AN OPEN LETTER TO THE PESSIMIST
The boy who does not go to school does not know what Saturday is.—Babcock.
Brother—you with growl and frown—
Why don’t you move from Grumbletown,
Where everything is tumbled down
And skies are dark and dreary?
Move over into Gladville where
Your face will don a happy air,
And lay aside your cross of care
For smiles all bright and cheery.
A faithful friend is a strong defence, and he that hath found him hath found a treasure.—Ecclesiasticus.
In Grumbletown there’s not a joy
But has a shadow of alloy
That must its happiness destroy
And make you to regret it.
In Gladville we have not a care
But, somehow, looks inviting there
And has about it something fair
That makes us glad to get it.
The three things most difficult are, to keep a secret, to forget an injury, and to make a good use of leisure.—Chilo.
’Tis strange how different these towns
Of ours are! Good cheer abounds
In one, and gruesome growls and frowns
Are always in the other.
If you your skies of ashen gray
Would change for sunny skies of May,
From Grumbletown, oh, haste away;
Move into Gladville, brother.
BIRTHPLACE OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN BOSTON
[CHAPTER VII]
DREAMING AND DOING
The talent that is buried is not owned. The napkin and the hole in the ground are far more truly the man’s property.—Babcock.
“Hitch your wagon to a star!”
Such is the advice Emerson gave to ambitious youth. He meant well, no doubt, and indeed, his words are all right if taken with a pinch of salt. A boy should dream great dreams, of course, but he ought to set his dream-gauge so as to have it indicate a line of endeavor it will be possible for him to follow.
That which some call idleness I call the sweetest part of my life, and that is my thinking.—Felsham.
“Hitch your wagon to a star,”
Sounds eloquent, of course,
But it might prove more prudent, far,
To hitch it to a motor-car,
Or a steady-going horse.
We must learn to bear and to work before we can spare strength to dream.—Phelps.
The type of boy the world counts on to do it the most lasting good is the youth that does not permit the wings of fancy to carry him so far into the blue empyrean that he cannot touch the solid earth with at least the tiptoes of reason.
As Wingate truly says: “There is no use in filling young people’s minds with vain hopes; not every one can make a fortune or a national reputation, but he who possesses health, ordinary ability, honesty and industry can at least earn a livelihood.”
Training is everything. The peach was once a bitter almond; cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education.—Mark Twain.
If you are striving to be a level-headed boy you will understand that if you keep your eyes fastened on the stars all the while you are likely to overlook a thousand opportunities lying all about your pathway.
Let’s not despise just common things,
For here’s a truth there is no dodging,
The bird that soars on proudest wings
Comes down to earth for board and lodging.
Success comes only to those who lead the life of endeavour.—Roosevelt.
Some of the poets and others advise you to aim at the sky or the sun or something of that sort, for by so doing you will shoot higher than you would if you aimed at the ground.
I would advise you to aim directly at the target you wish to hit. Don’t shoot over it or under it; shoot at it.
The most certain sign of wisdom is a continued cheerfulness.—Montaigne.
Dreaming great things is good but doing simple things may be better. There ought to be, and there will be more dreams than deeds, just as there are more blossoms on the tree than can mature and ripen into perfect fruit.
Wisdom is ofttimes nearer when we stoop than when we soar.—Wordsworth.
We shall always have to divide our attention between the things we can do and the things we should like to do. Dreaming is an interesting pastime but we should not devote too many precious moments to