Often the world marvels that the sons of great and successful men accomplish so little.
The world is foolish. It should marvel that the sons of the rich accomplish anything at all.
For genius has truly been called the capacity to take infinite pains. It is the splendid fruit that grows on the tree of HARD WORK.
Infinite pains and hard work are distasteful to human beings. They are avoided by those who can avoid them. It is lucky for the world that the number of those who can shirk is limited. ——
Dryden tells you in four lines what the actual man would amount to if he had his way.
"My next desire is, void of care and strife,
To lead a soft, secure, inglorious life.
A country cottage near a crystal flood,
A winding valley and a lofty wood."
Every man who could afford it would live for himself, to indulge some useless little tenth-rate part of his brain activity. ——
The world progresses because the wisdom of the universe compels every man to work directly or indirectly for every other man.
If we had our way, if hard necessity did not compel us to do the disagreeable work for which we are fitted, we should all live for ourselves; we should all be mere human sponges, absorbing personal gratification—the progress of the human race would stop.
Let this fact console you when you contemplate with bitterness the few who accumulate great fortunes.