The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1907-08-09
OPPORTUNITY is
NO LAGGARD.

hOnored on the account of it's vener.
able age, which runs thus: "Oppor
tunity knocks once at each man.
John J. Ingalls, once went a sonnet.
ing around this pro.
verb, and some say he wrote finest
sonnet ever written by an American.
l am inclined to think this is 80; and
if it is, it proves for us that truth is
one thing and poetry another.
The actual fact ia that in this day
Opportunity not only kn ocks at your
door, but is playing an anvil chorus
on every mans door, and lays for the
owner around the corner a club. The
world is in sore need of men who
can do things. Indeed, cases can
easily be recalled by everyone where
Opportunity actual lily smashed in the
door and collared her candidate and
dragged him forth to success. These
cases are exceptional; usually you have
to meet Opportunity half way. But
the only way you can get away from
Opportunity is to lie down and die.
Opportunity does not trouble dead
ones who fatter themselves that they
are alive.
The reason more men do not hear
Opportunity when she knocks is be-
cause they themselves are knocking
at the time. Let no man repine on
account of lack of early advantages
they can not digest them. "If l
had my say 1 would set all young
folks to work and send the old ones to
school, said Socrates, 420 B. G.
What Socrates meant was that after
you have battled bit with actual life
and begun to feel your need for edu-
cation, you are, for the first time ready
to take advantage Of your opportuni.
ties and learn.
Education is matter of desire. An
education can not be impaired. 1t
has to be won and you win by work
ing.
And this fact also holds: The best
educated men are those who get their
brain development out of their daily
work, or at the time they are doing
the work. Quitting work in order to
get an education was the idea of
monk who fed from the world because
he thought it was bad; fallacy we
have happily outgrown. 1t takes
work to get an education; it take
work to use it and it takes work to
keep it.
The great blunder of the colleges
is that they have lifted men out of life
in order to educate them for life. All
educated college men know this and
acknowledge it.
In his last annual report President
Eliot Of Harvard made q strong ap-
peal to parents to get their children
into the practical world of life as soon
as possible, and not expect a college
degree to insure success.
Those who want to grow and evolve
should not give too much time to the
latest novel and daily paper. Don't
spread yourself out thin. Concen-
trate on few things-the very best
educated men do not know eyery
thing.
Choose what you will be and then
Get at it, You'll win.
If you quit, it simply shows you
did not want an education; you only
thought you did-you are not willing
to pay the price.
The other day in the Michigan
penitentiary at Jackson, I saw in
convict's cell three architects designs
tackled on the wall, and on shelf
where several books from a CORES.
pondence school. "Is it possible"
asked DR.. Pray, the prison doctor,
"that convict is taking correspon-
dence course in architecture ?' "Not
only that" was the reply, "but good
many of our men are studying hard
to better their mental condition. This
particular man has gotten beyond the
amateur stage. You see he has been
working at his course for three years.
He draws plans for us aud is doing
work for parties outside" Then we
hunted up the man and found him in
the marble shop. He seemed pleased
to know that / had noticed his work.
You see," he said, ~ only work six
hours day for the state, and after
that my time is my own, and try to
improve it; there are no bowling alleys
pool rooms, nor saloons here-no
place to 60" And he smiled. / tried
to. but co Ouldn't-mv ewes were filled