Vbe Conservative *
self ahead as fast as other young men of
the same age , as a failure.
"The reasons for his lack of progress
maybe perfectly valid and altogether
too delicate for the ordinary spectator to
appreciate ; and he may have in him the
elements of ultimate success. It is
notorious that some men mature much
later than others ; as it is also evident
that'those who mature early are likely
to lose much of their mental virility
before they are old. Only old men ,
therefore , can properly be said * , to have
failed perhaps it would be safer to say
that only dead men can be put into this
category.
"It is a matter of ordinary observation
that early failures frequently develop
into later successes ; and that early suc
cesses frequently peter out into old-age
failures. Some years ago Captain
Mahan was given the honorary degree
of doctor of laws at a prominent New
England university. In his remarks
before the alumni Captain Mahan
preached a little sermon on this very
subject , taking his own career as a text.
He declared how he had lived in the
world for forty years doing nothing to
attract the favorable consideration of
the public ; and how , after that age had
passed , he conceived the idea of writing
his work on 'Sea Power , ' and how he
had toiled away for years before the
finished product was ready for the
world. Whatever triumph he had
gained , he declared , had come to him
late in life , long after that period when
the public writers enter 'success' or
'failure' next to one's name. He added
that he did not mention this fact for the
purpose of glorifying himself , but mere
ly to let the older men present on the
occasion know that success was not
necessarily achieved before forty , or ,
indeed , that it was not essential that a
man be started upon the road before he
had reached that period. I think that
Oaptain Mahan would smile at a dis
cussion carried on under the title 'Why
Young Men Fail. '
"Nevertheless , it is probably true that
there are a large number of young men
, in New York whose progress is satis
factory neither to themselves nor their
friends. I know a large number of
young fellows who would come in unde
this class indeed , nearly all of my
friends and acquaintances are of thii 3
kind. To be frank with you , I am no
getting along as rapidly myself as [
desire. I was graduated from colleg
six years ago , and constantly run against b
my classmates in this big town. I must b
admit that few of them are 'doing well'
or apparently see any very glorious
prospect of improving their condition.
Six years is , of course , a short time for
a man to show what he can do ; but
they , according to the present standard ,
will not much longer be 'young men. '
Middle age is staring them all in the
face. Most of them , too , are thoroughly
X
disheartened ; though they all assume a
certain kind of frank humor in discuss
ing their lack of success.
"I had not been long in New York
when I noticed one day on Wall Street
a string of men , young 'and old , com
prising what at first I thought was a
chain gang. When I got a little closer ,
I saw that they were carrying small
wooden boxes which were evidently
heavy and contained , I concluded , coiner
or bullion. I at once concluded that
the 'chain gang' were bank employees
carrying a precious burden to some safe-
deposit vault. One of the men engaged
in this somewhat menial work I thought
I recognized , and , as I looked more
intently , I saw that I was not mistaken.
It was Smith , one of my classmates ,
who , in his under-graduate days , en
joyed a great college reputation. He
was stroke in the crew , belonged to the
best societies , and was an all-round 'big
man , ' much courted by those ambitions
of college advancement. I was some
what shocked at his present rather
humiliating plight the fruit of seven
years' work. I happened to meet him
in the street a few days afterwards , and
asked him how he was getting on. 'Not
very well , ' he replied. 'When I came
to New York , I expected to turn the
city upside down ; but it has turned me
upside down , instead. '
"A few days later I ran across one of
the 'high stand * men in my class. He
had been at work in a law office for four
years , but he was still supported by
regular remittances from home. He
frankly told me he would starve if his
father did not look out for him. 'I go
a letter from Bab a few days ago , ' he
said , mentioning the name of a class
mate who was attempting to practice
law in a New England city. 'He tells
me that he is working like the devil
but can't do much , and asked me if
couldn't look out for an opening for him
here. He said that by collecting billi
and doing other odd jobs he was able to
make seven or eight dollars a week ,
wrote back at once that he had batter
stay where he was , and that he was to
be congratulated on his success.1
"A few days ago I ran up against an
other young lawyer similarly situated
The one great difference , however ,
that the latter had no rich father to look
out for his wants and secure him a posi
tion by his influence , and was oblige
to grub along as best he could.
" 'How're things going ? ' I asked.
" 'I'm making more money than I've
made in years'he replied with an at
tempt at cheerfulness.
" 'Law business looking up ? '
" 'Law nothing ! Census ! I'm taking
census now a full-fledged enumerator.
Get two and a half cents a name. Good
money in it. '
" 'But what's going to become of your
practice ? '
' "Oh , I'm able to take care of that
too , ' he replied with a smile , and passed
on.
on."Although my classmates have been
Out only six years , several have changed
businesses and professions some more
than once. The other day , in the finan
cial district , I ran plumb up against one
of the most popular and promising of
my undergraduate friends. The last I
had heard of him he was in a law
office up New York State. 'Oh , I've
dropped the law , ' he said , 'and dropped
it for good , I hope. I couldn't get along
in it at all. I had an office for a year ,
and in that time I may have had a dozen
eople cross my threshold , but most of
hem were duns. Now I've got a job in
broker's office ; I don't get much , but
what I do get comes regularly once a
week. Some time I may get on the
urb myself ; but that's a degree of suo-
iess I don't expect right away. ' And
he started down Wall street.
" 'What are you doing these days ? ' I
asked of a classmate whom I met later ,
on the elevator in one of the big sky-
icrapers.
" 'Looking for a job , ' he replied , get-
ing off at the fifteenth floor.
" A few are in much better circum
stances ; but these are usually the mar
ried ones that is , those who have mar
ried fortunes. One of my classmates
already outs some figure as a philan
thropist but his philanthropy is at his
wife's expense. The most amusing case
of all is that of a college friend , who , in
his years of adolescence , was something
of an idealist indeed , he enjoyed quite
a college reputation as a literateur ,
scholar and poet. He is now the janior
partner in a large and very successful
shoe store up town the senior partner
being his proud father-in-law. Such
successful men as these , however , are
rare : and their success is seldom owing
to their own exertion ? . But are the
others , who form the great majority , to
be put down , as 'young men who have
failed' ? I am sure they are not fools ; I
am sure they are not lazy ; I think most
of them are ambitious to get along , and
are willing to work hard for success.
And I am not so sure that their chance
will not come , and that they will not ,
break through such barriers as nepotism , '
that unquestionably clogs a man's suc
cess , though they cannot stop it , and
come out on top in the end. " New
York Evening Post.
The ° rgan ° f
PRETTY
Bryanarchy at
Fremont , edited by a pleasant and most
affable gentleman , is saying very pretty
things about THE CONSERVATIVE and
its editor. It also discourses with
eulogistic fervor in praise of Grover
Cleveland who endeared himself to
General Bragg by "the enemies he had
made. " That the Fremont Bryanar-
ohist may continue in the same vein
forever is the aspiration ofall who ap
preciate that valuable journal.
