The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1900-09-21
One Unwavering Aim.

FROM the School Journal
Essay written last June by Eva M. VOL
ker, an 9Th grade pupil of Sciota No. 8. J
The important thing in life is to have
great aim, and to possess the aptitude
and perseverance to attain it.
To succeed today, man must con-
centrate all the faculties of his mind
upon one unwavering aim and have a
tenacity of purpose which means death
or victory.
Even Gladstone, with his ponderous
yet active brain, said he could not do
two things at once; he threw his entire
strength upon whatever he did. The
intensest energy characterized every.
thing he undertook, even his recrea-
ton.
A man may starve on dozen half
learned trades or occupations; he may
grow sick and famous upon one trade
thoroughly mastered, even though it be
the humblest.
Douglas Jerrold once knew a man
who was familiar with twenty. four
languages but could not express a
thought in one of them.
1t is the single aim that wins. Hart.
ley Coleridge was splendidly endowed
with talent, like Sir James Macintosh,
but there was one fatal lack in his char
acter-he had no definite purpose and
hic lifa vuos q foilura
Stick to your aim. The constant
changing of ones occupation is fatal to
all success. After young man has
spent five or six years in a drygoods
store, he concludes that he would rather
sell groceries, thereby throwing away
five years of valuable experience which
will be of very little use to him in the
grocery business; and as he spends
large part of his life drifting around
from one kind of employment to an
other. learning part of each, but all of
none, forgetting that experience is
worth more to him than money and
that the years devoted to learning his
trade or occupation are the most valu-
able.
The more completely we master
vocation, the more thoroughly we en-
joy it. In fact, the man who has found
his place and become master in it could
scarcely be induced, even though he
be farmer, or a carpenter, or grocer, /,
10 exchange places with governor or
congressman. To be successful is TO
find your sphere and fill it, to get into
your place and master it.
On the prairies of South America
there grows flower that always In.
cines in the same direction. If a
traveller loses his way and has neither
compass nor chart, by turning to this
flower he will find guide on which he
can implicitly rely; for no matter how
the rains descend or the winds blow,
It's leaves point to the north. So there
are many men whose purposes are so
we'll known, whose aims are so constant,
that no matter what difficulties they
may encounter, or what opposition
they may meet, you can tell almost to a
certainty in what occupation they may
be found.
An earnest aim takes the drudgery out
of life, scatters doubts to the winds, and
clears up the gloomiest creeds. What
we do without purpose begrudgingly,
with purpose becomes delight, and
no work is we'll done nor healthily done
which Is not enthusiastically done.
Christ knew that one affection rules
in mans life when he said, "No man
can serve two masters"
What sublime spectacle it is to see
a youth going straight to his goal, cut.
ting his way thru difficulties, and sur.
obstacles, which dishearten
others, as though they were but stepping
stones Defeat, like gymnasium, only
gives him new power; opposition only
doubles his exertions; dangers only in
crease his courage. No matter what
comes to him, sickness, poverty, disas-
ter, he never turns his eye from his
goal.