Year: 1878

WHAT TO Do, AND HOW TO DO 1T.


BY MISS FANNIE CHATFIELD.


The two great question-"What am to


doY" and "How am 10 do II ?''-meet every


voting person upon the threshold of life. we


will do well that for which we have thor


oughly prepared ourselves. In order to be-


come useful metl and and women, we must


have something to do, and do this with all
our might. Nothing does more in the way
of making great men, than giving them,


when young. some kind Of employment.


So many young people spend their time in
doing little OF everything, and thus fail TO
prepare themselves properly for anything.
II we wish to succeed, we must work for one
object; for II we do not, we may acquire q
little knowledge upon many subjects, but
know enough of nothing to make 1t useful
TO us. AS soon as we are able to do one thing
better than any one else, there is one life al
most sure to be a success. We do not mean
that person should be educated only in his


own profession, but that he should excel in
whatever he may choose as his life-work.


Any one who has acquired knowledge in
one direction, If he be an intelligent person,
will at least acquaint himself with the
changes which are constantly taking place
Ia everyday life. Before preparing ourselves
for a special vocation, let us be sure that we
have talent in that direction. 1t would.sSs.
sad indeed, after toiling for years to prep&e
ourselves for any position. to find that we
would have been much better fitted for an
other.


In choosing an occupation in life, we
should not look altogether from a selfish
standpoint, but consider, besides our own
pleasure, the good we may do to others. Let
US remember that true success cannot be at
tained by satisfying a fiery and energetic
ambition. totally disregarding the feelings
and desires of others, for 1t consists OF some
thing more than mere worldly success, and
cannot be built up out of the reverses of
others. The world to-day stands greatly in
need of truly good and thoroughly active
persons. Many have tried to be great and
failed; but no one ever earnestly tried to be
good and failed. OF course the way to be
most useful In the world is TO be both learned
and good. The person who is both, has in
deed great power II he but work continually
and with his might. II is said MAN wastes
his mornings in anticipating his afternoons,
and wastes his afternoons IN regretting his
mornings" In such cases as this true sue
cess cannot be obtained and such persons


viii find, when they step out upon the stage
Of life, that they are unprepared to do any,


thing for themselves, and must consequent
ly fail. If we expect our after-life to be q
success, we must employ the golden mo-
ments OF youth in hard work. Cicero says,
"By living good and thoughtful early life
old nd 10 l,a hon nf oil
seems to me a great mistake that youth is
necessarily the happiest period of life, for II
we keep our heads and minds turned con-
stantly toward the good, we may see to do
study great men, boo KS and things, that the
older we grow the greater amount of true
happiness we may enjoy. But we see that
this all depends upon the manner in which
we spend our youth. Had every one an OBJ
feet for the accomplishment of which they
were bending every energy of both mind and
body, there would be less frivolity, vice and
and how much better would the
world be to-day. 1t IS a historical fact that
the hard workers of a country areuniversal-
ly the rulers. We can not depend upon our
talents to bring us success, for as sure as we
do we will fail. God has given us whatever
we may possess of talent. and IL lies with US
whether we shall become as shining lights In
the world, or the reverse. 1t is often the case
that men of the greatest talent make the
most complete failures in life, while those of
only ordinary ability often become famous.
Thus we see the talents possessed by a person
may either make or ruin him.


Our great men, as a rule, were not brilliant,
yet they possessed the talent for hard work
in an eminent degree. Longfellow says:
1.-The height by great men reached and kept,


Were not attained by sudden flight,


But they. while their companions slept,


Were tofling upward In the night"


Young people should all have an earnest
desire for the acquisition of knowledge. A
person In any business must be educated to
q certain extent II he would be reasonably
successful. But in any occupation the edu-
Gated man is much superior to the uneduca-
ted. One who has studied carefully the hab-
Its and lives of plants and animals, is much
more apt to become a scientific farmer than
be who has not. The most of our discover
les, inventions and improvements of every
kind are the result of the efforts of educated
persons. Hence, we see how important ed
ucation is to the progress of our country.
Our education will better fit US for every oc-
In life. How very. carefully then
should we improve every moment of our
school life. But how few there are who
seem to realize that their success in after life
depends greatly upon the manner in which
they spend their school days. The object of
every young woman should be the attain
ment of her highest good and the highest
good of those around her, for there is no
nobler object beneath the skies. We want
our girls to excel in everything that is pure
and ennobling and not IN those things
which lead to frivolity. May they soon real
lie that it is not outward display that makes
the true woman, but her genuine worth. A
great number of our noblest women have
been the plainest. Many young girls do not
ft themselves for an independent position
In life because In so doing they would be
obliged to surrender the gay society which
they so much enjoy and rather than do this,
they, like the parasite plant, derive their
n punishment from the food carefully pre-
pared by the parent.


But how much superior is the young lady
who has earned by her energy and self deni-
al position Of honor, to the indolent girl of
who lives for nothing but admira-
tion and the hope Of some day making a
marriage.


What great honor has for ages been be-
slowed upon the young man who says to the
world, az intend to be of some use to myself
md humanity" and on the contrary how is
he man contemned at the present time who |
has spent his youth idleness and dissipation
and is unable, when responsibilities are
thrown upon him. TO do anything tor his
own benefit or the benefit of others. The |
ime will soon come when any person, what |
ver may be his position in life, who is not
to be Of some use, will be justly |
considered as worse than worthless by the |
whole world. Oh ! would that we all realized |
he Importance OF becoming noble men and |
women, this should be the one great object OF |
ur lives and with this In view we cannot fail |
o do something, which If entered upon with |
cal and earnestness will make us purer and |
etter. God gave us our existence that we
hould make the most Of ourselves. and this
We cannot do by sitting with our hands fold
d in idleness, but IT must be by continual |
abor for q definite object. After choosing |
That we intend to follow through life. we