Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1899-09-21
A Lesson for Boys and Girls.

boys l knew and see if you draw the
same lesson from their lives that I do.
| think the lesson quite as applicable to
girls as boys. Both boys were natives
Of my natal town as were their fathers
both of whom l knew well, one was
member of one of the leading firms in
this country for the manufacture of
woolen, cotton and print goods; the other
small farmer The manufacturers son.
was room mate of mine one term at
an academy, and while was studying
arithmetic, algebra and geometry, he was
reading Horace Cicero and Virgil. He
was quick to learn and was well and
healthy. His expenses were paid by his
father and he had all the spending
money he needed. | do not think he
ever earned dollar. He did not seem
to be ambitious to place his name high
as a scholar, and thought little of busi-
ness. He was bound to enjoy life and
saw no real necessity for labor. He had
money when he wanted it, and his
expectations we're large. He seemed
will: & to let the future care for itself.
He never entered college and never ac-
complished anything worthy of note,
either as scholar or business man.
He died many years ago. The farmers
boy, when quite young, got situation
as clerk, in general store about half
mile from his fathers home, where he
lived, walking back and forth. After
awhile he obtained a situation where he
had charge of a store; from here he went
to an academy and fitted himself to teach,
using the money he had saved while
clerking. He had good home to 90 to
and faithful and affectionate mother
who looked carefully after his childhood
and who still followed him with her
prayers and counsel, but | do not think
he was ever furnished any money by his
father, who had large family to care
for, and small New England farm was
far from a gold mine. From the
academy he became teacher. He never
took a college course, but jumping this,
took theological course and was ordained
a Congregational minister. For some
years he occupied pulpit in one of the
places of summer resort in western Mas
sach'.'e 'etts. where the elite of New York
and Boston are wont to spend their
vacation, at liberal salary and to the
satisfaction of his people. He has al
ways been an earnest Sunday school
worker and both as teacher and minister
has been a success. Now boys and girls
the lesson draw from the lives of these
two boys is that success in life depends
not upon our fathers money, but upon
our own individual efforts. Do you see
it as l do? OF course if you are to
work your own way to position in life,
yon must deny yourselves, use economy
and work-work hard and persistently.
Never give up, and whether your aim be
profession, business or science put your
whole body and mind into the work.
Doing this you are as certain to succeed
as anything in the future can be certain.
Rich fathers, as rule, do not produce
great men or great women; truly this
should not be so, but so it is. Had the
farmers boy had the money to take
college course he should have made a
larger, broader minded man. Would he
Had he thought best, he might have
worked his way through college, but his
life shows a college course is not absolutely
necessary to success as minister neither
is it to any of the professions or to bust
ness, but rightly used it broadens the
mind and gives increased powers what
ever the profession or business.
JNa. DAY.
Emporium, Sept. 8, 1899.