282 CHOOSING A bUBJECT. 



lege Commencements for long past years ! Now one and now another 

 theme was adopted and rejected, this one approved and then disapproved, 

 until at last one was fixed upon — and the oration was commenced. Oli, 

 what a burden fell from my shoulders when ihe first sentence was 

 written ! 



Often it is harder to select a subject than to write upon it when cho- 

 sen. But it is not always so. Some subjects strike one as very fine, 

 but when we would write upon them, we find we can do little or no- 

 thing with them. I once thought that I had a magnificent subject for a 

 composition — The Philosophy of Circumstances ; and I sat down to 

 write upon it. I went so far as to quote from Horace : "Et mihi res, 

 non me rebus, subjungere conor" — and there 1 stopped. You may per- 

 haps suppose that the fault was not in the subject. Be it so. Some 

 men do choose subjects beyond their strength : and they and their little 

 ideas are lost in the grandeur of the theme, which they are attempting 

 to handle. College platforms on Commencement days, and other great 

 occasions, have given evidence of this. On the other hand, great minds 

 can often invest little, or trite and seemingly uninteresting themes with 

 charms of irresistible attraction. And some minds are capable of rising 

 to their themes, and with them. We are occasionally astonished to see 

 how a great subject will bear aloft the mind, and give sublimity and elo- 

 quence to the thoughts and expressions of one, whom we have been ac- 

 customed to regard as destined only for humble things. 



You will find it written somewhere — "Dimidium habet qui bene 

 coepit." This is true even when applied to the choice of a subject. He 

 lias made a good beginning, who has selected a good theme. And then, 

 if he has successfully accomplished a few introductory sentences, his 

 way is clear. Let him go onward fearlessly and triumphantly. Here wc 

 may apply the French proverb : "C'est le premier pas qui coute." But 

 this is not always so. Sometimes the struggle must be kept up to the 

 end. It is wise to select a subject which we feel that we are capable of 

 handling with some degree of justice. But if we always attempt easy 

 things we shall never accomplish great things. We must occasionally 

 plume our wings for a higher flight. It is pleasant and easy walking on 

 this smooth plain — but look yonder at that mountain with its lofty peak 

 and rugged sides I There is some exertion necessary to ascend, but 

 there is excitement in the effort, and a bracing of energies, and when 

 you are up there, what a glorious view ! And how proudly and joy- 

 ously your lungs play with the elastic air. Suppose that we have un- 

 dertaken a subject, which seems too great for our powers. Let us not 

 be inuiiediatcly discouraged, nor lay it aside for a more genial moment 



