Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1916-05-26
RACCkLAUREATE
Continued from page one)

(COnGlnueu from page one
heard that it no longer had a nation,
that it was without land, it hauled
down the flag of Poland and hoisted
the black flag of piracy and became
a terror to the seas. No purpose leads
to wasted life and this is the sum
of all follies.
Life needs a purpose to spur it to
its best. Success is not so much a
matter of chance as of choice. "Bad
luck" covers a multitude of sins while
good luck is often but another name
for good licks. To succeed one must
choose a purpose and have the cour-
age to stick to it. Fulton aimed to in
vent steamboat. Hewas ridiculed and
/ his first boat called "Fulton's Folly"
When he gave the signal for it to
start it would not move. They laugh
ed louder. He went below, adjusted
something, gave the signal and the
boat moved off. He held his purpose
until success crowned his effort. The
aim of Columbus was to discover an
other world. His purpose led him
/ through sacrifice and jeers to Ameri-
ca. PauPs aim was Damascus to
persecute Christians but the Lord
showed him his mistake. Then he had
the courage to change life's plans, to
count all that he had priced before as
but refuse that he might win Christ.
/ This new purpose was the secret of
his great life Who can measure the
sustaining, moving power of noble
purpose?
Second, success demands care in de-
Gliding life's purpose.
The choice should be the highest
possible. 1t is right to have lofty
ideals. We may never attain them
but they are useful as mark toward
which we may press. The pattern
should be perfect although our copy
may show flaws. Visions and aircast-
les have place in life. Many of ou1
earlier ones are now In ruins but fol
time they inspired hope and lured
US upward to the place where we
could catch better vision. Let your
young men and young women have
dreams of great possibilities for the
vision must go before the reality. Tc
catch a glimpse of what God would
have us be makes a great difference
in the life of thoughtful persons. Sau
was we'll satisfied with his life as
it was before he met the Lord but
the vision from that meeting chang
ed his ideal and transformed his life
from a prosecutor to an apostle tt
the Gentiles.
We should know that in seeking
the highest within our reach the frs
choice is character rather than trade
There is a time in every life wheT
there is no definite purnoso as to oc
cupation but there should be no time
in life but what we have as a pur
pose an ideal character Paul's choice
was the high calling of God in Christ
This meant a character that would
please God-humble. obedient. teach.
able. For true success he could have
laid no surer foundation. Let every
young person decide first to be a true
man or a true woman and after that
particular kind of a man or woman
Whatever else you may contemplate
you will make no mistake in first
choosing the life that is hid with
Christ in God. To be led by him to
the goal-this is success.
The choice should be specified; of a
particular kind. Say with Paul, "This
one thing I do" The person who is
willing to be anything or everything
is aiming to wild to hit the mark
There should be more than a vague
something one hopes to accomplish.
A clear cut, we'll defined purpose that
stands out as plain as a barn door is
/ essential. What would YOU exDect of
a hunter in the woods firing his gun
at random? Nothing, unless YOU hap
pened to be in the way of his aim
What of a ship leaving the wharf at
New York with no destination? What
of a man at the depot calling for a
ticket and when asked to what place
saws: "Oh. Just any place. I am not
particular" These would be strange
things vet no more strange than ex-
Meeting to make an aimless, random
life a successful one.
Do something. There is something
in life each one can do best. Consult
taste, ability, then choose. Make
choice with your eyes wide open. It is
said that girls in shooting always pull
the trigger with their eyes shut anC
so often miss the mark. Desiring tC
avoid trouble l will not affirm thi!
eyes cannot be too wide open in aim
my dG lIlO WOIh III SIlO1C'
we should have some idea as to hov
we are to accomplish the work. Faith
; tact, perseverance will count fo
much but even these will not alway
remove obstacles. No one shoul
choose a trade simply because it wa
| his fathers profession any more tina
he should eat pie or vote a certai
ticket because his father does. Faith
er's profession may or may not b
the best for his boy. Skill some
times degenerates as it is handed dow
from one generation to another
Father may have been a soldier an
grandfather a captain and yet the be
may not be able to carry fathers gu
or swing grandfather's sword. Pa
ents should be anxious to help the
children discover their ability bl
the cooperation of the child in tt
choice is necessary to the highe
| success. Daniel Webster's faith
| wanted him to be farmer but DAM
chose to be a lawyer. AS a farm
he might have been failure but
a lawyer he was a success.
L Third, success requires time.
| Tis is required to lay a foundatiC
= that is broad and deep and to ere
=. the building thereon according to tt
plans of the architect Paul implit
this when he said 81 have not yet a