The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1909-07-08
STEADFASTNESS.

STEADFASTNESS.
The main incentive which inspires men
to labor is the desire to succeed IN lie.
Their ideas of what constitutes success
vary greatly. Wealth is the goal OF most
men. Some desire power, political or So
cial, a few want distinction in literature or
art and very few will be satisfied II they
can do some good in the world. All or
these objects are more or less interviewer,
90 that the aspirations of men are multi
rlex. but they can all be summed up in the
one word success. They want to accom-
plish some more or less define object IN
life. and to do so they will have to be both
dilgent and persistent. The quality that
is most needed is steadfastness OF purpose.
Every one is familiar with some man who
has failed after years of effort because he
mas become discouraged just when he was
at the point of achieving his purpose. HIS
calling may have required him to make
sacrifices respecting his personal habits.
He has been required, it may be: to abstain
from drinking and smoking because of his
daily association with persons to whom
such practices are distasteful. Slowly but
surely he has established reputation that
is Of the greatest value to him, and then,
discouraged or tempted beyond his powers
Of resistance, he begins to relax little
his safe rules of conduct. In an incredibly
short space of time his reputation, built up
with so much care, vanishes. The alb
stinence of years counts as nothing against
single offense. His reputation is de-
stroyed and he fails for want of steadfast-
ness. As a matter of strict justice it might
appear to be reasonable to weigh against
mans evil conduct his good deeds, but that
is not the way of the world. One wrong
outweighs lifetime Of good. So far as
reputation is concerned good deeds count
for nothing when offset in part by evil, or
they count for less than nothing, being
considered aggrayations of the offense. In
doubtful case reputation is of some value,
as throwing doubt upon improved charges;
but where the evidence of wrong is COM
plete, good reputation makes the offense
seem greater than it would be If committed
by one known to be bad. Harsh though
the judgment of the world may seem to be,
il is nevertheless just. Those who start out
with right principles should be steadfast.
They must be honest and true in spite of
all discouragements. A single lapse will
destroy all the good reputation they may
have established, but if they remain stead
fast to right principles they will either
succeed in their purpose or they will at
least have the satisfaction of knowing that
they fought a good fight. But success is
almost assured to the steadfast man. There
will be years of Encouragement during
which he appears to be making no progress,
but all the time he is laying the founda-
tons of reputation, and some day his OPP
portunity will come and he will reap at
once the fruits of his labor. Chance plays
its part in this matter. Some men deserve
and get at once their reward. Opportuni-
ties open before them. Others deserve
years of waiting. Not long ago the obitu-
airy of bank president was published. 1t
was highly flattering. He had entered his
bank as clerk; in a few years the death
of the cashier made an opening to which
he was promoted, and he had scarcely had
time to settle in this position before other
deaths opened to him the way to the pres
idency. Thereafter he lived long, useful
and honorable life, but for forty years he
barred the way to succession by men who
were just as deserving of promotion as he
lad been. The individual has no control
Of these chances. The best that he can do
IS to remain steadfast and true to high
srinciples, so that when the chance opens
before him he may have such reputation
as will help him to achieve his ambition,
whatever it may be.
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