HOW TO ATTAIN TRUE GREATNESS. 43

 

from them. At last he decided to become
a law student, with the acknowledgment
to himself that he had low and selfish mo-
tives in his mind, but with the determina-
tion to oppose them and put them away
whenever they should arise into activity.
Under this settled principle of action, he
entered upon the study of the profession
he had chosen.

Thus, with two opposite leading motives
did the young men commence life. Let us
see the result of these motives upon their
characters and success after the lapse of ten
years. Let us see which is farthest on the
road to true greatness. Both, in an ardent
and untiring devotion to the duties of their
profession, had already risen to a degree of
eminence, as lawyers, rarely attained under
double the number of years of patient
toil. But there was a difference in the es-
timation in which both were held by those
who could discriminate. And this was ap-
parent in the character of the cases re-
ferred to them. A doubtful case, involving