Norwich bulletin., 1912-06-01
SUNDAY MORNING TALK
WOODEN SOLDIERS.

St. Jerome calls them wooden sol diers" who always have their swords raised without striking a blow" His definition reminds us of the advice of an acouaintance to a we'll -intentioned fellow who was forever telling what he 'almed" to do: Pull the trigger, man, for goodness sake, pull the trigger! It was excellent advice even though offered in impatience to one With whom purpose had long taken the place of performance.
 It is more important to do a good thing than to know how to do it or even to plan to do it. The fact should be borne in mind by a large number of people in every community Reference is now not to the blunderbuss or to the fool who romps carelessly in where angels fear to tread but to those whose chronic lack is of will rather than of equipment or of preparation.
 For practical purposes man is no better than dummy at a cigar stand if he never strikes with his raised sword or actually pulls the trigger cf his leyeled gun. Ability is really measured by achievement. A man who Is good must prove that he is not only good but good for something. We esti- mate the real vigor of personality by it's power to get results. regiment of wooden soldiers might look imposing but would win no battles.
 The weak spots in many gifted people is just here. Their swords remain simply poised in air They may early g.s promise of brilliant careers. They I4aGa lengthy and suitable prepara- .iou. Parents teachers and friends pre- dllt success. AS the years pass. how ever, they exhibit no iEcliaation actually to tackle the work of life Mid dle age finds them still hesitdting Cn the brink. And age can only write on their careers the word failure" l Preparation is good but there may be too much of it. TO get ihe thing done that needs doing is our main | duty. When our American statesmen were discussing methods whereby the l nation might resume specie payments 1 the knot of the problem in his famous 1 the knot of the problem i nhis famous i dictum, "The only way to resume is tC ! resume" And as d matter of fact the nation did resume without any oH- ! haustive knowledge as to the culrec i way of resuming,
 Put with this the saying of Solomon ! in the book of Proverbs" the begin i ming of wisdom is, get wisdom" Dt not theorize about it or speculate con. l corning 1t, or long for 1t, get it. Tn, ! Master once told a palsied man t l stretch forth his hand, The poor fel low had no idea how to do such an i'm 1 possible thing. His hand had fer
 long time hung limp and useless at hi
 side. At the commend ef Jesus, how ever, he simply obeyed. He stretched
 forth his hand and then he knew how
 to do il,
 We need more soldiers like Majo
 Rowan, the man who took the mes sage to Garcia" When Gen, Mile i wanted man to go to the heart c 1 Cuba he found in this yeung office
 one who did net walt to pack a trunk i or press his uniform, ar plan com
 missariat, or begin a study of tn
 fauna Or fiefa of ths enemies country
 but simply started
 Let good purposes come to perform
 ance, Each day rescue as man worthy acts as possible cut of tn
 dreamy realm ef intention and SC
 them seiidly on their feet. Have thrust at the evils that lift their head aheut yeu, The soldier that is wort his salt ia this life eaanaiEn is an