,,how ,,to ,,get ,,on ,,in ,,the        
,,world2 or1 ,a ,,ladder ,,to           
,,practical ,,success4  pic  by ,,major 
,a4 ,r4 ,,calhoun4  ,,published ,,by    
,,the ,,christian ,,herald1 ,louis      
,,klopsch1 ,proprietor1 ,,bible ,,house1
 ,,new ,,york4  ,copyright #ahie1 ,,by  
,,louis ,,klopsch4  ,,press ,,and       
,,bindery ,,of ,,historical ,,publishing
 ,,co41 ,,philadelphia4   ,,table ,,of  
,,contents4    ,i4 ,what is ,success8   
,,ii4 ,the ,importance of ,character    
,,iii4 ,home ,influences    ,,iv4       
,association    ,v4 ,courage and        
,determined ,effort    ,,vi4 ,the       
,importance of ,correct ,habits         
,,vii4 ,as to ,marriage    ,,viii4      
,education as ,distinguished from       
,learning    ,,ix ,the ,value of        
,experience    ,x4 ,selecting a ,calling
    ,,xi4 ,we ,must ,help ,ourselves    
,,xii4 ,successful ,farming    ,,xiii4  
,as to ,public ,life    ,,xiv4 ,the     
,need of ,constant ,effort    ,,xv4     
,some of ,labor's ,compensations        

,,xvi4 ,patience and ,perseverance      
,,xvii4 ,success but ,seldom ,accidental
    ,,xviii4 ,cultivate ,observation and
 ,judgment    ,,xix4 ,singleness of     
,purpose    ,,xx4 ,business and ,brains 
,,xxi4 ,put ,money in ,thy ,purse       
,honestly    ,,xxii4 ,a ,sound ,mind in 
a ,sound ,body    ,,xxiii4 ,labor       
,creates the ,only ,true ,nobility      
,,xxiv4 ,the ,successful ,man is        
,self-,made    ,,xxv4 ,unselfishness and
 ,helpfulness    ,,how ,,to ,,get ,,on  
,,in ,,the ,,world    ,,chapter ,i      
,,what ,,is ,,success8  ,it has been    
said that ,nothing ,succeeds ,like      
,success4 ,what is ,success8 ,if we     
consult the dictionaries1 they will give
 us the etymology of this much used     
word1 and in general terms the meaning  
will be the accomplishment of a purpose4
 ,but as the objects in nearly every    
life differ1 so success cannot mean the 
same thing to all men4  ,the artist's   
idea of success is very different from  
that of the business man1 and the       

scientist differs from both1 as does the
 statesman from all three4 ,we read of  
successful gamblers1 burglars or        
freebooters1 but no true success was    
ever won or ever can be won that sets at
 defiance the laws of ,god and man4  ,to
 win1 so that we ourselves and the world
 shall be the better for our having     
lived1 we must begin the struggle1 with 
a high purpose1 keeping ever before our 
minds the characters and methods of the 
noble men who have succeeded along the  
same lines4  ,the young man beginning   
the battle of life should never lose    
sight of the fact that the age of fierce
 competition is upon us1 and that this  
competition must1 in the nature of      
things1 become more and more intense4   
,success grows less and less dependent  
on luck and chance4 ,preparation for the
 chosen field of effort1 an industry    
that increasing1 a hope that never      
flags1 a patience that never grows      
weary1 a courage that never wavers1 all 
these1 and a trust in ,god1 are the     

prime requisites of the man who would   
win in this age of specialists and      
untiring activity4  ,the purpose of this
 work is not to stimulate genius1 for   
genius is law unto itself1 and finds its
 compensation in its own original       
productions4 ,genius has benefited the  
world1 without doubt1 but too often its 
life compensation has been a crust and a
 garret4 ,after death1 in not a few     
cases1 the burial was through charity of
 friends1 and this can hardly be called 
an adequate compensation1 for the       
memorial tablet or monument that        
commemorates a life of privation1 if not
 of absolute wretchedness4  ,it is1     
perhaps1 as well for the world that     
genius is phenomenal2 it is certainly   
well for the world that success is not  
dependent on it1 and that every young   
man1 and young woman too1 blessed with  
good health and a mind capable of       
education1 and principles that are true 
and abiding1 can win the highest        
positions in public and private life1   

and dying leave behind a heritage for   
their children1 and an example for all  
who would prosper along the same lines4 
,and all this with the blessed assurance
 of hearing at last the ,master's words3
 ,well done1 good and faithful servant6 
,whatever your hand finds to do1 do with
 all your might4 ,there is a manly ring 
in this fine injunction1 that stirs like
 a bugle blast4 ,but what can my hands  
find to do8 ,how can ,i win8 ,who will  
tell me the work for which ,i am best   
fitted8 ,where is the kindly guide who  
will point out to me the life path that 
will lead to success8 ,so far as is     
possible it will be the purpose of this 
book to reply fully to these all        
important questions1 and by illustration
 and example to show how others in the  
face of obstacles that would seem       
appalling to the weak and timid1        
carefully and prayerfully prepared      
themselves for what has been aptly      
called the battle of life1 and then in  
the language of ,general ,jackson1      

pitched in to win4  ,a copy line1 in the
 old writing books1 reads1 ,many men of 
many minds4 ,it is this diversity of    
mind1 taste and inclination that opens  
up to us so many fields of effort1 and  
keeps any one calling or profession from
 being crowded by able men4 ,of the     
incompetents and failures1 who crowd    
every field of effort1 we shall have but
 little to say1 for to ,win ,success is 
our watchword4  ,what a great number of 
paths the observant young man sees      
before him6 ,which shall he pursue to   
find it ending in victory8 ,victory when
 the curtain falls on this brief life1  
and a greater victory when the          
death-valley is crossed and the life    
eternal begins8  ,the learned           
professions have widened in their scope 
and number within the past thirty years4
 ,to divinity1 law1 and medicine1 we can
 now add literature1 journalism1        
engineering and all the sciences4 ,even 
art1 as generally understood1 is now    
spoken of as a profession1 and there are

 professors to teach its many branches  
in all the great universities4 ,any one 
of these professions1 if carefully      
mastered and diligently pursued1        
promises fame1 and1 if not fortune1     
certainly a competency1 for the calling 
that does not furnish a competency for a
 man and his family1 can hardly be      
called a success1 no matter the degree  
of fame it brings4  ,since ,adam delved 
and ,eve span1 agriculture has been the 
principal occupation of civilized man4  
,with the advance of chemistry1         
particularly that branch known as       
agricultural chemistry1 farming has     
become more of a science1 and its       
successful pursuit demands not only     
unceasing industry1 but a high degree of
 trained intelligence4 ,of late years   
farming has rather fallen into disrepute
 with ambitious young men1 who long for 
the excitement and greater opportunities
 afforded by our cities2 but success and
 happiness have been achieved in        
farming1 and the opportunities for both 

will increase with proper training and a
 correct appreciation of a farmer's     
life4  ,business is a very comprehensive
 word1 and may properly embrace every   
life-calling2 but in its narrow         
acceptance it is applied to trade1      
commerce and manufactures4 ,it is in    
these three lines of business that men  
have shown the greatest energy and      
enterprise1 and in which they have      
accomplished the greatest material      
success4 ,as a consequence1 eager       
spirits enter these fields1 encouraged  
by the examples of men who from small   
beginnings1 and in the face of obstacles
 that would have daunted less resolute  
men1 became merchant princes and the    
peers of earth's greatest4  ,in the     
selection of your calling do not stand  
hesitating and doubting too long4 ,enter
 somewhere1 no matter how hard or       
uncongenial the work1 do it with all    
your might1 and the effort will         
strengthen you and qualify you to find  
work that is more in accord with your   

talents4  ,bear in mind that the first  
condition of success in every calling1  
is earnest devotion to its requirements 
and duties4 ,this may seem so obvious a 
remark that it is hardly worth making4  
,and yet1 with all its obviousness the  
thing itself is often forgotten by the  
young4 ,they are frequently loath to    
admit the extent and urgency of business
 claims2 and they try to combine with   
these claims1 devotion to some favorite1
 and even it may be conflicting1        
pursuit4 ,such a policy invariably      
fails4 ,we cannot travel every path4    
,success must be won along one line4    
,you must make your business the one    
life purpose to which every other1 save 
religion1 must be subordinate4  ,eternal
 vigilance1 it has been said1 is the    
price of liberty4 ,with equal truth it  
may be said1 ,unceasing effort is the   
price of success4 ,if we do not work    
with our might1 others will2 and they   
will outstrip us in the race1 and pluck 
the prize from our grasp4 ,the race is  

not always to the swift1 nor the battle 
to the strong1 in the race of business  
or in the battle of professional life1  
but usually the swiftest wins the prize1
 and the strongest gains in the strife4 
,,chapter ,,ii  ,,the ,,importance ,,of 
,,character4  ,that ,heaven helps those 
who help themselves1 is a maxim as true 
as it is ancient4 ,the great and        
indispensable help to success is        
character4  ,character is crystallized  
habit1 the result of training and       
conviction4 ,every character is         
influenced by heredity1 environment and 
education2 but these apart1 if every man
 were not to a great extent the         
architect of his own character1 he would
 be a fatalist1 an irresponsible        
creature of circumstances1 which1 even  
the skeptic must confess he is not4 ,so 
long as a man has the power to change   
one habit1 good or bad1 for another1 so 
long he is responsible for his own      
character1 and this responsibility      
continues with life and reason4  ,a man 

may be a graduate of the greatest       
university1 and even a great genius1 and
 yet be a most despicable character4    
,neither ,peter ,cooper1 ,george        
,peabody nor ,andrew ,carnegie had the  
advantage of a college education1 yet   
character made them the world's         
benefactors and more honored than       
princes4  ,you insist1 wrote ,perthes to
 a friend1 on respect for learned men4  
,i say1 ,amen6 ,but at the same time1   
don't forget that largeness of mind1    
depth of thought1 appreciation of the   
lofty1 experience of the world1 delicacy
 of manner1 tact and energy in action1  
love of truth1 honesty1 and             
amiability--that all these may be       
wanting in a man who may yet be very    
learned4  ,when someone in ,sir ,walter 
,scott's hearing made a remark as to the
 value of literary talents and          
accomplishments1 as if they were above  
all things to be esteemed and honored1  
he observed1 ,god help us6 ,what a poor 
world this would be if that were the    

true doctrine6 ,i have read books       
enough1 and observed and conversed with 
enough of eminent and                   
splendidly-cultured minds1 too1 in my   
time2 but ,i assure you1 ,i have heard  
higher sentiments from the lips of the  
poor uneducated men and women1 when     
exerting the spirit of severe1 yet      
gentle heroism under difficulties and   
afflictions1 or speaking their simple   
thoughts as to circumstances in the lot 
of friends and neighbors1 than ,i ever  
yet met with out of the ,bible4  ,in the
 affairs of life or of business1 it is  
not intellect that tells so much as     
character--not brains so much as        
heart--not genius so much as            
self-control1 patience1 and discipline1 
regulated by judgment4 ,hence there is  
no better provision for the uses of     
either private or public life1 than a   
fair share of ordinary good sense guided
 by rectitude4 ,good sense1 disciplined 
by experience and inspired by goodness1 
issued in practical wisdom4 ,indeed1    

goodness in a measure implies           
wisdom--the highest wisdom--the union of
 the worldly with the spiritual4 ,the   
correspondences of wisdom and goodness1 
says ,sir ,henry ,taylor1 are manifold2 
and that they will accompany each other 
is to be inferred1 not only because     
men's wisdom makes them good1 but       
because their goodness makes them wise4 
,the best sort of character1 however1   
can not be formed without effort4 ,there
 needs the exercise of constant         
self-watchfulness1 self-discipline1 and 
self-control4 ,there may be much        
faltering1 stumbling1 and temporary     
defeat2 difficulties and temptations    
manifold to be battled with and         
overcome2 but if the spirit be strong   
and the heart be upright1 no one need   
despair of ultimate success4 ,the very  
effort to advance--to arrive at a higher
 standard of character than we have     
reached--is inspiring and invigorating2 
and even though we may fall short of it1
 we can not fail to be improved by every

 honest effort made in an upward        
direction4  ,instead of saying that man 
is the creature of circumstance1 it     
would be nearer the mark to say that man
 is the architect of circumstance4 ,it  
is character which builds an existence  
out of circumstance4 ,our strength is   
measured by our plastic power4 ,from the
 same materials one man builds palaces1 
another hovels2 one warehouses1 another 
villas4 ,bricks and mortar are mortar   
and bricks1 until the architect can make
 them something else4 ,thus it is that  
in the same family1 in the same         
circumstances1 one man rears a stately  
edifice1 while his brother1 vacillating 
and incompetent1 lives forever amid     
ruins2 the block of granite which was an
 obstacle on the pathway of the weak1   
becomes a stepping-stone on the pathway 
of the strong4  ,when the elements of   
character are brought into action by    
determinate will1 and influenced by high
 purpose1 man enters upon and           
courageously perseveres in the path of  

duty1 at whatever cost of worldly       
interest1 he may be said to approach the
 summit of his being4 ,he then exhibits 
character in its most intrepid form1 and
 embodies the highest idea of manliness4
 ,the acts of such a man become repeated
 in the life and action of others4 ,his 
very words live and become actions4     
,thus every word of ,luther's rang      
through ,germany like a trumpet4 ,as    
,richter said of him1 ,his words were   
half-battles4 ,and thus ,luther's life  
became transfused into the life of his  
country1 and still lives in the         
character of modern ,germany4  ,speaking
 of the courageous character of ,john   
,knox1 ,carlyle says1 with              
characteristic force3 ,honor to all the 
brave and true2 everlasting honor to    
,john ,knox1 one of the truest of the   
true6 ,that1 in the moment while he and 
his cause1 amid civil broils1 in        
convulsion and confusion1 were still but
 struggling for life1 he sent the       
schoolmaster forth to all comers1 and   

said1 ',let the people be taught2' this 
is but one1 and1 indeed1 an inevitable  
and comparatively inconsiderable item in
 his great message to men4 ,this        
message1 in its true compass1 was1 ',let
 men know that they are men2 created by 
,god1 responsible to ,god2 whose work in
 any meanest moment of time what will   
last through eternity4'  4 4 4 ,this    
great message ,knox did deliver1 with a 
man's voice and strength1 and found a   
people to believe him4 ,of such an      
achievement1 were it to be made once    
only1 the results are immense4 ,thought1
 in such a country1 may change its form1
 but cannot go out2 the country has     
attained majority2 thought1 and a       
certain spiritual manhood1 ready for all
 work that man can do1 endures there4   
,the ,scotch national1 character        
originated in many circumstances2 first 
of all1 in the ,saxon stuff there was to
 work on2 but next1 and beyond all else 
except that1 in the ,presbyterian       
,gospel of ,john ,knox4  ,washington    

left behind him1 as one of the greatest 
treasures of his country1 the example of
 a stainless life--of a great1 honest1  
pure1 and noble character--a model for  
his nation to form themselves by in all 
time to come4 ,and in the case of       
,washington1 as in so many other great  
leaders of men1 his greatness did not so
 much consist in his intellect1 his     
skill and his genius1 as in his honor1  
his integrity1 his truthfulness1 his    
high and controlling sense of duty--in a
 word1 in his genuine nobility of       
character4  ,men such as these are the  
true life-blood of the country to which 
they belong4 ,they elevate and uphold   
it1 fortify and ennoble it1 and shed a  
glory over it by the example of life and
 character which they have bequeathed4  
,the names and memories of great men1   
says an able writer1 are the dowry of a 
nation4 ,widowhood1 overthrow1          
desertion1 even slavery cannot take away
 from her this sacred inheritance 4 4 4 
,whenever national life begins to       

quicken 4 4 4 the dead heroes rise in   
the memories of men1 and appear to the  
living to stand by in solemn            
spectatorship and approval4 ,no country 
can be lost which feels herself         
overlooked by such glorious witnesses4  
,they are the salt of the earth1 in     
death as well as in life4 ,what they did
 once1 their descendants have still and 
always a right to do after them2 and    
their example lives in their country1 a 
continual stimulant and encouragement   
for him who has the soul to adopt it4   
,it would be well for every young man1  
eager for success and anxious to form a 
character that will achieve it1 to      
commit to memory the advice of ,bishop  
,middleton3  ,persevere against         
discouragements4 ,keep your temper4     
,employ leisure in study1 and always    
have some work in hand4 ,be punctual and
 methodical in business1 and never      
procrastinate4 ,never be in a hurry4    
,preserve self-possession1 and do not be
 talked out of a conviction4 ,rise      

early1 and be an economist of time4     
,maintain dignity without the appearance
 of pride2 manner is something with     
everybody1 and everything with some4 ,be
 guarded in discourse1 attentive1 and   
slow to speak4 ,never acquiesce in      
immoral or pernicious opinions4  ,be not
 forward to assign reasons to those who 
have no right to ask4 ,think nothing in 
conduct unimportant or indifferent4     
,rather set than follow examples4       
,practice strict temperance2 and in all 
your transactions remember the final    
account4    ,,chapter ,,iii  ,,home     
,,influences4  ,a careful preparation is
 half the battle4 ,everything depends on
 a good start and the right road4 ,to   
retrace one's steps is to lose not only 
time but confidence4 ,be sure you are   
right then go ahead was the motto of the
 famous frontiersman1 ,davy ,crockett1  
and it is one that every young man can  
adopt with safety4  ,bear in mind there 
is often a great distinction between    
character and reputation4 ,reputation is

 what the world believes us for the     
time2 character is what we truly are4   
,reputation and character may be in     
harmony1 but they frequently are as     
opposite as light and darkness4 ,many a 
scoundrel has had a reputation for      
nobility1 and men of the noblest        
characters have had reputations that    
relegated them to the ranks of the      
depraved1 in their day and generation4  
,it is most desirable to have a good    
reputation4 ,the good opinion of our    
associates and acquaintances is not to  
be despised1 but every man should see to
 it that the reputation is deserved1    
otherwise his life is false1 and sooner 
or later he will stand discovered before
 the world4  ,sudden success makes      
reputation1 as it is said to make       
friends2 but very often adversity is the
 best test of character as it is of     
friendship4  ,it is the principle for   
which the soldier fights that makes him 
a hero1 not necessarily his success4 ,it
 is the motive that ennobles all effort4

 ,selfishness may prosper1 but it cannot
 win the enduring success that is based 
on the character with a noble purpose   
behind it4 ,this purpose is one of the  
guards in times of trouble and the      
reason for rejoicing in the day of      
triumph4  ,why should ,i toil and slave1
 many a young man has asked1 when ,i    
have only myself to live for8 ,god help 
the man who has neither mother1 sister  
nor wife to struggle for and who does   
not feel that toil and the building up  
of character bring their own reward4    
,the home feeling should be encouraged  
for it is one of the greatest incentives
 to effort4 ,if the young man have not  
parents or brothers and sisters to keep1
 or if he find himself limited in his   
leisure hours to the room of a boarding 
house1 then if he can at all afford it1 
he should marry a help-meet and found a 
home of his own4 ,i was very poor at the
 time1 said a great ,new ,york          
publisher1 but regarding it simply from 
a business standpoint1 the best move ,i 

ever made in my life was to get married4
 ,instead of increasing my expense's as 
,i feared1 ,i took a most valuable      
partner into the business1 and she not  
only made a home for me1 but she        
surrendered to me her well-earned share 
of the profits4  ,a wise marriage is    
most assuredly an influence that helps4 
,every young man who loves his mother1  
if living1 or reveres her memory if     
dead1 must recall with feelings of holy 
emotion1 his own home4 ,blest1 indeed is
 he1 over whom the influence of a good  
home continues4  ,home is the first and 
most important school of character4 ,it 
is there that every civilized being     
receives his best moral training1 or his
 worst2 for it is there that he imbibes 
those principles that endure through    
manhood and cease only with life4  ,it  
is a common saying that ,manners make   
the man2 and there is a second1 that    
,mind makes the man2 but truer than     
either is a third1 that ,home makes the 
man4 ,for the home-training not only    

includes manners and mind1 but          
character4 ,it is mainly in the home    
that the heart is opened1 the habits are
 formed1 the intellect is awakened1 and 
character moulded for good or for evil4 
,from that source1 be it pure or impure1
 issue the principles and maxims that   
govern society4 ,law itself is but the  
reflex of homes4 ,the tiniest bits of   
opinion sown in the minds of children in
 private life afterward issue forth to  
the world1 and become its public        
opinion2 for nations are gathered out of
 nurseries1 and they who hold the       
leading strings of children may even    
exercise a greater power than those who 
wield the reins of government4  ,it is  
in the order of nature that domestic    
life should be preparatory to social1   
and that the mind and character should  
first be formed in the home4 ,there the 
individuals who afterward form society  
are dealt with in detail1 and fashioned 
one by one4 ,from the family they enter 
life1 and advance from boyhood to       

citizenship4 ,thus the home may be      
regarded as the most influential school 
of civilization4 ,for1 after all1       
civilization mainly resolves itself into
 a question of individual training2 and 
according as the respective members of  
society are well or ill trained in      
youth1 so will the community which they 
constitute be more or less humanized and
 civilized4  ,thus homes1 which are the 
nurseries of children who grow up into  
men and women1 will be good or bad      
according to the power that governs     
them4 ,where the spirit of love and duty
 pervades the home--where head and heart
 bear rule wisely there--where the daily
 life is honest and virtuous--where the 
government is sensible1 kind and loving1
 then may we expect from such a home an 
issue of healthy1 useful1 and happy     
beings1 capable1 as they gain the       
requisite strength of following the     
footsteps of their parents1 of walking  
uprightly1 governing themselves wisely1 
and contributing to the welfare of those

 about them4  ,on the other hand1 if    
surrounded by ignorance1 coarseness1 and
 selfishness1 they will unconsciously   
assume the same character1 and grow up  
to adult years rude1 uncultivated1 and  
all the more dangerous to society if    
placed amidst the manifold temptations  
of what is called civilized life4 ,give 
your child to be educated by a slave1   
said an ancient ,greek1 and1 instead of 
one slave1 you will then have two4  ,the
 child cannot help imitating what he    
sees4 ,everything is to him a model--of 
manner1 of gesture1 of speech1 of habit1
 of character4 ,for the child1 says     
,richter1 the most important era of life
 is childhood1 when he begins to color  
and mould himself by companionship with 
others4 ,every new educator effects less
 than his predecessor2 until at last1 if
 we regard all life as an educational   
institution1 a circumnavigator of the   
world is less influenced by all the     
nations he has seen than by his nurse4  
,no man can select his parents or make  

for himself the early environment that  
affects character so powerfully1 but he 
can found a home no matter how humble1  
at the outset1 that will make his own   
future secure1 as well as the future of 
those for whose existence he is         
responsible4  ,the poorest dwelling1    
presided over by a virtuous1 thrifty1   
cheerful1 and cleanly woman1 may be the 
abode of comfort1 virtue1 and happiness2
 it may be the scene of every ennobling 
relation in family life2 it may be      
endeared to a man by many delightful    
associations2 furnishing a sanctuary for
 the heart1 a refuge from the storms of 
life1 a sweet resting-place after labor1
 a consolation in misfortune1 a pride in
 prosperity1 and a joy at all times4    
,the good home is the best of schools1  
not only in youth but in age4 ,there    
young and old best learn cheerfulness1  
patience1 self-control and the spirit of
 service and of duty4 ,isaak ,walton1   
speaking of ,george ,herbert's mother1  
says she governed the family with       

judicious care1 not rigidly nor sourly1 
but with such a sweetness and compliance
 with the recreations and pleasures of  
youth1 as did incline them to spend much
 of their time in her company1 which was
 to her great content4  ,the home is the
 true school of courtesy1 of which woman
 is always the best practical           
instructor4 ,without woman1 says the    
,provencal proverb1 men were but        
ill-licked cubs4 ,philanthropy radiates 
from the home as from a centre4 ,to love
 the little platoon we belong to in     
society1 said ,burke is the germ of all 
public affections4 ,the wisest and the  
best have not been ashamed to own it to 
be their greatest joy and happiness to  
sit behind the heads of the children in 
the inviolable circle of home4 ,a life  
of purity and duty there is not the     
least effectual preparative for a life  
of public work and duty2 and the man who
 loves his home will not the less fondly
 love and serve his country4  ,at an    
address before a girls' school in       

,boston1 ex-,president ,john ,quincy    
,adams1 then an old man1 said with much 
feeling3 ,as a child ,i enjoyed perhaps 
the greatest of blessings that can be   
bestowed upon man--that of a mother who 
was anxious and capable to form the     
characters of her children rightly4     
,from her ,i derived whatever           
instruction 7religious especially and   
moral7 has pervaded a long life--,i will
 not say perfectly1 or as it ought to   
be2 but ,i will say1 because it is only 
justice to the memory of her ,i revere1 
that in the course of that life1        
whatever imperfection there has been or 
deviation from what she taught me1 the  
fault is mine and not hers4  ,so much   
depends on the home1 for it is the      
corner-stone of society and good        
government1 that it is to be regretted1 
for the sake of young women1 as well as 
of young men1 that our modern life      
offers so many opportunities to neglect 
it4  ,as the home affects the character 
entirely through the associations1 it   

follows that the young man who has left 
his home behind him should continue the 
associations whose memories comfort him4
 ,he should never go to a place for     
recreation where he would not be willing
 and proud to take his mother on his    
arm4 ,he should never have as friends   
men to whom he would not be willing1 if 
need be1 to introduce his sister4       
,these are among the influences that    
help to success4 ,but association is a  
matter of such great importance as to   
deserve fuller treatment4    ,,chapter  
,,iv  ,,association4  ,the old proverb1 
,tell me your company and ,i will tell  
you what you are1 is as true to-day as  
when first uttered4 ,in the preparation 
for success1 association is one of the  
most powerful factors1 so powerful1     
indeed1 that if the associations are not
 of the right kind1 failure is          
inevitable4  ,as one diseased sheep may 
contaminate a flock1 so one evil        
associate-- particularly if he be       
daring1 may seriously injure the morals 

of many4 ,every young man can recall the
 evil influence of one bad boy on a     
whole school1 but he cannot so readily  
point to the schoolmate1 whose example  
and influence were for good2 because    
goodness1 though more potent1 never     
makes itself so conspicuous as vice4    
,criminals1 preparing for the scaffold1 
have confessed that their entrance into 
a life of crime began in early youth1   
when the audacity of some unprincipled  
associate tempted them from the ways of 
innocence4 ,through all the years of    
life1 even to old age1 the life and     
character are influenced by association4
 ,if this be true in the case of the    
more mature and experienced1 its force  
is intensified where the young1         
imaginative and susceptible1 are        
concerned4  ,man is said to be an       
imitative animal4 ,this is certainly    
true as to early education1 and the     
tendency to imitate remains to a greater
 or less extent throughout life4        
,imitation is responsible for all the   

queer changes of fashion2 and the desire
 to be in the swim1 as it is called1 is 
entirely due to association4  ,in school
 days1 the influence of a good home may 
counteract the effect of evil           
associates1 whom the boy meets          
occasionally1 but when the boy has grown
 to manhood1 and finds himself battling 
with the world1 away from home and      
well-tried friends1 it is then that he  
is in the greatest danger from          
pernicious associates4  ,the young man  
who comes to the city to seek his       
fortune is more apt to be the victim of 
vile associates than the city raised    
youth whose experience of men is larger1
 and who is fortunate in his            
companionship4 ,the farmer's son1 who   
finds himself for the first time in a   
great city--alone and comparatively     
friendless1 appears to himself to have  
entered a new world1 as in truth he has4
 ,the crowds of hurrying1 well-dressed  
people impress him forcibly as compared 
with his own clumsy gait1 and roughly   

clad figure4 ,the noise confuses him4   
,the bustle of commerce amazes him2 and 
for the time he is as desolate in       
feeling as if he were in the centre of a
 desert1 instead of in the throbbing    
heart of a great city4  ,no matter how  
blessed with physical and mental        
strength the young man may be1 under    
these circumstances he is very apt1 for 
the time at least1 to underestimate his 
own strength4 ,he is powerfully         
impressed by what he deems the smartness
 or the superior manners of those whom  
he meets in his boarding house1 or with 
whom he is associated in his business1  
say in a great mercantile establishment4
 ,it requires a great deal of moral     
courage for him to bear in a manly way  
the ridicule1 covert or open1 of the    
companions who regard him as a hay-seed 
or a greenhorn4 ,his ,sunday clothes1   
which he wore with pride when he        
attended meeting with his mother1 he is 
apt to regard with a feeling of         
mortification2 and1 perhaps1 he secretly

 determines to dress as well as do his  
companions when he has saved enough     
money4  ,this is a crucial period in the
 life of every young man who is entering
 on a business career1 and particularly 
so to him coming from the rural regions4
 ,he finds1 perhaps1 that his associates
 smoke or drink1 or both2 things which  
he has hitherto regarded with horror4   
,he finds1 too1 they are in the habit of
 resorting to places of amusement1 the  
splendor and mysteries of which arouse  
his curiosity1 if not envy1 as he hears 
them discussed4  ,before leaving home1  
and while his mother's arms were still  
about him1 he promised her to be moral  
and industrious1 to write regularly1 and
 to do nothing which she would not      
approve4 ,if he had the right stuff in  
him1 he would adhere manfully to the    
resolution made at the beginning2 but1  
if he be weak or is tempted by false    
pride1 or a prurient curiosity to see   
the town1 he is tottering on the edge of
 a precipice and his failure1 if not    

sudden1 is sure to come in time4        
,cities are represented to be centres of
 vice1 and it cannot be denied that the 
temptations in such places are much     
greater than on a farm or in a quiet    
country village1 but at the same time1  
cities are centres of wealth and        
cultivation1 places where philanthropy  
is alive and where organized effort has 
provided places of instruction and      
amusement for all young men1 but        
particularly for that large class of    
youths who come from the country to seek
 their fortunes4 ,churches abound1 and  
in connection with them there are       
societies of young people1 organized for
 good work1 which are ever ready1 with  
open arms1 to welcome the young         
stranger4 ,then1 in all our cities and  
towns1 there are to be found1 branches  
of that most admirable institution1 the 
,young ,men's ,christian ,association4  
,not only are there companions to be met
 in these associations of the very best 
kind1 but the buildings are usually     

fitted up with appliances for the       
improvement of mind and body4 ,here are 
gymnasiums1 where strength and grace can
 be cultivated under the direction of   
competent teachers4 ,here are to be     
found well organized libraries4 ,here1  
particularly in the winter season1 there
 are classes where all the branches of a
 high school are taught2 and there are  
frequent lectures on all subjects of    
interest by the foremost teachers of the
 land4  ,if the young man falls under   
these influences1 and he will experience
 not the slightest difficulty in doing  
so2 indeed1 he will find friendly hands 
extended to welcome and to help1 the    
result on his character must be most    
beneficial4 ,the clumsiness of rural    
life will soon depart2 he will regard   
his home-made suit with as much pleasure
 as if it were made by a fashionable    
tailor1 and he will soon learn to       
distinguish between the vicious and the 
virtuous1 while he imitates the one and 
regards the other with indifference or  

contempt4  ,next to the association of  
companions met in every day life nothing
 so powerfully influences the character 
of the young as association with good   
books1 particularly those that relate to
 the lives of men who have struggled up 
to honor from small beginnings4  ,with  
such associations1 and a capacity for   
honest persistent work1 success is      
assured at the very threshold of effort4
    ,,chapter ,v  ,,courage ,,and       
,,determined ,,effort4  ,carlyle has    
said that the first requisite to success
 is carefully to find your life work and
 then bravely to carry it out4 ,no      
soldier ever won a succession of        
triumphs1 and no business man1 no matter
 how successful in the end1 who did not 
find his beginning slow1 arduous and    
discouraging4 ,courage is a prime       
essential to prosperity4 ,the young     
man's progress may be slow in comparison
 with his ambition1 but if he keeps a   
brave heart and sticks persistently to  
it1 he will surely succeed in the end4  

,the forceful1 energetic character1 like
 the forceful soldier on the            
battle-field1 not only moves forward to 
victory himself1 but his example has a  
stimulating influence on others4        
,energy of character has always a power 
to evoke energy in others4 ,it acts     
through sympathy1 one of the most       
influential of human agencies4 ,the     
zealous1 energetic man unconsciously    
carries others along with him4 ,his     
example is contagious and compels       
imitation4 ,he exercises a sort of      
electric power1 which sends a thrill    
through every fibre1 flows into the     
nature of those about him1 and makes    
them give out sparks of fire4  ,dr4     
,arnold's biographer1 speaking of the   
power of this kind exercised by him over
 young men1 says3 ,it was not so much an
 enthusiastic admiration for true       
genius1 or learning1 or eloquence1 which
 stirred the heart within them2 it was a
 sympathetic thrill1 caught from a      
spirit that was earnestly at work in the

 world--whose work was healthy1         
sustained and constantly carried forward
 in the fear of ,god--a work that was   
founded on a deep sense of its duty and 
its value4  ,the beginner should        
carefully study the lives of men whose  
undaunted courage has won in the face of
 obstacles that would cow weaker        
natures4  ,it is in the season of youth1
 while the character is forming1 that   
the impulse to admire is the greatest4  
,as we advance in life we crystallize   
into habit and ,nil admirari too often  
becomes our motto4 ,it is well to       
encourage the admiration of great       
characters while the nature is plastic  
and open to impressions2 for if the good
 are not admired--as young men will have
 their heroes of some sort-- most       
probably the great bad may be taken by  
them for models4 ,hence it always       
rejoiced ,dr4 ,arnold to hear his pupils
 expressing admiration of great deeds1  
or full of enthusiasm for persons or    
even scenery4  ,i believe1 said he1 that

 ',nil admirari' is the devil's favorite
 text2 and he could not choose a better 
to introduce his pupils into the more   
esoteric parts of his doctrine4 ,and    
therefore ,i have always looked upon a  
man infected with the disorder of       
anti-romance as one who has lost the    
finest part of his nature and his best  
protection against everything low and   
foolish4  ,great men have evoked the    
admiration of kings1 popes and emperors4
 ,francis de ,medicis never spoke to    
,michael ,angelo without uncovering1 and
 ,julius ,,iii made him sit by his side 
while a dozen cardinals were standing4  
,charles ,v made way for ,titian2 and   
one day when the brush dropped from the 
painter's hand1 ,charles stooped and    
picked it up1 saying1 ,you deserve to be
 served by an emperor4  ,bear in mind   
that nothing so discourages or unfits a 
man for an effort as idleness4          
,idleness1 says ,burton1 in that        
delightful old book ,the ,anatomy of    
,melancholy1 is the bane of body and    

mind1 the nurse of naughtiness1 the     
chief mother of all mischief1 one of the
 seven deadly sins1 the devil's cushion1
 his pillow and chief reposal 4 4 4 ,an 
idle dog will be mangy2 and how shall an
 idle person escape8 ,idleness of the   
mind is much worse than that of the     
body2 wit1 without employment1 is a     
disease--the rust of the soul1 a plague1
 a hell itself4 ,as in a standing pool1 
worms and filthy creepers increase1 so  
do evil and corrupt thoughts in an idle 
person2 the soul is contaminated 4 4 4  
,thus much ,i dare boldly say3 he or she
 that is idle1 be they of what condition
 they will1 never so rich1 so well      
allied1 fortunate1 happy--let them have 
all things in abundance1 all felicity   
that heart can wish and desire1 all     
contentment--so long as he1 or she1 or  
they1 are idle1 they shall never be     
pleased1 never well in body or mind1 but
 weary still1 sickly still1 vexed still1
 loathing still1 weeping1 sighing1      
grieving1 suspecting1 offended with the 

world1 with every object1 wishing       
themselves gone or dead1 or else carried
 away with some foolish fantasy or      
other44  ,barton says a great deal more 
to the same effect4  ,it has been truly 
said that to desire to possess without  
being burdened by the trouble of        
acquiring is as much a sign of weakness 
as to recognize that everything worth   
having is only to be got by paying its  
price is the prime secret of practical  
strength4 ,even leisure cannot be       
enjoyed unless it is won by effort4 ,if 
it have not been earned by work1 the    
price has not been paid for it4  ,but   
apart from the supreme satisfaction of  
winning1 the effort required to         
accomplish anything is ennobling1 and1  
if there were no other success it would 
be its own reward4  ,i don't believe1   
said ,lord ,stanley1 in an address to   
the young men of ,glasgow1 that an      
unemployed man1 however amiable and     
otherwise respectable1 ever was1 or ever
 can be1 really happy4 ,as work is our  

life1 show me what you can do1 and ,i   
will show you what you are4 ,i have     
spoken of love of one's work as the best
 preventive of merely low and vicious   
tastes4 ,i will go farther and say that 
it is the best preservative against     
petty anxieties and the annoyances that 
arise out of indulged self-love4 ,men   
have thought before now that they could 
take refuge from trouble and vexation by
 sheltering themselves1 as it wore1 in a
 world of their own4 ,the experiment has
 often been tried and always with one   
result4 ,you cannot escape from anxiety 
or labor--it is the destiny of humanity 
4 4 4 ,those who shirk from facing      
trouble find that trouble comes to them4
  ,the early teachers of ,christianity  
ennobled the lot of toil by their       
example4 ',he that will not work1' said 
,st4 ,paul1 'neither shall he eat2' and 
he glorified himself in that he had     
labored with his hands and had not been 
chargeable to any man4 ,when ,st4       
,boniface landed in ,britain1 he came   

with a gospel in one hand1 and a        
carpenter's rule in the other2 and from 
,england he afterward passed over into  
,germany1 carrying thither the art of   
building4 ,luther also1 in the midst of 
a multitude of other employments1 worked
 diligently for a living1 earning his   
bread by gardening1 building1 turning1  
and even clock-making4  ,coleridge has  
truly observed1 that if the idle are    
described as killing time1 the          
methodical man may be justly said to    
call it into life and moral being1 while
 he makes it the distinct object1 not   
only of the consciousness1 but of the   
conscience4 ,he organizes the hours and 
gives them a soul2 and by that1 the very
 essence of which is to fleet and to    
have been1 he communicates an           
imperishable and spiritual nature4 ,of  
the good and faithful servant1 whose    
energies thus directed are thus         
methodized1 it is less truly affirmed   
that he lives in time than that time    
lives in him4 ,his days and months and  

years1 as the stops and punctual marks  
in the record of duties performed1 will 
survive the wreck of worlds1 and remain 
extant when time itself shall be no     
more4  ,washington1 also1 was an        
indefatigable man of business4 ,from his
 boyhood he diligently trained himself  
in habits of application1 of study and  
of methodical work4 ,his manuscript     
school-books1 which are still preserved1
 show that1 as early as the age of      
thirteen1 he occupied himself           
voluntarily1 in copying out such things 
as forms of receipts1 notes of hand1    
bills of exchange1 bonds1 indentures1   
leases1 land warrants and other dry     
documents1 all written out with great   
care4 ,and the habits which lie thus    
early acquired were1 in a great measure 
the foundation of those admirable       
business qualities which he afterward so
 successfully brought to bear in the    
affairs of the government4  ,the man or 
woman who achieves success in the       
management of any great affair of       

business is entitled to honor--it may   
be1 to as much as the artist who paints 
a picture1 or the author who writes a   
book1 or the soldier who wins a battle4 
,their success may have been gained in  
the face of as great difficulties1 and  
after as great struggles2 and where they
 have won their battle it is at least a 
peaceful one and there is no blood on   
their hands4  ,courage1 combined with   
energy and perseverance1 will overcome  
difficulties apparently insurmountable4 
,it gives force and impulse to effort   
and does not permit it to retreat4      
,tyndall said of ,faraday1 that in his  
warm moments he formed a resolution and 
in his cool ones he made that resolution
 good4 ,perseverance1 working in the    
right direction1 grows with time and    
when steadily practiced1 even by the    
most humble1 will rarely fail of its    
reward4 ,trusting in the help of others 
is of comparatively little use4 ,when   
one of ,michael ,angelo's principal     
patrons died1 he said3 ,i begin to      

understand the promises of the world are
 for the most part vain phantoms and    
that to confide in one's self and become
 something of worth and value is the    
best and safest course4  ,it ought to be
 a first principle1 in beginning life to
 do with earnestness what we have got to
 do4 ,if it is worth doing at all1 it is
 worth doing earnestly4 ,if it is to be 
done well at all it must be done with   
purpose and devotion4  ,whatever may be 
our profession1 let us mark all its     
bearings and details1 its principles1   
its instruments1 its applications4      
,there is nothing about it should escape
 our study4 ,there is nothing in it     
either too high or too low for our      
observation and knowledge4 ,while we    
remain ignorant of any part of it1 we   
are so far crippled in its use2 we are  
liable to be taken at a disadvantage4   
,this may be the very point the         
knowledge of which is most needed in    
some crisis1 and those versed in it will
 take the lead1 while we must be content

 to follow at a distance4  ,our         
business1 in short1 must be the main    
drain of our intellectual activities day
 by day4 ,it is the channel we have     
chosen for them they must follow in it  
with a diffusive energy1 filling every  
nook and corner4 ,this is a fair test of
 professional earnestness4 ,when we find
 our thoughts running after our         
business1 and fixing themselves with a  
familiar fondness upon its details1 we  
may be pretty sure of our way4 ,when we 
find them running elsewhere and only    
resorting with difficulty to the channel
 prepared for them1 we may be equally   
sure we have taken a wrong turn4 ,we    
cannot be earnest about anything which  
does not naturally and strongly engage  
our thoughts4    ,,chapter ,,vi  ,,the  
,,importance ,,of ,,correct ,,habits4   
,as has been stated1 habit is the basis 
of character4 ,habit is the persistent  
repetition of acts physical1 mental1 and
 moral4 ,no matter how much thought and 
ability a young man may have1 failure is

 sure to follow bad habits4 ,while      
correct habits depend largely on self-  
discipline1 and often on self-denial1   
bad habits1 like pernicious weeds1      
spring up unaided and untrained to choke
 out the plants of virtue4 ,it is easy  
to destroy the seed at the beginning1   
but its growth is so rapid1 that its    
evil effects may not be perceptible till
 the roots have sapped every desirable  
plant about it4  ,no sane youth ever    
started out with the resolve to be a    
thief1 a tramp1 or a drunkard4 ,yet it  
is the slightest deviation from honesty 
that makes the first4 ,it is the first  
neglect of a duty that makes the second4
 ,and it is the first intoxicating glass
 that makes the third4 ,it is so easy   
not to begin1 but the habit once formed 
and the man is a slave1 bound with      
galling1 cankering chains1 and the      
strength of will having been destroyed1 
only ,god's mercy can cast them off4    
,next to the moral habits that are the  
cornerstone of every worthy character1  

the habit of industry should be ranked4 
,in this day and generation1 there is a 
wild desire on the part of young men to 
leap into fortune at a bound1 to reach  
the top of the ladder of success without
 carefully climbing the rounds1 but no  
permanent prosperity was ever gained in 
this way4  ,there have been men1 who    
through chance1 or that form of         
speculation1 that is legalized gambling1
 have made sudden fortunes2 but as a    
rule these fortunes have been lost in   
the effort to double them by the quick  
and speculative process4  ,betters and  
gamblers usually die poor4 ,but even    
where young men have made a lucky       
stroke1 the result is too often a       
misfortune4 ,they neglect the necessary1
 persistent effort4 ,the habit of       
industry is ignored4 ,work becomes      
distasteful1 and the life is wrecked1   
looking for chances that never come4    
,there have been exceptional cases1     
where men of immoral habits1 but with   
mental force and unusual opportunities  

have won fortunes4 ,some of these will  
come to the reader's mind at once1 but  
he will be forced to confess that he    
would not give up his manhood and       
comparative poverty1 in exchange for    
such material success4  ,the best       
equipment a young man can have for the  
battle of life is a conscience void of  
offense1 sound common sense1 and good   
health4 ,too much importance cannot be  
attached to health4 ,it is a blessing we
 do not prize till it is gone4 ,some are
 naturally delicate and some are        
naturally strong1 but by habit the      
health of the vigorous may be ruined1   
and by opposite habits the delicate may 
be made healthful and strong4  ,no      
matter the prospects and promises of    
overwork1 it is a species of suicide to 
continue it at the expense of health4   
,good men in every department and       
calling1 stimulated by zeal and an      
ambition commendable in itself1 have    
worked till the vital forces were       
exhausted1 and so were compelled to stop

 all effort in the prime of life and on 
the threshold of success4  ,the best    
preservers of health are regularity in  
correct hygienic habits1 and strict     
temperance4 ,alexander ,stephens1 of    
,georgia1 it is said contracted         
consumption when a child1 and his       
friends did not believe he would live to
 manhood1 yet by correct habits1 he not 
only lived the allotted time of the     
,psalmist1 but he did an amount of work 
that would have been impossible to a    
much stronger man1 without his method of
 life4  ,it should not be forgotten that
 good health is quite as much dependent 
on mental as on physical habits4 ,worry1
 sensitiveness1 and temper have hastened
 to the grave many an otherwise splendid
 character4  ,the man of business must  
needs be subject to strict rule and     
system4 ,business1 like life1 is managed
 by moral leverage2 success in both     
depending in no small degree upon that  
regulation of temper and careful        
self-discipline1 which give a wise man  

not only a command over himself1 but    
over others4 ,forbearance and           
self-control smooth the road of life1   
and open many ways which would otherwise
 remain closed4 ,and so does            
self-respect2 for as men respect        
themselves1 so will they usually1       
respect the personality of others4  ,it 
is the same in politics as in business4 
,success in that sphere of life is      
achieved less by talent than by temper1 
less by genius than by character4 ,if a 
man have not self-control1 he will lack 
patience1 be wanting in tact1 and have  
neither the power of governing himself  
nor managing others4 ,when the quality  
most needed in a prime minister was the 
subject of conversation in the presence 
of ,mr4 ,pitt1 one of the speakers said 
it was eloquence2 another said it was   
knowledge2 and a third said it was toil4
 ,no1 said ,pitt1 it is patience6 ,and  
patience means self-control1 a quality  
in which he himself was superb4 ,his    
friend ,george ,rose has said of him    

that he never once saw ,pitt out of     
temper4  ,a strong temper is not        
necessarily a bad temper4 ,but the      
stronger the temper1 the greater is the 
need of self-discipline and             
self-control4 ,dr4 ,johnson says men    
grow better as they grow older1 and     
improve with experience2 but this       
depends upon the width and depth and    
generousness of their nature4 ,it is not
 men's faults that ruin them so much as 
the manner in which they conduct        
themselves after the faults have been   
committed4 ,the wise will profit by the 
suffering they cause1 and eschew them   
for the future2 but there are those on  
whom experience exerts no ripening      
influence1 and who only grow narrower   
and bitterer1 and more vicious with     
time4  ,what is called strong temper in 
a young man1 often indicates a large    
amount of unripe energy1 which will     
expend itself in useful work if the road
 be fairly opened to it4 ,it is said of 
,girard that when he heard of a clerk   

with a strong temper1 he would readily  
take him into his employment1 and set   
him to work in a room by himself2       
,girard being of opinion that such      
persons were the best workers1 and that 
their energy would expend itself in work
 if removed from the temptation of      
quarrel4  ,there is a great difference  
between a strong temper1 a righteous    
indignation1 and that irritability that 
curses its possessor and all who come   
near him4  ,mr4 ,motley compares        
,william the ,silent to ,washington1    
whom he in many respects resembled4 ,the
 ,american1 like the ,dutch patriot1    
stands out in history as the very       
impersonation of dignity1 bravery1      
purity1 and personal excellence4 ,his   
command over his feelings1 even in      
moments of great difficulty and danger1 
was such as to convey the impression1 to
 those who did not know him intimately1 
that he was a man of inborn calmness and
 almost impassiveness of disposition4   
,yet ,washington was by nature ardent   

and impetuous2 his mildness1 gentleness 
politeness1 and consideration for       
others1 were the result of rigid        
self-control and unwearied              
self-discipline1 which he diligently    
practiced even from his boyhood4 ,his   
biographer says of him1 that his        
temperament was ardent1 his passions    
strong1 and1 amidst the multiplied      
scenes of temptation and excitement     
through which he passed1 it was his     
constant effort1 and ultimate triumph1  
to check the one and subdue the other4  
,and again3 ,his passions were strong1  
and sometimes they broke out with       
vehemence1 but he had the power of      
checking them in an instant4 ,perhaps   
self-control was the most remarkable    
trait of his character4 ,it was in part 
the effect of discipline2 yet he seems  
by nature to have possessed this power  
in a degree which has been denied to    
other men4  ,the ,duke of ,wellington's 
natural temper1 like that of ,napoleon1 
was strong in the extreme and it was    

only by watchful self-control that he   
was enabled to restrain it4 ,he studied 
calmness and coolness in the midst of   
danger1 like any ,indian chief4 ,at     
,waterloo1 and elsewhere1 he gave his   
orders in the most critical moments     
without the slightest excitement1 and in
 a tone of voice almost more than       
usually subdued4  ,abraham ,lincoln in  
his early manhood was quick tempered and
 combative1 but he soon learned         
self-control and1 as all know1 became as
 patient as he was forceful and         
sympathetic4 ,i got into the habit of   
controlling my temper in the ,black     
,hawk war1 he said to ,colonel ,forney1 
and the good habit stuck to me as bad   
habits do to so many4  ,patience is a   
habit that pays for its own cultivation 
and the biographies of earth's greatest 
men1 prove that it was one of their most
 conspicuous characteristics4  ,one who 
loves right can not be indifferent to   
wrong1 or wrong-doing4 ,if he feels     
warmly1 he will speak warmly1 out of the

 fullness of his heart4 ,we have1       
however1 to be on our guard against     
impatient scorn4 ,the best people are   
apt to have their impatient side1 and   
often the very temper which makes men   
earnest1 makes them also intolerant4 ,of
 all mental gifts1 the rarest is        
intellectual patience2 and the last     
lesson of culture is to believe in      
difficulties which are invisible to     
ourselves4  ,one of ,burns' finest      
poems1 written in his twenty-eighth     
year1 is entitled ,a ,bard's ,epitaph4  
,it is a description1 by anticipation1  
of his own life4 ,wordsworth has said of
 it3  ,here is a sincere and solemn     
avowal2 a public declaration from his   
own will2 a confession at once devout1  
poetical1 and human2 a history in the   
shape of a prophecy4 ,it concludes with 
these lines3  ,reader1 attend--whether  
thy soul  ,soars fancy's flights beyond 
the pole1  ,or darkling grubs this      
earthly hole    ,in low pursuit2        
,know--prudent1 cautious self-control1  

,is ,wisdom's root4  ,truthfulness is   
quite as much a habit and quite as      
amendable to cultivation as falsehood4  
,deceit may meet with temporary success1
 but he who avails himself of it can be 
sure that in the end his sin will find  
him out4 ,the credit of the truthful1   
reliable man stands when the cash of a  
trickster might be doubted4 ,his word is
 as good as his bond1 is one of the     
highest compliments that can be paid to 
the business man4  ,be truthful not only
 in great things1 but in all things4    
,the slightest deviation from this habit
 may be the beginning of a career of    
duplicity1 ending in disgrace4  ,but    
truthfulness1 like the other virtues1   
should not be regarded as a trade mark1 
a means to success4 ,it brings its own  
reward in the nobility it gives the     
character4 ,an exception might be made  
here as to that form of military deceit 
known as stratagem1 but it is the duty  
of the enemy to expect it1 and so guard 
against it4 ,the word of a soldier      

involves his honor1 and if he pledges   
that word1 to even a foeman1 he will    
keep it with his life4  ,like our own   
,washington1 ,wellington was a severe   
admirer of truth4 ,an illustration may  
be given4 ,when afflicted by deafness1  
he consulted a celebrated aurist1 who1  
after trying all remedies in vain1      
determined1 as a last resource1 to      
inject into the ear a strong solution of
 caustic4 ,it caused the most intense   
pain1 but the patient bore it with his  
usual equanimity4 ,the family physician 
accidentally calling one day1 found the 
duke with flushed cheeks and blood-shot 
eyes1 and when he rose he staggered     
about like a drunken man4 ,the doctor   
asked to be permitted to look at his    
ear1 and then he found that a furious   
inflammation was going on1 which1 if not
 immediately checked1 must shortly reach
 the brain and kill him4 ,vigorous      
remedies were at once applied1 and the  
inflammation was checked4 ,but the      
hearing of that ear was completely      

destroyed4 ,when the aurist heard of the
 danger his patient had run1 through the
 violence of the remedy he had employed1
 he hastened to ,apsley ,house to       
express his grief and mortification2 but
 the duke merely said3 ,do not say a    
word more about it--you did all for the 
best4 ,the aurist said it would be his  
ruin when it became known that he had   
been the cause of so much suffering and 
danger to his grace4 ,but nobody need   
know any thing about it3 keep your own  
counsel1 and1 depend upon it1 ,i won't  
say a word to any one4 ,then your grace 
will allow me to attend you as usual1   
which will show the public that you have
 not withdrawn your confidence from me8 
,no1 replied the duke1 kindly but       
firmly2 ,i can't do that1 for that would
 be a lie4 ,he would not act a falsehood
 any more than he would speak one4  ,but
 lying assumes many forms--such as      
diplomacy1 expediency1 and moral        
reservation2 and1 under one guise or    
another1 it is found more or less       

pervading all classes of society4       
,sometimes it assumes the form of       
equivocation or moral dodging--twisting 
and so stating the things said as to    
convey a false impression--a kind of    
lying which a ,frenchman once described 
as walking round about the truth4       
,there are even men of narrow minds and 
dishonest natures1 who pride themselves 
upon their ,jesuitical cleverness in    
equivocation1 in their serpent-wise     
shirking of the truth and getting out of
 moral backdoors1 in order to hide their
 real opinions and evade the            
consequences of holding and openly      
professing them4 ,institutions or       
systems based upon any such expedients  
must necessarily prove false and hollow4
 ,though a lie be ever so well dressed1 
says ,george ,herbert1 it is ever       
overcome4 ,downright lying1 though      
bolder and more vicious1 is even less   
contemptible than such kind of shuffling
 and equivocation4    ,,chapter ,,vii   
,,as ,,to ,,marriage4  ,mention has been

 made of the great influence on         
character of the right kind of a home1  
in childhood and youth4 ,the right kind 
of a home depends almost entirely on the
 right kind of a wife or mother4  ,the  
old saying1 ,marry in haste and repent  
at leisure1 will never lose its force4  
,worse than the man whose selfishness   
keeps him a bachelor till death1 is the 
young man1 who1 under an impulse he     
imagines to be an undying love1 marries 
a girl as poor1 weak1 and selfish as    
himself4 ,there have been cases where   
marriage under such circumstances has   
aroused the man to effort and made him1 
particularly if his wife were of the    
same character1 but these are so        
exceptional as to form no guide for     
people of average common sense4  ,again1
 there have been men1 good men1 whose   
lives measured by the ordinary standards
 were successful1 who never married2 but
 those who hear or read of them1 have   
the feeling that such careers were      
incomplete4  ,the most important        

voluntary act of every man and woman's  
life1 is marriage1 and ,god has so      
ordained it4 ,hence it is an act which  
should be love-prompted on both sides1  
and only entered into after the most    
careful and prayerful deliberation4  ,it
 is natural for young people of the     
opposite sex1 who are much thrown       
together1 and so become in a way        
essential to each other's happiness1 to 
end by falling in love4 ,it is said that
 love is blind1 and the ancients so     
painted their mythological god1 ,cupid4 
,it is very certain that the fascination
 is not dependent on the will2 it is a  
divine1 natural impulse1 which has for  
its purpose the continuance of the race4
  ,here1 then1 in all its force1 we see 
the influence of association1 which has 
been already treated of4 ,the young man 
whose associations are of the right kind
 is sure to be brought into contact with
 the good daughters of good mothers4    
,with such association1 love and        
marriage should add to life's success   

and happiness1 provided1 always1 that   
the husband's circumstances warrant him 
in establishing and maintaining a home4 
,granting1 then1 the right kind of a    
wife1 and the ability to make a home1   
the young man1 with the right kind of   
stuff in him1 takes a great stride in   
the direction of success when he        
marries4  ,no wise person will marry for
 beauty mainly4 ,it may exercise a      
powerful attraction in the first place1 
but it is found to be of comparatively  
little consequence afterward4 ,not that 
beauty of person is to be               
underestimated1 for1 other things being 
equal1 handsomeness of form and beauty  
of features are the outward             
manifestations of health4 ,but to marry 
a handsome figure without character1    
fine features unbeautified by sentiment 
or good nature1 is the most deplorable  
of mistakes4 ,as even the finest        
landscape1 seen daily1 becomes          
monotonous1 so does the most beautiful  
face1 unless a beautiful nature shines  

through it4 ,the beauty of to-day       
becomes commonplace to-morrow2 whereas  
goodness1 displayed through the most    
ordinary features1 is perennially       
lovely4 ,moreover1 this kind of beauty  
improves with age1 and time ripens      
rather than destroys it4 ,after the     
first year1 married people rarely think 
of each other's features1 whether they  
be classically beautiful or otherwise4  
,but they never fail to be cognizant of 
each other's temper4 ,when ,i see a man1
 says ,addison1 with a sour1 riveted    
face1 ,i can not forbear pitying his    
wife2 and when ,i meet with an open1    
ingenuous countenance1 ,i think of the  
happiness of his friends1 his family1   
and his relations4  ,edmund ,burke1 the 
greatest of ,english statesmen1 was     
especially happy in his marriage4 ,he   
never ceased to be a lover1 and long    
years after the wedding he thus         
describes his wife3 ,she is handsome2   
but it is a beauty not arising from     
features1 from complexion1 or from      

shape4 ,she has all three in a high     
degree1 but it is not by these she      
touches the heart2 it is all that       
sweetness of temper1 benevolence1       
innocence1 and sensibility1 which a face
 can express1 that forms her beauty4    
,she has a face that just raises your   
attention at first sight2 it grows on   
you every moment1 and you wonder it did 
no more than raise your attention at    
first4  ,her eyes have a mild light1 but
 they awe when she pleases2 they        
command1 like a good man out of office1 
not by authority1 but by virtue4  ,her  
stature is not tall2 she is not made to 
be the admiration of everybody1 but the 
happiness of one4  ,she has all the     
firmness that does not exclude delicacy2
 she has all the softness that does not 
imply weakness4  ,her voice is a soft1  
low music--not formed to rule in public 
assemblies1 but to charm those who can  
distinguish a company from a crowd2 it  
has this advantage--you must come close 
to her to hear it4  ,to describe her    

body describes her mind--one is the     
transcript of the other2 her            
understanding is not shown in the       
variety of matters it exerts itself on1 
but in the goodness of the choice she   
makes4  ,she does not display it so much
 in saying or doing striking things1 as 
in avoiding such as she ought not to say
 or do4  ,no person of so few years can 
know the world better2 no person was    
ever less corrupted by the knowledge of 
it4  ,a man's real character will always
 be more visible in his household than  
anywhere else2 and his practical wisdom 
will be better exhibited by the manner  
in which he bears rule there than even  
in the larger affairs of business or    
public life4 ,his whole mind may be in  
his business2 but1 if he would be happy1
 his whole heart must be in his home4   
,it is there that his genuine qualities 
most surely display themselves--there   
that he shows his truthfulness1 his     
love1 his sympathy1 his consideration   
for others1 his uprightness1 his        

manliness--in a word1 his character4 ,if
 affection be not the governing         
principle in a household1 domestic life 
may be the most intolerable of          
despotisms4 ,without justice1 also1     
there can be neither love1 confidence1  
nor respect1 on which all true domestic 
rule is founded4  ,it is by the regimen 
of domestic affection that the heart of 
man is best composed and regulated4 ,the
 home is the woman's kingdom1 her state1
 her world--where she governs by        
affection1 by kindness1 by the power of 
gentleness4 ,there is nothing which so  
settles the turbulence of a man's nature
 as his union in life with a high-minded
 woman4 ,there he finds rest1           
contentment1 and happiness--rest of     
brain and peace of spirit4 ,he will also
 often find in her his best counselor1  
for her instinctive tact will usually   
lead him right when his own unaided     
reason might be apt to go wrong4 ,the   
true wife is a staff to lean upon in    
times of trial and difficulty2 and she  

is never wanting in sympathy and solace 
when distress occurs or fortune frowns4 
,in the time of youth1 she is a comfort 
and an ornament of man's life2 and she  
remains a faithful helpmate in maturer  
years1 when life has ceased to be an    
anticipation1 and we live in its        
realities4  ,luther1 a man full of human
 affection1 speaking of his wife1 said1 
,i would not exchange my poverty with   
her for all the riches of ,croesus      
without her4 ,of marriage he observed3  
,the utmost blessing that ,god can      
confer on a man is the possession of a  
good and pious wife1 with whom he may   
live in peace and tranquility--to whom  
he may confide his whole possessions1   
even his life and welfare4 ,and again he
 said1 ,to rise betimes1 and to marry   
young1 are what no man ever repents of  
doing4  ,some persons are disappointed  
in marriage1 because they expect too    
much from it2 but many more because they
 do not bring into the co- partnership  
their fair share of cheerfulness1       

kindliness1 forbearance1 and common     
sense4 ,their imagination has perhaps   
pictured a condition never experienced  
on this side of heaven2 and when real   
life comes1 with its troubles and cares1
 there is a sudden waking-up as from a  
dream4  ,we have spoken of the influence
 of a wife upon a man's character4      
,there are few men strong enough to     
resist the influence of a lower         
character in a wife4 ,if she do not     
sustain and elevate what is highest in  
his nature1 she will speedily reduce him
 to her own level4 ,thus a wife may be  
the making or the unmaking of the best  
of men4 ,an illustration of this power  
is furnished in the life of ,bunyan1 the
 profligate tinker1 who had the good    
fortune to marry1 in early life1 a      
worthy young woman1 of good parentage4  
,on hearing of the death of his wife1   
the great explorer1 ,dr4 ,livingstone1  
wrote to a friend3 ,i must confess that 
this heavy stroke quite takes the heart 
out of me4 ,every thing else that has   

happened only made me more determined to
 overcome all difficulties2 but after   
this sad stroke ,i feel crushed and void
 of strength4 ,only three short months  
of her society1 after four years'       
separation6 ,i married her for love1 and
 the longer ,i lived with her ,i loved  
her the more4 ,a good wife1 and a good1 
brave1 kind-hearted mother was she1     
deserving all the praises you bestowed  
upon her at our parting dinner1 for     
teaching her own and the native         
children1 too1 at ,kolobeng4 ,i try to  
bow to the blow as from our ,heavenly   
,father1 who orders all things for us 4 
4 4 ,i shall do my duty still1 but it is
 with a darkened horizon that ,i again  
set about it4  ,besides being a helper1 
woman is emphatically a consoler4 ,her  
sympathy is unfailing4 ,she soothes1    
cheers1 and comforts4 ,never was this   
more true than in the case of the wife  
of ,tom ,hood1 whose tender devotion to 
him1 during a life that was a prolonged 
illness1 is one of the most affecting   

things in biography4 ,a woman of        
excellent good sense1 she appreciated   
her husband's genius1 and1 by           
encouragement and sympathy1 cheered and 
heartened him to renewed effort in many 
a weary struggle for life4 ,she created 
about him an atmosphere of hope and     
cheerfulness1 and nowhere did the       
sunshine of her love seem so bright as  
when lighting up the couch of her       
invalid husband4  ,scott wrote          
beautifully and truthfully3   ,oh1      
woman1 in our hours of ease1            
,uncertain1 coy1 and hard to please1    
,and variable as the shade   ,by the    
light1 quivering aspen made1   ,when    
pain and anguish wring the brow1   ,a   
ministering angel thou4    ,,chapter    
,,viii  ,,education ,,as ,,distinguished
 ,,from ,,learning4  ,although not the  
same kind1 there is as much difference  
between education and learning1 as there
 is between character and reputation4   
,learning may be regarded as mental     
capital1 in the way of accumulated      

facts4 ,education is the drawing out and
 development of the best that is in the 
heart1 the head1 and the hand4  ,the    
civilized world has a score of very     
learned men1 to the one who may be said 
to be thoroughly educated4 ,the learned 
man may be familiar with many languages1
 and sciences1 and have all the facts of
 history and literature at his fingers' 
tip1 and yet be as helpless as an infant
 and as impractical as a fool4 ,an      
educated man1 a man with his powers     
developed by training1 may know no      
language but his mother tongue1 may be  
ignorant as to literature and art1 and  
yet be well--yes1 even superbly         
educated4  ,the learned man's mind may  
be likened to a store house1 or         
magazine1 in which there are a thousand 
wonderful things1 some of which he can  
make of use in the battle of life4 ,he  
resembles the miser who fills his       
coffers with gold and keeps it out of   
circulation4 ,beyond the selfish joy of 
possession1 his wealth is worthless1 and

 its acquisition has unfitted him for   
the struggle4 ,the educated man1 to     
continue the illustration1 may not be   
rich1 but he knows how to use every cent
 he owns1 and he places it where1 under 
his energy1 it will grow into dollars4  
,far be it from us to underestimate the 
value of learning4 ,many of the world's 
greatest men have been learned1 but     
without exception such men have also    
been educated4 ,they have been trained  
to make their knowledge available for   
the benefit of themselves and their     
fellow men4  ,the athlete who develops  
his muscles to their greatest capacity  
of strength and flexibility1 and this   
can only be done by observing strictly  
the laws of health1 is physically an    
educated man4 ,every mechanic whose     
hands and brain have been trained to the
 expertness required by the master      
workman1 is well-educated in his        
particular calling4 ,the man who is an  
expert accountant1 or a trained civil   
engineer1 may know nothing of the higher

 mathematical principles1 but he is     
better educated than the scholar who has
 only a theoretical knowledge of all the
 mathematics that have ever been        
published4  ,the educated man is the man
 who can do something1 and the quality  
of his work marks the degree of his     
education4 ,one might be learned in law 
in a phenomenal way1 and yet1 unless he 
was educated1 trained to the practice1  
he would be beaten in the preparation of
 a case by a lawyer's clerk4  ,there are
 men who can write and talk learnedly on
 political economy and the laws of      
trade1 and quote from memory all the    
statistics of the census library1 and   
yet be immeasurably surpassed in        
practical business1 by a young man whose
 college was the store1 and whose       
university was the counting room4  ,it  
should not be inferred from this that   
learning is not of the greatest value1  
or that the facts obtained from the     
proper books are to be ignored4 ,the    
best investment a young man can make is 

in good books1 the study of which       
broadens the mind1 and the facts of     
which equip him the better for his life 
calling4  ,but books are not valuable   
only because of the available           
information they give2 when they do not 
instruct1 they elevate and refine4      
,books1 said ,hazlitt1 wind into the    
heart2 the poet's verse slides into the 
current of our blood4 ,we read them when
 young1 we remember them when old4 ,we  
read there of what has happened to      
others2 we feel that it has happened to 
ourselves4 ,they are to be had          
everywhere cheap and good4 ,we breathe  
but the air of books4 ,we owe everything
 to their authors1 on this side         
barbarism4  ,a good book is often the   
best urn of a life1 enshrining the best 
thoughts of which that life was capable2
 for the world of a man's life is1 for  
the most part1 but the world of his     
thoughts4 ,thus the best books are      
treasuries of good words and golden     
thoughts1 which1 remembered and         

cherished1 become our abiding companions
 and comforters4 ,they are never alone1 
said ,sir ,philip ,sidney1 that are     
accompanied by noble thoughts4 ,the good
 and true thought may in time of        
temptation be as an angel of mercy1     
purifying and guarding the soul4 ,it    
also enshrines the germs of action1 for 
good words almost invariably inspire to 
good works4  ,thus ,sir ,henry ,lawrence
 prized above all other compositions    
,wordsworth's ,character of the ,happy  
,warrior1 which he endeavored to embody 
in his own life4 ,it was ever before him
 as an exemplar4 ,he thought of it      
continually1 and often quoted it to     
others4 ,his biographer says1 ,he tried 
to conform his own life and to          
assimilate his own character to it2 and 
he succeeded1 as all men succeed who are
 truly in earnest4  ,books possess an   
essence of immortality4 ,they are by far
 the most lasting products of human     
effort4 ,temples crumble into ruin2     
pictures and statues decay2 but books   

survive4 ,time is of no account with    
great thoughts1 which are as fresh      
to-day as when they first passed through
 their authors' minds1 ages ago4 ,what  
was then said and thought still speaks  
to us as vividly as ever from the       
printed page4 ,the only effect of time  
has been to sift and winnow out the bad 
products2 for nothing in literature can 
long survive but what is really good4   
,to the young man1 thirsting for        
learning and hungering for education1   
there are no books more helpful than the
 biographies of those whom it is well to
 imitate4 ,longfellow wisely says3      
,lives of great men all remind us1      
,we can make our lives sublime1  ,and   
departing leave behind us1              
,footprints on the sands of time--      
,footprints which perhaps another1      
,sailing o'er life's solemn main1  ,a   
forlorn and ship-wrecked brother1       
,seeing1 may take heart again4  ,at the 
head of all biographies stands the      
,great ,biography--the ,book of ,books4 

,and what is the ,bible1 the most sacred
 and impressive of all books--the       
educator of youth1 the guide of manhood1
 and the consoler of age--but a series  
of biographies of great heroes and      
patriarchs1 prophets1 kings and judges1 
culminating in the greatest biography of
 all--the ,life embodied in the ,new    
,testament8 ,how much have the great    
examples there set forth done for       
mankind6 ,how many have drawn from them 
their best strength1 their highest      
wisdom1 their best nurture and          
admonition6 ,truly does a great and     
deeply pious writer describe the ,bible 
as a book whose words live in the ear   
like a music that never can be          
forgotten--like the sound of            
church-bells which the convert hardly   
knows how he can forego4 ,its felicities
 often seem to be almost things rather  
than mere words4 ,it is part of the     
national mind1 and the anchor of        
national seriousness4 ,the memory of the
 dead passes into it4 ,the potent       

traditions of childhood are stereotyped 
in its verses4 ,the power of all the    
griefs and trials of man is hidden      
beneath its words4 ,it is the           
representative of his best moments2 and 
all that has been about him of soft1 and
 gentle1 and pure1 and penitent1 and    
good1 speaks to him forever out of his  
,english ,bible4 ,it is his sacred      
thing1 which doubt has never dimmed and 
controversy never soiled4 ,in the length
 and breadth of the land there is not an
 individual with one spark of           
religiousness about him whose spiritual 
biography is not in his ,saxon ,bible4  
,history itself is best studied in      
biography4 ,indeed1 history is          
biography--collective humanity as       
influenced and governed by individual   
men4 ,what is all history1 says         
,emerson1 but the work of ideas1 a      
record of the incomparable energy which 
his infinite aspirations infuse into    
man8 ,in its pages it is always persons 
we see more than principles4 ,historical

 events are interesting to us mainly in 
connection with the feelings1 the       
sufferings1 and interests of those by   
whom they are accomplished4 ,in history 
we are surrounded by men long dead1 but 
whose speech and whose deeds survive4   
,we almost catch the sound of their     
voices2 and what they did constitutes   
the interest of history4 ,we never feel 
personally interested in masses of men2 
but we feel and sympathize with the     
individual actors1 whose biographies    
afford the finest and most real touches 
in all great historical dramas4  ,as in 
portraiture1 so in biography--there must
 be light and shade4 ,the               
portrait-painter does not pose his      
sitter so as to bring out his           
deformities2 nor does the biographer    
give undue prominence to the defects of 
the character he portrays4 ,not many men
 are so outspoken as ,cromwell was when 
he sat to ,cooper for his miniature3    
,paint me as ,i am1 said he1 wart and   
all4 ,yet1 if we would have a faithful  

likeness of faces and characters1 they  
must be painted as they are4 ,biography1
 said ,sir ,walter ,scott1 the most     
interesting of every species of         
composition1 loses all its interest with
 me when the shades and lights of the   
principal characters are not accurately 
and faithfully detailed4 ,i can no more 
sympathize with a mere eulogist than ,i 
can with a ranting hero on the stage4   
,it is to be regretted that in this day 
the country is flooded with cheap1      
trashy fiction1 the general tendency of 
which is not only not educational1 but  
is positively destructive4 ,the desire  
to read this stuff is as demoralizing as
 the opium habit4  ,there are works of  
fiction1 cheap and available1 too1 whose
 influence is elevating1 and some       
knowledge of which is essential to the  
young man who is using his spare hours  
for the purpose of self-education4      
,there is no room for doubt that the    
surpassing interest which fiction1      
whether in poetry or prose1 possesses   

for most minds arises mainly from the   
biographic element which it contains4   
,homer's ,iliad owes its marvelous      
popularity to the genius which its      
author displayed in the portrayal of    
heroic character4 ,yet he does not so   
much describe his personages in detail  
as make them develop themselves by their
 actions4 ,there are in ,homer1 said    
,dr4 ,johnson1 such characters of heroes
 and combination of qualities of heroes1
 that the united powers of mankind ever 
since have not produced any but what are
 to be found there4  ,the genius of     
,shakespeare1 also1 was displayed in the
 powerful delineation of character1 and 
the dramatic evolution of human         
passions4 ,his personages seem to be    
real--living and breathing before us4   
,so1 too1 with ,cervantes1 whose ,sancho
 ,panza1 though homely and vulgar1 is   
intensely human4 ,the characters in ,le 
,sage's ,gil ,bias1 in ,goldsmith's     
,vicar of ,wakefield1 and in ,scott's   
marvelous muster-roll1 seem to us almost

 as real as persons whom we have        
actually known2 and ,de ,foe's greatest 
works are but so many biographies1      
painted in minute detail1 with reality  
so apparently stamped upon every page   
that it is difficult to believe his     
,robinson ,crusoe and ,colonel ,jack to 
have been fictitious persons instead of 
real ones4  ,then we have a fine        
,american literature1 which should be   
read after the history of the country is
 mastered1 the stories of ,cooper are   
fresh and invigorating1 and those of    
,hawthorne are life studies and prose   
poems4 ,holmes1 ,lowell1 ,emerson1      
,bayard ,taylor1 and scores of other    
,american writers1 whose pens have added
 lustre to the country1 will well repay 
the reader4  ,good books are among the  
best of companions2 and1 by elevating   
the thoughts and aspirations1 they act  
as preservatives against low            
associations4 ,a natural turn for       
reading and intellectual pursuits1 says 
,thomas ,hood1 probably preserved me    

from the moral ship-wreck so apt to     
befall those who are deprived in early  
life of their parental pilotage4 ,my    
books kept me from the ring1 the dogpit1
 the tavern1 the saloon4 ,the closet    
associate of ,pope and ,addison1 the    
mind accustomed to the noble though     
silent discourse of ,shakespeare and    
,milton1 will hardly seek or put up with
 low company and slaves4  ,it has been  
truly said that the best books are those
 which most resemble good actions4 ,they
 are purifying1 elevating1 and          
sustaining2 they enlarge and liberalize 
the mind2 they preserve it against      
vulgar worldliness2 they tend to produce
 high-minded cheerfulness and equanimity
 of character2 they fashion1 and shape1 
and humanize the mind4 ,in the ,northern
 universities1 the schools in which the 
ancient classics are studied are        
appropriately styled ,the ,humanity     
,classes4  ,erasmus1 the great scholar1 
was even of opinion that books were the 
necessaries of life1 and clothes the    

luxuries2 and he frequently postponed   
buying the latter until he had supplied 
himself with the former4 ,his greatest  
favorites were the writings of ,cicero1 
which he says he always felt himself the
 better for reading4 ,i can never1 he   
says1 read the works of ,cicero on ',old
 ,age1' or ',friendship1' or his        
',tusculan ,disputations1' without      
fervently pressing them to my lips1     
without being penetrated with veneration
 for a mind little short of inspired by 
,god himself4  ,it is unnecessary to    
speak of the enormous moral influence   
which books have exercised upon the     
general civilization of mankind1 from   
the ,bible downward4 ,they contain the  
treasured knowledge of the human race4  
,they are the record of all labors1     
achievements1 speculations1 successes1  
and failures1 in science1 philosophy1   
religion1 and morals4 ,they have been   
the greatest motive-powers in all times4
 ,from the ,gospel to the ,contrat      
,social1 says ,de ,bonald1 it is books  

that have made revolutions4 ,indeed1 a  
great book is often a greater thing than
 a great battle4 ,even works of fiction 
have occasionally exercised immense     
power on society4  ,bear in mind that it
 is not all we eat that nourishes1 but  
what we digest4 ,the learned man is a   
glutton as to books1 but the educated   
man knows that1 no matter how much is   
read1 benefit is only derived from the  
thoughts that develop our own thoughts  
and strengthen our own minds4           
,,chapter ,,ix  ,,the ,,value ,,of      
,,experience4  ,what experience have you
 had8 ,this is apt to be the first      
question put by an employer to the      
applicant for a place1 be he mechanic1  
clerk1 or laborer4 ,if you need a       
doctor1 you would prefer to trust your  
case to a man of experience1 rather than
 to one fresh from a medical college4   
,apart from the established reputation1 
that comes only with time1 and natural  
abilities which count for much1 the     
principal difference between men in     

every calling is the difference in their
 experiences4  ,if this experience is so
 essential1 we must regard as wanting in
 judgment the young man1 who1 after a   
short service1 imagines he is as well   
qualified to conduct the business as his
 superior in place4 ,no amount of       
natural ability1 and no effort of energy
 can compensate for the training that   
comes from experience4 ,indeed1 it is   
only after we have studied and tested   
ourselves1 and overestimated our talents
 to our injury1 more than once1 that    
experience gives us a proper estimate of
 our own strength and weakness4         
,contact with others is requisite to    
enable a man to know himself4 ,it is    
only by mixing freely in the world that 
one can form a proper estimate of his   
own capacity4 ,without such experience1 
one is apt to become conceited1 puffed  
up1 and arrogant2 at all events1 he will
 remain ignorant of himself1 though he  
may heretofore have enjoyed no other    
company4  ,swift once said3 ,it is an   

uncontroverted truth1 that no man ever  
made an ill-figure who understood his   
own talents1 nor a good one who mistook 
them4 ,many persons1 however1 are       
readier to take measure of the capacity 
of others than of themselves4 ,bring him
 to me1 said a certain ,dr4 ,tronchin1  
of ,geneva1 speaking of ,rousseau--     
bring him to me that ,i may see whether 
he has got anything in him6--the        
probability being that ,rousseau1 who   
knew himself better1 was much more      
likely to take measure of ,tronchin than
 ,tronchin was to take measure of him4  
,a due amount of self-knowledge is1     
therefore1 necessary for those who would
 be anything or do anything in the      
world4 ,it is also one of the first     
essentials to the formation of distinct 
personal convictions4 ,frederick        
,perthes once said to a young friend1   
,you know only too well what you can do2
 but till you have learned what you can 
not do1 you will neither accomplish     
anything of moment nor know inward      

peace4  ,any one who would profit by    
experience will never be above asking   
help4 ,he who thinks himself already too
 wise to learn of others1 will never    
succeed in doing anything either good or
 great4 ,we have to keep our minds and  
hearts open1 and never be ashamed to    
learn1 with the assistance of those who 
are wiser and more experienced than     
ourselves4  ,the man made wise by       
experience endeavors to judge correctly 
of the things which come under his      
observation and form the subject of his 
daily life4 ,what we call common sense  
is1 for the most part1 but the result of
 common experience wisely improved4 ,nor
 is great ability necessary to acquire  
it1 so much as patience1 accuracy1 and  
watchfulness4  ,the results of          
experience are1 of course1 only to be   
achieved by living2 and living is a     
question of time4 ,the man of experience
 learns to rely upon time as his helper4
 ,time and ,i against any two1 was a    
maxim of ,cardinal ,mazarin4 ,time has  

been described as a beautifier and as a 
consoler2 but it is also a teacher4 ,it 
is the food of experience1 the soil of  
wisdom4 ,it may be the friend or the    
enemy of youth2 and time will sit beside
 the old as a consoler or as a          
tormentor1 according as it has been used
 or misused1 and the past life has been 
well or ill spent4  ,time1 says ,george 
,herbert1 is the rider that breaks      
youth4 ,to the young1 how bright the new
 world looks6--how full of novelty1 of  
enjoyment1 of pleasure6 ,but as years   
pass1 we find the world to be a place of
 sorrow as well as of joy4 ,as we       
proceed through life1 many dark vistas  
open upon us--of toil1 suffering1       
difficulty1 perhaps misfortune and      
failure4 ,happy they who can pass       
through and amidst such trials with a   
firm mind and pure heart1 encountering  
trials with cheerfulness1 and standing  
erect beneath even the heaviest burden6 
,thomas ,a4 ,edison1 the great inventor1
 in speaking of his success to the      

writer1 said3  ,i had when ,i started   
out all the patience and perseverance   
that ,i have now1 but ,i lacked the     
experience4 ,seeing that ,i had only ten
 weeks' regular schooling in all my     
life1 ,i can say with truth that        
experience has been my school and my    
only one4  ,many believe that my life   
has been a success from the start1 and  
,i do not try to undeceive them1 but as 
a matter of fact my failures have       
exceeded my successes as one hundred to 
one2 but even the experience of these   
failures has been in itself an educator 
and has enabled me not to repeat them4  
,the brave man will not be baffled1 but 
tries and tries again until he succeeds4
 ,the tree does not fall at the first   
stroke1 but only by repeated strokes and
 after great labor4 ,we may see the     
visible success at which a man has      
arrived1 but forget the toil and        
suffering and peril through which it has
 been achieved4 ,for the same reason1 it
 is often of advantage for a man to be  

under the necessity of having to        
struggle with poverty and conquer it4   
,he who has battled1 says ,carlyle1 were
 it only with poverty and hard toil1    
will be found stronger and more expert  
than he who could stay at home from the 
battle1 concealed among the provision   
wagons1 or even rest unwatchfully       
'abiding by the stuff4'  ,scholars have 
found poverty tolerable compared with   
the privation of intellectual food4     
,riches weigh much more heavily upon the
 mind4 ,i cannot but choose say to      
,poverty1 said ,richter1 ,be welcome6   
,so that thou come not too late in life4
 ,poverty1 ,horace tells us1 drove him  
to poetry and poetry introduced him to  
,varus and ,virgil and ,maecenas4       
,obstacles1 says ,michelet1 are great   
incentives4 ,i lived for whole years    
upon a ,virgil and found myself well    
off4  ,many have to make up their minds 
to encounter failure again and again    
before they succeed2 but if they have   
pluck1 the failure will only serve to   

rouse their courage and stimulate them  
to renewed efforts4 ,talma1 the greatest
 of actors1 was hissed off the stage    
when he first appeared on it4           
,lacordaire1 one of the greatest        
preachers of modern times1 only acquired
 celebrity after repeated failures4     
,montalembert said of his first public  
appearance in the church of ,st4 ,roch3 
,he failed completely1 and1 on coming   
out1 every one said1 ,though he may be a
 man of talent he will never be a       
preacher4 ,again and again he tried1    
until he succeeded1 and only two years  
after his debut1 ,lacordaire was        
preaching in ,notre ,dame to audiences  
such as few ,french orators have        
addressed since the time of ,bossuet and
 ,massilon4  ,when ,mr4 ,cobden first   
appeared as a speaker at a public       
meeting in ,manchester1 he completely   
broke down and the chairman apologized  
for his failure4 ,sir ,james ,graham and
 ,mr4 ,disraeli failed and were derided 
at first1 and only succeeded by dint of 

great labor and application4 ,at one    
time ,sir ,james ,graham had almost     
given up public speaking in despair4 ,he
 said to his friend ,sir ,francis       
,baring3 ,i have tried it every         
way--extempore1 from notes1 and         
committing it all to memory--and ,i     
can't do it4 ,i don't know why it is1   
but ,i am afraid ,i shall never succeed4
 ,yet by dint of perseverance1 ,graham1 
like ,disraeli1 lived to become one of  
the most effective and impressive of    
parliamentary speakers4  ,in every field
 of effort success has only come after  
many trials4 ,morse with his telegraph  
and ,howe with his sewing machine lived 
in poverty and met with many            
disappointments before the world came to
 appreciate the value of their great    
inventions4  ,it can be said with truth 
that these great men could have avoided 
much of their trouble if they had had   
the necessary experience4 ,but          
particularly in the two cases cited     
before1 the inventions were new to the  

world and it needed that the world      
should have the experience of their     
utility as well as the inventors4       
,science also has had its martyrs1 who  
have fought their way to light through  
difficulty1 persecution and suffering4  
,we need not refer to the cases of      
,bruno1 ,galileo and others1 persecuted 
because of the supposed heterodoxy of   
their views4 ,but there have been other 
unfortunates among men of science1 whose
 genius has been unable to save them    
from the fury of their enemies4 ,thus   
,bailly1 the celebrated ,french         
astronomer 7who had been mayor of       
,paris7 and ,lavoisier1 the great       
chemist1 were both guillotined in the   
first ,french ,revolution4 ,when the    
latter1 after being sentenced to death  
by the ,commune1 asked for a few days'  
respite to enable him to ascertain the  
result of some experiments he had made  
during his confinement1 the tribunal    
refused his appeal1 and ordered him for 
immediate execution1 one of the judges  

saying that the ,republic has no need of
 philosophers4 ,in ,england also1 about 
the same time1 ,dr4 ,priestley1 the     
father of modern chemistry1 had his     
house burned over his head and his      
library destroyed1 amidst the shouts of 
,no philosophers6 and he fled from his  
native country to lay his bones in a    
foreign land4  ,courageous men have     
often turned enforced solitude to       
account in executing works of great pith
 and moment4 ,it is in solitude that the
 passion for spiritual perfection best  
nurses itself4 ,the soul communes with  
itself in loneliness until its energy   
often becomes intense4 ,but whether a   
man profits by solitude or not will     
mainly depend upon his own temperament1 
training and character4 ,while1 in a    
large-natured man1 solitude will make   
the pure heart purer1 in the            
small-natured man it will only serve to 
make the hard heart still harder2 for   
though solitude may be the nurse of     
great spirits1 it is the torment of     

small ones4  ,not only have many of the 
world's greatest benefactors1 men whose 
lives history now records the most      
successful1 had not only to contend with
 poverty1 but it was their misfortune to
 be misunderstood and to be regarded as 
criminals4 ,many a great reformer in    
religion1 science1 and government has   
paid for his opinions by imprisonment4  
,speaking of these great men1 a         
prominent ,english writer says3 ,prisons
 may have held them1 but their thoughts 
were not to be confined by prison walls4
 ,they have burst through and defied the
 power of their persecutors4 ,it was    
,lovelace1 a prisoner1 who wrote3       
,stone walls do not a prison make1      
,nor iron bars a cage2  ,minds innocent 
and quiet take    ,that for a hermitage4
  ,it was a saying of ,milton that1 who 
best can suffer1 best can do4 ,the work 
of many of the greatest men1 inspired by
 duty1 has been done amidst suffering   
and trial and difficulty4 ,they have    
struggled against the tide and reached  

the shore exhausted1 only to grasp the  
sand and expire4 ,they have done their  
duty and been content to die4 ,but death
 hath no power over such men2 their     
hallowed memories still survive to      
soothe and purify and bless us4 ,life1  
said ,goethe1 to us all is suffering4   
,who save ,god alone shall call us to   
our reckoning8 ,let not reproaches fall 
on the departed4 ,not what they have    
failed in1 nor what they have suffered1 
but what they have done1 ought to occupy
 the survivors4  ,thus1 it is not ease  
and facility that try men and bring out 
the good that is in them1 so much as    
trial and difficulty4 ,adversity is the 
touchstone of character4 ,as some herbs 
need to be crushed to give forth their  
sweetest odor1 so some natures need to  
be tried by suffering to evoke the      
excellence that is in them4 ,hence      
trials often unmask virtues and bring to
 light hidden graces4  ,suffering may be
 the appointed means by which the higher
 nature of man is to be disciplined and 

developed4 ,assuming happiness to be the
 end of being1 sorrow may be the        
indispensable condition through which it
 is to be reached4 ,hence ,st4 ,paul's  
noble paradox descriptive of the        
,christian life--,as chastened1 and not 
killed2 as sorrowful1 yet always        
rejoicing2 as poor1 yet making many     
rich2 as having nothing1 and yet        
possessing all things4  ,even pain is   
not all painful4 ,on one side it is     
related to suffering1 and on the other  
to happiness4 ,for pain is remedial as  
well as sorrowful4 ,suffering is a      
misfortune as viewed from the one side1 
and a discipline as viewed from the     
other4 ,but for suffering1 the best part
 of many men's natures would sleep a    
deep sleep4 ,indeed1 it might almost be 
said that pain and sorrow were the      
indispensable conditions of some men's  
success1 and the necessary means to     
evoke the highest development of their  
genius4 ,shelley has said of poets3     
,most wretched men are cradled into     

poetry    by wrong1  ,they learn in     
suffering what they teach in    song4   
,but the young man meeting with         
disappointments1 as he is sure to do in 
the beginning of his career1            
particularly if he be dependent on      
himself1 should take comfort from the   
thought that others who have risen to   
success have had to travel the same hard
 road2 and such men have confessed that 
these trials1 these bitter experiences1 
were the most valuable of their lives4  
,life1 all sunshine without shade1 all  
happiness without sorrow1 all pleasure  
without pain1 were not life at all--at  
least not human life4 ,take the lot of  
the happiest--it is a tangled yarn4 ,it 
is made up of sorrows and joys2 and the 
joys are all the sweeter because of the 
sorrows2 bereavements and blessings1 one
 following another1 making us sad and   
blessed by turns4 ,even death itself    
makes life more loving2 it binds us more
 closely together while here4 ,dr4      
,thomas ,browne has argued that death is

 one of the necessary conditions of     
human happiness1 and he supports his    
argument with great force and eloquence4
 ,but when death comes into a household1
 we do not philosophize--we only feel4  
,the eyes that are full of tears do not 
see2 though in course of time they come 
to see more clearly and brightly than   
those that have never known sorrow4     
,there is much in life that1 while in   
this state1 we can never comprehend4    
,there is1 indeed1 a great deal of      
mystery in life--much that we see as in 
a glass darkly4 ,but though we may not  
apprehend the full meaning of the       
discipline of trial through which the   
best have to pass1 we must have faith in
 the completeness of the design of which
 our little individual lives form a     
part4  ,we have each to do our duty in  
that sphere of life in which we have    
been placed4 ,duty alone is true2 there 
is no true action but in its            
accomplishment4 ,duty is the end and aim
 of the highest life2 the truest        

pleasure of all is that derived from the
 consciousness of its fulfillment4 ,of  
all others1 it is the one that is most  
thoroughly satisfying1 and the least    
accompanied by regret and               
disappointment4 ,in the words of ,george
 ,herbert1 the consciousness of duty    
performed gives us music at midnight4   
,and when we have done our work on      
earth--of necessity1 of labor1 of love1 
or of duty--like the silk-worm that     
spins its little cocoon and dies1 we too
 depart4 ,but1 short though our stay in 
life may be1 it is the appointed sphere 
in which each has to work out the great 
aim and end of his being to the best of 
his power2 and when that is done1 the   
accidents of the flesh will affect but  
little the immortality we shall at last 
put on4    ,,chapter ,x  ,,selecting ,a 
,,calling4  ,in reading the lives of    
great men1 one is struck with a very    
important fact3 that their success has  
been won in callings for which in early 
manhood they had no particular liking4  

,necessity or chance has1 in many cases1
 decided what their life-work should be4
 ,but even where the employment was at  
first uncongenial1 a strict sense of    
duty and a strong determination to      
master the difficult and to like the    
disagreeable1 conquered in the end4  ,in
 these days of fierce competition1 no   
matter how ardent the desire for fame1  
he is a dreamer who loses sight of the  
monetary returns of his life-efforts4   
,there have been a few men whose wants  
were simple1 and these wants guarded    
against by a certain official income1   
who could afford to ignore gain and to  
work for the truths of science or the   
good of humanity4 ,the great ,english   
chemist ,faraday was of this class4     
,once asked by a friend why he did not  
use his great abilities and advantages  
to accumulate a fortune1 he said3 ,my   
dear fellow1 ,i haven't time to give to 
money making4  ,it is1 perhaps1 to be   
regretted that in nearly every case the 
efforts of to-day1 whether in commerce1 

trade1 or science1 have for their       
purpose the making of fortunes4 ,nor    
should this spirit be condemned1 for    
fortune in the hands of the right men is
 a blessing to the world and            
particularly to those who are more      
improvident4  ,peter ,cooper1 ,stephen  
,girard1 ,george ,peabody1 and many     
other eminent ,americans who made their 
way to great wealth from comparative    
poverty1 used that wealth to enable     
young men1 starting life as they did1 to
 achieve the same success without having
 to encounter the same obstacles4  ,it  
is a well-known fact that boys who live 
near the sea have an intense yearning to
 become sailors4 ,every healthy boy has 
a longing to be a soldier1 and he takes 
the greatest delight in toy military    
weapons4  ,our ideals for living1       
particularly when they are the creations
 of a youthful imagination1 are but     
seldom safe guides for our mature years4
 ,the fairy stories that delighted our  
childhood and the romances that fired   

our youth1 are found but poor guides to 
success1 when the great life-battle is  
on us4  ,it is a mistake for parents and
 guardians to say that this boy or that 
girl shall follow out this or that      
life-calling1 without any regard to the 
tastes1 or any consideration of the     
natural capacity4 ,it is equally an     
error1 because the boy or girl may like 
this or that branch of study more than  
another1 to infer that this indicates a 
talent for that subject4 ,arithmetic is 
but seldom as popular with young people 
as history1 simply because the latter   
requires less mental effort to master   
it4 ,the world is full of professional  
incompetents--creatures of circumstances
 very often1 but more frequently their  
life-failure is due to the whims of     
ambitious parents4  ,while the child and
 even the young man are but seldom the  
best judges of what a life-calling      
should be1 yet the observant parent and 
teacher can discover the natural        
inclination1 and by encouragement1      

develop this inclination4  ,as the      
wrecks on sandy beaches and by          
rock-bound shores1 warn the careful     
mariner from the same fate1 so the      
countless wrecks which the young man    
sees on every hand1 increasing as he    
goes through life1 should warn him from 
the same dangers4  ,it is stated1 on    
what seems good authority1 that         
ninety-five percent of the men who go   
into business for themselves1 fail at   
some time4 ,it would be an error1       
however1 to infer from this that the    
failures were due to a mistaken         
life-calling4 ,they have been due rather
 to unforeseen circumstances1           
over-confidence1 or the desire to       
succeed too rapidly4 ,benefiting by     
these reverses1 a large percent of the  
failures have entered on the            
life-struggle again and won4  ,in the   
early days of the world's history1 the  
callings or fields of effort were       
necessarily limited to the chase1       
herding or agriculture4 ,in those times1

 the toiler had not only to work for the
 support of himself and family1 but he  
had also to be a warrior1 trained to the
 use of arms1 and ready to defend the   
products of his labor from the theft of 
robber neighbors4  ,in this later and   
broader day1 civilization has opened up 
thousands of avenues of effort that were
 unknown to our less fortunate          
ancestors4  ,while the world is filled  
with human misfits1 round pegs in square
 holes and square pegs in round holes1  
the choice of callings has so spread    
with the growth of civilization1 that   
every young man who reasons for himself 
and studies his own powers1 can with    
more or less certainty find out his     
calling1 and pursue it with a success   
entirely dependent on his own fitness   
and energy4  ,in a general way1 the     
great fields of human effort1 at this   
time1 may be divided into three classes4
 ,first1 the so-called learned          
professions--journalism1 theology1      
medicine and law4 ,second1 the callings 

pertaining to public life1 such as      
politics1 military1 science1 and        
education4 ,third1 those vocations that 
pertain to production1 like agriculture1
 manufactures1 and commerce4  ,but apart
 from the callings selected1 it should  
be kept carefully in mind that1 no      
matter the business1 success is         
dependent entirely on the man4          
,business is the salt of life1 which not
 only gives a grateful smack to it1 but 
dries up those crudities that would     
offend1 preserves from putrefaction1 and
 drives off all those blowing flies that
 would corrupt it4 ,let a man be sure to
 drive his business rather than let it  
drive him4 ,when a man is but once      
brought to be driven1 he becomes a      
vassal to his affairs4 ,reason and right
 give the quickest dispatch4 ,all the   
entanglements that we meet with arise   
from the irrationality of ourselves or  
others4 ,with a wise and honest man a   
business is soon ended1 but with a fool 
and knave there is no conclusion1 and   

seldom even a beginning4  ,having       
decided on a calling1 bear ever in mind 
that faith and trustfulness lie at the  
foundation of trade and commercial      
intercourse1 and business transactions  
of every kind4 ,a community of known    
swindlers and knaves would try in vain  
to avail themselves of the advantages of
 traffic1 or to gain access to those    
circles where honor and honesty are     
indispensable passports4 ,hence the     
value which is attached1 by all         
right-minded men1 to purity of purpose  
and integrity of character4 ,a man may  
be unfortunate1 he may be poor and      
penniless2 but if he is known to possess
 unbending integrity1 an unwavering     
purpose to do what is honest and just1  
he will have friends and patrons        
whatever may be the embarrassments and  
exigencies into which he is thrown4 ,the
 poor man may thus possess a capital of 
which none of the misfortunes and       
calamities of life can deprive him4 ,we 
have known men who have been suddenly   

reduced from affluence to penury by     
misfortunes1 which they could neither   
foresee nor prevent4 ,a fire has swept  
away the accumulations of years2        
misplaced confidence1 a flood1 or some  
of the thousand casualties to which     
commercial men are exposed1 have        
stripped them of their possessions4     
,to-day they have been prosperous1      
to-morrow every prospect is blighted1   
and everything in its aspect is dark and
 dismal4 ,their business is gone1 their 
property is gone1 and they feel that all
 is gone2 but they have a rich treasure 
which the fire cannot consume1 which the
 flood cannot carry away4 ,they have    
integrity of character1 and this gives  
them influence1 raises up friends1 and  
furnishes them with means to start      
afresh in the world once more4 ,young   
men1 especially1 should be deeply       
impressed with the vast importance of   
cherishing those principles1 and of     
cultivating those habits1 which will    
secure for them the confidence and      

esteem of the wise and good4 ,let it be 
borne in mind that no brilliancy of     
genius1 no tact or talent in business1  
and no amount of success1 will          
compensate for duplicity1 shuffling1 and
 trickery4 ,there may be apparent       
advantage in the art and practice of    
dissimulation1 and in violating those   
great principles which lie at the       
foundation of truth and duty2 but it    
will at length be seen that a dollar was
 lost where a cent was gained2 that     
present successes are outweighed1 a     
thousand-fold1 by the pains and         
penalties which result from loss of     
confidence and loss of reputation4 ,it  
cannot be too strongly impressed upon   
the minds of young men to abstain from  
every course1 from every act1 which     
shocks their moral sensibilities1 wounds
 their conscience1 and has a tendency to
 weaken their sense of honor and        
integrity4    ,,chapter ,,xi  ,,we      
,,must ,,help ,,ourselves4  ,to the     
young man of the right kind1 the        

inheritance of a fortune1 or the        
possession of influential friends1 may  
be great advantages1 but more frequently
 they are hindrances4 ,to win you must  
fight for yourself1 and the effort will 
give you strength4  ,the spirit of      
self-help is the root of all genuine    
growth in the individual2 and1 exhibited
 in the lives of many1 it constitutes   
the true source of national vigor and   
strength4 ,help from without is often   
enfeebling in its effects1 but help from
 within invariably invigorates4         
,whatever is done for men or classes1 to
 a certain extent takes away the        
stimulus and necessity of doing for     
themselves2 and where men are subjected 
to over-guidance and over- government1  
the inevitable tendency is to render    
them comparatively helpless4  ,the      
privileges of a superior education1 like
 the inheritance of a fortune1 depends  
upon the man4 ,it should encourage those
 who have only themselves and ,god to   
look to for support1 to remember that   

self-education is the best education1   
and that some of the greatest men have  
had few or no school advantages4  ,daily
 experience shows that it is energetic  
individualism which produces the most   
powerful effects upon the life and      
action of others1 and really constitutes
 the best practical education4 ,schools1
 academies1 and colleges give but the   
merest beginnings of culture in         
comparison with it4 ,far more           
influential is the life- education daily
 given in our homes1 in the streets1    
behind counters1 in workshops1 at the   
loom and the plough1 in counting-houses 
and manufactories1 and in the busy      
haunts of men4 ,this is that finishing  
instruction as members of society1 which
 ,schiller designated the education of  
the human race1 consisting in action1   
conduct1 self- culture1                 
self-control--all that tends to         
discipline a man truly1 and fit him for 
the proper performance of the duties and
 business of life--a kind of education  

not to be learned from books1 or        
acquired by any amount of mere literary 
training4 ,with his usual weight of     
words ,bacon observes1 that ,studies    
teach not their own use2 but that is a  
wisdom without them1 and above them1 won
 by observation2 a remark that holds    
true of actual life1 as well as of the  
cultivation of the intellect itself4    
,for all experience serves to illustrate
 and enforce the lesson1 that a man     
perfects himself by work more than by   
reading--that it is life rather than    
literature1 action rather than study1   
and character rather than biography1    
which tend perpetually to renovate      
mankind4  ,no matter how humble your    
calling in life may be1 take heart from 
the fact that many of the world's       
greatest men have had no superior       
advantages4 ,lincoln studied law lying  
on his face before a log-fire2 ,general 
,garfield drove a mule on a canal       
tow-path in his boyhood1 and ,george    
,peabody1 owing to the poverty of his   

family1 was an errand boy in a grocery  
store at the age of eleven4  ,great men 
of science1 literature1 and             
art--apostles of great thoughts and     
lords of the great heart--have belonged 
to no exclusive class or rank in life4  
,they have come alike1 from colleges1   
workshops1 and farm-houses--from the    
huts of poor men and the mansions of the
 rich4 ,some of ,god's greatest apostles
 have come from the ranks4 ,the poorest 
have sometimes taken the highest places1
 nor have difficulties apparently the   
most insuperable proved obstacles in    
their way4 ,those very difficulties1 in 
many instances1 would even seem to have 
been their best helpers1 by evoking     
their powers of labor and endurance1 and
 stimulating into life faculties which  
might otherwise have lain dormant4 ,the 
instances of obstacles thus surmounted1 
and of triumphs thus achieved1 are      
indeed so numerous as almost to justify 
the proverb that with will one can do   
anything4  ,if we took to ,england1 the 

mother country1 a land where the        
advantages are not nearly so great as in
 this and the difficulties greater1 we  
shall find noble spirits rising to      
usefulness and eminence in the face of  
difficulties equally great4  ,shoemakers
 have given us ,sir ,cloudesley ,shovel 
the great admiral1 ,sturgeon the        
electrician1 ,samuel ,drew the essayist1
 ,gifford the editor of the ,quarterly  
,review1 ,bloomfield the poet1 and      
,william ,carey the missionary2 whilst  
,morrison1 another laborious missionary1
 was a maker of shoe-lasts4 ,within the 
last few years1 a profound naturalist   
has been discovered in the person of a  
shoemaker at ,banff1 named ,thomas      
,edwards1 who1 while maintaining himself
 by his trade1 has devoted his leisure  
to the study of natural science in all  
its brandies1 his researches in         
connection with the smaller crustaceae  
having been rewarded by the discovery of
 a new species1 to which the name of    
,praniza ,edwardsii has been given by   

naturalists4  ,nor have tailors been    
undistinguished4 ,john ,stow1 the       
historian1 worked at the trade during   
some part of his life4 ,jackson1 the    
painter1 made clothes until he reached  
manhood4 ,the brave ,sir ,john          
,hawkswood1 who so greatly distinguished
 himself at ,poictiers1 and was knighted
 by ,edward ,,iii for his valor1 was in 
early life apprenticed to a ,london     
tailor4 ,admiral ,hobson1 who broke the 
boom at ,vigo in #agjb1 belonged to the 
same calling4 ,he was working as        
tailor's apprentice near ,bonchurch1 in 
the ,isle of ,wight1 when the news flew 
through the village that a squadron of  
men-of-war was sailing off the island4  
,he sprang from the shopboard1 and ran  
down with his comrades to the beach1 to 
gaze upon the glorious sight4 ,the boy  
was suddenly inflamed with the ambition 
to be a sailor2 and springing into a    
boat1 he rowed off to the squadron1     
gained the admiral's ship1 and was      
accepted as a volunteer4 ,years after1  

he returned to his native village full  
of honors1 and dined off bacon and eggs 
in the cottage where he had worked as an
 apprentice4  ,oliver ,goldsmith was    
regarded as a dunce in his school days1 
and ,daniel ,webster was so dull as a   
school-boy as not to indicate in any way
 the great abilities he was to display4 
,humbert was a scapegrace when a youth2 
at sixteen he ran away from home and was
 by turns servant to a tradesman at     
,nancy1 a workman at ,lyons1 and a      
hawker of rabbit-skins4 ,in #agib1 he   
enlisted as a volunteer and in a year he
 was general of brigade4 ,kleber1       
,lefebvre1 ,suchet1 ,victor1 ,lannes1   
,soult1 ,massena1 ,st4 ,cyr1 ,d',erlon1 
,murat1 ,augereau1 ,bessieres and ,ney1 
all rose from the ranks4 ,in some cases 
promotion was rapid1 in others it was   
slow4 ,st4 ,cyr1 the son of a tanner of 
,toul1 began life as an actor1 after    
which he enlisted in the chasseurs and  
was promoted to a captaincy within a    
year4 ,victor1 ,due de ,belluno1        

enlisted in the artillery in #agha3     
during the events preceding the         
,revolution he was discharged2 but      
immediately on the outbreak of war he   
re-enlisted1 and in the course of a few 
months his intrepidity and ability      
secured his promotion as adjutant-major 
and chief of battalion4 ,murat was the  
son of a village innkeeper in ,perigord1
 where he looked after the horses4 ,he  
first enlisted in a regiment of         
chasseurs1 from which he was dismissed  
for insubordination2 but again1         
enlisting he shortly rose to the rank of
 colonel4 ,ney enlisted at eighteen in a
 hussar regiment and gradually advanced 
step by step2 ,kleber soon discovered   
his merits1 surnaming him ,the          
,indefatigable1 and promoted him to be  
adjutant-general when only twenty-five4 
,general ,christopher ,carson1 or ,kit  
,carson as he is known to the world1    
although strictly temperate in his life 
and as gentle as a blue-eyed child in   
his manner1 ran away from his home in   

,missouri to the ,western wilds1 when he
 was a boy of fourteen4 ,his father     
wanted him to be a farmer1 but          
,providence had greater if not nobler   
uses for him4 ,out in the ,rocky        
,mountains--then a wilderness--he       
learned the ,indian languages1 and      
became as familiar with every trail and 
pass as the red men4  ,it was the       
knowledge gained in those early days    
that enabled ,kit ,carson to carry      
succor to ,fremont's men perishing in   
the mountains4 ,not only did ,carson    
bring food to the dying men1 but when   
they were strong enough to move he      
guided them to a place of safety4  ,this
 truly great man averted many an ,indian
 war1 and did as much for the settlement
 and civilization of the ,west as any   
man of his day-- more1 indeed4 ,in the  
days of secession he was a patriot1 and 
though he might have grown rich at the  
expense of the ,government1 he preferred
 to die a poor and honored man4         
,admiral ,farragut1 although born in    

,east ,tennessee1 went into the ,united 
,states ,navy at the early age of       
eleven4 ,he was the youngest midshipman 
in the service4 ,before ,i had reached  
the age of sixteen1 he says1 ,i prided  
myself on my profanity1 and could drink 
with the strongest4  ,one morning on    
recovering from a debauch he reviewed   
the situation and saw the shoals ahead4 
,then and there he fell on his knees and
 asked ,god to help him4 ,from that day 
on he gave up tobacco1 liquor1 and      
profanity1 devoted himself to the study 
of his profession1 and so became the    
greatest ,admiral of modern times4 ,the 
canal boat captains1 when ,i was a boy1 
said ,general ,garfield1 were a profane1
 carousing1 ignorant lot1 and1 as a boy1
 ,i was eager to imitate them4 ,but my  
eyes were opened before ,i contracted   
their habits1 and ,i left them4  ,john  
,b4 ,gough is an example of such a      
change of life that should encourage    
every young man who has made a mis-step4
  ,among like men of the same class may 

be ranked the late ,richard ,cobden1    
whose start in life was equally humble4 
,the son of a small farmer at ,midhurst 
in ,sussex1 he was sent at an early age 
to ,london and employed as a boy in a   
warehouse in the ,city4 ,he was         
diligent1 well-conducted1 and eager for 
information4 ,his master1 a man of the  
old school1 warned him against too much 
reading2 but the boy went on in his own 
course1 storing his mind with the wealth
 found in books4 ,he was promoted from  
one position of trust to another1 became
 a traveler for his house1 secured a    
large connection1 and eventually started
 in business as a calico-printer at     
,manchester4 ,taking an interest in     
public questions1 more especially in    
popular education1 his attention was    
gradually drawn to the subject of the   
,corn ,laws1 to the repeal of which he  
may be said to have contributed more    
than all the rest of ,parliament4  ,it  
would be a mistake1 however1 to judge   
from this that all the world's greatest 

men1 started life poor1 or that some men
 of wealth and prominent family have not
 contributed their share1 and have not1 
by reason of that wealth1 sedulously    
followed a useful life-calling4  ,riches
 are so great a temptation to ease and  
self-indulgence1 to which men are by    
nature prone1 that the glory is all the 
greater of those who1 born to ample     
fortunes1 nevertheless take an active   
part in the work of their               
generation--who scorn delights and live 
laborious days4  ,it was a fine thing   
said of a subaltern officer in the      
,peninsular campaigns1 observed trudging
 along through mud and mire by the side 
of his regiment1 ,there goes #ae1jjj    
pounds a year6 and in our own day1 the  
bleak slopes of ,sebastopol and the     
burning soil of ,india have borne       
witness to the like noble self-denial   
and devotion on the part of the richer  
classes2 many a gallant and noble       
fellow1 of rank and estate1 having      
risked his life1 or lost it1 in one or  

other of those fields of action1 in the 
service of his country4  ,nor have the  
wealthier classes been undistinguished  
in the more peaceful pursuits of        
philosophy and science4 ,take1 for      
instance1 the great names of ,bacon1 the
 father of modern philosophy1 and of    
,worcester1 ,boyle1 ,cavendish1 ,talbot 
and ,rosse in science4 ,the last named  
may be regarded as the great mechanic of
 the peerage2 a man who1 if he had not  
been born a peer1 would probably have   
taken the highest rank as an inventor4  
,so thorough was his knowledge of smith-
 work that he is said to have been      
pressed on one occasion to accept the   
foremanship of a large workshop1 by a   
manufacturer to whom his rank was       
unknown4 ,the great ,rosse telescope1 of
 his own fabrication1 is certainly the  
most extraordinary instrument of the    
kind that has yet been constructed4  ,we
 are apt to think that the wealthy      
classes in ,america are addicted to     
idleness1 but1 in proportion to their   

number1 they are as usefully industrious
 as those who are forced to work for a  
living4 ,the ,adams family1 of          
,massachusetts1 for more than a century1
 has been even more distinguished for   
statesmanship and intellect than for    
great wealth4 ,the ,vanderbilts have all
 been hard workers and able business    
men4 ,george ,gould seems to be quite as
 great a financier as his remarkable    
father4 ,the ,astors are distinguished  
for their literary ability2 ,william    
,waldorf ,astor and his cousin1 ,john   
,jacob1 are authors of great merit4 ,the
 ,lees1 of ,virginia1 have ever been    
distinguished for energy1 intellect1 and
 a capacity for hard work4 ,and so we   
might cite a hundred examples to prove  
that even in ,america1 want is not the  
greatest incentive to effort4  ,the     
indefatigable industry of ,lord         
,brougham has become almost proverbial4 
,his public labors extended over a      
period of upward of sixty years1 during 
which he ranged over many fields--of    

law1 literature1 politics1 and          
science--and achieved distinction in    
them all4 ,how he contrived it1 has been
 to many a mystery4 ,once1 when ,sir    
,samuel ,romilly was requested to       
undertake some new work1 he excused     
himself by saying that he had no time2  
but1 he added1 go with it to that fellow
 ,brougham1 he seems to have time for   
everything4 ,the secret of it was1 that 
he never left a minute unemployed2      
withal he possessed a constitution of   
iron4 ,when arrived at an age at which  
most men would have retired from the    
world to enjoy their hard- earned       
leisure1 perhaps to doze away their time
 in an easy chair1 ,lord ,brougham      
commenced and prosecuted a series of    
elaborate investigations as to the laws 
of ,light1 and he submitted the results 
to the most scientific audiences that   
,paris and ,london could muster4 ,about 
the same time1 he was passing through   
the press his admirable sketches of the 
,men of ,science and ,literature of the 

,reign of ,george ,,iii1 and taking his 
full share of the law business and the  
political discussions in the ,house of  
,lords4 ,sydney ,smith once recommended 
him to confine himself to only the      
transaction of so much business as three
 strong men could get through4 ,but such
 was ,brougham's love of work--long     
become a habit--that no amount of       
application seems to have been too great
 for him2 and such was his love of      
excellence that it has been said of him 
that if his station in life had been    
only that of a shoeblack1 he would never
 have rested satisfied until he had     
become the best shoeblack in ,england4  
,chapter ,,xii  ,,successful ,,farming4 
,according to ,holy ,writ1 man's first  
calling was agriculture1 or1 perhaps1   
horticulture would better express it4   
,adam was placed in the ,garden to till 
and care for it2 and even after he was  
driven from that blissful abode and     
compelled to live by the sweat of his   
brow1 he had to go back to the earth    

from which his body was made to sustain 
the life breathed into it by ,jehovah4  
,but the young men of to-day1 and it is 
much to be regretted1 regard farming    
life with more and more disfavor4 ,to be
 sure1 the greatest fortunes have not   
been accumulated in farming1 but this   
book will not have accomplished its     
purpose if it has failed to pint out    
that lives can be eminently successful  
without the accumulation of great       
wealth4  ,before proceeding further1 let
 us state a truth which will be         
convincing to every reader who knows    
anything at all about the careers of    
successful men4 ,it is not a little     
remarkable that the most successful     
preachers1 lawyers1 doctors1 merchants1 
and mechanics have had their earliest   
training on the farm4  ,as we have      
before said1 the successful life is the 
one that is happiest and most useful in 
itself1 and which produces happiness and
 usefulness in others4 ,and as the      
majority of workers in most civilized   

lands are directly connected with       
agriculture1 and as all sustenance for  
our daily lives1 and all wealth1 save   
the limited amount that comes from the  
sea1 is directly traceable to the land1 
it follows that agriculture is the most 
important of all callings-- and ,i would
 say the most honorable1 were it not    
that every calling is honorable that    
requires for its success energy1        
industry1 intelligence1 and honesty4    
,the ,united ,states1 above all         
countries in the world at this time1    
indeed1 above all countries of which    
history furnishes any record1 has been  
more dependent for its growth and       
success on agriculture than on any other
 vocation4 ,while our manufacturing     
enterprises rank us next to ,england    
among the world's manufacturing         
producers1 yet more than nine-tenths of 
our export trade with foreign countries 
is in agricultural products1 such as3   
wheat1 corn1 cotton1 tobacco1 and beef  
and pork1 which1 under the present      

system of farming1 are as much          
agricultural productions as the grain on
 which the ox and the hog are fattened4 
,in agriculture1 or farming1 is included
 the bulk of the balance of labor not   
covered by the building and mechanical  
trades1 and the employments growing out 
of and connected with them4  ,good      
farming is dependent on good machinery1 
including tools1 and on good buildings4 
,doubtless1 in its infancy1 neither was 
used1 even the hoe and hut being        
unknown4 ,among the first records of    
producing from the soil1 to be found in 
any detail1 is the raising of corn in   
,chaldea and ,egypt4 ,sowing seed in the
 valley of the ,nile1 and turning on the
 swine to tread it into the soil1 was   
one of the methods in use1 and every    
process of planting and harvesting was  
of the simplest4 ,as population grew    
more dense1 and other climates and soils
 were occupied1 better processes were   
developed1 and more varied were the     
productions4 ,animal power and rude     

tools were gradually brought into use1  
and about #ajjj years before ,christ a  
plow with a beam1 share and handles is  
mentioned4 ,then agriculture is spoken  
of as being in a flourishing condition1 
and artificial drainage was resorted to4
 ,grecian farming in the days of its    
prosperity attained1 in some districts1 
a creditable advancement1 and the       
implements in use were1 in principle1   
similar to many of modern construction4 
,horses1 cattle1 swine1 sheep1 and      
poultry were bred and continually       
improved by importations from other     
countries4 ,manuring of the fields was  
practiced2 ground was often plowed three
 times before seeding2 and sub-soiling  
and other mixings of soils were in some 
cases employed4 ,a great variety of     
fruit was successfully cultivated1 and  
good farming was a source of pride to   
the people4 ,the ,romans considered it1 
as ,washington did1 the most honorable  
and useful occupation4 ,each ,roman     
citizen was allotted a piece of land of 

from five to fifty acres by the         
government1 and in after times1 when    
annexations were made1 up to five       
hundred acres were allotted4 ,the land  
was generally closely and carefully     
cultivated1 and the most distinguished  
citizens considered it their greatest   
compliment to be called good farmers4   
,the ,roman ,senate had twenty-eight    
books1 written by a ,carthaginian       
farmer1 translated for the use of the   
people4 ,the general sentiment among the
 more intelligent was to hold small     
farms and till them well2 to protect    
their fields from winds and storms1 and 
to defer building or incurring avoidable
 expense until fully able4  ,thirteen   
centuries were required to improve upon 
the plowing of two- thirds of an acre1  
which in ,roman parlance was a jugarum1 
necessitating the labor of two days4    
,the eighteenth century made great      
improvements in the modes of farming1   
especially in the matter of tools1      
machinery1 and farm literature2 while   

this century has made marked progress in
 the raising and harvesting of crops1   
buildings for farm purposes1 and a      
remarkable improvement in horses1       
cattle1 and other farm stock4 ,salt was 
found to be a fertilizer1 and vegetation
 proven to be more beneficial on land in
 summer than leaving it bare and        
unoccupied1 as had formerly been the    
theory4 ,manures were found to be of    
increased value when mixed1 and guanos  
were introduced4  ,the ,germans and     
,french began improvement in farming    
before the ,english1 and have well      
sustained it4  ,since the primitive     
years of the ,untied ,states1 her       
agriculture has attained unparalleled   
growth1 and remains her chief pride and 
revenue4 ,those were the years that     
tried the farmers' souls4 ,they had     
everything to learn2 forests to clear   
off2 seeds and conveniences to secure2  
roads to open2 new grounds to cultivate2
 buildings to erect1 and hostile        
,indians to watch and fight4 ,south     

,carolina was the first ,state to       
organize an agricultural society1 which 
was accomplished in #aghd4 ,now nearly  
all the counties of every ,state have   
similar organizations1 besides those of 
the ,states themselves4 ,that they are  
materially and socially beneficial is   
unquestioned1 barring the effect of     
horse-racing and its betting            
accompaniment4  ,among the more valuable
 auxiliaries of the farmer are the      
agricultural journals of the country1   
for which hundreds of thousands of      
dollars are annually expended4 ,with few
 exceptions they fill the measure of    
their publication1 and the information  
they furnish1 if properly and           
judiciously used1 can have none but a   
healthy effect4 ,while nine out of every
 ten farmers doubtless do not do all1   
nor as well as they know1 the benefit   
and incitement of knowing more can but  
be beneficial4 ,it is as a bill of fare 
at an eating-house--while the           
consumption of every article named      

therein would be death1 the large       
selection at hand renders possible a    
wholesome meal4  ,mr4 ,joshua ,hill in  
his work entitled ,thought and          
,thrift--which1 by the way1 would be    
more valuable if less partisan--has this
 to say in connection with the business 
and courage required in agriculture3    
,neglect of aid that may be had in      
procuring the best results of labor1 and
 inattention in applying it1 are faults 
possessed by many4 ,every man is by     
nature possessed of abilities of some   
sort2 and if he has found the right way 
to use them1 he alone is to blame if he 
does not properly apply them with a view
 to their highest and best results4     
,there is no use for a rule if there be 
no measures to take2 thee is no use for 
a reason if men do not heed it4 ,human  
experiences are full of wise counsel for
 those who desire to learn and do so2   
but for those who close their eyes and  
wait for results without effort1 the    
records containing them would just as   

well never have been written4 ,there is 
an absolutely fixed law of nature that  
denies to man anything that he does not 
receive from some kind of labor1 except 
to such as live by favor and robbery1   
and not by work4 ,there are many        
examples of those who are said to 'live 
by their wits1' but the problem as to   
how it is done may never be solved4 ,nor
 does it need to be solved1 as no man   
should justly expect to enjoy anything  
which has not been procured by his own  
labor4 ,those who most appreciated the  
comforts of life are those who create   
them for themselves4 ,in knowing how    
what we have is obtained1 lies its chief
 value to us4 ,men naturally take pride 
in the possession of a treasure in      
proportion to the trouble involved in   
securing it4 ,whoever would thrive in   
his farming must bend his whole will and
 purpose to it4 ,nothing which can be   
done to-day should be put off till      
to-morrow4 ,to-morrow may never come1   
and should it come1 may not changed     

conditions and difficulties render set  
tasks impossible8 ,under some           
circumstances men trust to fortune1     
without serious errors1 in postponing   
the execution of appointed tasks4 ,the  
maxim that 'procrastination is the thief
 of time' points a moral implied in     
itself1 and is unquestionably true in a 
majority of instances4 ,men of business 
are often careful in some matters1 to   
the neglect of others more important4   
,different men have different methods of
 business1 which1 considering           
differences of constitution and manner  
of application1 is only natural2 not    
dangerous1 but rather beneficial4 ,no   
two men go to work in the same way1     
notwithstanding they may have both      
learned of the same teacher1 or been    
instructed upon the same principle4 ,the
 greater trouble lies in improper       
application and inattention to details4 
,trifles make up the sum of life1 as    
cents make dollars4 ,an overanxious man1
 he who makes great haste to be rich1   

seldom prospers long in any undertaking4
 ,possibilities1 not probabilities1     
should be the guide4 ,a sanguine        
disposition may or may not be useful in 
business4 ,disappointment often follows 
sanguine hopes4 ,a good business man    
calculates closely2 does not allow      
anticipation to run away with his       
judgment1 nor imagine that any good     
result can follow a false move4  ,for   
these reasons1 the farmer needs to think
 and to reason more2 to attend more     
strictly to business rules and methods1 
and to exercise a greater courage and   
persistency in applying them4 ',work    
while it is day1' says the ,scriptures1 
'for the night cometh when no man can   
work4' ,command the present moment that 
shakes gold from its wings4 ,that the   
future may bring bread for his family1  
the farmer sows seed in confidence1 and 
awaits the harvest in hope4 ,but if he  
fails to do what is necessary to a      
proper yield from his crop1 he has made 
a failure of the talents committed to   

him4 ,men must acknowledge the          
responsibility that rest upon them1 and 
meet it with that true courage which    
directs them aright4 ,the lack of       
knowledge does not imply lack of ability
 to think and to reason4 ,all men1      
unless of idiotic1 impaired1 or diseased
 minds1 are possessed of the faculty of 
reason1 and should use it for the       
purpose for which it was given-- to     
supply needed helps to our temporal     
existence4 ,from thought comes ability1 
and from ability system1 courage1       
attention1 application1 the most        
valuable aids to every man of business4 
,but in farming as in every other       
calling the first great requisite is    
self-reliance4 ,the man who depends upon
 his neighbors1 as ,aesop illustrates in
 one of his fables1 never has his work  
done4 ,but when he says that he will do 
it himself on a certain day1 then it is 
prudent for the bird that has been      
nesting in his grainfield to change her 
habitation4    ,,chapter ,,xiii  ,,as   

,,to ,,public ,,life4  ,the relations of
 the citizen to the state1 and of the   
state to the citizen1 are reciprocal4   
,every man who becomes a member of an   
established government1 whether it be   
voluntary1 as where an oath of          
allegiance is taken to obey the laws1 or
 involuntary1 as by birth1 which is the 
case of a majority of all citizens1 he  
surrenders certain natural rights in    
consideration of the protection which   
the government throws about him4  ,in a 
state of nature1 man is free to do as he
 pleases1 without any recognition of the
 rights of others2 and his power to have
 his own way is entirely dependent on   
the physical strength and courage which 
he has to enforce it4 ,this is why1 in a
 savage state1 war is the almost        
constant business of the men1 and the   
strongest and the bravest of the lawless
 mob1 tribe1 or clan usually becomes    
leader4  ,when through either of these  
agencies a man finds himself a member of
 an established government1 he owes to  

that government implicit obedience to   
its laws1 in consideration of the       
protection to life and property which   
that government throws about him4  ,in  
consideration of the protection which   
the banded many1 known as the state1    
gives to the individual1 the individual 
pledges implicit obedience to the laws  
of the state4  ,horace says 3 ,dulci et 
decorum est pro patria mori--meaning    
that it is brave and right to die for   
one's country4 ,old ,dr4 ,sam ,johnson1 
like his successor1 ,carlyle1 was apt to
 sneer at the grander impulses of       
humanity4 ,he said on one occasion3     
,patriotism is the last resort of a     
scoundrel4 ,and yet we know that the    
noblest characters of all history have  
been the men who felt1 with ,horace1    
that it was noble to die for one's      
country4  ,americans1 perhaps more than 
any other people in the world at this   
time1 have an intense appreciation of   
this spirit of patriotism4 ,from the    
days of the ,revolution to the present  

time1 our most prominent and most       
respected characters have been the men  
who1 in the forum or in the field1 have 
devoted their lives to the preservation 
and elevation of the ,republic4  ,public
 life has its rewards1 but they rarely  
come to the honest man in the form of   
dollars4 ,franklin1 ,jackson1 ,taylor1  
,jolinson1 ,grant1 ,garfield1 and       
,lincoln were all the sons of poor men1 
and they died poor themselves2 but who  
can say that their lives were not       
grandly successful4  ,an interest in    
politics should be the duty of everyone1
 but the young man who enters public    
life for the sake of the money he may   
accumulate from office1 starts out as a 
traitor to his country and an ingrate to
 his fellows4  ,public life should be an
 unselfish life4 ,the service of the    
public requires the strongest bodies1   
the clearest brains1 and the purest     
hearts1 and the man who devotes his life
 to this great purpose must find his    
reward in a duty well performed1 rather 

than in the financial emoluments of     
office4  ,duty is the spirit of         
patriotism1 and while this spirit should
 run through every act in every calling1
 it must particularly distinguish the   
man who has entered the public service  
as a soldier or civil official4 ,it is  
duty that leads the soldier to face     
hardships and death without flinching1  
and the same high impulse should        
stimulate the conduct where there is no 
physical danger4  ,samuel ,smiles1 to   
whom we are indebted for much that is   
valuable in this work1 has the following
 to say in this connection about duty3  
,duty is a thing that is due1 and must  
be paid by every man who would avoid    
present discredit and eventual moral    
insolvency4 ,it is an obligation--a     
debt--which can only be discharged by   
voluntary effort and resolute action in 
the affairs of life4  ,duty embraces    
man's whole existence4 ,it begins in the
 home1 where there is the duty which    
children owe to their parents on the    

one- hand1 and the duty which parents   
owe to their children on the other4     
,there are1 in like manner1 the         
respective duties of husbands and wives1
 of masters and servants2 while outside 
the home there are the duties which men 
and women owe to each other as friends  
and neighbors1 as employers and         
employed1 as governors and governed4    
',render1 therefore1' says ,st4 ,paul1  
'to all their dues3 tribute to whom     
tribute is due2 custom to whom custom2  
fear to whom fear2 honor to whom honor4 
,owe no man anything1 but to love one   
another2 for he that loveth another hath
 fulfilled the law4'  ,thus duty rounds 
the whole of life1 from our entrance    
into it until our exit from it--duty to 
superiors1 duty to inferiors1 and duty  
to equals--duty to man1 and duty to     
,god4 ,wherever there is power to use or
 to direct1 there is duty4 ,for we are  
but as stewards1 appointed to employ the
 means entrusted to us for our own and  
for others' good4  ,the abiding sense of

 duty is the very crown of character4   
,it is the upholding law of man in his  
highest attitudes4 ,without it1 the     
individual totters and falls before the 
first puff of adversity or temptation2  
whereas1 inspired by it1 the weakest    
becomes strong and full of courage4     
',duty1' says ,mrs4 ,jameson1 'is the   
cement which binds the whole moral      
edifice together2 without which1 all    
power1 goodness1 intellect1 truth1      
happiness1 love itself1 can have no     
permanence2 but all the fabric of       
existence crumbles away from under us1  
and leaves us at last sitting in the    
midst of a ruin1 astonished at our own  
desolation4'  ,duty is based upon a     
sense of justice--justice inspired by   
love1 which is the most perfect form of 
goodness4 ,duty is not a sentiment1 but 
a principle pervading the life3 and it  
exhibits itself in conduct and in acts1 
which are mainly determined by man's    
conscience and free will4  ,sir ,john   
,packington1 one of ,england's most     

famous men1 said in speaking of his     
public life3  ,i am indebted for        
whatever measure of success ,i have     
attained in my public life1 to a        
combination of moderate abilities with  
honesty of intention1 firmness of       
purpose1 and steadiness of conduct4 ,if 
,i were to offer advice to any young man
 anxious to make himself useful in      
public life1 ,i would sum up the results
 of my experience in three short        
rules--rules so simple that any man may 
act upon them4 ,my first rule will be1  
leave it to others to judge of what     
duties you are capable1 and for what    
position you are fitted2 but never      
refuse to give your services in whatever
 capacity it my be the opinion of others
 who are competent to judge that you may
 benefit your neighbors and your        
country4 ,my second rule is1 when you   
agree to undertake public duties1       
concentrate every energy and faculty in 
your possession with the determination  
to discharge those duties to the best of

 your ability4 ,lastly1 ,i would counsel
 you that1 in deciding on the line which
 you will take in public affairs1 you   
should be guided in your decision by    
that which1 after mature deliberation1  
you believe to be right1 and not by that
 which1 in the passing hour1 may happen 
to be fashionable or popular4  ,another 
author equally eminent writes in the    
same vein3  ,the first great duty of    
every citizen is that of an abiding love
 for his country4 ,this is one of the   
native instincts of the noble heart4    
,history tells of many a devoted hero1  
reared under an oppressive despotism1   
and groaning under unjust exactions1    
with little in the character of his     
ruler to excite anything like generous  
enthusiasm1 who yet has shed his blood  
and given up his treasures in willing   
sacrifice for his country's good4 ,in a 
country such as this we live in1 it is  
the duty of every man to be a patriot1  
and to love and serve it with an        
affection that is commensurate both with

 the priceless cost of her liberties1   
and the greatness of her civil and      
religious privileges4 ,indeed1 however  
it may be in other lands1 in this one   
the youth may be said to draw in the    
love of country with his native air2 and
 it is justly taken for granted that all
 will seek and maintain her interests1  
as that the child shall love its mother1
 on whose bosom it has been cradled1 and
 of whose life it is a part4  ,in no    
other country more than this is it      
important that all should rightly       
understand and faithfully fulfill the   
duties of citizenship4 ,while ignorance 
is the natural stronghold of tyranny1   
knowledge is the very throne of civil   
liberty4 ,it is the interest of         
despotism to foster a blind1 unreasoning
 obedience to arbitrary law2 but where1 
as with us1 almost the humblest has a   
voice in the administration of public   
affairs1 more depends upon the          
enlightened sentiments of the masses    
than upon even the skill of temporary   

rulers1 or the character of existing    
laws4  ,a generation ago1 when the      
integrity of the ,union was threatened1 
the rich and the poor1 the young and the
 old1 particularly in what were known as
 the ,free ,states1 gave up all for the 
defense of the ,republic4 ,it should be 
said1 in justice to those who fought on 
the opposite side1 that no matter how   
much mistaken1 they were in their own   
hearts as honest1 and by their heroic   
sacrifices proved themselves to be as   
brave and unselfish1 as the gallant men 
who won in the appeal to arms4  ,if     
to-day the honor or the integrity of the
 ,republic were assailed1 every man     
capable of bearing arms1 irrespective of
 the past differences of themselves or  
their fathers1 would answer the         
country's call in teeming millions1 and 
prove the truth of the ,latin poet's    
adage1 that it is right and noble to die
 for ones country4  ,a manly people     
should cultivate a manly spirit1 and be 
prepared1 if need be1 to defend their   

rights by force1 but in the better day1 
whose light is coming1 we believe that  
nobler and more equitable means of      
adjusting internal and international    
differences can be found than by an     
appeal to arms4  ,believing then that   
every young man who is worthy his       
,american citizenship would willingly   
risk his life in defense of his nation's
 flag--which1 after all1 is simply the  
emblem of what his nation stands for--he
 should be willing1 if duty requires it1
 to serve his country with equal        
fidelity in times of peace4  ,it is to  
be regretted that men of the stamp of   
those who gave their lives or risked    
them and have poured out their wealth   
with unstinted hand when the life of the
 ,republic was in danger1 should1 in    
days of peace1 regard politics--which   
means an interest in public affairs--   
with something like contempt4  ,it may  
be argued that politics has fallen into 
the hands of a rough and unprincipled   
class1 who make it a profession for the 

sake of the gain it offers4 ,to a       
certain extent this is true2 but the men
 who are responsible for this state of  
affairs are not the professional        
politicians1 but the good citizens1 who 
are in the majority1 and who could      
control1 if they would1 but who         
unpatriotically neglect their duty to   
the public1 or ignore it in the presence
 of their individual interests4  ,one of
 the best signs of the times is the fact
 that civil service has come into our   
politics to stay4 ,through this service1
 the young aspirant for office1         
irrespective of his politics1 stands an 
examination before impartial            
commissioners1 and is rated according to
 his qualifications4 ,once he enters the
 public service1 he cannot be discharged
 except for incapacity1 and this must be
 proven before a proper tribunal4  ,the 
rewards of public office1 excepting in a
 few cases where the positions depend   
upon the votes of the people1 are never 
great4 ,and1 unfortunately1 under our   

system the aspirant for an elective     
office usually spends as much as the    
office will pay him during his term1 if 
he depends upon its honest emoluments4  
,but to the young man who is not        
ambitious and who will live contentedly 
a life of routine with a limited        
compensation1 a public life has many    
advantages4 ,the salary continues1      
irrespective of the weather or seasons1 
and there is connected with the place a 
certain respect4 ,no matter how humble  
the position of a man in the public     
service1 a certain dignity must always  
attach to him who is at once a servant  
and a representative of the people4     
,,chapter ,,xiv  ,,the ,,need ,,of      
,,constant ,,effort4  ,it matters not   
what talent or genius a man may possess1
 no natural gift can compensate for     
hard1 persistent toil4 ,the ,romans had 
a maxim as true to-day as it was when   
first uttered3 ,labor omnia vincit1     
,toil conquers all things4 ,the earliest
 ,christians lived in communities and   

had all things in common4 ,one of their 
precepts-- a precept up to which all    
lived--was3 ,laborare est orare1 ,to    
work is to pray4  ,someone has said that
 the difference between the genius and  
the ordinary man is that the genius has 
a tireless capacity for patient1 hard   
work1 while the other regards effort as 
a painful exaction1 and is ever looking 
forward to the time when he can rest4   
,it is encouraging to know that the     
world's hardest workers have lived the  
longest lives4 ,in this alone1 labor is 
its own reward2 but enduring success    
never came to a poor man without an     
unflagging patience and an unceasing    
toil4  ,honorable industry1 says one1   
travels the same road with duty2 and    
,providence has closely linked both with
 happiness4 ,the gods1 says the poet1   
have placed labor and toil on the way   
leading to the ,elysian fields4 ,certain
 it is that no bread eaten by man is so 
sweet as that earned by his own labor1  
whether bodily or mental4 ,by labor the 

earth has been subdued1 and man redeemed
 from barbarism2 nor has a single step  
in civilization been made without it4   
,labor is not only a necessity and a    
duty1 but a blessing2 only the idler    
feels it to be a curse4 ,the duty of    
work is written on the thews and muscles
 of the limbs1 the mechanism of the     
hand1 the nerves and lobes of the       
brain--the sum of whose healthy action  
is satisfaction and enjoyment4 ,in the  
school of labor is taught the best      
practical wisdom2 nor is a life of      
manual employment1 as we shall hereafter
 find1 incompatible with high mental    
culture4  ,hugh ,miller1 than whom none 
knew better the strength and the        
weakness belonging to the lot of labor1 
stated the result of his experience to  
be1 that work1 even the hardest1 is full
 of pleasure and materials for          
self-improvement4 ,he held honest labor 
to be the best of teachers1 and that the
 school of toil is the nobles of        
schools-- save only the ,christian one2 

that it is a school in which the ability
 of being useful is imparted1 the spirit
 of independence learned1 and the habit 
of persevering effort acquired4 ,he was 
even of opinion that the training of the
 mechanic--by exercise which it gives to
 his observant faculties1 from his daily
 dealing with things actual and         
practical1 and the close experience of  
life which he acquires--better fits a   
man for picking his way along the       
journey of life1 and is more favorable  
to his growth as a man1 emphatically    
speaking1 than the training afforded by 
any other condition4  ,watt1 the        
inventor of the steam engine1 was one of
 the most industrious of men2 and the   
story of his life proves1 what all      
experience confirms1 that it is not the 
man of the greatest natural vigor and   
capacity who achieves the highest       
results1 but he who employs his powers  
with the greatest industry and the most 
carefully disciplined skill--the skill  
that comes by labor1 application1 and   

experience4 ,many men in his time knew  
far more than ,watt1 but none labored so
 assiduously as he did to turn all that 
he did know to useful practical         
purposes4 ,he was1 above all things1    
most persevering in the pursuit of      
facts4 ,he cultivated carefully that    
habit of active attention on which all  
the higher working qualities of the mind
 mainly depend4 ,indeed1 ,mr4 ,edgeworth
 entertained the opinion that the       
difference of intellect in men depends  
more upon the early cultivation of this 
habit of attention1 than upon any great 
disparity between the powers of one     
individual and another4  ,arkwright1 one
 of the world's greatest mechanics1 and 
the inventor of the spinning jenny1 was 
famed for his unceasing industry4  ,like
 most of our great mechanicians1 he     
sprang from the ranks4 ,he was born in  
,preston in #agcb4 ,his parents were    
very poor1 and he was the youngest of   
thirteen children4 ,he was never at     
school2 the only education he received  

he gave to himself2 and to the last he  
was only able to write with difficulty4 
,when a boy1 he was apprenticed to a    
barber1 and after learning the business1
 he set up for himself in ,bolton1 where
 he occupied an underground cellar1 over
 which he put up the sign1 come to the  
subterraneous barber--he shaves for a   
penny4 ,the other barbers found their   
customers leaving them1 and reduced     
their prices to his standard1 when      
,arkwright1 determined to push his      
trade1 announced his determination to   
give ,a clean shave for a half- penny4  
,at the close of his life1 ,john ,jacob 
,astor was the wealthiest man in the    
,united ,states1 and the immense fortune
 he left has been largely increased     
through his wise investments and the    
habits of business which he seems to    
have transmitted with his fortune to his
 descendants4  ,his life is a most      
interesting one1 particularly to the    
young man who stands facing the world   
without friends or fortune to aid him4  

,but young ,astor had one quality to    
start with1 a quality which success     
never lessened1 and that was the        
capacity for unceasing industry4  ,he   
was born of peasant parents in the      
village of ,waldorf1 near the great     
university town of ,heidelberg in       
,germany4 ,when sixteen years of age he 
was crowded out of the hive by          
increasing brothers and sisters1 and    
without education or experience1 he     
started out to make his way in the      
world4  ,in the days of his great       
prosperity1 he used to tell1 with       
delight mingled with sadness1 of the day
 when he left father1 and mother1 and   
home1 which he was never to see together
 again4 ,he used to say3 ,i had only two
 dollars in my pocket1 and all my       
clothes were tied up in a handkerchief  
fastened at the end of a stick4 ,when ,i
 had climbed the high hill above the    
village1 ,i sat down to rest my heart   
rather than my feet1 and to look back at
 the loved scenes of my childhood4      

,before leaving home it was decided that
 ,i should make my way to ,london--then 
the city of promise to many young       
,germans4 ,while ,i sat there1 ,i made  
three resolutions1 which during my life 
,i have never broken4 ,i had never      
gambled1 but ,i had known others to do  
so1 and my first resolve was not to     
follow their example4 ,the second       
resolution was to be strictly honest in 
all my dealings1 and this ,i have tried 
to adhere to4 ,the third resolution was 
quite as important as the other two     
together2 it was that so long as ,god   
gave me health and strength ,i should be
 unceasingly industrious4  ,john ,jacob 
,astor1 as a man1 faithfully carried out
 the resolutions he made as a boy1 and  
the world knows the consequences4  ,when
 the impartial historian comes to write 
the life of ,horace ,greeley1 no matter 
how much he may object to his policies  
and politics1 he will give him credit   
for honesty1 courage1 perseverance1 and 
an industry that knew no fatigue4       

,while barely in his teens1 young       
,greeley1 whose father was making a     
desperate effort to support a large     
family on a poor farm in ,new           
,hampshire1 started in to work for      
himself4 ,his early education consisted 
of a few winter terms in a common       
school4 ,before he was seventeen he had 
learned the printer's trade1 and then   
resolved not only to support himself1   
but to help his parents4 ,realizing his 
want of education1 he devoted every     
minute he could spare from work or sleep
 to study4  ,speaking of these early    
days1 ,mr4 ,greeley said3  ,there was   
many a heavy load placed on my          
shoulders1 but ,i staggered on and bore 
it as best ,i could4 ,many an           
uncongenial task was forced upon me1 but
 ,i can honestly say ,i never shirked   
it4 ,if ,i have succeeded in my chosen  
profession1 it has not been due to my   
early advantages1 for ,i had none1 but  
to my strong belief that patient        
industry would triumph in the end4      

,when ,horace ,greeley was twenty years 
of age he was working in a printing     
office in ,erie1 ,pennsylvania1 and     
determined to better his fortunes by    
coming to ,new ,york4 ,he had saved up  
one hundred and twenty dollars1 and of  
this he sent one hundred to his father1 
and with the rest he turned his face to 
the great city1 about six hundred miles 
away4 ,he traveled the entire distance  
on foot1 and reached ,new ,york with    
fifteen dollars1 the whole trip having  
cost him but five4  ,poorly clad1 tall1 
gawky1 and green-looking1 he entered the
 city where he had neither friend nor   
acquaintance4 ,for weeks he tramped the 
streets1 looking vainly for work1 his   
cash gradually growing less1 but his    
spirits never failing4 ,at length he    
found employment at his trade1 where his
 integrity and unceasing industry soon  
made him conspicuous4 ,step by step1 he 
worked his way up1 never forgetting the 
poor family in ,vermont1 till at length 
he was able to establish the ,new ,york 

,tribune1 which survives as a monument  
of his perseverance and industry4       
,although his early training was so     
defective1 he gave every spare minute to
 study1 and with such success that he   
became not only a great leader1 but one 
of the most perfect masters of the      
,english language4 ,his name will long  
live after many writers and statesmen of
 greater pretensions are forgotten4  ,as
 an example of what perseverance1       
fortitude and energy will do1 ,horace   
,greeley's story of his own life should 
be studied by every ambitious young man4
  ,horace ,greelev never laid claim to  
physical courage1 but he had that higher
 courage and industry without which     
enduring success is impossible4 ,in     
speaking of this admirable quality1 a   
famous author says3  ,the greater part  
of the courage that is needed in the    
world is not of an heroic kind4 ,courage
 may be displayed in everyday life as   
well as on historic fields of action4   
,there needs1 for example1 the common   

courage to be honest--the courage to    
resist temptation--the courage to speak 
the truth--the courage to be what we    
really are1 and not to pretend to be    
what we are not--the courage to live    
honestly within our own means1 and not  
dishonestly upon the means of others4   
,a great deal of the unhappiness1 and   
much of the vice1 of the world is owing 
to weakness and indecision of           
purpose--in other words1 to lack of     
courage and want of industry4 ,men may  
know what is right1 and yet fail to     
exercise the courage to do it2 they may 
understand the duty they have to do1 but
 will not summon up the requisite       
resolution to perform it4 ,the weak and 
undisciplined man is at the mercy of    
every temptation2 he cannot say no1' but
 falls before it4 ,and if his           
companionship be bad1 he will be all the
 easier led away by bad example into    
wrong-doing4  ,nothing can be more      
certain than that the character can only
 be sustained and strengthened by its   

own energetic action4 ,the will1 which  
is the central force of character1 must 
be trained to habits of                 
decision--otherwise it will neither be  
able to resist evil nor to follow good4 
,decision gives the power of standing   
firmly1 when to yield1 however slightly1
 might be only the first step in a      
downhill course to ruin4  ,calling upon 
others for help in forming a decision is
 worse than useless4 ,a man must so     
train his habits as to rely upon his own
 powers and depend upon his own courage 
in moments of emergency4 ,plutarch tells
 of a king of ,macedon who1 in the midst
 of an action1 withdrew into the        
adjoining town under pretence of        
sacrificing to ,hercules2 whilst his    
opponent ,emilius1 at the same time that
 he implored the ,divine aid1 sought for
 victory sword in hand1 and won the     
battle4 ,and so it ever is in the       
actions of daily life4  ,many are the   
valiant purposes formed1 that end merely
 in words2 deeds intended1 that are     

never done2 designs projected1 that are 
never begun2 and all for want of a      
little courageous decision4 ,better far 
the silent tongue but the eloquent deed4
 ,for in life1 and in business1 dispatch
 is better than discourse2 and the      
shortest of all is ,doing4 ',in matters 
of great concern1 and which must be     
done1' says ,tillotson1 'there is no    
surer argument of a weak mind than      
irresolution--to be undetermined when   
the case is so plain and the necessity  
so urgent4 ,to be always intending to   
live a new life1 but never to find time 
to set about it--this is as if a man    
should put off eating and drinking and  
sleeping from one day to another1 until 
he is starved and destroyed4'           
,,chapter ,,xv  ,,some ,,of ,,labor',s  
,,compensations4  ,although it is better
 for every young man1 if possible1 to   
adhere to one thing1 yet1 as we shall   
see when we come to treat of the life of
 that remarkable man ,peter ,cooper1    
change does not necessarily mean        

vacillation4 ,for the mere sake of      
consistency a man would be foolish who  
neglected a good chance to succeed in   
another field4 ,edison started life as a
 newsboy1 but it would be folly to say  
that he should have stuck to that very  
respectable1 but not usually lucrative  
occupation4 ,morse1 the inventor of the 
telegraph1 was an artist till middle    
life4 ,alexander ,t4 ,stewart and ,james
 ,gordon ,bennett1 the one a most       
successful journalist1 and the other the
 greatest merchant of his day1 began    
life as school-teachers4 ,and so we     
might continue the list2 but even these 
examples do not warrant the belief that 
a change of calling is necessary to     
success1 but rather that the change may 
increase the chances4 ,as a rule1       
however1 the changes have been forced by
 unforeseen circumstances1 of which     
these strong men were quick to see the  
advantages4  ,in beginning the life     
journey1 as in starting out on a day's  
journey1 it is of great importance to   

have a destination in view4 ,in every   
effort there should be kept in mind the 
end to be attained--an ideal to achieve 
which every faculty must be enlisted4   
,men whose lives have been eminently    
successful tell us that their greatest  
reward was not found in the             
accomplishment of their life purpose1   
but in the slow1 but certain advance    
made from day to day4  ,the joy of      
travel does not lie in reaching the     
destination1 but in the companions met  
with on the journey1 the changing       
scenery through which the traveler      
passes1 and even the inconveniences that
 break up the monotony of the ordinary  
routine life4 ,it is so with our life-  
work4 ,the cradle and the grave mark the
 beginning and the end of the journey1  
but the joy of living lies in the varied
 incident and effort to be met with     
between the two4  ,it is well for us    
that this is so2 well for us that we do 
not have to wait for the reward till the
 end comes4  ,we may1 as in the cases   

named1 change our means of travel1 but  
so long as success is our purpose1 it   
matters not so much what variation we   
may make in the route1 when we seek to  
attain it4  ,the old-fashioned country  
school debating societies had one       
subject that never lost its popularity1 
and on which the rural orators exhausted
 their eloquence and ingenuity3         
,resolved1 that there is more happiness 
in participation than in anticipation4  
,we doubt if any debating society ever  
settled the question1 in a way that     
would be acceptable to all4 ,as a rule  
the younger people decided1 irrespective
 of the argument1 that participation was
 the most desirable2 but the older      
people wisely shook their heads and took
 the other side of the case4  ,often    
when the end has been gained1 it has    
been discovered that the reward was not 
worth the effort1 and that the full     
compensation was gained in the peace1   
the regular habits1 the health1 and the 
sense of duty well-performed which kept 

up the hope and the strength during the 
long years of toil4  ,there is a        
temperance in eating1 as well as in     
drinking2 even honest labor when carried
 to an excess that impairs the powers of
 mind and body1 may be classed with     
intemperance2 indeed1 it should be a    
part of every young man's course of     
self-study to learn his own physical and
 mental limitations4  ,there is         
everything in knowing how to work1 and  
in learning when to rest4 ,one of the   
rewards of judicious labor1 and by no   
means the least of them is--health4     
,health is not only essential to the    
happiness of ourselves and of those with
 whom we come into contact1 but no      
permanent success can be won without it4
  ,benjamin ,franklin1 himself a model  
of industry and of good health1 even in 
old age1 says3  ,i have always worked   
hard1 but ,i have regarded as sinful the
 haste and toil that sap the health4    
,there is reason why disease should     
seize on the idler1 but the industrious 

man1 whose toil is well- regulated1     
should have no occasion for a physician1
 unless in case of accident4 ,labor1    
like virtue1 is its own reward4  ,in    
looking over the callings of people who 
have retained all their powers to an age
 so long beyond the allotted time as to 
seem phenomenal1 there is not one case  
that we can recall where the life has   
not been distinguished for temperance1  
orderliness1 and persistent but         
temperate industry4  ,the health that   
waits upon labor is among its best      
results1 as it must continue to be among
 its greatest blessings4 ,more          
particularly is health to be derived    
from out-door employment1 as life on the
 farm and an active participation in its
 many and varied labors4 ,physical      
exercise is essential to health1 under  
any and all circumstances1 whether it be
 in the nature of labor or recreation4  
,it must be borne in mind1 however1 that
 in labor are to be found the surest    
correctives of many abuses of health1 as

 bringing into play influences of the   
more satisfactory sort upon the mind as 
considered in contrast to idleness4     
,idleness is the parent of many vices1  
some one says1 and it is true4 ,the     
freedom from the annoying reflection    
that one is making no use of physical or
 mental abilities to secure protection  
from want and suffering1 sweetens labor 
and gives it a value which all true men 
must appreciate and carefully consider4 
,how often have the wearied journalist  
and accountant1 tired out in body and   
mind at the desk of unremitting         
application1 found1 in the life and     
labor of the farm and shop1 relief and a
 return to the blessings of health4     
,there are other occupations and        
employments just as necessary1 but many 
of them are pursued under considerations
 not leading to1 but rather away from1  
health4 ,any one1 however1 may take from
 business enough time for rest and      
healthful exercise4 ,it is in purifying 
and driving away from man the tendencies

 to evil that1 in idleness1 prey too    
continually and strongly upon him1 and  
which he cannot long successfully       
resist1 that labor possesses its        
greatest benefit4 ,the atmosphere of    
diligent labor usefully directed is     
always of a healthy nature4 ,into it    
cannot enter the many foes that assail  
the idle1 who have not the shield of    
protection that labor gives to all who  
enter its hallowed gateway4 ,labor      
dignifies and ennobles when in          
moderation2 it permits the enjoyment of 
comforts and luxuries1 and gives to home
 its sacred charm2 it dashes away the   
bitter cup of poverty1 and gives instead
 the nourishing and acceptable food of  
contentment2 it dispels dread conceits  
of coming evil1 and dries the tears of  
the afflicted4 ,labor is man's          
heaven-born heritage in exchange for the
 curse of disobedience1 and yet men are 
ungrateful and disposed to quarrel with 
their truest friends4 ,what truer and   
better friend can anyone possess than   

useful labor1 the key that unlocks the  
casket of wisdom and exposes to our     
startled gaze the treasures that lie    
within8 ,for every honest and determined
 end of labor there is sure reward4     
,there is no reward without toil is a   
proverb as old as history and as true   
to-day as when it first found lodgment  
in the minds and hearts of men4 ,the    
faithful servant of labor hears in every
 blow he strikes the sure sound of the  
power committed to him and which will   
bring him the fine gold of merited      
approval4  ,the health in labor1        
considered in all of the relations      
attaching to it1 further brings a       
comfort and satisfaction which cannot be
 too highly estimated4 ,the surest      
remedy that can be applied1 when men are
 suffering from defeat in business and  
the attendant consequences1 is renewed  
and persistent labor4 ,who can measure  
the value of labor8 ,it is a possession 
that cannot be stolen1 and only ceases  
to serve when men1 from exhausted       

energies or enfeebled age1 can no longer
 command it4 ,from the beginning to the 
end of life it waits upon us1 and       
whoever will use it will not be deprived
 of its wonderful and magnificent       
bounties4  ,as labor is man's greatest  
blessing1 so is indolence his greatest  
curse4 ,as labor is health1 so indolence
 is disease4 ,man in a condition of     
idleness is about as useless a thing as 
is to be found in nature4 ,he prefers to
 live by some one else's labor4 ,the    
world owes him a living and he manages  
somehow to get it4 ,but he is an        
industrious collector1 although he would
 walk a mile to get around work4 ,he    
attaches himself1 like the mistletoe1 to
 whoever will support him4 ,he is a true
 parasite4 ,his tongue has but little   
end to it4 ,it wags from morning to     
night2 invents seemingly plausible      
theories of work1 but never attempts    
them4 ,he is full of advice to all who  
will listen4 ,can such a man be healthy8
 ,he cannot enjoy good health because he

 is too lazy to do so4 ,no way has as   
yet been found to make him healthy and  
put him to work4 ,he cannot be got rid  
of4 ,people who labor and who are       
compelled to help this poor creature do 
not make much effort to turn him in the 
direction of labor4 ,they are too busy  
to take any account of him2 so he is    
left to his misery and poverty4 ,he has 
not a grain of independence in his whole
 composition4 ,he pines and dies at     
last1 and the world is better for his   
being out of it4 ,but like mushrooms1   
these people spring up4 ,many infest our
 large cities1 and these are dignified  
by the city directories as floating     
population4 ,the term is very nearly    
correct2 they float for a time upon the 
current1 until borne away to another    
port where there is better and safer    
anchorage4 ,where free lunches are      
abundant there the idler may be found4  
,for this privilege he is sometimes     
obliged to do a little work4 ,but how it
 grieves him6 ,his whole aim is to get  

drink1 a little food1 and less clothing4
 ,he of course1 uses tobacco2 but this  
he must obtain in some way that does not
 call for money1 for of that he has none
 and never can have1 unless he go to    
work--and this is highly improbable4 ,he
 has got to that point that he cannot   
work4 ,he is too unhealthy and his      
influence is corrupting4 ,nobody will   
give him employment1 so he must keep on 
to the end of the chapter4 ,an even more
 disgusting specimen is the idler who   
develops into a sneakthief and the more 
genteel sort of gentry-- gamblers and   
workers of chances4 ,these are1 perhaps1
 to be included in the list of those who
 live by their wits and not by any kind 
of labor4  ,if there is any worse       
disease than idleness1 it has not yet   
been discovered4 ,good and true men1 who
 value the rewards of labor1 look upon  
idleness with a dread that equals that  
of yellow fever2 for it is more general 
in its effects and more to be detested4 
,while there may sometimes be luck in   

leisure1 indolence never pays4  ,but the
 effects of persistent1 systematic      
effort are not confined to ourselves2   
the example is contagious and acts as a 
guide and a stimulus to others in the   
life battle4 ,the good done and the help
 given to friends in this way are       
incalculable1 and are not the least of  
the rewards labor bestows before the end
 is attained4  ,dr4 ,miller in his able 
work ,the ,building of ,character1 says 
very aptly in this connection3  ,we all 
need human friendship4 ,we need it      
especially in our times of darkness4 ,he
 does not well1 he lives not wisely1 who
 in the days of prosperity neglects to  
gather about his life a few loving      
friends1 who will be a strength to him  
in the days of stress and need4  ,there 
is a time to show sympathy1 when it is  
golden2 when this time has passed1 and  
we have only slept meanwhile1 we may as 
well sleep on4 ,you did not go near your
 friend when he was fighting his battle 
alone4 ,you might have helped him then4 

,what use is there in your coming to him
 now1 when he has conquered without your
 aid8 ,you paid no attention to your    
neighbor when he was bending under      
life's loads1 and struggling with       
difficulties1 obstacles1 and            
adversities4 ,you let him alone then4   
,you never told him that you sympathized
 with him4 ,you never said a brave1     
strong word of cheer to him in those    
days4 ,you never even scattered a       
handful of flowers on his hard path4    
,now that he is dead and lying in his   
coffin1 what is the use in your standing
 beside his still form1 and telling the 
people how nobly he battled1 how        
heroically he lived2 and speaking words 
of commendation8 ,no1 no2 having let him
 go on1 unhelped1 uncheered1            
unencouraged1 through the days when he  
needed so sorely your warm sympathy1 and
 craved so hungrily your cheer1 you may 
as well sleep on and take your rest1    
letting him alone unto the end4 ,nothing
 can be done now4 ,too laggard are the  

feet that come with comfort when the    
time for comfort is past4  ,ah6 woe for 
the word that is never said   ,till the 
ear is deaf to hear2 ,and woe for the   
lack to the fainting head   ,of the     
ringing shout of cheer2 ,ah6 woe for the
 laggard feet that tread   ,in the      
mournful wake of the bier4 ,a pitiful   
thing the gift to-day   ,that is dross  
and nothing worth1 ,though if it had    
come but yesterday1   ,it had brimmed   
with sweet the earth2 ,a fading rose in 
a death-cold hand1   ,that perished in  
want and dearth4  ,shall we not take our
 lesson from the legend of the robin    
that plucked a thorn from the ,savior's 
brow1 and thus sought to lessen his     
pain1 rather than from the story of the 
disciples1 who slept and failed to give 
the help which the ,lord sought from    
their love8 ,thus can we strengthen     
those whose burdens are heavy1 and whose
 struggles and sorrows are sore4  ,all  
noble effort1 as ,sarah ,k4 ,bolton     
beautifully expresses it1 is its own    

reward3  ,i like the man who faces what 
he must ,with step triumphant and a     
heart of cheer2 ,who fights the daily   
battle without fear2 ,sees his hopes    
fail1 yet keeps unfaltering trust ,that 
,god is ,god2 that1 somehow1 true and   
just1 ,his plans work out for mortals2  
not a tear ,is shed when fortune1 which 
the world holds dear1 ,falls from his   
grasp4 ,better1 with love1 a crust1     
,than living in dishonor2 envies not    
,nor loses faith in man2 but does his   
best1 ,nor ever murmurs at his humbler  
lot2 ,but with a smile and words of     
hope1 gives zest ,to every toiler4 ,he  
alone is great ,who1 by a life heroic1  
conquers fate4  ,after ,i have completed
 an invention1 says ,thomas ,a4 ,edison1
 ,i seem to lose interest in it4 ,one   
might think that the money value of an  
invention constituted its reward to the 
man who loves his work4 ,but1 speaking  
for myself1 ,i can honestly say this is 
not so4 ,life was never so full of joy  
to me1 as when a poor boy ,i began to   

think out improvements in telegraphy1   
and to experiment with the cheapest and 
crudest appliances4 ,but1 now that ,i   
have all the appliances ,i need1 and am 
my own master1 ,i continue to find my   
greatest pleasure1 and so my reward1 in 
the work that precedes what the world   
calls success4  ,mr4 ,gladstone1 the    
great ,english statesman1 and though    
nearing four score and ten1 still one of
 the most industrious of men1 says3  ,i 
have found my greatest happiness in     
labor4 ,i early formed the habit of     
industry1 and it has been its own       
reward4 ,the young are apt to think that
 rest means a cessation from all effort1
 but ,i have found the most perfect rest
 in changing effort4 ,if brain-weary    
over books and study1 go out into the   
blessed sunlight and the pure air1 and  
give heartfelt exercise to the body4    
,the brain will soon become calm and    
rested4 ,the efforts of nature are      
ceaseless4 ,even in our sleep1 the heart
 throbs on4 ,if these great forces      

ceased for an instant death would       
follow4 ,i try to live close to nature1 
and to imitate her in my labors4 ,the   
compensation is sound sleep1 a wholesome
 digestion1 and powers that are kept at 
their best2 and this ,i take it is the  
chief reward of industry4  ,if ,i ever  
get time from work1 said ,horace        
,greeley one day1 ,i'll go a-fishing1   
for ,i was fond of it when a boy4 ,but  
he never went a-fishing1 never indulged 
in a healthful change of exercise1 and  
the result was a mind thrown out of     
balance1 and death in the prime of life4
 ,we all need a restful change at times4
    ,,chapter ,,xvi  ,,patience ,,and   
,,perseverance4  ,if great success were 
possible only to men of great talents1  
then there would be but little success  
in the world4  ,it has been said that   
talent is quite as much the ability to  
stick to a thing1 as the aptitude to do 
it better than another4 ,i will fight it
 out on this line1 if it takes all      
summer4 ,this statement of ,general     

,grant does not indicate the man of     
genius1 but it does show the man of     
indomitable perseverance1 a perseverance
 to which he owed all his success1 for  
it is well known that he was a very     
modest1 and by no means a brilliant man4
 ,the key to his character was          
pertinacity3 the secret of his success  
was perseverance4  ,i will to-day thrash
 the ,mexicans1 or die a-trying6 was    
what ,sam ,houston said to an aide1 the 
morning of the battle of ,san ,jacinto4 
,and he won4  ,the soldier who begins   
the battle in doubt is half beaten in   
advance4  ,the man who loses heart after
 one failure is a fool to make a        
beginning4  ,there is a great deal in   
good preparation1 but there is a great  
deal more in heroic perseverance4 ,the  
man who declines to make a beginning    
till everything he thinks he may need is
 ready for his hand1 is very apt to make
 a failure4 ,the greatest things have   
been achieved by the simplest means4 ,it
 is the ceaseless chopping that wears   

away the stone4 ,the plodder may be     
laughed at1 and the brilliant man who   
accomplishes great things at a leap     
admired2 but we all remember the fable  
of the tortoise and the hare2 the       
latter1 confident of her powers1 stopped
 to rest2 the former1 aware of his      
limitations1 persevered and toiled      
laboriously on--and he won the race4    
,we do not wish to be understood as     
underestimating genius4 ,we believe in  
it2 but one of its strongest            
characteristics is perseverance1 and the
 next is its capacity to accomplish     
great results with the simplest means4  
,easy come1 easy go4 ,those things that 
are acquired without much effort1 are   
usually appreciated according to the    
effort expended4 ,determination has a   
strong will2 stubbornness has a strong  
won't4 ,the one is characterized by     
perseverance1 and it builds up2 the     
other1 having no purpose but blind self1
 ends in destruction4  ,it is a fact at 
once remarkable and encouraging that no 

man of great genius who has left his    
mark on his times1 ever believed that   
his success was due to gifts that lifted
 him above his fellows4 ,the means by   
which he rose were within the reach of  
all1 and perseverance was a prime       
requisite4  ,the greatest results in    
life are usually attained by simple     
means1 and the exercise of ordinary     
qualities4 ,the common life of everyday1
 with its cares1 necessities1 and       
duties1 affords ample opportunity for   
acquiring experience of the best kind2  
and its most beaten paths provide the   
true worker with abundant scope for     
effort and room for self-improvement4   
,the road of human welfare lies along   
the old highway of steadfast well-doing2
 and they who are the most persistent1  
and work in the truest spirit1 will     
usually be the most successful4         
,fortune has often been blamed for her  
blindness2 but fortune is not so blind  
as men are4 ,those who look into        
practical life will find that fortune is

 usually on the side of the industrious1
 as the winds and waves are on the side 
of the best navigators4 ,in the pursuit 
of even the highest branches of human   
inquiry1 the commoner qualities are     
found the most useful--such as common   
sense1 attention1 application1 and      
perseverance4 ,genius may not be        
necessary1 though even genius of the    
highest sort does not disdain the use of
 these ordinary qualities4 ,the very    
greatest men have been among the least  
believers in the power of genius1 and as
 worldly wise and persevering as        
successful men of the commoner sort4    
,some have even defined genius to be    
only common sense intensified4 ,a       
distinguished teacher and president of a
 college spoke of it as the power of    
making efforts4 ,john ,foster held it to
 be the power of lighting one's own     
fire4 ,buffon said of genius1 ,it is    
patience4  ,newton's was unquestionably 
a mind of the very highest order1 and   
yet1 when asked by what means he had    

worked out his extraordinary            
discoveries1 he modestly answered1 ,by  
always thinking unto them4 ,at another  
time he thus expressed his method of    
study3 ,i keep the subject continually  
before me1 and wait till the first      
dawnings open slowly by little and      
little into a full and clear light4 ,it 
was in ,newton's case as in every other1
 only by diligent application and       
perseverance that his great reputation  
was achieved4 ,even his recreation      
consisted in change of study1 laying    
down one subject to take up another4 ,to
 ,dr4 ,bentley he said3 ,if ,i have done
 the public any service1 it is due to   
nothing but industry and patient        
thought4 ,so ,kepler1 another great     
philosopher1 speaking of his studies and
 his progress1 said3 ,as in ,virgil1    
',fama mobilitate viget1 vires acquirit 
eundo1' so it was with me1 that the     
diligent thought on these things was the
 occasion of still further thinking2    
until at last ,i brooded with the whole 

energy of my mind upon the subject4     
,the extraordinary results effected by  
dint of sheer industry and perseverance1
 have led many distinguished men to     
doubt whether the gift of genius be so  
exceptional an endowment as it is       
usually supposed to be4 ,thus ,voltaire 
held that it is only a very slight line 
of separation that divides the man of   
genius from the man of ordinary mould4  
,beccaria was even of opinion that all  
men might be poets and orators1 and     
,reynolds that they might be painters   
and sculptors4 ,if this were really so1 
that stolid ,englishman might not have  
been so very far wrong after all1 who1  
on ,canova's death1 inquired of his     
brother whether it was his intention to 
carry on the business6 ,locke1          
,helvetuis1 and ,diderot believed that  
all men have an equal aptitude for      
genius1 and that what some are able to  
effect1 under the laws which regulate   
the operations of the intellect1 must   
also be within the reach of others who1 

under like circumstances1 apply         
themselves to like pursuits4 ,but while 
admitting to the fullest extent the     
wonderful achievements of labor1 and    
recognizing the fact that men of the    
most distinguished genius have          
invariably been found the most          
indefatigable workers1 it must          
nevertheless be sufficiently obvious    
that1 without the original endowment of 
heart and brain1 no amount of labor1    
however well applied1 could have        
produced a ,shakespeare1 a ,newton1 a   
,beethoven1 or a ,michael ,angelo4      
,dalton1 the chemist1 repudiated the    
notion of his being a genius attributing
 everything which he had accomplished to
 simple industry and perseverance4 ,john
 ,hunter said of himself1 ,my mind is   
like a beehive2 but full as it is of    
buzz and apparent confusion1 it is yet  
full of order and regularity1 and food  
collected with incessant industry from  
the choicest stores of nature4 ,we have1
 indeed1 but to glance at the           

biographies of great men to find that   
the most distinguished inventors1       
artists1 thinkers1 and workers of all   
kinds1 owe their success1 in a great    
measure1 to their indefatigable industry
 and application4 ,they were men who    
turned all things to good--even time    
itself4 ,disraeli1 the elder1 held that 
the secret of success consisted in being
 master of your subject1 such mastery   
being attainable only through continuous
 application and study4 ,hence it       
happens that the men who have most moved
 the world have not been so much men of 
genius1 strictly so called1 as men of   
intent mediocre abilities and untiring  
perseverance2 not so often the gifted1  
of naturally bright and shining         
qualities1 as those who have applied    
themselves diligently to their work1 in 
whatsoever line that might lie4 ,alas6  
said a widow1 speaking of her brilliant 
but careless son1 he has not the gift of
 continuance4 ,wanting in perseverance1 
such volatile natures are outstripped in

 the race of life by the diligent and   
even the dull4  ,hence1 a great point to
 be aimed at is to get the working      
quality well trained4 ,when that is     
done1 the race will be found            
comparatively easy4 ,we must repeat and 
again repeat3 facility will come with   
labor4 ,not even the simplest art can be
 accomplished without it2 and what      
difficulties it is found capable of     
achieving6 ,it was by early discipline  
and repetition that the late ,sir       
,robert ,peel cultivated those          
remarkable1 though still mediocre1      
powers1 which rendered him so           
illustrious an ornament of the ,british 
senate4 ,when a boy at ,drayton ,manor1 
his father was accustomed to set him up 
at table to practice speaking extempore2
 and he early accustomed him to repeat  
as much of the ,sunday's sermon as he   
could remember4 ,little progress was    
made at first1 but by steady            
perseverance that habit of attention    
became powerful1 and the sermon was at  

length repeated almost verbatim4 ,when  
afterward replying in succession to the 
arguments of his parliamentary          
opponents--an art in which he was       
perhaps unrivaled--it was little        
surmised that the extraordinary power of
 accurate remembrance which he displayed
 on such occasions had been originally  
trained under the discipline of his     
father in the parish church of ,drayton4
  ,it is indeed marvelous what          
continuous application will effect in   
the commonest of things4 ,it may seem a 
simple affair to play upon a violin2 yet
 what a long and laborious practice it  
requires6 ,giardini said to a youth who 
asked him how long it would take to     
learn it1 ,twelve hours a day for twenty
 years together4  ,progress1 however1 of
 the best kind is comparatively slow4   
,great results cannot be achieved at    
once2 and we must be satisfied to       
advance in life as we walk1 step by     
step4 ,de ,maistre says that ,to know   
how to wait is the great secret of      

success4 ,we must sow before we can     
reap1 and often have to wait long1      
content meanwhile to look patiently     
forward in hope3 the fruit best worth   
waiting for often ripening the slowest4 
,but time and patience1 says the        
,eastern proverb1 change the mulberry   
leaf to satin4  ,to wait patently1      
however1 men must work cheerfully4      
,cheerfulness is an excellent working   
quality1 imparting great elasticity to  
the character4 ,as a bishop has said1   
,temper is nine-tenths of ,christianity2
 so are cheerfulness and diligence      
nine-tenths of practical wisdom4 ,they  
are the life and soul of success1 as    
well as of happiness2 perhaps the very  
highest pleasure in life consisting in  
clear1 brisk1 conscious working2 energy1
 confidence1 and every other good       
quality mainly depending upon it4       
,sydney ,smith1 when laboring as a      
parish priest at ,foston-le-,clay1 in   
,yorkshire--though he did not feel      
himself to be in his proper             

element--went cheerfully to work in the 
firm determination to do his best4 ,i am
 resolved1 he said1 to like it1 and     
reconcile myself to it1 which is more   
manly than to feign myself above it1 and
 to send up complaints by the post of   
being thrown away1 and being desolate1  
and such like trash4 ,so ,dr4 ,hook1    
when leaving ,leeds for a new sphere of 
labor1 said1 ,wherever ,i many be1 ,i   
shall1 by ,god's blessing1 do with my   
might what my hand findeth to do2 and if
 ,i do not fined work1 ,i shall make it4
  ,laborers for the public good         
especially have to work long and        
patiently1 often uncheered by the       
prospect of immediate recompense or     
result4 ,the seeds they sow sometimes   
lie hidden under the winter's snow1 and 
before the spring comes the husbandman  
may have gone to his rest4 ,it is not   
every public worker who1 like ,rowland  
,hill1 sees his great idea bring forth  
fruit in his lifetime4 ,adam ,smith     
sowed the seeds of a great social       

amelioration in that dingy old          
,university of ,glasgow1 where he so    
long labored1 and laid the foundations  
of his ,wealth of ,nations2 but seventy 
years passed before his work bore       
substantial fruits1 nor indeed are they 
all gathered in yet4  ,nothing can      
compensate for the loss of hope in a    
man3 it entirely changes the character4 
,how can ,i work--how can ,i be happy1  
said a great but miserable thinker1 when
 ,i have lost all hope8 ,one of the most
 cheerful and courageous1 because one of
 the most hopeful of workers1 was       
,carey1 the missionary4 ,when in ,india1
 it was no uncommon thing for him to    
weary out three pundits1 who officiated 
as his clerks in one day1 he himself    
taking rest only in change of           
employment4 ,carey1 the son of a        
shoemaker1 was supported in his labors  
by ,ward1 the son of a carpenter1 and   
,marsham1 the son of a weaver4 ,by their
 labors a magnificent college was       
erected at ,serampore2 sixteen          

flourishing stations were established2  
the ,bible was translated into sixteen  
languages1 and the seeds were sown of a 
beneficent moral revolution in ,british 
,india4 ,carey was never ashamed of the 
humbleness of his origin4 ,on one       
occasion1 when at the                   
,governor-,general's table1 he overheard
 an officer opposite him asking another1
 loud enough to be heard1 whether ,carey
 had not once been a shoemaker3 ,no1    
sir1 exclaimed ,carey immediately2 only 
a cobbler4 ,an eminently characteristic 
anecdote has been told of his           
perseverance as a boy4 ,when climbing a 
tree one day1 his foot slipped and he   
fell to the ground1 breaking his leg by 
the fall4 ,he was confined to his bed   
for weeks1 but when he recovered and was
 able to walk without support1 the very 
first thing he did was to go and climb  
that tree4 ,carey had need of this sort 
of dauntless courage for the great      
missionary work of his life1 and nobly  
and resolutely he did it4  ,it was a    

maxim of ,dr4 ,young1 the philosopher1  
that ,any man can do what any other man 
has done2 and it is unquestionable that 
he himself never recoiled from any      
trials to which he determined to subject
 himself4 ,it is related of him1 that   
the first time he mounted a horse he was
 in company with the grandson of ,mr4   
,barclay1 of ,ury1 the well-known       
sportsman4 ,when the horseman who       
preceded them leaped a high fence1      
,young wished to imitate him1 but fell  
off his horse in the attempt4 ,without  
saying a word1 he remounted1 made a     
second effort1 and was again            
unsuccessful1 but this time he was not  
thrown farther than on to the horse's   
neck1 to which he clung4 ,at the third  
trial he succeeded1 and cleared the     
fence4  ,the story of ,timour1 the      
,tartar1 learning a lesson of           
perseverance under adversity from the   
spider is well know4 ,not less          
interesting is the anecdote of ,audubon1
 the ,american ornithologist1 as related

 by himself3 ,an accident1 he says1     
which happened to two hundred of my     
original drawings1 nearly put a stop to 
my researches in ornithology4 ,i shall  
relate it1 merely to show how far       
enthusiasm--for by no other name can ,i 
call my perseverance--may enable the    
preserver of nature to surmount the most
 disheartening difficulties4 ,i left the
 village of ,henderson1 in ,kentucky1   
situated on the banks of the ,ohio1     
where ,i resided for several years1 to  
proceed to ,philadelphia on business4 ,i
 looked to my drawings before my        
departure1 placed them carefully in a   
wooden box1 and gave them in charge of a
 relative1 with injunctions to see that 
no injury should happen to them4 ,my    
absence was of several months2 and when 
,i returned1 after having enjoyed the   
pleasures of home for a few days1 ,i    
inquired after my box1 and what ,i was  
pleased to call my treasure4 ,the box   
was produced and opened2 but1 reader1   
feel for me--a pair of ,norway rats had 

taken possession of the whole1 and      
reared a young family among the gnawed  
bits of paper1 which1 but a month       
previous1 represented nearly a thousand 
inhabitants of air6 ,the burning heat   
which instantly rushed through my brain 
was too great to be endured without     
affecting my whole nervous system4 ,i   
slept for several nights1 and the days  
passed like days of oblivion--until the 
animal powers being recalled into action
 through the strength of my             
constitution1 ,i took up my gun1 my     
notebook and my pencils1 and went forth 
to the woods as gayly as if nothing had 
happened4 ,i felt pleased that ,i might 
now make better drawings than before2   
and ere a period not exceeding three    
years had elapsed1 my portfolio was     
again filled4  ,the accidental          
destruction of ,sir ,isaac ,newton's    
papers1 by his little dog ,diamond      
upsetting a lighted taper upon his desk1
 by which the elaborate calculations of 
many years were in a moment destroyed1  

is a well-known anecdote1 and need not  
be repeated3 it is said that the loss   
caused the philosopher such profound    
grief that it seriously injured his     
health1 and impaired his understanding4 
,an accident of a somewhat similar kind 
happened to the manuscript of ,mr4      
,carlyle's first volume of his ,french  
,revolution4 ,he had lent the manuscript
 to a literary neighbor to peruse4 ,by  
some mischance1 it had been left lying  
on the parlor floor1 and become         
forgotten4 ,weeks ran on1 and the       
historian sent for his work1 the        
printers being loud for copy4 ,inquiries
 were made1 and it was found that the   
maid-of- all-work1 finding what she     
conceived to be a bundle of waste paper 
on the floor1 had used it to light the  
kitchen and parlor fires with6 ,such was
 the answer returned to ,mr4 ,carlyle2  
and his feelings can be imagined4 ,there
 was1 however1 no help for him but to   
set resolutely to work to rewrite the   
book2 and he turned to it and did it4   

,he had no draft and was compelled to   
rake up from his memory1 facts1 ideas1  
and expressions which had been long     
since dismissed4 ,the composition of the
 book in the first instance had been a  
work of pleasure2 the rewriting of it a 
second time was one of pain and anguish 
almost beyond belief4 ,that he          
persevered and finished the volume under
 such circumstances1 affords an instance
 of determination of purpose which has  
seldom been surpassed4  ,there is no    
walk in life1 in which success has been 
won1 that has not its brilliant examples
 of the achievements of perseverance4   
,the literary life1 in which all who    
read are interested1 has many           
illustrations of this4 ,no great career 
affords stronger proof of this than that
 of the great ,sir ,walter ,scott1 who1 
delighting his own generation1 must be  
honored by all the generations that     
follow4  ,his admirable working         
qualities were trained in a lawyer's    
office1 where he pursued for many years 

a sort of drudgery scarcely above that  
of a copying clerk4 ,his daily dull     
routine made his evenings1 which were   
his own1 all the ore sweet2 and he      
generally devoted them to reading and   
study4 ,he himself attributed to his    
prosaic office discipline that habit of 
steady1 sober diligence1 in which mere  
literary men are so often found wanting4
 ,as a copying clerk he was allowed     
#c;d4 for every page containing a       
certain number of words2 and he         
sometimes1 by extra work1 was able to   
copy as many as #abj pages in           
twenty-four hours1 thus earning some    
#cjs42 out of which he would            
occasionally purchase an odd volume1    
otherwise beyond his means4  ,during his
 after-life ,scott was wont to pride    
himself upon being a man of business1   
and he averred1 in contradiction to what
 he called the cant of sonneteers1 that 
there was no necessary connection       
between genius and an aversion or       
contempt for the common duties of life4 

,on the contrary1 he was of opinion that
 to spend some fair portion of every day
 in any matter-of-fact occupation was   
good for the higher faculties themselves
 in the upshot4 ,while afterward acting 
as clerk to the ,court of ,session in   
,edinburgh1 he performed his literary   
work chiefly before breakfast1 attending
 the court during the day1 where he     
authenticated registered deeds and      
writings of various kinds4 ,on the      
whole1 says ,lockhart1 it forms one of  
the most remarkable features in his     
history1 that throughout the most active
 period of his literary career1 he must 
have devoted a large proportion of his  
hours1 during half at least of every    
year1 to the conscientious discharge of 
professional duties4 ,it was a principle
 of action which he laid down for       
himself1 that he must earn his living by
 business1 and not by literature4 ,on   
one occasion he said1 ,i determined that
 literature should be my staff1 not my  
crutch1 and that the profits of my      

literary labor1 however convenient      
otherwise1 should not1 if ,i could help 
it1 become necessary to my ordinary     
expenses4  ,his punctuality was one of  
the most carefully cultivated of his    
habits1 otherwise it had not been       
possible for him to get through so      
enormous an amount of literary labor4   
,he mad it a rule to answer every letter
 received by him on the same day1 except
 where inquiry and deliberation were    
requisite4 ,nothing else could have     
enabled him to keep abreast with the    
flood of communications that poured in  
upon him and sometimes put his          
good-nature to the severest test4 ,it   
was his practice to rise by five o'clock
 and light his own fire4 ,he shaved and 
dressed with deliberation1 and was      
seated at his desk by six o'clock1 with 
his papers arranged before him in the   
most accurate order1 his works of       
reference marshaled round him on the    
floor1 while at least one favorite dog  
lay watching his eye1 outside the line  

of books4 ,thus by the time the family  
assembled for breakfast1 between nine   
and ten1 he had done enough--to use his 
own words--to break the neck of a day's 
work4 ,but with all his diligent and    
indefatigable industry1 and his immense 
knowledge1 the result of may years'     
patient labor1 ,scott always spoke with 
the greatest diffidence of his own      
powers4 ,on one occasion he said1       
,throughout every part of my career ,i  
have felt pinched and hampered by my own
 ignorance4  ,but perseverance and      
effort do not always mean successful    
work4 ,freeman ,hunt distinguishes      
admirably between activity and energy in
 the following statement1 which it would
 be well to remember3  ,there are some  
men whose failure to succeed in life is 
a problem to others1 as well as to      
themselves4 ,they are industrious1      
prudent1 and economical2 yet1 after a   
long life of striving1 old age finds    
them still poor4 ,they complain of      
ill-luck2 they say fate is against them4

 ,but the real truth is that their      
projects miscarry because they mistake  
mere activity for energy4 ,confounding  
two things essentially different1 they  
suppose that if they are always busy1   
they must of a necessity be advancing   
their fortune2 forgetting that labor    
misdirected is but a waste of activity4 
,the person who would succeed in life is
 like a marksman firing at a target--if 
his shot misses the mark1 it is but a   
waste of powder2 to be of any service at
 all1 it must tell in the bull's eye or 
near it4 ,so1 in the great game of life1
 what a man does must be made to count1 
or it had almost as well be left undone4
  ,the idle warrior1 cut from a block of
 wood1 who fights the air on the top of 
a weather-cock1 instead of being made to
 turn some machine commensurate with his
 strength1 is not more worthless than   
the merely active man who1 though busy  
from sunrise to sunset1 dissipates his  
labor on trifles1 when he ought         
skillfully to concentrate it on some    

great end4  ,every person knows some one
 in his circle of acquaintance who1     
though always active1 has this want of  
energy4 ,the distemper1 if we may call  
it such1 exhibits itself in various     
ways4 ,in some cases1 the man has merely
 an executive faculty when he should    
have a directing one2 in other words1 he
 makes a capital clerk for himself1 when
 he ought to do the thinking work for   
the establishment4 ,in other cases1 what
 is done is either not done at the right
 time1 or not in the right way4         
,sometimes there is no distinction made 
between objects of different magnitudes1
 and as much labor is bestowed on a     
trivial affair as on a matter of great  
moment4  ,energy1 correctly understood1 
is activity proportioned to the end4    
,the first ,napoleon would often1 when  
in a campaign1 remain for days without  
undressing himself1 now galloping from  
point to point1 now dictating           
dispatches1 now studying maps and       
directing operations4 ,but his periods  

of repose1 when the crisis was over1    
were generally as protracted as his     
previous exertions had been4 ,he has    
been known to sleep for eighteen hours  
without waking4 ,second-rate men1 slaves
 of tape and routine1 while they would  
fall short of the superhuman exertions  
of the great emperor1 would have        
considered themselves lost beyond hope  
if they imitated what they call his     
indolence4 ,they are capital            
illustrations of activity1 keeping up   
their monotonous jog- trot for ever2    
while ,napoleon1 with his gigantic      
industry1 alternating with such apparent
 idleness1 is an example of energy4  ,we
 do not mean to imply that chronic      
indolence1 if relieved occasionally by  
spasmodic fits of industry1 is to be    
recommended4 ,men who have this         
character run into the opposite extreme 
of that which we have been stigmatizing1
 and fail as invariably of securing     
success in life4 ,to call their         
occasional periods of application       

energy1 would be a sad misnomer4 ,such  
persons1 indeed1 are but civilized      
savages1 so to speak2 vagabonds at heart
 in their secret hatred of work1 and    
only resorting to labor occasionally1   
like the wild ,indian who1 after lying  
for weeks about his hut1 is roused by   
sheer hunger to start on a hunting      
excursion4 ,real energy is persevering1 
steady1 disciplined4 ,it never either   
loses sight of the object to be         
accomplished1 or intermits its exertions
 while there is a possibility of        
success4 ,napoleon on the plains of     
,champagne1 sometimes fighting two      
battles in one day1 first defeating the 
,russians and then turning on the       
,austrians1 is an illustration of this  
energy4 ,the ,duke of ,brunswick1 idling
 away precious time when he invaded     
,france at the outbreak of the first    
,revolution1 is an example of the       
contrary4 ,activity beats about a cover 
like an untrained dog1 never lighting on
 the covey4 ,energy goes straight to the

 bird at once and captures it4          
,,chapter ,,xvii  ,,success ,,but       
,,seldom ,,accidental4  ,a man may leap 
into sudden fortune at a bound1 and     
without effort or foresight1 but it is  
doubtful if any great permanent success 
ever was the outcome of blind chance4   
,the old adage1 ,trust to luck1 like    
many other adages that time has kept in 
unmerited circulation1 is a bad one4    
,the man who trusts to luck for his     
clothing is apt to wear rags1 and he who
 depends on it for food is sure to go   
hungry4  ,we hear a great deal about the
 wonderful things that have been done by
 chance1 but we seldom take the time to 
examine them4 ,we read that sir ,isaac  
,newton1 sitting in his garden one day1 
,chanced to see an apple fall to the    
ground1 and this set him to thinking1   
and he discovered the laws of           
gravitation4 ,new1 ever since the first 
apple fell from the first tree in ,eden1
 men have been watching that very       
commonplace occurrence4 ,we might extend

 the field so as to embrace oranges1    
coconuts and all the fruits and nuts    
which1 in every land and through all the
 long centuries of man's existence1 have
 been falling to the ground--not by     
chance1 however1 yet they set no men to 
thinking1 simply because not one of the 
millions of men who chanced to see the  
incident1 chanced to have the reasoning 
powers of the great ,english scientist4 
,if the apple1 instead of falling to the
 ground1 had shot up1 without visible   
cause1 to the sky1 then the dullest     
observer would have wondered1 even if he
 did not attempt to find an explanation4
 ,the falling of the apple in ,newton's 
garden was not a chance1 but an ordinary
 incident1 which was made much of in the
 mind of an extraordinary man4  ,watt   
chanced to see the lid of the kettle in 
his mother's kitchen lifted by the steam
 within1 and this incident we are asked 
to believe was the origin of the engine 
invented by that great man4 ,if no one  
else had ever witnessed a like          

phenomenon1 then we might give some     
consideration to the element of chance4 
,it was in the brain of ,watt1 and not  
in the lifting of the kettle lid1 that  
the steam engine was born4 ,there are no
 accidents in the progress of science4  
,in the same way1 we are asked to       
believe that ,galileo discovered the    
telescope1 ,whitney the cotton gin1 and 
,howe the sewing machine4  ,but there   
have been some curious cases of chance  
fortune4 ,a man out hunting in          
,california made a mis-step and was     
plunged into a deep gulch in the ,sierra
 ,nevada4 ,his gun was broken and he was
 sorely bruised1 but he was more that   
repaid for the accident by the discovery
 of a rich gold mine at the bottom4     
,what would you think of the man1 who1  
because of this1 should shoulder a gun  
and go into the mountains1 hoping to be 
precipitated into a gulch full of gold4 
,if he started out for this purpose1 of 
course1 the element of chance would be  
eliminated1 and yet that man would show 

just as much good sense as do the       
thousands who go through life--trusting 
to luck1 and hoping for a miracle that  
never comes4  ,success may be           
unforeseen1 but it is a rare thing for  
it to come to the man who has not been  
preparing for it4  ,lord ,bacon well    
says3 ,neither the naked hand nor the   
understanding1 left to itself1 can do   
much2 the work is accomplished by       
instruments and helps1 of which the need
 is not less for the understanding than 
the hand4  ,the ,romans had a saying    
which is as true to-day as when first   
uttered3 ,opportunity has hair in front1
 behind she is bald2 if you seize her by
 the forelock1 you may hold her1 but if 
suffered to escape1 not ,jupiter himself
 can catch her again4  ,accident does   
very little toward the production of any
 great result in life4 ,though sometimes
 what is called a happy hit may be made 
by a bold venture1 the common highway of
 steady industry and application is the 
only safe road to travel4 ,it is said of

 the landscape painter1 ,wilson1 that   
when he had nearly finished a picture in
 a tame1 correct manner1 he would step  
back from it1 his pencil fixed at the   
end of a long stick1 and after gazing   
earnestly on the work1 he would suddenly
 walk up and by a few bold touches give 
a brilliant finish to the painting4 ,but
 it will not do for everyone who would  
produce an effect1 to throw his brush at
 the canvas in the hope of producing a  
picture4 ,the capability of putting in  
these last vital touches is acquired    
only by the labor of a life2 and the    
probability is1 that the artist who has 
not carefully trained himself           
beforehand1 in attempting to produce a  
brilliant effect at a dash1 will only   
produce a blotch4  ,sedulous attention  
and painstaking industry always mark the
 true worker4 ,the greatest men are not 
those who despise the day of small      
things1 but those who improve them the  
most carefully4 ,michael ,angelo was one
 day explaining to a visitor at his     

studio what he had been doing to a      
statue since a previous visit4 ,i have  
retouched this part--polished           
that--softened this feature--brought out
 that muscle-- given some expression to 
this lip1 and more energy to that limb4 
,but these are trifles1 remarked the    
visitor4 ,it may be so1 replied the     
sculptor1 but recollect that trifles    
make perfection1 and perfection is no   
trifle4 ,so it was said of ,nicolas     
,poussin1 the painter1 that the rule of 
his conduct was1 that whatever was worth
 doing at all was worth doing well2 and 
when asked1 late in life1 by his friend 
,vigneul de ,marville1 by what means he 
had gained so high a reputation among   
the painters of ,italy1 ,poussin        
emphatically answered1 ,because ,i have 
neglected nothing4  ,although there are 
discoveries which are said to have been 
made by accident1 if carefully inquired 
into it will be found that there has    
really been very little that was        
accidental about them4 ,for the most    

part1 these so-called accidents1 have   
only been opportunities1 carefully      
improved by genius4 ,the brilliantly    
colored soap-bubbles blown through a    
common tobacco-pipe--though trifles     
light as air in most eyes--suggested to 
,dr4 ,young his beautiful theory of     
interferences1 and led to his discovery 
relating to the diffraction of light4   
,although great men are popularly       
supposed only to deal with great things1
 men such as ,newton and ,young were    
ready to detect the significance of the 
most familiar and simple facts2 their   
greatness consisting mainly in their    
wise interpretation of them4  ,the      
difference between men consists1 in a   
great measure1 in the intelligence of   
their observation4 ,the ,russian proverb
 says of the nonobservant man1 ,he goes 
through the forest and sees no firewood4
 ,the wise man's eyes are in his head1  
says ,solomon1 but the fool walketh in  
darkness4 ,sir1 said ,johnson on one    
occasion1 to a fine gentleman just      

returned from ,italy1 some men would    
learn more in the ,hampstead stage than 
others in the tour of ,europe4 ,it is   
the mind that sees as well as the eye4  
,where unthinking gazers observe        
nothing1 men of intelligent vision      
penetrate into the very fibre of the    
phenomena presented to them1 attentively
 noting differences1 making comparisons 
and recognizing their underlying idea4  
,many before ,galileo had seen a        
suspended weight swing before their eyes
 with a measured beat1 but he was the   
first to detect the value of the fact4  
,one of the vergers in the cathedral at 
,pisa1 after replenishing with oil a    
lamp which hung from the roof1 left it  
swinging to and fro2 and ,galileo1 then 
a youth of only eighteen1 noting it     
attentively1 conceived the idea of      
applying it to the measurement of time4 
,fifty years of study and labor1        
however1 elapsed before he completed the
 invention of his ,pendulum--the        
importance of which1 in the measurement 

of time and in astronomical             
calculations1 can scarcely be overrated4
 ,in like manner1 ,galileo1 having      
casually heard that one ,lippershey1 a  
,dutch spectacle-maker1 had presented to
 ,count ,maurice of ,nassau an          
instrument by means of which distant    
objects appeared nearer to the beholder1
 addressed himself to the cause of such 
a phenomenon1 which led to the invention
 of the telescope and proved the        
beginning of the modern science of      
astronomy4 ,discoveries such as these   
could never have been made by a         
negligent observer1 or by a mere passive
 listener4  ,while ,captain 7afterward  
,sir ,samuel7 ,brown was occupied in    
studying the construction of bridges1   
with the view of contriving one of a    
cheap description to be thrown across   
the ,tweed near which he lived1 he was  
walking in his garden one dewy autumn   
morning1 when he saw a tiny spider's net
 suspended across his path4 ,the idea   
immediately occurred to him1 that a     

bridge of iron ropes or chains might be 
constructed in like manner1 and the     
result was the invention of his         
suspension bridge4 ,so ,james ,watt1    
when consulted about the mode of        
carrying water by pipes under the       
,clyde1 along the unequal bed of the    
river1 turned his attention one day to  
the shell of a lobster presented at     
table2 and from that model he invented  
an iron tube1 which1 when laid down1 was
 found effectually to answer the        
purpose4 ,sir ,isambard ,brunel took his
 first lessons in forming the ,thames   
,tunnel from the tiny shipworm3 he saw  
how the little creature perforated the  
wood with its well-armed head1 first in 
one direction and then in another1 till 
the archway was complete1 and then      
daubed over the roof and sides with a   
kind of varnish2 and by copying this    
work exactly on a large scale1 ,brunel  
was at length enabled to construct his  
shield and accomplish his great         
engineering work4  ,it is the           

intelligent eye of the careful observer 
which gives these apparently trivial    
phenomena their value4 ,so trifling a   
matter as the sight of seaweed floating 
past his ship1 enabled ,columbus to     
quell the mutiny which arose amongst his
 sailors at not discovering land1 and to
 assure them that the eagerly sought    
,new ,world was not far off4  ,it is the
 close observation of little things     
which is the secret of success in       
business1 in art1 in science1 and in    
every pursuit in life4 ,human knowledge 
is but an accumulation of small facts1  
made by successive generations of men1  
the little bits of knowledge and        
experience carefully treasured up by    
them growing at length into a mighty    
pyramid4 ,though many of these facts and
 observations seemed in the first       
instance to have but slight             
significance1 they are all found to have
 their eventual uses1 and to fit into   
their proper places4 ,even many         
speculations seemingly remote1 turn out 

to be the basis of results the most     
obviously practical4 ,in the case of the
 conic sections discovered by           
,apollonius ,pergaeus1 twenty centuries 
elapsed before they were made the basis 
of astronomy--a science which enables   
the modern navigator to steer his way   
through unknown seas and traces for him 
in the heavens an unerring path to his  
appointed haven4 ,and had not           
mathematicians toiled for so long1 and1 
to uninstructed observers1 apparently so
 fruitlessly1 over the abstract         
relations of lines and surfaces1 it is  
probably that but few of our mechanical 
inventions would have seen the light4   
,when ,franklin made his discovery of   
the identity of lightning and           
electricity1 it was sneered at1 and     
people asked1 ,of what use is it8 ,to   
which his reply was1 ,what is the use of
 a child8 ,it may become a man6 ,when   
,galvani discovered that a frog's leg   
twitched when placed in contact with    
different metals1 it could scarcely have

 been imagined that so apparently       
insignificant a fact could have led to  
important results4 ,yet therein lay the 
germ of the electric telegraph1 which   
binds the intelligence of continents    
together1 and1 probably before many     
years have elapsed will put a girdle    
round the globe4 ,so1 too1 little bits  
of stone and fossil1 dug out of the     
earth1 intelligently interpreted1 have  
issued in the science of geology and the
 practical operations of mining1 in     
which large capitals are invested and   
vast numbers of persons profitably      
employed4  ,the gigantic machinery      
employed in pumping our mines1 working  
our mills and manufactories1 and driving
 our steamships and locomotives1 in like
 manner depends for its supply of power 
upon so slight an agency as little drops
 of water expanded with heat--that      
familiar agency called steam1 which we  
see issuing from that common tea-kettle 
spout1 but which1 when pent up within an
 ingeniously contrived mechanism1       

displays a force equal to that of       
millions of horses1 and contains a power
 to rebuke the waves and set even the   
hurricane at defiance4 ,the same power  
at work within the bowels of the earth  
has been the cause of those volcanoes   
and earthquakes which have played so    
mighty a part in the history of the     
globe4  ,this art of seizing            
opportunities and turning even accidents
 to account1 bending them to some       
purpose1 is a great secret of success4  
,dr4 ,johnson has defined genius to be a
 mind of large general powers           
accidentally determined in some         
particular direction4 ,men who are      
resolved to find a way for themselves1  
will always find opportunities enough2  
and if they do not lie ready to their   
hand1 they will make them4 ,it is not   
those who have enjoyed the advantages of
 colleges1 museums1 and public          
galleries1 that have accomplished the   
most for science and art2 nor have the  
greatest mechanics and inventors been   

trained in mechanics' institutes4       
,necessity1 oftener than facility1 has  
been the mother of invention2 and the   
most prolific school of all has been the
 school of difficulty4 ,some of the very
 best workmen have had the most         
indifferent tools to work with4 ,but it 
is not tools that make the workman1 but 
the trained skill and perseverance of   
the man himself4 ,indeed it is          
proverbial that the bad workman never   
yet had a good tool4 ,some one asked    
,opie by that wonderful process he mixed
 his colors4 ,i mix them with my brains1
 sir1 was his reply4 ,it is the same    
with every workman who would excel4     
,ferguson made marvelous things--such as
 his wooden clock1 that accurately      
measured the hours-- by means of a      
common penknife1 a tool in everybody's  
hand2 but then everybody is not a       
,ferguson4 ,a pan of water and two      
thermometers were the tools by which    
,dr4 ,black discovered latent heat2 and 
a prism1 a lens and a sheet of          

pasteboard enable ,newton to unfold the 
composition of light and the origin of  
colors4 ,an eminent foreign savant once 
called upon ,dr4 ,wollaston1 and        
requested to be shown over his          
laboratories1 in which science had been 
enriched by so many important           
discoveries1 when the doctor took him   
into a little study1 and1 pointing to an
 old tea-tray on the table1 containing a
 few watch-glasses1 test-papers1 a small
 balance1 and a blowpipe1 said1 ,there  
is all the laboratory ,i have6          
,stothard learnt the art of combining   
colors by closely studying butterflies' 
wings3 he would often say that no one   
knew what he owed to those tiny insects4
 ,a burnt stick and a barn door served  
,wilkie in lieu of pencil and canvas4   
,bewiek first practiced drawing on the  
cottage walls of his native village1    
which he covered with his sketches in   
chalk2 and ,benjamin ,watt made his     
first brushes out of the cat's tail4    
,ferguson laid himself down in the      

fields at night in a blanket1 and made a
 map of the heavenly bodies by means of 
a thread with small beads on it         
stretched between his eye and the stars4
 ,franklin first robbed the thundercloud
 of its lightning by means of a kite    
made with two cross-sticks and a silk   
handkerchief4 ,watt made his first model
 of the condensing steam-engine out of  
an old anatomist's syringe1 used to     
inject the arteries previous to         
dissection4 ,gifford worked his first   
problems in mathematics1 when a         
cobbler's apprentice1 upon small scraps 
of leather1 which he beat smooth for the
 purpose2 whilst ,rittenhouse1 the      
astronomer1 first calculated eclipses on
 his plow handle4  ,the most ordinary   
occasions will furnish a man with       
opportunities or suggestions for        
improvement1 if he be but prompt to take
 advantage of them4 ,professor ,lee was 
attracted to the study of ,hebrew by    
finding a ,bible in that tongue in a    
synagogue1 while working as a common    

carpenter at the repair of the benches4 
,he became possessed with a desire to   
read the book in the original1 and1     
buying a cheap second- hand copy of a   
,hebrew grammar1 he set to work and     
learned the language for himself4 ,as   
,edmund ,stone said to the ,duke of     
,argyle1 in answer to his grace's       
inquiry how he1 a poor gardener's boy1  
had contrived to be able to read        
,newton's ,principia in the ,latin1 ,one
 needs only to know the twenty-four     
letters of the alphabet in order to     
learn everything else that one wishes4  
,application and perseverance1 and the  
diligent improvement of opportunities1  
will do the rest4  ,the attention of    
,dr4 ,priestley1 the discoverer of so   
many gases1 was accidentally drawn to   
the subject of chemistry through his    
living in the neighborhood of a brewery4
 ,when visiting the place one day1 he   
noted the peculiar appearances attending
 the extinction of lighted chips in the 
gas floating over the fermented liquor4 

,he was forty years old at the time1 and
 knew nothing of chemistry4 ,he         
consulted books to ascertain the cause1 
but they told him little1 for as yet    
nothing was known on the subject4 ,then 
he began to experiment1 with some rude  
apparatus of his own contrivance4 ,the  
curious results of his first experiments
 led to others1 which in his hands      
shortly became the science of pneumatic 
chemistry4 ,about the same time1        
,scheele was obscurely working in the   
same direction in a remote ,swedish     
village2 and he discovered several new  
gases1 with no more effective apparatus 
at his command than a few apothecaries' 
vials and pigs' bladders4  ,sir ,humphry
 ,davy1 when an apothecary's apprentice1
 performed his first experiments with   
instruments of the rudest description4  
,he extemporized the greater part of    
them himself1 out of the motley         
materials which chance threw in his     
way--to pots and pans of the kitchen1   
and the vials and vessels of his        

master's surgery4 ,it happened that a   
,french ship was wrecked off the ,land's
 ,end1 and the surgeon escaped1 bearing 
with him his case of instruments1       
amongst which was an old-fashioned      
clyster apparatus2 this article he      
presented to ,davy1 with whom he had    
become acquainted4 ,the apothecary's    
apprentice received it with great       
exultation1 and forthwith employed it as
 a part of a pneumatic apparatus which  
he contrived1 afterward using it to     
perform the duties of an air-pump in one
 of his experiments on the nature and   
sources of heat4  ,in like manner1      
professor ,faraday1 ,sir ,humphry       
,davy's scientific successor1 made his  
first experiments in electricity by     
means of an old bottle1 while he was    
still a working bookbinder4 ,and it is a
 curious fact1 that ,faraday was first  
attracted to the study of chemistry by  
hearing one of ,sir ,humphry ,davy's    
lectures on the subject at the ,royal   
,institution4 ,a gentleman1 who was a   

member1 calling one day at the shop     
where ,faraday was employed in binding  
books1 found him pouring over the       
article ,electricity1 in an encyclopedia
 placed in his hands to bind4 ,the      
gentleman1 having made inquiries1 found 
that the young bookbinder was curious   
about such subjects1 and gave him an    
order of admission to the ,royal        
,institution1 where he attended a course
 of four lectures delivered by ,sir     
,humphry4 ,he took notes of them1 which 
he showed to the lecturer1 who          
acknowledged their scientific accuracy1 
and was surprised when informed of the  
humble position of the reporter4        
,faraday then expressed his desire to   
devote himself to the prosecution of    
chemical studies1 from which ,sir       
,humphry at first endeavored to dissuade
 him3 but the young man persisting1 he  
was at length taken into the ,royal     
,institution as an assistant2 and       
eventually the mantle of the brilliant  
apothecary's boy fell upon the worthy   

shoulders of the equally brilliant      
bookbinder's apprentice4  ,the words    
which ,davy entered in his notebook1    
when about twenty years of age1 working 
in ,dr4 ,beddoes' laboratory at         
,bristol1 were eminently characteristic 
of him3 ,i have neither riches1 nor     
power1 nor birth to recommend me2 yet if
 ,i live ,i trust ,i shall not be of    
less service to mankind and my friends1 
than if ,i had been born with all these 
advantages4 ,davy possessed the         
capability1 as ,faraday did1 of devoting
 the whole power of his mind to the     
practical and experimental investigation
 of a subject in all its bearings2 and  
such a mind will rarely fail1 by dint of
 mere industry and patient thinking1 in 
producing results of the highest order4 
,coleridge said of ,davy3 ,there is an  
energy and elasticity in his mind1 which
 enables him to seize on and analyze all
 questions1 pushing them to their       
legitimate consequences4 ,every subject 
in ,davy's mind has the principle of    

vitality4 ,living thoughts spring up    
like turf under his feet4 ,davy1 on his 
part said of ,coleridge1 whose abilities
 he greatly admired3 ,with the most     
exalted genius1 enlarged views1         
sensitive heart1 and enlightened mind1  
he will be the victim of a want of      
order1 precision1 and regularity4  ,it  
is not accident1 then1 that helps a man 
in the world so much as purpose and     
persistent industry4 ,to the feeble1 the
 sluggish and purposeless1 the happiest 
accidents will avail nothing--they pass 
them by1 seeing no meaning in them4 ,but
 it is astonishing how much can be      
accomplished if we are prompt to seize  
and improve the opportunities for action
 and effort which are constantly        
presenting themselves4 ,watt taught     
himself chemistry and mechanics while   
working at his trade of a mathematical  
instrument maker1 at the same time that 
he was learning ,german from a ,swiss   
dyer4 ,stephenson taught himself        
arithmetic and mensuration while working

 as an engine-man1 during the night     
shifts2 and when he could snatch a few  
moments in the intervals allowed for    
meals during the day1 he worked his sums
 with a bit of chalk upon the sides of  
the colliery wagons4 ,dalton's industry 
was the habit of his life4 ,he began    
from his boyhood1 for he taught a little
 village school when he was only about  
twelve years old--keeping the school in 
winter1 and working upon his father's   
farm in summer4 ,he would sometimes urge
 himself and companions to study by the 
stimulus of a bet1 though bred a        
,quaker2 and on one occasion by his     
satisfactory solution of a problem1 he  
won as much as enabled him to buy a     
winter's store of candles4 ,he continued
 his meteorological observations until a
 day or two before he died--having made 
and recorded upward of #bjj1jjj in the  
course of his life4  ,with perseverance1
 the very odds1 and ends of time may be 
worked up into results of the greatest  
value4 ,an hour in every day withdrawn  

from frivolous pursuits would1 if       
profitably employed1 enable a person of 
ordinary capacity to go far toward      
mastering a science4 ,it would make an  
ignorant man a well-informed one in less
 than ten years4 ,time should not be    
allowed to pass without yielding fruits1
 in the form of something learnt worthy 
of being known1 some good principle     
cultivated1 or some good habit          
strengthened4 ,dr4 ,mason ,good         
translated ,lucretuis while riding in   
his carriage in the streets of ,london1 
going the round of his patients4 ,dr4   
,darwin composed nearly all his works in
 the same way while driving about in his
 sulky from house to house in the       
country writing down his thoughts on    
little scraps of paper1 which he carried
 about with him for the purpose4 ,hale  
wrote his ,contemplations while         
traveling on circuit4 ,dr4 ,burney      
learnt ,french and ,italian while       
traveling on horseback from one musical 
pupil to another in the course of his   

profession4 ,kirke ,white learnt ,greek 
while walking to and fro from a lawyer's
 office2 and we personally know a man of
 eminent position who learnt ,latin and 
,french while going messages as an      
errand-boy4  ,hugh ,miller was a busy   
man of observant faculties1 who studied 
literature as well as science1 with zeal
 and success4 ,the book in which he has 
told the story of his life7,my ,schools 
and ,schoolmasters71 is extremely       
interesting1 and calculated to be       
eminently useful4 ,it is the history of 
the formation of a truly noble character
 in the humblest condition of life1 and 
inculcates most powerfully the lessons  
of self-help1 self-respect1 and self-   
dependence4 ,while ,hugh was but a      
child1 his father1 who was a sailor1 was
 drowned at sea1 and he was brought up  
by his widowed mother4 ,he had a school 
training after a sort1 but his best     
teachers were the boys with whom he     
played1 the men amongst whom he lived4  
,he read much and miscellaneously1 and  

picked up odd sorts of knowledge from   
many quarters--from workmen1 carpenters1
 fishermen and sailors1 and above all1  
from the old boulders strewed along the 
shores of the ,cromarty ,firth4 ,with a 
big hammer which had belonged to his    
great-grandfather1 an old buccaneer1 the
 boy went about chipping the stones1 and
 accumulating specimens of mica1        
porphyry1 garnet1 and such like4        
,sometimes he had a day in the woods1   
and there1 too1 the boy's attention was 
excited by the peculiar geological      
curiosities which came in his way4      
,while searching among the rocks on the 
beach1 he was sometimes asked1 in irony1
 by the farm-servants who came to load  
their carts with sea-weed1 whether he   
was gettin' siller in the stanes1 but   
was so unlucky as never to be able to   
answer in the affirmative4 ,when of a   
suitable age he was apprenticed to the  
trade of his choice--that of a working  
stone-mason2 and he began his laboring  
career in a quarry looking out upon the 

,cromarty ,firth4 ,this quarry proved   
one of his best schools4 ,the remarkable
 geological formations which it         
displayed awakened his curiosity4 ,the  
bar of deep-red stone beneath1 and the  
bar of pale-red clay above1 were noted  
by the young quarryman1 who even in such
 unpromising subjects1 found matter of  
observation and reflection4 ,where other
 men saw nothing1 he detected analogies1
 differences1 and peculiarities which   
set him a-thinking4 ,he simply kept his 
eyes and his mind open2 was sober1      
diligent and persevering2 and this was  
the secret of his intellectual growth4  
,his curiosity was excited and kept     
alive by the curious organic remains1   
principally of old and extinct species  
of fishes1 ferns1 and ammonites1 which  
were revealed along the coast by the    
washings of the waves1 or were exposed  
by the stroke of his mason's hammer4 ,he
 never lost sight of the subject1 but   
went on accumulating observations and   
comparing formations1 until at length1  

many years afterward1 when no longer a  
working mason1 he gave to the world his 
highly interesting work on the ,old ,red
 ,sandstone1 which at once established  
his reputation as a scientific          
geologist4 ,but this work was the fruit 
of long years of patient observation and
 research4 ,as he modestly states in his
 autobiography1 ,the only merit to which
 ,i lay claim in the case is that of    
patient research--a merit in which      
whoever wills may rival or surpass me2  
and this humble faculty of patience1    
when rightly developed1 may lead to more
 extraordinary development of ideas than
 even genius itself4  ,chance1 said an  
old ,vermont farmer1 is like going into 
a field with a pail1 and waiting for a  
cow to come to you and back up to be    
milked4  ,shun delays1 they breed       
remorse2   ,take thy time while time is 
lent thee2 ,creeping snails have weakest
 force1   ,fly their fault1 lest thou   
repent thee2     ,good is best when     
sooner wrought1     ,ling'ring labors   

come to nought4  ,hoist up sail while   
gale doth last1   ,tide and wind stay no
 man's pleasure6 ,seek not time when    
time is past1   ,sober speed is wisdom's
 leisure2     ,after-wits are dearly    
bought1     ,let thy fore-wit guide thy 
thought4  ,time wears all his locks     
before1   ,take thou hold upon his      
forehead2 ,when he flees he turns no    
more1   ,and behind his scalp is naked4 
,works adjourn'd have many stays1       
,long demurs breed new delays4          
,,chapter ,,xviii  ,,cultivate          
,,observation ,,and ,,judgment4  ,look  
before you leap1 old ,commodore         
,vanderbilt used to say4 ,i like active 
men1 but ,i have no use for the fellow  
who is so much in earnest that he goes  
off half-cocked4 ,we all know the danger
 of a gun that goes off half-cocked1 but
 it is not so apt to bring disaster as  
is the man who goes off without due     
preparation4  ,it is fortunate for us   
that we cannot see into the future1 but 
the ,father who has kept from us the    

gift of prophecy has blessed us with a  
foresight and judgment that enable us to
 see pretty accurately what must be the 
inevitable consequence of certain acts4 
,the power to observe carefully and     
judge accurately is a rare gift1 but it 
is one that can be cultivated4 ,the     
ancients had a motto ,know thyself1 and 
the great poet ,pope tells us that the  
proper study of mankind is man4 ,a      
knowledge of human nature is invaluable 
in every life-calling that brings us    
into contact with our fellows1 and this 
can be gained only by careful           
observation4  ,stephen ,girard          
attributed much of his success to his   
ability to read men at a glance4 ,and so
 carefully did the great merchant       
prince1 ,alexander ,t1 ,stewart1 study  
this1 that it is said he rarely made a  
mistake in the character of a man he    
took into his employ4  ,cultivate       
observation4 ,oliver ,wendell ,holmes   
maintained that all the difference in   
men1 no matter their callings1 lay in   

the difference of their ability to      
observe and draw proper conclusions from
 their observations4 ,professor ,huxley 
says that observation is the basis of   
all our scientific knowledge4 ,and      
,andrew ,carnegie attributes his great  
success to his cultivation of this      
faculty4  ,every young man1 ambitious to
 win--and what young man worthy the name
 is not8--should have a standard of     
excellence for himself1 and then he     
should carefully study and observe the  
methods of the men who he admires or    
with whom he is brought into contact4   
,it is the ability to do this that      
constitutes the difference between the  
man drudge and the man anxious to assume
 greater responsibilities by mastering  
his necessary duties4  ,in a lecture to 
young men on this subject1 ,henry ,ward 
,beecher said3  ,the young should begin 
life with a standard of excellence      
before them1 to which they should       
readily conform themselves4 ,there      
should be a fixed determination to make 

the best of one's self1 in whatever     
circumstances we may be placed4 ,let the
 young man determine that whatever he   
undertakes he will do well2 that he will
 make himself master of the business    
upon which he enters1 and always prepare
 himself for advancement by becoming    
worthy of it4 ,it is not opportunity of 
rising which is wanting1 so much as the 
ability to rise4 ,it is not the         
patronage of friends and the outward    
helps of fortune1 to which the prominent
 men of our country owe their elevation1
 either in wealth or influence1 so much 
as to their own vigorous and steady     
exertions4 ,we hear a great many        
complaints1 both among young men and    
old1 of the favoritism of fortune1 and  
the partiality of the world2 but        
observation leads us to believe that1 to
 a very great extent1 those who deserve 
promotion obtain it4 ,those who are     
worthy of confidence will have          
confidence reposed in them4 ,those who  
give evidence of ability and industry   

will find opportunity enough for their  
exercise4  ,take a familiar             
illustration4 ,a young man engages in   
some business1 and is1 in ever respect1 
a beginner in life4 ,a common education 
is all that he possesses4 ,he knows     
almost nothing of the world1 and very   
little of the occupation on which he has
 entered4 ,he performs his duty from day
 to day sufficiently well1 and does what
 he is expected to do4 ,but it does not 
enter into his mind to do anything      
beyond what is required1 nor to enlarge 
his capacities by reading or reflection4
 ,he is1 at the best1 a steady plodding 
man1 who will go forward1 if at all1    
very slowly1 and will rise1 if at all1  
to no great elevation4 ,he is not the   
sort of person who is looked for to     
occupy a higher position4 ,one          
opportunity of advancement after another
 may come directly within his reach1 and
 he asks the influence of friends to    
help him to secure it4 ,they give their 
aid feebly1 because they have no great  

hopes of success1 and are not confident 
of their own recommendation4 ,as a      
matter of course1 some one else1 more   
competent or more in earnest1 steps in  
before him1 and then we hear renewed    
complaints of favoritism and injustice4 
,such a one may say in his defense that 
he has been guilty of no dereliction of 
duty2 that no fault has been found with 
him1 and that1 therefore1 he was        
entitled to advancement4 ,but this does 
not follow4 ,something more that that   
may reasonably be required4 ,to bestow  
increased confidence1 we require the    
capacity and habit of improvement in    
those whom we employ4 ,the man who is   
entitled to rise is one who is always   
enlarging his capacity1 so that he is   
evidently able to do more that he is    
actually doing4  ,in every department of
 business1 whether mechanical or        
mercantile1 or whatever it may be1 there
 is a large field of useful knowledge   
which should be carefully explored4 ,an 
observing eye and an inquiring mind will

 always find enough for examination and 
study4 ,it may not seem to be of        
immediate use--it may have nothing to do
 with this week's or this year's        
duty--yet it is worth knowing4 ,the mind
 gains greater skillfulness by the      
intelligence which directs it4  ,the    
result is all the difference between a  
mere drudge and an intelligent workman2 
between the mere salesman or clerk and  
the enterprising merchant2 between the  
obscure and pettifogging lawyer and the 
sagacious1 influential counselor4 ,it is
 the difference between one who deserves
 to be1 and will be1 stationary in the  
world1 and one who1 having determined to
 make the best of himself1 will         
continually rise in influence and true  
respectability4 ,this whole difference  
we may see every day among those who    
have enjoyed nearly equal opportunities4
 ,we may allow something for what are   
called the accidents of social          
influence1 and the turns of fortune4    
,but1 after all fair allowance has been 

made1 we shall find that the great cause
 of difference is in the men themselves4
 ,let the young man who is beginning    
life put away from him all notions of   
advancement without desert4 ,a man of   
honorable feelings will not even desire 
it4 ,he will ever shrink from engaging  
in duties which he is not able fairly to
 perform4 ,he will1 first of all1 secure
 to himself the capacity of performing  
them1 and then he is ready for them     
whenever they come4  ,without           
observation and judgment there can be no
 permanent advance4 ,without            
observation1 experience has no value1   
and the passing years add nothing to our
 fund of useful knowledge4 ,judgment is 
the ability to weigh these observations1
 and use them for our own protection or 
advancement4  ,not only in business1 but
 in science and art1 observation and    
good judgment are necessary4 ,excellence
 in art1 as in everything else1 can only
 be achieved by dint of painstaking     
labor and a close observation of those  

whom we regard as our superiors4 ,there 
is nothing less accidental than the     
painting of a fine picture1 or the      
chiseling of a noble statue4 ,every     
skilled touch of the artist's brush or  
chisel1 though guided by genius1 is the 
product of unremitting study4 ,sir      
,joshua ,reynolds was such a believer in
 the force of industry1 that he held    
that artistic excellence1 however       
expressed by genius1 taste1 or the gift 
of heaven may be acquired4 ,writing to  
,barry he said1 ,whoever is resolved to 
excel in painting1 or indeed any other  
art1 must bring all his mind to bear    
upon that one object from the moment    
that he rises till he goes to bed4 ,and 
on another occasion he said1 ,those who 
are resolved to excel must go to their  
work1 willing or unwilling1 morning1    
noon1 and1 night3 they will find it no  
play1 but very hard labor4 ,but although
 diligent application is no doubt       
absolutely necessary for the achievement
 of the highest distinction in art1 it  

is equally true that1 without the inborn
 genius1 no amount of mere industry1    
however well applied1 will make an      
artist4 ,the gift comes by nature1 but  
is perfected by self-culture1 which is  
of more avail that all the imparted     
learning of the schools4 ,but even      
genius without good judgment may be an  
unbroken steed without a bridle4  ,all  
great artists and authors have been     
famed for their powers of observation2  
indeed1 it is claimed that it is this   
power that distinguishes them from other
 men4  ,no matter how generous nature   
has been in bestowing the gift of       
genius1 the pursuit of art is           
nevertheless a long and continuous      
labor4 ,many artists have been          
precocious1 but without diligence their 
precocity would have come to nothing4   
,the anecdote related of ,west is well  
known4 ,when only seven years old1      
struck with the beauty of the sleeping  
infant of his eldest sister1 whilst     
watching by its cradle1 he ran to seek  

some paper1 and forthwith drew its      
portrait in red and black ink4 ,the     
little incident revealed the artist in  
him1 and it was found impossible to draw
 him from his bent4 ,west might have    
been a greater painter had he not been  
injured by too early success3 his fame1 
though great1 was not purchased by      
study1 trials and difficulties1 and it  
has not been enduring4  ,richard        
,wilson1 when a mere child1 indulged    
himself with tracing figures of men and 
animals on the walls of his father's    
house with a burnt stick4 ,he first     
directed his attention to portrait      
painting2 but when in ,italy1 calling   
one day at the house of ,zucarelli1 and 
growing weary with waiting1 he began    
painting the scene on which his friend's
 chamber window looked4 ,when ,zucarelli
 arrived1 he was so charmed with the    
picture that he asked if ,wilson had not
 studied landscape1 to which he replied 
that he had not4 ,then ,i advise you1   
said the other1 to try2 for you are sure

 of great success4 ,wilson adopted the  
advice1 studied and worked hard1 and    
became the first great ,english         
landscape painter4  ,sir ,joshua        
,reynolds1 when a boy1 forgot his       
lessons1 and took pleasure only in      
drawing1 for which his father was       
accustomed to rebuke him4 ,the boy was  
destined for the profession of physic1  
but his strong instinct for art could   
not be repressed1 and he became a       
painter4 ,gainsborough went sketching1  
when a schoolboy1 in the woods of       
,sudbury1 and at twelve he was a        
confirmed artist2 he was a keen observer
 and a hard worker--no picturesque      
feature of any scene he had once looked 
upon escaping his diligent pencil4      
,william ,blake1 a hosier's son1        
employed himself in drawing designs on  
the backs of his father's shop-bills1   
and making sketches on the counter4     
,edward ,bird1 when a child only three  
or four years old1 would mount a chair  
and draw figures on the walls1 which he 

called ,french and ,english soldiers4 ,a
 box of colors was purchased for him1   
and his father1 desirous of turning his 
love of art to account1 put him         
apprentice to a maker of teatrays6 ,out 
of this trade he gradually raised       
himself1 by study and labor1 to the rank
 of a ,royal ,academician4  ,hogarth1   
though a very dull boy at his lessons1  
took pleasure in making drawings of the 
letters of the alphabet1 and his school 
exercises were more remarkable for the  
ornaments with which he embellished     
them1 than for the matter of the        
exercises themselves4 ,in the latter    
respect he was beaten by all the        
blockheads of the school1 but in his    
adornments he stood alone4 ,his father  
put him apprentice to a silversmith1    
where he learnt to draw1 and also to    
engrave spoons and forks with crests and
 ciphers4 ,from silver-chasing he went  
on to teach himself engraving on copper1
 principally griffins and monsters of   
heraldry1 in the course of which        

practice he became ambitious to         
delineate the varieties of human        
character4 ,the singular excellence     
which he reached in this art was mainly 
the result of careful observation and   
study4 ,he had the gift1 which he       
sedulously cultivated1 of committing to 
memory the precise features of any      
remarkable face1 and afterward          
reproducing them on paper2 but if any   
singularly fantastic form or odd face   
came in his way1 he would make a sketch 
of it on the spot upon his thumbnail1   
and carry it home to expand at his      
leisure4 ,everything fantastical and    
original had a powerful attraction for  
him1 and he wandered into many          
out-of-the-way places for the purpose of
 meeting with character4 ,by this       
careful storing of his mind1 he was     
afterward enabled to crowd an immense   
amount of thought and treasure          
observation into his works4 ,hence it is
 that ,hogarth's pictures are so        
truthful a memorial of the character1   

the manners1 and even the very thoughts 
of the times in which he live4 ,true    
painting1 he himself observed1 can only 
be learnt in one school1 and that is    
kept by ,nature4 ,but he was not a      
highly cultivated man1 except in his own
 walk4 ,his school education had been of
 the slenderest kind1 scarcely even     
perfecting him in the art of spelling2  
his self-culture did the rest4 ,for a   
long time he was in very straitened     
circumstances1 but nevertheless worked  
on with a cheerful heart4 ,poor though  
he was1 he contrived to live within his 
small means1 and he boasted with        
becoming pride1 that he was a punctual  
paymaster4 ,when he had conquered all   
his difficulties and become a famous and
 thriving man1 he loved to dwell upon   
his early labors and privations1 and to 
fight over again the battle which ended 
so honorably to him as a man and so     
gloriously as an artist4 ,i remember the
 time1 said he on one occasion1 when ,i 
have gone moping into the city with     

scarce a shilling1 but as soon as ,i    
have received ten guineas there for a   
plate1 ,i have returned home1 put on my 
sword1 and sallied out with all the     
confidence of a man who had thousands in
 his pockets4  ,perhaps there is no     
living man of eminence who so well and  
forcibly illustrates these qualities of 
judgment and observation as that        
greatest of living ,american inventors1 
,thomas ,a4 ,edison4  ,mr4 ,edison1 as  
we have already stated1 had only a few  
weeks at school in his whole life4 ,he  
was born in the upper part of ,new ,york
 ,state in #ahdg4 ,his parents were     
poor1 and early in life1 to use his own 
expressive words1 he had to start out   
and hustle4 ,one would think that       
selling newspapers on a railroad train  
was not a calling that afforded any     
educational advantages1 but to the man  
of observation there is no position in  
life1 whether in the busy haunts of men 
or the silence of the wilderness1 that  
is not replete with valuable information

 if we but know where to look for it1   
and have the judgment to use it after it
 is obtained4  ,through the favor of the
 telegraph operator1 whose child's life 
he had saved when the little one was    
nearly under the wheels of a train1     
young ,edison was enabled to study      
telegraphy4 ,during this apprenticeship1
 if such it may be called1 the boy not  
only learned how to send and receive a  
message1 so as to fit himself for the   
position of operator1 but he learned all
 about the mechanism and the batteries  
of the instrument he operated4  ,nothing
 escaped ,tom ,edison's observation1    
said a man who knew him at this time4   
,he saw everything1 and he not only saw 
it1 but he set about learning its whys  
and wherefores1 and he stuck at it till 
he had learned all there was to be      
learned about it4  ,said another friend1
 ,i've known ,edison since he was a boy 
of fourteen1 and of my own knowledge ,i 
can say he never spent an idle day in   
his life4 ,often when he should have    

been asleep ,i have known him to sit up 
half the night reading4 ,he did not take
 to novels or wild ,western adventures1 
but read works on mechanics1 chemistry  
and electricity1 and he mastered them1  
too4 ,but in addition to his reading1   
which he could only indulge at odd      
hours1 he carefully cultivated his      
wonderful powers of observation1 till at
 length1 when he was not actually       
asleep1 it may be said he was learning  
all the time4 ,schools and colleges are 
all very well1 but ,mr4 ,edison's career
 goes to show that a man may become     
famous1 prosperous1 and well educated1  
if he has the necessary capacity for    
observing and weighing4  ,another       
illustrious example of the same kind is 
the late ,george ,w4 ,childs1 of        
,philadelphia4 ,he was born in          
,baltimore1 ,md41 in #ahbi1 and at the  
age of twelve he had to begin the battle
 of life by taking the position of      
errand boy in a book store4 ,i had no   
schooling1 he said1 when speaking of his

 early struggles1 but ,i had a          
quenchless thirst for information4 ,i   
had no tine to read the books ,i had to 
handle and carry sometimes in a         
wheelbarrow1 but ,i kept my eyes and    
ears open4 ,i studied the binding and   
manufacture1 though ,i had not the      
slightest idea of the contents2 and from
 these early observations ,i made up my 
mind that one day ,i would become a     
publisher on my own account4  ,how      
successfully ,mr4 ,childs did this1 we  
all know4 ,while yet in his teens1 he   
made his way1 without money or friends1 
to ,philadelphia1 and found a place in a
 book store1 where the same method of   
education by observation was continued4 
,the first time he saw a copy of the    
,philadelphia ,ledger1 a time when he   
had scarcely the penny to spare that    
bought it1 he made up his mind that one 
day he would own that paper--and he     
carried out his resolution4  ,so        
excellent was his judgment that not only
 publishers1 but statesmen and bankers  

sought it4 ,from the humblest beginnings
 ,george ,w4 ,childs rose up and up till
 the greatest men of two continents     
rejoiced in his friendship1 and his name
 was on the lips of all who admire a    
noble life devoted to philanthropic     
deeds4  ,our ,american biographies are  
full of examples of self-taught men--men
 who have become educated through       
observation1 and great through good     
judgment and increasing effort1 but     
there are not many of them that commend 
themselves so warmly to the heart as the
 life of the good1 wise1 and generous   
,george ,w4 ,childs4    ,,chapter ,,xix 
,,singleness ,,of ,,purpose4  ,we have  
all heard of the ,jack of all trades1   
and master of none4 ,such men never win1
 though they may excite the admiration  
of the curious by their impractical     
versatility4  ,in early times1 even in  
the early settlement of our own country1
 it was necessary for not only men1 but 
women also1 to be many-sided in their   
capacity for work2 but the world's swift

 advance has made this unnecessary4 ,a  
farmer can now buy shoes cheaper than he
 could make them at home1 and the       
farmer's wife has no longer to learn the
 art of spinning and weaving4  ,a       
,french philosopher in speaking of this 
subject says3 ,it is well to know       
something about everything1 and         
everything about something4 ,that is    
general information is always useful1   
but special information is essential to 
special success4  ,the field of learning
 is too vast to be carefully gone over  
in one lifetime1 and the business world 
is too extensive to permit any man to   
become acquainted with all its          
topography4 ,a man may do a number of   
things fairly well1 but he can do only  
one thing very well4  ,often versatility
 instead of being a blessing is an      
injury4 ,a few men like ,michael ,angelo
 in art1 ,benjamin ,franklin in science 
and letters1 and ,peter ,cooper in      
various departments of manufacture have 
succeeded in everything they undertook1 

but to hold these up as examples to be  
followed would be to make a rule of an  
exception4  ,singleness of purpose is   
one of the prime requisites of success4 
,fortune is jealous1 and refuses to be  
approached from all sides by the same   
suitor4  ,we have known men of marked   
ability1 but want of purpose1 who       
studied for the ministry and failed2 who
 then studied law--and failed4 ,after   
this they tried medicine and journalism1
 only to fail in each2 whereas1 had they
 stuck resolutely to one thing success  
would not have been uncertain4  ,a young
 man may not be able at the very start  
to hit upon the vocation for which he is
 best adapted1 but should he find it1 he
 will see that his ability to avail     
himself of its advantages will depend   
largely on the energy and singleness of 
purpose displayed in the work for which 
he had no liking4  ,there is a famous   
speech recorded of an old ,norseman1    
thoroughly characteristic of the        
,teuton4 ,i believe neither in idols nor

 demons1 said he2 ,i put my sole trust  
in my own strength of body and soul4    
,the ancient crest of a pickaxe with the
 motto of ,either ,i will find a way or 
make one1 was an expression of the same 
sturdy independence which to this day   
distinguishes the descendants of the    
,northmen4 ,indeed1 nothing could be    
more characteristic of the ,scandinavian
 mythology1 than that it had a god with 
a hammer4 ,a man's character is seen in 
small matters2 and from even so slight a
 test as the mode in which a man wields 
a hammer1 his energy may in some measure
 be inferred4 ,thus an eminent          
,frenchman hit off in a single phrase   
the characteristic quality of the       
inhabitants of a particular district1 in
 which a friend of his proposed to      
settle and buy land4 ,beware1 said he1  
of making a purchase there2 ,i know the 
men of that ,department2 the pupils who 
come from it to our veterinary school at
 ,paris do not strike hard upon the     
anvil2 they want energy2 and you will   

not get a satisfactory return on any    
capital you may invest there4  ,hugh    
,miller said the only school in which he
 was properly taught was that world-wide
 school in which toil and hardship are  
the severe but noble teachers4 ,he who  
allows his application to falter1 or    
shirks his work on frivolous pretexts1  
is on the sure road to ultimate failure4
 ,let any task be undertaken as a thing 
not possible to be evaded1 and it will  
soon come to be performed with alacrity 
and cheerfulness4 ,charles ,,ix of      
,sweden was a firm believer in the power
 of will1 even in youth4 ,laying his    
hand on the head of his youngest son    
when engaged on a difficult task1 he    
exclaimed1 ,he shall do it6 he shall do 
it6 ,the habit of application becomes   
easy in time1 like every other habit4   
,thus persons with comparatively        
moderate powers will accomplish much1 if
 they apply themselves wholly and       
indefatigably to one thing at a time4   
,fowell ,buxton placed his confidence in

 ordinary means and extraordinary       
application2 realizing the ,scriptural  
injunction1 ,whatsoever thy hand findeth
 to do1 do it with thy might2 and he    
attributed his own success in life to   
his practice of being a whole man to one
 thing at a time4  ,where there is a    
will there is a way1 is an old and true 
saying4 ,he who resolves upon doing a   
thing1 by that very resolution often    
scales the barriers to it1 and secures  
its achievement4 ,to think we are able1 
is almost to be so--to determine upon   
attainment is frequently attainment     
itself4 ,thus1 earnest resolution has   
often seemed to have about it almost a  
savor of omnipotence4 ,the strength of  
,suwarrow's character lay in his power  
of willing1 and1 like most resolute     
persons1 he preached it up as a system4 
,you can only half will1 he would say to
 people who failed4 ,like ,richelieu and
 ,napoleon1 he would have the word      
impossible banished from the dictionary4
 ,i don't know1 ,i can't1 and           

impossible1 were words which he detested
 above all others4 ,learn6 ,do6 ,try6 he
 would exclaim4 ,his biographer has said
 of him1 that he furnished a remarkable 
illustration of what may be effected by 
the energetic development and exercise  
of faculties the germs of which at least
 are in every human heart4  ,one of     
,napoleon's favorite maxims was1 ,the   
truest wisdom is a resolute             
determination4 ,his life1 beyond most   
others1 vividly showed what a powerful  
and unscrupulous will could accomplish4 
,he threw his whole force of body and   
mind direct upon his work4 ,imbecile    
rulers and the nations they governed    
went down before him in succession4 ,he 
was told that the ,alps stood in the way
 of his armies4 ,there shall be no      
,alps1 he said1 and the road across the 
,simplon was constructed1 through a     
district formerly almost inaccessible4  
,impossible1 said he1 is a word only to 
be found in the dictionary of fools4 ,he
 was a man who toiled terribly2         

sometimes employing and exhausting four 
secretaries at a time4 ,he spared no    
one1 not even himself4 ,his influence   
inspired other men1 and put a new life  
into them4 ,i made my generals out of   
mud he said4 ,but all was of no avail2  
for ,napoleon's intense selfishness was 
his ruin1 and the ruin of ,france1 which
 he left a prey to anarchy4  ,before the
 man resolutely impelled to action by   
singleness of purpose1 every obstacle   
disappears as he approaches1 and every  
lesson of experience becomes the        
stepping-stone to further victories in  
the same direction4  ,it is this        
singleness of purpose1 this absorption  
in a great life- work1 that nerves our  
missionaries in their exile4 ,a splendid
 example of this is presented in the    
career of the great missionary and      
explorer1 ,dr4 ,livingstone4  ,he has   
told the story of his life in that      
modest and unassuming manner which is so
 characteristic of the man himself4 ,his
 ancestors were poor but honest         

,highlanders1 and it is related of one  
of them1 renowned in his district for   
wisdom and prudence1 that when on his   
death-bed1 he called his children round 
him and left them these words1 the only 
legacy he had to bequeath3 ,in my       
lifetime1 said he1 ,i have searched most
 carefully through all the traditions ,i
 could find of our family1 and ,i never 
could discover that there was a         
dishonest man among our forefathers2 if1
 therefore1 any of you1 or any of your  
children1 should take to dishonest ways1
 it will not be because it runs in our  
blood2 it does not belong to you3 ,i    
leave this precept with you--,be honest4
 ,at the age of ten1 ,livingstone was   
sent to work in a cotton factory near   
,glasgow as a piecer4 ,with part of his 
first week's wages he bought a ,latin   
grammar1 and began to learn that        
language1 pursuing the study for years  
at a night-school4 ,he would sit up     
conning his lessons till twelve or      
later1 when not sent to bed by his      

mother1 for he had to be up and at work 
in the factory every morning by six4 ,in
 this way he plodded through ,virgil and
 ,horace1 also reading extensively all  
books1 excepting novels1 that came in   
his way1 but more especially scientific 
works and books of travels4 ,he occupied
 his spare hours1 which were but few1 in
 the pursuit of botany1 scouring the    
neighborhood to collect plants4 ,he even
 carried on his reading amidst the roar 
of the factory machinery1 so placing the
 book upon the spinning-jenny which he  
worked1 that he could catch sentence    
after sentence as he passed it4 ,in this
 way the persevering youth acquired much
 useful knowledge2 and as he grew older1
 the desire possessed him of becoming a 
missionary to the heathen4 ,with this   
object he set himself to obtain a       
medical education1 in order the better  
to be qualified for the work4 ,he       
accordingly economized his earnings1 and
 saved as much money as enabled him to  
support himself while attending the     

,medical and ,greek classes as well as  
the ,divinity ,lectures1 at ,glasgow1   
for several winters1 working as a       
cotton-spinner during the remainder of  
each year4 ,he thus supported himself1  
during his college career1 entirely by  
his own earnings as a factory workman1  
never having received a farthing of help
 from any other source4 ,looking back   
now1 he honestly said1 at that life of  
toil1 ,i cannot but feel thankful that  
it formed such a material part of my    
early education2 and1 were it possible1 
,i should like to begin life over again 
in the same lowly style1 and to pass    
through the same hardy training4 ,at    
length he finished his medical          
curriculum1 wrote his ,latin thesis1    
passed his examinations1 and was        
admitted a licentiate of the ,faculty of
 ,physicians and ,surgeons4 ,at first he
 thought of going to ,china1 but the war
 then waging with that country prevented
 his following out the idea2 and having 
offered his services to the ,london     

,missionary ,society1 he was by them    
sent out to ,africa1 which he reached in
 #ahdj4 ,he had intended to proceed to  
,china by his own efforts2 and he says  
the only pang he had in going to ,africa
 at the charge of the ,london           
,missionary ,society was1 because it was
 not quite agreeable to one accustomed  
to worked his own way to become1 in a   
manner1 dependent upon others4 ,arrived 
in ,africa1 he set to work with great   
zeal4 ,he could not brook the idea of   
merely entering upon the labors of      
others1 but cut out a large sphere of   
independent work1 preparing himself for 
it by undertaking manual labor in       
building and other handicraft           
employment1 in addition to teaching1    
which1 he says1 made me generally as    
much exhausted and unfit for study in   
the evenings as ever ,i had been when a 
cotton-spinner4 ,whilst laboring amongst
 the ,bechuanas1 he dug canals1 built   
houses1 cultivated fields1 reared       
cattle1 and taught the natives to work  

as well as to worship4 ,when he first   
started with a party of them on foot    
upon a long journey1 he overheard their 
observations upon his appearance and    
powers4 ,he is not strong1 said they2 he
 is quite slim1 and only appears stout  
because he puts himself into those bags 
7trousers73 he will soon knock up4 ,this
 caused the missionary's ,highland blood
 to rise1 and made him despise the      
fatigue of keeping them all at the top  
of their speed for days together1 until 
he heard them expressing proper opinions
 of his pedestrian powers4 ,what he did 
in ,africa1 and how he worked1 may be   
learnt from his own ,missionary         
,travels1 one of the most fascinating   
books of its kind that has ever been    
given to the public4 ,one of his last   
known acts is thoroughly characteristic 
of the man4 ,the ,birkenhead steam      
launch1 which he took out with him to   
,africa1 having proved a failure1 he    
sent home orders for the construction of
 another vessel at an estimated cost of 

#b1jjj pounds4 ,this sum he proposed to 
defray out of the means which he had set
 aside for his children1 arising from   
the profits of his books of travel4 ,the
 children must make it up themselves1   
was in effect his expression in sending 
home the order for the appropriation of 
the money4  ,the career of ,john ,howard
 was throughout a striking illustration 
of the same power of patient purpose4   
,his sublime life proved that even      
physical weakness could remove mountains
 in the pursuit of an end recommended by
 duty4 ,the idea of ameliorating the    
condition of prisoners engrossed his    
whole thoughts1 and possessed him like a
 passion2 and no toil1 or danger1 nor   
bodily suffering could turn him from    
that great object of his life4 ,though a
 man of no genius and but moderate      
talent1 his heart was pure and his will 
was strong4 ,even in his own time he    
achieved a remarkable degree of success2
 and his influence did not die with him1
 for it has continued powerfully to     

affect not only the legislation of his  
own country1 but of all civilized       
nations1 down to the present hour4      
,horace ,mann1 famous as a teacher and  
reformer in his day1 was urged by his   
friends in ,ohio to go to ,congress4 ,he
 replied3 ,i have a great deal of       
respect for men in public life1 but ,i  
have more respect for my on life-work4  
,if ,i know anything1 it is the science 
or art of teaching1 and to this work1   
please ,god1 ,i shall devote the whole  
of my life4 ,and he kept his word4      
,singleness of purpose implies firmness1
 for in this day of change and          
speculation1 the young man who has saved
 up a little money1 hoping one day to go
 into business for himself1 will find on
 every hand temptations to invest in    
enterprises of which he knows nothing4  
,here his resolution will be tested4    
,remember there is no element of human  
character so potential for weal or woe  
as firmness4 ,to the merchant and the   
man of business it is all-important4    

,before its irresistible energy the most
 formidable obstacles become as cobweb  
barriers in its path4 ,difficulties1 the
 terror of which causes the timid and   
pampered sons of luxury to shrink back  
with dismay1 provoke from the man a     
lofty determination only a smile4 ,the  
whole history of our race--all nature1  
indeed--teems with examples to show what
 wonders may be accomplished by resolute
 perseverance and patient toil4  ,it is 
related of ,tamerlane1 the terror of    
whose arms spread through all the       
,eastern nations1 and whom victory      
attended at almost every step1 that he  
once learned from an insect a lesson of 
perseverance1 which had a striking      
effect on his future character and      
success4  ,when closely pursued by his  
enemies1 as a contemporary writer tells 
the incident1 he took refuge in some old
 ruins1 where left to his solitary      
musings1 he espied an ant tugging and   
striving to carry a single grain of     
corn4 ,his unavailing efforts were      

repeated sixty-nine times1 and at each  
brave attempt1 as soon as he reached a  
certain point of projection1 he fell    
back with his burden1 unable to surmount
 it2 but the seventieth time he bore    
away his spoil in triumph1 and left the 
wondering hero reanimated and exulting  
in the hope of future victory4  ,how    
pregnant the lesson this incident       
conveys6 ,how many thousand instances   
there are in which inglorious defeat    
ends the career of the timid and        
desponding1 when the same tenacity of   
purpose would crown it with triumphant  
success4  ,resolution is almost         
omnipotent4 ,it was well observed by a  
heathen moralist1 that it is not because
 things are difficult that we dare not  
undertake them4 ,be1 then1 bold in      
spirit4 ,indulge no doubts4 ,shakespeare
 says truly and wisely--     ,our doubts
 are traitors1 ,and make us lose the    
good we oft might win1 ,by fearing to   
attempt4  ,in the practical pursuit of  
our high aim1 let us never lose sight of

 it in the slightest instance2 for it is
 more by a disregard of small things1   
than by open and flagrant offenses1 that
 men come short of excellence4 ,there is
 always a right and a wrong2 and1 if you
 ever doubt1 be sure you take not the   
wrong4 ,observe this rule1 and every    
experience will be to you a means of    
advancement4    ,,chapter ,,xx          
,,business ,,and ,,brains4  ,many1      
prompted no doubt by a feeling of envy1 
are apt to sneer at the culture and     
mental ability of the men who have won  
in business4 ,dumb luck1 mean plodding1 
the robbery of employees1 these and     
other reasons are assigned by the       
unreasoning and uncharitable for the    
prosperity of men who won with fewer    
advantages than themselves4  ,every     
student of the world's progress knows   
that business men have done even more   
than great authors for the advance of   
civilization4 ,and we all know1 though  
the world is apt to kneel to military   
idols1 that inventors have done far more

 than have soldiers for the good of     
humanity4  ,the man who succeeds in     
commerce1 trade1 or manufactures1       
thereby shows a foresight and executive 
ability that would surely have commanded
 success in any other calling4 ,men who 
know books and nothing else are apt to  
imagine that the merchant1 whose life is
 devoted to facts1 figures1 and results1
 must by reason of that be wanting in   
the higher intellectual faculties4 ,nor 
is this belief wholly confined to       
authors in ,america4  ,hazlitt1 in one  
of his clever essays1 represents the man
 of business as a mean sort of person   
put in a go-cart1 yoked to a trade or   
profession2 alleging that all he has to 
do is1 not to go out of the beaten      
track1 but merely to let his affairs    
take their own course4 ,the great       
requisite1 he says1 for the prosperous  
management of ordinary business is the  
want of imagination1 or of any ideas but
 those of custom and interest on the    
narrowest scale4 but nothing could be   

more one-sided1 and in effect untrue1   
than such a definition4 ,of course1     
there are narrow-minded men of business1
 as there are narrow-minded scientific  
men1 literary men and legislators2 but  
there are also business men of large and
 comprehensive minds1 capable of action 
on the very largest scale4 ,as ,burke   
said in his speech on the ,india bill1  
he knew statesmen who were peddlers1 and
 merchants who acted in the spirit of   
statesmen4  ,if we take into account the
 qualities necessary for the successful 
conduct of any important                
undertaking--that it requires special   
aptitude1 promptitude of action on      
emergencies1 capacity for organizing the
 labor often of large numbers of men1   
great tact and knowledge of human       
nature1 constant self-culture1 and      
growing experience in the practical     
affairs of life--it must1 we think1 be  
obvious that the school of business is  
by no means so narrow as some writers   
would have us believe4 ,mr4 ,helps spoke

 much nearer the truth when he said that
 consummate men of business are as rare 
almost as great poets--rarer1 perhaps1  
than veritable saints and martyrs4      
,indeed1 of no other pursuit can it so  
emphatically be said1 as of this1 that  
business makes men4  ,it has1 however1  
been a favorite fallacy with dunces in  
all times that men of genius are        
unfitted for business1 as well as that  
business occupations unfit men for the  
pursuits of genius4 ,the unhappy youth  
who committed suicide a few years since 
because he had been born to be a man and
 condemned to be a grocer1 proved by the
 act that his soul was not equal even to
 the dignity of grocer4 ,for it is not  
the calling that degrades the man1 but  
the man that degrades the calling4 ,all 
work that brings honest gain is         
honorable1 whether it be of hand or     
mind4 ,the fingers may be soiled1 yet   
the heart remain pure2 for it is not    
material so much as moral dirt that     
defiles--greed far more than grime1 and 

vice than verdigris4  ,the greatest have
 not disdained to labor honestly and    
usefully for a living1 though at the    
same time aiming after higher things4   
,thales1 the first of the seven sages2  
,solon1 the second founder of ,athens1  
and ,hyperates1 the mathematician1 were 
all traders4 ,plato1 called the ,divine 
by reason of the excellence of his      
wisdom1 defrayed his traveling expenses 
in ,egypt by the profits derived from   
the oil which he sold during his        
journey4 ,spinoza maintained himself by 
polishing glasses while he pursued his  
philosophical investigations4 ,linnaeus1
 the great botanist1 prosecuted his     
studies while hammering leather and     
making shoes4 ,shakespeare was the      
successful manager of a theatre--perhaps
 priding himself more upon his practical
 qualities in that capacity than on his 
writing of plays and poetry4 ,pope was  
of opinion that ,shakespeare's principal
 object in cultivating literature was to
 secure an hones independence4 ,indeed1 

he seems to have been altogether        
indifferent to literary reputation4 ,it 
is not known that he superintended the  
publication of a single play1 or even   
sanctioned the printing of one2 and the 
chronology of his writings is still a   
mystery4 ,it is certain1 however1 that  
he prospered in his business1 and       
realized sufficient to enable him to    
retire upon a competency to his native  
town of ,stratford-upon-,avon4  ,chaucer
 was in early life a soldier1 and       
afterward an effective ,commissioner of 
,customs1 and ,inspector of ,woods and  
,crown ,lands4 ,spenser was secretary to
 the ,lord ,deputy of ,ireland1 was     
afterward ,sheriff of ,cork1 and is said
 to have been shrewd and attentive in   
matters of business4 ,milton1 originally
 a schoolmaster1 was elevated to the    
post of ,secretary to the ,council of   
,state during the ,commonwealth2 and the
 extant ,order-book of the ,council1 as 
well as many of ,milton's letters which 
are preserved1 give abundant evidence of

 his activity and usefulness in that    
office4 ,sir ,isaac ,newton proved      
himself an efficient ,master of the     
,mint1 the new coinage of #afid having  
been carried on under his immediate     
personal superintendence4 ,cowper prided
 himself upon his business punctuality1 
though he confessed that he never knew a
 poet1 except himself1 that was punctual
 in anything4 ,but against this we may  
set the lives of ,wordsworth and        
,scott--the former a distributor of     
stamps1 the latter a clerk to the ,court
 of ,session--both of whom1 though great
 poets1 were eminently punctual and     
practical men of business4 ,david       
,ricardo1 amidst the occupations of his 
daily business as a ,london stock-      
jobber1 in conducting which he acquired 
an ample fortune1 was able to           
concentrate his mind upon his favorite  
subject--on principles of political     
economy2 for he united in himself the   
sagacious commercial man and the        
profound philosopher4 ,baily1 the       

eminent astronomer1 was another         
stock-broker2 and ,allen1 the chemist1  
was a silk manufacturer4  ,we have      
abundant illustrations1 in our own day1 
of the fact1 that the highest           
intellectual power is not incompatible  
with the active and efficient           
performance of routine duties4 ,grote1  
the great historian of ,greece1 was a   
,london banker4 ,and it is said that    
when ,john ,stuart ,mill1 one of the    
greatest modern thinkers1 retired from  
the ,examiner's office of an important  
company1 he carried with him the        
admiration and esteem of his            
fellow-officers1 not on account of his  
high views of philosophy1 but because of
 the high standard of efficiency which  
he had established in his office1 and   
the thoroughly satisfactory manner in   
which he had conducted the business of  
his department4  ,the path of success in
 business is usually the path of common 
sense4 ,patient labor and application   
are as necessary here as in the         

acquisition of knowledge or the pursuit 
of science4 ,the old ,greeks said1 ,to  
become an able man in any profession1   
three things are necessary--nature1     
study1 and practice4 ,in business1      
practice1 wisely and diligently         
improved1 is the great secret of        
success4 ,some may make what are called 
lucky hits1 but like money earned by    
gambling1 such hits may only serve to   
lure one to ruin4 ,bacon was accustomed 
to say that it was in business as in    
ways--the nearest way was commonly the  
foulest1 and that if a man would go the 
fairest way he must go somewhat about4  
,the journey may occupy a longer time1  
but the pleasure of the labor involved  
by it1 and the enjoyment of the results 
produced1 will be more genuine and      
unalloyed4 ,to have a daily appointed   
task of even common drudgery to do makes
 the rest of life feel all the sweeter4 
,one of the best illustrations we know  
of1 of great natural abilities winning  
great success in mechanical fields is   

the career of the now famous ,andrew    
,carnegie1 of ,pennsylvania4  ,this     
remarkable man was born in ,scotland in 
#ahce4 ,when ten years of age1 his      
parents1 who were poor1 moved to        
,pittsburg4 ,then1 as now1 there were   
excellent public schools in the ,smoky  
,city1 but young ,carnegie was not able 
to avail himself of their advantages1 as
 he desired to do4 ,while still in his  
teens he found employment in running a  
stationary engine4 ,he did his work     
well1 and every moment not required by  
his engine was devoted to study4        
,before the youth had seen a practical  
keyboard1 he had mastered the principles
 of telegraphy1 and succeeded1 by reason
 of the knowledge obtained in this way1 
in getting a position as an operator4   
,at that time all messages were read    
from rolls of paper1 on which the ,morse
 characters were indented2 but ,andrew  
,carnegie1 while still under twenty-one1
 was the first operator in the world to 
demonstrate1 that to a skillful man the 

roll was unnecessary4 ,he learned to    
read by sound then1 as all operators do 
now4 ,what scholar will say that a high 
order of intellect was not involved in  
this achievement8  ,hard work1 close    
observation1 strict economy1 and the    
determination to give my employer the   
best that was in me1 without regard to  
the compensation1 these were my         
impelling motives in those early days1  
and to these ,i attribute all the       
prosperity with which ,heaven has       
blessed me4 ,this is what ,mr4 ,carnegie
 says of himself1 and his words are full
 of encouragement and inspiration to the
 young man who has the same obstacles to
 overcome4  ,it is not what you make1   
but what you save that brings wealth4   
,mr4 ,carnegie discovered this early in 
life1 and while he helped his parents   
like a dutiful son1 he never spent an   
unnecessary cent on himself4  ,i was too
 busy working and studying to contract  
the habits that make such inroads on the
 health and pockets of young men1 says  

,mr4 ,carnegie1 and this helped me in   
many ways4  ,while still young he had an
 opportunity to invest his savings in   
the first sleeping car1 invented by     
,woodruff1 and out of this he got his   
first good start4  ,active1 industrious1
 and quick to foresee results1 he took  
an interest in the oil discoveries of   
,pennsylvania1 and with such success    
that from the profits he was enabled to 
organize the greatest series of rolling 
mills and foundries in the world4  ,mr4 
,carnegie is still in the prime of life4
 ,he has spent several fortunes in good 
works1 and is still a very rich as he is
 certainly a highly honored man4 ,but   
the point we wish to make is that ,mr4  
,carnegie is a fine example of the high 
order of intellect necessary for the    
greatest success in the business world4 
,although self-educated1 ,mr4 ,carnegie 
is an author of world-wide reputation4  
,his work ,triumphant ,democracy is     
splendid vindication of the institutions
 of his adopted country4 ,he knows more 

about books1 says one who knows ,mr4    
,carnegie well1 than half the authors1  
and he can find himself in no society   
where he does not find himself the peer 
of the best4  ,those who fail in life   
are1 however1 very apt to assume a tone 
of injured innocence1 and conclude to   
hastily that everybody excepting        
themselves has had a hand in their      
personal misfortunes4 ,an eminent writer
 lately published a book1 in which he   
described his numerous failures in      
business1 naively admitting1 at the same
 time1 that he was ignorant of the      
multiplication-table2 and he came to the
 conclusion that the real cause of his  
ill-success in life was the             
money-worshiping spirit of the age4     
,lamartine also did not hesitate to     
profess his contempt for arithmetic2    
but1 had it been less4 probably we      
should not have witnessed the unseemly  
spectacle of the admirers of that       
distinguished personage engaged in      
collecting subscriptions for his support

 in his old age4  ,again1 some consider 
themselves born to ill-luck1 and make up
 their minds that the world invariably  
goes against them without any fault on  
their own part4 ,we have heard of a     
person of this sort who went so far as  
to declare his belief that if he had    
been a hatter1 people would have been   
born without heads6 ,there is1 however1 
a ,russian proverb which says that      
,misfortune is next door to ,stupidity2 
and it will often be found that men who 
are constantly lamenting their ill-     
luck1 are in some way reaping the       
consequences of their own neglect1      
mismanagement1 improvidence1 or want of 
application4 ,dr4 ,johnson1 who came up 
to ,london with a single guinea in his  
pocket1 and who once accurately         
described himself in his signature to a 
letter addressed to a noble lord1 as    
,impransus1 or ,dinnerless1 has honestly
 said1 ,all the complaints which are    
made of the world are unjust2 ,i never  
knew a man of merit neglected2 it was   

generally by his own fault that he      
failed of success4  ,did you ever think 
of the intellectual qualifications      
essential to the successful business    
man8 ,no8 well1 it would be very        
difficult to name such a qualification  
which the business man cannot make      
available4  ,attention1 application1    
accuracy1 method1 punctuality and       
dispatch1 are the principal qualities   
required for the efficient conduct of   
business of any sort4 ,these1 at first  
sight1 may appear to be small matters2  
and yet they are of essential importance
 to human happiness1 well-being1 and    
usefulness4 ,they are little things1 it 
is true2 but human life is made up of   
comparative trifles4 ,it is the         
repetition of little acts which         
constitutes not only the sum of human   
character1 but which determines the     
character of nations4 ,and where men or 
nations have broken down1 it will almost
 invariably be found that neglect of    
little things was the rock on which they

 split4 ,every human being has duties to
 be performed1 and1 therefore1 has need 
of cultivating the capacity for doing   
them2 whether the sphere of action be   
the management of a household1 the      
conduct of a trade or profession1 or the
 government of a nation4  ,in addition  
to the ordinary working qualities1 the  
business man of the highest class       
requires quick perception and firmness  
in the execution of his plans4 ,tact is 
also important2 and though this is      
partly the gift of nature1 it is yet    
capable of being cultivated and         
developed by observation and experience4
 ,men of this quality are quick to see  
the right mode of action1 and if they   
have decision of purpose1 are prompt to 
carry out their undertakings to a       
successful issue4 ,these qualities are  
especially valuable1 and indeed         
indispensable1 in those who direct the  
action of other men on a large scale1 as
 for instance1 in the case of the       
commander of an army in the field4 ,it  

is not merely necessary that the general
 should be great as a warrior1 but also 
as a man of business4 ,he must possess  
great tact1 much knowledge of character1
 and ability to organize the movements  
of a large mass of men1 whom he has to  
feed1 clothe1 and furnish with whatever 
may be necessary in order that they may 
keep the field and win battles4 ,in     
these respects ,napoleon and ,wellington
 were both first-rate men of business4  
,not only does business require the     
highest order of intellect1 but         
successful business men1 particularly in
 ,america1 have been the patrons of the 
arts and sciences and the founders of   
great schools4 ,the prosperity of       
,princeton is largely due to ,marquand  
and ,bonner4 the great ,cooper          
,institute for the free education of    
poor boys and girls1 in the applied arts
 and sciences1 will endure as long as   
,new ,york city1 as a monument to the   
intellectual forethought and noble      
munificence of ,peter ,cooper4 ,girard  

,college1 in ,philadelphia1 which yearly
 sends out hundreds of young            
men--orphans on entrance1 but admirable 
fitted to work their way in life--is a  
refutation of the charge that successful
 business men do not appreciate culture4
  ,lehigh ,university was founded by    
,judge ,asa ,packer1 of ,mauch ,chunk1  
who began life as a canal-boat man4     
,lafayette ,college1 ,easton1 points    
with pride to ,pardee ,hall1 the gift of
 a man who began the life- battle       
without money or friends4 ,vanderbilt   
,university1 ,stanford ,university1 and 
scores of great schools go to prove that
 the great business men who endowed     
them1 were not indifferent to culture   
and the needs of higher education4      
,yes1 business requires brains1 and the 
better the brains and the more thorough 
their training1 the greater the         
assurance of success4    ,,chapter ,,xxi
  ,,put ,,money ,,in ,,thy ,,purse      
,,honestly4  ,how a man uses            
money--makes it1 saves it1 and spends   

it--is perhaps one of the best tests of 
practical wisdom1 says ,mr4 ,smiles4    
,although money ought by no means to be 
regarded as a chief end of man's life1  
neither is it a trifling matter1 to be  
held in philosophic contempt1           
representing1 as it does1 to so large an
 extent1 the means of physical comfort  
and social well-being4 ,indeed1 some of 
the finest qualities of human nature are
 intimately related to the right use of 
money2 such as generosity1 honesty1     
justice1 and self-sacrifice2 as well as 
the practical virtues of economy and    
providence4 ,on the other hand1 there   
are their counterparts of avarice1      
fraud1 injustice1 and selfishness1 as   
displayed by the inordinate lovers of   
gain2 and the vices of thriftlessness1  
extravagance1 and improvidence1 on the  
part of those who misuse and abuse the  
means entrusted to them4 ,so that1 as is
 wisely observed by ,henry ,taylor in   
his thoughtful ,notes from ,life1 an    
right measure and manner of getting1    

saving1 spending1 giving1 taking1       
lending1 borrowing1 and bequeathing1    
would almost argue a perfect man4       
,comfort in worldly circumstances is a  
condition which every man is justified  
in striving to attain by all worthy     
means4 ,it secures that physical        
satisfaction which is necessary for the 
culture of the better part of his       
nature2 and enables him to provide for  
those of his own household1 without     
which1 says the apostle1 a man is worse 
than an infidel4 ,nor ought the duty to 
be any the less pleasing to us1 that the
 respect which our fellow-men entertain 
for us in no slight degree depends upon 
the manner in which we exercise the     
opportunities which present themselves  
for our honorable advancement in life4  
,the very effort required to be made to 
succeed in life with this object1 is of 
itself an education3 stimulating a man's
 sense of self-respect1 bringing out his
 practical qualities1 and disciplining  
him in the exercise of patience1        

perseverance1 and such like virtues4    
,the provident and careful man must     
necessarily be a thoughtful man1 for he 
lives not merely for the present1 but   
with provident forecast makes           
arrangements for the future4 ,he must   
also be a temperate man1 and exercise   
the virtue of self-denial1 than which   
nothing is so much calculated to give   
strength to the character4 ,john        
,sterling says truly1 that the worst    
education which teaches self-denial1 is 
better than the best which teaches      
everything else and not that4 ,the      
,romans rightly employed the same word  
7virtus7 to designate courage1 which is 
in a physical sense what the other is in
 moral2 the highest virtue of all being 
victory over ourselves4  ,hence the     
lesson of self-denial--the sacrificing  
of a present gratification for a future 
good--is one of the last that is learnt4
 ,those classes which work the hardest  
might naturally be expected to value the
 most the money which they earn4 ,yet   

the readiness with which so many are    
accustomed to eat up and drink up their 
earnings as they go1 renders them1 to a 
great extent1 dependent upon the frugal4
  ,men of business are accustomed to    
quote the maxim that ,time is money2 but
 it is more2 the proper improvement of  
it is self-culture1 self-improvement1   
and growth of character4 ,an hour wasted
 daily on trifles or in indolence1      
would1 if devoted to self-improvement1  
make an ignorant man wise in a few      
years1 and1 employed in good works1     
would make his life fruitful1 and death 
a harvest of worthy deeds4 ,fifteen     
minutes a day devoted to                
self-improvement1 will be felt at the   
end of the year4 ,good thoughts and     
carefully gathered experience take up no
 room1 and may be carried about as our  
companions everywhere1 without cost or  
encumbrance4 ,an economical use of time 
is the true mode of securing leisure3 it
 enables us to get through business and 
carry it forward1 instead of being      

driven by it4 ,on the other hand1 the   
miscalculation of time involves us in   
perpetual hurry1 confusion1 and         
difficulties2 and life becomes a mere   
shuffle of expedients1 usually followed 
by disaster4 ,nelson once said1 ,i owe  
all my success in life to having been   
always a quarter of an hour before my   
time4  ,some take no thought of the     
value of money until they have come to  
an end of it1 and many do the same with 
their time4 ,the hours are allowed to   
flow by unemployed1 and then when life  
is fast waning1 they bethink themselves 
of the duty of making a wiser use of it4
 ,but the habit of listlessness and     
idleness may already have become        
confirmed1 and they are unable to break 
the bonds with which they have permitted
 themselves to become bound4 ,lost      
wealth may be replaced by industry1 lost
 knowledge by study1 lost health by     
temperance or medicine1 but lost time is
 gone forever4  ,a proper consideration 
of the value of time will also inspire  

habits of punctuality4 ,punctuality1    
said ,louis ,,xiv1 is the politeness of 
kings4 ,it is also the duty of          
gentlemen1 and the necessity of men of  
business4 ,nothing begets confidence in 
a man sooner than the practice of this  
virtue1 and nothing shakes confidence   
sooner than the want of it4 ,he who     
holds to his appointment and does not   
keep you waiting for him1 shows that he 
has regard for your time as well as for 
his own4 ,thus punctuality is one of the
 modes by which we testify our personal 
respect for those whom we are called    
upon to meet in the business of life4   
,it is also conscientiousness1 in a     
measure2 for an appointment is a        
contract1 expressed or implied1 and he  
who does not keep it breaks faith1 as   
well as dishonestly uses other people's 
time1 and thus inevitably loses         
character4 ,we naturally come to the    
conclusion that the person who is       
careless about time is careless about   
business1 and that he is not the one to 

be trusted with the transaction of      
matters of importance4 ,when            
,washington's secretary excused himself 
for the lateness of his attendance and  
laid the blame upon his watch1 his      
master quietly said1 ,then you must get 
another watch1 or ,i another secretary4 
,the person who is negligent of time and
 its employment is usually found to be a
 general disturber of others' peace and 
serenity4 ,it was wittily said by ,lord 
,chesterfield of the old ,duke of       
,newcastle--,his ,grace loses an hour in
 the morning1 and is looking for it all 
the rest of the day4 ,everybody with    
whom the unpunctual man has to do is    
thrown from time to time into a state of
 fever3 he is systematically late2      
regular only in his irregularity4 ,he   
conducts his dawdling as if upon system2
 arrives at his appointment after time2 
gets to the railway station after the   
train has started2 posts his letter when
 the box has closed4 ,thus business is  
thrown into confusion1 and everybody    

concerned is put out of temper4  ,to    
secure independence1 the practice of    
simple economy is all that is necessary4
 ,economy requires neither superior     
courage nor eminent virtue2 it is       
satisfied with ordinary energy1 and the 
capacity of average minds4 ,economy1 at 
bottom1 is but the spirit of order      
applied in the administration of        
domestic affairs3 it means management1  
regularity1 prudence1 and the avoidance 
of waste4 ,the spirit of economy was    
expressed by our ,divine ,master in the 
words1 ,gather up the fragments that    
remain1 so that nothing may be lost4    
,his omnipotence did not disdain the    
small things of life2 and even while    
revealing ,his infinite power to the    
multitude1 he taught the pregnant lesson
 of carefulness1 of which all stand so  
much in need4  ,economy also means to   
power of resisting present gratification
 for the purpose of securing a future   
good1 and in this light it represents   
the ascendancy of reason over the animal

 instincts4 ,it is altogether different 
from penuriousness3 for it is economy   
that can always best afford to be       
generous4 ,it does not make money an    
idol1 but regards it as a useful agent4 
,as ,dean ,swift observes1 we must carry
 money in the head1 not in the heart4   
,economy may be styled the daughter of  
,prudence1 the sister of ,temperance1   
and the mother of ,liberty4 ,it is      
eminently conservative--conservative of 
character1 of domestic happiness1 and   
social well-being4 ,it is1 in short1 the
 exhibition of self-help in one of its  
best forms4  ,francis ,horner's father  
gave him this advice on entering life3  
,whilst ,i wish you to be comfortable in
 every respect1 ,i cannot too strongly  
inculcate economy4 ,it is a necessary   
virtue to all2 and however the shallow  
part of mankind may despise it1 it      
certainly leads to independence1 which  
is a grand object to every man of a high
 spirit4  ,every man ought to contrive  
to live within his means4 ,this practice

 is of the very essence of honesty4 ,for
 if a man does not manage honestly to   
live within his own means1 he must      
necessarily be living dishonestly upon  
the means of somebody else4 ,those who  
are careless about personal expenditure1
 and consider merely their own          
gratification1 without regard for the   
comfort of others1 generally find out   
the real uses of money when it is too   
late4 ,though by nature generous1 these 
thriftless persons are often driven in  
the end to do very shabby things4 ,they 
waste their money as they do their time2
 draw bills upon the future2 anticipate 
their earnings2 and are thus under the  
necessity of dragging after them a load 
of debts and obligations1 which         
seriously affect their actions as free  
and independent men4  ,it was a maxim of
 ,lord ,bacon1 that when it was         
necessary to economize1 it was better to
 look after petty savings than to       
descend to petty gettings4 ,the loose   
cash which many persons throw away      

uselessly1 and worse1 would often form a
 basis of fortune and independence for  
life4 ,these wasters are their own worst
 enemies1 though generally found amongst
 the ranks of those who rail a the      
injustice of the world4 ,but if a man   
will not be his own friend1 how can he  
expect that others will be4 ,orderly men
 of moderate means have always something
 left in their pockets to help others2  
whereas1 your prodigal and careless     
fellows who spend all1 never find an    
opportunity for helping anybody4 ,it is 
poor economy1 however1 to be a scrub4   
,narrow-mindedness in living and in     
dealing is generally short- sighted1 and
 leads to failure4 ,generosity and      
liberality1 like honesty1 always prove  
the best policy after all4 ,though      
,jenkinson1 in the ,vicar of ,wakefield1
 cheated his kind-hearted neighbor      
,flamborough in one way or another every
 year1 ,flamborough1 said he1 has been  
regularly growing in riches1 while ,i   
have come to poverty and a jail4 ,and   

practical life abounds in cases of      
brilliant results from a course of      
generous and honest policy4  ,the       
proverb says that an empty bag cannot   
stand upright2 neither can a man who is 
in debt4 ,it is also difficult for a man
 who is in debt to be truthful2 hence1  
it is said that lying rides on debt's   
back4 ,the debtor has to frame excuses  
to his creditor for postponing payment  
of the money he owes him1 and probably  
also to contrive falsehoods4 ,it is easy
 enough for a man who will exercise a   
healthy resolution1 to avoid incurring  
the first obligation2 but the facility  
with which that has been incurred often 
becomes a temptation to a second2 and   
very soon the unfortunate borrower      
becomes so entangled that no late       
exertion of industry can set him free4  
,the first step in debt is like the     
first step in falsehood2 almost         
involving the necessity of proceeding in
 the same course1 debt following debt1  
as lie follows lie4 ,haydon1 the        

painter1 dated his decline fro the day  
on which he first borrowed money4 ,he   
realized the truth of the proverb1 ,who 
goes a-borrowing1 goes a-sorrowing4 ,the
 significant entry in his diary is3     
,here began debt and obligation1 out of 
which ,i have never been and never shall
 be extricated as long as ,i live4 ,his 
autobiography shows but too painfully   
how embarrassment in money matters      
produces poignant distress of mind1     
utter incapacity for work1 and          
constantly recurring humiliations4 ,the 
written advice which he gave to a youth 
when entering the navy was as follows3  
,never purchase any enjoyment if it     
cannot be procured without borrowing of 
others4 ,never borrow money2 it is      
degrading4 ,i do not say never lend1 but
 never lend if by lending you render    
yourself unable to pay what you owe2 but
 under any circumstances never borrow4  
,fichte1 the poor student1 refused to   
accept even presents from his still     
poorer parents4  ,dr4 ,johnson held that

 early debt is ruin4 ,his words on the  
subject are weighty1 and worthy of being
 held in remembrance4 ,do not1 said he1 
accustom yourself to consider debt only 
as an inconvenience2 you will find it a 
calamity4 ,poverty takes away so many   
means of doing good1 and produces so    
much inability to resist evil1 both     
natural and moral1 that it is by all    
virtuous means to be avoided4 4 4 4 ,let
 it be your first care1 then1 not to be 
in any man's debt4 ,resolve not to be   
poor2 whatever you have1 spend less4    
,poverty is a great enemy to human      
happiness2 it certainly destroys        
liberty1 and makes some virtues         
impracticable and others extremely      
difficult4 ,frugality is not only the   
basis of quiet1 but of beneficence4 ,no 
man can help others that wants help     
himself2 we must have enough before we  
have to spare4  ,it is the bounden duty 
of every man to look his affairs in the 
face1 and to keep an account of his     
incomings and outgoings in money        

matters4 ,the exercise of a little      
simple arithmetic in this way will be   
found of great value4 ,prudence requires
 that we shall pitch our scale of living
 a degree below our means1 rather than  
up to them4 ,but this can only be done  
by carrying out faithfully a plan of    
living by which both ends may be made to
 meet4 ,john ,locke strongly advised    
this course3 ,nothing1 said he1 is      
likelier to keep a man within compass   
than having constantly before his eyes  
the state of his affairs in a regular   
course of account4 ,the ,duke of        
,wellington kept an accurate detailed   
account of all the moneys received and  
expended by him4 ,i make a point1 said  
he to ,mr4 ,gleig1 of paying my own     
bills1 and ,i advise every one to do the
 same2 formerly ,i used to trust a      
confidential servant to pay them1 but ,i
 was cured of that folly by receiving   
one morning1 to my great surprise1 duns 
of a year or two's standing4 ,the fellow
 had speculated with my money1 and left 

my bills unpaid4 ,talking of debt1 his  
remark was1 ,it makes a slave of a man4 
,i have often known what it was to be in
 want of money1 but ,i never got into   
debt4 ,washington was as particular as  
,wellington was1 in matters of business 
detail2 and it is a remarkable fact1    
that he did not disdain to scrutinize   
the smallest outgoings of his           
household-- determined as he was to live
 honestly within his means--even when   
holding the high office of ,president of
 the ,united ,states4  ,there is a      
dreadful ambition abroad for being      
genteel4 ,we keep up appearances1 too   
often at the expense of honesty2 and    
though we may not be rich yet we must   
seem to be so4 ,we must be respectable1 
though only in the meanest sense--in    
mere vulgar outward show4 ,we have not  
the courage to go patiently onward in   
the condition of life in which it has   
pleased ,god to call us2 but must needs 
live in some fashionable state to which 
we ridiculously please to call          

ourselves1 and to gratify the vanity of 
that unsubstantial genteel world of     
which we form a part4 ,there is a       
constant struggle and pressure for front
 streets in the social amphitheatre2 in 
the midst of which all noble            
self-denying resolve is trodden down1   
and many fine natures are inevitably    
crushed to death4 ,what waste1 what     
misery1 what bankruptcy come from all   
this ambition to dazzle others with the 
glare of apparent worldly success1 we   
need not describe4  ,the young man1 as  
he passes through life1 advances through
 a long line of tempters ranged on      
either side of him2 and the inevitable  
effect of yielding is degradation in a  
greater or a less degree4 ,contact with 
them tends insensibly to draw away from 
him some portion of the divine electric 
element with which his nature is        
charged2 and his only mode of resisting 
them is to utter and act out his ,no    
manfully and resolutely4 ,he must decide
 at once1 not waiting to deliberate and 

balance reasons2 for the youth1 like the
 woman who deliberates1 is lost4 ,many  
deliberate1 without deciding2 but not to
 resolve1 is to resolve4 ,a perfect     
knowledge of man is in the prayer1 ,lead
 us not into temptation4 ,but temptation
 will come to try the young man's       
strength2 and once yielded to1 the power
 to resist grows weaker and weaker4     
,yield once1 and an element of virtue   
has gone4 ,resist manfully1 and the     
first decision will give strength for   
life2 repeated it will become a habit4  
,it is in the outworks of the habits    
formed in early life that the real      
strength of the defense must lie2 for it
 has been wisely ordained that the      
machinery of moral existence should be  
carried on principally through the      
medium of the habits1 so as to save the 
wear and tear of the great principles   
within4 ,it is good habits which        
insinuate themselves into the thousand  
inconsiderable acts of life1 that really
 constitute by far the greater part of  

man's moral conduct4  ,many popular     
books have been written for the purpose 
of communicating to the public the grand
 secret of making money4 ,but there is  
no secret whatever about it1 as the     
proverbs of every nation abundantly     
testify4 ,take care of the pennies and  
the pounds will take care of themselves4
 ,diligence is the mother of good luck4 
,no pains1 no gains4 ,no sweat1 no      
sweet4 ,work and thou shalt have4 ,the  
world is his who has patience and       
industry4 ,better go to bed supperless  
than rise in debt4 ,such are specimens  
of the proverbial philosophy1 embodying 
the hoarded experience of many          
generations1 as to the best means of    
thriving in the world4 ,they were       
current in people's mouths long before  
books were invented2 and like other     
popular proverbs they were the first    
codes of popular morals4 ,moreover1 they
 have stood the test of time1 and the   
experience of every day still bears     
witness to their accuracy1 force1 and   

soundness4 ,the ,proverbs of ,solomon   
are full of wisdom as to the force of   
industry1 and the use and abuse of      
money3 ,he that is slothful in work is  
brother to him that is a great waster4  
,go to the ant1 thou sluggard2 consider 
her ways1 and be wise4 ,poverty1 says   
the preacher1 shall come upon the idler1
 as one that traveleth1 and want as an  
armed man2 but of the industrious and   
upright1 the hand of the diligent maketh
 rich4 the drunkard and the glutton     
shall come to poverty2 and drowsiness   
shall clothe a man with rags4 ,seest    
thou a man diligent in his business8 he 
shall stand before kings4 ,but above    
all1 ,it is better to get wisdom than   
gold2 for wisdom is better than rubies1 
and all the things that may be desired  
are not to be compared to it4  ,simple  
industry and thrift will go far toward  
making any person of ordinary working   
faculty comparatively independent in his
 means4 ,even a working man may be so1  
provided he will carefully husband his  

resources1 and watch the little outlets 
of useless expenditure4 ,a penny is a   
very small matter1 yet the comfort of   
thousands of families depends upon the  
proper spending and saving of pennies4  
,if a man allows the little pennies1 the
 results of his hard work1 to slip out  
of his fingers--some to the beer-shop1  
some this way and some that--he will    
find that his life is little raised     
above one of mere animal drudgery4 ,on  
the other hand1 if he take care of the  
pennies-- putting some weekly into a    
benefit society or an insurance fund1   
others into a savings' bank1 and        
confiding the rest to his wife to be    
carefully laid out1 with a view to the  
comfortable maintenance and education of
 his family--he will soon find that this
 attention to small matters will        
abundantly repay him1 in increasing     
means1 growing comfort at home1 and a   
mind comparatively free from fears as to
 the future4 ,and if a working man have 
high ambition and possess richness in   

spirit--a kind of wealth which far      
transcends all mere worldly             
possessions--he may not help himself1   
but be a profitable helper of others in 
his path through life4  ,while credit is
 the soul of trade1 improperly used it  
is the death of business4 ,no man should
 run into debt for a luxury1 and every  
prudent man will have money in his purse
 for life's necessities4 ,remember1 the 
man who is in debt without seeing his   
way out is a slave4 ,speaking of this   
,jacob ,abbott says3  ,there is1        
perhaps1 nothing which so grinds the    
human soul1 and produces such an        
insupportable burden of wretchedness and
 despondency1 as pecuniary pressure4    
,nothing more frequently drives men to  
suicide2 and there is1 perhaps1 no      
danger to which men in an active and    
enterprising community are more exposed4
 ,almost all are eagerly reaching       
forward to a station in life a little   
above what they can well afford1 or     
struggling to do a business a little    

more extensive than they have capital or
 steady credit for2 and thus they keep1 
all through life1 just above their      
means--and just above1 no matter by how 
small an excess1 is inevitable misery4  
,be sure1 then1 if your aim is          
happiness1 to bring down1 at all        
hazards1 your style of living1 and your 
responsibilities of business1 to such a 
point that you shall easily be able to  
reach it4 ,do this1 ,i say1 at all      
hazards4 ,if you cannot have money      
enough for your purpose in a house with 
two rooms1 take a house with one4 ,it is
 your only chance for happiness4 ,for   
there is such a thing as happiness in a 
single room1 with plain furniture and   
simple fare2 but there is no such thing 
as happiness with responsibilities which
 cannot be met1 and debts increasing    
without any prospect of their discharge4
  ,after ,i had earned my first thousand
 dollars by the hardest kind of work1   
said ,commodore ,vanderbilt1 ,i felt    
richer and happier than when ,i had my  

first million4 ,i was out of debt1 every
 dollar was honestly mine1 and ,i saw my
 way to success4    ,,chapter ,,xxii  ,a
 ,,sound ,,mind ,,in ,a ,,sound ,,body4 
,gibons1 the historian1 says3 ,every    
person has two educations--one which he 
receives from others1 and one1 the most 
important1 which he gives to himself4   
,the best part of every man's education1
 said ,sir ,walter ,scott1 is that which
 he gives to himself4 ,the late ,sir    
,benjamin ,brodie delighted to remember 
this saying1 and he used to congratulate
 himself on the fact that professionally
 he was self-taught4 ,but this is       
necessarily the case with all men who   
have acquired distinction in letters1   
science1 or art4 ,the education received
 at school or college is but a          
beginning1 and is valuable mainly       
inasmuch as it trains the mind and      
habituates it to continuous application 
and study4 ,that which is put into us by
 others is always far less ours than    
that which we acquire by our own        

diligent and persevering effort4        
,knowledge conquered by labor becomes a 
possession--a property entirely our own4
 ,a greater vividness and permanency of 
impression is secured2 and facts thus   
acquired become registered in the mind  
in a way that mere imparted information 
can never effect4 ,this kind of         
self-culture also calls forth power and 
cultivates strength4 ,the solution of   
one problem helps the mastery of        
another2 and thus knowledge is carried  
into faculty4 ,our own active effort is 
the essential thing2 and no facilities1 
no books1 no teachers1 no amount of     
lessons learnt by rote1 will enable us  
to dispense with it4  ,the best teachers
 have been the readiest to recognize the
 importance of self-culture1 and of     
stimulating the student to acquire      
knowledge by the active exercise of his 
own faculties4 ,they have relied more   
upon training than upon telling1 and    
sought to make their pupils themselves  
active parties to the work in which they

 were engaged2 thus making teaching     
something far higher than the mere      
passive reception of the scraps and     
details of knowledge4 ,this was the     
spirit in which the great ,dr4 ,arnold  
worked2 he strove to teach his pupils to
 rely upon themselves1 and develop their
 powers by their own active efforts1    
himself merely guiding1 directing1      
stimulating1 and encouraging them4 ,i   
would far rather1 he said1 send a boy to
 ,van ,diemen's ,laud1 where he must    
work for his bread1 than send him to    
,oxford to live in luxury1 without any  
desire in his mind to avail himself of  
his advantages4 ,if there be one thing  
on earth1 he observed on another        
occasion1 which is truly admirable1 it  
is to see ,god's wisdom blessing an     
inferiority of natural powers1 when they
 have been honestly1 truly1 and         
zealously cultivated4 ,speaking of a    
pupil of this character1 he said1 ,i    
would stand to that man hat in hand4    
,once at ,laleham1 when teaching a      

rather dull boy1 ,arnold spoke somewhat 
sharply to him1 on which the pupil      
looked up in his face and said1 ,why do 
you speak angrily1 sir8 indeed1 ,i am   
doing the best ,i can4 ,years afterward1
 ,arnold used to tell the story to his  
children1 and added1 ,i never felt so   
much ashamed in my life--that look and  
that speech ,i have never forgotten4    
,from the numerous instances already    
cited of men of humble station who have 
risen to distinction in science and     
literature1 it will be obvious that     
labor is by no means incompatible with  
the highest intellectual culture4 ,work 
in moderation is healthy as well as     
agreeable to the human constitution4    
,work educates the body1 as study       
educates the mind2 and that is the best 
state of society in which there is some 
work for every man's leisure1 and some  
leisure for every man's work4 ,even the 
leisure classes are in a measure        
compelled to work1 sometimes as a relief
 from ennui1 but in most cases to       

gratify and instinct which they cannot  
resist4 ,some go fox-hunting in the     
,english counties1 others grouse        
shooting on the ,scotch hills1 while    
many wander away every summer to climb  
mountains in ,switzerland4 ,hence the   
boating1 running1 cricketing1 and       
athletic sports of the public schools in
 which our young men at the same time so
 healthfully cultivate their strength   
both of mind and body4 ,it is said that 
the ,duke of ,wellington1 when once     
looking on at the boys engaged in their 
sports in the playground at ,eton1 where
 he had spent many of his own younger   
days1 made the remark1 ,it was there    
that the battle of ,waterloo was won6   
,daniel ,malthus urged his son when at  
college to be most diligent in the      
cultivation of knowledge1 but he also   
enjoined him to pursue manly sports as  
the best means of keeping up the full   
working power of his mind1 as well as of
 enjoying the pleasures of intellect4   
,every kind of knowledge1 said he1 every

 acquaintance with nature and art1 will 
amuse and strengthen your mind1 and ,i  
am perfectly pleased that cricket should
 do the same by your arms and legs2 ,i  
love to see you excel in exercises of   
the body1 and ,i think myself that the  
better half1 and so much the most       
agreeable part1 of the pleasures of the 
mind is best enjoyed while one is upon  
one's legs4 ,but a still more important 
use of active employment is that        
referred to by the great divine1 ,jeremy
 ,taylor4 ,avoid idleness1 he says1 and 
fill up all the spaces of they time with
 severe and useful employment2 for lust 
easily creeps in at those emptinesses   
where the soul is unemployed and the    
body is at ease2 for no easy1 healthful1
 idle person was ever chaste1 if he     
could be tempted2 but of all employments
 bodily labor is the most useful1 and of
 the greatest benefit for driving away  
the devil4  ,practical success in life  
depends more upon physical health than  
is generally imagined4 ,hodson1 of      

,hodson's ,horse1 writing home to a     
friend in ,england1 said1 ,i believe if 
,i get on well in ,india1 it will be    
owing1 physically speaking1 to a sound  
digestion4 ,the capacity for continuous 
working in any calling must necessarily 
depend in a great measure upon this2 and
 hence the necessity for attending to   
health1 even as a means of intellectual 
labor4 ,it is perhaps to the neglect of 
physical exercise that we find amongst  
students so frequent a tendency toward  
discontent1 unhappiness1 inaction1 and  
reverie--displaying itself in contempt  
for real life and disgust at the beaten 
tracks of men--a tendency which in      
,england has been called ,byronism1 and 
in ,germany ,wertherism4 ,dr4 ,channing 
noted the same growth in our land1 which
 led him to make the remark1 that too   
many of our young men grow up in a      
school of despair4 ,the only remedy for 
this green-sickness in youth is physical
 exercise-- action1 work and bodily     
occupation4  ,the use of early labor in 

self-imposed mechanical employments may 
be illustrated by the boyhood of ,sir   
,isaac ,newton4 ,though comparatively a 
dull scholar1 he was very assiduous in  
the use of his saw1 hammer1 and         
hatchet--knocking and hammering in his  
lodging room--making models of          
windmills1 carriages1 and machines of   
all sorts2 and as he grew older1 he took
 delight in making little tables and    
cupboards for his friends4 ,smeaton1    
,watt1 and ,stephenson were equally     
handy with tools when mere boys2 and but
 for such kind of self-culture in their 
youth it is doubtful whether they would 
have accomplished so much in their      
manhood4 ,such was also the early       
training of the great inventors and     
mechanics described in the preceding    
pages1 whose contrivance and            
intelligence were practically trained by
 the constant use of their hands in     
early life4 ,even where men belonging to
 the manual labor class have risen above
 it1 and become more purely intellectual

 laborers1 they have found the          
advantages of their early training in   
their later pursuits4 ,elihu ,burritt   
says he found hard labor necessary to   
enable him to study with effect2 and    
more than once he gave up school        
teaching and study1 and taking to his   
leather apron again1 went back to his   
blacksmith's forge and anvil for the    
health of his body and mind's sake4     
,the training of young men in the use of
 tools would at the same time that it   
educated them in common things1 teach   
them the use of their hands and arms1   
familiarize them with healthy work1     
exercise their faculties upon things    
tangible and actual1 give them some     
practical acquaintance with mechanics1  
impart to them the ability of being     
useful1 and implant in them the habit of
 persevering physical effort4 ,this is  
an advantage which the working classes1 
strictly so called1 certainly possess   
over the leisure classes--that they are 
in early life under the necessity of    

applying themselves laboriously to some 
mechanical pursuit or other--thus       
acquiring manual dexterity1 and the use 
of their physical powers4 ,the chief    
disadvantage attached to the calling of 
the laborious classes is1 not that they 
are employed in physical work1 but that 
they are too exclusively so employed1   
often to the neglect of their moral and 
intellectual faculties4 ,while the      
youths of the leisure classes1 having   
been taught to associate labor with     
servility1 have shunned it1 and been    
allowed to grow up practically ignorant1
 the poorer classes1 confining          
themselves within the circle of their   
laborious callings1 have been allowed to
 grow up1 in a large proportion of      
cases1 absolutely illiterate4 ,it seems1
 possible1 however1 to avoid both these 
evils by combining physical training or 
physical work with intellectual culture2
 and there are various signs abroad     
which seem to mark the gradual adoption 
of this healthier system of education4  

,the success of even professional men   
depends in no slight degree on their    
physical health2 and a public writer has
 gone so far as to say that the         
greatness of our great men is quite as  
much a bodily affair as a mental one4 ,a
 healthy breathing apparatus is as      
indispensable to the successful lawyer  
or politician as a well-cultured        
intellect4 ,the thorough aeration of his
 blood by free exposure to a large      
breathing surface in the lungs is       
necessary to maintain that vital power  
on which the vigorous working of the    
brain in so large a measure depends4    
,the lawyer has to climb the heights of 
his profession through close and heated 
courts1 and the political leader has to 
bear the fatigue and excitement of long 
and anxious debates in a crowded ,house4
 ,hence the lawyer in full practice and 
the parliamentary leader in full work   
are called upon to display powers of    
physical endurance and activity even    
more extraordinary than those of the    

intellect--such powers as have been     
exhibited in so remarkable a degree by  
,brougham1 ,lyndhurst and ,campbell2 by 
,peel1 ,graham and ,palmerston--all     
full-chested men4  ,though ,sir ,walter 
,scott1 when at ,edinburgh ,college1    
went by the name of ,the ,greek         
,blockhead1 he was1 notwithstanding his 
lameness1 a remarkably healthy youth2 he
 could spear a salmon with the best     
fisher on the ,tweed1 and ride a wild   
horse with any hunter in ,yarrow4 ,when 
devoting himself in after life to       
literary pursuits1 ,sir ,walter never   
lost his taste for field sports1 but    
while writing ,waverley in the morning  
he would in the afternoon course hares4 
,professor ,wilson was a very athlete1  
as great at throwing the hammer as in   
his flights of eloquence and poetry2 and
 ,burns1 when a youth1 was remarkable   
chiefly for his leaping1 putting1 and   
wrestling4 ,some of the greatest divines
 were distinguished in their youth for  
their physical energies4 ,isaac ,barrow1

 when at the ,charterhouse ,school1 was 
notorious for his pugilistic encounters1
 in which he got many a bloody nose2    
,andrew ,fuller1 when working as a      
farmer's lad at ,soham1 was chiefly     
famous for his skill in boxing2 and     
,adam ,clarke1 when a boy1 was only     
remarkable for the strength displayed by
 him in rolling large stones about--the 
secret1 possibly1 of some of the power  
which he subsequently displayed in      
rolling forth large thoughts in his     
manhood4  ,while it is necessary1 then1 
in the first place to secure this solid 
foundation of physical health1 it must  
also be observed that the cultivation of
 the habit of mental application is     
quite indispensable for the education of
 the student4 ,the maxim that labor     
conquers all things holds especially    
true in the case of the conquest of     
knowledge4 ,the road into learning is   
alike free to all who will give the     
labor and the study requisite to gather 
it2 nor are there any difficulties so   

great that the student of resolute      
purpose may not surmount and overcome   
them4 ,it was one of the characteristic 
expressions of ,chatterton1 that ,god   
had sent his creatures into the world   
with arms long enough to reach anything 
if they chose to be at the trouble4 ,in 
study1 as in business1 energy is the    
great thing4 ,there must be fervet opus2
 we must not only strike the iron while 
it is hot1 but strike it till it is made
 hot4 ,it is astonishing how much may be
 accomplished in self-culture by the    
energetic and the persevering1 who are  
careful to avail themselves of          
opportunities1 and use up the fragments 
of spare time which the idle permit to  
run to waste4 ,thus ,ferguson learnt    
astronomy from the heavens while wrapped
 in a sheepskin on the highland hills4  
,thus ,stone learnt mathematics while   
working as a journeyman gardener2 thus  
,drew studied the highest philosophy in 
the intervals of cobbling shoes2 and    
thus ,miller taught himself geology     

while working as a day laborer in a     
quarry4  ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds1 as we  
have already observed1 was so earnest a 
believer in the force of industry that  
he held that all men might achieve      
excellence if they would but exercise   
the power of assiduous and patient      
working4 ,he held that drudgery lay on  
the road to genius1 and that there was  
no limit to the proficiency of an artist
 except the limit of his own            
painstaking4 ,he would not believe in   
what is called inspiration1 but only in 
study and labor4 ,excellence1 he said1  
is never granted to man but as the      
reward of labor4 ,if you have great     
talents1 industry will improve them2 if 
you have but moderate abilities1        
industry will supply their deficiency4  
,nothing is denied to well-directed     
labor2 nothing is to be obtained without
 it4 ,sir ,fowell ,buxton was an equal  
believer in the power of study2 and he  
entertained the modest idea that he     
could do as well as other men if he     

devoted to the pursuit double the time  
and labor that they did4 ,he placed his 
great confidence in ordinary means and  
extraordinary application4  ,i have     
known several men in my life1 says ,dr4 
,ross1 who may be recognized in days to 
come as men of genius1 and they were all
 plodders1 hard-working intent men4     
,genius is known by its works2 genius   
without works is a blind faith1 a dumb  
oracle4 ,but meritorious works are the  
result of time and labor1 and cannot be 
accomplished by intention or by a wish 4
 4 4 ,every great work is the result of 
vast preparatory training4 ,facility    
comes by labor4 ,nothing seems easy1 not
 even walking1 that was not difficult at
 first4 ,the orator whose eye flashes   
instantaneous fire1 and whose lips pour 
out a flood of noble thoughts1 startling
 by their unexpectedness and elevating  
by their wisdom and truth1 has learned  
his secret by patient repetition1 and   
after many bitter disappointments4      
,thoroughness and accuracy are two      

principal points to be aimed at in      
study4 ,francis ,horner1 in laying down 
rules for the cultivation of his mind1  
placed great stress upon the habit of   
continuous application to one subject   
for the sake of mastering it thoroughly2
 he confined himself with this object to
 only a few books1 and resisted with the
 greatest firmness every approach to a  
habit of desultory reading4 ,the value  
of knowledge to any man consists1 not in
 its quantity1 but mainly in the good   
uses to which he can apply it4 ,hence a 
little knowledge of an exact and perfect
 character is always found more valuable
 for practical purposes than any extent 
of superficial learning4  ,it is not the
 quantity of study that one gets        
through1 or the amount of reading1 that 
makes a wise man2 but the appositeness  
of the study to the purpose for which it
 is pursued2 the concentration of the   
mind1 for the time being1 on the subject
 under consideration2 and the habitual  
discipline by which the whole system of 

mental application is regulated4        
,abernethy was even of opinion that     
there was a point of saturation in his  
own mind1 and that if he took into it   
something more than it could hold1 it   
only had the effect of pushing something
 else out4 ,speaking of the study of    
medicine1 he said3 ,if a man has a clear
 idea of what he desires to do1 he will 
seldom fail in selecting the proper     
means of accomplishing it4  ,the most   
profitable study is that which is       
conducted with a definite aim and       
object4 ,by thoroughly mastering any    
given branch of knowledge we render it  
more available for use at any moment4   
,hence it is not enough merely to have  
books1 or to know where to read for     
information as we want it4 ,practical   
wisdom1 for the purposes of life1 must  
be carried about with us1 and be ready  
for use at call4 ,it is not sufficient  
that we have a fund laid up at home1 but
 not a farthing in the pocket3 we must  
carry about with us a store of the      

current coin of knowledge ready for     
exchange on all occasions1 else we are  
comparatively helpless when the         
opportunity for using it occurs4        
,decision and promptitude are as        
requisite in self-culture as in         
business4 ,the growth of these qualities
 may be encouraged by accustoming young 
people to rely upon their own resources1
 leaving them to enjoy as much freedom  
of action in early life as is           
practicable4 ,too much guidance and     
restraint hinder the formation of habits
 of self-help4 ,they are like bladders  
tied under the arms of one who has not  
taught himself to swim4 ,want of        
confidence is perhaps a greater obstacle
 to improvement than is generally       
imagined4 ,it has been said that half   
the failures in life arise from pulling 
in one's horse while he is leaping4 ,dr4
 ,johnson was accustomed to attribute   
his success to confidence in his own    
powers4 ,true modesty is quite          
compatible with a true estimate of one's

 own merits1 and does not demand the    
abnegation of all merit4 ,though there  
are those who deceive themselves by     
putting a false figure before their     
ciphers1 the want of confidence1 the    
want of faith in one's self1 and        
consequently the want of promptitude in 
action1 is a defect of character which  
is found to stand very much in the way  
of individual progress2 and the reason  
why so little is done1 is generally     
because so little is attempted4  ,there 
is usually no want of desire on the part
 of most persons to arrive at the       
results of self-culture1 but there is a 
great aversion to pay the inevitable    
price for it1 of hard work4 ,dr4        
,johnson held that impatience of study  
was the mental disease of the present   
generation2 and the remark is still     
applicable4 ,we may not believe that    
there is a royal road to learning1 but  
we seem to believe very firmly in the   
popular one4 ,in education1 we invent   
labor-saving processes1 seek short cuts 

to science1 learn ,french and ,latin in 
twelve lessons1 or without a master4 ,we
 resemble the lady of fashion1 who      
engaged a master to teach her on        
condition that he did not plague her    
with verbs and participles4 ,we get our 
smattering of science in the same way2  
we learn chemistry by listening to a    
short course of lectures enlivened by   
experiments1 and when we have inhaled   
laughing-gas1 seen green water turned to
 red1 and phosphorus burnt in oxygen1 we
 have got our smattering1 of which the  
most that can be said is1 that though it
 may be better than nothing1 it is yet  
good for nothing4 ,thus we often imagine
 we are being educated while we are only
 being amused4  ,the facility with which
 young people are thus induced to       
acquire knowledge1 without study and    
labor1 is not education4 ,it occupies   
but does not enrich the mind4 ,it       
imparts a stimulus for the time1 and    
produces a sort of intellectual keenness
 and cleverness2 but1 without an        

implanted purpose and a higher object   
that mere pleasure1 it will bring with  
it no solid advantage4 ,in such cases   
knowledge produces but a passing        
impression2 a sensation1 gut no more2 it
 is1 in fact1 the merest epicurism of   
intelligence--sensuous1 but certainly   
not intellectual4 ,thus the best        
qualities of many minds1 those which are
 evoked by vigorous effort and          
independent action1 sleep a deep sleep1 
and are often never called to life1     
except by the rough awakening of sudden 
calamity or suffering1 which1 in such   
cases comes as a blessing1 if it serves 
to rouse up a courageous spirit that1   
but for it1 would have slept on4        
,accustomed to acquire information under
 the guise of amusement1 young people   
will soon reject that which is presented
 to them under the aspect of study and  
labor4 ,learning their knowledge and    
science in sport1 they will be too apt  
to make sport of both2 while the habit  
of intellectual dissipation1 thus       

engendered1 cannot fail1 in course of   
time1 to produce a thoroughly           
emasculating effect both upon their mind
 and character4 ,multifarious reading1  
said ,robertson1 of ,brighton1 weakens  
the mind like smoking1 and is an excuse 
for its lying dormant4 ,it is the idlest
 of all idlenesses1 and leaves more of  
impotency than any other4  ,the evil is 
a growing one1 and operates in various  
ways4 ,its least mischief is            
shallowness2 its greatest1 the aversion 
to steady labor which it induces1 and   
the low and feeble tone of mind which it
 encourages4 ,if we would be really     
wise1 we must diligently apply          
ourselves1 and confront the same        
continuous application which our        
forefathers did2 for labor is still1 and
 ever will be1 the inevitable price set 
upon everything which is valuable4 ,we  
must be satisfied to work with a        
purpose1 and wait the results with      
patience4 ,all progress1 of the best    
kind1 is slow2 but to him who works     

faithfully and zealously the reward     
will1 doubtless1 be vouchsafed in good  
time4 ,the spirit of industry1 embodies 
in a man's daily life1 will gradually   
lead him to exercise his powers on      
objects outside himself1 of greater     
dignity and more extended usefulness4   
,and still we must labor on2 for the    
work of self-culture is never finished4 
,to be employed1 said the poet ,gray1 is
 to be happy4 ,it is better to wear out 
that rust out1 said ,bishop ,cumberland4
 ,have we not all eternity to rest in8  
exclaimed ,arnauld4 ,repos ailleurs     
7rest for others7 was the motto of      
,marnix de ,st4 ,aldegonde1 the         
energetic and ever-working friend of    
,william the ,silent4  ,it is the use we
 make of the powers entrusted to us     
which constitutes our only just claims  
to respect4 ,he who employs his one     
talent aright is as much to be honored  
as he to whom ten talents have been     
given4 ,there is really no more personal
 merit attaching to the possession of   

superior intellectual powers than there 
is in the succession to a large estate4 
,how are those powers used--how is that 
estate employed8 ,the mind may          
accumulate large stores of knowledge    
without any useful purpose2 but the     
knowledge must be allied to goodness and
 wisdom1 and embodied in upright        
character1 else it is naught4           
,pestalozzi even held intellectual      
training by itself to be pernicious2    
insisting that the roots of all         
knowledge must strike and feed in the   
soil of the rightly-governed will4 ,the 
acquisition of knowledge may1 it is     
true1 protect a man against the meaner  
felonies of life2 but not in any degree 
against its selfish vices1 unless       
fortified by sound principles and       
habits4 ,hence do we find in daily life 
so many instances of men who are        
well-informed in intellect1 but utterly 
deformed in character2 filled with the  
learning of the schools1 yet possessing 
little practical wisdom1 and offering   

examples for warning rather than        
imitation4 ,an often-quoted expression  
at this day is that ,knowledge is power2
 but also1 are fanaticism1 despotism1   
and ambition4 ,knowledge of itself1     
unless wisely directed might merely make
 bad men more dangerous1 and the society
 in which it was regarded as the highest
 good1 as little better than            
pandemonium4  ,it is not then how much a
 man may know1 that is of importance1   
but the end and purpose for which he    
knows it4 ,the object of knowledge      
should be to mature wisdom and improve  
character1 to render us better1 happier1
 and more useful2 more benevolent1 more 
energetic1 and more efficient in the    
pursuit of every high purpose in life4  
,when people once fall into the habit of
 admiring and encouraging ability as    
such1 without reference to moral        
character--and religious and political  
opinions are the concrete form of moral 
character--they are on the highway to   
all sorts of degradation4 ,we must      

ourselves be and do1 and not rest       
satisfied merely with reading and       
meditating over what other men have been
 and done4 ,our best light must be made 
life1 and our best thought action4 ,at  
least we ought to be able to say1 as    
,richter did1 ,i have made as much out  
of myself as could be made of the stuff1
 and no man should require more2 for it 
is every man's duty to discipline and   
guide himself1 with ,god's help1        
according to his responsibilities and   
the faculties with which he has been    
endowed4  ,self-discipline and          
self-control are the beginnings of      
practical wisdom2 and these must have   
their root in self-respect4 ,hope       
springs from it--hope1 which is the     
companion of power1 and the mother of   
success2 for whoso hopes strongly has   
within him the gift of miracles4 ,the   
humblest may say1 ,to respect myself1 to
 develop myself--this is my true duty in
 life4 ,an integral and responsible part
 of the great system of society1 ,i owe 

it to society and to its ,author not to 
degrade of destroy either my body1 mind1
 or instincts4 ,on the contrary1 ,i am  
bound to the best of my power to give to
 those parts of my constitution the     
highest degree of perfection possible4  
,i am not only to suppress the evil1 but
 to evoke the good elements in my       
nature4 ,and as ,i respect myself1 so am
 ,i equally bound to respect others1 as 
they on their part are bound to respect 
me4 ,hence mutual respect1 justice1 and 
order1 of which law becomes the written 
record and guarantee4  ,self-respect is 
the noblest garment with which a man may
 clothe himself--the most elevating     
feeling with which the mind can be      
inspired4 ,one of ,pythagoras' wisest   
maxims1 in his ,golden ,verses1 is that 
with which he enjoins the pupil to      
reverence himself4 ,borne up by this    
high idea1 he will not defile his body  
by sensuality1 nor his mind by servile  
thoughts4 ,this sentiment1 carried into 
daily life1 will be found at the root of

 all the virtues--cleanliness1 sobriety1
 chastity1 morality1 and religion4 ,the 
pious and just honoring of ourselves1   
said ,milton1 may be thought the radical
 moisture and fountain-head from whence 
every laudable and worthy enterprise    
issues forth4 ,to think meanly of one's 
self1 is to sink in one's own estimation
 as well as in the estimation of others4
 ,and as the thoughts are1 so will the  
acts be4 ,man cannot aspire if he looks 
down2 if he will rise1 he must look up4 
,the very humblest may be sustained by  
the proper indulgence of this feeling4  
,poverty itself may be lifted and       
lighted up by self-respect2 and it is   
truly a noble sight to see a poor man   
hold himself upright amidst his         
temptations1 and refuse to demean       
himself by low actions4    ,,chapter    
,,xxiii  ,,labor ,,creates ,,the ,,only 
,,true ,,nobility4  ,as ,americans we   
are justly proud that we have no        
hereditary titles1 but each man is      
measured by his own personal worth4     

,while believing firmly in the propriety
 of this order of things1 yet we would  
not have you imagine that we            
underestimate the value of a respectable
 lineage1 but it is better to be the    
originator of a great family than to be 
the degenerate descendant of one4  ,with
 but few exceptions those ,americans    
whose lives are very properly held up as
 an example for the imitation of our    
youth1 are men who have had to work     
their own way from the humblest walks in
 life1 to the highest in the gift of the
 nation4  ,this is true of ,franklin1   
the statesman and philosopher1 as it is 
of ,lincoln1 the patriot and martyr1 and
 the splendid list of names that adorn  
the pages of our intervening history4   
,smiles in his ,self-,help shows how in 
,england1 a land where ancestry counts  
for so much1 the descendants of the     
greatest men1 even of kings1 have been  
found in the humblest of callings4  ,the
 blood of all men flows from equally    
remote sources2 and though some are     

unable to trace their line directly     
beyond their grandfathers1 all are      
nevertheless justified in placing at the
 head of their pedigree the great       
progenitors of the race1 as ,lord       
,chesterfield did when he wrote1 ,,adam 
de ,stanhope--,,eve de ,stanhope4 ,no   
class is ever long stationary4 ,the     
mighty fall1 and the humble are exalted4
 ,new families take the place of the    
old1 who disappear among the ranks of   
the common people4 ,burke's             
,vicissitudes of ,families strikingly   
exhibits the rise and fall of families1 
and shows that the misfortunes which    
overtake the rich and noble are greater 
in proportion than those which overwhelm
 the poor4 ,this author points out that 
of the twenty-five barons selected to   
enforce the observance of ,magna        
,charta1 there is not now in the ,house 
of ,peers a single male descendant4     
,civil wars and rebellions ruined many  
of the old nobility and dispersed their 
families4 ,yet their descendants in many

 cases survive1 and are to be found     
among the ranks of the people4 ,fuller  
wrote in his ,worthies1 that some who   
justly hold the surnames of ,bohuns1    
,mortimers1 and ,plantagenets1 are hid  
in the heap of common men4 ,thus ,burke 
shows that two of the lineal descendants
 of the ,earl of ,kent1 sixth son of    
,edward ,i1 were discovered in a butcher
 and a toll-gatherer2 that the          
great-grandson of ,margaret             
,plantagenet1 daughter of the ,duke of  
,clarence1 sank to the condition of a   
cobbler at ,newport1 in ,shropshire2 and
 that among the lineal descendants of   
the ,duke of ,gloucester1 son of ,edward
 ,,iii1 was the late sexton of ,st4     
,george's ,church1 ,london4 ,it is      
understood that the lineal descendant of
 ,simon de ,montfort1 ,england's premier
 baron1 is a saddler in ,tooley street4 
,one of the descendants of the ,proud   
,percys1 a claimant of the title of     
,duke of ,northumberland1 was a ,dublin 
trunkmaker2 and not many years since one

 of the claimants for the title of ,earl
 of ,perth presented himself in the     
person of a laborer in a ,northumberland
 coal-pit4 ,hugh ,miller1 when working  
as a stone-mason near ,edinburgh1 was   
served by a hodman1 who was one of the  
numerous claimants for the earldom of   
,crauford--all that was wanted to       
establish his claim being a missing     
marriage certificate2 and while the work
 was going on1 the cry resounded from   
the walls many times in the day1 of     
,john1 ,yearl ,crauford1 bring us       
another hod o' lime4 ,one of ,oliver    
,cromwell's great-grandsons was a grocer
 in ,london1 and others of his          
descendants died in great poverty4 ,many
 barons of proud names and titles have  
perished1 like the sloth1 upon their    
family tree1 after eating up all the    
leaves2 while others have been overtaken
 by adversities which they have been    
unable to retrieve1 and have sunk at    
last into poverty and obscurity4 ,such  
are the mutabilities of rank and        

fortune4  ,the great bulk of the        
,english peerage is comparatively       
modern1 so far as the titles go2 but it 
is not the less noble that it has been  
recruited to so large an extent from the
 ranks of honorable industry4 ,in olden 
times1 the wealth and commerce of       
,london1 conducted as it was by         
energetic and enterprising men1 was a   
prolific source of peerages4 ,thus1 the 
earldom of ,cornwallis was founded by   
,thomas ,cornwallis1 the ,cheapside     
merchant2 that of ,essex by ,william    
,capel1 the draper2 and that of ,craven 
by ,william ,craven1 the merchant       
tailor4 ,the modern ,earl of ,warwick is
 not descended from the ,king- maker1   
but from ,william ,greville1 the        
woolstapler2 whilst the modern dukes of 
,northumberland find their head1 not in 
the ,percys1 but in ,hugh ,smithson1 a  
respectable ,london apothecary4 ,the    
founders of the families of ,dartmouth1 
,radnor1 ,ducie1 and ,pomfret1 were     
respectively a skinner1 a silk          

manufacturer1 a merchant tailor1 and a  
,calais merchant2 whilst the founders of
 the peerages of ,tankerville1 ,dormer1 
and ,coventry1 were mercers4 ,the       
ancestors of ,earl ,romney1 and ,lord   
,dudley and ,ward1 were goldsmiths and  
jewelers2 and ,lord ,dacres was a banker
 in the reign of ,charles ,i1 as ,lord  
,overstone is in that of ,queen         
,victoria4 ,edward ,osborne1 the founder
 of the dukedom of ,leeds1 was          
apprentice to ,william ,hewet1 a rich   
cloth-worker on ,london ,bridge1 whose  
only daughter he courageously rescued   
from drowning1 by leaping into the      
,thames after her1 and whom he          
eventually married4  ,william ,phipps1  
at one time ,colonial ,governor of      
,massachusetts1 and the founder of the  
,normandy family1 was the son of a      
gunsmith who emigrated to ,maine1 where 
this remarkable man was born in #afea4  
,he was one of a family of not fewer    
than twenty-six children 7of whom       
twenty-one were sons71 whose only       

fortune lay in their stout hearts and   
strong arms4 ,william seems to have had 
a sash of the ,danish seablood in his   
veins1 and he did not take kindly to the
 quiet life of a shepherd in which he   
spent his early years4 ,by nature bold  
and adventurous1 he longed to become a  
sailor and roam through the world4 ,he  
sought to join some ship2 but not being 
able to find one1 he apprenticed himself
 to a ship-builder1 with whom he        
thoroughly learnt his trade1 acquiring  
the arts of reading and writing during  
his leisure hours4 ,having completed his
 apprenticeship and removed to ,boston1 
he wooed and married a widow of some    
means1 after which he set up a little   
ship-building yard of his own1 built a  
ship1 and putting to sea in her1 he     
engaged in the lumber trade1 which he   
carried on in a plodding and laborious  
way for the space of about ten years4   
,it happened that one day1 while passing
 through the crooked streets of old     
,boston1 he overheard some sailors      

talking to each other of a wreck which  
had just taken place off the ,bahamas2  
that of a ,spanish ship1 supposed to    
have much money on board4 ,his          
adventurous spirit was at once kindled1 
and getting together a likely crew      
without loss of time1 he set sail for   
the ,bahamas4 ,the wreck being well in  
shore he easily found it1 and succeeded 
in recovering a great deal of its cargo1
 but very little money2 and the result  
was that he barely defrayed his         
expenses4 ,his success had been such1   
however1 as to stimulate his            
enterprising spirit2 and when he was    
told of another and far more richly     
laden vessel which had been wrecked near
 ,port de la ,plata more than half a    
century before1 he forthwith formed the 
resolution of raising the wreck1 or at  
all events of fishing up the treasure4  
,being too poor1 however1 to undertake  
such an enterprise without powerful     
help1 he set sail for ,england in the   
hope that he might there obtain it4 ,the

 fame of his success in raising the     
wreck off the ,bahamas had already      
preceded him4 ,he applied direct to the 
,government4 ,by his urgent enthusiasm1 
he succeeded in overcoming the usual    
inertia of official minds2 and ,charles 
,,ii eventually placed at his disposal  
the ,rose ,algier1 a ship of eighteen   
guns and ninety- five men1 appointing   
him to the chief command4  ,phipps then 
set sail to find the ,spanish ship and  
fish up the treasure4 ,he reached the   
coast of ,hispaniola in safety2 but how 
to find the sunken ship was the great   
difficulty4 ,the fact of the wreck was  
more than fifty years old2 and ,phipps  
had only the traditionary rumors of the 
even to work upon4 ,there was a wide    
coast to explore1 and an outspread      
ocean1 without any trace whatever of the
 argosy which lay somewhere at its      
bottom4 ,but the man was stout in heart 
and full of hope4 ,he set his seamen to 
work to drag along the coast1 and for   
weeks they went on fishing up seaweed1  

shingle and bits of rock4 ,no occupation
 could be more trying to seamen1 and    
they began to grumble one to another1   
and to whisper that the man in command  
had brought them on a fool's errand4    
,at length the murmurers gained head1   
and the men broke into open mutiny4 ,a  
body of them rushed one day on to the   
quarter-deck1 and demanded that the     
voyage should be relinquished4 ,phipps1 
however1 was not a man to be            
intimidated2 he seized the ringleaders1 
and sent the others back to their duty4 
,it became necessary to bring the ship  
to anchor close to a small island for   
the purpose of repairs2 and1 to lighten 
her1 the chief part of the stores was   
landed4 ,discontent still increasing    
among the crew1 a new plot was laid     
among the men on shore to seize the     
ship1 throw ,phipps overboard1 and start
 on a piratical cruise against the      
,spaniards in the ,south ,seas4 ,but it 
was necessary to secure the services of 
the chief ship-carpenter1 who was       

consequently made privy to the plot4    
,this man proved faithful1 and a once   
told the captain of his danger4         
,summoning about him those whom he knew 
to be loyal1 ,phipps had the ship's guns
 loaded1 which commanded the shore1 and 
ordered the bridge communicating with   
the vessel to be drawn up4 ,when the    
mutineers made their appearance1 the    
captain hailed them1 and told the men he
 would fire upon them if they approached
 the stores 7still on land71 when they  
drew back2 on which ,phipps had the     
stores reshipped under cover of his     
guns4 ,the mutineers1 fearful of being  
left upon the barren island1 threw down 
their arms and implored to be permitted 
to return to their duty4 ,the request   
was granted1 and suitable precautions   
were taken against further mischief4    
,phipps1 however1 took the first        
opportunity of landing the mutinous part
 of the crew1 and engaging other men in 
their places2 but1 by the time that he  
could again proceed actively with his   

explorations1 he found it absolutely    
necessary to proceed to ,england for the
 purpose of repairing the ship4 ,he had 
now1 however1 gained more precise       
information as to the spot where the    
,spanish treasure-ship had sunk2 and1   
though as yet baffled1 he was more      
confident than ever of the eventual     
success of his enterprise4  ,returned to
 ,london1 ,phipps reported the result of
 his voyage to the ,admirality1 who     
professed to be pleased with his        
exertions2 but he had been unsuccessful1
 and they would not entrust him with    
another king's ship4 ,james ,,ii was now
 on the throne1 and the ,government was 
in trouble2 so ,phipps and his golden   
project appealed to them in vain4 ,he   
next tried to raise the requisite means 
by a public subscription4 ,at first he  
was laughed at2 but his ceaseless       
importunity at length prevailed1 and    
after four years' dinning of his project
 into the ears of the great and         
influential--during which time he lived 

in poverty--he at length succeeded4 ,a  
company was formed in twenty shares1    
,the ,duke of ,albemarle1 son of        
,general ,monk1 taking the chief        
interest in it1 and subscribing the     
principal part of the necessary fund for
 the prosecution of the enterprise4     
,phipps was successful in this          
undertaking4 ,he started other          
enterprises and succeeded4 ,he was      
knighted1 and as has been stated1 became
 the founder of one of ,england's noble 
families4 ,it should be said1 however1  
that beyond his perseverance1 he had but
 few qualities to commend him4 ,he was  
coarse1 ignorant1 and brutal1 and had to
 fly from ,massachusetts to save his    
life from an indignant people4  ,but    
true nobility is not that which is      
conferred by the warrant of a monarch4  
,if as ,pope says1 ,an honest man's the 
noblest work of ,god1 then the nobles   
man is the honest man1 who with his own 
clear brain and strong right arm1 wins  
his way up from the humblest walks in   

life1 till by virtue of his manhood1 he 
stands the peer of peers1 and by ,divine
 right the equal of all earth's kings4  
,we hear a great deal about an ,american
 aristocracy1 but no matter what the    
wishes of a few people with un-,american
 tastes may be1 the only aristocracy    
that can ever find recognition here1 is 
that of brains and the success born of  
hones toil4  ,ninety-nine out of every  
hundred of the rich families that are   
wrongly supposed to constitute our      
aristocracy at this time1 were poor less
 than fifty years ago4 ,many of the rich
 families of fifty years ago are poor   
to-day2 and so fortune varies and       
changes in this new land4 ,our true     
aristocrats are successful men like     
,peter ,cooper1 who left the world      
better for having lived in it4 ,we count
 among our aristocrats1 patriots like   
,lincoln1 and if his descendants emulate
 his noble example1 they too will be    
ennobled by their countrymen4 ,we reckon
 ,lowell1 ,longfellow1 ,whittier1       

,holmes1 ,hawthorne1 ,elisha ,howe and  
,george ,w4 ,childs among our           
aristocrats4 ,andrew ,carnegie deserves 
a place in the same list of ,american   
peers1 as does ,thomas ,a4 ,edison4     
,but after all the true title to        
nobility is implied in the words        
gentleman and lady1 and with these we   
need not fear comparison with all the   
world's titled nobles4    ,,chapter     
,,xxiv  ,,the ,,successful ,,man ,,is   
,,self-,,made4  ,the crown and glory of 
life is ,character4 ,it is the noblest  
possession of a man1 constituting a rank
 in itself1 and an estate in the general
 good-will2 dignifying every station1   
and exalting every position in society4 
,it exercises a greater power than      
wealth1 and secures all the honor       
without the jealousies of fame4 ,it     
carries with it an influence which      
always tells2 for it is the result of   
proved honor1 rectitude and             
consistency--qualities which1 perhaps1  
more than any other1 command the general

 confidence and respect of mankind4     
,character is human nature in its best  
form ,it is moral order embodied in the 
individual4 ,men of character are not   
only the conscience of society1 but in  
every well-governed state they are its  
best motive power2 for it is moral      
qualities in the main which rule the    
world4 ,even in war1 ,napoleon said1 the
 moral is to the physical as ten to one4
 ,the strength1 the industry1 and the   
civilization of nations--all depend upon
 individual character2 and the very     
foundations of civil security rest upon 
it4 ,laws and institutions are but its  
outgrowth4 ,in the just balance of      
nature individuals1 nations and races1  
will obtain just so much as they        
deserve1 and no more4 ,and as effect    
finds its cause1 so surely does quality 
of character amongst a people produce   
its befitting results4  ,though a man   
have comparatively little culture1      
slender abilities1 and but small wealth1
 yet1 if his character be of sterling   

worth1 he always commands an influence1 
whether it be in the workshop1 the      
counting-house1 the mart1 or the senate4
 ,canning wisely wrote in #ahja1 ,my    
road must be through ,character to      
,power2 ,i will try no other course2 and
 ,i am sanguine enough to believe that  
this course1 though not perhaps the     
quickest1 is the surest4 ,you may admire
 men of intellect2 but something more is
 necessary before you will trust them4  
,this was strikingly illustrated in the 
career of ,francis ,horner--a man of    
whom ,sydney ,smith said that the ,ten  
,commandments were stamped upon his     
countenance4 ,the valuable and peculiar 
light1 says ,lord ,cockburn1 in which   
his history is calculated to inspire    
every right-minded youth1 is this3 ,he  
died at the age of thirty- eight2       
possessed of greater public influence   
than any other private man1 and admired1
 beloved1 trusted1 and deplored by all1 
except the heartless or the base4 ,now  
let every young man ask--how was this   

attained8 ,by rank8 ,he was the son of  
an ,edinburgh merchant4 ,by wealth8     
,neither he1 nor any of his relations1  
ever had a superfluous sixpence4 ,by    
office8 ,he held but one1 and only for a
 few years1 of no influence1 and with   
very little pay4 ,by talents8 ,his were 
not splendid1 and he had no genius4     
,cautious and slow1 his only ambition   
was to be right4 ,by eloquence8 ,he     
spoke in calm1 good taste1 without any  
of the oratory that either terrifies or 
seduces4 ,by any fascination of manner8 
,his was only correct and agreeable4 ,by
 what1 then1 was it8 ,merely by sense1  
industry1 good principles1 and a good   
heart--qualities which no               
well-constituted mind need ever despair 
of attaining4 ,it was the force of his  
character that raised him2 and this     
character not impressed upon him by     
nature1 but formed1 out of no peculiarly
 fine elements1 by himself4 ,there were 
many in the ,house of ,commons of far   
greater ability and eloquence4 ,but no  

one surpassed him in the combination of 
an adequate portion of these with moral 
worth4 ,horner was born to show what    
moderate powers1 unaided by anything    
whatever except culture and goodness1   
may achieve1 even when these powers are 
displayed amidst the competition and    
jealousy of public life4  ,franklin     
attributed his success as a public man  
not to his talents or his powers of     
speaking--for these were but            
moderate--but to his known integrity of 
character4 ,hence1 it was1 he says1 that
 ,i had so much weight with my          
fellow-citizens4 ,i was but a bad       
speaker1 never eloquent1 subject to much
 hesitation in my choice of words1      
hardly correct in language1 and yet ,i  
generally carried my point4 ,character  
creates confidence in men in high       
station as well as in humble life4 ,it  
was said of the first ,emperor          
,alexander of ,russia1 that his personal
 character was equivalent to a          
constitution4 ,during the wars of the   

,fronde1 ,montaigne was the only man    
amongst the ,french gentry who kept his 
castle gates unbarred2 and it was said  
of him1 that his personal character was 
a better protection for him than a      
regiment of horse would have been4      
,that character is power1 is true in a  
much higher sense than that knowledge is
 power4 ,mind without heart1            
intelligence without conduct1 cleverness
 without goodness1 are powers in their  
way1 but they may be powers only for    
mischief4 ,we may be instructed or      
amused by them2 but it is sometimes as  
difficult to admire them as it would be 
to admire the dexterity of a pickpocket 
or the horsemanship of a highwayman4    
,truthfulness1 integrity1 and           
goodness--qualities that hang not on any
 man's breath--form the essence of manly
 character1 or1 as one of our old       
writers has it1 that inbred loyalty unto
 ,virtue which can serve her without a  
livery4 ,he who possesses these         
qualities1 united with strength of      

purpose1 carries with him a power which 
is irresistible4 ,he is strong to do    
good1 strong to resist evil1 and strong 
to bear up under difficulty and         
misfortune4 ,when ,stephen of ,colonna  
fell into the hands of his base         
assailants1 and they asked him in       
derision1 ,where is now your fortress8  
,here1 was his bold reply1 placing his  
hand upon his heart4 ,it is in          
misfortune that the character of the    
upright man shines forth with the       
greatest lustre2 and when all else      
fails1 he takes his stand upon his      
integrity and his courage4  ,the rules  
of conduct followed by ,lord ,erskine--a
 man of sterling independence of        
principle and scrupulous adherence to   
truth--are worthy of being engraven on  
every young man's heart4 ,it was a first
 command and counsel of my earliest     
youth1 he said1 always to do what my    
conscience told me to be a duty1 and to 
leave the consequence to ,god4 ,i shall 
carry with me the memory1 and ,i trust  

the practice1 of this parental lesson to
 the grave4 ,i have hitherto followed   
it1 and ,i have no reason to complain   
that my obedience to it has been a      
temporal sacrifice4 ,i have found it1 on
 the contrary1 the road to prosperity   
and wealth1 and ,i shall point out the  
same path to my children for their      
pursuit4  ,every man is bound to aim at 
the possession of a good character as   
one of the highest objects of life4 ,the
 very effort to secure it by worthy     
means will furnish him with a motive of 
exertion2 and his idea of manhood1 in   
proportion as it is elevated1 will      
steady and animate his motive4 ,it is   
well to have a high standard of life1   
even though we may not be able          
altogether to realize it4 ,the youth1   
says ,mr4 ,disraeli1 who does not look  
up will look down2 and the spirit that  
does not soar is destined perhaps to    
grovel4 ,george ,herbert wisely writes3 
,pitch thy behavior low1 thy projects   
high1 ,so shall thou humble and         

magnanimous be4 ,sink not in spirit2 who
 aimeth at the sky ,shoots higher much  
that he that means a tree4  ,he who has 
a high standard of living and thinking  
will certainly do better than he who has
 none at all4 ,pluck at a gown of gold1 
says the ,scotch proverb1 and you may   
get a sleeve o't4 ,whoever tries for the
 highest results cannot fail to reach a 
point far in advance of that from which 
he started2 and though the end attained 
may fall short of that proposed1 still1 
the very effort to rise1 of itself      
cannot fail to prove permanently        
beneficial4  ,there are many            
counterfeits of character1 but the      
genuine article is difficult to be      
mistaken4 ,some1 knowing its money      
value1 would assume its disguise for the
 purpose of imposing upon the unwary4   
,colonel ,charteris said to a man       
distinguished for his honesty1 ,i would 
give a thousand pounds for your good    
name4 ,why8 ,because ,i could make ten  
thousand by it1 was the knave's reply4  

,there is a truthfulness in action as   
well as in words1 which is essential to 
uprightness of character4 ,a man must   
really be what he seems or purposes to  
be4 ,when an ,american gentleman wrote  
to ,granville ,sharp1 that from respect 
for his great virtues he had named one  
of his sons after him1 ,sharp replied3  
,i must request you to teach him a      
favorite maxim of the family whose name 
you have given him--,always endeavor to 
be really what you would wish to appear4
 ,this maxim1 as my father informed me1 
was carefully and humbly practiced by   
his father1 whose sincerity1 as a plain 
and honest man1 thereby became the      
principal feature of his character1 both
 in public and private life4 ,every man 
who respects himself1 and values the    
respect of others1 will carry out the   
maxim in act--doing honestly what he    
purposes to do--putting the highest     
character into his work1 scrimping      
nothing1 but priding himself upon his   
integrity and conscientiousness4 ,once  

,cromwell said to ,bernard--a clever but
 somewhat unscrupulous lawyer1 ,i       
understand that you have lately been    
vastly wary in your conduct2 do not be  
too confident of this3 subtlety may     
deceive you1 integrity never will4 ,men 
whose acts are at direct variance with  
their words1 command no respect1 and    
what they say has but little weight3    
even truths1 when uttered by them1 seem 
to come blasted from their lips4  ,the  
true character acts rightly1 whether in 
secret or in the sight of men4 ,that boy
 was well trained who1 when asked why he
 did not pocket some pears1 for nobody  
was there to see1 replied1 ,yes1 there  
was2 ,i was there to see myself2 and ,i 
don't intend ever to see myself do a    
dishonest thing4 ,this is a simple but  
not inappropriate illustration of       
principle1 or conscience1 dominating in 
the character1 and exercising a noble   
protectorate over it2 not merely a      
passive influence1 but an active power  
regulating the life4 ,such a principle  

goes on moulding the character hourly   
and daily1 growing with a force that    
operates every moment4 ,without this    
dominating influence1 character has no  
protection1 but is constantly liable to 
fall away before temptation2 and every  
such temptation succumbed to1 every act 
of meanness or dishonesty1 however      
slight1 causes self-degradation4 ,it    
matters not whether the act be          
successful or not1 discovered or        
concealed2 the culprit is no longer the 
same1 but another person2 and he is     
pursued by a secret uneasiness1 by      
self-reproach1 or the workings of what  
we call conscience1 which is the        
inevitable doom of the guilty4  ,and    
here it may be observed how greatly the 
character may be strengthened and       
supported by the cultivation of good    
habits4 ,man1 it has been said1 is a    
bundle of habits2 and habit is second   
nature4 ,metastasio entertained so      
strong an opinion as to the power of    
repetition in act and thought1 that he  

said1 ,all is habit in mankind1 even    
virtue itself4 ,butler1 in his ,analogy1
 impresses the importance of careful    
self-discipline and firm resistance to  
temptation1 as tending to make virtue   
habitual1 so that at length it may      
become more easy to do good than to give
 way to sin4 ,as habits belonging to the
 body1 he says1 are produced by external
 acts1 so habits of the mind are        
produced by the execution of inward     
practical purposes1 i4e41 carrying them 
into act1 or acting upon them--the      
principles of obedience1 veracity1      
justice1 and charity4 ,and again1 ,lord 
,brougham says1 when enforcing the      
immense importance of training and      
example in youth1 ,i trust everything1  
under ,god1 to habit1 on which1 in all  
ages1 the lawgiver1 as well as the      
schoolmaster1 has mainly placed his     
reliance2 habit1 which makes everything 
easy1 and cast the difficulties upon the
 deviation from a wonted course4 ,thus1 
make sobriety a habit and intemperance  

will be hateful2 make prudence a habit1 
and reckless profligacy will become     
revolting to every principle of conduct 
which regulates the life of the         
individual4 ,hence the necessity for the
 greatest care and watchfulness against 
the inroad of any evil habit2 for the   
character is always weakest at that     
point at which it has once given way2   
and it is long before a principle       
restored can become as firm as one that 
has never been moved4 ,it is a fine     
remark of a ,russian writer1 that       
,habits are a necklace of pearls3 untie 
the knot1 and the whole unthreads4      
,wherever formed1 habit acts            
involuntarily and without effort2 and it
 is only when you oppose it1 that you   
find how powerful it has become4 ,what  
is done once and again1 soon gives      
facility and proneness4 ,the habit at   
first may seem to have no more strength 
than a spider's web2 but1 once formed1  
it binds us with a chain of iron4 ,the  
small events of life1 taken singly1 may 

seem exceedingly unimportant1 like snow 
that falls silently1 flake by flake2 yet
 accumulated1 these snowflakes form the 
avalanche4  ,self-respect1 self-help1   
application1 industry1 integrity--all   
are of the nature of habits1 not        
beliefs4 ,principles1 in fact1 are but  
the names which we assign to habits2 for
 the principles are words1 but the      
habits are the things themselves3       
benefactors or tyrants1 according as    
they are good or evil4 ,it thus happens 
that as we grow older1 a portion of our 
free activity and individuality becomes 
suspended in habit2 our actions become  
of the nature of fate2 and we are bound 
by the chains which we have woven around
 ourselves4  ,it is indeed scarcely     
possible to overestimate the importance 
of training the young to virtuous       
habits4 ,in them they are the easiest   
formed1 and when formed1 they last for  
life2 like letters cut on the bark of a 
tree1 they grow and widen with age4     
,train up a child in the way he should  

go1 and when he is old he will not      
depart from it4 ,the beginning holds    
within it the end2 the first start on   
the road of life determines the         
direction and the destination of the    
journey4 ,remember1 before you are      
five-and-twenty you must establish a    
character that will serve you all your  
life4 ,as habit strengthens with age1   
and character becomes formed1 and       
turning into a new path becomes more and
 more difficult4 ,hence1 it is often    
harder to unlearn that to learn2 and for
 this reason the ,grecian flute-player  
was justified who charged double fees to
 those pupils who had been taught by an 
inferior master4 ,to uproot and old     
habit is sometimes a more painful thing1
 and vastly more difficult1 than to     
wrench out a tooth4 ,try and reform an  
habitually indolent1 or improvident1 or 
drunken person1 and in a large majority 
of cases you will fail4 ,for the habit  
in each case has wound itself in and    
through life until it has become an     

integral part of it1 and can not be     
uprooted4 ,hence1 as ,mr4 ,lynch        
observes1 the wisest habit of all is the
 habit of care in the formation of good 
habits4  ,even happiness itself may     
become habitual4 ,there is a habit of   
looking at the bright side of things1   
and also of looking at the dark side4   
,dr4 ,johnson said that the habit of    
looking at the best side of a thing is  
worth more to a man than a thousand     
pounds a year4 ,and we possess the      
power1 to a great extent1 of so         
exercising the will as to direct the    
thoughts upon objects calculated to     
yield happiness and improvement rather  
than their opposites4 ,in this way the  
habit of happy thought may be made to   
spring up like any other habit4 ,and to 
bring up men or women with a genial     
nature of this sort1 a good temper1 and 
a happy frame of mind is1 perhaps1 of   
even more importance1 in may cases1 than
 to perfect them in much knowledge and  
many accomplishments4  ,as daylight can 

be seen through very small holes1 so    
little things will illustrate a person's
 character4 ,indeed1 character consists 
in little acts1 well and honorably      
performed2 daily life being the quarry  
from which we build it up1 and rough-hew
 the habits which form it4 ,one of the  
most marked tests of character is the   
manner in which we conduct ourselves    
toward others4 ,a graceful behavior     
toward superiors1 inferiors1 and equals1
 is a constant source of pleasure4 ,it  
pleases others because it indicates     
respect for their personality2 but it   
gives tenfold more pleasure to          
ourselves4 ,every man may1 to a large   
extent1 be a self-educator in good      
behavior1 as in everything else2 he can 
be civil and kind1 if he will1 though he
 have not a cent in his pocket4         
,gentleness in society is like the      
silent influence of light1 which gives  
color to all nature2 it is far more     
powerful than loudness or force1 and far
 more fruitful4 ,it pushes its way      

quietly and persistently1 like the      
tiniest daffodil in spring1 which raises
 the clod and thrusts it aside by the   
simple persistency of growing4  ,even a 
kind look will give pleasure and confer 
happiness4 ,in one of ,robertson's      
letters1 he tells of a lady who related 
to him the delight1 the tears of        
gratitude1 which she had witnessed in a 
poor girl to whom1 in passing ,i gave a 
kind look on going out of church on     
,sunday4 ,what a lesson6 ,how cheaply   
happiness can be given6 ,what           
opportunities we miss of doing an       
angel's work6 ,i remember doing it1 full
 of sad feelings1 passing on1 and       
thinking no more about it2 and it gave  
an hour's sunshine to a human life1 and 
lightened the load of life to a human   
heart for a time4  ,morals and manners1 
which give color to life1 are of much   
greater importance than laws1 which are 
but their manifestations4 ,the law      
touches us here and there1 but manners  
are about us everywhere1 pervading      

society like the air we breathe4 ,good  
manners1 as we call them1 are neither   
more nor less than good behavior2       
consisting of courtesy and kindness2    
benevolence being the preponderating    
element in all kinds of mutually        
beneficial and pleasant intercourse     
amongst human beings4 ,civility1 said   
,lady ,montague1 costs nothing and buys 
everything4 ,the cheapest of all things 
is kindness1 its exercise requiring the 
least possible trouble and              
self-sacrifice4 ,win hearts1 said       
,burleigh to ,queen ,elizabeth1 and you 
have all men's hearts and purses4 ,if we
 would only let nature act kindly1 free 
from affectation and artifice1 the      
results on social good humor and        
happiness would be incalculable4 ,the   
little courtesies which form the small  
change of life1 may separately appear of
 little intrinsic value1 but they       
acquire their importance from repetition
 and accumulation4 ,they are like the   
spare minutes1 or the groat a day1 which

 proverbially produce such momentous    
results in the course of a twelvemonth1 
or in a lifetime4  ,manners are the     
ornament of action2 and there is a way  
of speaking a kind word1 or of doing a  
kind thing1 which greatly enhances its  
value4 ,what seems to be done with a    
grudge1 or as an act of condescension1  
is scarcely accepted as a favor4 ,yet   
there are men who pride themselves upon 
their gruffness2 and though they may    
possess virtue and capacity1 their      
manner is often such as to render them  
almost insupportable4 ,it is difficult  
to like a man who1 though he may not    
pull your nose1 habitually wounds your  
self-respect1 and takes a pride in      
saying disagreeable things to you4      
,there are others who are dreadfully    
condescending1 and cannot avoid seizing 
upon every small opportunity of making  
their greatness felt4 ,when ,abernethy  
was canvassing for the office of surgeon
 to ,st4 ,bartholomew's ,hospital1 he   
called upon such a person--a rich       

grocer1 one of the governors4 ,the great
 man behind the counter seeing the great
 surgeon enter immediately assumed the  
grand air toward the supposed suppliant 
for his vote4 ,i presume1 sir1 he said1 
you want my vote and interest at this   
momentous epoch of your life4           
,abernethy1 who hated humbugs1 and felt 
nettled at the tone1 replied3 ,no1 ,i   
don't2 ,i want a pennyworth of figs2    
come1 look sharp and wrap them up2 ,i   
want to be off6  ,the gentleman is      
eminently distinguished for his         
self-respect4 ,he values his            
character--not so much of it only as can
 be seen by others1 but as he sees      
himself2 having regard for the approval 
of his inward monitor4 ,and1 as he      
respects himself1 so1 by the same law1  
does he respect others4 ,humanity is    
sacred in his eyes2 and thence proceed  
politeness and forbearance1 kindness and
 charity4 ,it is related of ,lord       
,edward ,fitzgerald that1 while         
traveling in ,canada1 in company with   

the ,indians1 he was shocked by the     
sight of a poor squaw trudging along    
laden with her husband's trappings1     
while the chief himself walked on       
unencumbered4 ,lord ,edward at once     
relieved the squaw of her pack by       
placing it upon his own shoulders--a    
beautiful instance of what the ,french  
call politesse de coeur--the inbred     
politeness of the true gentleman4  ,the 
true gentleman has a keen sense of      
honor--scrupulously avoiding mean       
actions4 ,his standard of probity in    
word and action is high4 ,he does not   
shuffle or prevaricate1 dodge or skulk2 
but is honest1 upright and              
straightforward4 ,his law is            
rectitude--action in right lines4 ,when 
he says yes1 it is a law2 and he dares  
to say the valiant no at the fitting    
season4  ,riches and rank have no       
necessary connection with genuine       
gentlemanly qualities4 ,the poor man may
 be a true gentleman--in spirit and in  
daily life4 ,he may be honest1 truthful1

 upright1 polite1 temperate1 courageous1
 self-respecting1 and self-helping--that
 is1 be a true gentleman4 ,the poor man 
with a rich spirit is in all ways       
superior to the rich man with a poor    
spirit4 ,to borrow ,s4 ,paul's words1   
the former is as having nothing1 yet    
possessing all things1 while the other1 
though possessing all things1 has       
nothing4 ,the first hopes everything1   
and fears nothing2 the last hopes       
nothing1 and fears everything4 ,only the
 poor in spirit are really poor4 ,he who
 has lost all1 but retains his courage1 
cheerfulness1 hope1 virtue1 and self-   
respect1 is still rich4 ,for such a man1
 the world is1 as it were1 held in      
trust2 his spirit dominating over its   
grosser cares1 he can still walk erect1 
a true gentleman4  ,occasionally1 the   
brave and gentle character may be found 
under the humblest garb4 ,here is an old
 illustration1 but a fine one4 ,once on 
a time1 when the ,adige suddenly        
overflowed its banks1 the bridge of     

,verona was carried away with the       
exception of the centre arch1 on which  
stood a house1 whose inhabitants        
supplicated help from the windows1 while
 the foundations were visibly giving    
way4 ,i will give a hundred ,french     
louis1 said the ,count ,spolverini1 who 
stood by1 to any person who will venture
 to deliver those unfortunate people4 ,a
 young peasant came forth from the      
crowd1 seized a boat1 and pushed into   
the stream4 ,he gained the pier1        
received the whole family into the boat1
 and made for the shore1 where he landed
 them in safety4 ,here is your money1 my
 brave young fellow1 said the count4    
,no1 was the answer of the young man1 ,i
 do not sell my life2 give the money to 
this poor family1 who have need of it4  
,here spoke the true spirit of the      
gentleman1 though he was in the garb of 
a peasant4  ,there is perhaps no finer  
example in all history of the self-made 
man than ,george ,washington4 ,it may be
 argued that he belonged to a good      

family1 and that his family was amongst 
the richest in the country at that time4
 ,this is true1 yet there is not a boy  
who graduates to-day at our grammar     
schools who has not had far better      
educational advantages than had         
,washington4 ,but he was self-taught1   
and he so prepared himself that no duty 
that required him1 ever found him       
deficient4 ,at an age when most young   
men are thinking about striking out for 
themselves1 ,washington occupied with   
success and honor positions requiring   
courage1 judgment1 and decision4 ,he    
grew with his own deserved advance1     
until at length by his own splendid     
efforts1 he found himself1 in the words 
of ,adams1 ,first in war1 first in      
peace1 and first in the hearts of his   
countrymen4  ,with all the avenues of   
life open to him1 or ready to be opened1
 if he will but boldly knock1 the young 
man starting out in life to-day has     
every advantage4 ,if he will carefully  
study over the splendid examples we have

 cited1 and follow along the lines that 
led to their success1 his own prosperity
 can no longer be a matter for doubt4   
,,chapter ,,xxv  ,,unselfishness ,,and  
,,helpfulness4  ,it must never be       
forgotten that the position a man       
occupies at the close of his life is not
 an infallible criterion of whether he  
has got on in the world4 ,there are some
 places in the world's history so       
illustrious that to occupy them it would
 be worth dying in poverty and misery4  
,ambition might well choose to be       
remembered with gratitude by succeeding 
generations and to have an immortal     
name1 even if to attain it everything   
were sacrificed that is counted         
desirable in life4 ,who would not       
surrender wealth and ease and luxury1 if
 in exchange for them he could leave    
such a name as ,columbus1 ,washington1  
,lincoln1 ,john ,brown1 ,livingstone or 
,howard8 ,posthumous glory counts for   
something in the reckoning4 ,and this is
 often attained by self-sacrifice4      

,revile the world as we may1 it does not
 forget the men who have done it        
service4 ,the men who have forgotten    
themselves1 who have not striven after  
their own advantage1 but have devoted   
their lives to the good of humanity1    
achieve immortality4 ,they get on in the
 world in the sense of receiving a crown
 that cannot fade and a glory outshining
 that of kings and millionaires4 ,the   
hero has a reward all his own and he may
 well renounce the lower rewards of     
riches and ease to gain it4 ,but his    
qualities must be heroic or he will make
 his sacrifices to no purpose4 ,he must 
be true to himself at all cost4         
,washington was a brilliant example of  
this fidelity to his ideal4 ,sparks     
tells us that when he clearly saw his   
duty before him1 he did it at all       
hazards1 and with inflexible integrity4 
,he did not do it for effect2 nor did he
 think of glory1 or of fame and its     
rewards2 but of the right thing to be   
done1 and the best way of doing it4     

,yet ,washington had a most modest      
opinion of himself2 and when offered the
 chief command of the ,american patriot 
army he hesitated to accept it until it 
was pressed upon him4 ,when             
acknowledging in ,congress the honor    
which had been done him in selecting him
 to so important a trust1 on the        
execution of which the future of his    
country in a great measure depended1    
,washington said3 ,i beg it may be      
remembered1 lest some unlucky event     
should happen unfavorable to my         
reputation1 that ,i this day declare1   
with the utmost sincerity1 ,i do not    
think myself equal to the command ,i am 
honored with4  ,and in his letter to his
 wife1 communicating to her his         
appointment as commander-in-chief1 he   
said3 ,i have used very endeavor in my  
power to avoid it1 not only from my     
unwillingness to part with you and the  
family1 but from a consciousness of its 
being a trust too great for my capacity2
 and that ,i should enjoy more real     

happiness in one month with you at home 
than ,i have the most distant prospect  
of finding abroad1 if my stay were to be
 seven times seven years4 ,but1 as it   
has been a kind of destiny that has     
thrown me upon this service1 ,i shall   
hope that my undertaking is designed for
 some good purpose4 ,it was utterly out 
of my power to refuse the appointment1  
without exposing my character to such   
censures as would have reflected        
dishonor upon myself1 and given pain to 
my friends4 ,this1 ,i am sure1 could    
not1 and ought not1 to be pleasing to   
you1 and must have lessened me          
considerably in my own esteem4          
,washington pursued his upright course  
through life1 first as                  
commander-in-chief1 and afterward as    
,president1 never faltering in the path 
of duty4 ,he had no regard for          
popularity1 but held to his purpose     
through good and through evil report1   
often at the risk of his power and      
influence4 ,thus1 on one occasion1 when 

the ratification of a treaty1 arranged  
by ,mr4 ,jay with ,great ,britain1 was  
in question1 ,washington was urged to   
reject it4 ,but his honor1 and the honor
 of his country1 was committed1 and he  
refused to do so4 ,a great outcry was   
raised against the treaty1 and for a    
time ,washington was so unpopular that  
he is said to have been actually stoned 
by the mob4 ,but he1 nevertheless1 held 
it to be his duty to ratify the treaty2 
and it was carried out in despite of    
petitions and remonstrances from all    
quarters4 ,while ,i fell1 he said1 in   
answer to the remonstrants1 the most    
lively gratitude for the many instances 
of approbation from my country1 ,i can  
no otherwise deserve it than by obeying 
the dictates of my conscience4  ,when   
the ,oregon1 coming along the ,atlantic 
coast1 was struck in the middle of the  
night by that coaster1 and a great wound
 was made in her side1 through which the
 water was pouring1 ,captain ,murray    
stood on the bridge as calm1 apparently1

 as a ,may morning1 and waited until    
every passenger was off1 and every      
officer was off1 and every man on the   
crew was off1 and the last man to step  
from the sinking ship was the captain   
himself2 and ten minutes after he       
stepped off1 the steamer gave a quiver1 
as of apprehension1 and then plunged to 
the bottom of the ocean4 ,the steamer   
was his1 and the men were his1 and the  
boats were his1 and the passengers were 
his1 all for this3 that he might save   
them in time of peril2 and he would go  
down to the bottom of the ocean rather  
than that1 by his recreancy1 one of     
those entrusted to him should perish4   
,this was the true hero1 the man who    
would die rather than be false to duty4 
,one of the most striking instances that
 could be given of the character of the 
dutiful1 truthful1 laborious man1 who   
works on bravely in spite of difficulty 
and physical suffering1 is presented in 
the life of the late ,george ,wilson1   
,professor of ,technology in the        

,university of ,edinburgh4 ,wilson's    
life was1 indeed1 a marvel of cheerful  
laboriousness2 exhibiting the power of  
the soul to triumph over the body1 and  
almost to set it at defiance4 ,it might 
be taken as an illustration of the      
saying of the whaling-captain to ,dr4   
,kane1 as to the power of moral force   
over physical3 ,bless you1 sir1 the soul
 will any day lift the body out of its  
boots6  ,a fragile but bright and lively
 boy1 he had scarcely entered manhood   
ere his constitution began to exhibit   
signs of disease4 ,as early1 indeed1 as 
his seventeenth year1 he began to       
complain of melancholy and              
sleeplessness1 supposed to be the       
effects of bile4 ,i don't think ,i shall
 live long1 he then said to a friend2 my
 mind will--must work itself out1 and   
the body will soon follow it4 ,a strange
 confession for a boy to make6 ,but he  
gave his physical health no fair chance4
 ,his life was all brain work1 study1   
and competition4 ,when he took exercise 

it was in sudden bursts1 which did him  
more harm than good4 ,long walks in the 
,highlands jaded and exhausted him2 and 
he returned to his brain-work unrested  
and unrefreshed4  ,it was during one of 
his forced walks of some twenty-four    
miles1 in the neighborhood of ,stirling1
 that he injured one of his feet1 and he
 returned home seriously ill4 ,the      
result was an abscess1 disease of the   
ankle-joint1 and a long agony1 which    
ended in the amputation of the right    
foot4 ,but he never relaxed in his      
labors4 ,he was now writing1 lecturing  
and teaching chemistry4 ,rheumatism and 
acute inflammation of the eye next      
attacked him1 and were treated by       
cupping1 blistering1 and colchicum4     
,unable himself to write1 he went on    
preparing his lectures1 which he        
dictated to his sister4 ,pain haunted   
him day and night1 and sleep was only   
forced by morphia4 ,while in this state 
of general prostration symptoms of      
pulmonary disease began to show         

themselves4 ,yet he continued to give   
the weekly lectures to which he stood   
committed to the ,edinburgh ,school of  
,arts4 ,not one was shirked1 though     
their delivery1 before a large audience1
 was a most exhausting duty4 ,well1     
there's another nail put into my coffin1
 was the remark made on throwing off his
 top-coat on returning home2 and a      
sleepless night almost invariably       
followed4  ,at twenty-seven1 ,wilson was
 lecturing ten1 eleven1 or more hours   
weekly1 usually with setons or open     
blister-wounds upon him--his bosom      
friends1 he used to call them4 ,he felt 
the shadow of death upon him1 and he    
worked as if his days were numbered4    
,don't be surprised1 he wrote to a      
friend1 if any morning at breakfast you 
hear that ,i am gone4 ,but while he said
 so1 he did not in the least degree     
indulge in the feeling of sickly        
sentimentality4 ,he worked on as        
cheerfully and hopefully as if in the   
very fullness of strength4 ,to none1    

said he1 is life so sweet as to those   
who have lost all fear of dying4        
,sometimes he was compelled to desist   
from his labors by sheer debility1      
occasioned by loss of blood from the    
lungs2 but after a few weeks' rest and  
change of air1 he would return to his   
work1 saying1 ,the water is rising in   
the well again6 ,though disease had     
fastened on his lungs1 and was spreading
 there1 and though suffering from a     
distressing cough1 he went on lecturing 
as usual4 ,to add to his troubles1 when 
one day endeavoring to recover himself  
from a stumble occasioned by his        
lameness1 he overstrained his arm1 and  
broke the bone near the shoulder4 ,but  
he recovered from his successive        
accidents and illnesses in the most     
extraordinary way4 ,the reed bent1 but  
did not break2 the storm passed1 and it 
stood erect as before4  ,there was no   
worry1 nor fever1 nor fret about him2   
but instead1 cheerfulness1 patience and 
unfailing perseverance4 ,his mind1      

amidst all his sufferings1 remained     
perfectly calm and serene4 ,he went     
about his daily work with an apparently 
charmed life1 as if he had the strength 
of many men in him4 ,yet all the while  
he knew he was dying1 his chief anxiety 
being to conceal his state from those   
about him at home1 to whom the knowledge
 of his actual condition would have been
 inexpressibly distressing4 ,i am       
cheerful among strangers1 he said1 and  
try to live day by day as a dying man4  
,he went on teaching as                 
before--lecturing to the ,architectural 
,institutes and to the ,school of ,arts4
 ,one day1 after a lecture before the   
latter institute1 he lay down to rest1  
and was shortly awakened by the rupture 
of a blood-vessel1 which occasioned him 
the loss of a considerable quantity of  
blood4 ,he did not experience the       
despair and agony that ,keats did on a  
like occasion1 though he equally knew   
that the messenger of death had come1   
and was waiting for him4 ,he appeared at

 the family meals as usual1 and next day
 he lectured twice1 punctually          
fulfilling his engagements2 but the     
exertion of speaking was followed by a  
second attack of hemorrhage4 ,he now    
became seriously ill1 and it was doubted
 whether he would survive the night4    
,but he did survive2 and during his     
convalescence he was appointed to an    
important public office--that of        
director of the ,scottish ,industrial   
,museum1 which involved a great amount  
of labor1 as well as lecturing1 in his  
capacity of professor of technology1    
which he held in connection with the    
office4  ,from this time forward1 his   
dear museum1 as he called it1 absorbed  
all his surplus energies4 ,while busily 
occupied in collecting models and       
specimens for the museum1 he filled up  
his odds-and-ends of time in lecturing  
in ,ragged ,schools and ,medical        
,missionary ,societies4 ,he gave himself
 no rest1 either of mind or body2 and to
 die working was the fate he envied4    

,his mind would not give in1 but his    
poor body was forced to yield1 and a    
sever attack of hemorrhage--bleeding    
from both lungs and stomach--compelled  
him to relax in his labors4 ,for a      
month1 or some forty days1 he wrote--a  
dreadful ,lent--the wind has blown      
geographically from ',araby the blest1' 
but thermometrically from ,iceland the  
accursed4 ,i have been made a prisoner  
of war1 hit by an icicle in the lungs1  
and have shivered and burned alternately
 for a large portion of the last month1 
and spat blood till ,i grew pale with   
coughing4 ,now ,i am better1 and        
to-morrow ,i give my concluding lecture 
7on technology71 thankful that ,i have  
contrived1 notwithstanding all my       
troubles1 to early on without missing a 
lecture to the last day of the ,faculty 
of ,arts1 to which ,i belong4  ,how long
 was it to last8 ,he himself began to   
wonder1 for he had long felt his life as
 if ebbing away4 ,at length he became   
languid1 weary1 and unfit for work2 even

 the writing of a letter cost him a     
painful effort1 and he felt as if to lie
 down and sleep were the only things    
worth doing4 ,yet shortly after1 to help
 a ,sunday school1 he wrote his ,five   
,gateways of ,knowledge1 as a lecture1  
and afterward expanded it into a book4  
,he also recovered strength sufficient  
to enable him to proceed with his       
lectures to the institutions to which he
 belonged1 besides on various occasions 
undertaking to do other people's work4  
,i am looked upon as being as mad1 he   
wrote to his brother1 because on a hasty
 notice1 ,i took a defaulting lecturer's
 place at the ,philosophical            
,institution1 and discoursed on the     
polarization of light 4 4 4 ,but ,i like
 work3 it is a family weakness4  ,then  
followed chronic malaise--sleepless     
nights1 days of pain1 and more spitting 
of blood4 ,my only painless moments4 he 
says1 were when lecturing4 ,in this     
state of prostration and disease1 the   
indefatigable man undertook to write the

 ,life of ,edward ,forbes2 and he did   
it1 like every thing he undertook1 with 
admirable ability4 ,he proceeded with   
his lectures as usual4 ,to an           
association of teachers he delivered a  
discourse on the educational value of   
industrial science4 ,after he had spoken
 to his audience for an hour1 he left   
them to say whether he should go on or  
not1 and they cheered him on to another 
half-hour's address4 ,it is curious1 he 
wrote1 the feeling of having an         
audience1 like clay in your hands1 to   
mould for a season as you please4 ,it is
 a terribly responsible power 4 4 4 ,i  
do not mean for a moment to imply that  
,i am indifferent to the good opinion of
 others--far otherwise2 but to gain this
 is much less a concern with me than to 
deserve it4 ,it was not so once4 ,i had 
no wish for unmerited praise1 but ,i was
 too ready to settle that ,i did merit  
it4 ,now1 the word ,,duty seems to me   
the biggest word in the world1 and is   
uppermost in all my serious doings4     

,that was written only about four months
 before his death4 ,a little later he   
wrote3 ,i spin my thread of life from   
week to week1 rather than from year to  
year4 ,constant attacks of bleeding from
 the lungs sapped his little remaining  
strength1 but did not altogether disable
 him from lecturing4 ,he was amused by  
one of his friends proposing to put him 
under trustees for the purpose of       
looking after his health4 ,but he would 
not be restrained from working so long  
as a vestige of strength remained4  ,one
 day1 in the autumn of #ahei1 he        
returned from his customary lecture in  
the ,university of ,edinburgh with a    
severe pain in his side4 ,he was        
scarcely able to crawl up stairs4       
,medical aid was sent for1 and he was   
pronounced to be suffering from pleurisy
 and inflammation of the lungs4 ,his    
enfeebled frame was ill able to resist  
so severe a disease1 and he sank        
peacefully to the rest he so longed for1
 after a few days' illness4  ,the life  

of ,george ,wilson--so admirably and    
affectionately related by his sister--is
 probably one of the most marvelous     
records of pain and long-suffering1 and 
yet of persistent1 noble and useful     
work1 that is to be found in the whole  
history of literature4  ,instances of   
this heroic quality of                  
self-forgetfulness in the interest of   
others are more frequent than we        
realize4 ,dr4 ,louis ,albert ,banks     
mentions the following illustration3    
,the other day1 in one of our cities1   
two small boys signaled a street-car4   
,when the car stopped it was noticed    
that one boy was lame4 ,with much       
solicitude the other boy helped the     
cripple aboard1 and1 after telling the  
conductor to go ahead1 returned to the  
sidewalk4 ,the lame boy braced himself  
up in his seat so that he could look out
 of the car window1 and the other       
passengers observed that at intervals   
the little fellow would wave his hand   
and smile4 ,following the direction of  

his glances1 the passengers saw the     
other boy running along the sidewalk1   
straining every muscle to keep up with  
the car4 ,they watched his pantomime in 
silence for a few blocks1 and then a    
gentleman asked the lame boy who the    
other boy was3 ',my brother1' was the   
prompt reply4 ',why does he not ride    
with you in the car8' was the next      
question4 ',because he hasn't any       
money1' answered the lame boy1          
sorrowfully4 ,but the little            
runner--running that his crippled       
brother might ride-- had a face in which
 sorrow had no part1 only the gladness  
of a self- denying soul4 ,o my brother1 
you who long to do great service for the
 ,king and reach life's noblest triumph1
 here is your picture--willing to run   
that the crippled lives may ride1       
willing to bear one another's burdens1  
and so fulfill the law of ,christ--that 
is the spirit of the ,king's country4   
,the path of service is open to all1    
nay1 we stumble on to the path daily    

without knowing it4 ,ivan ,tourguenieff1
 in one of his beautiful poems in prose1
 says1 ',i was walking in the street2 a 
beggar stopped me--a frail old man4 ,his
 inflamed1 tearful eyes1 blue lips1     
rough rags1 disgusting sores--oh1 how   
horribly poverty had disfigured the     
unhappy creature6 ,he stretched out to  
me his red1 swollen1 filthy hands2 he   
groaned and whimpered for alms4 ,i felt 
in all my pockets2 no purse1 watch1 or  
handkerchief did ,i find2 ,i had left   
them all at home4 ,the beggar waited1   
and his outstretched hand twitched and  
trembled4 ,embarrassed and confused1 ,i 
seized his dirty hand and pressed it4   
',don't be vexed with me1 brother2 ,i   
have nothing with me1 brother4' ,the    
beggar raised his bloodshot eyes to     
mine2 his blue lips smiled1 and he      
returned the pressure of my chilled     
fingers4 ',never mind1 brother1'        
stammered he2 'thank you for this--this1
 too1 was a gift1 brother4' ,i felt that
 ,i1 too1 had received a gift from my   

brother4 ,this is a line of service open
 to us all4  ,a gentleman writing to the
 ,chicago ,interior1 relates this       
incident in his own career as a         
prosecuting attorney3 a boy of fifteen  
was brought in for trial4 ,he had no    
attorney1 no witnesses and no friends4  
,as the prosecuting attorney looked him 
over1 he was pleased with his           
appearance4 ,he had nothing of the      
hardened criminal about him4 ,in fact1  
he was impressed that the prisoner was  
an unusually bright-looking little      
fellow4 ,he found that the charge       
against him was burglary4 ,there had    
been a fire in a dry goods store1 where 
some of the merchandise had not been    
entirely consumed4 ,the place had been  
boarded up to protect1 for the time     
being1 the damaged articles4 ,several   
boys1 among them this defendant1 had    
pulled off a board or two1 and were     
helping themselves to the contents of   
the place1 when the police arrived4 ,the
 others got away1 and this was the only 

one caught4 ,the attorney asked the boy 
if he wanted a jury trial4 ,he said ,no2
 that he was guilty1 and preferred to   
plead guilty4  ,upon the plea being     
entered1 the prosecutor asked him where 
his home was4 ,he replied that he had no
 home4  ,where are your parents8 was    
asked4 ,he answered that they were both 
dead4  ,have you no relatives8 was the  
next question4  ,only a sister1 who     
works out1 was the answer4  ,how long   
have you been in jail8  ,two months4    
,has anyone been to see you during that 
time8  ,no1 sir4  ,the last answer was  
very like a sob4 ,the utterly forlorn   
and friendless condition of the boy1    
coupled with his frankness and pleasing 
presence1 caused a lump to come into the
 lawyer's throat1 and into the throats  
of many others1 who were listening to   
the dialogue4 ,finally the attorney     
suggested to the judge that it was a    
pity to send the boy to the reformatory1
 and that what he needed more than      
anything else was a home4  ,by this time

 the court officials1 jurors and        
spectators had crowded around1 the      
better to hear what was being said4 ,at 
this juncture one of the jurors         
addressed the court1 and said3 ,your    
honor1 a year ago ,i lost my only boy4  
,if he were alive1 he would be about    
this boy's age4 ,ever since he died ,i  
have been wanting a boy4 ,if you will   
let me have this little fellow1 ,i'll   
give him a home1 put him to work in my  
printing establishment1 and treat him as
 if he were my own son4  ,the judge     
turned to the boy1 and said3 ,this      
gentleman is a successful business man4 
,do you think1 if you are given this    
splendid opportunity1 you can make a man
 of yourself8  ,i'll try1 very joyfully 
answered the boy4  ,very well2 sign a   
recognizance1 and go with the gentleman1
 said the judge4  ,a few minutes later  
the boy and his new friend left         
together1 while tears of genuine        
pleasure stood in many eyes in the      
crowded courtroom4 ,the lawyer1 who     

signs his name to the story1 declares   
that the boy turned out well1 and proved
 to be worthy of his benefactor's       
kindness4  ,deeds like that are waiting 
for the doing on every hand1 and no man 
gives himself up to this spirit of      
helpfulness for others without          
strengthening his own life4  ,this      
spirit of self-forgetfulness and        
cheerful helpfulness is and essential   
quality of the true heroic soul--the    
soul that is not disturbed by           
circumstances1 but goes on its way1     
strong and imparting strength4  ,we have
 to be on our guard against small       
troubles1 which1 by encouraging1 we are 
apt to magnify into great ones4 ,indeed1
 the chief source of worry in the world 
is not real but imaginary evil--small   
vexations and trivial afflictions4 ,in  
the presence of a great sorrow1 all     
petty troubles disappear2 but we are too
 ready to take some cherished misery to 
our bosom1 and to pet it here4 ,very    
often it is the child of our fancy2 and1

 forgetful of the many means of         
happiness which lie within our reach1 we
 indulge this spoiled child of ours     
until it masters us4 ,we shut the door  
against cheerfulness1 and surround      
ourselves with gloom4 ,the habit gives a
 coloring to our life4 ,we grow         
querulous1 moody and unsympathetic4 ,our
 conversation becomes full of regrets4  
,we are harsh in our judgment of others4
 ,we are unsociable1 and think everybody
 else is so4 ,we make our breast a      
store-house of pain1 which we inflict   
upon ourselves as well as upon others4  
,this disposition is encouraged by      
selfishness2 indeed1 it is1 for the most
 part1 selfishness unmingled1 without   
any admixture of sympathy or            
consideration for the feelings of those 
about us4 ,it is simply willfulness in  
the wrong direction4 ,it is willful1    
because it might be avoided4 ,let the   
necessitarians argue as they may1       
freedom of will and action is the       
possession of every man and woman4 ,it  

is sometimes our glory1 and very often  
it is our shame2 all depends upon the   
manner in which it is used4 ,we can     
choose to look at the bright side of    
things or at the dark4 ,we can follow   
good and eschew evil thoughts4 ,we can  
be wrong-headed and wrong-hearted1 or   
the reverse1 as we ourselves determine4 
,the world will be to each one of us    
very much what we make it4 ,the cheerful
 are its real possessors1 for the world 
belongs to those who enjoy it4  ,it     
must1 however1 be admitted that there   
are cases beyond the reach of the       
moralist4 ,once1 when a                 
miserable-looking dyspeptic called upon 
a leading physician1 and laid his case  
before him1 ,oh6 said the doctor1 you   
only want a good hearty laugh3 go and   
see ,grimaldi4 ,alas6 said the miserable
 patient1 ,i am ,grimaldi6 ,so1 when    
,smollett1 oppressed by disease1        
traveled over ,europe in the hope of    
finding health1 he saw everything       
through his own jaundiced eyes4  ,the   

restless1 anxious1 dissatisfied temper1 
that is ever ready to run and meet care 
half-way1 is fatal to all happiness and 
peace of mind4 ,how often do we see men 
and women set themselves about as if    
with stiff bristles1 so that one dare   
scarcely approach them without fear of  
being pricked6 ,for want of a little    
occasional command over one's temper1   
and amount of misery is occasioned in   
society which is positively frightful4  
,thus enjoyment is turned into          
bitterness1 and life becomes like a     
journey barefooted among thorns and     
briers and prickles4 ,though sometimes  
small evils1 says ,richard ,sharp1 like 
invisible insects1 inflict great pain1  
and a single hair may stop a vast       
machine1 yet the chief secret of comfort
 lies in not suffering trifles to vex   
us2 and in prudently cultivating and    
under-growth of small pleasures1 since  
very few great ones1 alas6 are let on   
long leases4  ,cheerfulness also        
accompanies patience1 which is one of   

the main conditions of happiness and    
success in life4 ,he that will be       
served1 says ,george ,herbert1 must be  
patient4 ,it was said of the cheerful   
and patient ,king ,alfred that good     
fortune accompanied him like a gift of  
,god4 ,marlborough's expectant calmness 
was great1 and a principal secret of his
 success as a general4 ,patience will   
overcome all things1 he wrote to        
,godolphin1 in #agjb4 ,in the midst of a
 great emergency1 while baffled and     
opposed by his allies1 he said1 ,having 
done all that is possible1 we should    
submit with patience4  ,one of the      
chiefest of blessings is ,hope1 the most
 common of possessions2 for1 as ,thales 
that philosopher said1 ,even those who  
have nothing else have hope4 ,hope is   
the great helper of the poor4 ,it has   
even been styled the poor man's bread4  
,it is also the sustainer and inspirer  
of great deeds4 ,it is recorded of      
,alexander the ,great that1 when he     
succeeded to the throne of ,macedon1 he 

gave away among his friends the greater 
part of the estates which his father had
 left him2 and when ,perdiccas asked him
 what he reserved for himself1          
,alexander answered1 ,the greatest      
possession of all-- ,hope6  ,the        
pleasures of memory1 however great1 are 
stale compared with those of hope2 for  
hope is the parent of all effort and    
endeavor2 and every gift of noble origin
 is breathed upon by ,hope's perpetual  
breath4 ,it may be said to be the moral 
engine that moves the world and keeps it
 in action2 and at the end of all there 
stands before us what ,robertson of     
,ellon styled ,the ,great ,hope4  ,the  
qualities of the strong self-reliant man
 are sometimes accompanied by a         
brusqueness of manner that leas others  
to misjudge them4 ,as ,knox was retiring
 from the queen's presence on one       
occasion he overheard one of the royal  
attendants say to another1 ,he is not   
afraid6 ,turning round upon them1 he    
said3 ,and why should the pleasing face 

of a gentleman frighten me8 ,i have     
looked on the faces of angry men1 and   
yet have not been afraid beyond measure4
 ,when the ,reformer1 worn out by excess
 of labor and anxiety1 was at length    
laid to his rest1 the regent1 looking   
down into the open grave1 exclaimed in  
words which made a strong impression    
from their aptness and truth-- ,there   
lies he who never feared the face of    
man6  ,luther also was thought by some  
to be a mere compound of violence and   
ruggedness4 ,but1 as in the case of     
,knox1 the times in which he lived were 
rude and violent1 and the work he had to
 do could scarcely have been            
accomplished with gentleness and        
suavity4 ,to rouse ,europe from its     
lethargy1 he had to speak and write with
 force1 and even vehemence4 ,yet        
,luther's vehemence was only in words4  
,his apparently rude exterior covered a 
warm heart4 ,in private life he was     
gentle1 loving and affectionate4 ,he was
 simple and homely1 even to commonness4 

,fond of all common pleasures and       
enjoyments1 he was any thing but an     
austere man or a bigot2 for he was      
hearty1 genial1 and even jolly4 ,luther 
was the common people's hero in his     
lifetime1 and he remains so in ,germany 
to this day4  ,samuel ,johnson was rude 
and often gruff in manner4 ,but he had  
been brought up in a rough school4      
,poverty in early life had made him     
acquainted with strange companions4 ,he 
had wandered in the streets with ,savage
 for nights together1 unable between    
them to raise money enough to pay for a 
bed4 ,when his indomitable courage and  
industry at length secured for him a    
footing in society1 he still bore upon  
him the scars of his early sorrow and   
struggles4 ,he was by nature strong and 
robust1 and his experience made him     
unaccommodating and self- asserting4    
,when he was once asked why he was not  
invited to dine out as ,garrick was1 he 
answered1 ,because great lords and      
ladies do not like to have their mouths 

stopped2 and ,johnson was a notorious   
mouth-stopper1 though what he said was  
always worth listening to4  ,johnson's  
companions spoke of him as ,ursa ,major2
 but1 as ,goldsmith generously said of  
him1 ,no man alive has a more tender    
heart2 he has nothing of the bear about 
him but his skin4 ,the kindliness of    
,johnson's nature was shown on one      
occasion by the manner in which he      
assisted a supposed lady in crossing    
,fleet street4 ,he gave her his arm and 
led her across1 not observing that she  
was in liquor at the time4 ,but the     
spirit of the act was not the less kind 
on that account4 ,on the other hand1 the
 conduct of the book-seller on whom     
,johnson once called to solicit         
employment1 and who1 regarding his      
athletic but uncouth person1 told him he
 had better go buy a porter's knot and  
carry trunks1 in howsoever bland tones  
the advice might have been communicated1
 was simply brutal4  ,while captiousness
 of manner1 and the habit of disputing  

and contradicting everything said1 is   
chilling and repulsive1 the opposite    
habit of assenting to1 and sympathizing 
with1 every statement made1 or emotion  
expressed1 is almost equally            
disagreeable4 ,it is unmanly1 and is    
felt to be dishonest4 ,it may seem      
difficult1 says ,richard ,sharp1 to     
steer always between bluntness and      
plain- dealing1 between giving merited  
praise and lavishing indiscriminate     
flattery2 but it is very easy--good     
humor1 kind heartedness and perfect     
simplicity1 being all that are requisite
 to do what is right in the right way4  
,at the same time many are unpolite1 not
 because they mean to be so1 but because
 they are awkward1 and perhaps know no  
better4 ,thus1 when ,gibbon had         
published the second and third volumes  
of his ,decline and ,fall1 the ,duke of 
,cumberland met him one day1 and        
accosted him with1 ,how do you do1 ,mr4 
,gibbon8 ,i see you are always at it in 
the old way--scribble1 scribble1        

scribble6 ,the duke probably intended to
 pay the author a compliment1 but did   
not know how better to do it than in    
this blunt and apparently rude way4     
,again1 many persons are thought to be  
stiff1 reserved and proud1 when they are
 only shy4 ,shyness is characteristic of
 most people of ,teutonic race4 ,it has 
been styled the ,english mania1 but it  
pervades1 to a greater or less degree1  
all the ,northern nations4 ,the average 
,frenchman or ,irishman excels the      
average ,englishman1 ,german or         
,american in courtesy and ease of       
manner1 simply because it is his nature4
 ,they are more social and less         
self-dependent than men of ,teutonic    
origin1 more demonstrative and less     
reticent2 they are more communicative1  
conversational1 and freer in their      
intercourse with each other in all      
respects2 while men of ,german race are 
comparatively stiff1 reserved1 shy and  
awkward4 ,at the same time1 a people may
 exhibit ease1 gayety1 and sprightliness

 of character1 and yet possess no deeper
 qualities calculated to inspire        
respect4 ,they may have every grace of  
manner1 and yet be heartless1 frivolous1
 selfish4 ,the character may be on the  
surface only1 and without any solid     
qualities for a foundation4  ,there can 
be no doubt as to which of the two sorts
 of people--the easy and graceful1 or   
the stiff and awkward--it is most       
agreeable to meet either in business1 in
 society1 or in the casual intercourse  
of life4 ,which make the fastest        
friends1 the truest men of their word1  
the most conscientious performers of    
their duty1 is an entirely different    
matter4  ,as an epitome of good sound   
advice as to getting on in the world    
there has probably been nothing written 
so forcible1 quaint and full of common  
sense a the following preface to an old 
,pennsylvanian ,almanac1 entitled ,poor 
,richard ,improved1 by the great        
philosopher1 ,benjamin ,franklin4 ,it is
 homely1 simple1 sensible and           

practical--a condensation of the        
proverbial wit1 wisdom and every-day    
philosophy1 useful at all times1 and    
essentially so in the present day3      
,,courteous ,,reader--,i have heard that
 nothing gives an author so great       
pleasure as to find his works           
respectfully quoted by others4 ,judge1  
then1 how much ,i must have been        
gratified by an incident ,i am going to 
relate to you4 ,i stopped my horse      
lately where a great number of people   
were collected at an auction of         
merchants' goods4 ,the hour of the sale 
not being come1 they were conversing on 
the badness of the times1 and one of the
 company called to a plain1 clean old   
man with white locks1 ',pray1 ,father   
,abraham1 what think you of the times8  
,will not these heavy taxes quite ruin  
the country8 ,how shall we ever be able 
to pay them8 ,what would you advise us  
to do8' ,father ,abraham stood up1 and  
replied3 ',if you would have my advice  
,i will give it you in short1 for1 ,a   

word to the wise is enough1 as poor     
,richard says4' ,they joined in desiring
 him to speak his mind1 and gathering   
round him1 he proceeded as follows3     
',friends1 the taxes are indeed very    
heavy1 and if those laid on by the      
government were the only ones we had to 
pay we might more easily discharge them2
 but we have many others1 and much more 
grievous to some of us4 ,we are taxed   
twice as much by our idleness1 three    
times as much by our pride1 and four    
times as much by our folly2 and from    
these taxes the commissioners cannot    
ease or deliver us1 by allowing an      
abatement4 ,however1 let us hearken to  
good advice1 and something may be done  
for us4 ,god helps them that help       
themselves1 as poor ,richard says4  ',i4
 ,it would be thought a hard government 
that should tax its people one-tenth    
part of their time1 to be employed in   
its service2 but idleness taxes many of 
use more2 sloth1 by bringing on         
diseases1 absolutely shortens life4     

,sloth1 like rust1 consumes faster than 
labor wears2 while1 ,the used key is    
always bright1 as poor ,richard says4   
,but1 ,dost thou love life1 then do not 
squander time1 for that is the stuff    
life is made of1 as poor ,richard says4 
,how much more than is necessary do we  
spend in sleep6 forgetting that1 ,the   
sleeping fox catches no poultry2 and    
that1 ,there will be sleeping in the    
grave1 as poor ,richard says4  ',if time
 be of all things the most precious1    
wasting time must be1 as poor ,richard  
says1 the greatest prodigality2 since1  
as he elsewhere tells us1 ,lost time is 
never found again2 and1 ,what we call   
time enough always proves little enough4
 ,let us1 then1 be up and be doing1 and 
doing to the purpose2 so by diligence   
shall we do more1 and with less         
perplexity4 ,sloth makes all things     
difficult1 but industry all easy2 and1  
,he that riseth late must trot all day1 
and shall scarce overtake his business  
at night2 while1 ,laziness travels so   

slowly that poverty soon overtakes him4 
,drive thy business1 let not that drive 
thee2 and ,early to bed1 and early to   
rise1 makes a man healthy1 wealthy and  
wise1 as poor ,richard says4  ',so what 
signifies wishing and hoping for better 
times8 ,we may make these times better  
if we bestir ourselves4 ,industry need  
not risk1 and1 ,he that lives upon hopes
 will die fasting4 ,there are no gains  
without pains2 then1 ,help1 hands1 for  
,i have no lands2 or1 if ,i have1 they  
are smartly taxed4 ,he that hath a      
trade1 hath an estate2 and1 ,he that    
hath a calling1 hath an office of profit
 and honor1 as poor ,richard says2 but  
then the trade must be worked at1 and   
the calling followed1 or neither the    
estate nor the office will enable us to 
pay our taxes4 ,if we are industrious we
 shall never starve2 for1 ,at the       
working man's house1 hunger looks in1   
but dares not enter4 ,nor will the      
bailiff or the constable enter2 for1    
,industry pays debts1 while despair     

increaseth them4 ,what though you have  
found no treasure1 nor has any rich     
relation left you a legacy8 ,diligence  
is the mother of good luck1 and ,god    
gives all things to industry4 ,then1    
plough deep1 while sluggards sleep1 and 
you shall have corn to sell and keep4   
,work while it is called to-day1 for you
 know not how much you may be hindered  
to-morrow4 ,one to-day is worth two     
to-morrows1 as poor ,richard says2 and1 
farther1 never leave that till to-morrow
 that you can do to-day4 ,if you were a 
servant1 would you not be shamed that a 
good master would catch you idle8 ,are  
you then your own master1 be ashamed to 
catch yourself idle1 when there is to be
 so much done for yourself1 your family1
 your country1 and your king4 ,handle   
your tools without mittens2 remember    
that the cat in gloves catches no mice1 
as poor ,richard says4 ,it is true there
 is much to be done1 and perhaps your   
are weak-handed2 but stick to it        
steadily1 and you will see great        

effects2 for1 ,constant dropping wears  
away stones2 and1 ,by diligence and     
patience the mouse at in two the cable2 
and1 ,little strokes fell great oaks4   
',methinks ,i hear some of you say1     
,must a man afford himself no leisure8  
,i will tell thee1 my friend1 what poor 
,richard says--,employ thy time well if 
thou meanest to gain leisure2 and since 
thou are not sure of a minute1 throw not
 away an hour4 ,leisure is time for     
doing something useful4 ,this leisure   
the diligent man will obtain1 but the   
lazy man never2 for a life of leisure   
and a life of laziness are two things4  
,many1 without labor1 would live by     
their wits only1 but they break for want
 of stock2 whereas industry gives       
comfort1 and plenty1 and respect4 ,fly  
pleasures1 and they will follow you4    
,the diligent spinner has a large shift2
 and1 ,now ,i have a sheep and a cow1   
everybody bids me goodmorrow4  ',,ii4   
,but with our industry we must likewise 
be steady1 settled and careful1 and     

oversee our own affairs with our own    
eyes1 and not trust to others2 for1 as  
poor ,richard says--  ',i never saw an  
oft-removed tree1  ,nor yet an          
oft-removed family1  ,that throve so    
well as those that settled be4  ,and    
again--,three removes as bad as a fire4 
,and again--,keep thy shop1 and thy shop
 will keep thee4 ,and again--,if you    
would have your business done1 go2 if   
not1 send4 ,and again--  ',he that by   
the plough would thrive  ,himself must  
either hold or drive4  ,and again--,the 
eye of a master will do more work than  
both his hands4 ,and again--,want of    
care does us more damage than want of   
knowledge4 ,and again--,not to oversee  
workmen is to leave them your purse     
open4 ,trusting too much to others' care
 is the ruin of many2 for1 in the       
affairs of this world1 men are saved1   
not by faith1 but by the want of it4    
,but a man's own care is profitable2 for
 if you would have a faithful servant1  
and one that you like1 serve yourself4  

,a little neglect may cause great       
mischief2 ,for want of a nail the shoe  
was lost2 for want of a shoe the horse  
was lost2 for want of a horse the rider 
was lost1 being overtaken and slain by  
the enemy--all for want of a little care
 about a horse-shoe nail4  ',,iii4 ,so  
much for industry1 my friends1 and      
attention to one's own business2 but to 
these we must add frugality1 if we would
 make our industry more certainly       
successful4 ,a man may1 if he knows not 
how to save as he gets1 keep his nose to
 the grindstone all his life1 and die   
not worth a groat at last4 ,a fat       
kitchen makes a lean will2 and  ',many  
estates are spent in the getting1       
,since women for tea forsook spinning   
and knitting1  ,and men for punch       
forsook hewing and splitting4  ,if you  
would be wealthy1 think of saving as    
well as of getting4 ,the ,indies have   
not made ,spain rich1 because her       
outgoes are greater than her incomes4   
',away1 then1 with your expensive       

follies1 and you will not then have so  
much cause to complain of hard times1   
heavy taxes1 and chargeable families2   
for  ',women and wine1 game and deceit1 
,make the wealth small and the want     
great4  ',and further--,what maintains  
one vice would bring up two children4   
,you may think1 perhaps1 that a little  
tea1 or a little punch1 now and then1   
diet a little more costly1 clothes a    
little finer1 and a little entertainment
 now and then1 can be no great matter2  
but remember-- ,many a little makes a   
nickel4 ,beware of little expenses--,a  
small leak will sink a great ship1 as   
poor ,richard says4 ,and                
moreover--,fools make feasts1 and wise  
men eat them4  ' ,here you are all got  
together at this sale of fineries and   
nick- nacks4 ,you call them goods2 but  
if you do not take care they will prove 
evils to some of you4 ,you expect they  
will be sold cheap1 and perhaps they may
 for less than they cost2 but if you    
have no occasion for them they must be  

dear to you4 ,remember what poor        
,richard says-- ,buy what thou hast no  
need of1 and ere long thou shalt sell   
thy necessaries4 ,and again--,at a great
 pennyworth pause awhile4 ,he means that
 the cheapness is apparent only1 and not
 real2 or the bargain1 by straitening   
thee in thy business1 may do thee more  
harm than good2 for in another place he 
says--,many have been ruined by buying  
good pennyworths4 ,again--,it is foolish
 to lay out money in a purchase of      
repentance2 and yet this folly is       
practiced every day at auctions1 for    
want of minding the almanac4 ,many a    
one1 for the sake of finery on the back1
 has gone with a hungry belly and       
half-starved his family4 ,silks and     
satins1 scarlet and velvets1 put out the
 kitchen fire1 as poor ,richard says4   
,these are not the necessaries of life2 
they can scarcely be called the         
conveniences2 and yet1 only because they
 look pretty1 how many want to have     
them6 ,by these1 and other              

extravagances1 the genteel are reduced  
to poverty1 and forced to borrow of     
those whom they formerly despised1 but  
who1 through industry and frugality1    
have maintained their standing2 in which
 case it appears plainly that1 ,a       
ploughman on his legs is higher than a  
gentleman on his knees1 as poor ,richard
 says4 ,perhaps they have had a small   
estate left them1 which they knew not   
the getting of2 they think it is day and
 will never be night2 that a little to  
be spent out of so much is not worth    
minding2 but1 ,always taking out of the 
meal-tub1 and never putting in1 soon    
comes to be the bottom1 as poor ,richard
 says2 and then1 ,when the well is dry1 
they know the worth of water4 ,but this 
they might have know before if they had 
taken his advice--,if they would know   
the value of money1 go and try to borrow
 some2 for1 ,he that goes a-borrowing   
goes a-sorrowing1 as poor ,richard says2
 and1 indeed1 so does he that lends to  
such people when he goes to get his own 

in again4 ,poor dick further advises1   
and says3  ',fond pride or dress is sure
 a very curse1  ,ere fancy you consult1 
consult your purse4  ,and again--,pride 
is as loud a beggar as want1 and a great
 deal more saucy4 ,when you have bought 
one fine thing1 you must buy ten more1  
that your appearance may be all of a    
piece2 but poor ,dick says1 ,it is      
easier to suppress the first desire1    
than to satisfy all that follow it4 ,and
 it is as truly folly for the poor to   
ape the rich1 as for the frog to swell  
in order to equal the ox4  ',vessels    
large may venture more1  ,but little    
boats should keep near shore4  ,it is1  
however1 a folly soon punished2 for1 as 
poor ,richard says1 ,pride that dines on
 vanity1 sups on contempt4 ,pride       
breakfasted with plenty1 dined with     
poverty1 and supped with infamy4 ,and1  
after all1 of what use is this pride of 
appearance1 for which so much is risked1
 so much is suffered8 ,it cannot promote
 health1 nor ease pain2 it makes no     

increase of merit in the person2 it     
creates envy2 it hastens misfortune4    
',but what madness must it be to run in 
debt for these superfluities6 ,we are   
offered1 by the terms of this sale1 six 
months credit2 and that1 perhaps1 has   
induced some of us to attend it1 because
 we cannot spare the ready money1 and   
hope now to be fine without it4 ,but1   
ah6 think what you do when you run in   
debt2 you give to another power over    
your liberty4 ,if you cannot pay at the 
time1 you will be ashamed to see your   
creditor2 you will be in fear when you  
speak to him2 you will make poor1       
pitiful1 sneaking excuses1 and1 by      
degrees1 come to lose your veracity1 and
 sink into base1 downright lying2 for1  
,the second vice is lying1 the first is 
running in debt1 as poor ,richard says2 
and again1 to the same purpose1 ,lying  
rides upon debt's back 4 4 4  ',and now1
 to conclude--,experience keeps a dear  
school1 but fools will learn in no      
other1 as poor ,richard says1 and scarce

 in that2 for1 it is true1 ,we may give 
advice1 but we cannot give conduct4     
,however1 remember this--,they that will
 not be counseled1 cannot be helped2 and
 further1 that1 ,if you will not hear   
,reason1 she will surely rap your       
knuckles1 as poor ,richard says4'  ,thus
 the old gentleman ended his harangue4  
,the people heard it and approved the   
doctrine2 and immediately practiced the 
contrary1 just as if it had been a      
common sermon1 for the auctioneer       
opened1 and they began to buy           
extravagantly4 ,i found the good man had
 thoroughly studied my almanacs1 and    
digested all ,i had dropt on these      
topics during the course of twenty-five 
years4    ,the ,end4