East Hartford High School - Janus Yearbook (East Hartford, CT)

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forced to waste time in deciding what to do next, nor to repair damage caused by a Wrong decision. After each fresh dis- couragement the man who gropes his Way along must stop and ask himself if he did right to choose that route. But the man who sees his goal beckoning him on is perhaps prepared for that disaster, perhaps able to figure out its causes and effects. He stops only long enough to correct the fault and presses on toward the shining mark, which is now perceptibly nearer. Some men set themselves such goals which they hope to reach some day. Yet they do not map out ways to attain those marks. The man of this type wanders blindly along the road and does not know when he makes a wrong turning. He is content to let matters take their course in the hope that some day the position he wants will come to him. He uses his vision as a sort of patent medicine cabinet. In it he finds a cure for every fit of discouragement and a shield from every complaint and sneer. Whenever he feels dissatisfied with his present condition, he cheers himself with the thought that some day he will be in a position to command the respect of everyone. Whenever he is asked why he has not gained the position he expected to have, he answers, Just wait until my ship comes in. Some of these men realize that their youthful visions cannot be fulfilled, and they are to them only painful memories. Others continue all their lives to hope and plan fondly toward the same ends. Many attain the business positions they have desired and may feel self-satisfied and complacent, but they have not ful- filled their youthful visions. They have won success in their businesses, but in the struggle to gain that success they have somehow lost sight of the finer parts of the visions they once saw. In the effort to make themselves into successful mag- nates, they have forgotten to make themselves into proper men. Perhaps their good intentions have remained, but they have felt that in trying to reach high positions in their busi- nesses they have Worked too hard to do anything but rest in their leisure hours. Perhaps they have seen .ways to advance their material success that observed the letter of the law but would not have been considered by lovers of fair play. Their success in this and the faint reproaches of their consciences have led them to deride attempts to place ideals above wealth. But these men are not happy. Even if they have the homage of those persons whose respect for a man is in direct propor- tion to his money, they, themselves, know that they are not all they once planned to be. The man who succeeds in fulfilling his vision must never lose sight of his goal. For, to reach it, he must keep on the straight road toward it. To gain the position he wants he must choose the jobs that offer him a chance to learn about it. He must not be turned aside by attractive salaries. To acquire the polish necessary to associate with cultured people on equal terms, he must keep constantly abreast of the world's intellect- ual advance. He must neither depend on what he learned in school nor wait until he has reached the position he desires before learnlng what he wants to know about literature, sci- 23

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science and politics and exert their infiuence to secure the ad- vancement of good men. Almost every one has at some time such a vision. These millions of dreams differ only in minor details. Yet only a small portion of them come true. There is a long road which leads to them, and many drop out along the way. Some men set themselves goals which their natural abilities cannot help them to reach. Some content themselves with dreaming of what they should like to be and made no continuous effort to reach their marks. Others reach the business positions they desire but lose sight of the finer parts of their visions. The man who succeeds in becoming all he wishes to be must first estimate accurately his abilities and his preferences and build his vision upon them as the foundation. By the time he finishes high school he should have at least a general idea of what he is going to do with his future. His Work in high school has shown his capabilities. If he has not chosen a definite position to work up to, he at least knows of a group of occupa- tions which call for somewhat similar qualifications and duties. Of course he wants to rise as high as he can. His future is taking form. He now knows how much further preparation is necessary. As his understanding broadens, he listens more closely to other men's talk and observes more attentively the struggles to make good which are going on around him. At last he comes upon a possibility which makes him stop and think. He considers it and finds it within the range of his abilities. The more he examines it the better he likes it. He develops a real enthusiasm for it. He has seen his vision. He has something to guide him through the years of struggle, to narrow and strengthen his energies, to detach him from the ranks of aimless drifters and to make him a man with a purpose. Some men determine upon offices which require far more ability than they possess to administer successfully. That is where the first men leave the best road. They may discover this and try to be content with lower positions, or they may struggle on as long as they can toward their original goals. In either case they will suffer grief and disappointment. Some have after a fashion visions of what they would like to be, but they are doubtful of their ability to reach their goals. They do not see the end of the road as plainly as they should. They must make their way along slowly and uncertainly. The man who knows where he is headed and why has a great ad- vantage. He puts his whole energy into the attempt to reach the mark he has set, perseveres undiscouraged by the obstacles in the path, and arrives triumphantly at the end. But the man to whom the vision is less bright in the beginning sees it less plainly as the years go on and the difficulties multiply. Eventually he completely loses sight of it and is compelled to set a lower mark to aim at. The enthusiasm of the man who sees his goal plainly enables him to leap over barriers that would stop a man uncertain of his way. The man sure of his destination can make his choice of the ways to reach his goal, can map out each step of the route he selects. He is not 22

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ence, art, and music. He must not allow himself to put off his reading or whatever method he takes of acquiring this knowl- edge. Each time he delays will make it harder, whereas, if he overcomes his reluctance, he will soon be able to find relaxation in it. He wants to reach his goal with unimpaired strength and energy. Then he must keep himself in good physical con- dition as he goes along. If his health is once broken he will have difficulty in building it up again so that he can pursue his way. But if he takes a few simple precautions daily he will have no trouble in that respect. He wants to gain success as a man of clean sportsmanship, of high ideals, such a man that his Maker can look upon the results of His handiwork with approval. Then he must keep his ideals constantly before him and rule his conduct in accordance with them. He must re- fuse opportunities to gain his desired position more quickly if accepting them means sacrificing the finer part of his vision and his manhood. He must be able to endure ridicule, to stand alone, and in the end he will be well repaid. He will be. one of the few who started out who arrived successfully at the end of the road. He will be among the few who have the right to con- sider themselves of this world's elect. Classmates, to-night marks our completion of four happy and profitable years in high school. We are grateful to our parents, who have made it possible, and to our teachers, who have increased its value. Here we have grown able to look upon the world with increasing understanding and to pick out our particular place in it. We have come to the beginning of the long road and have received the equipment that will sup- port us along the way. We are sorry to leave East Hartford High, but the road is before us. From the eminences along the way we will see this school standing at the beginning, and it will always seem beautiful to us. ARTHUR G. RANDALL. Proudly we stand for the school of our land, Our devotion will endure, Tho' we must leave thee, Never we'll g'rieve thee, East Hartford High! Honor be thine forever, Sorrow come near thee never, Thy great name be sure. Here is a toast, Thy good name let us boast, East Hartford will never fail, To thy great splendor, All must surrender, Blue and White, We will bear thy standards high, We will let thy banners fly- Hail to the East Hartford High! Words and Music by E. LOUISA BUSHER. A 24