Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1915-01-21
written for the Beaeonl.
WHAT Is YOUR AIM \

WHAT IS YOUR AIM r
Really there would be little diff
Guilty in discussing the question Of
progress If we could agree on the
particular line in which true prog
ress is to be made. Progress is a
relative term. There is the source
of the misunderstanding and differ
ences: you are dredging for oysters
while / am fishing for trout, and
so our views on the general situation
do not agree. Agree on the end,
the object Of our progress, and we
will be able to assist each other for
ward. Let us take couple of ex-
amples.
Your little Wilfred, contrary to
his usual custom. is remarkably Sc
cretive about his report card at the
end oJ the month. You guess the
reason, and when his grimy hands
have dragged the card from its hid
ing place in his inside coat pocket,
you read it with rueful eye that
YouI son Wilfred does not seem
TO be advancing this month quite so
rapidly. We were obliged to mark
him 45 in arithmetic and 30.5 in
spelling" And yet the manager of
the ball team reports that "Wilfred
is in wonderful form and improving
every day" II is all in the point
of view: you are aiming at the boys
lessons; the manager is looking for
the progress of the nine.
A certain young lawyer returned
TO the country home of his child
hood, after an absence Of many
years, and spent hot summer after
noon of the porch of his uncle's
house, overlooking the railroad, and
watching the throngs OF summer
boarders and tourists trooping from
the ferry landing uD the concrete
sidewalk of what in his youth had
been but a sandy country road.
Progress, the marks of improvement
and advancement, burst upon his
sight in every direction; new stores,
hotels, street lighting, rapid transit,
etc. Yet being a thinking man he
did not accept it unreservedly. One
feature caught his attention at the
outset. So few of his boyhood
friends had remained in the place.
Like himself, they had sought
their fortunes elsewhere. The
houses which had once resound-
ed with the holiday merriment
of troops of boys and girls, were
now the last shelter of a few
lonely widows or crusty old bache-
Tors. The AS had long since NOV
cd to the city. The b. 's:were scat
tered all over the country; tine G.. 3
had all died out except the old Ma
jor and his half sister, Miss Deborah
G., who still piously stood guard,
in the twilight of their years, over
the family library and Chippendales
and other relics of old decency."
The present fourishing appearance
of the place was due to outside in
vestment and influence. II was the
adornment contributed by those
who came there for amusement in
the summer; fer their benefit, and
10 last only as long as their fancy
would incline them TO that particu-
lar spot. The old time democracy
was gone. To enjoy the season,
you had To bring the money from
elsewhere and spend il copiously.
The old timers who still chung to
their once proud.little village were
discontinued set on hangers on;
picking mp what scraps they could
from the sports and haunts of the
wealthy strangers.
If the purpose of that town was
to benefit the visitors,-so unused the
young lawyer,-if it were a summer
resort and nothing else,-the pro-
gress was undeniable. But IL the
purpose of that town vas to benefit
its own citizens; If their interests
were at heart; if it was a question
of social and industrial opportu-
mites for them, there was not pro-
gress, but rather decay. 1t is all in
what you aim at. Settle on what is
essential. on the main purpose to
keep in view, and your idea of pro-
gress win develop of itself.
CADMus.
If,oArnsv,>-,,. -