Wisdom Vault — onlinknow.co.za

THB THREE FS— PUNCTUALITY, PRUDENCE AND. PERSEVERA NCE, " Let us go forth, and resolutely dare, With sweat of brow, to toil our little day." — Lord Houghton. To succeed, one must sometimes be very bold, and sometimes very prudent.

Be firm ; one constant element of luck Is genuine, solid, old Teutonic pluck. Stick to your aim : the mongrel's hold will slip. But only crowbars loose the bulldog's grip ; Small though he looks, the jaw that never yields Drags down the bellowing monarch of the fields." — Olivet Wendell Holmes, "

Time and patience change the mulberry leaf to satin. " — Eastern Pro- verb. ' ' Let eveiy man be occupied, and occupied in the highest employment of which his nature is capable, and die with the consciousness that he has done his best." — Sydney Smith, "

Virtue is ever sowing of her seeds ! In the trenches for the soldier ; in the wakeful study For the scholar ; in the furrows of the sea For men of that profession ; — of all which Arise and spring up honor." —Webster. v^m ^^^M J^ <^"TO^^WflE^«it^ ^^^^^m v^^^li i^^^^P^^^a ^W®Uv^^^^^^^^ UUIJL ^f°qvig(C^giB3^y\g^^ M^L^i^^^^^^^^^^Mi ^ THE THREE P's — PUNCTUALITY, PRUDENCE, AND PERSEVERANCE.

' WE take it for granted that, on whatever vocation in life the young man may finally determine, he will desire to be successful in it. And this from no mean motive, but because it is his duty to employ the talents with which God has intrusted him^^to the highest advantage.

Now, success is pos- sible only under certain conditions. You must observe the laws which govern events and direct the fortunes of men. If you seek to ascend a mountain, you are well aware that you must call into requisition certain physical and mental faculties.

And so, if you would ripen into a great scholar, or become a merchant prince, or earn distinction as an engineer, or conquer 7' fame as an artist, ^you must be prepared to bring all your powers into action. J But you must also submit to the necessary train- ing.

It is not so much a question of talent as of morale, you see ; and though it is a good thing to be clever, intelligent, sagacious, it is perhaps better to be industrious, patient, pru- dent. At all events, in profession or trade, there are three principles from which no man can diverge with impunity : the three P's — Punctuality, Prudence, and Perseverance.

A firm adherence to these would save many a life from shipwreck ; 7^ THE THREE P' S. would often save the efforts of years from ultimate calamity. In " business " especially, that is, in commercial and trading transactions, caution, prudence, sagacity, and deliberation, are all described as necessary to success.

Some men, it is true, get rich suddenly ; but the majority do not and cannot storm the citadel of fortune, cannot carry it by a coup-de-main. Napoleon once said, " I have no idea of a merchant's acquiring fortune as a general wins a battle — at a single blow."