The commercial., June 11, 1909, Image 5

About The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?

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igi zsnngs uuc t&e Stars . I or fame who scorn such opportunities aa
I.ight brings out the stars, means I our really successful men would have
pi irsoverance, self-confidence, improved improved. They don't want to begin
opportunities, in a word, character. It as others have at the foot of the ladder,
is only by reflection thatl we derive a just but half way up. "Men who have iiade
appreciation of the value of persever- a name through great opportunities
ance when we see how much can be ac- have been those who have made' use of
complished in any given direction by the smaller ones and turned them to ac1
the man or woman of but average count all through life. George Wash
ability, who resolutely perseveres in the ington became "The Father of His
cause of action adopted as the ruling Country, "Abraham Lincoln the "Great
purposes of their lives. We then ar- Emancipator, "Geo. Dewey the "Hero of
rive at a just estimate of the value of Manila Bay," Luther BVbank the
perseverance as a factor in success. "Plant Wizard," Thomas Edison the
The old fable of the hare and the tor- "Great Electrical Inventor," through
tonse ;only exemplifies a truth which great opportunities we would say, but if
we are all ready to admit, when we you would study their lives you would
once stop to admire those stupendous find they used the every-day opportuni-
works of nature and art which proclaim ties of early life, and finally, when
in us uncertain tasks, the triumph of greater ones presented themselves, they
Perseverance. All of the performances were able to take advantage of them.
Finally character, the sum total of all
our virtues, is always the brighter star
by contrast with the difficulties and bar
riers we have overcome in the building.
The real material out of which our
of human art at which we look with
praise or wonder are instances of the
resistless force of perseverance. It is
by this that the quarry becomes a
pyramid, ,the elements level the moun
tains or the constant dripping of water characters are forming are the hourly
wears the hardest stone. occurences of every day life. Every
How many who have won well nigh claim of duty, the employment of each
i imperishable fame in the world of litera- minute, the daily vexations or trials we
ture, art oy science, owe all their great- called upon to bear, the momentary de
ness to persevering efforts? There were cisions we must make, the contact with
; hours of despondency when Shakes- sin or sorrow, all these and many more
penre thought himself no poet; as small and as constant are the stones,
jtaphael no painter, when the greatest so to speak, go to build the great
minds doubted the excellence of their structure, character. There is a differ
' happiest efforts. How many of those ence between character and reputation.
whom the world calls Great can say Character is what a man is, reputation
witri Isaac Newton that whatever they
may Ji'ave been able to accomplish more
than ordinary, has been solely by virtue
of perseverance.
From childhood to old age, such men
, as these knew no such word as fail. De
feat only gave them power; difficulty
only taught them the necessity of re
doubled exertions, dangers gave them
what he is thought to be; character is
within, reputation is without; character
is his real worth,-reputation his market
price. The full measure of all the
powers necessary to make a man or
woman are no more a character than a
hand full of seeds in an orchard. Plant
the seeds and tend them well, and they
make an orchard; cultivate the powers
courage and the sight of great labors and harmonize them well and they will
inspired in them corresponding ex
ertions. It has been said by shrewd
; observers that successful men owe more
to their perseverance than to their nat
ural powers, their friends or environ
ments. Go to the business men of
worth and influence and ask who
shall have their confidence and support,
and they will tell you "men who falter
not by the, wayside," who toil on in
their calling against every barrier;
whose eyes are "upward" and whose
motto is excelsior. Self-confidence
helps to bring out the stars.
By self-reliance is not meant self-conceit;
the two are widely different. Self
reliance recognizes the problems of life
And calmly concludes it is able to meet
them. . Self-conceit on the other hand
knows nothing of the difficulties it has
to contend with and feels above taking
advice.
- It has been said, God never intended
that strong independent beings should
be supported by clinging to others like
the "ivy to the oak."
The difficulties, hardships, the trials
of life are positive blessings. They
teach him self-reliance just as by wres-
make a noble character. Character is
the grandest thing man can live for. It
is to have worth of soul and wealth of
heart and mind.
He who has this aim lives to be what
he should and to do what duty requires.
Sum it up as we will, character is the
great end or goal of life, and this truth
sublime in its simplicity and powerful
in its beauty is the highest lesson of re
ligion, the first that youth should learn
and the last that age should forget.
When we see one who has pushed
on through great difficulties and ever
seemingly insurmountable obstacles to
success, we realize the great truth
"Night Brings Out the Stars."
Virgie May Cortjm.
"Amibition."
"Teach yourself to despise ambition it
is one of the meanest of passions. " Does j
this soupd altogether inappropriate as
my first quoted word. Even girls ac
tually seek for the hidden meaning of
words !
My own little observation ana ex
perience must belong much to school
life. What does our continual struggle
after high per cent tell ? What does our
tling with an athelete who is superior to anxiety for rank in class tell ? Fvery
us. We increase our own strength and flush or frown, every grave or wicked
learn the secret of his skill.
jf we have self-reliance, all dif
ficulties come to us as Bunyan says of
temptation, like the lion Sampson met.
' The first time we encounter them, they
roar and gnash their teeth, but once
subdued, we find a nest of honev in
them. Don't rely upon your
change of expression on the the school
girl's face does not always reveal pure
knowledge-seeking.
Blue-eyed Mary has beclouded
December school-month because her
arithmetic, 65 per cent., is less revealing
of work accomplished than brown-eyed
nor the name of your ancestors.
Thousands have spent the prime of
life in vain hope of help from friends
and many have starved because they
had a ricli father. . Bely upon the good
name which is made by your own ex
ertions and remember the best friend
you have is self-confidence. Help your
self and heaven will help you, should be
the motto of every man in the world,
who would carve his way to success.
- It is an old saying: He who has
lost confidence in self can lose nothing
more." Improve your opportunities.
We can conceive of no spectacle better
calculated to lead the mind to serious
reflection than that of an aged person
who has misspent a long life, and who,
when standing near the end of life's
journey, looks back over the long years
only to recall opportunities unimproved
What a different course would he pur
sue, would time but turn backward in
his flight and he be allowed to begin
anew. But regrets are useless, save
when they awaken in the minds of
youth a desire to avoid errors and
make the most of his or her oppor
tunities. Many fail in life from the lack
of appreciation to properly dispose of
their opportunities.
friends Jennie's boasted 100 per cent, in their
JNOvemoer reports, now much gen
uine heartache, how much joy loss,
how much weeping during school years
come through these relentless per
cents! Why? Do you ask? Not for at
tainment or non-attainment usually,
but some one else outstripped the suf
ferer iu high percentage. Schoolgirl
amibition includes at least one other.
Is it fair?
Does amibition give added womanli
ness, gentler thoughts of human-kind,
greater selfishness? When some girl
spoke to a woman whose lifo had been
ambition-consumed, she said: "Spell
my answer 'no' to each of these ques
tions in large capitals."
Watch if you will the arithmetic suc
cess of 05 per cent. Mary. She may find
her zenith in as wide a love-world as 100
per cent. Jennie. We're just guessing,
but teachers say schoolgirls do guess as
often as boys say, "I don't know"
even when it is a question of ambition.
However beguiling amibition may be
as advice, when one rumagos for his
toric, literary, political or social ex
amples, wo find only disastrous results.
Nothing more subtracts from no
bility of character than continual com
parison with other people. Why should
it matter if all the world eclipses us in
The most unsuccessful men are usually any particular work, if we have done
those who think they could do great
things if they only had the opportunity.
But something always prevented them.
They know how to get riches, honor
or fame, but they lacked opportunity.
There are scores of young people all
over the world who want to gain riches I
our best? Is work for work's sake
ambition?
Let us remember amibition includes at
least two. The very word satisfies the
suspicion that to be ambitious one
must be eager for world recognition.
Psychologists tell us aspiration ought
to blot out ambition. Tin's would mean
self-perfecting through motives sup
posed to belong only to the world of the
divine.
Contrariwise, others say, let's think
of facing life's every day wagework
J l
every uay Dusiness problems, every
day, so-called, success forces. That
means amibition's reward for the pres
ent; but may not even this present be
the briefest of brief periods in real life
advancement?
Taking a Diogenes' search of the
looking backward variety, we find these
names: JUary Queen of Scotts against
England's "Good Queen Bess;" Na
poleon against the Duke of Wellington
Hamilton against Burr; Brutus against
Csesar.
With our home glimpse we see a na
tional regret in the personal ambition
which took Alexander Hamilton from
the earth-view of America's Beau
Brummel.
What availed Hamilton's brilliant in
tellect, his wise statesmanship, his ir
reproachable private and public record?
What profited Burr's subtle, graceful
brain expression, his irresistible mag
netism, his exquisite personality, his
wonderful social popularity? Turn to
the last scene of his world career; hear
him call for his country's flag. Was
that death scene a tribute to ambition
or patriotism?
England gives one of the few instances
of excessive feminine, world-recognized
amibition. Sombody has said to flatter
a woman one must know her most ap
parent weakness and insist upon the op
posite virtue. Elizabeth's strong mind
craved the recognition coming from
beauty and its conquests.
Mary Queen of Scots, the admira
tion and homage called by character
and brain influence.
Did either enjoy her own realm?
Why? May not even a schoolgirl sus
pect ambition's corrosion? Alas! for
the variety of Christian charity under
the sun!
Does it seem that a woman should
wish supremely love for love's sake?
These two remind that the "happiest
women, like the happiest nations, have
no history."
With all Bonaparte's world-renowned
ambition, his eagerness to cope success
fully with war magnates, he could feel
and express pettiness of character.
Whatever may be said of the mutual
attitude between him and Wellington,
each cherished deeply the wish to out
strip the other in the race world-as
signed war laurels. Our oft-quoted
"Every hero has his Waterloo, " not only
recalls Napoleon's final defeat in fight
ing tactics, but recalled a picture of the
beautful Josephine, with the hopeless
ness of VV hen he falls, he falls like
Lucifer, never to hope again
Let us draw the curtain, remember
ing only Napoleon's splendor of will.
' 'Brutus, as you know, was Cesar's an
gel. "Are we covetous of that kind of an
gel? We cannot fail to echo also Brutus'
"Lowliness is young ambition's ladder"
and make our own applied response,
"Always Iam Cassar!"
Witness the ways and means of these
two men, and because of a common
wish in their self-seeking, Ca;sar, the
masterful, perishes. "The noble Bru
tus hath told you Cajsar was amibi-
tious" Ieadsto the only fact, greatly
worth while in Cajssr's life the love of
Antony. But for Antony what would
be Ca;sar's fame in the world? Death.
death and nothing but death in every
sight and sound.
Sacrificing other lives to his ambi
tious projects, his own life went out by
sheer brute force true sequel, yet
Antony.
"His life was geutle and the elements
so mixed in him that Nature might
stand up and say to all the world, 'this
was a man.' "
On amition's roll we find the names
mostly of warriors, politicians, possibly
statesmen. Marshal representatives
from Russia, Greece, Germany, any
where memory carries you,, what re
ward has one's efforts?
In pure genius, innocent of ambition,
are such names as Beethoven in music;
Longfellow, Shakespeare, Mrs. Brown
ing, Goethe in poetry. Hawthorne,
Thackery, Hugo, Tolstoi in literature;
Raphael, Velasquez in art. All these
are immortal, all these worked for love
love of art or love of human kind.
Riley's "Aud this is Fame" ex
presses m happy fashion, ambition s
outcome as viewed through the eyes of
poet, who is strongly fascinatingly
human. Another American poet says:
What is ambition? 'tis a glorious
cheat, '
Praise .when the ear has grown too dull
to hear
All things but love, when love is all we
want; . i
And close behind comes' Death, anil ere
, we're aware
That even these 'unavailing gifts are
ours,
He sends us stripped and naked to the
grave."
Rebecca McKinsis.
PLEASANT HILL.
Beautiful weather this week, no rain.
Mr. Howard Forester visited friends
near Troy Sunday.
Many from here attended church at
Whiteside Sunday.
Mr. Ihos. Clark visited friends at
Whiteside Sunday.
Mr. Pugh and family attended church
at Whiteside Sunday.
Mr. Elias Callis was the guest of his
brother, James, Sunday.
Mr. Andie Johnson visited friends
near Whiteside Sunday.
Miss Elizabeth McDonald attended
Sunday school here Sabbath.
Mr. Herman Carter, of Old Repub
lie, visited friends here Sunday.
fnenus near V hitesido were guests
of Miss Carrie Callis Saturday.
Many from here attended the singing
at Whiteside Saturday evening.
Mrs. Henry Callis and son were the
guests of Mrs. Lucy Shore recently.
ir:.. ai -n . . i ..
iuiss Aua -uumaiston ana brother
spent a few days at Elbridge last week.
Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Carmack were the
guests of Mr. Walter Carmack Sunday.
Those on the sick list last week were
Dr. J. J. Arnold and Mrs. Henry Callis.
Lona Litchford, of Union City, was
the guest of her sister near here last
week.
Mrs. Dell Callis and daughter spent
several days last week with relatives at
Harper's Valley.
Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm Callis spent
Saturday night and Sunday with rela
tives near Reelfoot Lake.
Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Fitzgerald were
the guests of Mr. and Mrs. W. A. For
ester one night last week.
Miss Callie Wade and brother, Clif
ford, from Nuriiber Seven, were guests
of their aunt here Sunday.
Misses Verna Wise, Lillie Carter and
Pauline Thorn were the guests of Miss
Kate Kirkman one afternoon last week.
Mrs. Elias Callis reports that Mr. and
Mrs. John Sudbcrry, of near Columbia,
are the proud parents of a 7-pound boy,
born May 20. Mayflower. .
gmwinmmminmmmmmmmimmfnmmmnnnmmo
g It may be possible to make a j
& better flour than
JLL. 11 Jul
TOP"
HIGH PATENT FLOUR
l but nobody has done it. H
B FOR SALE BY ALL GROCERS
B A IT" PI l 5
j nAKLFY OKAIIN U). I
xymm Telephone No. 7. 2
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Forester, Beckham & Forester have
some of the nicest bargains m farm
land, timber lands, and nice city prop
erty, and when you are in the market
will be to your interest to see them
before buying.
QUALITY S QUANTITY
We guarantee to give you
more delicious meats and from
a fourth more to two and three
times as many slices to the
pound if they are sliced on
our new
American Slicing Machine.
The quality is better because
every slice is just as thin as
every other slice and each is
the same throughout; there
are no ragged, unattractive
edges, for it is all just so.
The quantity is greater because we give you a great many more slices
for the same money than can be had if the meats are cut in the old style
way. Try our machine-sliced meats once and you will have no other.
Telephone
66
W. L. WHITE
Telephone
462
CHINA SALE
E have bought 1,000 pieces of
imitation Hand-Painted China.
We are going to make this a leader
and will offer it at
10 Cents a Piece
Pitchers, Meat Dishes, Cake Plates,
Berry Bowls, Soup Plates, Oatmeal
Saucers, Etc. Cup and saucer 10c.
Come and inspect this China. A big
window full.
BRADFORD & ANDREWS
The Dependable Jewelers and Opticians.
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