The Washington herald., 1914-11-27
DR.. Marden's Uplift Talks.
By oRISON SWEET MARDEN,
Author of Pushing to the 'front.'" Etc.
THE STIMULUS OF RE-
SPONSIBILITY.

In his baccalaureate sermon to the
last graduating class Of Yale University
President Hadley said:
"A mans success or failure in life Is
not measured by his success or failure in
winning the race. 1t is measured by his
success or failure in accepting the re-
sponsibilities OF the position for which
he has proved his fitness"
Proprietors OF large concerns are often
very much exercised by the death Of a
superintendent or lieutenant who has
managed with exceptional ability. They
are fearful that very disastrous results
may follow, and believe it will be al
most impossible to fill his place; but.
while they are looking around to find
a man big enough for the place. some
one, perhaps, who was under the former
chief. attends to his duties temporarily.
and makes even better manager than
his predecessor.
have in mind a young man who de-
veloped such amazing ability within six
months from the date OF very important
promotion that he surprised everybody
who knew him. Even his best friends
did not believe that it was in him. But
the great responsibilities. the momentous
situation, thrust upon him brought out
his reserve power. and he very quickly
showed of what stun he was made. This
promotion, and a little stock in the con-
Germ, which had been given him, aroused
his ambition and called out a mighty
power which before he did not dream
that he possessed.
Tens of thousands OF young men and
young women today are only waiting
for a chance to prove themselves, wait
ing for an opportunity to try their wings,
and when the opportunity, the RESPONSE
bility, comes they will be equal to any
thing that confronts them.
have known of several instances where
daughters reared in luxury were sud
denly thrown upon their own resources
by the death OF their parents and the
loss OF their inherited fortunes. They
had not been brought up to work, and
had no idea how to earn a livelihood:
and yet all at once they developed mar
velous ability for doing things and earn
ing a living. The power was there,
latent; but responsibility had not hither-
to been thrust upon them.
No one ever knows just how much
dynamic force there Is in him until test
ed by a great emergency or a supreme
crisis. Oftentimes men reach middle
life, and even later. before they really
discover themselves. Until some great
emergency. loss, or sorrow. has tested
their timber they cannot tell how much
strain they can stand. No emergency
great enough to call out their latent
power ever before confronted them, and
would be equal to until the great crisis
confronted them.
Many people never discover themselves
or know their possibilities because they
always shrink from responsibility. They
lease themselves to somebody else and
die with their greatest possibilities un-
released, undeveloped.
I believe II is the duty Of every young
person to have an ambition to be in
dependent, to be his own master, and
to resolve that he will not be at some
body else's call all his life-that he will
at least belong to himself; that he will
be a whole machine, although 1t may
be a small one. rather than part Of some
one else's machine.
You may not have the ambition, the
desire, or the inclination to take respon-
sibility. You may prefer to have an
easier life, and to let somebody else
worry about the payment OF notes and
debts, the hard times, the dull seasons,
and the panics- But, II you expect to
bring out the greatest possibilities in
you-f growth, with the largest possible
expansion Of your powers, is your goal
you cannot realize your ambition in the
fullest and completest sense while mere
ly trying to carry out somebody else's
program and letting him furnish ths
ideas and take all the responsibility.
Copyright, lslll