The Washington herald., 1917-06-27

A few years ago there was a popular
song entitled, II Don't Know Where
I'm Going, But I'm on Ny Way"
1t was intended to be humorous
song, but in reality IL was one Of the
most tragical things ever written, for
It was photographically descriptive of
| nine-tenths of humanity-of the nine
tenths of humanity that works. and
strives, and struggles, and fails, be-
cause 1t has no steadfast purpose, no
definite goal towards which II Is
Do you ever watch a crowd Of peo-
pie getting OF of a railroad train.
or even walking along the streets? They
sway this way and that. They stop.
They are undecided whether they viii
turn to the right or the left. They
are diverted from their course by any
but they don't know where they are
going. And they never arrive any
where in particular.
Suddenly through this mass OF fall
tering. fumbling, futile people comes
a man who knows exactly where he
Is going and he goes through the
crowd as a motor boat goes through
still water.< He takes advantage of
every foothold and Of every opening.
People make way for him. They stand
aside and let him pass, and while
, they are still shifting aimlessly about
he's blocks on his way ahead OF them.
This is a picture Of life. The secret
who achieve things are those who
started out to do some one definite
thing. and who kept on trying to do
that same one thing until they could
do 1t superlatively well. Those who
get there are those who started for
some particular place. and who let
nothing tempt them to wander on of
the main frack that led IN their am
bition's end.
Read the life history of every great
man and 1t tells the same story. AL
ways he was obsessed by the deter
mination to write, or paint. or build.
or be a merchant, or lead armies, or
discover new worlds. Often he did
not know how he was going to do
the thing he wanted to do. but he al
ways knew that some way he was
going to do IT, He was on his way and
he knew where he was going.
And the history OF every down-and-
outer is the exact reverse of this. 1t
| Is the men who have never had any
concrete purpose in their whole eX-
istence. who have changed continual
ly from one occupation to another,
who have been Jacks of all trades
and masters of none who I'LL the
almshouses.
1t is as foolish to try to live ones
life without some definite plan for
doing It as II would be to try to build
house without knowing whether
you were going to erect residence.
or a theater, or a garage. Yet that
is the way that most people live, and
| 1t is why their lives are such poor
tumble-down structures instead of
| being lordly palaces.
And IL this is true of men, II is
doubly true of women. Circumstances
force most men into some particular
path that leads somewhere, whereas
most women, at least the domestic
ones, are left free to aimlessly zigzag
through the world without ever ar
irving anywhere.
Yet these women have had It in
them to do great things. They could
have attained any heights. They
could have been powers Of good. And
they have worked Just as hard. used
up just as much energy and strength
doing nothing as they would have
used in doing something. II only they
had ever worked by a plan and had
some definite object in view, instead
Of doing things hit-or-miss.
This lack of a plan Of life IS the
cause of practically all Of women s
failures. Talk to the average girl
and she hasn't the faintest idea Of
what she proposes to do with her
self. She doesn't know whether she
even intends to marry, so she doesn't
know whether to fit herself to be a
wife or not. And she's equally un-
certain about whether she wants to
be a business girl or not. so she
doesn't fit herself for that, either.
Even when a woman marries and
desires above all earthly things to do
her full duty as wife and mother, she
seldom formulates any definite plan
Of action. She is guided by impulse.
and depends upon the inspiration Of
the moment to direct her.