Jasper Banner, Volume 2, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 April 1855 — A FAILURE. [ARTICLE]

A FAILURE.

From theLaporbe Republican Times

“My life has been a failure,” said the unfortunate young, poet, North, a short time before he swallowed the fatal draught which terminated his career on earth, a few since, in the city of New York. My life has been a failure! think of iff How 7 sad the reflection—and yet how few of us can look back to the starting point of youtfij reviewing our born-capacities; our opportunities; the promptings of onr self-cori* j sciousness—beholding in a clear! light the"pnnnrsei \vlncTf we made to ! ourselves and to the world, and the promises which the world made to us j through its appearances—rhow Jew i !of us can answer for ourselves, that ' ours has not also been a failure?— How is it with you, my friend, who , started up the hill of science, with , your hopeful eye forever fixed upon the glowing temple at the top, where Fame stood beconing—you Who cn- J tered the broad fields of a profession, j promisuig to adorn it with your life, and it promising you honor and renown—how is it with you, Brother? Fatigued and disappointed—but a little way advanced—compelled * to j turn aside and supply the wants of j poor organic nature—ambition paralyzed by incumbent needs, and the promises of youth, the syren’s song, turned into mockery by the cold realities which glare upon you from the wayside of your fife—the gray hairs prematurely , sprinkling your temples, without a hope, save to . struggle on your time out, and then die—does nbt your life smack somewhat to you of failure? ~ V And you, my dear sir, who have' been toiling for half a life-time for the “bauble, reputation” —treading j with wary steps the treacherous ways of Politics —fathoming, to yoyr arm pits, if not sometimes clear under, out of the sight of angels, the 1 quagmire of publio depravity, and f endeavoring to shun the ever varying | quicksands of public sentiment — after * long process of “hardening up”—by virtue of no mest of your own, but circumstances fortuitous in their nature, you find yourself eleva- 1 [ted to that pinnacle which ever has j i allured, and seemed the consumer j i tion of all human attainment—how lares it with you? Arc vou not irT company with “blackguards TSWF doughfaces." and desiguing^hyp^

Trrn* vITTi;? . 'Crimes? —men of weak intellect #nd ! I weaker \ irtue? Dp hot “meairmon, get oiflfee?” Btrch. at least, fire of your coiiipanum»-~ntid they have aif.oinpUidiod *all tliatjyott cad boast of! Are you rewarded is not sucb a \ life a laijiure? j And you, nmdiipi— oiic** so heapi tiful—redolpn! of health, and full bf rich, warm affection; loving, hopeful, trusting step elastic, amfyonr spirits' bu(iyant--Hdinired, courted, won! with ali the promises of tuturr bliss which so euchant the heart, aud | lead us on—what now ? Do we not j read it in those hollow eyes—in that voice depressed —that heavy, almost* fainting step, s and those deep wrinkles on that sallow brow? Arc not these capitals, staring out from underneath these long-neglected curls from those wau cheeks, and pale lips, blanched with pain and sorrow? j Is there not a strange whisper ever murmuring in your ear, "my life has ; been a failure?” [ Such, indeed, would be the experience of too many of Us, were we to stop and calmly survey our history; —and were this life all—were there no promises beyond—uo other objects in our creation, than what are realized in this life struggle—-no other hope than that which lures toward fame, glory or gold—no other loves those which too often vanish or deceive, our lives, indeed, all our lives, would be no more nor less than mocking failures! But none ; may ternswof the hfe ; whether it be/ or not. a failurel— I Thera An e v er- ■ lasting onwradf A perpetual life of ! which iveltnowsb little, and yet know lit is! ' We did not plan our own ex- . istence! We did not altogether jihtn the features of our present experiences, —neither know we all the 'good or ev’il. of our 9ufterafices, our joys, or our life trials! Let us not then he too hasty in our judgement— too limited in our ofo : servation, or too narrow in our eon- 1 | ceptions of the grand sum of human i days and by r years, that which knows no time, limit or extension, but is forever! And if this fife, this transition J state/out of which we shall be “born again,” fails to satisfy the afltieipa-: tions of pur youth -the ideal of our , manhood, or ev en the m fitter of-fac t experiences of Others more seeming fortunate—wait a little; by and by will come a revelation, and we may learn, that out of our . life-failures ' here, has come a knowledge of infinite valuableness, anti that “3Tot in vain We wore the sandal and seaHwped smell, making what seemed to us a dreary, pilgrimage. - - I—l I I - - . >