The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1900-11-09
Garfield on Education.

with young people who are engaged In
any department of education. Their
pursuits are to me not only matters of
deep interest, but of profound mystery.
1t will not, perhaps, hatter you Older
people when / say that have far less
interest in you than in these young
people, With us, the great question of
life are measurably settled. Our days
go on, their shadows frightening as We
approach nearer to that evening which
will soon deepen into the night of life;
but before these young people are the
dawn, the sunrise, the coming noon-all
the wonders and mysteries of life. For
ourselves, much of all that belongs to
the possibilities of life is ended, and the
very angels look down upon us with less
curiosity than upon these whose lives
are just opening. | feel a profounder
reverence for boy than for man. l
never met ragged boy of the street
without feeling that may owe him
salute, for know not what possibilities
may be buttoned up under his shabby
coat. When meet you in the full flush
of mature life see nearly all there is
of you; but among these boys are the
great men of the future-the heroes Of
the next generation, the philosophers,
the statesmen, the philanthropists, the
great reformers and moulders of the
next age.
Let me beg you, in the outset of your
career, to dismiss from your minds all
idea of succeeding by luck. There is
no more common thought among young
people than that foolish one that by
and-by something will turn up by which
they will suddenly achieve fame or
fortune. No, young gentlemen, things
do not turn up in this world unless
somebody turns them up. Inertia is
one of the indispensable laws of matter
and things lie flat where they are until
by some intelligent spirit-for nothing
but spirit makes motion in this world
they are endowed with activity and life.
Do not dream that some good luck is
going to happen to you and give you
fortune. Luck is an ignis fatuus-you
may follow it to ruin but not to success.
The great Napoleon, who believed in
his destiny, followed 1t until he saw his
star go down in the blacklist night,
when the Old Guard persisted around
him, and Waterloo was lost. A pound
of pluck is worth a ton of luck. Young
men talk of trusting to the spur of the
occasion. That trust is vain. Occas-
ions cannot make spurs, young gentle.
men. II you expect to wear spurs, you
must win them. If you wish to use
them, you must buckle them to your
own heels before you 60 into the fight.
Any success you may achieve is not
worth the having unless you fight for it,
Whatever you win in life you must con-
quer by your own efforts, and then it is
yours-a part of yourself.
Again, in order to have any success in
life, or any worthy success. you must
resolve to carry into your work a full
ness of acknowledgement merely a
sufiiciency, but more than suf1iciency.
In this respect follow the rule of the
machinlsts. If thew want machine to
do the work of six horses, they give 1t
nine horse power. 80 that they may have
reserve of three. 70 carry on the
business of life you must have surplus
power. Be fit for more than the thing
you are now doing. Let everyone know
that you have reserve in yourself. that
you have more power than you are now
using. If you are not too large for the
place you occupy, you are too small for
it.
Let me suggest that, in giving you
being, God locked up in your nature
certain forces and capabilities. What
will you do with thems Look at the
mechanism of a clock Take off the
pendulum, and the ratchet and the
wheels 60 rafting down, and all its
force is expended in moment; but
properly balanced and regulated it will
60 on, letting out its force tick by tick,
measuring hours and days, and doing
faithfully the service for which it was
designed. l implore you to cherish and
guard and use we'll the forces that God
has given to you. You may let them
run down in year, if you will Take
off the strong curb Of discipline and
morality, and you will be an old man
before your twenties are passed. Pre-
serve these forces. Do not burn them
out with brandy or waste them in idle
ness and crime. DO not destroy them.
Do not use them unworthily. Save and
protect them, that they may save for
you fortune and fame. Honestly re-
solve to do this, and you will be an
honor to yourself and to your country.