hands than some Of the
men in the spinning g-mill where he worked,
he ran two looms instead of one and though
only IA. by such means received a man 5
wages and % per cent. more. In those
times labor laws were lax and he would
work II and II hours day. Yet after
hours he would walk eight miles TO IA
library town and eight miles back with the
books he had borrowed Later his duties
enabled him to stick up a schOol-book in
niche. Thus working and studying he
forged his restless way upward, sustained
his mother and the family, and finally
gave himself two years in 0berlin College
Ten years ago aluminium was about SS
per pound In those days young man
was putting himself through college on
borrowed money. His forte was metal
lurgy. In secret almost and at great ex-
pense he experimental with this metal,
and at last discovered the process whereby
it is now sold, and proitably, at 80 cents
per pound The wealth that is rolling in
is his appropriate reward; he deserves it.
None of these yet figure ON the rolls of
the illustrious dead They are still on the
journey Of life you are travelling They
are and have been subjected to the very
same conditions of poverty, and humble
birth that confront and discourage YOU
Now look around your neighborhood or
your county and you can find dozen who
have triumphed over circumstances of life
that seemed absolute forerunners of defeat.
There are few deductions that you
are safe in making from these careers and
those you can think of in your own neigh
borhood. Humanity speaking there is
nothing impossible to the one who sets
out on his career with definite purpose
and then allows nothing to swerve him
from it. Perseverance is the guide over
mountains of difficulty. Purpose is the
strength giver Faith in oneself brings
the victory.
Furthermore great purposes tend TO shut
out low aims and starve low tastes. Water
and oil will not mix. The oil may be
likened to our noble mental attributes; the
weak and unstable water to our lower ma
lures. In normal life the oil will remain
above the water Where the oil of pur-
pose is burning fiercely any attempt to mix
it with the water of weakness will put out
the fire ard defeat the purposeful soul
Mark that well
And as consequence, every great
career calls for self-denial and self-con-
quest. If you will not pay that price the
goods will not be delivered. | tell you
emphatically, the very worst thing for
young man in the beginning of his career
is to have every circumstance favorable.
The sailor who knows the value of smooth
water is the one who has set his teeth and
strained and pulled to bring his vessel
through rough. If you just glide along
the current of life your counterpart in the
world of waters is a wreck. That per-
force must go whittier it is driven Far
better, the well-manned, well handled
taut and trim vessel that can 90 whittier
mill n, Ina,, al