The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1920-04-09
Shortcuts Do
Not Often Lead
to Success

contents OIL Her poChSIpoOh, VIII NO.
take seriously the higly colored adyer-
iisements now appearing so freqrentiy
| in publications which guarantee" to
teach such and such study in "a few
lessons by mail or by the same
| method, develop ones musical talent"
regardless of the fact that she doesn't
know sharp from fiat.
| OF course, some of the corresponds
once courses are eminently worth
while and do accomplish what they
claim to do, but those of us who are
! blessed with common sense are not
misled by such announcement IN gene
raj, for we know only too well that
| any art or profession, at least that is
worthy of the name, requires long and
continued study if one hopes to De-
come proficient in it. There are no
short cuts" to efficiency in any field
| of endeavor. The process OF getting
there" simply means traversing that
unpoetic thoroughfare known as per
severing effort
To assume that without bit of
previous knowledge we can in "a few
lessons by maiP' master shorthand
perfectly is ridiculous, and if VIC
aspire to such feat. we will soon
realize that we have miscalculated.
Neither does the girl fresh from the
commercial school know it all. After
she had secured position and worked
year or two she comes to the con-
clusion that she is just really begin
ming to understand it thoroughly and
she finds ont that she must remain
quite q considerable length of time
in the business world before she can
with safety style herself a rapid and
accurate stenographer.
Perseverfne Effort
For the young woman whose edu-
cation is limited (often to whom the
fundamental rules of grammar are
| unknown) to aspire to becoming sec
retary or filing a high salaried posi-
ton simply by taking such course
the learn-in-a-few-lesso mail
type, is ridiculous and what is worse,
| hopeless. If she wishes to succeed as
stenographer she must first of all,
learn to speak and write correct Eng
| fish. Then she should begin the study
at some reputable commercial school
and work for the goal she has in mind.
Few of US are able to start in. to climb
the ladder of success half way up. We
must start at the bottom rung.
That there are many fine and COM
mendable correspondence courses in
various subjects no one will deny; and
| countless persons, particularly young
folks who live in rural sections, have
by this method developed efficiency in
| the study that appealed to them, but
they certainly took more than a "few
lessons" and they were able to express
| themselves dramatically before they
undertook the work of learning by
mail"
!
| studied it. requires not only time but
never ending practice. How often we
| have sat-for an eternity it then
seemed-going over and over the
| scales counting and rebelling against
| the relationship" of notes, and when
cur next study period arrived, rehears-
ing all the same drudgery over again
| Many were the green tinged glances
we cast upon Mary Brown, or Annie
Smith next door, who could play"
and who we were CURLY informed
took" four or five years and whose
| commendable work we too would
duplicate after we had taken" that
long and practiced as conscientiously
as either of our small neighbors.
No Substitute
To conclude that one can by any
new or short method become mu-
sician. and this regardless of the fact
that she never sat at a piano, or
'5uned up a violin, is little short of a
Joke, but fortunately the Joke is all
loo often on that misguided individual
who pays out her good money to take
TART in such farce.
The girl who is interested in his
or that subject should study well her
talents or ability and honestly try to
tHd out if she is fitted for the work
that appeals to her. If she concludes
that she IS not, then in fairness and
'rstice TO herself she should consider
some other fiield-some line wherein
She may, and will, make good. Any
one person who declares that perse
Verance and practice are dead issue:
iii these modern days, and that there
are various short cuts to success al
around her, is woefully misled There
r. absolutely no substitute for stick
toittiveness" and people who waste
time in trying to find something Il
take the place Of it will be bitterly dis
| appointed.
There are at the present moment
any amount of individuals looking fol
various prizes, and hoping those
golden plums will fall into their laps
without any faithful, persevering eff
fort on their part to secure them, but
they will hope long time before theil
visions come true. Most of the "short
cuts" that make pleasant reading, are
1 or. lo1t7 L,