Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-02-18
PERSISTENCE.
A Quality That Counts for Much In
the Work k-day World.

A Quality That Counts for Much In
the Work k-day World.
In the calendad Of every life there
come days when 1t Is not amusing to
be in the land Of the living-when'
perhaps as the unpalatable fruit Of our
own actions, we are isolated ana
estranged from light and JOY, and our
portion seems to be with those who
have succumbed when they were
beaten down. It is then to be seen
and known what manner Of man or
woman we may be. No chain OF cir
cumstances is conceivable that gives
any of US the moral right to do less
than our best, or to visit any private
and personal grief upon those VINO
have a sufficient burden Of their own
to carry. We are bound to go on living
with all our might, and whatever sort
of muddle we have made Of the busi-
ness thus far. we must summon our
falling and faltering strength to re-
trieye It. The firing-line cannot spare
one of us; II we must, perforce OF our
wounds, be relegated to the feld-hos-
pital for a while, even there we can
help others who are MANNED and en-
feebled even as we, to win their way
back to a complete recovery.
It is an outworn notion that we were
set on earth to have good time and
to find all as we would have 1t. When
mankind first came upon this trivial
inhabitable speck Of star-dust, though
the whirling nebula and the geologic
aeons had performed their part, there
was a deal to be done to this goodiy
frame, the EARTH" to make 1t thor
oughly suitable as a place OF human
residence. It was discouragingiy big
problem, and to many Of an inferior
order among mankind 1t has proved
appalling. They became so scared tney
ran away from the big, brave things
there were to do, just as In the dawn
of history they fed in terror from the
roaming mammoth and behemoth
awfully towering above them. 1t was
all left to a few stout-hearted leaders
to carry on the work OF making the
world ready for the century we live IN
now. Never were any citizens 30 blest
as we are. Never were any given so
much for which to be everlastingiy
grateful. Instead of a paean of graft
tude, however. many OF US eject 10
whine q jeremiad. We look LOT tne
impossible underside or anything
whose uppermost phase seems 70 por-
tend a triumph. There is no make
believe left in us; the Willingness 70
Incur the unexpected is atrophied !ar
within our natures. We have no illu-
sions no power Of make-believe. The
world is a sordid, brutal demesne OF
"blind mouths' gaping upon US ana
famished for our ruin. What q morDlo,
perverted and even wicked way 10 LOOK
at the human cyclorama! To live py
such a creed is to live upon lie. Ine
world Is what we make II, ana every
one has a part, not to be shirked nor
shifted. in the making. Nobodys role
"a unimportant We think II we SUNK
out by the back way, II we sauntered
off and lay down somewhere, tnat
things would go on just the same. But
they wouldn't.
There is too much to be done to let
any one of us loaf on the job" II
there's anything that stands IN the way
of our serving the commanding gen
eral with the whole Of our vital EN-.
cacy, It Is our duty to get rio OF that
obstructing circumstance. The admir-
able man is he who leaves himself
mpletely out of 1t when there is
work to be put through. He Is to be
the one factor negligible in the fac-
tory. The life of the civil engineer, TOT
example, Is filled with enterprises tina!
require q man to put his persona
ease and conveniece quite out OF MS
thought. That Is what stamps THIS one
of the greatest Of the professions. Al
| the end Of an active career a man mas
more than a pile Of money to show ror
| II, There stands the visible monument
of laborious application and unweary-
ing patience, Of fine contempt Tor IN
dolence and the line OF least resist
ance, of real ability that follows un-
swervingly the plan that 1t has mace
sparing no pains In the ultimate 1uLnI-
ment. Such work as that Is OF no IN
terest to the man who hasent IL IN mn, mn,
to persist. He Is ready TO cry naIt
before the word "go" Is given. He pre-
1erS TO Blu anu lWluuiC itio .iAe
dream Of what fine thing 1t would be
| to do, II 1t could only be done. To the
unpersistent man, action Is always
premature and the actor Is fatally
ahead of his time. To the persistent
one, who means to begin, continue and
end the work, there Is nothing ike
making the start that Is half the pat
| tie. He has no time to consult the
veering weather-cock and fidgety pa
rometer Of his own moods. He does
not ask himself whether he likes the
| idea Of the deed or not. He goes ahead
and leaves the others gasping and
guessing. It takes a deal Of scalding
with hot water to induce him to loosen
his hold.
ITO endure and endure and to be
withstood," without losing nerve or
temper, this is the acid test Of the
strong man. To await the desired con-
summation without losing heart OF
grace and skill keeping faith where we
have pledged it-this Is the persistence
that must count in the long run. For
the happy warrior" intrepid and un-
perturbed, there must be always some-
thing more than a fighting chance to
| tip the scale beam the way he wants II
in the delicate balance between victory
and defeat.-Philadelp Ledger.
3B Every man owes himself living,
and it's up to him to discard his coat