The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1921-02-21
THE VICTORY THAT COUNTS.

DOeS VlcCOTy duOuHI " any tulAS
worthwhile when we do not make
wise use of it? Or is it a fact that
victory is not victory until we per
petuate it indefinitely. There are
many so-called triumphs in this life
that seem to fill so wide place and
yet are so short-lived, so many hard
won races the glory Of which depart
so soon, so many big fulfillments that
do not yield the satisfaction antici-
pated. Through some process Of more
or less unconscious reasoning we take
it for granted that when we score a
triumph it is ours forever and there
IS no reason to concern ourselves
further about it. We are. content to
reach the goal we sought and think
to rest upon our laurels regardless of
ever changing conditions.-It may
be that some such action was possible
in other days when competition was
not so keen and the urge of accom-
plishment was not so general, but
under present conditions a man is
forced to hold fast to what he has
won fairly in competition with 9th
ers. Unless he does this his laurels
will be plucked from! his brow and
others will win new 'triumphs that
will overshadow his.
The fact is we cannot afford to be
content simply with the knowledge
that we have won victory; we must
perpetuate it in such a way that we
shall leave no doubt as to our having
merited it. This We can only do by
making ourselves worthy SO far as
we can of the opportunity that has
come to US and by not wasting our
time in the vain hope that ones So
called triumph will carry US for the
rest of our lives. This is especially
true of those victories that we win
over ourselves, those silent achieve
ments that count for more than all
the brilliant feats the world has at
it's disposal. Self-conquest is not an
easy task, yet it is one that must be
entered upon if we hope to taste the
real glory of'life. There are few per-
sons who take a conscientious view
of duty who do not know something
of the hardships involved in the act
of mastering ourselves; few who do
not shrink from The staggering blows
that sometimes seem almost to ex-
haust our strength; few who have
not experienced the ugly passions
that rise within US when we are
ken off our guard, so to speak, and
forced to bend under intolerable
hurts that leave their mark forever.
But if these hardships do not break
US, if they only bend US, even to the
earth, we have at least the chance Of
using again and of resuming the
struggle for self-mastery if we are
so willed. If we are able to exercl
self-control on a number of occa-
sions, when such control is absolute
essential, we have made a great
onward step, but we cannot count
it triumph until we feel that we
have ourselves always we'll in hand.
1t is the ability to meet the big sur
prises, those unexpected moves by
others that completely disarrange our
plans; that is the real test. 1mpati-
ence is an unknown factor in the
life of the man of steady self-control
as is intole rance of the opinion of
others, reconsideration and other
qualities that often prove stumbling
blocks to the majority of men. But
unless we are able to control our
selves at will we are not in position
~ J,1,oIoD etroor opd dopoodo h1a