The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1917-04-13

less failure, discomfort and envy-for
have we not a wise scriptural admon-
ition and warning that, "the love Of
money is the root of all evil"
have been more or less of an ideal
list and a dreamer of dreams, and
though l have lived beyond the three
score and ten years which the Scrip
lures fix as the fullness of mans al
lotted span, am afraid have come
far short of the one practical thing
which the world holds as summum
bonum, but | have managed to pick up
few golden grains of wisdom and
knowledge in passing, and one Of
them is, that while the possession of
wealth is good and convenient thing,
one may be happy, contented and use
full without it, by the exercise of faith
full service for and good will to all
mankind.
But well directed service means
efficient service, earnest work, the ex-
ercise of all of ones God-given fac
ulties and opportunities in that chan
mel best adapted to ones gifts and ac-
quirements, and these make for real
success. As l have said, not always
dollar measured success, for many
of the brightest and most useful
minds, many of the greatest men the
world has produced, whose influence
for good has been recognized and felt
long after their bodies had crumbled
into dust, would have been as help
less as babes in the worlds great tur-
MOL and struggle for wealth and
commercial supremacy.
What | do urge is to make your
life work earnest and bend all your
energies of mind and body to ac-
complish the best that is in you Such
men and women are the salt of the
earth. To do this you must be pre-
pared, efficient-and efficiency is not
gift. 1t is something that must be
acquired by study and labor and per-
severance, by the use of your minds
and your hands, by close attention to
the work before you, and homely
though it may sound, make this the
controlling rule of your life, "What-
ever is worth doing is worth doing
right" Never slight your work, it
begets habit of sloveliness and neg
Iceland it is not honest, either to
yourself if you are in business for
yourself, or to your employer if you
are working for another; and it never
leads to true success nor to the con-
fdence and esteem of your fellow
man.
We must all go through the grind
ing process of preparation if we
would attain. 1t may seem slow and
work sometimes-just a |
little today, a little tomorrow--but
through such gradual accretions per-
lection and success may be reached. |
Keep in mind that
Heaven is not reached at a single |
bound;
But we build the ladder by
which we rise
From the lowly earth to the |
yaulted skies,
And we mount to it's summit, |
round by round"
Build your ladders carefully, pa
tiently, securely. Let each round as
you ascend spell efficiency, and on
each succeeding round your footing
will be sure Above all things be true
to yourself. The great bard of Avon
mas wisely Salu, 10 Cnlne own sell
be true, and it follows as the day the
night, thou canst not then be false to
any man."
Make the most of your life that
your capabilities will admit, with the
that the truest and rarest
happiness is the self-approval that
,omes from loving and useful service
Take as your true ideal of manhood
md womanhood the greatest Teacher
he world has ever known, who gave
o it the golden rule, "Do unto others
rs you would have them do unto you,"
which is the highest attainment of hu-
nan love and endeavor. Then, wheth-
,r you amass large wealth or reach
he highest pinnacle of fame, wheth-
er men acclaim you successful or
great, a sweet aroma will pervade
,our life and be inhaled by all about
you, the glow of satisfaction will fill
your heart, and the most worldly
dare not say your life has
,een a failure. You will not have
ived in vain.