The Washington herald., 1914-05-27
One More Pan. :
~ EMoRY >. HAYNEs.

VUe NlOIe ran.
ny EMORY J. HAYNES.
Charley" Burgess is no longer young man. The
gold dRkings of Colorado will miss Charley" be-
fore many years He is mortal yet, he seems almost
part of the hills, long has he been prospecting
there Fortune has come and gone more often gone,
with the aged miner. 1t is not supposed that he is
very rich, though he has uncovered much riches in
his time Burgess "panning" in some leavings
last week and found nothing of value in long days
work. The was setting. 1t was time to quit.
"But I'll try more pan" he sighed. The last pan
showed S. and $40 nuggets. enough to feed him for
months
The story Burgess told that night has often been
told II is generally "one pan" that brings re-
suits 1t is not to harp on the familiar marvel,
but to ask about the grit that tries more pan.
Whence comes it? Is it born in some men but gen.
orally left out? Can be acquired taught or trained
If one lacks such deathless perseverance must he
meekly surrender?
y There is who always springs eagerly to the
first effort Often he carries things by the initial
sanlt. He has his value But of him we are not in
quiring. The who hopes to the last, and tries
just once more, and yet more, how got he that
characteristic
1t is easy to that he was born so. But that
is not helpful reply The fact is that the human
will is, to degree subject to the human reason If
il is reasonable to try again the will should give the
order If that is correct statement of how mind
powers stand related it would seem that good judg-
ment was the most account of all The miner ex-
ercised sound reasoning He had panned out many a
dollar from 'tailings." Why not here? Most men do
not take sufficient account of good judgment when
calling on their reserve grit.
Two years ago a woman was lost in the Maine
forests around her summer cottage She explained
how she escaped by saying: when l began to lose
hope sat down to think" Then she got up to put
into execution the verdict of her reason always
ing to herself, q will try more" She reasoned
on the course of brook on the sounds of distant
railway engines whistle, the western shadows. No
matter, however, the data of her logic the most i'm
portant result was that she escaped hysteria by it
and commanded her own grit.
Hope always hangs its precious lantern over the
"one pan more" Hope is involuntary or well-nigh
so. Man does not need to call his hope 1t is like
his breath, like his living heart throbs Hope seems
10 have access to nerve eenters, though hope is
quality of immaterial mind. Hope often moves our
muscles, and we know not what kindly force mpels
US. Faith is subject to the and the will But
is not hope different?
We do not command ourselves to hope. We Just
hope 1t is part of our vitality. II lifts, inspires
nerves 1t is indefinite life itself. 1t is an
inseparable function of sound mind. The ceaseless
struggle of hope the invisible battlefield of the
mind, is of the wonders of creation.
Hope resists despair, it attacks its foe again and
again. Without our asking we, who despaired one
moment, strangely hopeful the next moment The
quick shifts of the contest go within US, and We
seem to be but spectators. Hope prevails thark kind
heaven of the time. Perfect despair is rare in
deed.
As a last resort, the hands or feet can be set to
their task like machine, and the mind may go
to sleep. The soldiers weary limbs march on though
his thoughts far away. Pathetic stories we used to
hear of that great war; how the citizen soldiers put
hands on each others shoulders and tramped many
mile in slumber.
Does not some exhausted man read this who is
going through the motions of business, these days.
without high courage or cheer? He keeps going,
though the vision ahead is blank And who shall tell
how the mother works mechanically. because of the
ever present duty yet without sensations sad
or glad? The last effort of most successes is of this
answering type.
The gold has no affections. II will not cali nor
stretch out its hands of welcome. 1t is dead thing
And often to get the gold descend ourselves
to work as dead. 1t is the dreadful equation of
the unknown quantity.
Yet as the algebra of our school books is the
algebra of life. Was there keener pleasure than
when the figures came out right and signed the
paper with proudest flourish?
We are obliged to you, Charley Burgess, with gray
hair and the welworn pan. The best zest of life is
in your motto, 81 will try one pan more" May your
last pan contain gold that waxeth not DID," eternal
in the heavens.