The Portland daily press., 1900-12-07
SAVED HIS CAREER.
John sherman's Good Advice to a Dis
pirited Young Man.
(From Success. }


Ten years ago, when the late John
Sherman was secretary of state, young
man. the son of one of Sherman's school
mates, wrote to him for assistance. he
said that he had fallen SO low In life tbas
there was no place for him but the gutter;
that existence had become burden, and
that he wanted to die. Today, this san
young man is a prosperous merchant In
New York city. lie SAYS that his posi-
ton is due to the advice given him by
John Sherman, in answer to his letter
success was given permission to publish
the letter, which the owner guards more
carefully than all his ether possessions.
Mr. Sherman wrote:-
You say that your life has been fail
ure and that you are 60 years o d, ana
ready to Gle You say that you cannot
find work, and that you see no hope In
life. You say that your friends do not
care to speak TO you now.
Let me tell YOU that you have reached
that point in lite when man must see
the very best prospects for his future
career. You, at 80, stand on the bridge
that divides youth and manhood Inc
one is dying, perhaps. but the other VIII
soon burst, young and hopeful, from the
new beings man. DO not let your dis
content kill this new life before It is
born.
Unless you are physically deformed, 60
to work. 60 to work at any honest
work, II 1t only brings you dollar a day.
Pay no more than 10 cents for meal,
and 20 oents..for bed. and save as much
OF the balance as you eau, and with tine
same intensity as you woulu save your
mothers life. Make the most OF your
appearance. DO not dress gaudily, but
cleanIy. Abandon liquor as you wonIo
abandon a pestilence, for liquor 10 the
curse that wrecks more lives than all the
horrors OF the world combined,
IL you are q man OF brains, as your
letter leads me to believe you are, walt
until you are in condition to seek
your level, and then seek 1t with cour-
age and tenaclty. 1t may take time TO
reacn 1t; It may take years, but you will
surely reach it,-you will turn from the
workinsman into the business man, or
the professional man, with SO much ease
that you will marvel at 1t. But have one
ideal, :aud aim fer 1t No ship ever
rea ,hed Its port by sailing for dozen
other ports at the same time.
Be oontented, for without oontentment
there Is no love or friendship, and with.
out those blessings IFS Is, indeed, hope
less care. Learn to love your books. for
there Is pleasure, tns.ruetion ana friend
ship In books 10 to church, for the
church helps TO ease the pains OF life
Eut never be hypocrite; II you cannot
believe In God, believe In your honor
Listen to music. whenever you can, for
music charms the mind, and fills man
with lofty ideals
Cheer upl Never want to dis Why,
am twice your age, and over, and l do
not want to die. Get out into the world
Work, eat, sleep, read and talk about the
graft events of the day, even IL you are
forced to go among iaborers. Take the
first honest work you ge5, and then be
steady, patient, Industrious, saving,
kind, polite, studious, tempsrate, am
bitious, gentle. loving, strong, honest,
COURAGEOUS and contsnted.
Be all these, and. when 80 years more
have passed away, just notice how young
and beautiful the world is, and how
young and happy you srsi
(Signed) JOHN SdEhMAN.