The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1901-05-09
! Shopper year, in advanc
Six Months 30 cents,
Ambition.

A MBITlON is generally supposed
~ to be desire for power alone,
but this is mistake. The
term ambitious may be ap-
piled to anyone who desires preferment,
honor, superiority or power of any
kind. You can see that the word in
this sense can be applied to nearly
every walk in life.
A man without ambition is a cipher,
drone in the human hive, derelict
on the tide of life, drifting, drifting
with the current.
Do you wish to become something in
this existence? Doyou wish to impress
your stamp on humanity so that you
will not be forgotten? Or would you
only be one of that vast multitude who
pass into oblivion, "unwept, unhonored
and unsung?"
If you wish to become conspicuous
unit, a landmark on the road of life, a
beacon light shining clearly through
the night of years, you must have am
bition. You must have an object, one
object, in life. But not ambition alone
will be sufficient. 1t must be accom-
panied by will-power and determination
to attain your object at all hazard. It
must be accompanied by perseverance.
We know not whence we come. We
know not whittier we go. Out of the
dark into the dark, across lighted space
we pass. But one thing is sure: While
we are here, we are the builders of our
destinies. do not believe with him
who says, cit is not we nor the ways
we choose, but the fall of the cards
that's sealing" I do not agree we are
mere figures on the chessboard of life,
manipulated by some expert player,
some invisible intelligence. Do not
misunderstood me and think am say
ing l do not believe in some higher
intelligence. Man is master of his fate.
Captain of his own soul. Capitalization
and specialism are two of natures
great laws. The planet attracts the
molecules. The ocean absorbs the
rivers-like goes to like. Each species
keeps to itself. The lamb and the lion
do not lie down side by side, but the
lamb goes to its kind and mingles with
them, and the lion goes to it's kind and
does likewise. It may seem paradox
to say so, yet nature is q specialist
and also has variety. Though she
develops multitude of forms of life
and material substance, yet she special
ICES each.
Two species cannot mingle and live;
Il; fhn oth oh
or both must die and new species
one will sink while the other swims.
That is because the specific gravity of
each is different from the other.
"Well," you will ask, "What has this
harangue on nature to do with ambi-
tiOn p" 1t is this: Man is not nature.
Or rather, man is not nature. No
man ever existed who was capable of
following the variety of pursuits that
nature does, and bringing them to a
successful issue as she does.
No such men ever will exist. Man
must specialize along one line, must
devote his energies to gaining one
object. You cannot ride two horses at
once. Shakespeare was great dramatic
poet, that is all; Caesar was military
genius, that is all; Darwin was great
naturalist, that is all; Dickens was
novelist, that is all; Michael Angelo
was sculptor only; Raphael, Fra
: Angelica, Titan and Boticelli were
great painters only; Beethoven. Mozart
and Verdi were great musicians only.
Each of the men have mentioned are
immortal, men whose genius has
moulded the destiny OF mankind. Men
whose swords, pens, or uplifted batons
have thrilled the hearts of the millions.
: Do you wish to become as one of these?
Then you must follow the path that
J they have trodden. You must con-
centrate; you must specialize. You
must have the will to do and the per-
severance to keep on doing.
ssThe birds sing sweetest in the deepest glades;
/ Untrodden paths invite the fairest flowers;
The toughest stone the purest gem has made;
The faintest star can swing this world of ours.
| Ambition does not dwell in g!lded halls,
Fame comes at last to those whO've SOreSt wept,
, A sage may dwell within novels walls,
The king of kings first in manger slept.
Heed not lowly birth and humble home,
The sail ne'er feel the breeze until unfurled,
, The fame of genius filters on unknown
Then mete0r-like illumines all the world"
LEO.