Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1926-07-28
Opportunity.

Someone has said that "Oppor-
tunity knocks at our door but once"
We have no patience with the man
who originated that thought. OPP
portunity is always knocking-nay,
she stands at our door constantly.
Everything in life, from the homely
task of each day to every high
aspiration of the human heart, is
opportunity.
1t is not the beauty and ease
the Powerful ways Of life-which
alone are opportunities. Every
shadow is an opportunity for
brighter sunshine; every tear the
opportunity for rainbow. Do not
deplore those things we call heart
aches and crosses; they are oppor-
tunities for sturdier heart, clean
er soul, and stronger, finer char
acter.
The man who says opportunity
knocks but once, is like man VINO
walks through woods on a sum-
mer morning, with closed eyes, see
ing not the flashes OF blue-vlo-
lets-that run at his feet. The gold
fecks of sunlight on the green
around him are unnoted, and as ne
does not lift his eyes to the great
blue dome of Gods reachless in
fnity, it is lost upon him. He is
unable to see the bit Of living scarlet
that flashes by him, when the tan
ager dips into the tickets, or to
note the sound of liquid music that
floats about him on every side.
Opportunities are to our vision,
but we must keep the vision clear.
Do not peep out at the easement to
see if Opportunity stands at the
door, but-keep the door open!
Speaking of opportunity. Twenty
seven years ago, typical country
boy from the far reaches of Union
river called upon the present editor
of The American. He had been
working in the woods winters,
snatching what odd time he could
for school. Opportunity? Well, not
in the usually accepted meaning of
the word. Opportunity wasn't
knocking very loudly on his door
he had no money, apparently no re-
sources beyond the confines of his
own little community, the woods,
and his muscles. But he had am
bition; he grabbed opportunity by
the scruff of the neck, and made her
knock. His job as ."cookee" in a
lumber camp gave him a few odd
moments of leisure. These he
utilized by reading, and by writing
short stories which he sent to The
American. That is where the editor
came in, as humble assistant to
Opportunity, with a word of en-
couragement. That is why the
country boy, who was growing too
fast for his clothes and for his en-
vironment, came to Ellsworth to call
upon The American. He worked his
way through high school, having the
good fortune to be taken into the
home of Frank S. Sleeper at Sabat-
tus, known to all Masons as former
State lecturer. He worked his way
through law school. He made good
The editor Of The American re-
ceived a pleasant call on Monday,
from Gleason l.. Archer, dean of
Suffolk Law School, Boston, with
2215 students last year, and an ad-
vance registration so per cent.
larger this year than last. Mr..
Archer is the author of dozen
books on law, which are used as
textbooks in law schools all over the
country. The Atlanta Law School
Of Atlanta, Ca, this year conferred
the degree of Doctor of Laws upon
him.
Gleason L. Archer is the boy who
tWenty-seven years ago came down
from Great Pond to call upon the
editor. He was kind enough to say
Monday that we had a hand in his
making. That is one of the recon-
penses of the newspaper game.
But the point Is here: The boy
had the making Of the man in him.
He made Opportunity do his bidding.
Last week, when cities were swell
tering and even thermometers about
Ellsworth, more or less accurate and
more or less exposed to the heat Of
the sun, recorded temperatures we'll
above 80 degrees, the official ther-
mometer at the power station
touched SO at 1240 o'clock Wednes-
day-the highest point yet reached
this summer. We find that the tenn
perature of people is very largely az
fected by the thermometer they read.
Hereafter, consult the official Their
mometer, and keep cool.
Eovv