By Little and Little
"By little and little I will drive them out." -- Ex. 23:30
The text describes the method by which all the great achievements of mankind have been accomplished. "By little and little"—that is the way nations and cities are built. The great nations and cities of the world did not spring up over night. They are the result of building "by little and little" through many years.
Our great railroad systems and big business enterprises were started on a small scale. "It was "by little and little" that they were built up. The same thing may be said of all the worthwhile things that have been done in the world. Nothing that is really worthwhile is ever achieved in any other way.
This is the method by which success is won. Sometimes it may appear that a man has suddenly attained success, but you will find upon investigation that for a considerable period of time he has been working "by little and little" toward the goal which he has seemingly reached all of a sudden. I have talked with a good many successful men, and they have all told me the same story, that they started at the bottom and worked their way to the top "by little and little."
Here is a lesson which needs to be impressed upon young men starting out in life. The young man who imagines that he can win success by some magical trick, is in for a disappointment. If there is any such trick, I have never heard of it. No matter what trade, profession or business you choose to follow, if you expect to get anywhere, you might as well make up your mind to get down to brass tacks. As the old saying goes, "There is no royal road to success." "By little and little"—that is the road you must travel.
There is another direction in which we should learn to apply this method, and that is in the matter of doing good. Seldom can any of us do a great deal of good all at once. But we can all do good "by little and little." And, if we will learn to do this, and keep it up every day, it will amount to a great deal of good by the time we are through with life.
