Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-02-10

I had to leave school and go to work
before l had finished the usual gram
mar school course in the public school,
and we have not had the means to
buy books; SO that all / now learn
1 get from the articles which l set
up in type.
II thought if I could only get an
education enough to be a proofreader,
that I could get place where my pay
would be increased. But you said that
men like Elihu Burritt and Abraham
Lincoln secured a most useful educa.
ton. who began under difficulties
which seemed to me to be greater
than my own. l am willing to begin
on one hours study a day and sleep
one hour less il such small amount
of time will be of any actual use.
II am told that / can get books
from one of our semipublic libraries
by the payment of two dollars year.
and If had some one to advise me or
overlook my study / would begin at
once and give this matter an honest
trial. I feel in my soul that l am
fitted for something worth while, and
I have a firm belief that my Creator
intended me to do some larger work.
1 have prayed over this matter long
and have been many times disappoint-
ed in my hopes. But q CLEAN of light
came to me with the thought that
what man has done, man can do
Is there any help for such a person as
l am?"
A Sure Thing Wanted
Answer-"My young friend. you
seem to be looking at these matters
from the wrong point of view. You
are following the usual custom of
! looking at all things which you can
not do instead of computing the things
which you can do. The chief reason
why the masses of the people do not
secure a much more helpful education
is simply because Of their lack OF
faith. No one undertakes to do what
| he is sure he cannot do, and many re
| fuse to undertake to perform an act
the success of which is doubtful. AL
want o sure thing. Your life seems
| to be a hard one, and. anyhow. pre-
sents problems somewhat difficult tc
solve, but you need to carefully &c
over your waking hours and see II
you could not. without injury to youl
health, get at least one-half hour 6
day for mental exercise. You may
be taking some precious moments fol
the reading of advertisements in tn,
newspapers on the car or on the rail
way which you could give to the stud,
of a useful book. The harder th
problem the more valuable Is the men
tai discipline required in solving II
The more difficult the climb the NOR
victorious is the man at the top. Yol
should look at your difficulties as yol
would upon great opportunities AM
try to muster more courage, NOR
patience and a more hopeful amb
tion. Even a drone can get a so-cal
ed college education If he has a tuto
for each study, who hires him to Civ
attention for short time each day
and if the college does not reauir
anything but the simple attendanc
for so many hours upon its classe
he may obtain a diploma, but he ha
not obtained that useful discipline O
mind which can only be secured b
sincere battle with difflculties.l A hand
cap is often evidence Of create
strength. A hero is one who give
more than any other. There woul
be no heroes il there were no battle
or no arduous tasks, and there are n
real scholars but those who hav
, fought with circumstances while the
studied books. The actual disciplin