Year: 1871

Iris pitiable thing to see young man
reduced to the extremity of saying 81 can
not" The words are a discredit to his
manhood-to his brain, his heart and his
muscles; for they imply that he is unable
to do things that millions of young men
after him soiu do. They belong to the
vocabulary of idleness, irresolution and
cowardice; for the Industrious, the reso-
lutte and the courageous never use them.
These can't-do- anything people imagine
that if they only had capita, they would
ness; they would build up great enter
prises; they would accumulate money
with marvellous rapidity; they would
bring the world to their feet they would
storm the citadels of fortune, honor and
fame, and become leaders in the high cir
cles of the worlds favorites. But these
young men forget that they already pos
sess most enviable capital. Their youth
itself is capital that any hoary
millionaire would give thousands for, and
think the bargain cheap one at that.
With a young heart, tireless, active
limbs, buoyant spirits, a cheerful future,
and world full of rosy promise
before them-what else should they
need? Nine out of every ten men in every
community who have risen to distinction,





any aid beyond their own stout hearts,
their perseverance and their address They
had no capital to begin with, and if they
had been favored with it, they would prob.
ably never have risen to eminence. Effort
patient resolute and well directed effort
is the key to success in the world, and no
combination of capital, friends, good for
tune, and outside aid can bring triumph TO
one who refuses to labor for it himself, and
to rely upon his efforts for them. THERE'S
no one toward whom this great world is so
pitiless, and whom it will so coolly permit
to perish, as a do-nothing. 1t has more
affection and good will for an Industrious
and indefatigable criminal than for the
nameless and aimless idler who will do
neither good nor evil. 1t will yield its re-
wards to the persistent efforts of bold and
daring doers, and concede to them tenn
porary success; but to the man who COM
plains that he can't do anything, it con-
cedes nothing.


There is some excuse for an old man, or
a crippled and afflicted man, pleading that
the active duties of life are above his
powers; for there are impossibilities TO
such persons But youth should hold all
human achievements possible to itself; not
that every young man can do what any
young man has done; but because the
higher he aims, the higher possibilities he
will accomplish. We see all round us eN-
amples of persons of mediocre powers oc-
cupying stations whose functions are
thought to be beyond their capacity. How
such man became rich-how such a man
got to Congress-and how such a man
ever managed to attain so high position
| in society, or business-these are questions
that are asked every day. The secret lies,
not in their genius, their talents, or their
learning, but in their patient and deter
mined efforts to achieve the position. They
did something, and the world rewarded
them, perhaps beyond their deserts, while
it refused even the smallest measure of
success to those of higher capacities, who
were too indolent to improve them.


| 1t is sometimes a little difficult for a
difident young man to get start in life
and start is all they want; but they need
not de disheartened, and above all things,
they need not collapse into the pitiable
degradation of saying, / can't" One OF
young mans first dntied is to butt against
the world; if it does not yield at the first
trial, lie. him make another; if 1T does not
yield at the second trial, let him make a
third and If it refuses to yield at the
third, let him keep on butting till it does
Weld. Sooner or latter it will open its
| doors, and admit him to fair share of its
riches and honors. II does not matter a
great deal what young man goes at first
provided he goes at something. If he can
not work with his head, let him work
with his hands; there are none
of us who have a right to imagine our
selves above manual labor, and there are
few of us who would not be seasoned and
improved by such labor. Employment
will show us what we are best fitted for
sooner than years of idleness; and when 6
Young adventurer discovers what he car
do best, let him go at that with all his
might, and, with the blessing of HEAVIER


upon his honest efforts, he will find tha


there is scarcely anything he can not do
| H,,nS Lo,xrn1I