Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-16
:CbriStiatt Gnnrahor:
Dour
; HARVEY 8. IRWIN.
TOPIC:
Success Worth Having
and Not Worth Having"
Dam, 4 1887.

<<>~IS not in mortals to command
u success, but Wen do more,
Sempronius-we'll deserve IL"
| There is no real success in that which
| comes unmerited. Success worth having
| comes through earnest endeavor and not
| through accidental environments. You
| may reap the rewards of other peoples
labor, but the success is theirs, not yours.
| Glorious it is to wear the crown
OF deserved and pure success;
He who knows how to fall has
crown whose luster is not less.
| The ideal life is not embodied in the
constant thought and struggle for sue
cess, but it is in labor for that which
| is good and noble without thought of
either success or failure. Though we are
| to strive for success, it is not for sue
cess sake, but for truths sake-for
Gods sake. To work for success alone
is working for that which is not worth
| having. 1t is not the gaining Of a thing,
but it is the thing gained that discloses
the success or failure.
The achievement OF great social dis
tincton, civil or military renoWn or finan
cial supremacy, is usually regarded as
the successes worth having, and they are
by no means to be despised when honor
| meaning Of success worth having as
quite different and much more important
than any of these things. The definition
is in these words of Scripture: MY son,
forget not my law. but let thine heart
keep my commandments, for length of
days and long life and peace shall they
add to thee. Let not mercy and truth
forsake thee; bind them about thy neck;
write them upon the table of thine heart;
so shalt thou find favor and good sue
n q
The good understanding, the good sue
cess is In keeping Gods commandments
Consider the words of the Lord concern
ing the law delivered to Moses, that He
spake to Joshua, saying, This book of the
law shall not depart out of thy mouth;
but thou shalt mediate therein day and
night that thou mayest observe to do
according to all that is written therein;
for then thou shalt make thy way pros
porous and then thou shalt have good
success"
The only really good success is that
which is permanent. A temporary sue
may appear to be, if it does not extend
beyond this life it is very limited, for our
life is but a span, and what shall it
profit man if he shall gain the whole
world and lose his own soul?'
II our struggles for success are limited
to time-a period of three score and ten
years-there can be but little success
can gain is ours through endless years to
come our achievements are well worth
while.
Immortality life that never ends.
has everything to do with the question,
worth having" II you believe that
when you die, you die as the OK does
that death ends all. then live as you
please-gain any and every success
bad or indifferent-it will not help you
long and it will not hurt others long
for life at best is brief. but II you
should happen to be mistaken, and it
was true that Christ brought life
and Immortality to light through
the gospel then you would have gain
ed a success not worth having, and be-
sides have injured not only your i'm
immortals In such case, however
happy, contented and hilarious you
might have been over the successes
of your life here, it is not presumable
slant after the last Pickering pulsation
Of mortal life ceased. You had count
ed on time and then oblivion If OBJ
livion came, well and good. No mat
total extinction, found that state to
which the Buddhist saint is to aspire as
the highest aim and highest good. But
we do not believe in Nirvana and the
great successes for which we should
strive reach beyond this life. Success
that ends with this world is like a
| bridge that eraches out only a rev feet
across a stream"
A Nebraska woman won a prize OF
$3.50 for this essay on What Constitutes
Success:
"He has achieved success who has lived
we'll, laughed often and loved much; who
| has gained the respect of intelligent men
and the love Of little children: who has
| filled his niche and accomplished his task;
who has left the world better than he
found it. whether by an improved poppy.
a perfect poem or a rescued soul; who
has never lacked appreciation OF earth's