Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-03-25
.Life's Problems
Are Discussed
BY Mrs. WILSON WOODROW

1 listened eagerely to a discussion
| the other day. because it happened
to touch the problem girl has pre-
sented to me in recent letter. She
! writes: For the first time in my
life l can think of myself. My re-
sponsibilites have been assumed by
others and / am free to do the things
| | have always promised myself |
would do: realize, perhaps, the
| dreams that have haunted me. An
opportunity has come to me that
may open up into great things for
me. Yet it is only a possibility, not
positive definite surety.
1T will depend on me largely
whether it is a success, and am
afraid to venture. But if | stay
where l am L will never advance
beyond my present position. | will
| be, to the end of my days. just what
am now. Moreover. | will always
face the possibility of being super
seeded. Isn't it my luck that just
now, more than ever before, it
seems to me the world is full of
people asking for positions? Am L
wisely cautious if l refuse the op-
portunity, or am l coward?
don't know. What do you think?'
1
wise or foolish. just as she thinks.
| Here is girl who has dreamed her
dreams, longed always to set sail
for chose purple isles where ad-
venture lies" but stern necessity
has held her down to the practical
and humdrum until the vision
beckoning on the horizon has faded
away.
The everyday round has become
J a habit to her and she hesitates to
shake it off. She has seen and
| counted all the lions that fear and
timidity have created on her path
way of life. Yet, there are other
things there. too, and perhaps she
has not seen them. There are
helping hands, there are words of
! courage, stimulating preSences, IL
she but looks for them.
Our lives are not made by out
ward circumstances
and conditions are just the furni-
ture of life; but our lives are made
by the way we look and where and
what for; by the way we feel to-
ward our surroundings.
| Recall that story of the Arabian
Nights, of the treasure located so
that even the most venturesome
had never succeeded in getting near
| it. All along the roadway to it
were frightful menaces, lures temp
tations to daily until one were turn
ed to stone. The roadway was lined
with these stones; but one daring
youth. laughing at the tales told
him, started out to reach the treas
ure.
He took no weapons-he had
nothing but mental and physical
agility and himself to depend on
/ tu Ig
/ an instant did he think of those
who had ventured and never re-
turned. He stuffed his ears with
cotton lest he listen to the en- &.
chantments by the way-the talk
| ing bird. the singing fountain.
Cleverly he eluded, or jumped
over. or knocked down the traps
for his feet. and he arrived at his
goal-he got the treasure which lie
snatched from its guardians. BY
doing SO, he lifted the enchantment
that lay on those stones along the
roadway. They came to life and
were men again.
But the discussion. 1t arose over
the argument whether the job was
always waiting the person, or the
person by going after it got the
! job. Much was said on both sides.
tales were told of how men were
utterly surprised by having some
plum or position drop into their
laps. All. yes. because they had
made good in everything they had
done before. They were sure of
themselves and. like the youth.
dared to undertake whatever came
their way.
| These people never look for a
! position. 1t is theirs by the way
| thaN 1.-Two fool thnip
paration for it has been in reaching
| out constantly beyond the every day
round. They do-not just what
| they have to-but little more;
they are educating themselves con-
stantly by watchfulness and exercise
of every opportunity that comes
their way. And there are others,
| too, who go out, seek, ask and de-
mand.
The story was told of young
girl who was receiving a good sal
airy in city outside of New York
some distance away. But she
| longed for larger opportunity. In
| her was that divine unrest which
proclaimed her ability TO do bigger
things. Moreover she was tired of
doing the same thing over and over.
| She longed to stretch her wings
and fly. New York lay over there
on her horizon beckoning her with
larger opportunity.
She saved up and came to New
York seeking. She could find moth
| ing-not even her own specially
served her to find place and her
money gave out. She had to re-
turn to her old place. But she was
more determined than ever to get
in-tiy, stretch her wings in a bigger
! place.
She saved up again. This time
when she started out for New York
she managed to get letter to II
man high up in the industry she
desired to enter. Yet when she
sought him in New York, he was
just leaving the country. He could
not see her. lie read her letter,
however, and gave her note to
the man next highest. This man,
too, had nothing to give her; but
he talked to her and was impressed
by her earnestness, her pluck, but
he told her frankly he could not
help her.
Next day she sought him again.
She was not willing to take no.
| The man was worried and showed
lit. An unframed office boy had
made a mistake and consequences
were imminent.
The girl sitting there heard of
the trouble. She suggested that she
try to straighten matters out. The
man looked at her. Rather grufily
he said. go ahead. See what you
can make of it," She did arrange
matters. And the man said to her,