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one to every member of the class, and that at its close you may 

 be able with satisfaction to look back at the course you have 

 pursued, feeling that your time has been well spent, that true 

 progress has been made, that no opportunities for self-improve- 

 ment have been neglected. For individual gain must always be 

 by the voluntary improvement of self. Teachers are of no 

 avail, institutions are powerless, educational facilities are of no 

 service, unless there is within, the ambition and the determina- 

 tion which stimulates to continued effort. Unless a man real- 

 izes in the truest sense that to raise himself is as much within 

 his power as to debase himself, to correct existing faults as easy 

 as to acquire new ones, and that to develope and strengthen 

 character lies as clearly within the range of his abilities as does 

 the volitional abandonment of high principles, and the giving 

 way to those impulses which spring from the lower nature, ever 

 to be subdued, he will never rightly begin to live, nor achieve 

 that true success which is within his grasp. We must have 

 high ideals and lofty standards, but no mere exercise of the 

 emotions, resulting in spasmodic effort, exhausting itself and 

 speedily relaxed, can take the place of that indwelling con- 

 sciousness of power to govern ourselves, and that confidence in 

 self which, lying deep within the heart, prompt to action and 

 are the inspiration of life. " There is none of the social 

 goods," says Emerson, "that may not be purchased too dear, and 

 mere amiableness must not take rank with high aims and self- 

 subsistency." Self-confidence begets great undertakings and 

 carries them to a successful termination. Without it we are at 

 the mercy of the world, discouraged by failure when we should 

 be borne upward by hope. Strive then to strengthen this confi- 

 dence, which perhaps in no way can so surely be done as by ac- 

 cepting fearlessly the responsibilities which we may be called 

 upon to assume. Excessive physical strength comes often with 

 the need for its exercise, and still more certainly will the m-an 

 willing to rise with the emergency find himself endowed with 

 power to perform the task put upon him. " Act well at the 

 moment," says Lavater, " and you have performed a good ac- 

 tion to all eternity." By timidly holding aloof from the present 

 duty we may miss the golden opportunity, but by courageously 

 putting our shoulder to the wheel when we are called upon to 

 labor we strengthen ourselves for future exertion and achieve 



