The Washington herald., 1915-04-20
DR.. Marden's Uplift Talks.
By ORISON SWEET MARDEN.
Author of Pushing to the Front" etc.
Triumphs of Ordinary Ability

Ruskin was one day walking through
| some Of the narrow streets of London
with a friend who complained con-
stantly of the SCOT and mud. But, as
| matter of fact" said the glorifier of
the commonplace with a smile. we
are walking through diamonds and
sapphires and opals-'' His friend
looked astonished and Ruskin contfn-
ued: This SCOT, you know. is dis
tant cousin to diamonds: and this clay,
this sand, to those finished products
we call jewels. There really Is moth
ing common or unclean in this world
of ours. my young friend, and 1t Is
what we call 'commonest that We often
find most worth while, il only We have
the patience or will take the pains to
develop it,"
If we could only see the relation of
the common things of life. the so-called
| commonplace traits of character, to the
ideal of the Divine Mind that planned
the whole, even as Ruskin saw the
kinship of the SCOT to the diamond,
how it would transform and glorify
our lives! 1t would stimulate the most
sluggish; would put new heart into
the most discouraged: would unfold
such a vista of possibilities to the
humblest worker in the army Of hu-
manity, that each would be irresistibly
urged onward to the achievement OF
the greatest thing possible to him.
The truth is. and it is the most en-
couraSing truth that can be impressed
upon the mind of youth. that What
man has done men can do''-if he is
willing to pay the price. Men Of great
achievements are not to be set on pedes-
tails and reverenced as exceptions to the
average Of humanity.
Instead, they should be regarded as in
spirers. standards of success for the EMU
lation of every aspiring youth.
The majority Of us are SO constituted
that We cannot understand and are daz-
Zled by the ability that does something
that we have not done. and We naturally
overestimate II. But II young men ana
women instead of keeping their eyes TOO
constantly on those who have gotten up
a little further in the world than they
have. would take an inventory of them
selves and develop their own resources,
they would be surprised to find that they
had ability even superior probably to that
Of those they are in the habit Of look
ing up to with such reverence and ad-
miration.
have no doubt that there are clerks
in our large department stores today who
have sufficient native ability, IL they
could only discover and make use of it.
to be proprietors of successful establish
ments themselves instead of ploddinS
along year after year as employees Ihere
are boys plugging away in inferior posi-
tions who have enough talent to make
their mark and rise above inferiority,
who either have no faith in themselves,
or are not willing to make sacrifices to
attain their ambition.
The success that is possible to the
average human being Is not the re-
suit of genius. but Of common sense.
and ordinary ability. 1t Is tho sum
total Of the exercise Of the plain.
common virtues and ordinary talents,
of sound judgment, Of honesty OF pur-
pose and persistency. 1t is made up
of very common ingredients.
II we analyze the success OF most
men we shall find that il is tho fruit
of the extraordinary application of
those modest everyday qualities which
all well-balanced people possess in
greater or less degree. aRd the applf-
cation of sound judgmehy Of common
sense to all the affairs Of life.
Copyright, 1sl5.)