The Forrest City times., 1900-06-15

we Will be ennobled by true friendship
aud possess true friend who will serve
as guiding star, whose beacon light will
never flicker, but shine as brightly in ad-
versity as in prosperity. In parting let
me say with Shakespeare:
= The friends thou hast aud their adm.
ton tried.
Grapple then, to thy soul with hoops Of
steel; -.
But do not dull thy palm with entertain
ment, y.
or each new-hatched unpledged comrads.r
Miss Martha Hatcher's essay:
sELFRErIANCE.
OF all the elements of success mono
is more vital than self relance,-a de-.
termination to be ones own helper,
and not to look to others for support.
1t is the secret of all individual growth
and vigor, the master. key that unlocks
all difficulties in every calling.
Help yourself and Heaven will
help you should be the motto Of every
man and woman who would be useful
in the world !; who would carve way
to riches and to honor. The direst
curse that can befall the young is to
be the recipient Of charity; to lean,
while his or her character is forming,
on others for support. He who begins
with a staff will generally end with
clutches. Help from within always
strengthens, but help from without in
variably enfeebles, 1t is not in the
sheltered garden or the hot-house, but
on the rugged Alpine cliffs where the
storms beat most violently, that the
toughest plants are grown.
The man who dares not follow his
own independent judgement, but runs
constantly to others for advice, be-
comes at last moral weakling and an
intellectual dwarf. Such man knows
no self within him, but goes as a sup
plant to others and entreats of them,
one after another, to lend him theirs.
He is in fact mere element OF hui
man being, and Is borne about the
world an Insignificant cipher, unless he
desperately fastens, by accidental cohe-
sion, to some other floating and supple
mentary elements, with which he may
form species of corporation resem.
bling man.
1t is said that lobster, when left
high and dry among rocks, has not in
stinct and !energy enough to work his
way back to the sea. but waits for the
sea to come to him. Ii 1t docs not come
he remains where he is and dies, al
though the slightest effort would enable
him to reach the waves, which are per-
haps tossing and tumbling within a
yard of him.
The world is full OF human Holsters
men stranded on the rockg of business,
who, instead ofputting forth their own
energies are waiting for some grand
billow of good fortune to set them
afoat. There are many young men Of
vivid imaginations, who, instead Of
carrying their own burdens, are always
dreaming Of some Hercules coming TO
give them ''lift,n The vision haunts
their minds Of some benevolent oIdlgen-
tleman--a bachelor with bag full Of
money and trunk full Of mortgages
and stocks-who being astonishingly
quick to detect merit or genius, will
give them trifle of ten or twenty
thousand dollars, with which they will
earn a hundred thousand more. Or,
perhaps, they will have legacy from
some unheard of relative, who will be-
come conveniently defunct. In ninety
nine cases out Of a hundred, pecuniary
help TO beginner is the DEVILS blessing
Ito be deprecated, not coveted. Under
the appearance of aiding, it weakens
its victim and keeps them in continu-
Gus slavery and degradation. Money
bestowed in this way, in a majority OF
cases, is more truly wasted than If
thrown into the sea.
| God never intended that strong, in.
dependent beings should be reared by
clinging to others, like the ivy to the
oak, for support. The difficulties,
hardships, obstacles, and trials of life
one encounters on the road to fame are
positive blessings. They knit his
muscles more firmly and teach him
self-relance, just as by wrestling with
an athlete who is superior to us. we
increase opr own strength, and learn
the secret of his skill. All difficulties
come to US, as Bunyan says, of tempta-
ton, like the lion which met Sampson !;
the first time we encounter them, they
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