If there is much to be gained, we
may make apparently slow progress; but if we apply ourselves closely,
and do not let little things discourage us we shall eventually
succeed. There are always plenty of little things in the way of the
accomplishment of any good or great thing. These must be gotten out of
the way; and if, in our first attempt, we fail to win the prize, we
must make another effort, varying the manner of our labor as
circumstances shall suggest.
It takes only a little at a time to accomplish a great deal if we work
long enough. Perhaps most of you have read of the little girl whose
mother was presented with a ton of coal by a charitable neighbor. She
took her little fire-shovel, and began to take up the coal, a
shovelful at a time, and carry it into the cellar. A friend, who was
passing by, said to the child, "Do you expect to get all that coal in
with that little shovel?" "Yes, sir," said the little girl, dipping
her shovel again into the heap, "I'll do it if I work long enough."
She possessed the right spirit.
The true spirit of success is not to look at obstacles, but to keep
the eye on the many ways in which to surmount them. This may be
illustrated by the incident of the little factory girl who had one of
her fingers so badly mangled in the machinery that she was obliged to
have it cut off.
Pages:
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337