Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-03-13
SUCCESS IS DUE
TO BIG SPIRIT
No One Can Make Most of
Talents If Soul Is Filled
With Envy
BY Ella Wheeler Wilcox
1916. Star Company.


of endeavor, if you are a painter or
poet or musician, cultivate big
spirit of appreciation and generosity
toward others if you would attain to
any heights.
OF course you can perfect yourself
in technique and attain success of
certain kind, without putting your
heart into it. But the real success in
any kind of art and, in truth, in any
kind of enterprise, must come from
the amount of unselffsh devotion and
warm-hearted enthusiasm which en-
ters into the work.
If your heart is filled with petty
jealousies, narrow ideals, envy, ILL
will, and criticism toward your fell
low toilers who are striving for the
same goals, it will be utterly impos-
sible for you to do big things.
1t is a curious and sad fact that,
on the great and glorious sea of har-
mony, there is so much inharmony
among the voyagers. The bicker-
ings, misunderstanding, quarrels and
discords among musicians have come
to be proverbial jest. Less quarrel
some, perhaps, but far from ideal,
are the relations of poets, authors
and artists.
w HOlSSOIuC,
criticisms are Of great value in any
field of endeavor. We are stimulated
to new effort and elevated to an un-
fair, just criticism.
There is scarcely any human being
strong enough to endure continual
praise, but to be just and fair criti-
cism must be comprehensive and
sympathetic.
In the world of music there are all
kinds of talent-many kinds of
voices, many kinds of instrumental
performers, many kinds of composers,
and creators and interpreters.
The heavens of literature are illu-
mined by various kinds of stars, plan
cts and consultations. 1t is this vast
variety which VgiveS the radiance to
the dome into which we gaze. If we
thought these stars were all bicker-
ing with one another, each filled
with jealousy of the others radiance,
how contemplate 1t would seem. If
the drops of water which make the
high tide were jealous of one another,
each drop desiring to be the only
drop in the ocean, how ridiculous it
would be.
The more gifted people there are in
the world, the greater their achieve
ments, the larger their successes, the
richer earth-iife becomes for all of US.
Whatever you are doing in the
world, remember you are putting
your own personality into it. Every
thought, every emotion has it's
weight, and will influence your work
eventually. If you are small, petty
and narrow. these qualities will crop
out in what you are doing. If you
are big, broad and generous, those
qualities will be illustrated in your
achievements.
Whoever and whatever we are, we
owe it to our Creator and to our
selves to be worth WHILE" and if
we possess many gifts, or taste which
world of art, still higher is our obli-
CATION to the Lords of Karma.
l hold it the duty of one who is gifted
And royalty lowered in all mems
sight
To know no rest till his life is lifted
Wholly up to his great gifts
height.
He must mould the man into rare
completeness,
For gems are set only in gold
refined.
He must fashion his thoughts into
perfect sweetness
And cast out folly and pride from
his mind.
For he who drinks from gods gold
chalice
! OF art or music or rhythmic song
Must sift from his soul the chaff of
malice
And weed from his heart the roots
of wrong.
Great gifts should be worn like a
crown befitting,
And not like gems on a beggar's
hands.
And the toll must be constant and
unremitting
! Which lifts up the king to the
crowns demands.
! Whatever you are doing to-day and
however great your ambition, begin
to look for something to praise in
the work of others travelling along
the same road. When you have
found the thing to praise, speak of it..
Be quick with your words of praise
and slow with your words of criticism.
This will lead you along an ascend
ing path toward high goals.