Self Help | Page 6

none of which, however, were sufficient to damp
his courage or hinder his progress. His life was indeed an eminent
illustration of the truth of the saying, that those who have most to do
and are willing to work, will find the most time. Pierre Ramus was
another man of like character. He was the son of poor parents in
Picardy, and when a boy was employed to tend sheep. But not liking
the occupation he ran away to Paris. After encountering much misery,
he succeeded in entering the College of Navarre as a servant. The
situation, however, opened for him the road to learning, and he shortly
became one of the most distinguished men of his time.
The chemist Vauquelin was the son of a peasant of Saint-Andre-
d'Herbetot, in the Calvados. When a boy at school, though poorly clad,
he was full of bright intelligence; and the master, who taught him to
read and write, when praising him for his diligence, used to say, "Go on,
my boy; work, study, Colin, and one day you will go as well dressed as
the parish churchwarden!" A country apothecary who visited the school,
admired the robust boy's arms, and offered to take him into his
laboratory to pound his drugs, to which Vauquelin assented, in the hope
of being able to continue his lessons. But the apothecary would not
permit him to spend any part of his time in learning; and on
ascertaining this, the youth immediately determined to quit his service.
He therefore left Saint-Andre and took the road for Paris with his
havresac on his back. Arrived there, he searched for a place as
apothecary's boy, but could not find one. Worn out by fatigue and
destitution, Vauquelin fell ill, and in that state was taken to the hospital,
where he thought he should die. But better things were in store for the
poor boy. He recovered, and again proceeded in his search of
employment, which he at length found with an apothecary. Shortly
after, he became known to Fourcroy the eminent chemist, who was so

pleased with the youth that he made him his private secretary; and
many years after, on the death of that great philosopher, Vauquelin
succeeded him as Professor of Chemistry. Finally, in 1829, the electors
of the district of Calvados appointed him their representative in the
Chamber of Deputies, and he re-entered in triumph the village which he
had left so many years before, so poor and so obscure.
England has no parallel instances to show, of promotions from the
ranks of the army to the highest military offices; which have been so
common in France since the first Revolution. "La carriere ouverte aux
talents" has there received many striking illustrations, which would
doubtless be matched among ourselves were the road to promotion as
open. Hoche, Humbert, and Pichegru, began their respective careers as
private soldiers. Hoche, while in the King's army, was accustomed to
embroider waistcoats to enable him to earn money wherewith to
purchase books on military science. Humbert was a scapegrace when a
youth; at sixteen he ran away from home, and was by turns servant to a
tradesman at Nancy, a workman at Lyons, and a hawker of rabbit skins.
In 1792, he enlisted as a volunteer; and in a year he was general of
brigade. Kleber, Lefevre, Suchet, Victor, Lannes, Soult, Massena, St.
Cyr, D'Erlon, Murat, Augereau, Bessieres, and Ney, all rose from the
ranks. In some cases promotion was rapid, in others it was slow. Saint
Cyr, the son of a tanner of Toul, began life as an actor, after which he
enlisted in the Chasseurs, and was promoted to a captaincy within a
year. Victor, Duc de Belluno, enlisted in the Artillery in 1781: during
the events preceding the Revolution he was discharged; but
immediately on the outbreak of war he re- enlisted, and in the course of
a few months his intrepidity and ability secured his promotion as
Adjutant-Major and chief of battalion. Murat, "le beau sabreur," was
the son of a village innkeeper in Perigord, where he looked after the
horses. He first enlisted in a regiment of Chasseurs, from which he was
dismissed for insubordination: but again enlisting, he shortly rose to the
rank of Colonel. Ney enlisted at eighteen in a hussar regiment, and
gradually advanced step by step: Kleber soon discovered his merits,
surnaming him "The Indefatigable," and promoted him to be
Adjutant-General when only twenty-five. On the other hand, Soult {2}
was six years from the date of his enlistment before he reached the rank

of sergeant. But Soult's advancement was rapid compared with that of
Massena, who served for fourteen years before he was made sergeant;
and though he afterwards rose successively, step by step, to the grades
of Colonel, General