The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-05-22
THE SOUTH MISSISSIPPI
COLLEGE COMMENCEMENT

The complexity of the age has con
fused us; its dazzling achievement
have blinded us; our byains are fe
vered and our vision blurred We hav,
come to believe that happiness cal
be put on like a garment, that success
can come unearned, like the finding o
a pot of gold. We forget that happi
ness can come only from within, tina
success must be earned, and that boil
rest absolutely on purpose.
Work Is Worlds Law.
Success must be earned: Hence pur
| pose, on which it rests, is futile with
out work. Work is the worlds law
work the divine mandate. 1t is nc
idle jest of nature which says to al
creatures, Work or starve" 1t was
no thoughless utterance of God when
he said, I'm the sweat of thy brow
shalt thou eat bread" "Thou shalt
work." is the word that thunders out
of the universe, and man must obey
or suffer the penalty of failure, which
means inevitable wretchedness.
AS light follows day, so must sue
cess follow a purposeful life of hon
est toll; and such success does not
merely bring happiness-it is happi-
ness.
Once upon a time, as the stories
go, there was a Man who wished he
was a young man, strong in mind and
in body, with friends and home and
ambition. Yet with all these he lacked
one thing that alone could make the
rest worth while-he lacked purpose.
Though this man who wished desired
much, he strove for nothing. Every
thing he saw he wished for-an-
other mans money, another mans
fame, another mans fortune or love
or happiness-but he toiled not at all.
And so, as he grew older, his life
grew more and more worthless, until
his friends, shaking their heads sadly,
abandoned him one by one. But one
day as he sat idly wishing, a stern
visaged figure appeared before him,
and told him that once and once only
might he wish and the wish be granted
him. In return for this he was, as
soon as the words We're uttered made
nameless and homeless, and irons
ferred to a strange country, where he
knew no one, and no one knew him.
There was no alternative but to ac
cept, and, half in rejoicing, half in
fear, he set forth, till he fell a-think-
ing what his choice should be, for he
had but one wish. He was ill-clad,
tired and hungry, and thoughtlessly
he almost wished he was warm and
fed, till he remembered that hunger,
cold and night would come again, but
his wish was gone. Then he laughed
at his childishness, and was about to
wish for a fabulous sum of gold but
then he bethought himself that he
was unkemp and ragged and that peo-
pie would say he stole the money, take
it away from him and possibly put hlrl
in prison.
Walking briskly and pondering thus,
he travelled all night, and at daybreak
found himself before a farm house.
Here he secured work, that he might
be clothed and fed until he could
choose the fittest object of his wish.
Soon the spur of necessity ceased to
prick him, and the joy of living and
working entered his soul-for he was
young and strong-and rapidly he rose
from honor to honor.
He desired riches; but others he
saw rich who had made themselves
such, and soon by industry and econ
omy he too had accumulated for
tune. And still he had his wish.
He desired knowledge; but others
he saw wise from their own efforts,
so he studied and read and thought
till the world recognized his wis
dom. And still he had his wish.
He desired fame; but others there
were famous who had no wonderful
gift, so, secure in the knowledge of
victory should be but wish it, he cham
pioned the causes of right and JUS
tice until the world, in gratitude, de-
clared him great. And still he had his
wish.
He desired love; but the one woman
whom he set his heart upon did not
return his love-; and he was almost
persuaded to win her by his gift. Yet
by now he had pride and self-esteem
(ConfinuaH IN Dooa I,ourl