The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-08-01
SAYS UNCLE CAV

After all, it is a good deal of a puz-
zle, this thing we call success. In
these latter days, when every man is
more or less free and those who are
big enough may have things for the
taking, we are wont to spell the word
with capital letters, and good many
of us worship no. other god. Having
deified the thingsswe cfrcumscribe 1t
and follow our natural tendency to
make it the peculiar property OF high
priests, In other words, we look upon
certain spectacular, famboyant, mag
nificent or picturesque accomplish
ments as success and in our unth1nk-
ing impulses put all others down un-
der the head of mediocrity or failure.
This comes largely of the process
Of dedication. We have exalted sue
cess into something mystical, strange
and far Withdrawn. Hence we deny
it in many manifestations in order
that we may accentuate it in few.
Also, we fall down, and worship men
when we should only grip by the
hard, slap on the back and talk
jovially as with comrade.
property of any lot, kind or degree
of men. He who. does well that for
which heredity and environment
have fitted him is a success He who
is happy does not fail. More especial
ly, he has reached the heights of sue
cess who makes earth a little bright
er for passing this way.
1t is our unhappy habit to mistake
the conspicuous failure for success. We
are apt to regard the man who gath
ers rather more than his share of
goods and money with envy. We are
likely to put ourselves in contrast with
him and stamp ourselves failures WITH
out further hearing. This practice, II
it does not become habit, is
healthy one. 1t acts as a moral spur
and keeps us humping. But such
conclusions are not to be accepted
with fina1ity. The only real test or
success is human service, and the
magnificent failure is q failure none
the less, Millions sometimes make for
the good of the race, but quite as Of
ten they do not.
The so-called statesman who gets
his name into the papers every day
for a decade or a double decade may
be a highly useful man and famous
Again he may be a force for destruc-
ton and merely notorious. The TACT
that his name is upon every tongue
even in praise, doesn't signify. The
only question is, has he made the.
world happier. If he has not, he has
failed, though his name cover his
country as the waters cover the sea.
The housewife who makes nome
haven, the husband and father who.
cares for his brood and contributes to
the general average of human useful
ness the clerk whose good cheer
brightens shop or ONCE or counting
room, the efficient mechanic who
whistles at his work, when anti
noise rules do not interfere. those
who do their work happily and well
and lay up a little for their idle lat
ter days-these are life's real sue
cesses. 4
1t is better to make one little spot
of earth clean and useful anG happy
than to accumulate millions that are
an unsympathetic, useless, fncoagu-
late mass of disappointment and
misery. 1t is better to bring little
sunshine into a single sick room and
die unnoticed save by the few we
have served than 1t is to pass in
imposing pomp< and solmn splendor
after having wrecked a party or for
time bungled the functions of a
government 1t is better to help to
sweep disease from a community, to
teach men to live healthy and well
and have ones passing told in a
mere paragraphssin a. forgetful news
paper to a more forgetful community
than it is to have told in striking
scare heads how one vaulted to the
lure of an overtowering ambition and
died acknowledgements 1913, by
the Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.)
a IN, x1,ie,