River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1911-09-14


Every riDht-minded person should
desire success. The young man who
does not desire to be successful
might just as well pick out his coffin,
for he will never be of much account
In this life. But what is success?
That is what we want to talk about,
for there seem to be widely divergent
opinions on that subject.
Over 400 years ago Columbus was
about to discover a new world. His
seamen grew impatient of the priva-
tons and hardships of an apparently
hopeless voyage. Westward sailed
the little fiotilla over shoreless sea,
where no island or cliff gave relief to
the weary eye. Now and then a
bank of cloud on far horizon re-
vived hope only to plunge them into
deeper gloom. At last detection rip
ened into discomfort, and terror into
mutiny, which was stilled only by the
courage and resolution of the great
explorer. No land was yet in sight,
but Columbus persuaded them to hold
on three days longer. On the second
day some tree-twigs were seen float
ing by; then a plank cut by hatch
ct; then a branch. of hawthorn in
flower. These silent witnesses told Of
land not far off; and now the men
who the previous day were breathing
rebellion, gathered around their COM
mander with extravagant flattery i'm
ploring his forgiveness.
1t is no doubt truth old as hui
manity that nothing succeeds like
success" One stroke of good bust
ness gives a man a better chance for
a second; but let man equally de-
serving meet with one failure, and
success sinks further away
One of the worst features OF our
age is the worship of mere success.
apart from the means by which it
was attained. Personal worth may go
to the wall; a man is measured &C.
cording to his prosperity. There is a
success that is not worth having, and
sired than success. The fact is that
the common conception of the subject
requires emendation.
What is your ideal of success? In
the majority of cases the answer
would be, fortune or position. Well,
these are fine things to have, but they
can be bought too dear. They are
bought every day at the price of
honor, self-respect, good conscience,
peace of mind, anu even immortal
hope. The price 10 too great. Amer
lea is full of the "get-rich-quick"
spirit. We revel IN stories of million
aires who were bare-footed newsboys
in their youth. And it is true that
many of these men deserve credit for
their energy and foresight But can
we not get a higher ideal of success
than the mere accumulation of
riches?
In our text we are given the neces-
sary elements of success. "The right
eous also shall hold on his way, and
he that hath clean hands shall wax
stronger and stronger" Here are
mentioned three things which are alb
solutely necessary to every young
mans success in life, and they are
piety, perseverance, and purity.
First we have piety, or love and
trust in God. No true success can be
obtained without that. 1t is true that
by throwing conscience to the winds,
you may occasionally make gains
which to the upright are impossible;
but there is a curse which pursues
such profits even in that world. There
Is no doubt that the youth who enters
upon life with sense of accountable
fly to God, has great advantage. Lord
Lytton says, "a m~n is already of
consequence In the. world when 1t is
known that he can be implicitly re-
lied upon" 1t Is great mistake that
many young rnen make to drop their
religion as soon as they get out into
active business life.
Our next quality is perseverance.
"The righteous man shall hold on his
way" The failure of many young
men in life is due to the lack of this
power to hold on. A young man en-
ters business, but after few months
he thinks he has made mistake, so
he begins to study medicine. Soon
he grows heartily weary of that, and
he thinks he is cut out for the law.
Thus he drifts from one thing to an.
other, and makes success of none
He lacks perseverance, the power to
hold on" It is an excellent thing
for a youth, as soon as his school
days are over, to have to depend to
great extent upon his own exer-
tons. President Garfield once said,
'Tn nine times out of ten, the best
thing that can happen to a young
man is to be tossed overheard and
compelled to sink or swim for him
self. In all my acquaintance, 1 never
knew man to be drowned who was
worth saving"
The third requisite to success is
purity. "He that hath clean hands
shall wax stronger and stronger"
This is the outward and practical
side of piety. Let the prayer of the
psalmist be yours, Create in me a
clean heart, o God" That is neces-
sary to clean hands. You must con-
duct a clean business If you would
have clean hands. You cannot be a
party to dishonest dealing and re-
main undefiled You cannot touch
pitch and not become smirched. Here
is where your piety and faith in God
should be your stay. Your Christian
principles are worthless unless they
decide your course, leaving all the