The Washington herald., 1915-11-16
DR.. Marden's Upift Talks.
By ORISON SWEET MARDEN,
Author of Pushing to the Front" Etc
The Pain Of Success.

Copyright. 1916 By Mcclure Ne~srapsr SynlicateJ
Il would rather be a nobody and
have peace and rest than be famous
as the worlds greatest tenor" is the
recent interview.
The great tenor is reported as say
ing that his glorious voice. the envy
Of all singers, is an intolerable bur-
den. and that he has often wished he
could get some surgeon to operate
upon his vocal Chords running his
voice SO that he would never again be
called upon to sing.
While people will smile at this as
. the petulant utterance OF a spoiled
child OF fortune. there is no doubt
that the pain of success. on which
Caruso dilates so pathetically, is often
almost intolerable.
Famous men and women, especially
in moments OF WEAKNESS when their
greatness has been a burden. have
longed for the peace and quiet of an
unknown life. More than one mon
arch has sighed for the liberty and
freedom from care of a simple hard
working peasant
Many a young man thinks II would
be a wonderful thing TO be President
of the United States; that II he could
only attain to such an exalted posi-
ton he would be happy ever after.
any means a bed OF roses. II Is fire.
quently a most painful ordeal. The
President almost never feels that he
belongs to himself or that he can do
what he wishes. He feels that he be-
longs to a hundred million OF Ameri-
cans His time is theirs, not his own
Wherever he goes he is followed by a
crowd. He has little privacy or rest
He must, as II were, be continually
on dress parade. The necessity OF ap-
pearIng so much in public. of having
70 make addresses on formal occa sions.
OF being criticised. caricatured by the
press and by his political enemies
~ these things are often very pain
full to our CHIEF Executive. His life
Is anything but a perpetual holiday.
He has more cares and troubles than
anybody else in the United States.
Those who appear before the pub
lie singers. actors. actresses. orators,
noted clergymen. are often haunted by
the fear OF possible failure TO make
good. The feeling that they must ever
fulfll the expectations OF the public
is burdensome. l have heard some of
our greatest orators and clergymen
say that they never appear on any
special occasion without much previ-
Gus suffering in anticipation of failure
TO measure up to the reputation they
have won.
Then, too. the man or woman who.
because of cminence in some calling.
in q certain sense belongs TO the Blb-
lie. is constantly called upon to make
sacrifices TO his OF her position. Many
people who have achieved such emf
hence hardly ever know what it is to
nave leisure like other people. to take
a vacation or to enjoy the comforts
Of home life. the social pleasures
which others enjoy. Some of them
have gone so far as to say that they
almost never have known what real
fun means. They have literally ground
their lives into their achievement
ground their years into material for
the furtherance of their career.
During the whole of this past year
Caruso was able to spend only four
days at his own home in Florence IT
go from bed to work and from work
to bed" he said. 1T is always so. 1t
was so on my recent trip to South
America. went to give less than a
dozen Performances. They insisted I
sing again and again. and gave
twenty-seven performances. Some day.
though. I will escape IL all. Caruso
nobody. and IT is Caruso. a nobody.
that ! want to be-.
While. in spite of his protestations. !
We believe that IL CaruSo lost his
voice and became nobody he would
be one of the urhappiest of men. there :
is no doubt that we lose sight of the
pains and penalties Of success
The pain of success! Yes. success is |
full of pain. but after all isn't Il !
worth it, The trouble with most of
us Is that we want success without !
Its penalties. We want the roses with /
out the thorns.
Copyright Ielj)