The Advocate and news., 1899-04-12
PROBLEMS OF YOUNG MEN.


contributor to one of our magazines, ask
ing me the following question: "What do
you consider one of the most important ele
ments necessary to young persons sue
cess in lifeP | answered, after some de-
liberation, Integrity of purpose and hard
and faithful work" did not find this an
swer in any dictionary, neither did gather
it from the classic literature of the past;
the philosophy of Plato did not suggest it;
it was not taken from any favOrite author,
nor from the sermon or any recognized di-
vine. No; carved it from the experience
of the successful men of the world. Study
the life of any man who has achieved pre-
eminent success in business, law, education,
theology, politics, reform, OF in any honor.
able pursuit in life and you will find that
his purpose has been high and pure and
clean. You will also discover that he has
worked hard and faithfully. In fact, cit
will be found that the wOrthiest men have
been the most industrious in their calling"
And so the first problem young man must
solve, is the problem of labor. He must de-
eide whether he is to add to or subtract
from the sum total of human happiness and
wealth.
1t should be observed, however, that in
tegrity of purpose is a necessary condition
to hard work and faithful work. There is
no incentive to persistent work where no
bilty of purpose does not exist. What is 1t
then to have integrity of purpose? It is
to live and work for something that will
make the world better 1t is a dedication
of our best energies to the advance
ment of all that is pure and good.
1t is to have courage to dare and to
do. 1t is to live for broader and fuller
life. It is to outline for ourselves definite
line of action along the path of duty, and
then to follow that line of action without
fear or favor.
Duty and right doing are always pleasant
companions. They never get mixed. Where
integrity of purpose exist, there duty is al
ways recognized and respected Integrity
of purpose leads on to that higher and
broader life where good results come as q
distinct product of hard and faithful work.
What is it then to do hard and faithful
work? Is it to overstrain yourself? Is it
to wear yourself out? No; labor is econ
Omy. The man who knows how to labor
knows also how to economic his strength
and power. To do hard and faithful work
is to do as much as you can, do it as well as
you can, and for as many people as you
can.
Do as much as you can. There is prob
lem. How much can you do? You say,
don't know. WE'LL the best way for you to
find out is to try. Test yourself. Take an
inventory of your energies. No man used
to the utmost the powers which God has
given him. Life is so wonderfully consti-
tuted that there is always room for develop
ment. / do not believe that our young men
should be satisfied simply by doing the
regular work assigned them. This should
be done and more. Life is full of oppor-
tunities to do good and to grow The world
will never be as good as we would like to
have it, but it can he made great deal bet
ter than it is, and the way to make the
world better is to get men and women to
provide for themselves, to labor The best
way to learn to labor is to do as much as
you can.
Do your work as well as YOU can. have
never yet met a man who has complained
that he has ever done thing too well. Per-
fection is always long ways off. There is
plenty of room for improvement. Self
criticism is always in place. The man who
desires to succeed in life is the one who is
not afraid to critieise himself or to be criti-
esed by his friends. The way to become
proficient in our work, is to rub off the
crude parts of our being. 1t is the little ex-
ira efforts that we put forth, the sacrifices
that we make. the finishing touches, as it
We're, that adds perfection to labor as far as
we can make it. The young man who tries
to do hard and faithful work is the young
man who earnestly feels that he never does
anything so well but that if he had another
chance, he could do it little better. The
young man who looks to the future, who
has clear vision and high hope is never
satisfied but always trying to do better and
more satisfactory work. Improvement
means progress. 1t means to do the best
You can with the means at hand. 1t is q
recognition of this broad and fundamental