The Washington herald., 1917-02-02
The Price.
By ORIsON SWEET MARDEN.

"If you want knowledge" said
Ruskin, you must pay for it,"
| have often received letters from
young people telling me how ambi-
tious they were to go to college. to
get an education, to be somebody in
the world, to stand for something,
but they had no one to help them.
come of these letters have come from
boys and girls in and around large
cities, right in the neighborhood of
6ne evening schools and splendid
courses in Young Mems and Young
Women's Christian Associations, in
the midst of great libraries, in the
very center of culture, in an atmos-
phere which stimulates to self-im-
provement.
If their ambitions are not aroused
in such an atmosphere, if the splen-
did examples of self-hclp all about
them do not explode their cheap ex-
cuses for their do-nothing careers.
what will arouse them?
Suppose Lincoln had waited until
some one gave him a lift. Suppose
Senator Beveridge had waited until
he could find some one who would
pay his way through college. No, he
had the grit that was willing to live
on few cents a day. What were
obstacles to him? His iron will an
initiated difficulties The chance to
conquer the things that opposed him
was all the opportunity he wanted.
When his comrades ridiculcd Abra-
ham Lincoln for wasting his time,
losing his sleep reading books, ciph-
ering and studying while they were
idling away their time; when they
told him that he would never have a
chance to use this education, that a
poor boy like him could never rise
in the world, he said: "Ill study and
get ready, and maybe the chance will
come"
The chance did come; the chance
always comes, and always will come
to the resolute youth who is bound
to win. 1t is all in the individual
himself. The power is there, the
dynamic force which could blast his
way to his goal is in everyone. 1t is
not in influence. The power, the dy-
manic force is in our own brain.
Most people look longingly to the
top of the ladder, but have not the
energy or the determination to do
the climbing. If somebody else
would only do it for theml If some
body would only give them boost,
they would do some of it; but they
would like to have the disagreeable
part, the strenuous part, the part that
means real hard work, done by some
body else.
They want the education, but they
are not willing to pay the price of
sacrifice and deprivation. How glad
these youths would be to go to COL
legc if some one would only pay their
way; but they do not want to 60 bad
ly enough to earn every dollar of
their expenses. They are not willing
to wait on table, to be conductors on
street cars, to sell papers or books, to
take subscriptions, to saw wood, to
carry coal, to do the hundred and one
things that multitudes of youths do
who not only have the grit and de-
termination to earn their way through
college, but also regard it as a great
privilege to have the opportunity to
get an education by such laborious
means.
No, my young friends, do not make
silly excuses for your mediocre lives.
Do not try to blame your lack of en-
ergy, your Incidence and indifference
on others. Everybody who amounts to
anything in the world will only laugh
at you and pity you for your weak
ness. They know that such poor
apologies only come from those who
are not willing to pay the price for
that which is worth while.
People who are made of winning
material do not whine nor apologize
nor make excuses and blame others.
They go to work. They study and
prepare themselves for better things.
have not much faith in the youth
who longs for success but doe. not
long for it enough to pay the legiti-
mate price, who wants it at a dis
count, who wants to find some short
cut. But for the boy who is manly
enough and square enough and is
willing to pay the price, without dis
count, there is hope, a place, and a
future