(!
Rt'scne J'oircr.
thi'y almost reproachfully pronounced
him culm oven to indillcrcncc. But his
calmness was only the repose of conscious
power, which was afterwards to show it
self in might. At thu close of Mr. Hayne's
speech every one would nave pronounced
Webster vanquished. Hut not so. He
rose, and throwing into action at this
emergency those well equipped latent
powers, his reserve force, ho replied in
such a speech as has seldom heen known
in the annals of history. And swelling
with eloquence, his arguments bore down
all opposition and made him completely
victorious.
But, do you ask how this reserve force
is to he gathered and trained? I answer,
iu many ways. It may he acquired hy
hard study. Capital, whether linancial or
mental, is the rcMiK of hard labor. And,
in order to acquire ami maintain this cap
ital, we must put forth constant etVorls.
It is idle to suppose that, because you are
not a born genius, you can never rise to
eminence. If you could sec the minds
and the hearts of those, to whom the
world applies that name, if 3-011 could
know their secret trials and conquests,
you would realize that, to a great extent,
genius lies in the will. Show 111c the
3 nuiig man, who exerts himself to the ut
most in acquiring knowledge, and I will
show you thu man that will make his
mark in the world, one who will gain re
tcrvo power, and one that will be pre
pared for any emergency ho may encouu
icr.
Again, it may be gained by meditation.
Americans, as a nation, do not take time
to think. We are the most impatient pco
pic under the sun. Amid the click oj
the telegraph, the whistle ofthelocomo
live and Iho whir ol machinery, we "uith
it take no time to gain knowledge or else
we pour constantly into the cask, and
leave no time for arrangement." Manj
men possess stores of knowledge, hut for
want of logical arrangement it is of no
use to them. " Wisdom," it is said, "com
clh by opportunity of leisure," and the
ripest thought comes from the mind, not
alway on the stretch, but fed at times by a
wise passiveness. Then let us taku time
to think.
Hut the great method of acquiring re
serve power is by thu concentration of the
energies upon some one thing. And yet
while this is done, you must be careful to
avoid mental narrowness. The mind, like
the body, requires variety ol food. There
is no calling or profession, which, if fol
lowed exclusively, will not warp and con
tract the mind And here a great, many
mistake concentration of energy for ener
gy in one direction. I will illustrate the
dill'ercnr.e by an object in nature. The
end to be attained in 1 lit giowth of a tn-e
is height and to this end all the energies
of the plant are concentrated. Hut do
they develop height exclusively? No
Hy a harmonious arrangement of forces
too numerous to mention, it puts forth
spreading branches and forms the beauti
ful well-shaped giant of the forest. This
is the concentration of nature's forces,
but if, interfering with these, we had
pruned oil' the branches, leaving only tne
naked main-stalk, we should have had
what? An illsbaped pole, perhaps taller
by far than nature's beautiful tree, but, for
the lack of symmetry despised, nod use
less. This represents the exei lion of lorce
only in ouu diiectiou.
Then choose your calling, whatever it
may be, let your energies lend to develop
you through it into a strong, symmetrical
being. As thr oak puts forth its brandies
on every side, so lot your channels ot
knowledge reach out in uvery direction.
Kcst assured that wln-n thu hour of
trial comes, no fact you can acq 11 in and
logically arrange, will prove itself un
worthy cither ol Iho effort required to oh
tain it, or its position in your hattallion of
reserve forces. Kxerling yourself thus,
cultivating all thu good and noble quali
ties that would make you useful iu any di
rection, choosing anil nobly pursuing any
just calling and securing yourself with the
reserve power of knowledge on every ini-
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