The Washington herald., 1915-11-13
DR.. Marden's Uplift Talks.
HAD ONLY KEPT on"
By oRIsON SWEET MARDEN.

Former President Taft, in a recent lee
ture said that one OF the greatest re-
grcts that ever comes to human being
il born of the consciousness OF never
having tried to make good, to do one
best, Of never having tried to the best OF
ones ability to win out. to make life
glorious victory instead Of a compromise
or a total defeat.
II there Is a sad spectacle in the world
II Is that Of human beings approaching
the end of their career with nothing
worth while to show for all their years
OF activity The thought that lack OF
persistence was the cause OF their tall-
ire, the consciousness that they didn I
win cut in a large way because they had
never half tried, had never put irto their
work that vim, that determination ana
whoIe-hearted enthusiasm. that persist
Cnt. gritty endeavor which characterize
all worthwhile achievements, embitters
Iife's close.
II is 4 terrible thing to look hack upon
a long life and see these horrible words
hooking one: You did not persist; you
, never half tried: you never did your
best" No apologies, no excuses can
remedy things then. II Is too late to re-
trieve past mistakes, to make up for lost
opportunities.
Not long ago I asked a man If he
were college DreO. ne Sdlu W. AhdN
Is a very sore spot with me. | quit dur
ing the first month of my freshman year.
because I did not have a very good time.
I became homesiCk. discouraged. and
went home | have blamed myself for
this ever since II / had only kept on
I should have been some success today
There are rnultitudes of men in this
! country today who have been like this
man. when youths they quit school or
college under stress OF announcement
or inconsistencies. II they had waited just
few days more. and gotten little
better acquainted. a little more interested
in their studies. nothing could have IN
duced them to quit.
How many youths have, left medical
and law schools. have given up learning
a trade. in a moment of encouragement
and inconsistencies. or when they seemed
overpowered with the newness and
strangeness Of the situation, and the way
seemed difficult for them. Many boy
with a genius for the thing he attempted
has given IL up under discouraGing con-
ditions and regretted it ever after.
Keeping at Il as a life rule has per-
formed more miracles in the worlds his
tory bv far than have been performed
BY brilliant talents or genius. Keeping
at 1t has made multitudes of well-edu-
Gated men out of ignorant ones. Keep
ing at II perfected all of the inventions
and made most of the great fortunes in
existence.
One Of the earliest signs that youth
is made of the stun that wins is his
propensity to stick, TO hang on. He per
sists This is a sort OF forerunner of
talent. predictor which foretells sue
cess. No matter how many other good
qualities You may have IL you cannot
Sff tn will win
out.
Two frogs once fell into a pail Of milk.
One Of the frogs after floundering around
awhile became discouraged and said.
What is the use? I can never get out
OF this milk unless some one takes me
out. so I will try TO make the best Of
II and will keep still until something
turns up. will not use up my energy
and exhaust myself trying to get out
when it is impossible"
The other frog said. II am going to try
to get out any way" and he kept kicking
and kicking. padding about until finally
he churned a little ball of butter. making
an island on which he remained until
some one found him and took him out
The other frog got tired. went under and
drowned.
This fable typifies the necessity of
tenacity Of persistency. of the never-say-
die spirit which must be present in the
character of every successful man. The
frog which kept kicking around had
no idea he was churninG the milk and
would form an island for his preserva-
ton. He Just kept kicking on the
theory that where there is life there is
hope, and he kept on trying to save his
life. The other frog could see no way
out of the predicament, and so he supine-
" gave in and died.
The bulldog is the most dreaded of all
dogs because when he gets a grip on
anything 1t is almost impossible to choke
him of. Eveh the bull pup shows this
same tenacity. 1t is astonishing how
much we can accomplish by sheer per-
sistence. by that bulldog tenacity which
never gives up
Copyright. l9i5l