已。
人必加意納交益友。否則無一益友也。人非狂愚。必無肯畜害馬惡犬者。犬馬微物。猶必有擇。可以擇交而不慎乎。人生喪德之大錯。多有於此鑄成者也。
相傳有二鸚鵡。居相近。一善歌。一善詈。詈者主人冀去其詈之惡習也。乃請於善歌者之主。使相親交焉。事卒得其反。蓋二者均詈人矣。損友之效果彰著如是。故在少年無論自負如何堅定。於此要不可忽也。
人之交友。要當問其品格。不當論其他位。汝青年記之。昔伽斐德總統常云。彼每遇藍縷子於市。未嘗不思此兒庸有受人禮炮之一日也。良以立德立功之程效。系於一少年之身者。未有能量其所至者也。
大樂工夏伯氏之墓誌銘曰。「彼所就已多。而期望猶過之。」使吾青年男女之生涯。如是其美滿而多能者。即此無盡藏之期望為之也。
勤勉
格言
何家士曰。天才無他。勞與勤而已。
婆羅漢曰。由析而觀其通。復由通而繹其析。
亞羅得曰。二少年之差別。不在才能而在毅力。
皮汝遜曰。勞力者揮能力之戈。擁成功之節。戴得勝之冠。
馬敦曰。惰夫之用。不逾於陳死人。不過多占人間之地位耳。
有規律之動作。專精壹誌。以蘄事於成。是即吾人詮勤勉之義也。普求其逾確之義。即黽圖利已而又利人之動作。故勤勉云者。乃厘然中規之動作。而可以增益人群褆福之謂也。
從事有序。為程效所必需。而在吾人動輒感為難能。或寖覺其不易者。是無他。吾人當於役神憊之余。遠矚前塗。唯息肩之是望。遂意有生之至樂。乃莫逾於一不事事之時。耽逸之念生。斯趨功之力隳矣。
勤勉引為人生識分之一。宜矣。然吾人於此。母寧謂勤勉為人生職分之將伯。蓋惟先有勤勉。而後其他職分乃可盡也。夫勤勉而外。有足以善吾生者鮮矣。怠惰而外。有足以惡吾生者鮮矣。
於此有倡異議者。要無疑也。姑無論此曹明認勤勉之惜如何。度其人必深信克濟大業之光榮。非彼愨願苦行之徒。所能勉致。猶之他人遺產然。其幸而獲者。必其人賦命之佳。否則安可得也。故世惟得天獨厚之人才。乃克享有大業耳。此毗於天才者之說也。
劫後英雄略一書。英人瓦待斯珂特所著。稗乘中之名篇也。讀是書者。罔不欽作者為天才。然是書實不啻表襮勤勉之事實。而宏毅堅忍獨行諸德與焉。說者謂「司珂特神遊心註於昔之武士時代者有年。設身處地。想像乎十字軍之馬跡車塵。彼時之猶太民族。獨賦之特性異能。討論備至。而於當年之載籍。凡關於彼著述者。尤究心搜集。甚至於羅門法蘭西。與盎魯格撒克遜人之混合語言文字。窮其源流。究其部次。賞奇析異。為狀蓋至勤也。」
信矣。勞力者。規定百凡大事之真價也。微勞力曾見有何事可成者。英雄豪傑之崛起。其能享有大名者。是必其人勤勉不倦。堅忍孤行。雖其間庸有天縱之才。不由人力。或靈敏之性。與生俱來。然而勞苦堅卓之操。為成功所必不可缺者。彼又烏能佚而免也。
勞力者。人群之大宗師也。又若軍旅然。勞力者。至嚴肅之訓練也。使軍旅而無訓練。一旦應召而起。有見其潰亂披靡而已。嗟夫勤勉。其殆師乎。彼實教吾人堅忍不撓。宏毅獨行。彼實迫吾人昕夕從事。充力之所能及。唯是之故。彼實授吾人以燦然之方法。與秩然之規律。然勤勉也者。又永需夫鑒別之明。與果斷之力。而於以造成經驗有素之人才者也。
勤勉者。凡百作用之菁華。蕓蕓眾生。所賴以殖基於大地之上者也。彼惰者亦如惡人然。皆足為人利用也。昔斯巴達人常驅酗酒之虜。遊行於市。使青年子弟觀其頑蠢頹喪之狀。恥而戒飲。此虜是誠有用矣。然非自用其用也。由是觀之。勞力之為物。相需至殷。吾人當歡喜將之。不當怨尤視之也。夫人習於勤勞。不大獨益其美德。即人生樂利。亦蒙其巨助矣。
今者勤勞之於婦人。其緊要亦何亞於男子。往歲波士頓某美術肆中。有群女方聚而凝視一著名之雕象。一女忽曰。「憶之。此為女子所作也。」一女答曰。「此足使吾傲彼矣。」此名刻為蔡必羅亞遺像。而女士哈裏特何思密所作也。女士好學而覃精藝術。乃能以名作遺世界云。
事業之艱劇者。必其成功高且貴者也。無上之價。乃基於至大之真值。夫人而欲臻絕詣也。必如其價以償人必自成否則終於無成而已。
吾邦諸傑。非寧馨兒。非紈絝子。非席蔭之人。非窳惰之輩。彼蓋耽於刻苦。不惡藍褸。不憚清貧。而自披棘斬荊。以自食其天祿者也。
焦霞李那漢欲為名畫家也。日自十時至四時。即役於畫室。曾無間斷。迨至老病釋筆時。彼年已六十有六矣。常自語曰「吾之勞苦。乃無異求飽之傭也。」
說者謂極危之事。足以陷是邦之青年者。偷惰實居其一。乃青年子弟於種種劬勞之事。規避唯恐不周。設謂此曹於世無毫末之益。行且以偷惰斷送其生涯。彼肯承者蓋寡。然而偷惰之夫。實自喪其歡樂之權力。何也。唯苦而後知樂也。彼之一生。無日不在聖日休假之中。更何有余間。可供佚樂者。天下無有臥而治之之事。彼事機之至。亦決不願為高臥者少留。唯有任其酣眠。終於無濟而已。
勤勉者。湔罪惡之良劑也。古諺有之。「惰者之腦魔之窟。」意謂人無所為。則將習而為惡也。彼高以自命。而一不事事之人。可矜亦可誅也。世間最惡之事。未有過於妄動與淫樂者。彼自恣之徒。實壞道德之根基。剗生人之元氣。凝生眾惡。惡於何有。有死以報而已。
方青年勤於正事之時。人無過慮之者。然而試問彼。彼於何處進午膳乎。彼夜出館舍將何之乎。彼晡食畢將何所事乎。彼於星期與聖日。果何處供其消遣乎。唯彼余間消耗之塗。足以襮其人之品格。泰半青年之蕩檢。夕餐徹後。正彼從容隳落之時。而在多數奮身上達之青年。嬰榮名以去者。則在惜取午夜余光。以攻以讀。庸有時群從朋處。是必其益智而迪良者也。故吾人掬誠悃以普告青年。亦願善用此余間而己。戒之哉。日之夕矣。正爾青年之生涯危機一發之時也。
昔者羅馬。當其導民於勤勉也。國莫強焉。及夫藉戰勝之余威。子女玉帛。虜略無算。使其市民。舍苦力以嬉。當是時也。羅馬之光榮。乃日趨於黯。傷風敗俗之事。乙乙然自窳惰中抽繹而出。以玷辱此莊嚴巍巍之城。而國遂不國矣。
勤勉殆為英吉利民德之骨幹。此無可疑也。以彼區區之島國。而其民能使環球之上。人跡所至。莫不尊之者。亦唯賴此勤勉而已。即在吾邦。儼然號為世界之工業國者。亦唯賴此勤勉而已。
德意誌帝國著有定例。凡皇族少年親貴。均令執一藝。規定學藝時期。以能善自工作為度。誠以世變無常。未來之事。渺不可測。為人生自立計。則自儲貳以至親王。是宜令其具有自食其力之能。以求生存於大地也。似此良法。舉世所應則效矣。賢哉猶太民族。猶固守其先訓。謂少年無論貴賤貧富。皆應服習職業也。
佛蘭克林有言。「彼有一藝者。即恒產也。」夫勞動事業。無論常人卑視。雅不欲為。而自識者觀之。彼勞動者可欽崇之事業也。其羸羨雖若不豐。而所獲之令名。則無時或絀。勞動無可恥也。而亦無物可恥之。惟彼一不事事之人。或不操勞。而常覷責輕糈厚者。致足恥耳。吾人寧任浮誇氣盛之少年。恥其手杖。恥其羔革之掌衣。而決不欲勞動者恥其胼胝之手也。古諺有云。「彼徒襲大家風采者。置之於市。曾糴不得鬥麥耳。」
有安多佛之南方學生某者。嘗被嚴譴。譴辭雖刻而甚當。先是某生購有木料若幹。乃走謁其師司徒亞特教授。就訉將使誰鋸之。教授語之曰。「吾雖不居鋸工之列。吾將親為子鋸之。」教授此類之教訓。直深印其徒之心坎。吾人深冀此少年能領會也。
柯乃力萬達壁
或問於柯乃力萬達壁曰。「營業成功之奧秘何也。」答曰。「奧秘耶。彼無所謂奧秘也。汝唯舉汝所為。搏精凝神。以赴爾事業。奮力進取而已。」
今者設有人焉。而取法萬達壁氏之教也。是宜稔乃事。端乃心。嗇乃費。以訖於否去泰來而後已。下述萬達壁氏軼事數則。可借鑒焉。
當千八百六年。有舟擱淺於生的何克間。柯乃力之父。方任移徙船貨之役。乃命其子與三役工。駕三車六馬。運貨過沙洲。而致之小艇。時柯乃力年才十二也。
運貨事畢。柯子乃返歸塗。囊中僅貯少許旋資。且距家復遼遠。既經長程。度越吉塞沙漠。洎抵南亞波。彼乃憂愁無計載車馬渡過司塔頓島。蓋囊金已揮霍將罄。不足供渡車馬之費也。無已。乃往見逆旅主人。告以情。且與約曰。「儻公能資吾儕使渡者。我當留一馬為質。有如四十八時內。我不以金六圓償公者。則請取此焉。」主人視其炯炯雙眸。不覺應曰。「吾願為之。」未幾此馬果贖歸云。
千八百十年春。彼浮海之興勃發。乃請於其母。乞假金百圓備舟。母曰。「兒乎。此月之二十七日。汝十六歲矣。設彼時汝能耕耘播種此八畝之地者。吾將資汝以金。」此田殊荒蕪磽確。而彼竟能如期卒事。彼是後鉅萬之富。實植基於此肇端甚微之日。彼嘗終夜治事。晝復不去其職。故能於紐約港早獲絕佳事業也。
千八百十三年。是時邦人士。逆料英艦將攻紐約。紐約舟人爭投標承載軍實。送環港諸營。標價乃極廉。以得榜者。例許蠲免軍役也。獨柯乃力不與於是役。其父問曰。「汝曷不往投標。」答曰。「是何益。若輩廑以半賃為之。此胡得而辦者。」其父曰。「雖然。試為之。何害。」於是柯乃力勉徇父意。乃往投標。訂賃得其平。初不以此望獲。故當揭曉。彼竟未往探也。洎至同輩喪氣而還。彼乃往兵站訉問。疇能如約者。站官答曰。「然。茲事已定矣。柯乃力萬達壁其人也。」語既。見此少年形色若不勝驚異者。乃復詰之曰。「汝豈即其人邪。」對曰。「余名實柯乃力萬達壁也。」站官曰。「善。汝知吾儕所以與汝訂約之意乎。吾儕惟求事之得辦。而知汝能辦之者也。」
由是以觀。品行足以孳信用。而品行止於勤勉。猶宮室之止於其址礎也。
Care should be taken to keep good company or none. No sensibleperson will willingly keep bad horses or bad dogs. Should he be lessparticular in selecting his companions? And yet, at, this very point, some of life's most cruel blunders are made.
A story is told ot two parrots which lived near to each other. The one was accustomed to sing songs, while the other was addicted toswearing. The owner of the latter obtained permission for it toassociate with the former, in the hope that its bad habits would becorrected; but the opposite result followed, for both learned toswear alike. This aptly illustrates the usual effect of bad company, and no young man, however strong he may imagine himself to be, canafford to be careless in this matter.
In the forming of your friendships, be less anxious about socialstanding, and more particular about character. Remember thatPresident Garfield used to say that he never passed a ragged boy inthe street without feeling that one day he might owe him a salute. Noone knows what possibilities of goodness and greatness are buttoned upunder a boy's coat.
On the tomb of Schubert, the great musician, is written, "He gavemuch, but promised more"; and it is this immeasurable wealth ofpromise that makes the lives of our boys and girls so full of beautyand of power.
MEMORY GEMS.
Genius is nothing but labor and diligence.—Hogarth.
Know something of everything and everything of something. —LordBrougham.
The difference between one boy and another lies not so much intalent as in energy—Dr.Arnold.
Work wields the weapons of power, wins the palm of success, andwears the orown of victory.—A.T.Pierson.
A lazy man is of no more use than a dead man, and he takes up more room.—O.S.Marden.
By industry we mean activity that is regular and devoted to the carrying out of some purpose. More definitely, it is activity that is designed to be useful to ourselves or to others. It is thus a regulated activity by which our welfare, or that of others, may be furthered.
We are apt to think,or at least to feel, that the necessity of working regularly is a hardship. Because we get tired with our workand look forward with eagerness to the time of rest, we form the opinion that the pleasantest life would be one which should be all rest.
Industry might well be urged as a duty. But we would rather now speak of it chiefly as an aid in accomplishing other duties. Few things are more helpful toward right living than industry, and few more conducive to wrong living than idleness.
No doubt there are on this subject opposing opinions. Some believe, whether they openly confess it or not, that the glory of thehighest success is not within the reach of every honest toiler; that it is, like other legacies, the good fortune to which some are heirs,but which others are denied—the inheritance only of those whom naturehas well endowed. These are the advocates of genius.
The reader of "Ivanhoe"—that finest romance of Sir Walter Scott — pronounces its author a genius. The fact is that book is a conspicuous illustration of industry —patient. persevering tail. It has been pointed out that, "for years Scott had made himself familiar with the era of chivalry; plodded over, in imagination, theweary march of the Crusaders; studied the characteristics and contradictions of the Jewish character; searchod carefully into the records of the time in which the scenes of his story were laid; andeven examined diligantly into the strange process whereby the Norman-French and the Anglo- Saxoon elements were wrought into a common tongue."
Labor is indeed the price set upon everything which is valuable. Nothing can be accomplished without it. The greatest of men have risento distinction by unwearied industry and patient application.They mayhave had inborn genius; their natures may have been quick and active; but they could not avoid the necessity of persevering labor.
Labor is the great schoolmaster of the race. It is the grand drillin life's army,without which we are confused and powerless when calledinto action. What a teacher industry is! It teaches patience, perseverance, forbearance, and application. It teaches method andsystem, by compelling us to crowd the most possible into every day andhour. Industry is a perpetual call upon the judgment and the power ofquick decision; it makes ready and practical men.
Industry is essential for that usefulness by which each man mayfill his place in the world. The lazy, like the wicked, may be madeuseful. The Spartans used to send a drunken slave through the city that the sight of his folly and degradation might disgust young menwith intemperance. He was made useful; he did not make himself useful.From this it will be seen that the necessity of labor is something atwhich we should rather rejoice than complain, and that habits in industry are the great helpers to virtur, happiness, and usefulness.
Industry is now as important to the woman as to the man.Some yearsago,in an art store in Boston, a group of girls stood together gazingintently upon a famous piece of statuary.The silence was broken by theremark, "Just to think that a woman did it." "It makes me proud, "saidanother. The famous statue was that of Zenohia, the product of HarriotHosmer, whose love of knowledge and devotion to art, gave the world amaster-piecc.
Work is difficult in proportion as the end to be attained is highand noble. The highest price is placed upon the greatest worth. If aman would reach the highest success he must pay the price. He must beself-made, or never made.
Our greatest men have not been men of luck and broad-cloth, nor oflegacy and laziness, but men accustomed to hardship; men who foughttheir way to their own loaf.
Sir Joshua Reynolds had the passion for work of the true artist. Until he laid aside his pencil from illness, at the age of sixty-six, he was constantly in his paintingroom from ten till four, daily, "laboring"as he himself said, "as hard as a mechanic working for hisbread."
Laziness is said to be one of the greatest dangers that besets theyouth of this country. Some young men shirk everything that requireseffort or labor. Few people enfertain the idea that they are of no usein the world; or that they are ruining themselves by their laziness. Yet lazy persons lose the power of enjoyment. Their lives are allholiday, and they have no interval of leisure for relaxation. The lie-a-beds have never done anything in the world. Events sweep past and leave them slumbering and helpless.
Industry is one of the best antidotes to crime. As the old proverbhas it, "An ille brain is the devil's workshop," for by doing nothingwe learn to do ill.The man who done not work, and thinks himself aboveit,is to pitied as well as condemned. Nothing can be worse than activeignorance and indulged luxury. Self-indulgence saps the foundation of morals, destroys the vigor of manhood, and breeds evils taht nothing but leath can blot out.
No one is very anxious about a young man while he is busy in useful work. But where does he eat his lunch at noon? Where does he gowhen he leaves his boardinghouse at night? What does he do after supper? Where does he spend his Sundays and holidays? The way uses hisspare mements reveals his character. The great majority of youth who go to the bad are ruined after supper. Most of those who climb upwardto honor and fame devote their evenings to study or work, or to the society of the wise and good. The right use of these leisure hours, we would cordially recommend to every youth. Fach evening is a crisisin the career of a young man.
Rome was a mighty nation while industry led her people, but when he great conquest of wealth and slaves placed her citizens above the necessity of labor, that moment her glory began to fade; vice and corruption induced by idleness,doomed the proud city to an ignominiousoverthrow.
There can be no doubt that idustry has been the backbone of theEnglish character. By it her people have made their island respected all over the habitable globe. By industry our own land has come to be recogized as the workshop of the world.
It is rule in the imperial family of Germany that every young man shall learn a trade, going through a regular apprenticeship till he is able to do good journey-work. This is required because, in the event of unforeseen changes, it is deemed necessary to a manly independence that the heir apparent, or a prince of the blood, shouldbe conscious of ability of making his own way in the world. This is an honorable custom , worthy of univer al imitiation. The Jews also wisely held the maxim that every youth, whatever his position in life, should learn some trade.
Franklin says, "He that hath a trade hath an estate." Work,howeverlooked down upon by people who cannot perform it,is an honorable thing; it may not be very profitable, but honorable it always is, and thereis nothing to be ashamed of about it. The man who has reason io be ashamed is the one who does nothing, or is always on the looking for an easy berth with good pay and no work. Let the young man whoseconceit greatly exceeds his brains, be ashamed of his cane and kid gloves; but never let a man who works be ashamed of his hard hands. There is an old proverb which says, "Mere gentility sent to market, won't buy a peck of oats."
A keen but well deserved rebuke was once
administered to a Southern student at Andover who had bought some wood, and who thenwent to Professor Stuart to learn whom he could get to saw it. "I am out of a job of that kind," said Mr. Stuart; "I will saw it myself".It is to be hoped that the young man learned the lesson which histeacher thus sought to impress upon his mind.
Cornelius Vanderbilt.
"What is the secret of success in business?" asked a friend of Cornelius Vanderbilt. "Secret! there is no secret about it," replied the commodore; "all you have to do is to attend to your business and go ahead."
If you would adopt Vanderbilt's method, know your business, attend to it, and keep down expenses until your fortune is safe from business perils. Note the following incidents in his career: In the year 1806, when about twelve years of age, Cornelius was sent by his father, who was removing the cargo from a vessel stranded near Sandy Hook, with three wagons, six horses, and three men, to carry the cargo across a sandbar to the lighters.
When the work was finished, he started, with but a few dollars in his pocket, to travel a long distance home over the Jersey sands, and at length reached South Amboy. He was anxious to get his teams ferried over to Staten Island, and as the money at his disposal was not sufficient for the purpose, he went to an innkeeper, explained the situation and said, "If you will put us across, I'll leave with you one of my horses in pawn, and if I don't send you back six dollars within forty-eight hours you may keep the horse. "I'll do it," said the innkeeper, as he looked into the bright honest eyes of the boy. The horse was soon redeemed.
In the spring of 1810, he applied to his mother for a loan of one hundred dollars with which to buy a boat, having imbibed a strong liking for the sea. Her answer was, "My son, on the twenty-seventh of this month you will be sixteen years old. If, by that time, you will plow, harrow, and plant with corn the eight acre lot, I will advance you the money."The field was rough and stony, but the work was done in time, and well done. From this small beginning Cornelius Vanderbilt laid the foundation of a colossal fortune. He would often work all night; and, as he was never absent from his post by day, he soon had the best business in New York harbor.
In 1813, when it was expected that New York would be attacked by British ships, all the boatmen, except Cornelius, put in bids to convey provisions to the military posts around New York, naming extremely low rates, as the contractor would be exempted from military duty. "Why don't you send in a bid?" asked his father. "Of what use?" replied young Vanderbilt; "they are offering to do the work at half price. It can't be done at such rates." "Well," said his father, "It can do no harm to try for it." So, to please his father, but with no hope of success, Cornelius made an offer fair to both sides, but did not go to hear the award. When his companions had all returned with long faces, he went to the commissary's office and asked if the contract had been given. "Oh, yet," was the reply; "that business in settled. Cornelius Vanderbilt is the man." "What?" he asked, seeing that the youth was apparently thunderstruck, "is it you?" "My name is Cornelius Vanderbilt," said the boatman. "Well," said the commissionary, "don't you know why we have given the contract to you? Why, it is because we want this business done, and we know you'll do it."
Here we see how character begets confidence, and how character rests upon industry as the house rests upon its foundation.
