,frontispiece3 ,orison ,swett ,marden ,pushing to the ,front ,,by ,,orison ,,swett ,,marden ,the world makes way for the determined man4 ,,published ,,by ,the ,success ,company's ,branch ,offices ,,petersburg1 ,n4,y4 ---- ,,toledo ---- ,,danville ,,oklahoma ,,city ---- ,,san ,,jose ,,copyright1 #aiaa1 ,by ,,orison ,,swett ,,marden4 ,,foreword ,this revised and greatly enlarged edition of ,pushing to the ,front is the outgrowth of an almost world-wide demand for an extension of the idea which made the original small volume such an ambition-arousing1 energizing1 inspiring force4 ,it is doubtful whether any other book1 outside of the ,bible1 has been the turning-point in more lives4 ,it has sent thousands of youths1 with renewed determination1 back to school or college1 back to all sorts of vocations which they had abandoned in moments of discouragement4 ,it has kept scores of business men from failure after they had given up all hope4 ,it has helped multitudes of poor boys and girls to pay their way through college who had never thought a liberal education possible4 ,the author has received thousands of letters from people in nearly all parts of the world telling how the book has aroused their ambition1 changed their ideals and aims1 and has spurred them to the successful undertaking of what they before had thought impossible4 ,the book has been translated into many foreign languages4 ,in ,japan and several other countries it is used extensively in the public schools4 ,distinguished educators in many parts of the world have recommended its use in schools as a civilization-builder4 ,crowned heads1 presidents of republics1 distinguished members of the ,british and other parliaments1 members of the ,united ,states ,supreme ,court1 noted authors1 scholars1 and eminent people in many parts of the world1 have eulogized this book and have thanked the author for giving it to the world4 ,this volume is full of the most fascinating romances of achievement under difficulties1 of obscure beginnings and triumphant endings1 of stirring stories of struggles and triumphs4 ,it gives inspiring stories of men and women who have brought great things to pass4 ,it gives numerous examples of the triumph of mediocrity1 showing how those of ordinary ability have succeeded by the use of ordinary means4 ,it shows how invalids and cripples even have triumphed by perseverance and will over seemingly insuperable difficulties4 ,the book tells how men and women have seized common occasions and made them great2 it tells of those of average ability who have succeeded by the use of ordinary means1 by dint of indomitable will and inflexible purpose4 ,it tells how poverty and hardship have rocked the cradle of the giants of the race4 ,the book points out that most people do not utilize a large part of their effort because their mental attitude does not correspond with their endeavor1 so that although working for one thing1 they are really expecting something else2 and it is what we expect that we tend to get4 ,no man can become prosperous while he really expects or half expects to remain poor1 for holding the poverty thought1 keeping in touch with poverty-producing conditions1 discourages prosperity4 ,before a man can lift himself he must lift his thoughts4 ,when we shall have learned to master our thought habits1 to keep our minds open to the great divine inflow of life force1 we shall have learned the truths of human endowment1 human possibility4 ,the book points out the fact that what is called success may be failure2 that when men love money so much that they sacrifice their friendships1 their families1 their home life1 sacrifice position1 honor1 health1 everything for the dollar1 their life is a failure1 although they may have accumulated money4 ,it shows how men have become rich at the price of their ideals1 their character1 at the cost of everything noblest1 best1 and truest in life4 ,it preaches the larger doctrine of equality2 the equality of will and purpose which paves a clear path even to the ,presidential chair for a ,lincoln or a ,garfield1 for any one who will pay the price of study and struggle4 ,men who feel themselves badly handicapped1 crippled by their lack of early education1 will find in these pages great encouragement to broaden their horizon1 and will get a practical1 helpful1 sensible education in their odd moments and half-holidays4 ,dr4 ,marden1 in ,pushing to the ,front1 shows that the average of the leaders are not above the average of ability4 ,they are ordinary people1 but of extraordinary persistence and perseverance4 ,it is a storehouse of noble incentive1 a treasury of precious sayings4 ,there is inspiration and encouragement and helpfulness on every page4 ,it teaches the doctrine that no limits can be placed on one's career if he has once learned the alphabet and has push2 that there are no barriers that can say to aspiring talent1 ,thus far1 and no farther4 ,encouragement is its keynote2 it aims to arouse to honorable exertion those who are drifting without aim1 to awaken dormant ambitions in those who have grown discouraged in the struggle for success4 ,,the ,,publishers4 ,,contents ,,chapter ,i4 ,,the ,,man ,,and ,,the ,,opportunity ,,ii4 ,,wanted--,a ,,man ,,iii4 ,,boys ,,with ,,no ,,chance ,,iv4 ,,the ,,country ,,boy ,v4 ,,opportunities ,,where ,,you ,,are ,,vi4 ,,possibilities ,,in ,,spare ,,moments ,,vii4 ,,how ,,poor ,,boys ,,and ,,girls ,,go ,,to ,,college ,,viii4 ,,your ,,opportunity ,,confronts ,,you--,,what ,,will ,,you ,,do ,,with ,,it8 ,,ix4 ,,round ,,boys ,,in ,,square ,,holes ,x4 ,,what ,,career8 ,,xi4 ,,choosing ,a ,,vocation ,,xii4 ,,concentrated ,,energy ,,xiii4 ,,the ,,triumphs ,,of ,,enthusiasm ,,xiv4 ,,on ,,time1 ,,or1 ,,the ,,triumph ,,of ,,promptness ,,xv4 ,,what ,a ,,good ,,appearance ,,will ,,do ,,xvi4 ,,personality ,,as ,a ,,success ,,asset ,,xvii4 ,if ,,you ,,can ,,talk ,,well ,,xviii4 ,a ,,fortune ,,in ,,good ,,manners ,,xix4 ,,self-,,consciousness ,,and ,,timidity ,,foes ,,to ,,success ,,xx4 ,,tact ,,or ,,common ,,sense ,,xxi4 ,,enamored ,,of ,,accuracy ,,xxii4 ,,do ,,it ,,to ,a ,,finish ,,xxiii4 ,,the ,,reward ,,of ,,persistence ,,xxiv4 ,,nerve--,,grip1 ,,pluck ,,xxv4 ,,clear ,,grit ,,xxvi4 ,,success ,,under ,,difficulties ,,xxvii4 ,,uses ,,of ,,obstacles ,,xxviii4 ,,decision ,,xxix4 ,,observation ,,as ,a ,,success ,,factor ,,xxx4 ,,self-,,help ,,xxxi4 ,,the ,,self-,,improvement ,,habit ,,xxxii4 ,,raising ,,of ,,values ,,xxxiii4 ,,public ,,speaking ,,xxxiv4 ,,the ,,triumphs ,,of ,,the ,,common ,,virtues ,,xxxv4 ,,getting ,,aroused ,,xxxvi4 ,,the ,,man ,,with ,,an ,,idea ,,xxxvii4 ,,dare ,,xxxviii4 ,,the ,,will ,,and ,,the ,,way ,,xxxix4 ,,one ,,unwavering ,,aim ,,xl4 ,,work ,,and ,,wait ,,xli4 ,,the ,,might ,,of ,,little ,,things ,,xlii4 ,,the ,,salary ,,you ,,do ,,not ,,find ,,in ,,your ,,pay ,,envelope ,,xliii4 ,,expect ,,great ,,things ,,of ,,yourself ,,xliv4 ,,the ,,next ,,time ,,you ,,think ,,you ,,are ,a ,,failure ,,xlv4 ,,stand ,,for ,,something ,,xlvi4 ,,nature',s ,,little ,,bill ,,xlvii4 ,,habit--,,the ,,servant1--,,the ,,master ,,xlviii4 ,,the ,,cigarette ,,xlix4 ,,the ,,power ,,of ,,purity ,l4 ,,the ,,habit ,,of ,,happiness ,,li4 ,,put ,,beauty ,,into ,,your ,,life ,,lii4 ,,education ,,by ,,absorption ,,liii4 ,,the ,,power ,,of ,,suggestion ,,liv4 ,,the ,,curse ,,of ,,worry ,,lv4 ,,take ,a ,,pleasant ,,thought ,,to ,,bed ,,with ,,you ,,lvi4 ,,the ,,conquest ,,of ,,poverty ,,lvii4 ,a ,,new ,,way ,,of ,,bringing ,,up ,,children ,,lviii4 ,,the ,,home ,,as ,a ,,school ,,of ,,good ,,manners ,,lix4 ,,mother ,,lx4 ,,why ,,so ,,many ,,married ,,women ,,deteriorate ,,lxi4 ,,thrift ,,lxii4 ,a ,,college ,,education ,,at ,,home ,,lxiii4 ,,discrimination ,,in ,,reading ,,lxiv4 ,,reading ,a ,,spur ,,to ,,ambition ,,lxv4 ,,why ,,some ,,succeed ,,and ,,others ,,fail ,,lxvi4 ,,rich ,,without ,,money ,,illustrations ,orison ,swett ,marden 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,frontispiece ,house in which ,abraham ,lincoln was born ,ulysses ,s4 ,grant ,william ,ewart ,gladstone ,john ,wanamaker ,jane ,addams ,thomas ,alva ,edison ,henry ,ward ,beecher ,lincoln studying by the firelight ,marshall ,field ,joseph ,jefferson ,transcriber's note3 ,jefferson was a prominent actor during the latter half of the #ahjj's4 ,theodore ,roosevelt ,helen ,keller ,william ,mc,kinley ,julia ,ward ,howe ,mark ,twain ,,pushing ,,to ,,the ,,front ,,chapter ,i ,,the ,,man ,,and ,,the ,,opportunity ,no man is born into this world whose work is not born with him4--,,lowell4 ,things don't turn up in this world until somebody turns them up4--,,garfield4 ,vigilance in watching opportunity2 tact and daring in seizing upon opportunity2 force and persistence in crowding opportunity to its utmost of possible achievement--these are the martial virtues which must command success4--,,austin ,,phelps4 ,i will find a way or make one4 ,there never was a day that did not bring its own opportunity for doing good that never could have been done before1 and never can be again4--,w4 ,h4 ,,burleigh4 ,are you in earnest8 ,seize this very minute2 ,what you can do1 or dream you can1 begin it4 ,if we succeed1 what will the world say8 asked ,captain ,berry in delight1 when ,nelson had explained his carefully formed plan before the battle of the ,nile4 ,there is no if in the case1 replied ,nelson4 ,that we shall succeed is certain4 ,who may live to tell the tale is a very different question4 ,then1 as his captains rose from the council to go to their respective ships1 he added3 ,before this time to-morrow ,i shall have gained a peerage or ,westminster ,abbey4 ,his quick eye and daring spirit saw an opportunity of glorious victory where others saw only probable defeat4 ,is it ,,possible to cross the path8 asked ,napoleon of the engineers who had been sent to explore the dreaded pass of ,st4 ,bernard4 ,perhaps1 was the hesitating reply1 it is within the limits of possibility4 ,,forward ,,then1 said the ,little ,corporal1 without heeding their account of apparently insurmountable difficulties4 ,england and ,austria laughed in scorn at the idea of transporting across the ,alps1 where no wheel had ever rolled1 or by any possibility could roll1 an army of sixty thousand men1 with ponderous artillery1 tons of cannon balls and baggage1 and all the bulky munitions of war4 ,but the besieged ,massena was starving in ,genoa1 and the victorious ,austrians thundered at the gates of ,nice1 and ,napoleon was not the man to fail his former comrades in their hour of peril4 ,when this impossible deed was accomplished1 some saw that it might have been done long before4 ,others excused themselves from encountering such gigantic obstacles by calling them insuperable4 ,many a commander had possessed the necessary supplies1 tools1 and rugged soldiers1 but lacked the grit and resolution of ,bonaparte1 who did not shrink from mere difficulties1 however great1 but out of his very need made and mastered his opportunity4 ,grant at ,new ,orleans had just been seriously injured by a fall from his horse1 when he received orders to take command at ,chattanooga1 so sorely beset by the ,confederates that its surrender seemed only a question of a few days2 for the hills around were all aglow by night with the camp-fires of the enemy1 and supplies had been cut off4 ,though in great pain1 he immediately gave directions for his removal to the new scene of action4 ,on transports up the ,mississippi1 the ,ohio1 and one of its tributaries2 on a litter borne by horses for many miles through the wilderness2 and into the city at last on the shoulders of four men1 he was taken to ,chattanooga4 ,things assumed a different aspect immediately4 ,a master had arrived who was equal to the situation4 ,the army felt the grip of his power4 ,before he could mount his horse he ordered an advance1 and although the enemy contested the ground inch by inch1 the surrounding hills were soon held by ,union soldiers4 ,were these things the result of chance1 or were they compelled by the indominable determination of the injured ,general8 ,did things adjust themselves when ,horatius with two companions held ninety thousand ,tuscans at bay until the bridge across the ,tiber had been destroyed8--when ,leonidas at ,thermopylae checked the mighty march of ,xerxes8--when ,themistocles1 off the coast of ,greece1 shattered the ,persian's ,armada8--when ,caesar1 finding his army hard pressed1 seized spear and buckler1 fought while he reorganized his men1 and snatched victory from defeat8--when ,winkelried gathered to his heart a sheaf of ,austrian spears1 thus opening a path through which his comrades pressed to freedom8--when for years ,napoleon did not lose a single battle in which he was personally engaged8--when ,wellington fought in many climes without ever being conquered8--when ,ney1 on a hundred fields1 changed apparent disaster into brilliant triumph8--when ,perry left the disabled ,lawrence1 rowed to the ,niagara1 and silenced the ,british guns8--when ,sheridan arrived from ,winchester just as the ,union retreat was becoming a rout1 and turned the tide by riding along the line8--when ,sherman1 though sorely pressed1 signaled his men to hold the fort1 and they1 knowing that their leader was coming1 held it8 ,history furnishes thousands of examples of men who have seized occasions to accomplish results deemed impossible by those less resolute4 ,prompt decision and whole-souled action sweep the world before them4 ,true1 there has been but one ,napoleon2 but1 on the other hand1 the ,alps that oppose the progress of the average ,american youth are not as high or dangerous as the summits crossed by the great ,corsican4 ,don't wait for extraordinary opportunities4 ,seize common occasions and make them great4 ,on the morning of ,september #f1 #ahch1 a young woman in the ,longstone ,lighthouse1 between ,england and ,scotland1 was awakened by shrieks of agony rising above the roar of wind and wave4 ,a storm of unwonted fury was raging1 and her parents could not hear the cries2 but a telescope showed nine human beings clinging to the windlass of a wrecked vessel whose bow was hanging on the rocks half a mile away4 ,we can do nothing1 said ,william ,darling1 the light-keeper4 ,ah1 yes1 we must go to the rescue1 exclaimed his daughter1 pleading tearfully with both father and mother1 until the former replied3 ,very well1 ,grace1 ,i will let you persuade me1 though it is against my better judgment4 ,like a feather in a whirlwind the little boat was tossed on the tumultuous sea1 but1 borne on the blast that swept the cruel surge1 the shrieks of those shipwrecked sailors seemed to change her weak sinews into cords of steel4 ,strength hitherto unsuspected came from somewhere1 and the heroic girl pulled one oar in even time with her father4 ,at length the nine were safely on board4 ,god bless you2 but ye're a bonny ,english lass1 said one poor fellow1 as he looked wonderingly upon this marvelous girl1 who that day had done a deed which added more to ,england's glory than the exploits of many of her monarchs4 ,if you will let me try1 ,i think ,i can make something that will do1 said a boy who had been employed as a scullion at the mansion of ,signer ,faliero1 as the story is told by ,george ,cary ,eggleston4 ,a large company had been invited to a banquet1 and just before the hour the confectioner1 who had been making a large ornament for the table1 sent word that he had spoiled the piece4 ,you6 exclaimed the head servant1 in astonishment2 and who are you8 ,i am ,antonio ,canova1 the grandson of ,pisano1 the stone-cutter1 replied the pale-faced little fellow4 ,and pray1 what can you do8 asked the major-domo4 ,i can make you something that will do for the middle of the table1 if you'll let me try4 ,the servant was at his wits' end1 so he told ,antonio to go ahead and see what he could do4 ,calling for some butter1 the scullion quickly molded a large crouching lion1 which the admiring major-domo placed upon the table4 ,dinner was announced1 and many of the most noted merchants1 princes1 and noblemen of ,venice were ushered into the dining-room4 ,among them were skilled critics of art work4 ,when their eyes fell upon the butter lion1 they forgot the purpose for which they had come in their wonder at such a work of genius4 ,they looked at the lion long and carefully1 and asked ,signer ,faliero what great sculptor had been persuaded to waste his skill upon such a temporary material4 ,faliero could not tell2 so he asked the head servant1 who brought ,antonio before the company4 ,when the distinguished guests learned that the lion had been made in a short time by a scullion1 the dinner was turned into a feast in his honor4 ,the rich host declared that he would pay the boy's expenses under the best masters1 and he kept his word4 ,antonio was not spoiled by his good fortune1 but remained at heart the same simple1 earnest1 faithful boy who had tried so hard to become a good stone-cutter in the shop of ,pisano4 ,some may not have heard how the boy ,antonio took advantage of this first great opportunity2 but all know of ,canova1 one of the greatest sculptors of all time4 ,weak men wait for opportunities1 strong men make them4 ,the best men1 says ,e4 ,h4 ,chapin1 are not those who have waited for chances but who have taken them2 besieged the chance2 conquered the chance2 and made chance the servitor4 ,there may not be one chance in a million that you will ever receive unusual aid2 but opportunities are often presented which you can improve to good advantage1 if you will only act4 ,the lack of opportunity is ever the excuse of a weak1 vacillating mind4 ,opportunities6 ,every life is full of them4 ,every lesson in school or college is an opportunity4 ,every examination is a chance in life4 ,every patient is an opportunity4 ,every newspaper article is an opportunity4 ,every client is an opportunity4 ,every sermon is an opportunity4 ,every business transaction is an opportunity1--an opportunity to be polite1--an opportunity to be manly1--an opportunity to be honest1--an opportunity to make friends4 ,every proof of confidence in you is a great opportunity4 ,every responsibility thrust upon your strength and your honor is priceless4 ,existence is the privilege of effort1 and when that privilege is met like a man1 opportunities to succeed along the line of your aptitude will come faster than you can use them4 ,if a slave like ,fred ,douglass1 who did not even own his body1 can elevate himself into an orator1 editor1 statesman1 what ought the poorest white boy to do1 who is rich in opportunities compared with ,douglass8 ,it is the idle man1 not the great worker1 who is always complaining that he has no time or opportunity4 ,some young men will make more out of the odds and ends of opportunities which many carelessly throw away than other will get out of a whole life-time4 ,like bees1 they extract honey from every flower4 ,every person they meet1 every circumstance of the day1 adds something to their store of useful knowledge or personal power4 ,there is nobody whom ,fortune does not visit once in his life1 says a cardinal2 but when she finds he is not ready to receive her1 she goes in at the door and out at the window4 ,cornelius ,vanderbilt saw his opportunity in the steamboat1 and determined to identify himself with steam navigation4 ,to the surprise of all his friends1 he abandoned his prosperous business and took command of one of the first steamboats launched1 at a salary of one thousand dollars a year4 ,livingston and ,fulton had acquired the sole right to navigate ,new ,york waters by steam1 but ,vanderbilt thought the law unconstitutional1 and defied it until it was repealed4 ,he soon became a steamboat owner4 ,when the government was paying a large subsidy for carrying the ,european mails1 he offered to carry them free and give better service4 ,his offer was accepted1 and in this way he soon built up an enormous freight and passenger traffic4 ,foreseeing the great future of railroads in a country like ours1 he plunged into railroad enterprises with all his might1 laying the foundation for the vast ,vanderbilt system of to-day4 ,young ,philip ,armour joined the long caravan of ,forty-,niners1 and crossed the ,great ,american ,desert with all his possessions in a prairie schooner drawn by mules4 ,hard work and steady gains carefully saved in the mines enabled him to start1 six years later1 in the grain and warehouse business in ,milwaukee4 ,in nine years he made five hundred thousand dollars4 ,but he saw his great opportunity in ,grant's order1 ,on to ,richmond4 ,one morning in #ahfd he knocked at the door of ,plankinton1 partner in his venture as a pork packer4 ,i am going to take the next train to ,new ,york1 said he1 to sell pork 'short4' ,grant and ,sherman have the rebellion by the throat1 and pork will go down to twelve dollars a barrel4 ,this was his opportunity4 ,he went to ,new ,york and offered pork in large quantities at forty dollars per barrel4 ,it was eagerly taken4 ,the shrewd ,wall ,street speculators laughed at the young ,westerner1 and told him pork would go to sixty dollars1 for the war was not nearly over4 ,mr4 ,armour1 however1 kept on selling1 ,grant continued to advance4 ,richmond fell1 pork fell with it to twelve dollars a barrel1 and ,mr4 ,armour cleared two millions of dollars4 ,john ,d4 ,rockefeller saw his opportunity in petroleum4 ,he could see a large population in this country with very poor lights4 ,petroleum was plentiful1 but the refining process was so crude that the product was inferior1 and not wholly safe4 ,here was ,rockefeller's chance4 ,taking into partnership ,samuel ,andrews1 the porter in a machine shop where both men had worked1 he started a single barrel still in #ahgj1 using an improved process discovered by his partner4 ,they made a superior grade of oil and prospered rapidly4 ,they admitted a third partner1 ,mr4 ,flagler1 but ,andrews soon became dissatisfied4 ,what will you take for your interest8 asked ,rockefeller4 ,andrews wrote carelessly on a piece of paper1 ,one million dollars4 ,within twenty-four hours ,mr4 ,rockefeller handed him the amount1 saying1 ,cheaper at one million than ten4 ,in twenty years the business of the little refinery1 scarcely worth one thousand dollars for building and apparatus1 had grown into the ,standard ,oil ,trust1 capitalized at ninety millions of dollars1 with stock quoted at #agj1 giving a market value of one hundred and fifty millions4 ,these are illustrations of seizing opportunity for the purpose of making money4 ,but fortunately there is a new generation of electricians1 of engineers1 of scholars1 of artists1 of authors1 and of poets1 who find opportunities1 thick as thistles1 for doing something nobler than merely amassing riches4 ,wealth is not an end to strive for1 but an opportunity2 not the climax of a man's career1 but an incident4 ,mrs4 ,elizabeth ,fry1 a ,quaker lady1 saw her opportunity in the prisons of ,england4 ,from three hundred to four hundred half-naked women1 as late as #ahac1 would often be huddled in a single ward of ,newgate1 ,london1 awaiting trial4 ,they had neither beds nor bedding1 but women1 old and young1 and little girls1 slept in filth and rags on the floor4 ,no one seemed to care for them1 and the ,government merely furnished food to keep them alive4 ,mrs4 ,fry visited ,newgate1 calmed the howling mob1 and told them she wished to establish a school for the young women and the girls1 and asked them to select a schoolmistress from their own number4 ,they were amazed1 but chose a young woman who had been committed for stealing a watch4 ,in three months these wild beasts1 as they were sometimes called1 became harmless and kind4 ,the reform spread until the ,government legalized the system1 and good women throughout ,great ,britain became interested in the work of educating and clothing these outcasts4 ,fourscore years have passed1 and her plan has been adopted throughout the civilized world4 ,a boy in ,england had been run over by a car1 and the bright blood spurted from a severed artery4 ,no one seemed to know what to do until another boy1 ,astley ,cooper1 took his handkerchief and stopped the bleeding by pressure above the wound4 ,the praise which he received for thus saving the boy's life encouraging him to become a surgeon1 the foremost of his day4 ,the time comes to the young surgeon1 says ,arnold1 when1 after long waiting1 and patient study and experiment1 he is suddenly confronted with his first critical operation4 ,the great surgeon is away4 ,time is pressing4 ,life and death hang in the balance4 ,is he equal to the emergency8 ,can he fill the great surgeon's place1 and do his work8 ,if he can1 he is the one of all others who is wanted4 ,his opportunity confronts him4 ,he and it are face to face4 ,shall he confess his ignorance and inability1 or step into fame and fortune8 ,it is for him to say4 ,are you prepared for a great opportunity8 ,hawthorne dined one day with ,longfellow1 said ,james ,t4 ,fields1 and brought a friend1 with him from ,salem4 ,after dinner the friend said1 ',i have been trying to persuade ,hawthorne to write a story based upon a legend of ,acadia1 and still current there1--the legend of a girl who1 in the dispersion of the ,acadians1 was separated from her lover1 and passed her life in waiting and seeking for him1 and only found him dying in a hospital when both were old4' ,longfellow wondered that the legend did not strike the fancy of ,hawthorne1 and he said to him1 ',if you have really made up your mind not to use it for a story1 will you let me have it for a poem8' ,to this ,hawthorne consented1 and promised1 moreover1 not to treat the subject in prose till ,longfellow had seen what he could do with it in verse4 ,longfellow seized his opportunity and gave to the world ',evangeline1 or the ,exile of the ,acadians4' ,open eyes will discover opportunities everywhere2 open ears will never fail to detect the cries of those who are perishing for assistance2 open hearts will never want for worthy objects upon which to bestow their gifts2 open hands will never lack for noble work to do4 ,everybody had noticed the overflow when a solid is immersed in a vessel filled with water1 although no one had made use of his knowledge that the body displaces its exact bulk of liquid2 but when ,archimedes observed the fact1 he perceived therein an easy method of finding the cubical contents of objects1 however irregular in shape4 ,everybody knew how steadily a suspended weight1 when moved1 sways back and forth until friction and the resistance of the air bring it to rest1 yet no one considered this information of the slightest practical importance2 but the boy ,galileo1 as he watched a lamp left swinging by accident in the cathedral at ,pisa1 saw in the regularity of those oscillations the useful principle of the pendulum4 ,even the iron doors of a prison were not enough to shut him out from research4 ,he experimented with the straw of his cell1 and learned valuable lessons about the relative strength of tubes and rods of equal diameters4 ,for ages astronomers had been familiar with the rings of ,saturn1 and regarded them merely as curious exceptions to the supposed law of planetary formation2 but ,laplace saw that1 instead of being exceptions1 they are the sole remaining visible evidences of certain stages in the invariable process of star manufacture1 and from their mute testimony he added a valuable chapter to the scientific history of ,creation4 ,there was not a sailor in ,europe who had not wondered what might lie beyond the ,western ,ocean1 but it remained for ,columbus to steer boldly out into an unknown sea and discover a new world4 ,innumerable apples had fallen from trees1 often hitting heedless men on the head as if to set them thinking1 but ,newton was the first to realize that they fall to the earth by the same law which holds the planets in their courses and prevents the momentum of all the atoms in the universe from hurling them wildly back to chaos4 ,lightning had dazzled the eyes1 and thunder had jarred the ears of men since the days of ,adam1 in the vain attempt to call their attention to the all-pervading and tremendous energy of electricity2 but the discharges of ,heaven's artillery were seen and heard only by the eye and ear of terror until ,franklin1 by a simple experiment1 proved that lightning is but one manifestation of a resistless yet controllable force1 abundant as air and water4 ,like many others1 these men are considered great1 simply because they improved opportunities common to the whole human race4 ,read the story of any successful man and mark its moral1 told thousands of years ago by ,solomon3 ,seest thou a man diligent in his business8 he shall stand before kings4 ,this proverb is well illustrated by the career of the industrious ,franklin1 for he stood before five kings and dined with two4 ,he who improves an opportunity sows a seed which will yield fruit in opportunity for himself and others4 ,every one who has labored honestly in the past has aided to place knowledge and comfort within the reach of a constantly increasing number4 ,avenues greater in number1 wider in extent1 easier of access than ever before existed1 stand open to the sober1 frugal1 energetic and able mechanic1 to the educated youth1 to the office boy and to the clerk--avenues through which they can reap greater successes than ever before within the reach of these classes in the history of the world4 ,a little while ago there were only three or four professions--now there are fifty4 ,and of trades1 where there was one1 there are a hundred now4 ,what is its name8 asked a visitor in a studio1 when shown1 among many gods1 one whose face was concealed by hair1 and which had wings on its feet4 ,opportunity1 replied the sculptor4 ,why is its face hidden8 ,because men seldom know him when he comes to them4 ,why has he wings on his feet8 ,because he is soon gone1 and once gone1 cannot be overtaken4 ,opportunity has hair in front1 says a ,latin author2 behind she is bald2 if you seize her by the forelock1 you may hold her1 but1 if suffered to escape1 not ,jupiter himself can catch her again4 ,but what is the best opportunity to him who cannot or will not use it8 ,it was my lot1 said a shipmaster1 to fall in with the ill-fated steamer ,central ,america4 ,the night was closing in1 the sea rolling high2 but ,i hailed the crippled steamer and asked if they needed help4 ',i am in a sinking condition1' cried ,captain ,herndon4 ',had you not better send your passengers on board directly8' ,i asked4 ',will you not lay by me until morning8' replied ,captain ,herndon4 ',i will try1' ,i answered 'but had you not better send your passengers on board now8' ',lay by me till morning1' again shouted ,captain ,herndon4 ,i tried to lay by him1 but at night1 such was the heavy roll of the sea1 ,i could not keep my position1 and ,i never saw the steamer again4 ,in an hour and a half after he said1 ',lay by me till morning1' his vessel1 with its living freight1 went down4 ,the captain and crew and most of the passengers found a grave in the deep4 ,captain ,herndon appreciated the value of the opportunity he had neglected when it was beyond his reach1 but of what avail was the bitterness of his self-reproach when his last moments came8 ,how many lives were sacrificed to his unintelligent hopefulness and indecision6 ,like him the feeble1 the sluggish1 and the purposeless too often see no meaning in the happiest occasions1 until too late they learn the old lesson that the mill can never grind with the water which has passed4 ,such people are always a little too late or a little too early in everything they attempt4 ,they have three hands apiece1 said ,john ,b4 ,gough2 a right hand1 a left hand1 and a little behindhand4 ,as boys1 they were late for school1 and unpunctual in their home duties4 ,that is the way the habit is acquired2 and now1 when responsibility claims them1 they think that if they had only gone yesterday they would have obtained the situation1 or they can probably get one to-morrow4 ,they remember plenty of chances to make money1 or know how to make it some other time than now2 they see how to improve themselves or help others in the future1 but perceive no opportunity in the present4 ,they cannot seize their opportunity4 ,joe ,stoker1 rear brakeman on the ---- accommodation train1 was exceedingly popular with all the railroad men4 ,the passengers liked him1 too1 for he was eager to please and always ready to answer questions4 ,but he did not realize the full responsibility of his position4 ,he took the world easy1 and occasionally tippled2 and if any one remonstrated1 he would give one of his brightest smiles1 and reply1 in such a good-natured way that the friend would think he had over-estimated the danger3 ,thank you4 ,i'm all right4 ,don't you worry4 ,one evening there was a heavy snowstorm1 and his train was delayed4 ,joe complained of extra duties because of the storm1 and slyly sipped occasional draughts from a flat bottle4 ,soon he became quite jolly2 but the conductor and engineer of the train were both vigilant and anxious4 ,between two stations the train came to a quick halt4 ,the engine had blown out its cylinder head1 and an express was due in a few minutes upon the same track4 ,the conductor hurried to the rear car1 and ordered ,joe back with a red light4 ,the brakeman laughed and said3 ,there's no hurry4 ,wait till ,i get my overcoat4 ,the conductor answered gravely1 ,don't stop a minute1 ,joe4 ,the express is due4 ,all right1 said ,joe1 smilingly4 ,the conductor then hurried forward to the engine4 ,but the brakeman did not go at once4 ,he stopped to put on his overcoat4 ,then he took another sip from the flat bottle to keep the cold out4 ,then he slowly grasped the lantern and1 whistling1 moved leisurely down the track4 ,he had not gone ten paces before he heard the puffing of the express4 ,then he ran for the curve1 but it was too late4 ,in a horrible minute the engine of the express had telescoped the standing train1 and the shrieks of the mangled passengers mingled with the hissing escape of steam4 ,later on1 when they asked for ,joe1 he had disappeared2 but the next day he was found in a barn1 delirious1 swinging an empty lantern in front of an imaginary train1 and crying1 ,oh1 that ,i had6 ,he was taken home1 and afterwards to an asylum1 and there is no sadder sound in that sad place than the unceasing moan1 ,oh1 that ,i had6 ,oh1 that ,i had6 of the unfortunate brakeman1 whose criminal indulgence brought disaster to many lives4 ,oh1 that ,i had6 or ,oh1 that ,i had not6 is the silent cry of many a man who would give life itself for the opportunity to go back and retrieve some long-past error4 ,there are moments1 says ,dean ,alford1 which are worth more than years4 ,we cannot help it4 ,there is no proportion between spaces of time in importance nor in value4 ,a stray1 unthought-of five minutes may contain the event of a life4 ,and this all-important moment--who can tell when it will be upon us8 ,what we call a turning-point1 says ,arnold1 is simply an occasion which sums up and brings to a result previous training4 ,accidental circumstances are nothing except to men who have been trained to take advantage of them4 ,the trouble with us is that we are ever looking for a princely chance of acquiring riches1 or fame1 or worth4 ,we are dazzled by what ,emerson calls the shallow ,americanism of the day4 ,we are expecting mastery without apprenticeship1 knowledge without study1 and riches by credit4 ,young men and women1 why stand ye here all the day idle8 ,was the land all occupied before you were born8 ,has the earth ceased to yield its increase8 ,are the seats all taken8 the positions all filled8 the chances all gone8 ,are the resources of your country fully developed8 ,are the secrets of nature all mastered8 ,is there no way in which you can utilize these passing moments to improve yourself or benefit others8 ,is the competition of modern existence so fierce that you must be content simply to gain an honest living8 ,have you received the gift of life in this progressive age1 wherein all the experience of the past is garnered for your inspiration1 merely that you may increase by one the sum total of purely animal existence8 ,born in an age and country in which knowledge and opportunity abound as never before1 how can you sit with folded hands1 asking ,god's aid in work for which ,he has already given you the necessary faculties and strength8 ,even when the ,chosen ,people supposed their progress checked by the ,red ,sea1 and their leader paused for ,divine help1 the ,lord said1 ,wherefore criest thou unto me8 ,speak unto the children of ,israel1 that they go forward4 ,with the world full of work that needs to be done2 with human nature so constituted that often a pleasant word or a trifling assistance may stem the tide of disaster for some fellow man1 or clear his path to success2 with our own faculties so arranged that in honest1 earnest1 persistent endeavor we find our highest good2 and with countless noble examples to encourage us to dare and to do1 each moment brings us to the threshold of some new opportunity4 ,don't wait for your opportunity4 ,make it1--make it as the shepherd-boy ,ferguson made his when he calculated the distances of the stars with a handful of glass beads on a string4 ,make it as ,george ,stephenson made his when he mastered the rules of mathematics with a bit of chalk on the grimy sides of the coal wagons in the mines4 ,make it1 as ,napoleon made his in a hundred impossible situations4 ,make it1 as all leaders of men1 in war and in peace1 have made their chances of success4 ,golden opportunities are nothing to laziness1 but industry makes the commonest chances golden4 ,there is a tide in the affairs of men1 ,which1 taken at the flood1 leads on to fortune2 ,omitted1 all the voyage of their life ,is bound in shallows and in miseries2 ,and we must take the current when it serves1 ,or lose our ventures4 ',tis never offered twice2 seize1 then1 the hour ,when fortune smiles1 and duty points the way2 ,nor shrink aside to 'scape the specter fear1 ,nor pause1 though pleasure beckon from her bower2 ,but bravely bear thee onward to the goal4 ,,chapter ,,ii ,,wanted--,a ,,man ,wanted2 men3 ,not systems fit and wise1 ,not faiths with rigid eyes1 ,not wealth in mountain piles1 ,not power with gracious smiles1 ,not even the potent pen2 ,wanted2 men4 ,all the world cries1 ,where is the man who will save us8 ,we want a man6 ,don't look so far for this man4 ,you have him at hand4 ,this man1--it is you1 it is ,i1 it is each one of us6 4 4 4 ,how to constitute one's self a man8 ,nothing harder1 if one knows not how to will it2 nothing easier1 if one wills it4--,,alexandre ,,dumas4 ,diogenes sought with a lantern at noontide in ancient ,athens for a perfectly honest man1 and sought in vain4 ,in the market place he once cried aloud1 ,hear me1 ,o men2 and1 when a crowd collected around him1 he said scornfully3 ,i called for men1 not pygmies4 ,over the door of every profession1 every occupation1 every calling1 the world has a standing advertisement3 ,wanted--,a ,man4 ,wanted1 a man who will not lose his individuality in a crowd1 a man who has the courage of his convictions1 who is not afraid to say ,no1 though all the world say ,yes4 ,wanted1 a man who1 though he is dominated by a mighty purpose1 will not permit one great faculty to dwarf1 cripple1 warp1 or mutilate his manhood2 who will not allow the over-development of one faculty to stunt or paralyze his other faculties4 ,wanted1 a man who is larger than his calling1 who considers it a low estimate of his occupation to value it merely as a means of getting a living4 ,wanted1 a man who sees self-development1 education and culture1 discipline and drill1 character and manhood1 in his occupation4 ,a thousand pulpits vacant in a single religious denomination1 a thousand preachers standing idle in the market place1 while a thousand church committees scour the land for men to fill those same vacant pulpits1 and scour in vain1 is a sufficient indication1 in one direction at least1 of the largeness of the opportunities of the age1 and also of the crying need of good men4 ,wanted1 a man of courage who is not a coward in any part of his nature4 ,wanted1 a man who is well balanced1 who is not cursed with some little defect of weakness which cripples his usefulness and neutralizes his powers4 ,wanted1 a man who is symmetrical1 and not one-sided in his development1 who has not sent all the energies of his being into one narrow specialty and allowed all the other branches of his life to wither and die4 ,wanted1 a man who is broad1 who does not take half views of things2 a man who mixes common sense with his theories1 who does not let a college education spoil him for practical1 every-day life2 a man who prefers substance to show1 and one who regards his good name as a priceless treasure4 ,wanted1 a man who1 no stunted ascetic1 is full of life and fire1 but whose passions are trained to heed a strong will1 the servant of a tender conscience2 who has learned to love all beauty1 whether of nature or of art1 to hate all vileness1 and to respect others as himself4 ,the world wants a man who is educated all over2 whose nerves are brought to their acutest sensibility2 whose brain is cultured1 keen1 incisive1 broad2 whose hands are deft2 whose eyes are alert1 sensitive1 microscopic2 whose heart is tender1 magnanimous1 true4 ,the whole world is looking for such a man4 ,although there are millions out of employment1 yet it is almost impossible to find just the right man in almost any department of life1 and yet everywhere we see the advertisement3 ,wanted--,a ,man4 ,rousseau1 in his celebrated essay on education1 says2 ,according to the order of nature1 men being equal1 their common vocation is the profession of humanity2 and whoever is well educated to discharge the duty of a man can not be badly prepared to fill any of those offices that have a relation to him4 ,it matters little to me whether my pupil be designed for the army1 the pulpit1 or the bar4 ,nature has destined us to the offices of human life antecedent to our destination concerning society4 ,to live is the profession ,i would teach him4 ,when ,i have done with him1 it is true he will be neither a soldier1 a lawyer1 nor a divine4 ,let him first be a man2 ,fortune may remove him from one rank to another as she pleases1 he will be always found in his place4 ,a little1 short doctor of divinity in a large ,baptist convention stood on a step and said he thanked ,god he was a ,baptist4 ,the audience could not hear and called ,louder4 ,get up higher1 some one said4 ,i can't1 he replied4 ,to be a ,baptist is as high as one can get4 ,but there is something higher than being a ,baptist1 and that is being a man4 ,as ,emerson says1 ,talleyrand's question is ever the main one2 not1 is he rich8 is he committed8 is he well-meaning8 has he this or that faculty8 is he of the movement8 is he of the establishment8 but is he anybody8 does he stand for something8 ,he must be good of his kind4 ,that is all that ,talleyrand1 all that the common sense of mankind asks4 ,when ,garfield as a boy was asked what he meant to be he answered3 ,first of all1 ,i must make myself a man2 if ,i do not succeed in that1 ,i can succeed in nothing4 ,montaigne says our work is not to train a soul by itself alone1 nor a body by itself alone1 but to train a man4 ,one great need for the world to-day is for men and women who are good animals4 ,to endure the strain of our concentrated civilization1 the coming man and woman must have good bodies and an excess of animal spirits4 ,what more glorious than a magnificent manhood1 animated with the bounding spirits of overflowing health8 ,it is a sad sight to see thousands of students graduated every year from our grand institutions whose object is to make stalwart1 independent1 self-supporting men1 turned out into the world saplings instead of stalwart oaks1 memory-glands instead of brainy men1 helpless instead of self-supporting1 sickly instead of robust1 weak instead of strong1 leaning instead of erect4 ,so many promising youths1 and never a finished man6 ,the character sympathizes with and unconsciously takes on the nature of the body4 ,a peevish1 snarling1 ailing man can not develop the vigor and strength of character which is possible to a healthy1 robust1 cheerful man4 ,there is an inherent love in the human mind for wholeness1 a demand that man shall come up to the highest standard2 and there is an inherent protest or contempt for preventable deficiency4 ,nature1 too1 demands that man be ever at the top of his condition4 ,as we stand upon the seashore while the tide is coming in1 one wave reaches up the beach far higher than any previous one1 then recedes1 and for some time none that follows comes up to its mark1 but after a while the whole sea is there and beyond it4 ,so now and then there comes a man head and shoulders above his fellow men1 showing that ,nature has not lost her ideal1 and after a while even the average man will overtop the highest wave of manhood yet given to the world4 ,apelles hunted over ,greece for many years1 studying the fairest points of beautiful women1 getting here an eye1 there a forehead and there a nose1 here a grace and there a turn of beauty1 for his famous portrait of a perfect woman which enchanted the world4 ,so the coming man will be a composite1 many in one4 ,he will absorb into himself not the weakness1 not the follies1 but the strength and the virtues of other types of men4 ,he will be a man raised to the highest power4 ,he will be a self-centered1 equipoised1 and ever master of himself4 ,his sensibility will not be deadened or blunted by violation of ,nature's laws4 ,his whole character will be impressionable1 and will respond to the most delicate touches of ,nature4 ,the first requisite of all education and discipline should be man-timber4 ,tough timber must come from well grown1 sturdy trees4 ,such wood can be turned into a mast1 can be fashioned into a piano or an exquisite carving4 ,but it must become timber first4 ,time and patience develop the sapling into the tree4 ,so through discipline1 education1 experience1 the sapling child is developed into hardy mental1 moral1 physical man-timber4 ,if the youth should start out with the fixed determination that every statement he makes shall be the exact truth2 that every promise he makes shall be redeemed to the letter2 that every appointment shall be kept with the strictest faithfulness and with full regard for other men's time2 if he should hold his reputation as a priceless treasure1 feel that the eyes of the world are upon him that he must not deviate a hair's breadth from the truth and right2 if he should take such a stand at the outset1 he would1 like ,george ,peabody1 come to have almost unlimited credit and the confidence of everybody who knows him4 ,what are palaces and equipages2 what though a man could cover a continent with his title-deeds1 or an ocean with his commerce2 compared with conscious rectitude1 with a face that never turns pale at the accuser's voice1 with a bosom that never throbs with fear of exposure1 with a heart that might be turned inside out and disclose no stain of dishonor8 ,to have done no man a wrong2 to have put your signature to no paper to which the purest angel in heaven might not have been an attesting witness2 to walk and live1 unseduced1 within arm's length of what is not your own1 with nothing between your desire and its gratification but the invisible law of rectitude2--this is to be a man4 ,man is the only great thing in the universe4 ,all the ages have been trying to produce a perfect model4 ,only one complete man has yet evolved4 ,the best of us are but prophesies of what is to come4 ,what constitutes a state8 ,not high-raised battlement or labored mound1 ,thick wall or moated gate2 ,not cities proud with spires and turrets crowned2 ,not bays and broad-armed ports1 ,where1 laughing at the storm1 rich navies ride2 ,not starred and spangled courts1 ,where low-browed baseness wafts perfume to pride4 ,no3 men1 high-minded men1 ,with powers as far above dull brutes endued ,in forest1 brake1 or den1 ,as beasts excel cold rocks and brambles rude1-- ,men who their duties know1 ,but know their rights1 and knowing1 dare maintain1 ,prevent the long-aimed blow1 ,and crush the tyrant while they rend the chain4 ,,william ,,jones4 ,god give us men4 ,a time like this demands ,strong minds1 great hearts1 true faith and ready hands3 ,men whom the lust of office does not kill2 ,men whom the spoils of office cannot buy2 ,men who possess opinions and a will2 ,men who have honor--men who will not lie2 ,men who can stand before a demagogue ,and scorn his treacherous flatteries without winking2 ,tall men sun-crowned1 who live above the fog ,in public duty1 and in private thinking4 ,,anon4 ,,chapter ,,iii ,,boys ,,with ,,no ,,chance ,in the blackest soils grow the fairest flowers1 and the loftiest and strongest trees spring heavenward among the rocks4--,j4 ,g4 ,,holland4 ,poverty is very terrible1 and sometimes kills the very soul within us1 but it is the north wind that lashes men into ,vikings2 it is the soft1 luscious south wind which lulls them to lotus dreams4--,,ouida4 ,poverty is the sixth sense4--,,german ,,proverb4 ,it is not every calamity that is a curse1 and early adversity is often a blessing4 ,surmounted difficulties not only teach1 but hearten us in our future struggles4--,,sharpe4 ,there can be no doubt that the captains of industry to-day1 using that term in its broadest sense1 are men who began life as poor boys4--,,seth ,,low4 ',tis a common proof1 ,that lowliness is young ambition's ladder6 ,,shakespeare4 ,i am a child of the court1 said a pretty little girl at a children's party in ,denmark2 my father is ,groom of the ,chambers1 which is a very high office4 ,and those whose names end with 'sen1' she added1 can never be anything at all4 ,we must put our arms akimbo1 and make the elbows quite pointed1 so as to keep these 'sen' people at a great distance4 ,but my papa can buy a hundred dollars' worth of bonbons1 and give them away to children1 angrily exclaimed the daughter of the rich merchant ,petersen4 ,can your papa do that8 ,yes1 chimed in the daughter of an editor1 my papa can put your papa and everybody's papa into the newspaper4 ,all sorts of people are afraid of him1 my papa says1 for he can do as he likes with the paper4 ,oh1 if ,i could be one of them6 thought a little boy peeping through the crack of the door1 by permission of the cook for whom he had been turning the spit4 ,but no1 his parents had not even a penny to spare1 and his name ended in sen4 ,years afterwards when the children of the party had become men and women1 some of them went to see a splendid house1 filled with all kinds of beautiful and valuable objects4 ,there they met the owner1 once the very boy who thought it so great a privilege to peep at them through a crack in the door as they played4 ,he had become the great sculptor ,thorwaldsen4 ,this sketch is adapted from a story by a poor ,danish cobbler's son1 another whose name did not keep him from becoming famous1--,hans ,christian ,andersen4 ,there is no fear of my starving1 father1 said the deaf boy1 ,kitto1 begging to be taken from the poorhouse and allowed to struggle for an education2 we are in the midst of plenty1 and ,i know how to prevent hunger4 ,the ,hottentots subsist a long time on nothing but a little gum2 they also1 when hungry1 tie a ligature around their bodies4 ,cannot ,i do so1 too8 ,the hedges furnish blackberries and nuts1 and the fields1 turnips2 a hayrick will make an excellent bed4 ,the poor deaf boy with a drunken father1 who was thought capable of nothing better than making shoes as a pauper1 became one of the greatest ,biblical scholars in the world4 ,his first book was written in the workhouse4 ,creon was a ,greek slave1 as a writer tells the story in ,kate ,field's ,washington1 but he was also a slave of the ,genius of ,art4 ,beauty was his god1 and he worshiped it with rapt adoration4 ,it was after the repulse of the great ,persian invader1 and a law was in force that under penalty of death no one should espouse art except freemen4 ,when the law was enacted he was engaged upon a group for which he hoped some day to receive the commendation of ,phidias1 the greatest sculptor living1 and even the praise of ,pericles4 ,what was to be done8 ,into the marble block before him ,creon had put his head1 his heart1 his soul1 his life4 ,on his knees1 from day to day1 he had prayed for fresh inspiration1 new skill4 ,he believed1 gratefully and proudly1 that ,apollo1 answering his prayers1 had directed his hand and had breathed into the figures the life that seemed to animate them2 but now1--now1 all the gods seemed to have deserted him4 ,cleone1 his devoted sister1 felt the blow as deeply as her brother4 ,o ,aphrodite6 she prayed1 immortal ,aphrodite1 high enthroned child of ,zeus1 my queen1 my goddess1 my patron1 at whose shrine ,i have daily laid my offerings1 to be now my friend1 the friend of my brother6 ,then to her brother she said3 ,o ,creon1 go to the cellar beneath our house4 ,it is dark1 but ,i will furnish light and food4 ,continue your work2 the gods will befriend us4 ,to the cellar ,creon went1 and guarded and attended by his sister1 day and night1 he proceeded with his glorious but dangerous task4 ,about this time all ,greece was invited to ,athens to behold an exhibit of works of art4 ,the display took place in the ,agora4 ,pericles presided4 ,at his side was ,aspasia4 ,phidias1 ,socrates1 ,sophocles1 and other renowned men stood near him4 ,the works of the great masters were there4 ,but one group1 far more beautiful than the rest1--a group that ,apollo himself must have chiseled1--challenged universal attention1 exciting at the same time no little envy among rival artists4 ,who is the sculptor of this group8 ,none could tell4 ,heralds repeated the question1 but there was no answer4 ,a mystery1 then6 ,can it be the work of a slave8 ,amid great commotion a beautiful maiden with disarranged dress1 disheveled hair1 a determined expression in her eyes1 and with closed lips1 was dragged into the ,agora4 ,this woman1 cried the officers1 this woman knows the sculptor2 we are sure of it2 but she will not tell his name4 ,cleone was questioned1 but was silent4 ,she was informed of the penalty of her conduct1 but her lips remained closed4 ,then1 said ,pericles1 the law is imperative1 and ,i am the minister of the law4 ,take the maid to the dungeon4 ,as he spoke a youth with flowing hair1 emaciated1 but with black eyes that beamed with the flashing light of genius1 rushed forward1 and flinging himself before him exclaimed3 ,o ,pericles1 forgive and save the maid6 ,she is my sister4 ,i am the culprit4 ,the group is the work of my hands1 the hands of a slave4 ,the indignant crowd interrupted him and cried1 ,to the dungeon1 to the dungeon with the slave4 ,as ,i live1 no6 said ,pericles1 rising4 ,behold that group6 ,apollo decides by it that there is something higher in ,greece than an unjust law4 ,the highest purpose of law should be the development of the beautiful4 ,if ,athens lives in the memory and affections of men1 it is her devotion to art that will immortalize her4 ,not to the dungeon1 but to my side bring the youth4 ,and there1 in the presence of the assembled multitude1 ,aspasia placed the crown of olives1 which she held in her hands1 on the brow of ,creon2 and at the same time1 amid universal plaudits1 she tenderly kissed ,creon's affectionate and devoted sister4 ,the ,athenians erected a statue to ,aesop1 who was born a slave1 that men might know that the way to honor is open to all4 ,in ,greece1 wealth and immortality were the sure reward of the man who could distinguish himself in art1 literature1 or war4 ,no other country ever did so much to encourage and inspire struggling merit4 ,i was born in poverty1 said ,vice-,president ,henry ,wilson4 ,want sat by my cradle4 ,i know what it is to ask a mother for bread when she has none to give4 ,i left my home at ten years of age1 and served an apprenticeship of eleven years1 receiving a month's schooling each year1 and1 at the end of eleven years of hard work1 a yoke of oxen and six sheep1 which brought me eighty-four dollars4 ,i never spent the sum of one dollar for pleasure1 counting every penny from the time ,i was born till ,i was twenty-one years of age4 ,i know what it is to travel weary miles and ask my fellow men to give me leave to toil4 4 4 4 ,in the first month after ,i was twenty-one years of age1 ,i went into the woods1 drove a team1 and cut mill-logs4 ,i rose in the morning before daylight and worked hard till after dark1 and received the magnificent sum of six dollars for the month's work6 ,each of these dollars looked as large to me as the moon looks to-night4 ,mr4 ,wilson determined never to lose an opportunity for self-culture or self-advancement4 ,few men knew so well the value of spare moments4 ,he seized them as though they were gold and would not let one pass until he had wrung from it every possibility4 ,he managed to read a thousand good books before he was twenty-one--what a lesson for boys on a farm6 ,when he left the farm he started on foot for ,natick1 ,mass41 over one hundred miles distant1 to learn the cobbler's trade4 ,he went through ,boston that he might see ,bunker ,hill monument and other historical landmarks4 ,the whole trip cost him but one dollar and six cents4 ,in a year he was the head of a debating club at ,natick4 ,before eight years had passed1 he made his great speech against slavery1 in the ,massachusetts ,legislature4 ,twelve years later he stood shoulder to shoulder with the polished ,sumner in ,congress4 ,with him1 every occasion was a great occasion4 ,he ground every circumstance of his life into material for success4 ,don't go about the town any longer in that outlandish rig4 ,let me give you an order on the store4 ,dress up a little1 ,horace4 ,horace ,greeley looked down on his clothes as if he had never before noticed how seedy they were1 and replied3 ,you see ,mr4 ,sterrett1 my father is on a new place1 and ,i want to help him all ,i can4 ,he had spent but six dollars for personal expenses in seven months1 and was to receive one hundred and thirty-five from ,judge ,j4 ,m4 ,sterret of the ,erie ,gazette for substitute work4 ,he retained but fifteen dollars and gave the rest to his father1 with whom he had moved from ,vermont to ,western ,pennsylvania1 and for whom he had camped out many a night to guard the sheep from wolves4 ,he was nearly twenty-one2 and1 although tall and gawky1 with tow-colored hair1 a pale face and whining voice1 he resolved to seek his fortune in ,new ,york ,city4 ,slinging his bundle of clothes on a stick over his shoulder1 he walked sixty miles through the woods to ,buffalo1 rode on a canal boat to ,albany1 descended the ,hudson in a barge1 and reached ,new ,york1 just as the sun was rising1 ,august #ah1 #ahca4 ,he found board over a saloon at two dollars and a half a week4 ,his journey of six hundred miles had cost him but five dollars4 ,for days ,horace wandered up and down the streets1 going into scores of buildings and asking if they wanted a hand2 but no was the invariable reply4 ,his quaint appearance led many to think he was an escaped apprentice4 ,one ,sunday at his boarding-place he heard that printers were wanted at ,west's ,printing-office4 ,he was at the door at five o'clock ,monday morning1 and asked the foreman for a job at seven4 ,the latter had no idea that a country greenhorn could set type for the ,polyglot ,testament on which help was needed1 but said3 ,fix up a case for him and we'll see if he can do anything4 ,when the proprietor came in1 he objected to the new-comer and told the foreman to let him go when his first day's work was done4 ,that night ,horace showed a proof of the largest and most correct day's work that had then been done4 ,in ten years he was a partner in a small printing-office4 ,he founded the ,new ,yorker1 the best weekly paper in the ,united ,states1 but it was not profitable4 ,when ,harrison was nominated for ,president in #ahdj1 ,greeley started ,the ,log-,cabin1 which reached the then fabulous circulation of ninety thousand4 ,but on this paper at a penny per copy he made no money4 ,his next venture was ,the ,new ,york ,tribune1 price one cent4 ,to start it he borrowed a thousand dollars and printed five thousand copies of the first number4 ,it was difficult to give them all away4 ,he began with six hundred subscribers1 and increased the list to eleven thousand in six weeks4 ,the demand for the ,tribune grew faster than new machinery could be obtained to print it4 ,it was a paper whose editor1 whatever his mistakes1 always tried to be right4 ,james ,gordon ,bennett had made a failure of his ,new ,york ,courier in #ahbe1 of the ,globe in #ahcb1 and of the ,pennsylvanian a little later1 and was only known as a clever writer for the press1 who had saved a few hundred dollars by hard labor and strict economy for fourteen years4 ,in #ahce he asked ,horace ,greeley to join him in starting a new daily paper1 the ,new ,york ,herald4 ,greeley declined1 but recommended two young printers1 who formed partnership with ,bennett1 and the ,herald was started on ,may #f1 #ahce1 with a cash capital to pay expenses for ten days4 ,bennet hired a small cellar in ,wall ,street1 furnished it with a chair and a desk composed of a plank supported by two barrels2 and there1 doing all the work except the printing1 began the work of making a really great daily newspaper1 a thing then unknown in ,america1 as all its predecessors were party organs4 ,steadily the young man struggled towards his ideal1 giving the news1 fresh and crisp1 from an ever-widening area1 until his paper was famous for giving the current history of the world as fully and quickly as any competitor1 and often much more thoroughly and far more promptly4 ,neither labor nor expense was spared in obtaining prompt and reliable information on every topic of general interest4 ,it was an up-hill job1 but its completion was finally marked by the opening at the corner of ,broadway and ,ann ,street of the most complete newspaper establishment then known4 ,one of the first things to attract the attention on entering ,george ,w4 ,childs' private office in ,philadelphia was this motto1 which was the key-note of the success of a boy who started with no chance3 ,nihil sine labore4 ,it was his early ambition to own the ,philadelphia ,ledger and the great building in which it was published2 but how could a poor boy working for #b4jj a week ever hope to own such a great paper8 ,however1 he had great determination and indomitable energy2 and as soon as he had saved a few hundred dollars as a clerk in a bookstore1 he began business as a publisher4 ,he made great hits in some of the works he published1 such as ,kane's ,arctic ,expedition4 ,he had a keen sense of what would please the public1 and there seemed no end to his industry4 ,in spite of the fact that the ,ledger was losing money every day1 his friends could not dissuade him from buying it1 and in #ahfd the dreams of his boyhood found fulfilment4 ,he doubled the subscription price1 lowered the advertising rates1 to the astonishment of everybody1 and the paper entered upon a career of remarkable prosperity1 the profits sometimes amounting to over four hundred thousand dollars a year4 ,he always refused to lower the wages of his employees even when every other establishment in ,philadelphia was doing so4 ,at a banquet in ,lyons1 nearly a century and a half ago1 a discussion arose in regard to the meaning of a painting representing some scene in the mythology or history of ,greece4 ,seeing that the discussion was growing warm1 the host turned to one of the waiters and asked him to explain the picture4 ,greatly to the surprise of the company1 the servant gave a clear concise account of the whole subject1 so plain and convincing that it at once settled the dispute4 ,in what school have you studied1 ,monsieur8 asked one of the guests1 addressing the waiter with great respect4 ,i have studied in many schools1 ,monseigneur1 replied the young servant3 but the school in which ,i studied longest and learned most is the school of adversity4 ,well had he profited by poverty's lessons2 for1 although then but a poor waiter1 all ,europe soon rang with the fame of the writings of the greatest genius of his age and country1 ,jean ,jacques ,rousseau4 ,the smooth sand beach of ,lake ,erie constituted the foolscap on which1 for want of other material1 ,p4 ,r4 ,spencer1 a barefoot boy with no chance1 perfected the essential principles of the ,spencerian system of penmanship1 the most beautiful exposition of graphic art4 ,for eight years ,william ,cobbett had followed the plow1 when he ran away to ,london1 copied law papers for eight or nine months1 and then enlisted in an infantry regiment4 ,during his first year of soldier life he subscribed to a circulating library at ,chatham1 read every book in it1 and began to study4 ,i learned grammar when ,i was a private soldier on the pay of sixpence a day4 ,the edge of my berth1 or that of the guard-bed1 was my seat to study in2 my knapsack was my bookcase2 a bit of board lying on my lap was my writing-table1 and the task did not demand anything like a year of my life4 ,i had no money to purchase candles or oil2 in winter it was rarely that ,i could get any evening light but that of the fire1 and only my turn1 even1 of that4 ,to buy a pen or a sheet of paper ,i was compelled to forego some portion of my food1 though in a state of half starvation4 ,i had no moment of time that ,i could call my own1 and ,i had to read and write amidst the talking1 laughing1 singing1 whistling1 and bawling of at least half a score of the most thoughtless of men1 and that1 too1 in the hours of their freedom from all control4 ,think not lightly of the farthing ,i had to give1 now and then1 for pen1 ink1 or paper4 ,that farthing was1 alas6 a great sum to me4 ,i was as tall as ,i am now1 and ,i had great health and great exercise4 ,the whole of the money not expended for us at market was twopence a week for each man4 ,i remember1 and well ,i may6 that upon one occasion ,i had1 after all absolutely necessary expenses1 made shift to have a half-penny in reserve1 which ,i had destined for the purpose of a red herring in the morning1 but so hungry as to be hardly able to endure life1 when ,i pulled off my clothes at night1 ,i found that ,i had lost my half-penny4 ,i buried my head in the miserable sheet and rug1 and cried like a child4 ,but ,cobbett made even his poverty and hard circumstances serve his all-absorbing passion for knowledge and success4 ,if ,i1 said he1 under such circumstances could encounter and overcome this task1 is there1 can there be in the whole world1 a youth to find any excuse for its non-performance8 ,humphrey ,davy had but a slender chance to acquire great scientific knowledge1 yet he had true mettle in him1 and he made even old pans1 kettles1 and bottles contribute to his success1 as he experimented and studied in the attic of the apothecary-store where he worked4 ,many a farmer's son1 says ,thurlow ,weed1 has found the best opportunities for mental improvement in his intervals of leisure while tending 'sap-bush4' ,such1 at any rate1 was my own experience4 ,at night you had only to feed the kettles and keep up the fires1 the sap having been gathered and the wood cut before dark4 ,during the day we would always lay in a good stock of 'fat-pine1' by the light of which1 blazing bright before the sugar-house1 ,i passed many a delightful night in reading4 ,i remember in this way to have a history of the ,french ,revolution1 and to have obtained a better and more enduring knowledge of its events and horrors and of the actors in that great national tragedy than ,i have received from all subsequent reading4 ,i remember1 also1 how happy ,i was in being able to borrow the books of a ,mr4 ,keyes1 after a two-mile tramp through the snow1 shoeless1 my feet swaddled in remnants of rag carpet4 ,may ,i have a holiday to-morrow1 father8 asked ,theodore ,parker one ,august afternoon4 ,the poor ,lexington millwright looked in surprise at his youngest son1 for it was a busy time1 but he saw from the boy's earnest face that he had no ordinary object in view1 and granted the request4 ,theodore rose very early the next morning1 walked through the dust ten miles to ,harvard ,college1 and presented himself for a candidate for admission4 ,he had been unable to attend school regularly since he was eight years old1 but he had managed to go three months each winter1 and had reviewed his lessons again and again as he followed the plow or worked at other tasks4 ,all his odd moments had been hoarded1 too1 for reading useful books1 which he borrowed4 ,one book he could not borrow1 but he felt that he must have it2 so on summer mornings he rose long before the sun and picked bushel after bushel of berries1 which he sent to ,boston1 and so got the money to buy that coveted ,latin dictionary4 ,well done1 my boy6 said the millwright1 when his son came home late at night and told of his successful examination2 but1 ,theodore1 ,i cannot afford to keep you there6 ,true1 father1 said ,theodore1 ,i am not going to stay there2 ,i shall study at home1 at odd times1 and thus prepare myself for a final examination1 which will give me a diploma4 ,he did this2 and1 by teaching school as he grew older1 got money to study for two years at ,harvard1 where he was graduated with honor4 ,years after1 when1 as the trusted friend and adviser of ,seward1 ,chase1 ,sumner1 ,garrison1 ,horace ,mann1 and ,wendell ,phillips1 his influence for good was felt in the hearts of all his countrymen1 it was a pleasure for him to recall his early struggles and triumphs among the rocks and bushes of ,lexington4 ,the proudest moment of my life1 said ,elihu ,burritt1 was when ,i had first gained the full meaning of the first fifteen lines of ,homer's ,iliad4 ,elihu ,burritt's father died when he was sixteen1 and ,elihu was apprenticed to a blacksmith in his native village of ,new ,britain1 ,conn4 ,he had to work at the forge for ten or twelve hours a day2 but while blowing the bellows1 he would solve mentally difficult problems in arithmetic4 ,in a diary kept at ,worcester1 whither he went some ten years later to enjoy its library privileges1 are such entries as these1--,monday1 ,june #ah1 headache1 #dj pages ,cuvier's ',theory of the ,earth1' #fd pages ,french1 #aa hours' forging4 ,tuesday1 ,june #ai1 #fj lines ,hebrew1 #cj ,danish1 #aj lines ,bohemian1 #i lines ,polish1 #ae names of stars1 #aj hours' forging4 ,wednesday1 ,june #bj1 #be lines ,hebrew1 #h lines ,syriac1 #aa hours' forging4 ,he mastered #ah languages and #cb dialects4 ,he became eminent as the ,learned ,blacksmith1 and for his noble work in the service of humanity4 ,edward ,everett said of the manner in which this boy with no chance acquired great learning3 ,it is enough to make one who has good opportunities for education hang his head in shame4 ,the barefoot ,christine ,nilsson in remote ,sweden had little chance1 but she won the admiration of the world for her wondrous power of song1 combined with rare womanly grace4 ,let me say in regard to your adverse worldly circumstances1 says ,dr4 ,talmage to young men1 that you are on a level now with those who are finally to succeed4 ,mark my words1 and think of it thirty years from now4 ,you will find that those who are then the millionaires of this country1 who are the orators of the country1 who are the poets of the country1 who are the strong merchants of the country1 who are the great philanthropists of the country1--mightiest in the church and state1--are now on a level with you1 not an inch above you1 and in straightened circumstances4 ,no outfit1 no capital to start with8 ,young man1 go down to the library and get some books1 and read of what wonderful mechanism ,god gave you in your hand1 in your foot1 in your eye1 in your ear1 and then ask some doctor to take you into the dissecting-room and illustrate to you what you have read about1 and never again commit the blasphemy of saying you have no capital to start with4 ,equipped8 ,why1 the poorest young man is equipped as only the ,god of the whole universe could afford to equip him4 ,a newsboy is not a very promising candidate for success or honors in any line of life4 ,a young man can't set out in life with much less chance than when he starts his daily for a living4 ,yet the man who more than any other is responsible for the industrial regeneration of this continent started in life as a newsboy on the ,grand ,trunk ,railway4 ,thomas ,alva ,edison was then about fifteen years of age4 ,he had already begun to dabble in chemistry1 and had fitted up a small itinerant laboratory4 ,one day1 as he was performing some occult experiment1 the train rounded a curve1 and the bottle of sulphuric acid broke4 ,there followed a series of unearthly odors and unnatural complications4 ,the conductor1 who had suffered long and patiently1 promptly ejected the youthful devotee1 and in the process of the scientist's expulsion added a resounding box upon the ear4 ,edison passed through one dramatic situation after another--always mastering it--until he attained at an early age the scientific throne of the world4 ,when recently asked the secret of his success1 he said he had always been a total abstainer and singularly moderate in everything but work4 ,daniel ,manning who was ,president ,cleveland's first campaign manager and afterwards ,secretary of the ,treasury1 started out as a newsboy with apparently the world against him4 ,so did ,thurlow ,weed2 so did ,david ,b4 ,hill4 ,new ,york seems to have been prolific in enterprising newsboys4 ,what nonsense for two uneducated and unknown youths who met in a cheap boarding-house in ,boston to array themselves against an institution whose roots were embedded in the very constitution of our country1 and which was upheld by scholars1 statesmen1 churches1 wealth1 and aristocracy1 without distinction of creed or politics6 ,what chance had they against the prejudices and sentiment of a nation8 ,but these young men were fired by a lofty purpose1 and they were thoroughly in earnest4 ,one of them1 ,benjamin ,lundy1 had already started in ,ohio a paper called ,the ,genius of ,universal ,liberty1 and had carried the entire edition home on his back from the printing-office1 twenty miles1 every month4 ,he had walked four hundred miles on his way to ,tennessee to increase his subscription list4 ,he was no ordinary young man4 ,with ,william ,lloyd ,garrison1 he started to prosecute his work more earnestly in ,baltimore4 ,the sight of the slave-pens along the principal streets2 of vessel-loads of unfortunates torn from home and family and sent to ,southern ports2 the heartrending scenes at the auction blocks1 made an impression on ,garrison never to be forgotten2 and the young man whose mother was too poor to send him to school1 although she early taught him to hate oppression1 resolved to devote his life to secure the freedom of these poor wretches4 ,in the first issue of his paper1 ,garrison urged an immediate emancipation1 and called down upon his head the wrath of the entire community4 ,he was arrested and sent to jail4 ,john ,g4 ,whittier1 a noble friend in the ,north1 was so touched at the news that1 being too poor to furnish the money himself1 he wrote to ,henry ,clay1 begging him to release ,garrison by paying the fine4 ,after forty-nine days of imprisonment he was set free4 ,wendell ,phillips said of him1 ,he was imprisoned for his opinion when he was twenty-four4 ,he had confronted a nation in the bloom of his youth4 ,in ,boston1 with no money1 friends1 or influence1 in a little upstairs room1 ,garrison started the ,liberator4 ,read the declaration of this poor young man with no chance1 in the very first issue3 ,i will be as harsh as truth1 as uncompromising as justice4 ,i am in earnest4 ,i will not equivocate1 ,i will not excuse2 ,i will not retreat a single inch1 and ,i will be heard4 ,what audacity for a young man1 with the world against him6 ,hon4 ,robert ,y4 ,hayne1 of ,south ,carolina1 wrote to ,otis1 mayor of ,boston1 that some one had sent him a copy of the ,liberator1 and asked him to ascertain the name of the publisher4 ,otis replied that he had found a poor young man printing this insignificant sheet in an obscure hole1 his only auxiliary a negro boy1 his supporters a few persons of all colors and little influence4 ,but this poor young man1 eating1 sleeping1 and printing in this obscure hole1 had set the world to thinking1 and must be suppressed4 ,the ,vigilance ,association of ,south ,carolina offered a reward of fifteen hundred dollars for the arrest and prosecution of any one detected circulating the ,liberator4 ,the ,governors of one or two ,states set a price on the editor's head4 ,the legislature of ,georgia offered a reward of five thousand dollars for his arrest and conviction4 ,garrison and his coadjutors were denounced everywhere4 ,a clergyman named ,lovejoy was killed by a mob in ,illinois for espousing the cause1 while defending his printing-press1 and in the old ,cradle of ,american ,liberty the wealth1 power1 and culture of ,massachusetts arrayed itself against the ,abolitionists so outrageously1 that a mere spectator1 a young lawyer of great promise1 asked to be lifted upon the high platform1 and replied in such a speech as was never before heard in ,faneuil ,hall4 ,when ,i heard the gentleman lay down the principles which place the murderers of ,lovejoy at ,alton side by side with ,otis and ,hancock1 with ,quincy and ,adams1 said ,wendell ,phillips1 pointing to their portraits on the walls4 ,i thought those pictured lips would have broken into voice to rebuke the recreant ,american1 the slanderer of the dead4 ,for the sentiments that he has uttered1 on soil consecrated by the prayers of the ,puritans and the blood of patriots4 the earth should have yawned and swallowed him up4 ,the whole nation was wrought to fever heat4 ,between the ,northern pioneers and ,southern chivalry the struggle was long and fierce1 even in far ,california4 ,the drama culminated in the shock of civil war4 ,when the war was ended1 and1 after thirty-five years of untiring1 heroic conflict1 ,garrison was invited as the nation's guest1 by ,president ,lincoln1 to see the stars and stripes unfurled once more above ,fort ,sumter1 an emancipated slave delivered the address of welcome1 and his two daughters1 no longer chattels in appreciation presented ,garrison with a beautiful wreath of flowers4 ,about this time ,richard ,cobden1 another powerful friend of the oppressed1 died in ,london4 ,his father had died leaving nine children almost penniless4 ,the boy earned his living by watching a neighbor's sheep1 but had no chance to attend school until he was ten years old4 ,he was sent to a boarding-school1 where he was abused1 half starved1 and allowed to write home only once in three months4 ,at fifteen he entered his uncle's store in ,london as a clerk4 ,he learned ,french by rising early and studying while his companions slept4 ,he was soon sent out in a gig as a commercial traveler4 ,he called upon ,john ,bright to enlist his aid in fighting the terrible ,corn-,laws which were taking bread from the poor and giving it to the rich4 ,he found ,mr4 ,bright in great grief1 for his wife was lying dead in the house4 ,there are thousands of homes in ,england at this moment1 said ,richard ,cobden1 where wives1 mothers1 and children are dying of hunger4 ,now1 when the first paroxysm of grief is passed1 ,i would advise you to come with me1 and we will never rest until the ,corn-,laws are repealed4 ,cobden could no longer see the poor man's bread stopped at the ,custom-,house and taxed for the benefit of the landlord and farmer1 and he threw his whole soul into this great reform4 ,this is not a party question1 said he1 for men of all parties are united upon it4 ,it is a pantry question1--a question between the working millions and the aristocracy4 ,they formed the ,anti-,corn-,law ,league1 which1 aided by the ,irish famine1--for it was hunger that at last ate through those stone walls of protection1--secured the repeal of the law in #ahdf4 ,mr4 ,bright said3 ,there is not in ,great ,britain a poor man's home that has not a bigger1 better1 and cheaper loaf through ,richard ,cobden's labors4 ,john ,bright himself was the son of a poor working man1 and in those days the doors of the higher schools were closed to such as he2 but the great ,quaker heart of this resolute youth was touched with pity for the millions of ,england's and ,ireland's poor1 starving under the ,corn-,laws4 ,during the frightful famine1 which cut off two millions of ,ireland's population in a year1 ,john ,bright was more powerful than all the nobility of ,england4 ,the whole aristocracy trembled before his invincible logic1 his mighty eloquence1 and his commanding character4 ,except possibly ,cobden1 no other man did so much to give the laborer a shorter day1 a cheaper loaf1 an added shilling4 ,over a stable in ,london lived a poor boy named ,michael ,faraday1 who carried newspapers about the streets to loan to customers for a penny apiece4 ,he was apprenticed for seven years to a bookbinder and bookseller4 ,when binding the ,encyclopaedia ,britannica1 his eyes caught the article on electricity1 and he could not rest until he had read it4 ,he procured a glass vial1 an old pan1 and a few simple articles1 and began to experiment4 ,a customer became interested in the boy1 and took him to hear ,sir ,humphry ,davy lecture on chemistry4 ,he summoned courage to write the great scientist and sent the notes he had taken of his lecture4 ,one night1 not long after1 just as ,michael was about to retire1 ,sir ,humphry ,davy's carriage stopped at his humble lodging1 and a servant handed him a written invitation to call upon the great lecturer the next morning4 ,michael could scarcely trust his eyes as he read the note4 ,in the morning he called as requested1 and was engaged to clean instruments and take them to and from the lecture-room4 ,he watched eagerly every movement of ,davy1 as with a glass mask over his face1 he developed his safety-lamp and experimented with dangerous explosives4 ,michael studied and experimented1 too1 and it was not long before this poor boy with no chance was invited to lecture before the great philosophical society4 ,he was appointed professor at the ,royal ,academy of ,woolwich1 and became the wonder of the age in science4 ,tyndall said of him1 ,he is the greatest experimental philosopher the world has ever seen4 ,when ,sir ,humphry ,davy was asked what was his greatest discovery1 he replied ,michael ,faraday4 ,what has been done can be done again1 said the boy with no chance1 ,disraeli1 who become ,lord ,beaconsfield1 ,england's great ,prime ,minister4 ,i am not a slave1 ,i am not a captive1 and by energy ,i can overcome greater obstacles4 ,jewish blood flowed in his veins and everything seemed against him1 but he remembered the example of ,joseph1 who became ,prime ,minister of ,egypt four thousand years before1 and that of ,daniel1 who was ,prime ,minister to the greatest despot of the world five centuries before the birth of ,christ4 ,he pushed his way up through the lower classes1 up through the middle classes1 up through the upper classes1 until he stood a master1 self-poised upon the topmost round of political and social power4 ,rebuffed1 scorned1 ridiculed1 hissed down in the ,house of ,commons1 he simply said1 ,the time will come when you will hear me4 ,the time did come1 and the boy with no chance but a determined will swayed the scepter of ,england for a quarter of a century4 ,henry ,clay1 the mill-boy of the slashes1 was one of seven children of a widow too poor to send him to any but a common country school1 where he was drilled only in the three ,r's4 ,but he used every spare moment to study without a teacher1 and in after years he was a king among self-made men4 ,the boy who had learned to speak in a barn1 with only a cow and a horse for an audience1 became one of the greatest of ,american orators and statesmen4 ,see ,kepler struggling with poverty and hardship1 his books burned in public by order of the state1 his library locked up by the ,jesuits1 and himself exiled by public clamor4 ,for seventeen years he works calmly upon the demonstration of the great principles that planets revolve in ellipses1 with the sun at one focus2 that a line connecting the center of the earth with the center of the sun passes over equal spaces in equal times1 and that the squares of the times of revolution of the planets above the sun are proportioned to the cubes by their mean distances from the sun4 ,this boy with no chance became one of the world's greatest astronomers4 ,when ,i found that ,i was black1 said ,alexandre ,dumas1 ,i resolved to live as if ,i were white1 and so force men to look below my skin4 ,how slender seemed the chance of ,james ,sharples1 the celebrated blacksmith artist of ,england6 ,he was very poor1 but he often rose at three o'clock to copy books he could not buy4 ,he would walk eighteen miles to ,manchester and back after a hard day's work to buy a shilling's worth of artist's materials4 ,he would ask for the heaviest work in the blacksmith shop1 because it took a longer time to heat at the forge1 and he could thus have many spare minutes to study the precious book1 which he propped up against the chimney4 ,he was a great miser of spare moments and used every one as though he might never see another4 ,he devoted his leisure hours for five years to that wonderful production1 ,the ,forge1 copies of which are to be seen in many a home4 ,what chance had ,galileo to win renown in physics or astronomy1 when his parents compelled him to go to a medical school8 ,yet while ,venice slept1 he stood in the tower of ,st4 ,mark's ,cathedral and discovered the satellites of ,jupiter and the phases of ,venus1 through a telescope made with his own hands4 ,when compelled on bended knee to publicly renounce his heretical doctrine that the earth moves around the sun1 all the terrors of the ,inquisition could not keep this feeble man of threescore years and ten from muttering to himself1 ,yet it does move4 ,when thrown into prison1 so great was his eagerness for scientific research that he proved by a straws in his cell that a hollow tube is relatively much stronger than a solid rod of the same size4 ,even when totally blind1 he kept constantly at work4 ,imagine the surprise of the ,royal ,society of ,england when the poor unknown ,herschel sent in the report of his discovery of the star ,georgium ,sidus1 its orbit and rate of motion2 and of the rings and satellites of ,saturn4 ,the boy with no chance1 who had played the oboe for his meals1 had with his own hands made the telescope through which he discovered facts unknown to the best-equipped astronomers of his day4 ,he had ground two hundred specula before he could get one perfect4 ,george ,stephenson was one of eight children whose parents were so poor that all lived in a single room4 ,george had to watch cows for a neighbor1 but he managed to get time to make engines of clay1 with hemlock sticks for pipes4 ,at seventeen he had charge of an engine1 with his father for fireman4 ,he could neither read nor write1 but the engine was his teacher1 and he a faithful student4 ,while the other hands were playing games or loafing in liquor shops during the holidays1 ,george was taking his machine to pieces1 cleaning it1 studying it1 and making experiments in engines4 ,when he had become famous as a great inventor of improvements in engines1 those who had loafed and played called him lucky4 ,without a charm of face or figure1 ,charlotte ,cushman resolved to place herself in the front rank as an actress1 even in such characters as ,rosalind and ,queen ,katherine4 ,the star actress was unable to perform1 and ,miss ,cushman1 her understudy1 took her place4 ,that night she held her audience with such grasp of intellect and iron will that it forgot the absence of mere dimpled feminine grace4 ,although poor1 friendless1 and unknown before1 when the curtain fell upon her first performance at the ,london theater1 her reputation was made4 ,in after years1 when physicians told her she had a terrible1 incurable disease1 she flinched not a particle1 but quietly said1 ,i have learned to live with my trouble4 ,a poor colored woman in a log-cabin in the ,south had three boys1 but could afford only one pair of trousers for the three4 ,she was so anxious to give them an education that she sent them to school by turns4 ,the teacher1 a ,northern girl1 noticed that each boy came to school only one day out of three1 and that all wore the same pantaloons4 ,the poor mother educated her boys as best she could4 ,one became a professor in a ,southern college1 another a physician1 and the third a clergyman4 ,what a lesson for boys who plead no chance as an excuse for wasted lives6 ,sam ,cunard1 the whittling ,scotch lad of ,glasgow1 wrought many odd inventions with brain and jack-knife1 but they brought neither honor nor profit until he was consulted by ,burns ,mc,ivor1 who wished to increase their facilities for carrying foreign mails4 ,the model of a steamship which ,sam whittled out for them was carefully copied for the first vessel of the great ,cunard ,line1 and became the standard type for all the magnificent ships since constructed by the firm4 ,the new ,testament and the speller were ,cornelius ,vanderbilt's only books at school1 but he learned to read1 write1 and cipher a little4 ,he wished to buy a boat1 but had no money4 ,to discourage him from following the sea1 his mother told him if he would plow1 harrow1 and plant with corn1 before the twenty-seventh day of the month1 ten acres of rough1 hard1 stony land1 the worst on his father's farm1 she would lend him the amount he wished4 ,before the appointed time the work was done1 and well done4 ,on his seventeenth birthday he bought the boat1 but on his way home it struck a sunken wreck and sank just as he reached shallow water4 ,but ,cornelius ,vanderbilt was not the boy to give up4 ,he at once began again1 and in three years saved three thousand dollars4 ,he often worked all night1 and soon had far the largest patronage of any boatman in the harbor4 ,during the ,war of #ahab he was awarded the ,government contract to carry provisions to the military stations near the metropolis4 ,he fulfilled his contract by night so that he might run his ferry-boat between ,new ,york and ,brooklyn by day4 ,the boy who gave his parents all his day earnings and had half of what he got at night1 was worth thirty thousand dollars at thirty-five1 and when he died1 at an advanced age1 he left to his thirteen children one of the largest fortunes in ,america4 ,lord ,eldon might well have pleaded no chance when a boy1 for he was too poor to go to school or even to buy books4 ,but no2 he had grit and determination1 and was bound to make his way in the world4 ,he rose at four o'clock in the morning and copied law books which he borrowed1 the voluminous ,coke upon ,littleton among others4 ,he was so eager to study that sometimes he would keep it up until his brain refused to work1 when he would tie a wet towel about his head to enable him to keep awake and to study4 ,his first year's practice brought him but nine shillings1 yet he was bound not to give up4 ,when ,eldon was leaving the chamber the ,solicitor tapped him on the shoulder and said1 ,young man1 your bread and butter's cut for life4 ,the boy with no chance became ,lord ,chancellor of ,england1 and one of the greatest lawyers of his age4 ,stephen ,girard had no chance4 ,he left his home in ,france when ten years old1 and came to ,america as a cabin boy4 ,his great ambition was to get on and succeed at any cost4 ,there was no work1 however hard and disagreeable1 that he would not undertake4 ,midas like1 he turned to gold everything he touched1 and became one of the wealthiest merchants of ,philadelphia4 ,his abnormal love of money cannot be commended1 but his thoroughness in all he did1 his public spirit at times of national need1 and willingness to risk his life to save strangers sick with the deadly yellow fever1 are traits of character well worthy of imitation4 ,john ,wanamaker walked four miles to ,philadelphia every day1 and worked in a bookstore for one dollar and twenty-five cents a week4 ,he next worked in a clothing store at an advance of twenty-five cents a week4 ,from this he went up and up until he became one of the greatest living merchants4 ,he was appointed ,postmaster-,general by ,president ,harrison in #ahhi1 and in that capacity showed great executive ability4 ,prejudice against her race and sex did not deter the colored girl1 ,edmonia ,lewis1 from struggling upward to honor and fame as a sculptor4 ,fred ,douglass started in life with less than nothing1 for he did not own his own body1 and he was pledged before his birth to pay his master's debts4 ,to reach the starting-point of the poorest white boy1 he had to climb as far as the distance which the latter must ascend if he would become ,president of the ,united ,states4 ,he saw his mother but two or three times1 and then in the night1 when she would walk twelve miles to be with him an hour1 returning in time to go into the field at dawn4 ,he had no chance to study1 for he had no teacher1 and the rules of the plantation forbade slaves to learn to read and write4 ,but somehow1 unnoticed by his master1 he managed to learn the alphabet from scraps of paper and patent medicine almanacs1 and then no limits could be placed to his career4 ,he put to shame thousands of white boys4 ,he fled from slavery at twenty-one1 went ,north1 and worked as a stevedore in ,new ,york and ,new ,bedford4 ,at ,nantucket he was given an opportunity to speak at an anti-slavery meeting1 and made so favorable an impression that he was made agent of the ,anti-,slavery ,society of ,massachusetts4 ,while traveling from place to place to lecture1 he would study with all his might4 ,he was sent to ,europe to lecture1 and won the friendship of several ,englishmen1 who gave him #gej1 with which he purchased his freedom4 ,he edited a paper in ,rochester1 ,n4 ,y41 and afterwards conducted the ,new ,era in ,washington4 ,for several years he was ,marshal of the ,district of ,columbia4 ,henry ,e4 ,dixey1 the well-known actor1 began his career upon the stage in the humble part of the hind legs of a cow4 ,p4 ,t4 ,barnum rode a horse for ten cents a day4 ,it was a boy born in a log-cabin1 without schooling1 or books1 or teacher1 or ordinary opportunities1 who won the admiration of mankind by his homely practical wisdom while ,president during our ,civil ,war1 and who emancipated four million slaves4 ,behold this long1 lank1 awkward youth1 felling trees on the little claim1 building his homely log-cabin1 without floor or windows1 teaching himself arithmetic and grammar in the evening by the light of the fireplace4 ,in his eagerness to know the contents of ,blackstone's ,commentaries1 he walked forty-four miles to procure the precious volumes1 and read one hundred pages while returning4 ,abraham ,lincoln inherited no opportunities1 and acquired nothing by luck4 ,his good fortune consisted simply of untiring perseverance and a right heart4 ,in another log-cabin1 in the backwoods of ,ohio1 a poor widow is holding a boy eighteen months old1 and wondering if she will be able to keep the wolf from her little ones4 ,the boy grows1 and in a few years we find him chopping wood and tilling the little clearing in the forest1 to help his mother4 ,every spare hour is spent in studying the books he has borrowed1 but cannot buy4 ,at sixteen he gladly accepts a chance to drive mules on a canal towpath4 ,soon he applies for a chance to sweep floors and ring the bell of an academy1 to pay his way while studying there4 ,his first term at ,geauga ,seminary cost him but seventeen dollars4 ,when he returned the next term he had but a sixpence in his pocket1 and this he put into the contribution box at church the next day4 ,he engaged board1 washing1 fuel1 and light of a carpenter at one dollar and six cents a week1 with the privilege of working at night and on ,saturdays all the time he could spare4 ,he had arrived on a ,saturday and planed fifty-one boards that day1 for which he received one dollar and two cents4 ,when the term closed1 he had paid all expenses and had three dollars over4 ,the following winter he taught school at twelve dollars a month and board around4 ,in the spring he had forty-eight dollars1 and when he returned to school he boarded himself at an expense of thirty-one cents a week4 ,soon we find him in ,williams ,college1 where in two years he is graduated with honors4 ,he reaches the ,state ,senate at twenty-six and ,congress at thirty-three4 ,twenty-seven years from the time he applied for a chance to ring the bell at ,hiram ,college1 ,james ,a4 ,garfield became ,president of the ,united ,states4 ,the inspiration of such an example is worth more to the young men of ,america than all the wealth of the ,astors1 the ,vanderbilts1 and the ,goulds4 ,among the world's greatest heroes and benefactors are many others whose cradles were rocked by want in lowly cottages1 and who buffeted the billows of fate without dependence1 save upon the mercy of ,god and their own energies4 ,the little gray cabin appears to be the birthplace of all your great men1 said an ,english author who had been looking over a book of biographies of eminent ,americans4 ,with five chances on each hand and one unwavering aim1 no boy1 however poor1 need despair4 ,there is bread and success for every youth under the ,american flag who has energy and ability to seize his opportunity4 ,it matters not whether the boy is born in a log-cabin or in a mansion2 if he is dominated by a resolute purpose and upholds himself1 neither men nor demons can keep him down4 ,,chapter ,,iv ,,the ,,country ,,boy ,the ,napoleonic wars so drained the flower of ,french manhood that even to-day the physical stature of the average ,frenchman is nearly half an inch below what it was at the beginning of ,napoleon's reign4 ,the country in ,america to-day is constantly paying a similar tribute to the city in the sacrifice of its best blood1 its best brain1 the finest physical and mental fiber in the world4 ,this great stream of superb country manhood1 which is ever flowing cityward1 is rapidly deteriorated by the softening1 emasculating influences of the city1 until the superior virility1 stamina and sturdy qualities entirely disappear in two or three generations of city life4 ,our city civilization is always in a process of decay1 and would1 in a few generations1 become emasculated and effeminate were it not for the pure1 crystal stream of country youth flowing steadily into and purifying the muddy1 devitalized stream of city life4 ,it would soon become so foul and degenerate as to threaten the physical and moral health of city dwellers4 ,one of our great men says that one of the most unfortunate phases of modern civilization is the drift away from the farm1 the drift of country youth to the city which has an indescribable fascination for him4 ,his vivid imagination clothes it with ,arabian ,nights possibilities and joys4 ,the country seems tame and commonplace after his first dream of the city4 ,to him it is synonymous with opportunity1 with power1 with pleasure4 ,he can not rid himself of its fascination until he tastes its emptiness4 ,he can not know the worth of the country and how to appreciate the glory of its disadvantages and opportunities until he has seen the sham and shallowness of the city4 ,one of the greatest boons that can ever come to a human being is to be born on a farm and reared in the country4 ,self-reliance and grit are oftenest country-bred4 ,the country boy is constantly thrown upon his own resources1 forced to think for himself1 and this calls out his ingenuity and inventiveness4 ,he develops better all-round judgment and a more level head than the city boy4 ,his muscles are harder1 his flesh firmer1 and his brain-fiber partakes of the same superior quality4 ,the very granite hills1 the mountains1 the valleys1 the brooks1 the miracle of the growing crops are every moment registering their mighty potencies in his constitution1 putting iron into his blood and stamina into his character1 all of which will help to make him a giant when he comes to compete with the city-bred youth4 ,the sturdy1 vigorous1 hardy qualities1 the stamina1 the brawn1 the grit which characterize men who do great things in this world1 are1 as a rule1 country bred4 ,if power is not absorbed from the soil1 it certainly comes from very near it4 ,there seems to be a close connection between robust character and the soil1 the hills1 mountains and valleys1 the pure air and sunshine4 ,there is a very appreciable difference between the physical stamina1 the brain vigor1 the solidity and the reliability of country-bred men and that of those in the city4 ,the average country-bred youth has a better foundation for success-building1 has greater courage1 more moral stamina4 ,he has not become weakened and softened by the superficial ornamental1 decorative influences of city life4 ,and there is a reason for all this4 ,we are largely copies of our environment4 ,we are under the perpetual influence of the suggestion of our surroundings4 ,the city-bred youth sees and hears almost nothing that is natural1 aside from the faces and forms of human beings4 ,nearly everything that confronts him from morning till night is artificial1 man-made4 ,he sees hardly anything that ,god made1 that imparts solidity1 strength and power1 as do the natural objects in the country4 ,how can a man build up a solid1 substantial character when his eyes and ears bring him only sights and sounds of artificial things8 ,a vast sea of business blocks1 sky-scrapers and asphalt pavements does not generate character-building material4 ,just as sculpture was once carried to such an extreme that pillars and beams were often so weakened by the extravagant carvings as to threaten the safety of the structure1 so the timber in country boys and girls1 when brought to the city1 is often overcarved and adorned at the cost of strength1 robustness and vigor4 ,in other words1 virility1 forcefulness1 physical and mental stamina reach their maximum in those who live close to the soil4 ,the moment a man becomes artificial in his living1 takes on artificial conditions1 he begins to deteriorate1 to soften4 ,much of what we call the best society in our cities is often in an advanced process of decay4 ,the muscles may be a little more delicate but they are softer2 the skin may be a little fairer1 but it is not so healthy2 the thought a little more supple1 but less vigorous4 ,the whole tendency of life in big cities is toward deterioration4 ,city people rarely live really normal lives4 ,it is not natural for human beings to live far from the soil4 ,it is ,mother ,earth and country life that give vitality1 stamina1 courage and all the qualities which make for manhood and womanhood4 ,what we get from the country is solid1 substantial1 enduring1 reliable4 ,what comes from the artificial conditions of the city is weakening1 enervating1 softening4 ,the country youth1 on the other hand1 is in the midst of a perpetual miracle4 ,he can not open his eyes without seeing a more magnificent painting than a ,raphael or a ,michael ,angelo could have created in a lifetime4 ,and this magnificent panorama is changing every instant4 ,there is a miracle going on in every growing blade of grass and flower4 ,is it not wonderful to watch the chemical processes in nature's laboratory1 mixing and flinging out to the world the gorgeous colorings and marvelous perfumes of the rose and wild flower6 ,no city youth was ever in such a marvelous kindergarten1 where perpetual creation is going on in such a vast multitude of forms4 ,the city youth has too many things to divert his attention4 ,such a multiplicity of objects appeals to him that he is often superficial2 he lacks depth2 his mind is perpetually drawn away from his subject1 and he lacks continuity of thought and application4 ,his reading is comparatively superficial4 ,he glances through many papers2 magazines and periodicals and gives no real thought to any4 ,his evenings are much more broken up than those of the country boy1 who1 having very little diversion after supper1 can read continuously for an entire evening on one subject4 ,the country boy does not read as many books as the city boy1 but1 as a rule1 he reads them with much better results4 ,the dearth of great libraries1 books and periodicals is one reason why the country boy makes the most of good books and articles1 often reading them over and over again1 while the city youth1 in the midst of newspapers and libraries1 sees so many books that in most instances he cares very little for them1 and will often read the best literature without absorbing any of it4 ,the fact is that there is such a diversity of attractions and distractions1 of temptation and amusement in the city1 that unless a youth is made of unusual stuff he will yield to the persuasion of the moment and follow the line of least resistance4 ,it is hard for the city-bred youth to resist the multiplicity of allurements and pleasures that bid for his attention1 to deny himself and turn a deaf ear to the appeals of his associates and tie himself down to self-improvement while those around him are having a good time4 ,these exciting1 diverting1 tempting conditions of city life are not conducive to generating the great master purpose1 the one unwavering life aim1 which we often see so marked in the young man from the country4 ,nor do city-bred youths store up anything like the reserve power1 the cumulative force1 the stamina1 which are developed in the simple life of the soil4 ,for one thing1 the country boy is constantly developing his muscular system4 ,his health is better4 ,he gets more exercise1 more time to think and to reflect2 hence1 he is not so superficial as the city boy4 ,his perceptions are not so quick1 he is not so rapid in his movements1 his thought action is slower and he does not have as much polish1 it is true1 but he is better balanced generally4 ,he has been forced to do a great variety of work and this has developed corresponding mental qualities4 ,the drudgery of the farm1 the chores which we hated as boys1 the rocks which we despised1 we have found were the very things which educated us1 which developed our power and made us practical4 ,the farm is a great gymnasium1 a superb manual training school1 nature's kindergarten1 constantly calling upon the youth's self-reliance and inventiveness4 ,he must make the implements and toys which he can not afford to buy or procure4 ,he must run1 adjust and repair all sorts of machinery and farm utensils4 ,his ingenuity and inventiveness are constantly exercised4 ,if the wagon or plow breaks down it must be repaired on the spot1 often without the proper tools4 ,this training develops instinctive courage1 strong success qualities1 and makes him a resourceful man4 ,is it any wonder that the boy so trained in self-reliance1 so superbly equipped with physical and mental stamina1 should take such pre-eminence1 should be in such demand when he comes to the city8 ,is it any wonder that he is always in evidence in great emergencies and crises8 ,just stand a stamina-filled1 self-reliant country boy beside a pale1 soft1 stamina-less1 washed-out city youth4 ,is it any wonder that the country-bred boy is nearly always the leader2 that he heads the banks1 the great mercantile houses8 ,it is this peculiar1 indescribable something2 this superior stamina and mental caliber1 that makes the stuff that rises to the top in all vocations4 ,there is a peculiar quality of superiority which comes from dealing with realities that we do not find in the superficial city conditions4 ,the life-giving oxygen1 breathed in great inspirations through constant muscular effort1 develops in the country boy much greater lung power than is developed in the city youth1 and his outdoor work tends to build up a robust constitution4 ,plowing1 hoeing1 mowing1 everything he does on the farm gives him vigor and strength4 ,his muscles are harder1 his flesh firmer1 and his brain-fiber partakes of the same superior quality4 ,he is constantly bottling up forces1 storing up energy in his brain and muscles which later may be powerful factors in shaping the nation's destiny or which may furnish backbone to keep the ship of state from floundering on the rocks4 ,this marvelous reserve power which he stores up in the country will come out in the successful banker1 statesman1 lawyer1 merchant1 or business man4 ,self-reliance and grit are oftenest country-bred4 ,the country boy is constantly thrown upon his own resources2 he is forced to think for himself1 and this calls out his ingenuity and makes him self-reliant and strong4 ,it has been found that the use of tools in our manual training schools develops the brain1 strengthens the deficient faculties and brings out latent powers4 ,the farm-reared boy is in the best manual training school in the world and is constantly forced to plan things1 make things2 he is always using tools4 ,this is one of the reasons why he usually develops better all-round judgment and a more level head than the city boy4 ,it is human nature to exaggerate the value of things beyond our reach4 ,people save money for years in order to go to ,europe to visit the great art centers and see the famous masterpieces1 when they have really never seen the marvelous pictures painted by the ,divine ,artist and spread in the landscape1 in the sunset1 in the glory of flowers and plant life1 right at their very doors4 ,what a perpetual inspiration1 what marvels of beauty1 what miracles of coloring are spread everywhere in nature1 confronting us on every hand6 ,we see them almost every day of our lives and they become so common that they make no impression upon us4 ,think of the difference between what a ,ruskin sees in a landscape and the impression conveyed to his brain1 and what is seen by the ordinary mind1 the ordinary person who has little or no imagination and whose esthetic faculties have scarcely been developed6 ,we are immersed in a wilderness of mysteries and marvelous beauties4 ,miracles innumerable in grass and flower and fruit are performed right before our eyes4 ,how marvelous is ,nature's growing of fruit1 for example6 ,how she packs the concentrated sunshine and delicious juices into the cans that she makes as she goes along1 cans exactly the right size1 without a particle of waste1 leakage or evaporation1 with no noise of factories1 no hammering of tins6 ,the miracles are wrought in a silent laboratory2 not a sound is heard1 and yet what marvels of skill1 deliciousness and beauty8 ,what interrogation points1 what wonderful mysteries1 what wit-sharpeners are ever before the farmer boy1 whichever way he turns6 ,where does all this tremendous increase of corn1 wheat1 fruit and vegetables come from8 ,there seems to be no loss to the soil1 and yet1 what a marvelous growth in everything6 ,life1 life1 more life on every hand6 ,wherever he goes he treads on chemical forces which produce greater marvels than are described in the ,arabian ,nights4 ,the trees1 the brooks1 the mountains1 the hills1 the valleys1 the sunsets1 the growing animals on the farm1 are all mysteries that set him thinking and to wondering at the creative processes which are working on every hand4 ,then again1 the delicious freedom of it all1 as contrasted with the cramped1 artificial life in the city6 ,everything in the country tends to set the boy thinking1 to call out his dormant powers and develop his latent forces4 ,and what health there is in it all6 ,how hearty and natural he is in comparison with the city boy1 who is tempted to turn night into day1 to live an artificial1 purposeless life4 ,the very temptation in the city to turn night into day is of itself health-undermining1 stamina-dissipating and character-weakening4 ,while the city youth is wasting his precious energy capital in late hours1 pleasure seeking1 and often dissipation1 the country youth is storing up power and vitality2 he is being recharged with physical force by natural1 refreshing sleep1 away from the distracting influence and enervating excitement of city life4 ,the country youth does not learn to judge people by the false standards of wealth and social standing4 ,he is not inculcated with snobbish ideas4 ,everything in the great farm kindergarten teaches him sincerity1 simplicity and honesty4 ,the time was when the boy who gave no signs of genius or unusual ability was consigned to the farm1 and the brilliant boy was sent to college or to the city to make a career for himself4 ,but we are now beginning to see that man has made a botch of farming only because he looked upon it as a sort of humdrum occupation2 as a means provided by nature for living-getting for those who were not good for much else4 ,farming was considered by many people as a sort of degrading occupation desirable only for those who lacked the brains and education to go into a profession or some of the more refined callings4 ,but the searchlight of science has revealed in it possibilities hitherto undreamed of4 ,we are commencing to realize that it takes a high order of ability and education to bring out the fullest possibilities of the soil2 that it requires fine-grained sympathetic talent4 ,we are now finding that agriculture is as great a science as astronomy1 and that ignorant men have been getting an indifferent living from their farms simply because they did not know how to mix brains with the soil4 ,the science of agriculture is fast becoming appreciated and is more and more regarded as a high and noble calling1 a dignified profession4 ,think of what it means to go into partnership with the ,creator in bringing out larger1 grander products from the soil2 to be able to co-operate with that divine creative force1 and even to vary the size1 the beauty1 the perfume of flowers2 to enlarge1 modify and change the flavor of fruits and vegetables to our liking6 ,think what it must mean to be a magician in the whole vegetable kingdom1 like ,luther ,burbank1 changing colors1 flavors1 perfumes1 species6 ,almost anything is possible when one knows enough and has heart and sympathy enough to enter into partnership with the great creative force in nature4 ,mr4 ,burbank says that the time will come when man will be able to do almost anything he wishes in the vegetable kingdom2 will be able to produce at will any shade or color he wishes1 and almost any flavor in any fruit2 that the size of all fruits and vegetables and flowers is just a matter of sufficient understanding1 and that ,nature will give us almost anything when we know enough to treat her intelligently1 wisely and sympathetically4 ,the history of most great men shows that there is a disadvantage in having too many advantages4 ,who can tell what the consequences would have been had ,lincoln been born in ,new ,york and educated at ,harvard8 ,if he had been reared in the midst of great libraries1 brought up in an atmosphere of books1 of only a small fraction of which he could get even a superficial knowledge1 would he have had that insatiable hunger which prompted him to walk twenty miles in order to borrow ,blackstone's ,commentaries and to read one hundred pages on the way home8 ,illustration3 ,house in which ,abraham ,lincoln was born ,what was there in that rude frontier forest1 where this poor boy scarcely ever saw any one who knew anything of books1 to rouse his ambition and to stimulate him to self-education8 ,whence came that yearning to know the history of men and women who had made a nation2 to know the history of his country8 ,whence came that passion to devour the dry statutes of ,indiana1 as a young girl would devour a love story8 ,whence came that all-absorbing ambition to be somebody in the world2 to serve his country with no selfish ambition8 ,had his father been rich and well-educated instead of a poor man who could neither read nor write and who was generally of a shiftless and roving disposition1 there is no likelihood that ,lincoln would ever have become the powerful man he was4 ,had he not felt that imperious must calling him1 the prod of necessity spurring him on1 whence would have come the motive which led him to struggle for self-development1 self-unfoldment8 ,if he had been born and educated in luxury1 his character would probably have been soft and flabby in comparison with what it was4 ,where in all the annals of history is there another record of one born of such poor parentage and reared in such a wretched environment1 who ever rose to such eminence8 ,imagine a boy of to-day1 so hungry for an education that he would walk nine miles a day to attend a rude frontier school in a log cabin6 ,what would the city boys of to-day1 who do not want to walk even a few blocks to school1 think of a youth who would do what ,lincoln did to overcome his handicap8 ,,chapter ,v ,,opportunities ,,where ,,you ,,are ,to each man's life there comes a time supreme2 ,one day1 one night1 one morning1 or one noon1 ,one freighted hour1 one moment opportune1 ,one rift through which sublime fulfillments gleam1 ,one space when fate goes tiding with the stream1 ,one ,once1 in balance 'twixt ,too ,late1 ,too ,soon1 ,and ready for the passing instant's boon ,to tip in favor the uncertain beam4 ,ah1 happy he who1 knowing how to wait1 ,knows also how to watch and work and stand ,on ,life's broad deck alert1 and at the prow ,to seize the passing moment1 big with fate1 ,from ,opportunity's extended hand1 ,when the great clock of destiny strikes ,now6 ,,mary ,a4 ,,townsend4 ,what is opportunity to a man who can't use it8 ,an unfecundated egg1 which the waves of time wash away into non-entity4--,,george ,,eliot4 ,the secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes4--,,disraeli4 ,there are no longer any good chances for young men1 complained a youthful law student to ,daniel ,webster4 ,there is always room at the top1 replied the great statesman and jurist4 ,no chance1 no opportunities1 in a land where thousands of poor boys become rich men1 where newsboys go to ,congress1 and where those born in the lowest stations attain the highest positions8 ,the world is all gates1 all opportunities to him who will use them4 ,but1 like ,bunyan's ,pilgrim in the dungeon of ,giant ,despair's castle1 who had the key of deliverance all the time with him but had forgotten it1 we fail to rely wholly upon the ability to advance all that is good for us which has been given to the weakest as well as the strongest4 ,we depend too much upon outside assistance4 ,we look too high ,for things close by4 ,a ,baltimore lady lost a valuable diamond bracelet at a ball1 and supposed that it was stolen from the pocket of her cloak4 ,years afterward she washed the steps of the ,peabody ,institute1 pondering how to get money to buy food4 ,she cut up an old1 worn-out1 ragged cloak to make a hood1 when lo6 in the lining of the cloak she discovered the diamond bracelet4 ,during all her poverty she was worth #cejj1 but did not know it4 ,many of us who think we are poor are rich in opportunities1 if we could only see them1 in possibilities all about us1 in faculties worth more than diamond bracelets4 ,in our large ,eastern cities it has been found that at least ninety-four out of every hundred found their first fortune at home1 or near at hand1 and in meeting common every-day wants4 ,it is a sorry day for a young man who can not see any opportunities where he is1 but thinks he can do better somewhere else4 ,some ,brazilian shepherds organized a party to go to ,california to dig gold1 and took along a handful of translucent pebbles to play checkers with on the voyage4 ,after arriving in ,san ,francisco1 and after they had thrown most of the pebbles away1 they discovered that they were diamonds4 ,they hastened back to ,brazil1 only to find that the mines from which the pebbles had been gathered had been taken up by other prospectors and sold to the government4 ,the richest gold and silver mine in ,nevada was sold by the owner for #db1 to get money to pay his passage to other mines1 where he thought he could get rich4 ,professor ,agassiz once told the ,harvard students of a farmer who owned a farm of hundreds of acres of unprofitable woods and rocks1 and concluded to sell out and get into a more profitable business4 ,he decided to go into the coal-oil business2 he studied coal measures and coal-oil deposits1 and experimented for a long time4 ,he sold his farm for #bjj1 and engaged in his new business two hundred miles away4 ,only a short time after1 the man who bought his farm discovered upon it a great flood of coal-oil1 which the farmer had previously ignorantly tried to drain off4 ,hundreds of years ago there lived near the shore of the river ,indus a ,persian by the name of ,ali ,hafed4 ,he lived in a cottage on the river bank1 from which he could get a grand view of the beautiful country stretching away to the sea4 ,he had a wife and children2 an extensive farm1 fields of grain1 gardens of flowers1 orchards of fruit1 and miles of forest4 ,he had plenty of money and everything that heart could wish4 ,he was contented and happy4 ,one evening a priest of ,buddha visited him1 and1 sitting before the fire1 explained to him how the world was made1 and how the first beams of sunlight condensed on the earth's surface into diamonds4 ,the old priest told that a drop of sunlight the size of his thumb was worth more than large mines of copper1 silver1 or gold2 that with one of them he could buy many farms like his2 that with a handful he could buy a province1 and with a mine of diamonds he could purchase a kingdom4 ,ali ,hafed listened1 and was no longer a rich man4 ,he had been touched with discontent1 and with that all wealth vanishes4 ,early the next morning he woke the priest who had been the cause of his unhappiness1 and anxiously asked him where he could find a mine of diamonds4 ,what do you want of diamonds8 asked the astonished priest4 ,i want to be rich and place my children on thrones4 ,all you have to do is to go and search until you find them1 said the priest4 ,but where shall ,i go8 asked the poor farmer4 ,go anywhere1 north1 south1 east1 or west4 ,how shall ,i know when ,i have found the place8 ,when you find a river running over white sands between high mountain ranges1 in those white sands you will find diamonds1 answered the priest4 ,the discontented man sold the farm for what he could get1 left his family with a neighbor1 took the money he had at interest1 and went to search for the coveted treasure4 ,over the mountains of ,arabia1 through ,palestine and ,egypt1 he wandered for years1 but found no diamonds4 ,when his money was all gone and starvation stared him in the face1 ashamed of his folly and of his rags1 poor ,ali ,hafed threw himself into the tide and was drowned4 ,the man who bought his farm was a contented man1 who made the most of his surroundings1 and did not believe in going away from home to hunt for diamonds or success4 ,while his camel was drinking in the garden one day1 he noticed a flash of light from the white sands of the brook4 ,he picked up a pebble1 and pleased with its brilliant hues took it into the house1 put it on the shelf near the fireplace1 and forgot all about it4 ,the old priest of ,buddha who had filled ,ali ,hafed with the fatal discontent called one day upon the new owner of the farm4 ,he had no sooner entered the room than his eye caught that flash of light from the stone4 ,here's a diamond6 here's a diamond6 he shouted in great excitement4 ,has ,ali ,hafed returned8 ,no1 said the farmer1 nor is that a diamond4 ,that is but a stone4 ,they went into the garden and stirred up the white sand with their fingers1 and behold1 other diamonds more beautiful than the first gleamed out of it4 ,so the famous diamond beds of ,golconda were discovered4 ,had ,ali ,hafed been content to remain at home1 and dug in his own garden1 instead of going abroad in search for wealth1 he would have been one of the richest men in the world1 for the entire farm abounded in the richest of gems4 ,you have your own special place and work4 ,find it1 fill it4 ,scarcely a boy or girl will read these lines but has much better opportunity to win success than ,garfield1 ,wilson1 ,franklin1 ,lincoln1 ,harriet ,beecher ,stowe1 ,frances ,willard1 and thousands of others had4 ,but to succeed you must be prepared to seize and improve the opportunity when it comes4 ,remember that four things come not back3 the spoken word1 the sped arrow1 the past life1 and the neglected opportunity4 ,it is one of the paradoxes of civilization that the more opportunities are utilized1 the more new ones are thereby created4 ,new openings are as easy to find as ever to those who do their best2 although it is not so easy as formerly to obtain great distinction in the old lines1 because the standard has advanced so much1 and competition has so greatly increased4 ,the world is no longer clay1 said ,emerson1 but rather iron in the hands of its workers1 and men have got to hammer out a place for themselves by steady and rugged blows4 ,thousands of men have made fortunes out of trifles which others pass by4 ,as the bee gets honey from the same flower from which the spider gets poison1 so some men will get a fortune out of the commonest and meanest things1 as scraps of leather1 cotton waste1 slag1 iron filings1 from which others get only poverty and failure4 ,there is scarcely a thing which contributes to the welfare and comfort of humanity1 scarcely an article of household furniture1 a kitchen utensil1 an article of clothing or of food1 that is not capable of an improvement in which there may be a fortune4 ,opportunities8 ,they are all around us4 ,forces of nature plead to be used in the service of man1 as lightning for ages tried to attract his attention to the great force of electricity1 which would do his drudgery and leave him to develop the ,god-given powers within him4 ,there is power lying latent everywhere waiting for the observant eye to discover it4 ,first find out what the world needs and then supply the want4 ,an invention to make smoke go the wrong way in a chimney might be a very ingenious thing1 but it would be of no use to humanity4 ,the patent office at ,washington is full of wonderful devices of ingenious mechanism1 but not one in hundreds is of use to the inventor or to the world4 ,and yet how many families have been impoverished1 and have struggled for years amid want and woe1 while the father has been working on useless inventions4 ,a4 ,t4 ,stewart1 as a boy1 lost eighty-seven cents1 when his capital was one dollar and a half1 in buying buttons and thread which shoppers did not call for4 ,after that he made it a rule never to buy anything which the public did not want1 and so prospered4 ,an observing man1 the eyelets of whose shoes pulled out1 but who could not afford to get another pair1 said to himself1 ,i will make a metallic lacing hook1 which can be riveted into the leather4 ,he was then so poor that he had to borrow a sickle to cut grass in front of his hired tenement4 ,he became a very rich man4 ,an observing barber in ,newark1 ,n4 ,j41 thought he could make an improvement on shears for cutting hair1 invented clippers1 and became rich4 ,a ,maine man was called in from the hayfield to wash clothes for his invalid wife4 ,he had never realized what it was to wash before4 ,finding the method slow and laborious1 he invented the washing machine1 and made a fortune4 ,a man who was suffering terribly with toothache felt sure there must be some way of filling teeth which would prevent their aching and he invented the method of gold filling for teeth4 ,the great things of the world have not been done by men of large means4 ,ericsson began the construction of the screw propellers in a bathroom4 ,the cotton-gin was first manufactured in a log cabin4 ,john ,harrison1 the great inventor of the marine chronometer1 began his career in the loft of an old barn4 ,parts of the first steamboat ever run in ,america were set up in the vestry of a church in ,philadelphia by ,fitch4 ,mc,cormick began to make his famous reaper in a grist-mill4 ,the first model dry-dock was made in an attic4 ,clark1 the founder of ,clark ,university of ,worcester1 ,mass41 began his great fortune by making toy wagons in a horse shed4 ,farquhar made umbrellas in his sitting-room1 with his daughter's help1 until he sold enough to hire a loft4 ,edison began his experiments in a baggage car on the ,grand ,trunk ,railroad when a newsboy4 ,michael ,angelo found a piece of discarded ,carrara marble among waste rubbish beside a street in ,florence1 which some unskilful workman had cut1 hacked1 spoiled1 and thrown away4 ,no doubt many artists had noticed the fine quality of the marble1 and regretted that it should have been spoiled4 ,but ,michael ,angelo still saw an angel in the ruin1 and with his chisel and mallet he called out from it one of the finest pieces of statuary in ,italy1 the young ,david4 ,patrick ,henry was called a lazy boy1 a good-for-nothing farmer1 and he failed as a merchant4 ,he was always dreaming of some far-off greatness1 and never thought he could be a hero among the corn and tobacco and saddlebags of ,virginia4 ,he studied law for six weeks2 when he put out his shingle4 ,people thought he would fail1 but in his first case he showed that he had a wonderful power of oratory4 ,it then first dawned upon him that he could be a hero in ,virginia4 ,from the time the ,stamp ,act was passed and ,henry was elected to the ,virginia ,house of ,burgesses1 and he had introduced his famous resolution against the unjust taxation of the ,american colonies1 he rose steadily until he became one of the brilliant orators of ,america4 ,in one of his first speeches upon this resolution he uttered these words1 which were prophetic of his power and courage3 ,caesar had his ,brutus1 ,charles the ,first his ,cromwell1 and ,george the ,third--may profit by their example4 ,if this be treason1 make the most of it4 ,the great natural philosopher1 ,faraday1 who was the son of a blacksmith1 wrote1 when a young man1 to ,humphry ,davy1 asking for employment at the ,royal ,institution4 ,davy consulted a friend on the matter4 ,here is a letter from a young man named ,faraday2 he has been attending my lectures1 and wants me to give him employment at the ,royal ,institution--what can ,i do8 ,do8 put him to washing bottles2 if he is good for anything he will do it directly2 if he refuses he is good for nothing4 ,but the boy who could experiment in the attic of an apothecary shop with an old pan and glass vials during every moment he could snatch from his work saw an opportunity in washing bottles1 which led to a professorship at the ,royal ,academy at ,woolwich4 ,tyndall said of this boy with no chance1 ,he is the greatest experimental philosopher the world has ever seen4 ,he became the wonder of his age in science4 ,there is a legend of an artist who long sought for a piece of sandalwood1 out of which to carve a ,madonna4 ,he was about to give up in despair1 leaving the vision of his life unrealized1 when in a dream he was bidden to carve his ,madonna from a block of oak wood which was destined for the fire4 ,he obeyed1 and produced a masterpiece from a log of common firewood4 ,many of us lose great opportunities in life by waiting to find sandalwood for our carvings1 when they really lie hidden in the common logs that we burn4 ,one man goes through life without seeing chances for doing anything great1 while another close beside him snatches from the same circumstances and privileges opportunities for achieving grand results4 ,opportunities8 ,they are everywhere4 ,america is another name for opportunities4 ,our whole history appears like a last effort of divine ,providence in behalf of the human race4 ,never before were there such grand openings1 such chances1 such opportunities4 ,especially is this true for girls and young women4 ,a new era is dawning for them4 ,hundreds of occupations and professions1 which were closed to them only a few years ago1 are now inviting them to enter4 ,we can not all of us perhaps make great discoveries like ,newton1 ,faraday1 ,edison1 and ,thompson1 or paint immortal pictures like an ,angelo or a ,raphael4 ,but we can all of us make our lives sublime1 by seizing common occasions and making them great4 ,what chance had the young girl1 ,grace ,darling1 to distinguish herself1 living on those barren lighthouse rocks alone with her aged parents8 ,but while her brothers and sisters1 who moved to the cities to win wealth and fame1 are not known to the world1 she became more famous than a princess4 ,this poor girl did not need to go to ,london to see the nobility2 they came to the lighthouse to see her4 ,right at home she had won fame which the regal heirs might envy1 and a name which will never perish from the earth4 ,she did not wander away into dreamy distance for fame and fortune1 but did her best where duty had placed her4 ,if you want to get rich1 study yourself and your own wants4 ,you will find that millions have the same wants4 ,the safest business is always connected with man's prime necessities4 ,he must have clothing and dwelling2 he must eat4 ,he wants comforts1 facilities of all kinds for pleasure1 education1 and culture4 ,any man who can supply a great want of humanity1 improve any methods which men use1 supply any demand of comfort1 or contribute in any way to their well-being1 can make a fortune4 ,the golden opportunity ,is never offered twice2 seize then the hour ,when ,fortune smiles and ,duty points the way4 ,why thus longing1 thus forever sighing1 ,for the far-off1 unattained and dim1 ,while the beautiful1 all around thee lying ,offers up its low1 perpetual hymn8 ,,harriet ,,winslow4 ,,chapter ,,vi ,,possibilities ,,in ,,spare ,,moments ,dost thou love life8 ,then do not squander time1 for that is the stuff life is made of4--,,franklin4 ,eternity itself cannot restore the loss struck from the minute4--,,ancient ,,poet4 ,periunt et imputantur1--the hours perish and are laid to our charge4--,,inscription ,,on ,a ,,dial ,,at ,,oxford4 ,i wasted time1 and now doth time waste me4--,,shakespeare4 ,believe me when ,i tell you that thrift of time will repay you in after life with a usury of profit beyond your most sanguine dreams1 and that waste of it will make you dwindle alike in intellectual and moral stature beyond your darkest reckoning4--,,gladstone4 ,lost6 ,somewhere between sunrise and sunset1 two golden hours1 each set with sixty diamond minutes4 ,no reward is offered1 for they are gone forever4--,,horace ,,mann4 ,what is the price of that book8 at length asked a man who had been dawdling for an hour in the front store of ,benjamin ,franklin's newspaper establishment4 ,one dollar1 replied the clerk4 ,one dollar1 echoed the lounger2 can't you take less than that8 ,one dollar is the price1 was the answer4 ,the would-be purchaser looked over the books on sale a while longer1 and then inquired3 ,is ,mr4 ,franklin in8 ,yes1 said the clerk1 he is very busy in the press-room4 ,well1 ,i want to see him1 persisted the man4 ,the proprietor was called1 and the stranger asked3 ,what is the lowest1 ,mr4 ,franklin1 that you can take for that book8 ,one dollar and a quarter1 was the prompt rejoinder4 ,one dollar and a quarter6 ,why1 your clerk asked me only a dollar just now4 ,true1 said ,franklin1 and ,i could have better afforded to take a dollar than to leave my work4 ,the man seemed surprised2 but1 wishing to end a parley of his own seeking1 he demanded3 ,well1 come now1 tell me your lowest price for this book4 ,one dollar and a half1 replied ,franklin4 ,a dollar and a half6 ,why1 you offered it yourself for a dollar and a quarter4 ,yes1 said ,franklin coolly1 and ,i could better have taken that price then than a dollar and a half now4 ,the man silently laid the money on the counter1 took his book1 and left the store1 having received a salutary lesson from a master in the art of transmuting time1 at will1 into either wealth or wisdom4 ,time-wasters are everywhere4 ,on the floor of the gold-working room1 in the ,united ,states ,mint at ,philadelphia1 there is a wooden lattice-work which is taken up when the floor is swept1 and the fine particles of gold-dust1 thousands of dollars' yearly1 are thus saved4 ,so every successful man has a kind of network to catch the raspings and parings of existence1 those leavings of days and wee bits of hours which most people sweep into the waste of life4 ,he who hoards and turns to account all odd minutes1 half hours1 unexpected holidays1 gaps between times1 and chasms of waiting for unpunctual persons1 achieves results which astonish those who have not mastered this most valuable secret4 ,all that ,i have accomplished1 expect to1 or hope to accomplish1 said ,elihu ,burritt1 has been and will be by that plodding1 patient1 persevering process of accretion which builds the ant-heap--particle by particle1 thought by thought1 fact by fact4 ,and if ever ,i was actuated by ambition1 its highest and warmest aspiration reached no further than the hope to set before the young men of my country an example in employing those invaluable fragments of time called moments4 ,i have been wondering how ,ned contrived to monopolize all the talents of the family1 said a brother1 found in a brown study after listening to one of ,burke's speeches in ,parliament2 but then ,i remember2 when we were at play1 he was always at work4 ,the days come to us like friends in disguise1 bringing priceless gifts from an unseen hand2 but1 if we do not use them1 they are borne silently away1 never to return4 ,each successive morning new gifts are brought1 but if we failed to accept those that were brought yesterday and the day before1 we become less and less able to turn them to account1 until the ability to appreciate and utilize them is exhausted4 ,wisely was it said that lost wealth may be regained by industry and economy1 lost knowledge by study1 lost health by temperance and medicine1 but lost time is gone forever4 ,oh1 it's only five minutes or ten minutes till mealtime2 there's no time to do anything now1 is one of the commonest expressions heard in the family4 ,but what monuments have been built up by poor boys with no chance1 out of broken fragments of time which many of us throw away6 ,the very hours you have wasted1 if improved1 might have insured your success4 ,marion ,harland has accomplished wonders1 and she has been able to do this by economizing the minutes to shape her novels and newspaper articles1 when her children were in bed and whenever she could get a spare minute4 ,though she has done so much1 yet all her life has been subject to interruptions which would have discouraged most women from attempting anything outside their regular family duties4 ,she has glorified the commonplace as few other women have done4 ,harriet ,beecher ,stowe1 too1 wrote her great masterpiece1 ,uncle ,tom's ,cabin1 in the midst of pressing household cares4 ,beecher read ,froude's ,england a little each day while he had to wait for dinner4 ,longfellow translated the ,inferno by snatches of ten minutes a day1 while waiting for his coffee to boil1 persisting for years until the work was done4 ,hugh ,miller1 while working hard as a stone-mason1 found time to read scientific books1 and write the lessons learned from the blocks of stone he handled4 ,madame de ,genlis1 when companion of the future ,queen of ,france1 composed several of her charming volumes while waiting for the princess to whom she gave her daily lessons4 ,burns wrote many of his most beautiful poems while working on a farm4 ,the author of ,paradise ,lost was a teacher1 ,secretary of the ,commonwealth1 ,secretary of the ,lord ,protector1 and had to write his sublime poetry whenever he could snatch a few minutes from a busy life4 ,john ,stuart ,mill did much of his best work as a writer while a clerk in the ,east ,india ,house4 ,galileo was a surgeon1 yet to the improvement of his spare moments the world owes some of its greatest discoveries4 ,if a genius like ,gladstone carried through life a little book in his pocket lest an unexpected spare moment slip from his grasp1 what should we of common abilities not resort to1 to save the precious moments from oblivion8 ,what a rebuke is such a life to the thousands of young men and women who throw away whole months and even years of that which the ,grand ,old ,man hoarded up even to the smallest fragments6 ,many a great man has snatched his reputation from odd bits of time which others1 who wonder at their failure to get on1 throw away4 ,in ,dante's time nearly every literary man in ,italy was a hard-working merchant1 physician1 statesman1 judge1 or soldier4 ,while ,michael ,faraday was employed binding books1 he devoted all his leisure to experiments4 ,at one time he wrote to a friend1 ,time is all ,i require4 ,oh1 that ,i could purchase at a cheap rate some of our modern gentlemen's spare hours--nay1 days4 ,oh1 the power of ceaseless industry to perform miracles6 ,alexander von ,humboldt's days were so occupied with his business that he had to pursue his scientific labors in the night or early morning1 while others were asleep4 ,one hour a day withdrawn from frivolous pursuits and profitably employed would enable any man of ordinary capacity to master a complete science4 ,one hour a day would in ten years make an ignorant man a well-informed man4 ,it would earn enough to pay for two daily and two weekly papers1 two leading magazines1 and at least a dozen good books4 ,in an hour a day a boy or girl could read twenty pages thoughtfully--over seven thousand pages1 or eighteen large volumes in a year4 ,an hour a day might make all the difference between bare existence and useful1 happy living4 ,an hour a day might make--nay1 has made--an unknown man a famous one1 a useless man a benefactor to his race4 ,consider1 then1 the mighty possibilities of two--four--yes1 six hours a day that are1 on the average1 thrown away by young men and women in the restless desire for fun and diversion6 ,every young man should have a hobby to occupy his leisure hours1 something useful to which he can turn with delight4 ,it might be in line with his work or otherwise1 only his heart must be in it4 ,if one chooses wisely1 the study1 research1 and occupation that a hobby confers will broaden character and transform the home4 ,he has nothing to prevent him but too much idleness1 which1 ,i have observed1 says ,burke1 fills up a man's time much more completely and leaves him less his own master1 than any sort of employment whatsoever4 ,some boys will pick up a good education in the odds and ends of time which others carelessly throw away1 as one man saves a fortune by small economies which others disdain to practise4 ,what young man is too busy to get an hour a day for self-improvement8 ,charles ,c4 ,frost1 the celebrated shoemaker of ,vermont1 resolved to devote one hour a day to study4 ,he became one of the most noted mathematicians in the ,united ,states1 and also gained an enviable reputation in other departments of knowledge4 ,john ,hunter1 like ,napoleon1 allowed himself but four hours of sleep4 ,it took ,professor ,owen ten years to arrange and classify the specimens in ,comparative ,anatomy1 over twenty-four thousand in number1 which ,hunter's industry had collected4 ,what a record for a boy who began his studies while working as a carpenter6 ,john ,q4 ,adams complained bitterly when robbed of his time by those who had no right to it4 ,an ,italian scholar put over his door the inscription3 ,whoever tarries here must join in my labors4 ,carlyle1 ,tennyson1 ,browning1 and ,dickens signed a remonstrance against organ-grinders who disturbed their work4 ,many of the greatest men of history earned their fame outside of their regular occupations in odd bits of time which most people squander4 ,spenser made his reputation in his spare time while ,secretary to the ,lord ,deputy of ,ireland4 ,sir ,john ,lubbock's fame rests on his prehistoric studies1 prosecuted outside of his busy banking-hours4 ,southey1 seldom idle for a minute1 wrote a hundred volumes4 ,hawthorne's notebook shows that he never let a chance thought or circumstance escape him4 ,franklin was a tireless worker4 ,he crowded his meals and sleep into as small compass as possible so that he might gain time for study4 ,when a child1 he became impatient of his father's long grace at table1 and asked him if he could not say grace over a whole cask once for all1 and save time4 ,he wrote some of his best productions on shipboard1 such as his ,improvement of ,navigation and ,smoky ,chimneys4 ,what a lesson there is in ,raphael's brief thirty-seven years to those who plead no time as an excuse for wasted lives6 ,great men have ever been misers of moments4 ,cicero said3 ,what others give to public shows and entertainments1 nay1 even to mental and bodily rest1 ,i give to the study of philosophy4 ,lord ,bacon's fame springs from the work of his leisure hours while ,chancellor of ,england4 ,during an interview with a great monarch1 ,goethe suddenly excused himself1 went into an adjoining room and wrote down a thought for his ,faust1 lest it should be forgotten4 ,sir ,humphry ,davy achieved eminence in spare moments in an attic of an apothecary's shop4 ,pope would often rise in the night to write out thoughts that would not come during the busy day4 ,grote wrote his matchless ,history of ,greece during the hours of leisure snatched from his duties as a banker4 ,george ,stephenson seized the moments as though they were gold4 ,he educated himself and did much of his best work during his spare moments4 ,he learned arithmetic during the night shifts when he was an engineer4 ,mozart would not allow a moment to slip by unimproved4 ,he would not stop his work long enough to sleep1 and would sometimes write two whole nights and a day without intermission4 ,he wrote his famous ,requiem on his death-bed4 ,caesar said3 ,under my tent in the fiercest struggle of war ,i have always found time to think of many other things4 ,he was once shipwrecked1 and had to swim ashore2 but he carried with him the manuscript of his ,commentaries1 upon which he was at work when the ship went down4 ,dr4 ,mason ,good translated ,lucretius while riding to visit his patients in ,london4 ,dr4 ,darwin composed most of his works by writing his thoughts on scraps of paper wherever he happened to be4 ,watt learned chemistry and mathematics while working at his trade of a mathematical instrument-maker4 ,henry ,kirke ,white learned ,greek while walking to and from the lawyer's office where he was studying4 ,dr4 ,burney learned ,italian and ,french on horseback4 ,matthew ,hale wrote his ,contemplations while traveling on his circuit as judge4 ,the present time is the raw material out of which we make whatever we will4 ,do not brood over the past1 or dream of the future1 but seize the instant and get your lesson from the hour4 ,the man is yet unborn who rightly measures and fully realizes the value of an hour4 ,as ,fenelon says1 ,god never gives but one moment at a time1 and does not give a second until he withdraws the first4 ,lord ,brougham could not bear to lose a moment1 yet he was so systematic that he always seemed to have more leisure than many who did not accomplish a tithe of what he did4 ,he achieved distinction in politics1 law1 science1 and literature4 ,dr4 ,johnson wrote ,rasselas in the evenings of a single week1 in order to meet the expenses of his mother's funeral4 ,lincoln studied law during his spare hours while surveying1 and learned the common branches unaided while tending store4 ,mrs4 ,somerville learned botany and astronomy and wrote books while her neighbors were gossiping and idling4 ,at eighty she published ,molecular and ,microscopical ,science4 ,the worst of a lost hour is not so much in the wasted time as in the wasted power4 ,idleness rusts the nerves and makes the muscles creak4 ,work has system1 laziness has none4 ,president ,quincy never went to bed until he had laid his plans for the next day4 ,dalton's industry was the passion of his life4 ,he made and recorded over two hundred thousand meteorological observations4 ,in factories for making cloth a single broken thread ruins a whole web2 it is traced back to the girl who made the blunder and the loss is deducted from her wages4 ,but who shall pay for the broken threads in life's great web8 ,we cannot throw back and forth an empty shuttle2 threads of some kind follow every movement as we weave the web of our fate4 ,it may be a shoddy thread of wasted hours or lost opportunities that will mar the fabric and mortify the workman forever2 or it may be a golden thread which will add to its beauty and luster4 ,we cannot stop the shuttle or pull out the unfortunate thread which stretches across the fabric1 a perpetual witness of our folly4 ,no one is anxious about a young man while he is busy in useful work4 ,but where does he eat his lunch at noon8 ,where does he go when he leaves his boarding-house at night8 ,what does he do after supper8 ,where does he spend his ,sundays and holidays8 ,the way he uses his spare moments reveals his character4 ,the great majority of youths who go to the bad are ruined after supper4 ,most of those who climb upward to honor and fame devote their evenings to study or work or the society of those who can help and improve them4 ,each evening is a crisis in the career of a young man4 ,there is a deep significance in the lines of ,whittier3-- ,this day we fashion ,destiny1 our web of ,fate we spin2 ,this day for all hereafter choose we holiness or sin4 ,time is money4 ,we should not be stingy or mean with it1 but we should not throw away an hour any more than we would throw away a dollar-bill4 ,waste of time means waste of energy1 waste of vitality1 waste of character in dissipation4 ,it means the waste of opportunities which will never come back4 ,beware how you kill time1 for all your future lives in it4 ,and it is left for each1 says ,edward ,everett1 by the cultivation of every talent1 by watching with an eagle's eye for every chance of improvement1 by redeeming time1 defying temptation1 and scorning sensual pleasure1 to make himself useful1 honored1 and happy4 ,,chapter ,,vii ,,how ,,poor ,,boys ,,and ,,girls ,,go ,,to ,,college ,can ,i afford to go to college8 asks many an ,american youth who has hardly a dollar to his name and who knows that a college course means years of sacrifice and struggle4 ,it seems a great hardship1 indeed1 for a young man with an ambition to do something in the world to be compelled to pay his own way through school and college by hard work4 ,but history shows us that the men who have led in the van of human progress have been1 as a rule1 self-educated1 self-made4 ,the average boy of to-day who wishes to obtain a liberal education has a better chance by a hundredfold than had ,daniel ,webster or ,james ,a4 ,garfield4 ,there is scarcely one in good health who reads these lines but can be assured that if he will he may4 ,here1 as elsewhere1 the will can usually make the way1 and never before was there so many avenues of resource open to the strong will1 the inflexible purpose1 as there are to-day--at this hour and this moment4 ,of the five thousand persons--students1--directly connected with ,harvard ,university1 writes a graduate1 five hundred are students entirely or almost entirely dependent upon their own resources4 ,they are not a poverty-stricken lot1 however1 for half of them make an income above the average allowance of boys in smaller colleges4 ,from #gjj to #a1jjj are by no means exceptional yearly earnings of a student who is capable of doing newspaper work or tutoring1--branches of employment that pay well at ,harvard4 ,there are some men that make much more4 ,a classmate of the writer entered college with about twenty-five dollars4 ,as a freshman he had a hard struggle4 ,in his junior year1 however1 he prospered and in his last ten months of undergraduate work he cleared above his college expenses1 which were none too low1 upward of #c1jjj4 ,he made his money by advertising schemes and other publishing ventures4 ,a few months after graduation he married4 ,he is now living comfortably in ,cambridge4 ,a son of poor parents1 living in ,springfield1 ,new ,york1 worked his way through an academy4 ,this only whetted his appetite for knowledge1 and he determined to advance1 relying wholly on himself for success4 ,accordingly1 he proceeded to ,schenectady1 and arranged with a professor of ,union ,college to pay for his tuition by working4 ,he rented a small room1 which served for study and home1 the expense of his bread-and-milk diet never exceeding fifty cents a week4 ,after graduation1 he turned his attention to civil engineering1 and1 later1 to the construction of iron bridges of his own design4 ,he procured many valuable patents1 and amassed a fortune4 ,his life was a success1 the foundation being self-reliance and integrity4 ,albert ,j4 ,beveridge1 the junior ,united ,states ,senator from ,indiana1 entered college with no other capital than fifty dollars loaned to him by a friend4 ,he served as steward of a college club1 and added to his original fund of fifty dollars by taking the freshman essay prize of twenty-five dollars4 ,when summer came1 he returned to work in the harvest fields and broke the wheat-cutting records of the county4 ,he carried his books with him morning1 noon and night1 and studied persistently4 ,when he returned to college he began to be recognized as an exceptional man4 ,he had shaped his course and worked to it4 ,the president of his class at ,columbia ,university recently earned the money to pay for his course by selling agricultural implements4 ,one of his classmates1 by the savings of two years' work as a farm laborer1 and money earned by tutoring1 writing1 and copying done after study hours1 not only paid his way through college1 but helped to support his aged parents4 ,he believed that he could afford a college training and he got it4 ,at ,chicago ,university many hundreds of plucky young men are working their way4 ,the ways of earning money are various1 depending upon the opportunities for work1 and the student's ability and adaptability4 ,to be a correspondent of city daily papers is the most coveted occupation1 but only a few can obtain such positions4 ,some dozen or more teach night school4 ,several teach in the public schools in the daytime1 and do their university work in the afternoons and evenings1 so as to take their degrees4 ,scores carry daily papers1 by which they earn two and one-half to three and one-half dollars a week2 but1 as this does not pay expenses1 they add other employments4 ,a few find evening work in the city library4 ,some attend to lawns in summer and furnaces in winter2 by having several of each to care for1 they earn from five to ten dollars a week4 ,many are waiters at clubs and restaurants4 ,some solicit advertisements4 ,the divinity students1 after the first year1 preach in small towns4 ,several are tutors4 ,two young men made twelve hundred dollars apiece1 in this way1 in one year4 ,one student is a member of a city orchestra1 earning twelve dollars a week4 ,a few serve in the university postoffice1 and receive twenty cents an hour4 ,a representative ,american college president recently said3 ,i regard it as1 on the whole1 a distinct advantage that a student should have to pay his own way in part as a condition of obtaining a college education4 ,it gives a reality and vigor to one's work which is less likely to be obtained by those who are carried through college4 ,i do not regard it1 however1 as desirable that one should have to work his own way entirely1 as the tax upon strength and time is likely to be such as to interfere with scholarship and to undermine health4 ,circumstances have rarely favored great men4 ,a lowly beginning is no bar to a great career4 ,the boy who works his way through college may have a hard time of it1 but he will learn how to work his way in life1 and will often take higher rank in school1 and in after life1 than his classmate who is the son of a millionaire4 ,it is the son and daughter of the farmer1 the mechanic and the operative1 the great average class of our country1 whose funds are small and opportunities few1 that the republic will depend on most for good citizenship and brains in the future4 ,the problem of securing a good education1 where means are limited and time short1 is of great importance both to the individual and the nation4 ,encouragement and useful hints are offered by the experience of many bright young people who have worked their way to diplomas worthily bestowed4 ,gaius ,b4 ,frost was graduated at the ,brattleboro1 ,vt41 ,high ,school1 taught district schools six terms1 and entered ,dartmouth ,college with just money enough to pay the first necessary expenses4 ,he worked in gardens and as a janitor for some time4 ,during his course he taught six terms as principal of a high school1 and one year as assistant superintendent in the ,essex ,county ,truant ,school1 at ,lawrence1 ,mass41 pushed a rolling chair at the ,columbian ,exposition1 ,chicago1 was porter one season at ,oak ,hill ,house1 ,littleton1 ,n4 ,h41 and canvassed for a publishing house one summer in ,maine4 ,none of his fellow-students did more to secure an education4 ,isaac ,j4 ,cox of ,philadelphia worked his way through ,kimball ,academy1 ,meriden1 ,n4 ,h41 and through ,dartmouth ,college1 doing many kinds of work4 ,there was no honest work within the limits of his ability that he would not undertake to pay his way4 ,he served summers as waiter in a ,white ,mountain hotel1 finally becoming head-waiter4 ,like ,mr4 ,frost1 he ranked well in his classes1 and is a young man of solid character and distinguished attainments4 ,for four years ,richard ,weil was noted as the great prize winner of ,columbia ,college1 and for turning his time1 attention and energy to any work that would bring remuneration4 ,he would do any honest work that would bring cash1--and every cent of this money as well as every hour not spent in sleep throughout the four years of his college course was devoted to getting his education4 ,all these and many more from the ranks of the bright and well-trained young men who have been graduated from the colleges and universities of the country in recent years believed--sincerely1 doggedly believed--that a college training was something that they must have4 ,the question of whether or not they could afford it does not appear to have occasioned much hesitancy on their part4 ,it is evident that they did not for one instant think that they could not afford to go to college4 ,in an investigation conducted to ascertain exact figures and facts which a poor boy must meet in working his way through college1 it was found that1 in a list of forty-five representative colleges and universities1 having a student population of somewhat over forty thousand1 the average expense per year is three hundred and four dollars2 the average maximum expense1 five hundred and twenty-nine dollars4 ,in some of the smaller colleges the minimum expense per year is from seventy-five dollars to one hundred and ten dollars4 ,there are many who get along on an expenditure of from one hundred and fifty dollars to two hundred dollars per year1 while the maximum expense rises in but few instances above one thousand dollars4 ,in ,western and ,southern colleges the averages are lower4 ,for example1 eighteen well-known ,western colleges and universities have a general average expense of two hundred and forty-two dollars per year1 while fourteen as well-known ,eastern institutions give an average expense of four hundred and forty-four dollars4 ,statistics of expense1 and the opportunities for self-help1 at some of the best known ,eastern institutions are full of interest3 ,amherst makes a free gift of the tuition to prospective ministers2 has one hundred tuition scholarships for other students of good character1 habits1 and standing2 has some free rooms2 makes loans at low rates2 students have chances to earn money at tutoring1 table-waiting1 shorthand1 care of buildings1 newspaper correspondence1 agencies for laundries1 sale of books1 etc4 ,five hundred dollars a year will defray all necessary expenses4 ,bowdoin has nearly a hundred scholarships1 fifty dollars to seventy-five dollars a year3 no limits placed on habits or social privileges of recipients2 students getting employment in the library or laboratories can earn about one-fourth of their expenses2 these will be1 for the college year1 three hundred dollars to four hundred dollars4 ,brown ,university has over a hundred tuition scholarships and a loan fund2 often remits room rent in return for services about the college buildings2 requires studiousness and economy in the case of assisted students4 ,many students earn money in various ways4 ,the average yearly expenditure is five hundred dollars4 ,the cost at ,columbia ,university averages five hundred and forty-seven dollars1 the lowest being three hundred and eighty-seven dollars4 ,a great many students who know how to get on in a great city work their way through ,columbia4 ,cornell ,university gives free tuition and free rooms to seniors and juniors of good standing in their studies and of good habits4 ,it has thirty-six two-year scholarships 7two hundred dollars71 for freshmen1 won by success in competitive examination4 ,it has also five hundred and twelve state tuition scholarships4 ,many students support themselves in part by waiting on table1 by shorthand1 newspaper work1 etc4 ,the average yearly expenditure per student is five hundred dollars4 ,dartmouth has some three hundred scholarships2 those above fifty dollars conditioned on class rank2 some rooms at nominal rent2 requirements1 economy and total abstinence2 work of one sort or another to be had by needy students2 a few get through on less than two hundred and fifty dollars a year2 the average expenditure is about four hundred dollars4 ,harvard has about two hundred and seventy-five scholarships1 sixty dollars to four hundred dollars apiece1 large beneficiary and loan funds1 distributed or loaned in sums of forty dollars to two hundred and fifty dollars to needy and promising under-graduates2 freshmen 7usually7 barred2 a faculty employment committee2 some students earning money as stenographers1 typewriters1 reporters1 private tutors1 clerks1 canvassers1 and singers2 yearly expenditure 7exclusive of clothes1 washing1 books1 and stationery1 laboratory charges1 membership in societies1 subscriptions and service71 three hundred and fifty-eight dollars to one thousand and thirty-five dollars4 ,the ,university of ,pennsylvania in a recent year gave three hundred and fifteen students forty-three thousand1 two hundred and forty-two dollars in free scholarships and fellowships2 no requirements except good standing4 ,no money loaned1 no free rooms4 ,many students support themselves in part1 and a few wholly4 ,the average expenditure per year1 exclusive of clothes1 railway fares1 etc41 is four hundred and fifty dollars4 ,wesleyan ,university remits tuition wholly or in part to two-thirds of its under-graduates4 ,loan funds are available4 ,beneficiaries must be frugal in habits1 total abstainers1 and maintain good standing and conduct4 ,many students are self-supporting1 thirty-five per cent of the whole undergraduate body earning money4 ,the yearly expenditure is three hundred and twenty-five dollars4 ,yale is pretty well off now for fellowships and prizes2 remits all but forty dollars of term bills1 in case of worthy students1 regular in attendance and studious2 many such students earning money for themselves2 average yearly expenditure1 about six hundred dollars4 ,there is a splendid chance for girls at some of the soundest and best known girls' colleges in the ,united ,states4 ,the number of girls in the ,university of ,michigan who are paying their own way is large4 ,most of them1 says ,dr4 ,eliza ,m4 ,mosher1 woman's dean of the college1 have earned the money by teaching4 ,it is not unusual for students to come here for two years and go away for a time1 in order to earn money to complete the course4 ,some of our most worthy graduates have done this4 ,some lighten their expenses by waiting on tables in boarding-houses1 thus paying for their board4 ,others get room and board in the homes of professors by giving1 daily1 three hours of service about the house4 ,a few take care of children1 two or three hours a day1 in the families of the faculty4 ,one young woman1 who is especially brave and in good earnest1 worked as a chambermaid on a lake steamer last year and hurried away this year to do the same4 ,it is her aim to earn one hundred dollars4 ,with this sum1 and a chance to pay for room and board by giving service1 she will pay the coming year's expenses4 ,because it is especially difficult to obtain good servants in this inland town1 there are a few people who are glad to give the college girls such employment4 ,it is my opinion1 said ,miss ,mary ,e4 ,woolley1 president of ,mount ,holyoke ,college1 that1 if a girl with average intelligence and energy wishes a college education1 she can obtain it4 ,as far as ,i know1 the girls who have earned money to pay their way through college1 at least in part1 have accomplished it by tutoring1 typewriting or stenography4 ,some of them earn pin-money while in college by tutoring1 typewriting1 sewing1 summer work in libraries and offices1 and in various little ways such as putting up lunches1 taking care of rooms1 executing commissions1 and newspaper work4 ,there are not many opportunities at ,mount ,holyoke to earn large amounts of money1 but pin-money may be acquired in many little ways by a girl of ingenuity4 ,the system of compulsory domestic service obtaining now at ,mount ,holyoke--whereby1 in return for thirty1 or at the most1 fifty minutes a day of light household labor1 every student reduces her college expenses by a hundred dollars or a hundred and fifty1--was formerly in use at ,wellesley2 now1 however1 it is confined there to a few cottages4 ,it has no foothold at ,bryn ,mawr1 ,smith and ,vassar1 or at the affiliated colleges1 ,barnard and ,radcliffe4 ,at city colleges1 like the last two mentioned1 board and lodging cost more than in the country2 and in general it is more difficult for a girl to pay any large part of her expenses through her own efforts and carry on her college work at the same time4 ,a number of girls in ,barnard are1 however1 paying for their clothes1 books1 car fares1 etc41 by doing what work they can find4 ,tutoring in ,barnard is seldom available for the undergraduates1 because the lists are always full of experienced teachers1 who can be engaged by the hour4 ,typewriting is one of the favorite resources4 ,one student has done particularly well as agent for a firm that makes college caps and gowns4 ,another girl1 a ,russian ,jewess1 from the lower ,east ,side1 ,new ,york1 runs a little sweat shop1 where she keeps a number of women busy making women's wrappers and children's dresses4 ,she has paid all the expenses of her education in this way4 ,do any of your students work their way through8 was asked of a ,bryn ,mawr authority4 ,some1--to a certain extent1 was the reply2 but not many4 ,the lowest entire expenses of a year1 are between four hundred and five hundred and fifty dollars4 ,this amount includes positively everything4 ,two girls may pay part of their expenses by taking charge of the library1 and by selling stationery2 another1 by distributing the mail1 and others by 'tutoring'4 ,those who 'tutor' receive a dollar1 a dollar and a half1 and sometimes a very good one receives two dollars and a half1 a lesson4 ,but to earn all of one's way in a college year1 and at the same time to keep up in all the studies1 is almost impossible1 and is not often done4 ,yet several are able to pay half their way4 ,a similar question put to a ,vassar student brought the following response3 ,why1 yes1 ,i know a girl who has a sign on the door of her room1--',dresses pressed1'--and she earns a good deal of money1 too4 ,of course1 there are many wealthy girls here who are always having something like that done1 and who are willing to pay well for it4 ,and so this girl makes a large sum of money1 evenings and ,saturdays4 ,there are other girls who are agents for two of the great manufacturers of chocolate creams4 ,the girl that plays the piano for the exercises in the gymnasium is paid for that1 and some of the girls paint and make fancy articles1 which they sell here1 or send to the stores in ,new ,york1 to be sold4 ,some of them write for the newspapers and magazines1 too1 and still others have pupils in music1 etc41 in ,poughkeepsie4 ,yes1 there are a great many girls who manage to pay most of their expenses4 ,typewriting1 tutoring1 assistance rendered in library or laboratory or office1 furnish help to many a girl who wishes to help herself1 in nearly every college4 ,beside these standard employments1 teaching in evening schools occasionally offers a good opportunity for steady eking out of means4 ,in many colleges there is opportunity for a girl with taste and cunning fingers to act as a dressmaker1 repairer1 and general refurnisher to students with generous allowances4 ,orders for gymnasium suits and swimming suits mean good profits4 ,the reign of the shirt-waist has been a boon to many1 for the well-dressed girl was never known to have enough pretty ones1 and by a judicious display of attractive samples she is easily tempted to enlarge her supply4 ,then1 too1 any girl who is at all deft in the art of sewing can make a shirt-waist without a professional knowledge of cutting and fitting4 ,no boy or girl in ,america to-day who has good health1 good morals and good grit need despair of getting a college education unless there are extremely unusual reasons against the undertaking4 ,west of the ,alleghanies a college education is accessible to all classes4 ,in most of the state universities tuition is free4 ,in ,kansas1 for example1 board and a room can be had for twelve dollars a month2 the college fees are five dollars a year1 while the average expenditure of the students does not exceed two hundred dollars per annum4 ,in ,ohio1 the state university has abolished all tuition fees2 and most of the denominational colleges demand fees even lower than were customary in ,new ,england half a century ago4 ,partly by reason of the cheapness of a college education in ,ohio1 that state now sends more students to college than all of ,new ,england4 ,yet if the total cost is less in the ,west1 on the other hand1 the opportunities for self-help are correspondingly more in the ,east4 ,every young man or woman should weigh the matter well before concluding that a college education is out of the question4 ,former ,president ,tucker of ,dartmouth says3 ,the student who works his way may do it with ease and profit2 or he may be seriously handicapped both by his necessities and the time he is obliged to bestow on outside matters4 ,i have seen the sons of rich men lead in scholarship1 and the sons of poor men4 ,poverty under most of the conditions in which we find it in colleges is a spur4 ,dartmouth ,college1 ,i think1 furnishes a good example4 ,the greater part of its patronage is from poor men4 ,without examining the statistics1 ,i should say1 from facts that have fallen under my observation1 that a larger percentage of ,dartmouth men have risen to distinction than those of almost any other ,american college4 ,the opportunities of to-day are tenfold what they were half a century ago4 ,former ,president ,schurman of ,cornell says of his early life3 ,at the age of thirteen ,i left home4 ,i hadn't definite plans as to my future4 ,i merely wanted to get into a village1 and to earn some money4 ,my father got me a place in the nearest town1--,summerside1--a village of about one thousand inhabitants4 ,for my first year's work ,i was to receive thirty dollars and my board4 ,think of that1 young men of to-day6 ,thirty dollars a year for working from seven in the morning until ten at night6 ,but ,i was glad to get the place4 ,it was a start in the world1 and the little village was like a city to my country eyes4 ,from the time ,i began working in the store until to-day1 ,i have always supported myself1 and during all the years of my boyhood ,i never received a penny that ,i did not earn myself4 ,at the end of my first year1 ,i went to a larger store in the same town1 where ,i was to receive sixty dollars a year and my board4 ,my salary was doubled2 ,i was getting on swimmingly4 ,i kept this place for two years1 and then ,i gave it up1 against the wishes of my employer1 because ,i had made up my mind that ,i wanted to get a better education4 ,i determined to go to college4 ,i did not know how ,i was going to do this1 except that it must be by my own efforts4 ,i had saved about eighty dollars from my store-keeping1 and that was all the money ,i had in the world4 ,when ,i told my employer of my plan1 he tried to dissuade me from it4 ,he pointed out the difficulties in the way of my going to college1 and offered to double my pay if ,i would stay in the store4 ,that was the turning-point in my life4 ,in one side was the certainty of one hundred and twenty dollars a year1 and the prospect of promotion as fast as ,i deserved it4 ,remember what one hundred and twenty dollars meant on ,prince ,edward ,island1 and to me1 a poor boy who had never possessed such a sum in his life4 ,on the other side was my hope of obtaining an education4 ,i knew that it involved hard work and self-denial1 and there was the possibility of failure in the end4 ,but my mind was made up4 ,i would not turn back4 ,i need not say that ,i do not regret that early decision1 although ,i think that ,i should have made a successful storekeeper4 ,with my capital of eighty dollars1 ,i began to attend the village high school1 to get my preparation for college4 ,i had only one year to do it in4 ,my money would not last longer than that4 ,i recited in ,latin1 ,greek1 and algebra1 all on the same day1 and for the next forty weeks ,i studied harder than ,i ever had before or have since4 ,at the end of the year ,i entered the competitive examination for a scholarship in ,prince of ,wales ,college1 at ,charlottetown1 on the ,island4 ,i had small hope of winning it1 my preparation had been so hasty and incomplete4 ,but when the result was announced1 ,i found that ,i had not only won the scholarship from my county1 but stood first of all the competitors on the ,island4 ,the scholarship ,i had won amounted to only sixty dollars a year4 ,it seems little enough1 but ,i can say now1 after nearly thirty years1 that the winning of it was the greatest success ,i ever have had4 ,i have had other rewards1 which1 to most persons1 would seem immeasurably greater1 but with this difference3 that first success was essential2 without it ,i could not have gone on4 ,the others ,i could have done without1 if it had been necessary4 ,for two years young ,schurman attended ,prince of ,wales ,college4 ,he lived on his scholarship and what he could earn by keeping books for one of the town storekeepers1 spending less than one hundred dollars during the entire college year4 ,afterward1 he taught a country school for a year1 and then went to ,acadia ,college in ,nova ,scotia to complete his course4 ,one of ,mr4 ,schurman's fellow-students in ,acadia says that he was remarkable chiefly for taking every prize to which he was eligible4 ,in his senior year1 he learned of a scholarship in the ,university of ,london offered for competition by the students of ,canadian colleges4 ,the scholarship paid five hundred dollars a year for three years4 ,the young student in ,acadia was ambitious to continue his studies in ,england1 and saw in this offer his opportunity4 ,he tried the examination and won the prize1 in competition with the brightest students in the larger ,canadian colleges4 ,during the three years in the ,university of ,london1 ,mr4 ,schurman became deeply interested in the study of philosophy1 and decided that he had found in it his life-work4 ,he was eager to go to ,germany to study under the great leaders of philosophic thought4 ,a way was opened for him1 through the offer of the ,hibbard ,society1 in ,london1 of a traveling fellowship with two thousand dollars a year4 ,the honor men of the great ,english ,universities like ,oxford and ,cambridge were among the competitors1 but the poor country boy from ,prince ,edward ,island was again successful1 greatly to the surprise of the others4 ,at the end of his course in ,germany1 ,mr4 ,schurman1 then a ,doctor of ,philosophy1 returned to ,acadia ,college to become a teacher there4 ,soon afterward1 he was called to ,dalhousie ,university1 at ,halifax1 ,nova ,scotia4 ,in #ahhf1 when a chair of philosophy was established at ,cornell1 ,president ,white1 who had once met the brilliant young ,canadian1 called him to that position4 ,two years later1 ,dr4 ,schurman became dean of the ,sage ,school of ,philosophy at ,cornell2 and1 in #ahib1 when the president's chair became vacant1 he was placed at the head of the great university4 ,at that time he was only thirty-eight years of age4 ,a well-known graduate of ,amherst college gives the following figures1 which to the boy who earnestly wants to go to college are of the most pertinent interest3 ,i entered college with #h4db in my pocket4 ,during the year ,i earned #fj2 received from the college a scholarship of #fj1 and an additional gift of #bj2 borrowed #aij4 ,my current expenses during my freshman year were #d4ej per week4 ,besides this ,i spent #aj4ee for books2 #bc4de for clothing2 #aj4eg for voluntary subscriptions2 #ae for railroad fares2 #h4bd for sundries4 ,during the next summer ,i earned #ajj4 ,i waited on table at a #d boarding-house all of my sophomore year1 and earned half board1 retaining my old room at #a per week4 ,the expenses of the sophomore year were #cid4ej4 ,i earned during the year1 including board1 #hg4bj2 received a scholarship of #gj1 and gifts amounting to #ab4ej1 and borrowed #aej1 with all of which ,i just covered expenses4 ,in my junior year ,i engaged a nice furnished room at #fj per year1 which ,i agreed to pay for by work about the house4 ,by clerical work1 etc41 ,i earned #cg2 also earned full board waiting upon table2 received #gj for a scholarship2 #ee from gifts2 borrowed #gj1 which squared my accounts for the year1 excepting #dj due on tuition4 ,the expenses for the year1 including1 of course1 the full value of board1 room1 and tuition1 were #dgh4gf4 ,during the following summer ,i earned #dj4 ,throughout the senior year ,i retained the same room1 under the same conditions as the previous year4 ,i waited on table all the year1 and received full board2 earned by clerical work1 tutoring1 etc41 #dj2 borrowed #dj2 secured a scholarship of #gj2 took a prize of #be2 received a gift of #ce4 ,the expenses of the senior year1 #dif4fd were necessarily heavier than these of previous years4 ,but having secured a good position as teacher for the coming year1 ,i was permitted to give my note for the amount ,i could not raise1 and so was enabled to graduate without financial embarrassment4 ,the total expense for the course was about #a1gjh2 of which 7counting scholarships as earnings7 ,i earned #a1aeg4 ,twenty-five of the young men graduated at ,yale not long ago paid their way entirely throughout their courses4 ,it seemed as if they left untried no avenue for earning money4 ,tutoring1 copying1 newspaper work1 and positions as clerks were well-occupied fields2 and painters1 drummers1 founders1 machinists1 bicycle agents1 and mail carriers were numbered among the twenty-five4 ,in a certain district in ,boston there are ten thousand students4 ,many of them come from the country and from factory towns4 ,a large number come from the farms of the ,west4 ,many of these students are paying for their education by money earned by their own hands4 ,it is said that unearned money does not enrich4 ,the money that a student earns for his own education does enrich his life4 ,it is true gold4 ,every young man or woman should weigh the matter well before concluding that a college education is out of the question4 ,if ,henry ,wilson1 working early and late on a farm with scarcely any opportunities to go to school1 bound out until he was twenty-one for only a yoke of oxen and six sheep1 could manage to read a thousand good books before his time had expired2 if the slave ,frederick ,douglass1 on a plantation where it was almost a crime to teach a slave to read1 could manage from scraps of paper1 posters on barns1 and old almanacs1 to learn the alphabet and lift himself to eminence2 if the poor deaf boy ,kitto1 who made shoes in an alms-house1 could become the greatest ,biblical scholar of his age1 where is the boy or girl to-day1 under the ,american flag1 who cannot get a fair education and escape the many disadvantages of ignorance8 ,if a man empties his purse into his head1 says ,franklin1 no man can take it away from him4 ,an investment in knowledge always pays the best interest4 ,,chapter ,,viii ,,your ,,opportunity ,,confronts ,,you--,,what ,,will ,,you ,,do ,,with ,,it8 ,never before was the opportunity of the educated man so great as to-day4 ,never before was there such a demand for the trained man1 the man who can do a thing superbly well4 ,at the door of every vocation is a sign out1 ,wanted--a man4 ,no matter how many millions are out of employment1 the whole world is hunting for a man who can do things2 a trained thinker who can do whatever he undertakes a little better than it has ever before been done4 ,everywhere it is the educated1 the trained man1 the man whose natural ability has been enlarged1 enhanced one hundredfold by superior training1 that is wanted4 ,on all sides we see men with small minds1 but who are well educated1 pushing ahead of those who have greater capabilities1 but who are only half educated4 ,a one-talent man1 superbly trained1 often gets the place when a man with many untrained or half-trained talents loses it4 ,never was ignorance placed at such a disadvantage as to-day4 ,while the opportunities awaiting the educated man1 the college graduate1 on his entrance into practical life were never before so great and so numerous as to-day1 so also the dangers and temptations which beset him were never before so great1 so numerous1 so insidious4 ,all education which does not elevate1 refine1 and ennoble its recipient is a curse instead of a blessing4 ,a liberal education only renders a rascal more dishonest1 more dangerous4 ,educated rascality is infinitely more of a menace to society than ignorant rascality4 ,every year1 thousands of young men and young women graduate full of ambition and hope1 full of expectancy1 go out from the schools1 the colleges1 and the universities1 with their diplomas1 to face for the first time the practical world4 ,there is nothing else1 perhaps1 which the graduate needs to be cautioned against more than the money madness which has seized the ,american people1 for nothing else is more fatal to the development of the higher1 finer instincts and nobler desires4 ,wealth with us multiplies a man's power so tremendously that everything gravitates toward it4 ,a man's genius1 art1 what he stands for1 is measured largely by how many dollars it will bring4 ,how much can ,i get for my picture8 ,how much royalty for my book8 ,how much can ,i get out of my specialty1 my profession1 my business8 ,how can ,i make the most money8 or ,how can ,i get rich8 is the great interrogation of the century4 ,how will the graduate1 the trained young man or woman answer it8 ,the dollar stands out so strongly in all the undertakings of life that the ideal is often lowered or lost1 the artistic suffers1 the soul's wings are weighted down with gold4 ,the commercial spirit tends to drag everything down to its dead1 sordid level4 ,it is the subtle menace which threatens to poison the graduate's ambition4 ,whichever way you turn1 the dollar-mark will swing info your vision4 ,the money-god1 which nearly everybody worships in some form or other1 will tempt you on every hand4 ,never before was such pressure brought to bear on the trained youth to sell his brains1 to coin his ability into dollars1 to prostitute his education1 as to-day4 ,the commercial prizes held up to him are so dazzling1 so astounding1 that it takes a strong1 vigorous character to resist their temptation1 even when the call in one to do something which bears little relation to money-making speaks very loudly4 ,the song of the money-siren to-day is so persistent1 so entrancing1 so overwhelming that it often drowns the still small voice which bids one follow the call that runs in his blood1 that is indicated in the very structure in his brain4 ,tens of thousands of young people just out of school and college stand tiptoe on the threshold of active life1 with high ideals and glorious visions1 full of hope and big with promise1 but many of them will very quickly catch the money contagion2 the fatal germ will spread through their whole natures1 inoculating their ambition with its vicious virus1 and1 after a few years1 their fair college vision will fade1 their yearnings for something higher will gradually die and be replaced by material1 sordid1 selfish ideals4 ,the most unfortunate day in a youth's career is that one on which his ideals begin to grow dim and his high standards begin to drop2 that day on which is born in him the selfish1 money-making germ1 which so often warps and wrenches the whole nature out of its legitimate orbit4 ,you will need to be constantly on your guard to resist the attack of this germ4 ,after you graduate and go out into the world1 powerful influences will be operative in your life1 tending to deteriorate your standards1 lower your ideals1 and encoarsen you generally4 ,when you plunge into the swim of things1 you will be constantly thrown into contact with those of lower ideals1 who are actuated only by sordid1 selfish aims4 ,then dies the man1 the woman in you1 unless you are made of superior stuff4 ,what a contrast that high and noble thing which the college diploma stands for presents to that which many owners of the diploma stand for a quarter of a century later6 ,it is often difficult to recognize any relationship between the two4 ,american-,indian graduates1 who are so transformed by the inspiring1 uplifting influences of the schools and colleges which are educating them that they are scarcely recognizable by their own tribes when they return home1 very quickly begin to change under the deteriorating influences operating upon them when they leave college4 ,they soon begin to shed their polish1 their fine manners1 their improved language1 and general culture2 the ,indian blanket replaces their modern dress1 and they gradually drift back into their former barbarism4 ,they become ,indians again4 ,the influences that will surround you when you leave college or your special training school will be as potent to drag you down as those that cause the young ,indian to revert to barbarism4 ,the shock you will receive in dropping from the atmosphere of high ideals and beautiful promise in which you have lived for four years to that of a very practical1 cold1 sordid materiality will be a severe test to your character1 your manhood4 ,but the graduate whose training1 whose education counts for anything ought to be able to resist the shock1 to withstand all temptations4 ,the educated man ought to be able to do something better1 something higher than merely to put money in his purse4 ,money-making can not compare with man-making4 ,there is something infinitely better than to be a millionaire of money1 and that is to be a millionaire of brains1 of culture1 of helpfulness to one's fellows1 a millionaire of character--a gentleman4 ,whatever degrees you carry from school or college1 whatever distinction you may acquire in your career1 no title will ever mean quite so much1 will ever be quite so noble1 as that of gentleman4 ,a keen and sure sense of honor1 says ,ex-,president ,eliot1 of ,harvard ,university1 is the finest result of college life4 ,the graduate who has not acquired this keen and sure sense of honor1 this thing that stamps the gentleman1 misses the best thing that a college education can impart4 ,your future1 fortunate graduate1 like a great block of pure white marble1 stands untouched before you4 ,you hold the chisel and mallet--your ability1 your education--in your hands4 ,there is something in the block for you1 and it lives in your ideal4 ,shall it be angel or devil8 ,what are your ideals1 as you stand tiptoe on the threshold of active life8 ,will you smite the block and shatter it into an unshapely or hideous piece2 or will you call out a statue of usefulness1 of grace and beauty1 a statue which will tell the unborn generations the story of a noble life8 ,great advantages bring great responsibilities4 ,you can not divorce them4 ,a liberal education greatly increases a man's obligations4 ,there is coupled with it a responsibility which you can not shirk without paying the penalty in a shriveled soul1 a stunted mentality1 a warped conscience1 and a narrow field of usefulness4 ,it is more of a disgrace for a college graduate to grovel1 to stoop to mean1 low practises1 than for a man who has not had a liberal education4 ,the educated man has gotten a glimpse of power1 of grander things1 and he is expected to look up1 not down1 to aspire1 not to grovel4 ,we cannot help feeling that it is worse for a man to go wrong who has had all the benefits of a liberal education1 than it is for one who has not had glimpses of higher things1 who has not had similar advantages1 because where much is given1 much is expected4 ,the world has a right to expect that wherever there is an educated1 trained man people should be able to say of him as ,lincoln said of ,walt ,whitman1 ,there goes a man4 ,the world has a right to expect that the graduate1 having once faced the light and felt its power1 will not turn his back on it2 that he will not disgrace his alma mater which has given him his superior chance in life and opened wide for him the door of opportunity4 ,it has a right to expect that a man who has learned how to use skilfully the tools of life1 will be an artist and not an artisan2 that he will not stop growing4 ,society has a right to look to the collegian to be a refining1 uplifting force in his community1 an inspiration to those who have not had his priceless chance2 it is justified in expecting that he will raise the standard of intelligence in his community2 that he will illustrate in his personality1 his finer culture1 the possible glory of life4 ,it has a right to expect that he will not be a victim of the narrowing1 cramping influence of avarice2 that he will not be a slave of the dollar or stoop to a greedy1 grasping career3 that he will be free from the sordidness which often characterizes the rich ignoramus4 ,if you have the ability and have been given superior opportunities1 it simply means that you have a great commission to do something out of the ordinary for your fellows2 a special message for humanity4 ,if the torch of learning has been put in your hand1 its significance is that you should light up the way for the less fortunate4 ,if you have received a message which carries freedom for people enslaved by ignorance and bigotry1 you have no right to suppress it4 ,your education means an increased obligation to live your life up to the level of your gift1 your superior opportunity4 ,your duty is to deliver your message to the world with all the manliness1 vigor1 and force you possess4 ,what shall we think of a man who has been endowed with godlike gifts1 who has had the inestimable advantage of a liberal education1 who has ability to ameliorate the hard conditions of his fellows1 to help to emancipate them from ignorance and drudgery2 what shall we think of this man1 so divinely endowed1 so superbly equipped1 who1 instead of using his education to lift his fellow men1 uses it to demoralize1 to drag them down2 who employs his talents in the book he writes1 in the picture he paints1 in his business1 whatever it may be1 to mislead1 to demoralize1 to debauch2 who uses his light as a decoy to lure his fellows on the rocks and reefs1 instead of as a beacon to guide them into port8 ,we imprison the burglar for breaking into our houses and stealing1 but what shall we do with the educated rascal who uses his trained mind and all his gifts to ruin the very people who look up to him as a guide8 ,the greatest thing you can do is to be what you ought to be4 ,a great man has said that no man will be content to live a half life when he has once discovered it is a half life1 because the other half1 the higher half1 will haunt him4 ,your superior training has given you a glimpse of the higher life4 ,never lose sight of your college vision4 ,do not permit yourself to be influenced by the maxims of a low1 sordid prudence1 which will be dinned into your ears wherever you go4 ,regard the very suggestion that you shall coin your education1 your high ideals into dollars2 that you lower your standards1 prostitute your education by the practise of low-down1 sordid methods1 as an insult4 ,say to yourself1 ,if the highest thing in me will not bring success1 surely the lowest1 the worst1 cannot4 ,the mission of the trained man is to show the world a higher1 finer type of manhood4 ,the world has a right to expect better results from the work of the educated man2 something finer1 of a higher grade1 and better quality1 than from the man who lacks early training1 the man who has discovered only a small part of himself4 ,pretty good1 ,fairly good1 applied either to character or to work are bad mottoes for an educated man4 ,you should be able to demonstrate that the man with a diploma has learned to use the tools of life skilfully2 has learned how to focus his faculties so that he can bring the whole man to his task1 and not a part of himself4 ,low ideals1 slipshod work1 aimless1 systemless1 half-hearted endeavors1 should have no place in your program4 ,it is a disgrace for a man with a liberal education to botch his work1 demoralize his ideals1 discredit his teachers1 dishonor the institution which has given him his chance to be a superior man4 ,keep your eye on the model1 don't watch your hands1 is the injunction of a great master as he walks up and down among his pupils1 criticizing their work4 ,the trouble with most of us is that we do not keep our eyes on the model2 we lose our earlier vision4 ,a liberal education ought to broaden a man's mind so that he will be able to keep his eye always on the model1 the perfect ideal of his work1 uninfluenced by the thousand and one petty annoyances1 bickerings1 misunderstandings1 and discords which destroy much of the efficiency of narrower1 less cultivated minds4 ,the graduate ought to be able to rise above these things so that he can use all his brain power and energy and fling the weight of his entire being into work that is worth while4 ,after the withdrawal of a play that has been only a short time on the stage1 we often read this comment1 ,an artistic success1 but a financial failure4 ,while an education should develop all that is highest and best in a man1 it should also make him a practical man1 not a financial failure4 ,be sure that you possess your knowledge1 that your knowledge does not possess you4 ,the mere possession of a diploma will only hold you up to ridicule1 will only make you more conspicuous as a failure1 if you cannot bring your education to a focus and utilize it in a practical way4 ,knowledge is power only when it can be made available1 practical4 ,only what you can use of your education will benefit you or the world4 ,the great question which confronts you in the practical world is ,what can you do with what you know8 ,can you transmute your knowledge into power8 ,your ability to read your ,latin diploma is not a test of true education2 a stuffed memory does not make an educated man4 ,the knowledge that can be utilized1 that can be translated into power1 constitutes the only education worthy of the name4 ,there are thousands of college-bred men in this country1 who are loaded down with knowledge that they have never been able to utilize1 to make available for working purposes4 ,there is a great difference between absorbing knowledge1 making a sponge of one's brain1 and transmuting every bit of knowledge into power1 into working capital4 ,as the silkworm transmutes the mulberry leaf into satin1 so you should transmute your knowledge into practical wisdom4 ,there is no situation in life in which the beneficent influence of a well-assimilated education will not make itself felt4 ,the college man ought to be a superb figure anywhere4 ,the consciousness of being well educated should put one at ease in any society4 ,the knowledge that one's mentality has been broadened out by college training1 that one has discovered his possibilities1 not only adds wonderfully to one's happiness1 but also increases one's self-confidence immeasurably1 and self-confidence is the lever that moves the world4 ,on every hand we see men of good ability who feel crippled all their lives and are often mortified1 by having to confess1 by the poverty of their language1 their sordid ideals1 their narrow outlook on life1 that they are not educated4 ,the superbly trained man can go through the world with his head up and feel conscious that he is not likely to play the ignoramus in any company1 or be mortified or pained by ignorance of matters which every well-informed person is supposed to know4 ,this assurance of knowledge multiplies self-confidence and gives infinite satisfaction4 ,in other words1 a liberal education makes a man think a little more of himself1 feel a little surer of himself1 have more faith in himself1 because he has discovered himself4 ,there is also great satisfaction in the knowledge that one has not neglected the unfoldment and expansion of his mind1 that he has not let the impressionable years of youth go by unimproved4 ,but the best thing you carry from your alma mater is not what you there prized most1 not your knowledge of the sciences1 languages1 literature1 art2 it is something infinitely more sacred1 of greater value than all these1 and that is your aroused ambition1 your discovery of yourself1 of your powers1 of your possibilities2 your resolution to be a little more of a man1 to play a manly part in life1 to do the greatest1 grandest thing possible to you4 ,this will mean infinitely more to you than all you have learned from books or lectures4 ,the most precious thing of all1 however1 if you have made the most of your chance1 is the uplift1 encouragement1 inspiration1 which you have absorbed from your teachers1 from your associations2 this is the embodiment of the college spirit1 the spirit of your alma mater2 it is that which should make you reach up as well as on1 which should make you aspire instead of grovel--look up1 instead of down4 ,the graduate should regard his education as a sacred trust4 ,he should look upon it as a power to be used1 not alone for his advancement1 or for his own selfish ends1 but for the betterment of all mankind4 ,as a matter of fact1 things are so arranged in this world that no one can use his divine gift for himself alone and get the best out of it4 ,to try to keep it would be as foolish as for the farmer to hoard his seed corn in a bin instead of giving it to the earth1 for fear he would never get it back4 ,the man who withholds the giving of himself to the world1 does it at his peril1 at the cost of mental and moral penury4 ,the way to get the most out of ourselves1 or out of life1 is not to try to sell ourselves for the highest possible price but to give ourselves1 not stingily1 meanly1 but royally1 magnanimously1 to our fellows4 ,if the rosebud should try to retain all of its sweetness and beauty locked within its petals and refuse to give it out1 it would be lost4 ,it is only by flinging them out to the world that their fullest development is possible4 ,the man who tries to keep his education1 his superior advantages for himself1 who is always looking out for the main chance1 only shrivels1 and strangles the very faculties he would develop4 ,the trouble with most of us is that1 in our efforts to sell ourselves for selfish ends or for the most dollars1 we impoverish our own lives1 stifle our better natures4 ,the graduate should show the world that he has something in him too sacred to be tampered with1 something marked not for sale1 a sacred something that bribery cannot touch1 that influence cannot buy4 ,you should so conduct yourself that every one will see that there is something in you that would repel as an insult the very suggestion that you could be bought or bribed1 or influenced to stoop to anything low or questionable4 ,the college man who is cursed with commonness1 who gropes along in mediocrity1 who lives a shiftless1 selfish life1 and does not lift up his head and show that he has made the most of his great privileges disgraces the institution that gave him his chance4 ,you have not learned the best lesson from your school or college if you have not discovered the secret of making life a glory instead of a sordid grind4 ,when you leave your alma mater1 my young friend1 whatever your vocation1 do not allow all that is finest within you1 your high ideals and noble purposes to be suffocated1 strangled1 in the everlasting scramble for the dollar4 ,put beauty into your life1 do not let your esthetic faculties1 your aspiring instincts1 be atrophied in your efforts to make a living4 ,do not1 as thousands of graduates do1 sacrifice your social instincts1 your friendships1 your good name1 for power or position4 ,whether you make money or lose it1 never sell your divine heritage1 your good name1 for a mess of pottage4 ,whatever you do1 be larger than your vocation2 never let it be said of you that you succeeded in your vocation1 but failed as a man4 ,when ,william ,story1 the sculptor1 was asked to make a speech at the unveiling of his great statue of ,george ,peabody1 in ,london1 he simply pointed to the statue and said1 ,that is my speech4 ,so conduct yourself that your life shall need no eulogy in words4 ,let it be its own eulogy1 let your success tell to the world the story of a noble career4 ,however much money you may accumulate1 carry your greatest wealth with you1 in a clean record1 an unsullied reputation4 ,then you will not need houses or lands or stocks or bonds to testify to a rich life4 ,never before did an opportunity to render such great service to mankind confront the educated youth as confronts you to-day4 ,,what ,,will ,,you ,,do ,,with ,,it8 ,,chapter ,,ix ,,round ,,boys ,,in ,,square ,,holes ,the high prize of life1 the crowning fortune of a man1 is to be born with a bias to some pursuit1 which finds him in employment and happiness4--,,emerson4 ,there is hardly a poet1 artist1 philosopher1 or man of science mentioned in the history of the human intellect1 whose genius was not opposed by parents1 guardians1 or teachers4 ,in these cases ,nature seems to have triumphed by direct interposition2 to have insisted on her darlings having their rights1 and encouraged disobedience1 secrecy1 falsehood1 even flight from home and occasional vagabondism1 rather than the world should lose what it cost her so much pains to produce4--,e4 ,p4 ,,whipple4 ,i hear a voice you cannot hear1 ,which says1 ,i must not stay2 ,i see a hand you cannot see1 ,which beckons me away4 ,,tickell4 ,james ,watt1 ,i never saw such an idle young fellow as you are1 said his grandmother2 do take a book and employ yourself usefully4 ,for the last half-hour you have not spoken a single word4 ,do you know what you have been doing all this time8 ,why1 you have taken off and replaced1 and taken off again1 the teapot lid1 and you have held alternately in the steam1 first a saucer and then a spoon1 and you have busied yourself in examining and1 collecting together the little drops formed by the condensation of the steam on the surface of the china and the silver4 ,now1 are you not ashamed to waste your time in this disgraceful manner8 ,the world has certainly gained much through the old lady's failure to tell ,james how he could employ his time to better advantage6 ,but ,i'm good for something1 pleaded a young man whom a merchant was about to discharge for his bluntness4 ,you are good for nothing as a salesman1 said his employer4 ,i am sure ,i can be useful1 said the youth4 ,how8 ,tell me how4 ,i don't know1 sir1 ,i don't know4 ,nor do ,i1 said the merchant1 laughing at the earnestness of his clerk4 ,only don't put me away1 sir1 don't put me away4 ,try me at something besides selling4 ,i cannot sell2 ,i know ,i cannot sell4 ,i know that1 too1 said the principal2 that is what is wrong4 ,but ,i can make myself useful somehow1 persisted the young man2 ,i know ,i can4 ,he was placed in the counting-house1 where his aptitude for figures soon showed itself1 and in a few years he became not only chief cashier in the large store1 but an eminent accountant4 ,you cannot look into a cradle and read the secret message traced by a divine hand and wrapped up in that bit of clay1 any more than you can see the ,north ,star in the magnetic needle4 ,god has loaded the needle of that young life so it will point to the star of its own destiny2 and though you may pull it around by artificial advice and unnatural education1 and compel it to point to the star which presides over poetry1 art1 law1 medicine1 or whatever your own pet calling is until you have wasted years of a precious life1 yet1 when once free1 the needle flies back to its own star4 ,rue it as he may1 repent it as he often does1 says ,robert ,waters1 the man of genius is drawn by an irresistible impulse to the occupation for which he was created4 ,no matter by what difficulties surrounded1 no matter how unpromising the prospect1 this occupation is the only one which he will pursue with interest and pleasure4 ,when his efforts fail to procure means of subsistence1 and he finds himself poor and neglected1 he may1 like ,burns1 often look back with a sigh and think how much better off he would be had he pursued some other occupation1 but he will stick to his favorite pursuit nevertheless4 ,civilization will mark its highest tide when every man has chosen his proper work4 ,no man can be ideally successful until he has found his place4 ,like a locomotive1 he is strong on the track1 but weak anywhere else4 ,like a boat on a river1 says ,emerson1 every boy runs against obstructions on every side but one4 ,on that side all obstruction is taken away1 and he sweeps serenely over a deepening channel into an infinite sea4 ,only a ,dickens can write the history of ,boy ,slavery1 of boys whose aspirations and longings have been silenced forever by ignorant parents2 of boys persecuted as lazy1 stupid1 or fickle1 simply because they were out of their places2 of square boys forced into round holes1 and oppressed because they did not fit2 of boys compelled to pore over dry theological books when the voice within continually cried ,law1 ,medicine1 ,art1 ,science1 or ,business2 of boys tortured because they were not enthusiastic in employments which they loathed1 and against which every fiber of their being was uttering perpetual protest4 ,it is often a narrow selfishness in a father which leads him to wish his son a reproduction of himself4 ,you are trying to make that boy another you4 ,one is enough1 said ,emerson4 ,john ,jacob ,astor's father wished his son to be his successor as a butcher1 but the instinct of commercial enterprise was too strong in the future merchant4 ,nature never duplicates men4 ,she breaks the pattern at every birth4 ,the magic combination is never used but once4 ,frederick the ,great was terribly abused because he had a passion for art and music and did not care for military drill4 ,his father hated the fine arts and imprisoned him4 ,he even contemplated killing his son1 but his own death placed ,frederick on the throne at the age of twenty-eight4 ,this boy1 who1 because he loved art and music1 was thought good for nothing1 made ,prussia one of the greatest nations of ,europe4 ,how stupid and clumsy is the blinking eagle at perch1 but how keen his glance1 how steady and true his curves1 when turning his powerful wing against the clear blue sky6 ,ignorant parents compelled the boy ,arkwright to become a barber's apprentice1 but ,nature had locked up in his brain a cunning device destined to bless humanity and to do the drudgery of millions of ,england's poor2 so he must needs say hands off even to his parents1 as ,christ said to his mother1 ,wist ye not that ,i must be about my ,father's business8 ,galileo was set apart for a physician1 but when compelled to study anatomy and physiology1 he would hide his ,euclid and ,archimedes and stealthily work out the abstruse problems4 ,he was only eighteen when he discovered the principle of the pendulum in a lamp left swinging in the cathedral at ,pisa4 ,he invented both the microscope and telescope1 enlarging knowledge of the vast and minute alike4 ,the parents of ,michael ,angelo had declared that no son of theirs should ever follow the discreditable profession of an artist1 and even punished him for covering the walls and furniture with sketches2 but the fire burning in his breast was kindled by the ,divine ,artist1 and would not let him rest until he had immortalized himself in the architecture of ,st4 ,peter's1 in the marble of his ,moses1 and on the walls of the ,sistine ,chapel4 ,pascal's father determined that his son should teach the dead languages1 but the voice of mathematics drowned every other call1 haunting the boy until he laid aside his grammar for ,euclid4 ,the father of ,joshua ,reynolds rebuked his son for drawing pictures1 and wrote on one3 ,done by ,joshua out of pure idleness4 ,yet this idle boy became one of the founders of the ,royal ,academy4 ,turner was intended for a barber in ,maiden ,lane1 but became the greatest landscape-painter of modern times4 ,claude ,lorraine1 the painter1 was apprenticed to a pastry-cook2 ,molire1 the author1 to an upholsterer2 and ,guido1 the famous painter of ,aurora1 was sent to a music school4 ,schiller was sent to study surgery in the military school at ,stuttgart1 but in secret he produced his first play1 ,the ,robbers1 the first performance of which he had to witness in disguise4 ,the irksomeness of his prison-like school so galled him1 and his longing for authorship so allured him1 that he ventured1 penniless1 into the inhospitable world of letters4 ,a kind lady aided him1 and soon he produced the two splendid dramas which made him immortal4 ,the physician ,handel wished his son to become a lawyer1 and so tried to discourage his fondness for music4 ,but the boy got an old spinet and practiced on it secretly in a hayloft4 ,when the doctor visited a brother in the service of the ,duke of ,weisenfelds1 he took his son with him4 ,the boy wandered unobserved to the organ in a chapel1 and soon had a private concert under full blast4 ,the duke happened to hear the performance1 and wondered who could possibly combine so much melody with so much evident unfamiliarity with the instrument4 ,the boy was brought before him1 and the duke1 instead of blaming him for disturbing the organ1 praised his performance1 and persuaded ,dr4 ,handel to let his son follow his bent4 ,daniel ,defoe had been a trader1 a soldier1 a merchant1 a secretary1 a factory manager1 a commissioner's accountant1 an envoy1 and an author of several indifferent books1 before he wrote his masterpiece1 ,robinson ,crusoe4 ,wilson1 the ornithologist1 failed in five different professions before he found his place4 ,erskine spent four years in the navy1 and then1 in the hope of more rapid promotion1 joined the army4 ,after serving more than two years1 he one day1 out of curiosity1 attended a court1 in the town where his regiment was quartered4 ,the presiding judge1 an acquaintance1 invited ,erskine to sit near him1 and said that the pleaders at the bar were among the most eminent lawyers of ,great ,britain4 ,erskine took their measure as they spoke1 and believed he could excel them4 ,he at once began the study of law1 in which he eventually soon stood alone as the greatest forensic orator of his country4 ,a4 ,t4 ,stewart studied for the ministry1 and became a teacher1 before he drifted into his proper calling as a merchant1 through the accident of having lent money to a friend4 ,the latter1 with failure imminent1 insisted that his creditor should take the shop as the only means of securing the money4 ,jonathan1 said ,mr4 ,chase1 when his son told of having nearly fitted himself for college1 thou shalt go down to the machine-shop on ,monday morning4 ,it was many years before ,jonathan escaped from the shop1 to work his way up to the position of a man of great influence as a ,united ,states ,senator from ,rhode ,island4 ,it has been well said that if ,god should commission two angels1 one to sweep a street crossing1 and the other to rule an empire1 they could not be induced to exchange callings4 ,not less true is it that he who feels that ,god has given him a particular work to do can be happy only when earnestly engaged in its performance4 ,happy the youth who finds the place which his dreams have pictured6 ,if he does not fill that place1 he will not fill any to the satisfaction of himself or others4 ,nature never lets a man rest until he has found his place4 ,she haunts him and drives him until all his faculties give their consent and he falls into his proper niche4 ,a parent might just as well decide that the magnetic needle will point to ,venus or ,jupiter without trying it1 as to decide what profession his son shall adopt4 ,what a ridiculous exhibition a great truck-horse would make on the race-track2 yet this is no more incongruous than the popular idea that law1 medicine1 and theology are the only desirable professions4 ,how ridiculous1 too1 for fifty-two per cent4 of our ,american college graduates to study law6 ,how many young men become poor clergymen by trying to imitate their fathers who were good ones2 of poor doctors and lawyers for the same reason6 ,the country is full of men who are out of place1 disappointed1 soured1 ruined1 out of office1 out of money1 out of credit1 out of courage1 out at elbows1 out in the cold4 ,the fact is1 nearly every college graduate who succeeds in the true sense of the word1 prepares himself in school1 but makes himself after he is graduated4 ,the best thing his teachers have taught him is how to study4 ,the moment he is beyond the college walls he ceases to use books and helps which do not feed him1 and seizes upon those that do4 ,illustration3 ,ulysses ,s4 ,grant ,we must not jump to the conclusion that because a man has not succeeded in what he has really tried to do with all his might1 he cannot succeed at anything4 ,look at a fish floundering on the sand as though he would tear himself to pieces4 ,but look again3 a huge wave breaks higher up the beach and covers the unfortunate creature4 ,the moment his fins feel the water1 he is himself again1 and darts like a flash through the waves4 ,his fins mean something now1 while before they beat the air and earth in vain1 a hindrance instead of a help4 ,if you fail after doing your level best1 examine the work attempted1 and see if it really be in the line of your bent or power of achievement4 ,cowper failed as a lawyer4 ,he was so timid that he could not plead a case1 but he wrote some of our finest poems4 ,molire found that he was not adapted to the work of a lawyer1 but he left a great name in literature4 ,voltaire and ,petrarch abandoned the law1 the former choosing philosophy1 the latter1 poetry4 ,cromwell was a farmer until forty years old4 ,very few of us1 before we reach our teens1 show great genius or even remarkable talent for any line of work or study4 ,the great majority of boys and girls1 even when given all the latitude and longitude heart could desire1 find it very difficult before their fifteenth or even before their twentieth year to decide what to do for a living4 ,each knocks at the portals of the mind1 demanding a wonderful aptitude for some definite line of work1 but it is not there4 ,that is no reason why the duty at hand should be put off1 or why the labor that naturally falls to one's lot should not be done well4 ,samuel ,smiles was trained to a profession which was not to his taste1 yet he practiced it so faithfully that it helped him to authorship1 for which he was well fitted4 ,fidelity to the work or everyday duties at hand1 and a genuine feeling of responsibility to our parents or employers1 ourselves1 and our ,god1 will eventually bring most of us into the right niches at the proper time4 ,garfield would not have become ,president if he had not previously been a zealous teacher1 a responsible soldier1 a conscientious statesman4 ,neither ,lincoln nor ,grant started as a baby with a precocity for the ,white ,house1 or an irresistible genius for ruling men4 ,so no one should be disappointed because he was not endowed with tremendous gifts in the cradle4 ,his business is to do the best he can wherever his lot may be cast1 and advance at every honorable opportunity in the direction towards which the inward monitor points4 ,let duty be the guiding-star1 and success will surely be the crown1 to the full measure of one's ability and industry4 ,what career8 ,what shall my life's work be8 ,if instinct and heart ask for carpentry1 be a carpenter2 if for medicine1 be a physician4 ,with a firm choice and earnest work1 a young man or woman cannot help but succeed4 ,but if there be no instinct1 or if it be weak or faint1 one should choose cautiously along the line of his best adaptability and opportunity4 ,no one need doubt that the world has use for him4 ,true success lies in acting well your part1 and this every one can do4 ,better be a first-rate hod-carrier than a second-rate anything4 ,the world has been very kind to many who were once known as dunces or blockheads1 after they have become very successful2 but it was very cross to them while they were struggling through discouragement and misinterpretation4 ,give every boy and girl a fair chance and reasonable encouragement1 and do not condemn them because of even a large degree of downright stupidity2 for many so-called good-for-nothing boys1 blockheads1 numskulls1 dullards1 or dunces1 were only boys out of their places1 round boys forced into square holes4 ,wellington was considered a dunce by his mother4 ,at ,eton he was called dull1 idle1 slow1 and was about the last boy in school of whom anything was expected4 ,he showed no talent1 and had no desire to enter the army4 ,his industry and perseverance were his only redeeming characteristics in the eyes of his parents and teachers4 ,but at forty-six he had defeated the greatest general living1 except himself4 ,goldsmith was the laughing-stock of his schoolmasters4 ,he was graduated ,wooden ,spoon1 a college name for a dunce4 ,he tried to enter a class in surgery1 but was rejected4 ,he was driven to literature4 ,goldsmith found himself totally unfit for the duties of a physician2 but who else could have written the ,vicar of ,wakefield or the ,deserted ,village8 ,dr4 ,johnson found him very poor and about to be arrested for debt4 ,he made ,goldsmith give him the manuscript of the ,vicar of ,wakefield1 sold it to the publishers1 and paid the debt4 ,this manuscript made its author famous4 ,robert ,clive bore the name of dunce and reprobate at school1 but at thirty-two1 with three thousand men1 he defeated fifty thousand at ,plassey and laid the foundation of the ,british ,empire in ,india4 ,sir ,walter ,scott was called a blockhead by his teacher4 ,when ,byron happened to get ahead of his class1 the master would say3 ,now1 ,jordie1 let me see how soon you will be at the foot again4 ,young ,linnaeus was called by his teachers almost a blockhead4 ,not finding him fit for the church1 his parents sent him to college to study medicine4 ,but the silent teacher within1 greater and wiser than all others1 led him to the fields2 and neither sickness1 misfortune1 nor poverty could drive him from the study of botany1 the choice of his heart1 and he became the greatest botanist of his age4 ,richard ,b4 ,sheridan's mother tried in vain to teach him the most elementary studies4 ,the mother's death aroused slumbering talents1 as has happened in hundreds of cases1 and he became one of the most brilliant men of his age4 ,samuel ,drew was one of the dullest and most listless boys in his neighborhood1 yet after an accident by which he nearly lost his life1 and after the death of his brother1 he became so studious and industrious that he could not bear to lose a moment4 ,he read at every meal1 using all the time he could get for self-improvement4 ,he said that ,paine's ,age of ,reason made him an author1 for it was by his attempt to refute its arguments that he was first known as a strong1 vigorous writer4 ,it has been well said that no man ever made an ill figure who understood his own talents1 nor a good one who mistook them4 ,,chapter ,x ,,what ,,career8 ,brutes find out where their talents lie2 ,a bear will not attempt to fly1 ,a foundered horse will oft debate ,before he tries a five-barred gate4 ,a dog by instinct turns aside ,who sees the ditch too deep and wide4 ,but man we find the only creature ,who1 led by folly1 combats nature2 ,who1 when she loudly cries--,forbear6 ,with obstinacy fixes there2 ,and where his genius least inclines1 ,absurdly bends his whole designs4 ,,swift4 ,the crowning fortune of a man is to be born to some pursuit which finds him in employment and happiness1 whether it be to make baskets1 or broadswords1 or canals1 or statues1 or songs4--,,emerson4 ,whatever you are by nature1 keep to it2 never desert your line of talent4 ,be what nature intended you for1 and you will succeed2 be anything else1 and you will be ten thousand times worse than nothing4--,,sydney ,,smith4 ,every man has got a ,fort1 said ,artemus ,ward4 ,it's some men's fort to do one thing1 and some other men's fort to do another1 while there is numeris shiftless critters goin' round loose whose fort is not to do nothin'4 ,twice ,i've endevered to do things which they wasn't my ,fort4 ,the first time was when ,i undertook to lick a owdashus cuss who cut a hole in my tent and krawld threw4 ,sez ,i1 ',my jentle sir1 go out1 or ,i shall fall onto you putty hevy4' ,sez he1 ',wade in1 ,old ,wax ,figgers1' whereupon ,i went for him1 but he cawt me powerful on the hed and knockt me threw the tent into a cow pastur4 ,he pursood the attack and flung me into a mud puddle4 ,as ,i aroze and rung out my drencht garmints1 ,i concluded fitin was n't my fort4 ,i'le now rize the curtain upon seen #bnd4 ,it is rarely seldum that ,i seek consolation in the ,flowin ,bole4 ,but in a certain town in ,injianny in the ,faul of #ah--1 my orgin grinder got sick with the fever and died4 ,i never felt so ashamed in my life1 and ,i thought ,i'd hist in a few swallers of suthin strengthnin4 ,konsequents was1 ,i histed so much ,i didn't zackly know whereabouts ,i was4 ,i turned my livin' wild beasts of ,pray loose into the streets1 and split all my wax-works4 ,i then ,bet ,i cood play hoss4 ,so ,i hitched myself to a kanawl bote1 there bein' two other hosses behind and anuther ahead of me4 ,but the hosses bein' onused to such a arrangemunt1 begun to kick and squeal and rair up4 ,konsequents was1 ,i was kicked vilently in the stummuck and back1 and presently1 ,i found myself in the kanawl with the other hosses1 kikin and yellin like a tribe of ,cusscaroorus savajis4 ,i was rescood1 and as ,i was bein carried to the tavern on a hemlock bored ,i sed in a feeble voice1 ',boys1 playin' hoss isn't my ,fort4' ,moral3 ,never don't do nothin' which isn't your ,fort1 for ef you do you'll find yourself splashin' round in the kanawl1 figuratively speakin4 ,the following advertisement1 which appeared day after day in a ,western paper1 did not bring a single reply3-- ,wanted4--,situation by a ,practical ,printer1 who is competent to take charge of any department in a printing and publishing house4 ,would accept a professorship in any of the academies4 ,has no objection to teach ornamental painting and penmanship1 geometry1 trigonometry1 and many other sciences4 ,has had some experience as a lay preacher4 ,would have no objection to form a small class of young ladies and gentlemen to instruct them in the higher branches4 ,to a dentist or chiropodist he would be invaluable2 or he would cheerfully accept a position as bass or tenor singer in a choir4 ,at length there appeared this addition to the notice3-- ,p4 ,s4 ,will accept an offer to saw and split wood at less than the usual rates4 ,this secured a situation at once1 and the advertisement was seen no more4 ,your talent is your call4 ,your legitimate destiny speaks in your character4 ,if you have found your place1 your occupation has the consent of every faculty of your being4 ,if possible1 choose that occupation which focuses the largest amount of your experience and tastes4 ,you will then not only have a congenial vocation1 but also will utilize largely your skill and business knowledge1 which is your true capital4 ,follow your bent4 ,you cannot long fight successfully against your aspirations4 ,parents1 friends1 or misfortune may stifle and suppress the longings of the heart1 by compelling you to perform unwelcome tasks2 but1 like a volcano1 the inner fire will burst the crusts which confine it and will pour forth its pent-up genius in eloquence1 in song1 in art1 or in some favorite industry4 ,beware of a talent which you cannot hope to practice in perfection4 ,nature hates all botched and half-finished work1 and will pronounce her curse upon it4 ,better be the ,napoleon of bootblacks1 or the ,alexander of chimney-sweeps1 let us say with ,matthew ,arnold1 than a shallow-brained attorney who1 like necessity1 knows no law4 ,half the world seems to have found uncongenial occupation1 as though the human race had been shaken up together and exchanged places in the operation4 ,a servant girl is trying to teach1 and a natural teacher is tending store4 ,good farmers are murdering the law1 while ,choates and ,websters are running down farms1 each tortured by the consciousness of unfulfilled destiny4 ,boys are pining in factories who should be wrestling with ,greek and ,latin1 and hundreds are chafing beneath unnatural loads in college who should be on the farm or before the mast4 ,artists are spreading daubs on canvas who should be whitewashing board fences4 ,behind counters stand clerks who hate the yard-stick and neglect their work to dream of other occupations4 ,a good shoemaker writes a few verses for the village paper1 his friends call him a poet1 and the last1 with which he is familiar1 is abandoned for the pen1 which he uses awkwardly4 ,other shoemakers are cobbling in ,congress1 while statesmen are pounding shoe-lasts4 ,laymen are murdering sermons while ,beechers and ,whitefields are failing as merchants1 and people are wondering what can be the cause of empty pews4 ,a boy who is always making something with tools is railroaded through the university and started on the road to inferiority in one of the three honorable professions4 ,real surgeons are handling the meat-saw and cleaver1 while butchers are amputating human limbs4 ,how fortunate that-- ,there's a divinity that shapes our ends1 ,rough-hew them how we will4 ,he that hath a trade1 says ,franklin1 hath an estate2 and he that hath a calling hath a place of profit and honor4 ,a plowman on his legs is higher than a gentleman on his knees4 ,a man's business does more to make him than anything else4 ,it hardens his muscles1 strengthens his body1 quickens his blood1 sharpens his mind1 corrects his judgment1 wakes up his inventive genius1 puts his wits to work1 starts him on the race of life1 arouses his ambition1 makes him feel that he is a man and must fill a man's shoes1 do a man's work1 bear a man's part in life1 and show himself a man in that part4 ,no man feels himself a man who is not doing a man's business4 ,a man without employment is not a man4 ,he does not prove by his works that he is a man4 ,a hundred and fifty pounds of bone and muscle do not make a man4 ,a good cranium full of brains is not a man4 ,the bone and muscle and brain must know how to do a man's work1 think a man's thoughts1 mark out a man's path1 and bear a man's weight of character and duty before they constitute a man4 ,go-at-it-iveness is the first requisite for success4 ,stick-to-it-iveness is the second4 ,under ordinary circumstances1 and with practical common sense to guide him1 one who has these requisites will not fail4 ,don't wait for a higher position or a larger salary4 ,enlarge the position you already occupy2 put originality of method into it4 ,fill it as it never was filled before4 ,be more prompt1 more energetic1 more thorough1 more polite than your predecessor or fellow workmen4 ,study your business1 devise new modes of operation1 be able to give your employer points4 ,the art lies not in giving satisfaction merely1 not in simply filling your place1 but in doing better than was expected1 in surprising your employer2 and the reward will be a better place and a larger salary4 ,when out of work1 take the first respectable job that offers1 heeding not the disproportion between your faculties and your task4 ,if you put your manhood into your labor1 you will soon be given something better to do4 ,this question of a right aim in life has become exceedingly perplexing in our complicated age4 ,it is not a difficult problem to solve when one is the son of a ,zulu or the daughter of a ,bedouin4 ,the condition of the savage hardly admits of but one choice2 but as one rises higher in the scale of civilization and creeps nearer to the great centers of activity1 the difficulty of a correct decision increases with its importance4 ,in proportion as one is hard pressed in competition is it of the sternest necessity for him to choose the right aim1 so as to be able to throw the whole of his energy and enthusiasm into the struggle for success4 ,the dissipation of strength or hope is fatal to prosperity even in the most attractive field4 ,gladstone says there is a limit to the work that can be got out of a human body1 or a human brain1 and he is a wise man who wastes no energy on pursuits for which he is not fitted4 ,blessed is he who has found his work1 says ,carlyle4 ,let him ask no other blessedness4 ,he has a work--a life purpose2 he has found it1 and will follow it4 ,in choosing an occupation1 do not ask yourself how you can make the most money or gain the most notoriety1 but choose that work which will call out all your powers and develop your manhood into the greatest strength and symmetry4 ,not money1 not notoriety1 not fame even1 but power is what you want4 ,manhood is greater than wealth1 grander than fame4 ,character is greater than any career4 ,each faculty must be educated1 and any deficiency in its training will appear in whatever you do4 ,the hand must be educated to be graceful1 steady1 and strong4 ,the eye must be educated to be alert1 discriminating1 and microscopic4 ,the heart must be educated to be tender1 sympathetic1 and true4 ,the memory must be drilled for years in accuracy1 retention1 and comprehensiveness4 ,the world does not demand that you be a lawyer1 minister1 doctor1 farmer1 scientist1 or merchant2 it does not dictate what you shall do1 but it does require that you be a master in whatever you undertake4 ,if you are a master in your line1 the world will applaud you and all doors will fly open to you4 ,but it condemns all botches1 abortions1 and failures4 ,whoever is well educated to discharge the duty of a man1 says ,rousseau1 cannot be badly prepared to fill any of those offices that have relation to him4 ,it matters little to me whether my pupils be designed for the army1 the pulpit1 or the bar4 ,nature has destined us to the offices of human life antecedent to our destination concerning society4 ,to live is the profession ,i would teach him4 ,when ,i have done with him1 it is true he will be neither a soldier1 a lawyer1 nor a divine4 ,let him first be a man4 ,fortune may remove him from one rank to another as she pleases2 he will be always found in his place4 ,in the great race of life common sense has the right of way4 ,wealth1 a diploma1 a pedigree1 talent1 genius1 without tact and common sense1 cut but a small figure4 ,the incapables and the impracticables1 though loaded with diplomas and degrees1 are left behind4 ,not what do you know1 or who are you1 but what are you1 what can you do1 is the interrogation of the century4 ,george ,herbert has well said3 ,what we are is much more to us than what we do4 ,an aim that carries in it the least element of doubt as to its justice or honor or right should be abandoned at once4 ,the art of dishing up the wrong so as to make it look and taste like the right has never been more extensively cultivated than in our day4 ,it is a curious fact that reason will1 on pressure1 overcome a man's instinct of right4 ,an eminent scientist has said that a man could soon reason himself out of the instinct of decency if he would only take pains and work hard enough4 ,so when a doubtful but attractive future is placed before one1 there is a great temptation to juggle with the wrong until it seems the right4 ,yet any aim that is immoral carries in itself the germ of certain failure1 in the real sense of the word--failure that is physical and spiritual4 ,there is no doubt that every person has a special adaptation for his own peculiar part in life4 ,a very few--geniuses1 we call them--have this marked in an unusual degree1 and very early in life4 ,madame de ,stal was engrossed in political philosophy at an age when other girls are dressing dolls4 ,mozart1 when but four years old1 played the clavichord and composed minuets and other pieces still extant4 ,the little ,chalmers1 with solemn air and earnest gestures1 would preach often from a stool in the nursery4 ,goethe wrote tragedies at twelve1 and ,grotius published an able philosophical work before he was fifteen4 ,pope lisped in numbers4 ,chatterton wrote good poems at eleven1 and ,cowley published a volume of poetry in his sixteenth year4 ,thomas ,lawrence and ,benjamin ,west drew likenesses almost as soon as they could walk4 ,liszt played in public at twelve4 ,canova made models in clay while a mere child4 ,bacon exposed the defects of ,aristotle's philosophy when but sixteen4 ,napoleon was at the head of armies when throwing snowballs at ,brienne4 ,all these showed their bent while young1 and followed it in active life4 ,but precocity is not common1 and1 except in rare cases1 we must discover the bias in our natures1 and not wait for the proclivity to make itself manifest4 ,when found1 it is worth more to us than a vein of gold4 ,i do not forbid you to preach1 said a ,bishop to a young clergyman1 but nature does4 ,lowell said3 ,it is the vain endeavor to make ourselves what we are not that has strewn history with so many broken purposes1 and lives left in the rough4 ,you have not found your place until all your faculties are roused1 and your whole nature consents and approves of the work you are doing2 not until you are so enthusiastic in it that you take it to bed with you4 ,you may be forced to drudge at uncongenial toil for a time1 but emancipate yourself as soon as possible4 ,carey1 the ,consecrated ,cobbler1 before he went as a missionary said3 ,my business is to preach the gospel4 ,i cobble shoes to pay expenses4 ,if your vocation be only a humble one1 elevate it with more manhood than others put into it4 ,put into it brains and heart and energy and economy4 ,broaden it by originality of methods4 ,extend it by enterprise and industry4 ,study it as you would a profession4 ,learn everything that is to be known about it4 ,concentrate your faculties upon it1 for the greatest achievements are reserved for the man of single aim1 in whom no rival powers divide the empire of the soul4 ,better adorn your own than seek another's place4 ,go to the bottom of your business if you would climb to the top4 ,nothing is small which concerns your business4 ,master every detail4 ,this was the secret of ,a4 ,t4 ,stewart's and of ,john ,jacob ,astor's great success4 ,they knew everything about their business4 ,as love is the only excuse for marriage1 and the only thing which will carry one safely through the troubles and vexations of married life1 so love for an occupation is the only thing which will carry one safely and surely through the troubles which overwhelm ninety-five out of every one hundred who choose the life of a merchant1 and very many in every other career4 ,a famous ,englishman said to his nephew1 ,don't choose medicine1 for we have never had a murderer in our family1 and the chances are that in your ignorance you may kill a patient2 as to the law1 no prudent man is willing to risk his life or his fortune to a young lawyer1 who has not only no experience1 but is generally too conceited to know the risks he incurs for his client1 who alone is the loser2 therefore1 as the mistakes of a clergyman in doctrine or advice to his parishioners cannot be clearly determined in this world1 ,i advise you by all means to enter the church4 ,i felt that ,i was in the world to do something1 and thought ,i must1 said ,whittier1 thus giving the secret of his great power4 ,it is the man who must enter law1 literature1 medicine1 the ministry1 or any other of the overstocked professions1 who will succeed4 ,his certain call1 that is his love for it1 and his fidelity to it1 are the imperious factors of his career4 ,if a man enters a profession simply because his grandfather made a great name in it1 or his mother wants him to1 with no love or adaptability for it1 it were far better for him to be a motor-man on an electric car at a dollar and seventy-five cents a day4 ,in the humbler work his intelligence may make him a leader2 in the other career he might do as much harm as a bowlder rolled from its place upon a railroad track1 a menace to the next express4 ,only a few years ago marriage was the only sphere open to girls1 and the single woman had to face the disapproval of her friends4 ,lessing said3 ,the woman who thinks is like a man who puts on rouge1 ridiculous4 ,not many years have elapsed since the ambitious woman who ventured to study or write would keep a bit of embroidery at hand to throw over her book or manuscript when callers entered4 ,dr4 ,gregory said to his daughters3 ,if you happen to have any learning1 keep it a profound secret from the men1 who generally look with a jealous and malignant eye on a woman of great parts and a cultivated understanding4 ,women who wrote books in those days would deny the charge as though a public disgrace4 ,all this has changed1 and what a change it is6 ,as ,frances ,willard said1 the greatest discovery of the century is the discovery of woman4 ,we have emancipated her1 and are opening countless opportunities for our girls outside of marriage4 ,formerly only a boy could choose a career2 now his sister can do the same4 ,this freedom is one of the greatest glories of the twentieth century4 ,but with freedom comes responsibility1 and under these changed conditions every girl should have a definite aim4 ,dr4 ,hall says that the world has urgent need of girls who are mother's right hand2 girls who can cuddle the little ones next best to mamma1 and smooth out the tangles in the domestic skein when thing's get twisted2 girls whom father takes comfort in for something better than beauty1 and the big brothers are proud of for something that outranks the ability to dance or shine in society4 ,next1 we want girls of sense1--girls who have a standard of their own1 regardless of conventionalities1 and are independent enough to live up to it2 girls who simply won't wear a trailing dress on the street to gather up microbes and all sorts of defilement2 girls who don't wear a high hat to the theater1 or lacerate their feet and endanger their health with high heels and corsets2 girls who will wear what is pretty and becoming and snap their fingers at the dictates of fashion when fashion is horrid and silly4 ,and we want good girls1--girls who are sweet1 right straight out from the heart to the lips2 innocent and pure and simple girls1 with less knowledge of sin and duplicity and evil-doing at twenty than the pert little schoolgirl of ten has all too often4 ,and we want careful girls and prudent girls1 who think enough of the generous father who toils to maintain them in comfort1 and of the gentle mother who denies herself much that they may have so many pretty things1 to count the cost and draw the line between the essentials and non-essentials2 girls who strive to save and not to spend2 girls who are unselfish and eager to be a joy and a comfort in the home rather than an expense and a useless burden4 ,we want girls with hearts1--girls who are full of tenderness and sympathy1 with tears that flow for other people's ills1 and smiles that light outward their own beautiful thoughts4 ,we have lots of clever girls1 and brilliant girls1 and witty girls4 ,give us a consignment of jolly girls1 warm-hearted and impulsive girls2 kind and entertaining to their own folks1 and with little desire to shine in the garish world4 ,with a few such girls scattered around1 life would freshen up for all of us1 as the weather does under the spell of summer showers4 ,they talk about a woman's sphere1 ,as though it had a limit2 ,there's not a place in earth or heaven1 ,there's not a task to mankind given1 ,there's not a blessing or a woe1 ,there's not a whisper1 ,yes or ,no1 ,there's not a life1 or death1 or birth1 ,that has a feather's weight of worth1 ,without a woman in it4 ,do that which is assigned you1 says ,emerson1 and you cannot hope too much or dare too much4 ,there is at this moment for you an utterance brave and grand as that of the colossal chisel of ,phidias1 or trowel of the ,egyptians1 or the pen of ,moses or ,dante1 but different from all these4 ,the best way for a young man to begin1 who is without friends or influence1 said ,russell ,sage1 is1 first1 by getting a position2 second1 keeping his mouth shut2 third1 observing2 fourth1 being faithful2 fifth1 making his employer think he would be lost in a fog without him2 and sixth1 being polite4 ,close application1 integrity1 attention to details1 discreet advertising1 are given as the four steps to success by ,john ,wanamaker1 whose motto is1 ,do the next thing4 ,whatever you do in life1 be greater than your calling4 ,most people look upon an occupation or calling as a mere expedient for earning a living4 ,what a mean1 narrow view to take of what was intended for the great school of life1 the great man developer1 the character-builder2 that which should broaden1 deepen1 heighten1 and round out into symmetry1 harmony1 and beauty all the ,god-given faculties within us6 ,how we shrink from the task and evade the lessons which were intended for the unfolding of life's great possibilities into usefulness and power1 as the sun unfolds into beauty and fragrance the petals of the flower6 ,i am glad to think ,i am not bound to make the world go round2 ,but only to discover and to do1 ,with cheerful heart1 the work that ,god appoints4 ,,jean ,,ingelow4 ',what shall ,i do to be forever known8' ,thy duty ever6 ',this did full many who yet sleep all unknown1'-- ,oh1 never1 never6 ,think'st thou1 perchance1 that they remain unknown ,whom thou know'st not8 ,by angel trumps in heaven their praise is blown1 ,divine their lot4 ,,chapter ,,xi ,,choosing ,a ,,vocation ,be what nature intended you for1 and you will succeed2 be anything else1 and you will be ten thousand times worse than nothing4--,,sydney ,,smith4 ,many a man pays for his success with a slice of his constitution4 ,no man struggles perpetually and victoriously against his own character2 and one of the first principles of success in life is so to regulate our career as rather to turn our physical constitution and natural inclinations to good account than to endeavor to counteract the one or oppose the other4--,,bulwer4 ,he that hath a trade hath an estate4--,,franklin4 ,nature fits all her children with something to do4--,,lowell4 ,as occupations and professions have a powerful influence upon the length of human life1 the youth should first ascertain whether the vocation he thinks of choosing is a healthy one4 ,statesmen1 judges1 and clergymen are noted for their longevity4 ,they are not swept into the great business vortex1 where the friction and raspings of sharp competition whittle life away at a fearful rate4 ,astronomers1 who contemplate vast systems1 moving through enormous distances1 are exceptionally long lived1--as ,herschel and ,humboldt4 ,philosophers1 scientists1 and mathematicians1 as ,galileo1 ,bacon1 ,newton1 ,euler1 ,dalton1 in fact1 those who have dwelt upon the exact sciences1 seem to have escaped many of the ills from which humanity suffers4 ,great students of natural history have also1 as a rule1 lived long and happy lives4 ,of fourteen members of a noted historical society in ,england1 who died in #ahgj1 two were over ninety1 five over eighty1 and two over seventy4 ,the occupation of the mind has a great influence upon the health of the body4 ,there is no employment so dangerous and destructive to life but plenty of human beings can be found to engage in it4 ,of all the instances that can be given of recklessness of life1 there is none which exceeds that of the workmen employed in what is called dry-pointing--the grinding of needles and of table forks4 ,the fine steel dust which they breathe brings on a painful disease1 of which they are almost sure to die before they are forty4 ,yet not only are men tempted by high wages to engage in this employment1 but they resist to the utmost all contrivances devised for diminishing the danger1 through fear that such things would cause more workmen to offer themselves and thus lower wages4 ,many physicians have investigated the effects of work in the numerous match factories in ,france upon the health of the employees1 and all agree that rapid destruction of the teeth1 decay or necrosis of the jawbone1 bronchitis1 and other diseases result4 ,we will probably find more old men on farms than elsewhere4 ,there are many reasons why farmers should live longer than persons residing in cities or than those engaged in other occupations4 ,aside from the purer air1 the outdoor exercise1 both conducive to a good appetite and sound sleep1 which comparatively few in cities enjoy1 they are free from the friction1 harassing cares1 anxieties1 and the keen competition incident to city life4 ,on the other hand1 there are some great drawbacks and some enemies to longevity1 even on the farm4 ,man does not live by bread alone4 ,the mind is by far the greatest factor in maintaining the body in a healthy condition4 ,the social life of the city1 the great opportunities afforded the mind for feeding upon libraries and lectures1 great sermons1 and constant association with other minds1 the great variety of amusements compensate largely for the loss of many of the advantages of farm life4 ,in spite of the great temperance and immunity from things which corrode1 whittle1 and rasp away life in the cities1 farmers in many places do not live so long as scientists and some other professional men4 ,there is no doubt that aspiration and success tend to prolong life4 ,prosperity tends to longevity1 if we do not wear life away or burn it out in the feverish pursuit of wealth4 ,thomas ,w4 ,higginson made a list of thirty of the most noted preachers of the last century1 and found that their average length of life was sixty-nine years4 ,among miners in some sections over six hundred out of a thousand die from consumption4 ,in the prisons of ,europe1 where the fatal effects of bad air and filth are shown1 over sixty-one per cent4 of the deaths are from tuberculosis4 ,in ,bavarian monasteries1 fifty per cent4 of those who enter in good health die of consumption1 and in the ,prussian prisons it is almost the same4 ,the effect of bad air1 filth1 and bad food is shown by the fact that the death-rate among these classes1 between the ages of twenty and forty1 is five times that of the general population of the same age4 ,in ,new ,york ,city1 over one-fifth of all the deaths of persons over twenty are from this cause4 ,in large cities in ,europe the percentage is often still greater4 ,of one thousand deaths from all causes1 on the average1 one hundred and three farmers die of pulmonary tuberculosis1 one hundred and eight fishermen1 one hundred and twenty-one gardeners1 one hundred and twenty-two farm laborers1 one hundred and sixty-seven grocers1 two hundred and nine tailors1 three hundred and one dry-goods dealers1 and four hundred and sixty-one compositors1--nearly one-half4 ,according to a long series of investigations by ,drs4 ,benoysten and ,lombard into occupations or trades where workers must inhale dust1 it appears that mineral dust is the most detrimental to health1 animal dust ranking next1 and vegetable dust third4 ,in choosing an occupation1 cleanliness1 pure air1 sunlight1 and freedom from corroding dust and poisonous gases are of the greatest importance4 ,a man who would sell a year of his life for any amount of money would be considered insane1 and yet we deliberately choose occupations and vocations which statistics and physicians tell us will be practically sure to cut off from five to twenty-five1 thirty1 or even forty years of our lives1 and are seemingly perfectly indifferent to our fate4 ,there is danger in a calling which requires great expenditure of vitality at long1 irregular intervals4 ,he who is not regularly1 or systematically employed incurs perpetual risk4 ,of the thirty-two all-round athletes in a ,new ,york club not long ago1 said a physician1 three are dead of consumption1 five have to wear trusses1 four or five are lop-shouldered1 and three have catarrh and partial deafness4 ,dr4 ,patten1 chief surgeon at the ,national ,soldiers' ,home at ,dayton1 ,ohio1 says that of the five thousand soldiers in that institution fully eighty per cent4 are suffering from heart disease in one form or another1 due to the forced physical exertions of the campaigns4 ,man's faculties and functions are so interrelated that whatever affects one affects all4 ,athletes who over-develop the muscular system do so at the expense of the physical1 mental1 and moral well-being4 ,it is a law of nature that the overdevelopment of any function or faculty1 forcing or straining it1 tends not only to ruin it1 but also to cause injurious reactions on every other faculty and function4 ,vigorous thought must come from a fresh brain4 ,we cannot expect nerve1 snap1 robustness and vigor1 sprightliness and elasticity1 in the speech1 in the book1 or in the essay1 from an exhausted1 jaded brain4 ,the brain is one of the last organs of the body to reach maturity 7at about the age of twenty-eight71 and should never be overworked1 especially in youth4 ,the whole future of a man is often ruined by over-straining the brain in school4 ,brain-workers cannot do good1 effective work in one line many hours a day4 ,when the brain is weary1 when it begins to lose its elasticity and freshness1 there will be the same lack of tonicity and strength in the brain product4 ,some men often do a vast amount of literary work in entirely different lines during their spare hours4 ,cessation of brain activity does not necessarily constitute brain rest1 as most great thinkers know4 ,the men who accomplish the most brain-work1 sooner or later--usually later1 unfortunately--learn to give rest to one set of faculties and use another1 as interest begins to flag and a sense of weariness comes4 ,in this way they have been enabled to astonish the world by their mental achievements1 which is very largely a matter of skill in exercising alternate sets of faculties1 allowing rest to some while giving healthy exercise to others4 ,the continual use of one set of faculties by an ambitious worker will soon bring him to grief4 ,no set of brain cells can possibly set free more brain force in the combustion of thought than is stored up in them4 ,the tired brain must have rest1 or nervous exhaustion1 brain fever1 or even softening of the brain is liable to follow4 ,as a rule1 physical vigor is the condition of a great career4 ,what would ,gladstone have accomplished with a weak1 puny physique8 ,he addresses an audience at ,corfu in ,greek1 and another at ,florence in ,italian4 ,a little later he converses at ease with ,bismarck in ,german1 or talks fluent ,french in ,paris1 or piles up argument on argument in ,english for hours in ,parliament4 ,there are families that have clutched success and kept it through generations from the simple fact of a splendid physical organization handed down from one generation to another4 ,illustration3 ,william ,ewart ,gladstone ,all occupations that enervate1 paralyze1 or destroy body or soul should be avoided4 ,our manufacturing interests too often give little thought to the employed2 the article to be made is generally the only object considered4 ,they do not care if a man spends the whole of his life upon the head of a pin1 or in making a screw in a watch factory4 ,they take no notice of the occupations that ruin1 or the phosphorus1 the dust1 the arsenic that destroys the health1 that shortens the lives of many workers2 of the cramped condition of the body which creates deformity4 ,the moment we compel those we employ to do work that demoralizes them or does not tend to elevate or lift them1 we are forcing them into service worse than useless4 ,if we induce painters to work in fading colors1 or architects with rotten stone1 or contractors to construct buildings with imperfect materials1 we are forcing our ,michael ,angelos to carve in snow4 ,ruskin says that the tendency of the age is to expend its genius in perishable art1 as if it were a triumph to burn its thoughts away in bonfires4 ,is the work you compel others to do useful to yourself and to society8 ,if you employ a seamstress to make four or five or six beautiful flounces for your ball dress1 flounces which will only clothe yourself1 and which you will wear at only one ball1 you are employing your money selfishly4 ,do not confuse covetousness with benevolence1 nor cheat yourself into thinking that all the finery you can wear is so much put into the hungry mouths of those beneath you4 ,it is what those who stand shivering on the street1 forming a line to see you step out of your carriage1 know it to be4 ,these fine dresses do not mean that so much has been put into their mouths1 but that so much has been taken out of their mouths4 ,select a clean1 useful1 honorable occupation4 ,if there is any doubt on this point1 abandon it at once1 for familiarity with a bad business will make it seem good4 ,choose a business that has expansiveness in it4 ,some kinds of business not even a ,j4 ,pierpont ,morgan could make respectable4 ,choose an occupation which will develop you2 which will elevate you2 which will give you a chance for self-improvement and promotion4 ,you may not make quite so much money1 but you will be more of a man1 and manhood is above all riches1 overtops all titles1 and character is greater than any career4 ,if possible avoid occupations which compel you to work in a cramped position1 or where you must work at night and on ,sundays4 ,don't try to justify yourself on the ground that somebody must do this kind of work4 ,let somebody1 not yourself1 take the responsibility4 ,aside from the right and wrong of the thing1 it is injurious to the health to work seven days in the week1 to work at night when ,nature intended you to sleep1 or to sleep in the daytime when she intended you to work4 ,many a man has dwarfed his manhood1 cramped his intellect1 crushed his aspiration1 blunted his finer sensibilities1 in some mean1 narrow occupation just because there was money in it4 ,study yourself1 says ,longfellow1 and most of all1 note well wherein kind nature meant you to excel4 ,dr4 ,matthews says that to no other cause1 perhaps1 is failure in life so frequently to be traced as to a mistaken calling4 ,we can often find out by hard knocks and repeated failures what we can not do before what we can do4 ,this negative process of eliminating the doubtful chances is often the only way of attaining to the positive conclusion4 ,how many men have been made ridiculous for life by choosing law or medicine or theology1 simply because they are honorable professions6 ,these men might have been respectable farmers or merchants1 but are nobodies in such vocations4 ,the very glory of the profession which they thought would make them shining lights simply renders more conspicuous their incapacity4 ,thousands of youths receive an education that fits them for a profession which they have not the means or inclination to follow1 and that unfits them for the conditions of life to which they were born4 ,unsuccessful students with a smattering of everything are raised as much above their original condition as if they were successful4 ,a large portion of ,paris cabmen are unsuccessful students in theology and other professions and also unfrocked priests4 ,they are very bad cabmen4 ,tompkins forsakes his last and awl ,for literary squabbles2 ,styles himself poet2 but his trade ,remains the same1--he cobbles4 ,don't choose a profession or occupation because your father1 or uncle1 or brother is in it4 ,don't choose a business because you inherit it1 or because parents or friends want you to follow it4 ,don't choose it because others have made fortunes in it4 ,don't choose it because it is considered the proper thing and a genteel business4 ,the mania for a genteel occupation1 for a soft job which eliminates drudgery1 thorns1 hardships1 and all disagreeable things1 and one which can be learned with very little effort1 ruins many a youth4 ,when we try to do that for which we are unfitted we are not working along the line of our strength1 but of our weakness2 our will power and enthusiasm become demoralized2 we do half work1 botched work1 lose confidence in ourselves1 and conclude that we are dunces because we cannot accomplish what others do2 the whole tone of life is demoralized and lowered because we are out of place4 ,how it shortens the road to success to make a wise choice of one's occupation early1 to be started on the road of a proper career while young1 full of hope1 while the animal spirits are high1 and enthusiasm is vigorous2 to feel that every step we take1 that every day's work we do1 that every blow we strike helps to broaden1 deepen1 and enrich life6 ,those who fail are1 as a rule1 those who are out of their places4 ,a man out of his place is but half a man2 his very nature is perverted4 ,he is working against his nature1 rowing against the current4 ,when his strength is exhausted he will float down the stream4 ,a man can not succeed when his whole nature is entering its perpetual protest against his occupation4 ,to succeed1 his vocation must have the consent of all his faculties2 they must be in harmony with his purpose4 ,has a young man a right to choose an occupation which will only call into play his lower and inferior qualities1 as cunning1 deceit1 letting all his nobler qualities shrivel and die8 ,has he a right to select a vocation that will develop only the beast within him instead of the man8 which will call out the bulldog qualities only1 the qualities which overreach and grasp1 the qualities which get and never give1 which develop long-headedness only1 while his higher self atrophies8 ,the best way to choose an occupation is to ask yourself the question1 ,what would my government do with me if it were to consider scientifically my qualifications and adaptations1 and place me to the best possible advantage for all the people8 ,the ,norwegian precept is a good one3 ,give thyself wholly to thy fellow-men2 they will give thee back soon enough4 ,we can do the most possible for ourselves when we are in a position where we can do the most possible for others4 ,we are doing the most for ourselves and for others when we are in a position which calls into play in the highest possible way the greatest number of our best faculties2 in other words1 we are succeeding best for ourselves when we are succeeding best for others4 ,the time will come when there will be institutions for determining the natural bent of the boy and girl2 where men of large experience and close observation will study the natural inclination of the youth1 help him to find where his greatest strength lies and how to use it to the best advantage4 ,even if we take for granted what is not true1 that every youth will sooner or later discover the line of his greatest strength so that he may get his living by his strong points rather than by his weak ones1 the discovery is often made so late in life that great success is practically impossible4 ,such institutions would help boys and girls to start in their proper careers early in life2 and an early choice shortens the way4 ,can anything be more important to human beings than a start in life in the right direction1 where even small effort will count for more in the race than the greatest effort--and a life of drudgery--in the wrong direction8 ,a man is seldom unsuccessful1 unhappy1 or vicious when he is in his place4 ,after once choosing your occupation1 however1 never look backward2 stick to it with all the tenacity you can muster4 ,let nothing tempt you or swerve you a hair's breadth from your aim1 and you will win4 ,do not let the thorns which appear in every vocation1 or temporary despondency or disappointment1 shake your purpose4 ,you will never succeed while smarting under the drudgery of your occupation1 if you are constantly haunted with the idea that you could succeed better in something else4 ,great tenacity of purpose is the only thing that will carry you over the hard places which appear in every career to ultimate triumph4 ,this determination1 or fixity of purpose1 has a great moral bearing upon our success1 for it leads others to feel confidence in us1 and this is everything4 ,it gives credit and moral support in a thousand ways4 ,people always believe in a man with a fixed purpose1 and will help him twice as quickly as one who is loosely or indifferently attached to his vocation1 and liable at any time to make a change1 or to fail4 ,everybody knows that determined men are not likely to fail4 ,they carry in their very pluck1 grit1 and determination the conviction and assurance of success4 ,the world does not dictate what you shall do1 but it does demand that you do something1 and that you shall be a king in your line4 ,there is no grander sight than that of a young man or woman in the right place struggling with might and main to make the most of the stuff at command1 determined that not a faculty or power shall run to waste4 ,not money1 not position1 but power is what we want2 and character is greater than any occupation or profession4 ,do not1 ,i beseech you1 said ,garfield1 be content to enter on any business that does not require and compel constant intellectual growth4 ,choose an occupation that is refining and elevating2 an occupation that you will be proud of2 an occupation that will give you time for self-culture and self-elevation2 an occupation that will enlarge and expand your manhood and make you a better citizen1 a better man4 ,power and constant growth toward a higher life are the great end of human existence4 ,your calling should be the great school of life1 the great man-developer1 character-builder1 that which should broaden1 deepen1 and round out into symmetry1 harmony1 and beauty1 all the ,god-given faculties within you4 ,but whatever you do be greater than your calling2 let your manhood overtop your position1 your wealth1 your occupation1 your title4 ,a man must work hard and study hard to counteract the narrowing1 hardening tendency of his occupation4 ,said ,goldsmith1-- ,burke1 born for the universe1 narrowed his mind1 ,and to party gave up what was meant for mankind4 ,constant engagement in traffic and barter has no elevating influence1 says ,lyndall4 ,the endeavor to obtain the upper hand of those with whom we have to deal1 to make good bargains1 the higgling and scheming1 and the thousand petty artifices1 which in these days of stern competition are unscrupulously resorted to1 tend to narrow the sphere and to lessen the strength of the intellect1 and1 at the same time1 the delicacy of the moral sense4 ,choose upward1 study the men in the vocation you think of adopting4 ,does it elevate those who follow it8 ,are they broad1 liberal1 intelligent men8 ,or have they become mere appendages of their profession1 living in a rut with no standing in the community1 and of no use to it8 ,don't think you will be the great exception1 and can enter a questionable vocation without becoming a creature of it4 ,in spite of all your determination and will power to the contrary1 your occupation1 from the very law of association and habit1 will seize you as in a vise1 will mold you1 shape you1 fashion you1 and stamp its inevitable impress upon you4 ,how frequently do we see bright1 open-hearted1 generous young men come out of college with high hopes and lofty aims1 enter a doubtful vocation1 and in a few years return to college commencement so changed that they are scarcely recognized4 ,the once broad1 noble features have become contracted and narrowed4 ,the man has become grasping1 avaricious1 stingy1 mean1 hard4 ,is it possible1 we ask1 that a few years could so change a magnanimous and generous youth8 ,go to the bottom if you would get to the top4 ,be master of your calling in all its details4 ,nothing is small which concerns your business4 ,thousands of men who have been failures in life have done drudgery enough in half a dozen different occupations to have enabled them to reach great success1 if their efforts had all been expended in one direction4 ,that mechanic is a failure who starts out to build an engine1 but does not quite accomplish it1 and shifts into some other occupation where perhaps he will almost succeed1 but stops just short of the point of proficiency in his acquisition and so fails again4 ,the world is full of people who are almost a success4 ,they stop just this side of success4 ,their courage oozes out just before they become expert4 ,how many of us have acquisitions which remain permanently unavailable because not carried quite to the point of skill8 ,how many people almost know a language or two1 which they can neither write nor speak2 a science or two whose elements they have not quite acquired2 an art or two partially mastered1 but which they can not practice with satisfaction or profit6 ,the habit of desultoriness1 which has been acquired by allowing yourself to abandon a half-finished work1 more than balances any little skill gained in one vocation which might possibly be of use later4 ,beware of that frequently fatal gift1 versatility4 ,many a person misses being a great man by splitting into two middling ones4 ,universality is the ignis fatuus which has deluded to ruin many a promising mind4 ,in attempting to gain a knowledge of half a hundred subjects it has mastered none4 ,the jack-of-all-trades1 says one of the foremost manufacturers of this country1 had a chance in my generation4 ,in this he has none4 ,the measure of a man's learning will be the amount of his voluntary ignorance1 said ,thoreau4 ,if we go into a factory where the mariner's compass is made we can see the needles before they are magnetized1 they will point in any direction4 ,but when they have been applied to the magnet and received its peculiar power1 from that moment they point to the north1 and are true to the pole ever after4 ,so man never points steadily in any direction until he has been polarized by a great master purpose4 ,give your life1 your energy1 your enthusiasm1 all to the highest work of which you are capable4 ,canon ,farrar said1 ,there is only one real failure in life possible1 and that is1 not to be true to the best one knows4 ',what must ,i do to be forever known8' ,thy duty ever4 ,who does the best his circumstance allows1 ,does well1 acts nobly1 angels could do no more4 ,,young4 ,whoever can make two ears of corn1 two blades of grass to grow upon a spot of ground where only one grew before1 says ,swift1 would deserve better of mankind and do more essential service to his country than the whole race of politicians put together4 ,,chapter ,,xii ,,concentrated ,,energy ,this one thing ,i do4--,,st4 ,,paul4 ,the one prudence in life is concentration2 the one evil is dissipation2 and it makes no difference whether our dissipations are coarse or fine4 4 4 4 ,everything is good which takes away one plaything and delusion more1 and sends us home to add one stroke of faithful work4--,,emerson4 ,the man who seeks one thing in life1 and but one1 ,may hope to achieve it before life be done2 ,but he who seeks all things1 wherever he goes1 ,only reaps from the hopes which around him he sows1 ,a harvest of barren regrets4 ,,owen ,,meredith4 ,the longer ,i live1 the more deeply am ,i convinced that that which makes the difference between one man and another--between the weak and powerful1 the great and insignificant1 is energy--invincible determination--a purpose once formed1 and then death or victory4--,,fowell ,,buxton4 ,there was not enough room for us all in ,frankfort1 said ,nathan ,mayer ,rothschild1 in speaking of himself and his four brothers4 ,i dealt in ,english goods4 ,one great trader came there1 who had the market to himself3 he was quite the great man1 and did us a favor if he sold us goods4 ,somehow ,i offended him1 and he refused to show me his patterns4 ,this was on a ,tuesday4 ,i said to my father1 ',i will go to ,england4' ,on ,thursday ,i started4 ,the nearer ,i got to ,england1 the cheaper goods were4 ,as soon as ,i got to ,manchester1 ,i laid out all my money1 things were so cheap1 and ,i made a good profit4 ,i hope1 said a listener1 that your children are not too fond of money and business to the exclusion of more important things4 ,i am sure you would not wish that4 ,i am sure ,i would wish that1 said ,rothschild2 ,i wish them to give mind1 and soul1 and heart1 and body1 and everything to business2 that is the way to be happy4 ,stick to one business1 young man1 he added1 addressing a young brewer2 stick to your brewery1 and you may be the great brewer of ,london4 ,but be a brewer1 and a banker1 and a merchant1 and a manufacturer1 and you will soon be in the ,gazette4 ,not many things indifferently1 but one thing supremely1 is the demand of the hour4 ,he who scatters his efforts in this intense1 concentrated age1 cannot hope to succeed4 ,goods removed1 messages taken1 carpets beaten1 and poetry composed on any subject1 was the sign of a man in ,london who was not very successful at any of these lines of work1 and reminds one of ,monsieur ,kenard1 of ,paris1 a public scribe1 who digests accounts1 explains the language of flowers1 and sells fried potatoes4 ,the great difference between those who succeed and those who fail does not consist in the amount of work done by each1 but in the amount of intelligent work4 ,many of those who fail most ignominiously do enough to achieve grand success2 but they labor at haphazard1 building up with one hand only to tear down with the other4 ,they do not grasp circumstances and change them into opportunities4 ,they have no faculty of turning honest defeats into telling victories4 ,with ability enough1 and time in abundance1--the warp and woof of success1--they are forever throwing back and forth an empty shuttle1 and the real web of life is never woven4 ,if you ask one of them to state his aim and purpose in life1 he will say3 ,i hardly know yet for what ,i am best adapted1 but ,i am a thorough believer in genuine hard work1 and ,i am determined to dig early and late all my life1 and ,i know ,i shall come across something--either gold1 silver1 or at least iron4 ,i say most emphatically1 no4 ,would an intelligent man dig up a whole continent to find its veins of silver and gold8 ,the man who is forever looking about to see what he can find never finds anything4 ,if we look for nothing in particular1 we find just that and no more4 ,we find what we seek with all our heart4 ,the bee is not the only insect that visits the flower1 but it is the only one that carries honey away4 ,it matters not how rich the materials we have gleaned from the years of our study and toil in youth1 if we go out into life with no well-defined idea of our future work1 there is no happy conjunction of circumstances that will arrange them into an imposing structure1 and give it magnificent proportions4 ,what a immense power over the life1 says ,elizabeth ,stuart ,phelps ,ward1 is the power of possessing distinct aims4 ,the voice1 the dress1 the look1 the very motions of a person1 define and alter when he or she begins to live for a reason4 ,i fancy that ,i can select1 in a crowded street1 the busy1 blessed women who support themselves4 ,they carry themselves with an air of conscious self-respect and self-content1 which a shabby alpaca cannot hide1 nor a bonnet of silk enhance1 nor even sickness nor exhaustion quite drag out4 ,it is said that the wind never blows fair for that sailor who knows not to what port he is bound4 ,the weakest living creature1 says ,carlyle1 by concentrating his powers on a single object1 can accomplish something2 whereas the strongest1 by dispersing his over many1 may fail to accomplish anything4 ,the drop1 by continually falling1 bores its passage through the hardest rock4 ,the hasty torrent rushes over it with hideous uproar and leaves no trace behind4 ,when ,i was young ,i used to think it was thunder that killed men1 said a shrewd preacher2 but as ,i grew older1 ,i found it was lightning4 ,so ,i resolved to thunder less1 and lighten more4 ,the man who knows one thing1 and can do it better than anybody else1 even if it only be the art of raising turnips1 receives the crown he merits4 ,if he raises the best turnips by reason of concentrating all his energy to that end1 he is a benefactor to the race1 and is recognized as such4 ,if a salamander be cut in two1 the front part will run forward and the other backward4 ,such is the progress of him who divides his purpose4 ,success is jealous of scattered energies4 ,no one can pursue a worthy object steadily and persistently with all the powers of his mind1 and yet make his life a failure4 ,you can't throw a tallow candle through the side of a tent1 but you can shoot it through an oak board4 ,melt a charge of shot into a bullet1 and it can be fired through the bodies of four men4 ,focus the rays of the sun in winter1 and you can kindle a fire with ease4 ,the giants of the race have been men of concentration1 who have struck sledgehammer blows in one place until they have accomplished their purpose4 ,the successful men of to-day are men of one overmastering idea1 one unwavering aim1 men of single and intense purpose4 ,scatteration is the curse of ,american business life4 ,too many are like ,douglas ,jerrold's friend1 who could converse in twenty-four languages1 but had no ideas to express in any one of them4 ,the only valuable kind of study1 said ,sydney ,smith1 is to read so heartily that dinner-time comes two hours before you expected it2 to sit with your ,livy before you and hear the geese cackling that saved the ,capitol1 and to see with your own eyes the ,carthaginian sutlers gathering up the rings of the ,roman knights after the battle of ,cannae1 and heaping them into bushels1 and to be so intimately present at the actions you are reading of1 that when anybody knocks at the door it will take you two or three seconds to determine whether you are in your own study or on the plains of ,lombardy1 looking at ,hannibal's weather-beaten face and admiring the splendor of his single eye4 ,the one serviceable1 safe1 certain1 remunerative1 attainable quality in every study and pursuit is the quality of attention1 said ,charles ,dickens4 ,my own invention1 or imagination1 such as it is1 ,i can most truthfully assure you1 would never have served me as it has1 but for the habit of commonplace1 humble1 patient1 daily1 toiling1 drudging attention4 ,when asked on another occasion the secret of his success1 he said3 ,i never put one hand to anything on which ,i could throw my whole self4 ,be a whole man at everything1 wrote ,joseph ,gurney to his son1 a whole man at study1 in work1 and in play4 ,don't dally with your purpose4 ,i go at what ,i am about1 said ,charles ,kingsley1 as if there was nothing else in the world for the time being4 ,that's the secret of all hard-working men2 but most of them can't carry it into their amusements4 ,many a man fails to become a great man by splitting into several small ones1 choosing to be a tolerable ,jack-of-all-trades rather than to be an unrivaled specialist4 ,many persons seeing me so much engaged in active life1 said ,edward ,bulwer ,lytton1 and as much about the world as if ,i had never been a student1 have said to me1 ',when do you get time to write all your books8 ,how on earth do you contrive to do so much work8' ,i shall surprise you by the answer ,i made4 ,the answer is this--',i contrive to do so much by never doing too much at a time4 ,a man to get through work well must not overwork himself2 or1 if he do too much to-day1 the reaction of fatigue will come1 and he will be obliged to do too little to-morrow4 ,now1 since ,i began really and earnestly to study1 which was not till ,i had left college and was actually in the world1 ,i may perhaps say that ,i have gone through as large a course of general reading as most men of my time4 ,i have traveled much and ,i have seen much2 ,i have mixed much in politics1 and in the various business of life2 and in addition to all this1 ,i have published somewhere about sixty volumes1 some upon subjects requiring much special research4 ,and what time do you think1 as a general rule1 ,i have devoted to study1 to reading and writing8 ,not more than three hours a day2 and1 when ,parliament is sitting1 not always that4 ,but then1 during these three hours1 ,i have given my whole attention to what ,i was about4' ,s4 ,t4 ,coleridge possessed marvelous powers of mind1 but he had no definite purpose2 he lived in an atmosphere of mental dissipation which consumed his energy1 exhausted his stamina1 and his life was in many respects a miserable failure4 ,he lived in dreams and died in reverie4 ,he was continually forming plans and resolutions1 but to the day of his death they remained simply resolutions and plans4 ,he was always just going to do something1 but never did it4 ,coleridge is dead1 wrote ,charles ,lamb to a friend1 and is said to have left behind him above forty thousand treatises on metaphysics and divinity--not one of them complete6 ,every great man has become great1 every successful man has succeeded1 in proportion as he has confined his powers to one particular channel4 ,hogarth would rivet his attention upon a face and study it until it was photographed upon his memory1 when he could reproduce it at will4 ,he studied and examined each object as eagerly as though he would never have a chance to see it again1 and this habit of close observation enabled him to develop his work with marvelous detail4 ,the very modes of thought of the time in which he lived were reflected from his works4 ,he was not a man of great education or culture1 except in his power of observation4 ,with an immense procession passing up ,broadway1 the streets lined with people1 and bands playing lustily1 ,horace ,greeley would sit upon the steps of the ,astor ,house1 use the top of his hat for a desk1 and write an editorial for the ,new ,york ,tribune which would be quoted far and wide4 ,offended by a pungent article1 a gentleman called at the ,tribune office and inquired for the editor4 ,he was shown into a little seven-by-nine sanctum1 where ,greeley1 with his head close down to his paper1 sat scribbling away at a two-forty rate4 ,the angry man began by asking if this was ,mr4 ,greeley4 ,yes1 sir2 what do you want8 said the editor quickly1 without once looking up from his paper4 ,the irate visitor then began using his tongue1 with no regard for the rules of propriety1 good breeding1 or reason4 ,meantime ,mr4 ,greeley continued to write4 ,page after page was dashed off in the most impetuous style1 with no change of features and without his paying the slightest attention to the visitor4 ,finally1 after about twenty minutes of the most impassioned abuse ever poured out in an editor's office1 the angry man became disgusted1 and abruptly turned to walk out of the room4 ,then1 for the first time1 ,mr4 ,greeley quickly looked up1 rose from his chair1 and slapping the gentleman familiarly on his shoulder1 in a pleasant tone of voice said3 ,don't go1 friend2 sit down1 sit down1 and free your mind2 it will do you good1--you will feel better for it4 ,besides1 it helps me to think what ,i am to write about4 ,don't go4 ,one unwavering aim has ever characterized successful men4 ,daniel ,webster1 said ,sydney ,smith1 struck me much like a steam-engine in trousers4 ,as ,adams suggests1 ,lord ,brougham1 like ,canning1 had too many talents2 and1 though as a lawyer he gained the most splendid prize of his profession1 the ,lord ,chancellorship of ,england1 and merited the applause of scientific men for his investigations in science1 yet his life on the whole was a failure4 ,he was everything by turns and nothing long4 ,with all his magnificent abilities he left no permanent mark on history or literature1 and actually outlived his own fame4 ,miss ,martineau says1 ,lord ,brougham was at his chateau at ,cannes when the daguerreotype process first came into vogue4 ,an artist undertook to take a view of the chateau with a group of guests on the balcony4 ,his ,lordship was1 asked to keep perfectly still for five seconds1 and he promised that he would not stir1 but alas1--he moved4 ,the consequence was that there was a blur where ,lord ,brougham should have been4 ,there is something1 continued ,miss ,martineau1 very typical in this4 ,in the picture of our century1 as taken from the life by history1 this very man should have been the central figure4 ,but1 owing to his want of steadfastness1 there will be forever a blur where ,lord ,brougham should have been4 ,how many lives are blurs for want of concentration and steadfastness of purpose6 ,fowell ,buxton attributed his success to ordinary means and extraordinary application1 and being a whole man to one thing at a time4 ,it is ever the unwavering pursuit of a single aim that wins4 ,non multa1 sed multum--not many things1 but much1 was ,coke's motto4 ,it is the almost invisible point of a needle1 the keen1 slender edge of a razor or an ax1 that opens the way for the bulk that follows4 ,without point or edge the bulk would be useless4 ,it is the man of one line of work1 the sharp-edged man1 who cuts his way through obstacles and achieves brilliant success4 ,while we should shun that narrow devotion to one idea which prevents the harmonious development of our powers1 we should avoid on the other hand the extreme versatility of one of whom ,w4 ,m4 ,praed says3-- ,his talk is like a stream which runs ,with rapid change from rocks to roses1 ,it slips from politics to puns1 ,it glides from ,mahomet to ,moses3 ,beginning with the laws that keep ,the planets in their radiant courses1 ,and ending with some precept deep ,for skinning eels or shoeing horses4 ,if you can get a child learning to walk to fix his eyes on any object1 he will generally navigate to that point without capsizing1 but distract his attention and down he goes4 ,the young man seeking a position to-day is not asked what college he came from or who his ancestors were4 ,what can you do8 is the great question4 ,it is special training that is wanted4 ,most of the men at the head of great firms and great enterprises have been promoted step by step from the bottom4 ,i know that he can toil terribly1 said ,cecil of ,walter ,raleigh1 in explanation of the latter's success4 ,as a rule1 what the heart longs for the head and the hands may attain4 ,the currents of knowledge1 of wealth1 of success1 are as certain and fixed as the tides of the sea4 ,in all great successes we can trace the power of concentration1 riveting every faculty upon one unwavering aim2 perseverance in the pursuit of an undertaking in spite of every difficulty2 and courage which enables one to bear up under all trials1 disappointments1 and temptations4 ,chemists tell us that there is power enough in a single acre of grass to drive all the mills and steam-cars in the world1 could we but concentrate it upon the piston-rod of a steam-engine4 ,but it is at rest1 and so1 in the light of science1 it is comparatively valueless4 ,dr4 ,mathews says that the man who scatters himself upon many objects soon loses his energy1 and with his energy his enthusiasm4 ,never study on speculation1 says ,waters2 all such study is vain4 ,form a plan2 have an object2 then work for it1 learn all you can about it1 and you will be sure to succeed4 ,what ,i mean by studying on speculation is that aimless learning of things because they may be useful some day2 which is like the conduct of the woman who bought at auction a brass door-plate with the name of ,thompson on it1 thinking it might be useful some day6 ,definiteness of aim is characteristic of all true art4 ,he is not the greatest painter who crowds the greatest number of ideas upon a single canvas1 giving all the figures equal prominence4 ,he is the genuine artist who makes the greatest variety express the greatest unity1 who develops the leading idea in the central figure1 and makes all the subordinate figures1 lights1 and shades point to that center and find expression there4 ,so in every well-balanced life1 no matter how versatile in endowments or how broad in culture1 there is one grand central purpose1 in which all the subordinate powers of the soul are brought to a focus1 and where they will find fit expression4 ,in nature we see no waste of energy1 nothing left to chance4 ,since the shuttle of creation shot for the first time through chaos1 design has marked the course of every golden thread4 ,every leaf1 every flower1 every crystal1 every atom even1 has a purpose stamped upon it which unmistakably points to the crowning summit of all creation--man4 ,young men are often told to aim high1 but we must aim at what we would hit4 ,a general purpose is not enough4 ,the arrow shot from the bow does not wander around to see what it can hit on its way1 but flies straight to the mark4 ,the magnetic needle does not point to all the lights in the heavens to see which it likes best4 ,they all attract it4 ,the sun dazzles1 the meteor beckons1 the stars twinkle to it1 and try to win its affections2 but the needle1 true to its instinct1 and with a finger that never errs in sunshine or in storm1 points steadily to the ,north ,star2 for1 while all the other stars must course with untiring tread around their great centers through all the ages1 the ,north ,star1 alone1 distant beyond human comprehension1 moves with stately sweep on its circuit of more than #be1jjj years1 for all practical purposes of man stationary1 not only for a day1 but for a century4 ,so all along the path of life other luminaries will beckon to lead us from our cherished aim--from the course of truth and duty2 but let no moons which shine with borrowed light1 no meteors which dazzle1 but never guide1 turn the needle of our purpose from the ,north ,star of its hope4 ,,chapter ,,xiii ,,the ,,triumphs ,,of ,,enthusiasm4 ,the labor we delight in physics pain4--,,shakespeare4 ,the only conclusive evidence of a man's sincerity is that he gives himself for a principle4 ,words1 money1 all things else are comparatively easy to give away2 but when a man makes a gift of his daily life and practise1 it is plain that the truth1 whatever it may be1 has taken possession of him4--,,lowell4 ,let us beware of losing our enthusiasm4 ,let us ever glory in something1 and strive to retain our admiration for all that would ennoble1 and our interest in all that would enrich and beautify our life4--,,phillips ,,brooks4 ,in the ,galrie des ,beaux ,arts in ,paris is a beautiful statue conceived by a sculptor who was so poor that he lived and worked in a small garret4 ,when his clay model was nearly done1 a heavy frost fell upon the city4 ,he knew that if the water in the interstices of the clay should freeze1 the beautiful lines would be distorted4 ,so he wrapped his bedclothes around the clay image4 ,in the morning he was found dead1 but his idea was saved1 and other hands gave it enduring form in marble4 ,i do not know how it is with others when speaking on an important question1 said ,henry ,clay2 but on such occasions ,i seem to be unconscious of the external world4 ,wholly engrossed by the subject before me1 ,i lose all sense of personal identity1 of time1 or of surrounding objects4 ,a bank never becomes very successful1 says a noted financier1 until it gets a president who takes it to bed with him4 ,enthusiasm gives the otherwise dry and uninteresting subject or occupation a new meaning4 ,as the young lover has finer sense and more acute vision and sees in the object of his affections a hundred virtues and charms invisible to all other eyes1 so a man permeated with enthusiasm has his power of perception heightened and his vision magnified until he sees beauty and charms others cannot discern which compensate for drudgery1 privations1 hardships1 and even persecution4 ,dickens says he was haunted1 possessed1 spirit-driven by the plots and characters in his stories which would not let him sleep or rest until he had committed them to paper4 ,on one sketch he shut himself up for a month1 and when he came out he looked as haggard as a murderer4 ,his characters haunted him day and night4 ,herr ,capellmeister1 ,i should like to compose something2 how shall ,i begin8 asked a youth of twelve who had played with great skill on the piano4 ,pooh1 pooh1 replied ,mozart1 you must wait4 ,but you began when you were younger than ,i am1 said the boy4 ,yes1 so ,i did1 said the great composer1 but ,i never asked anything about it4 ,when one has the spirit of a composer1 he writes because he can't help it4 ,gladstone said that what is really desired is to light up the spirit that is within a boy4 ,in some sense and in some degree1 in some effectual degree1 there is in every boy the material of good work in the world2 in every boy1 not only in those who are brilliant1 not only in those who are quick1 but in those who are stolid1 and even in those who are dull1 or who seem to be dull4 ,if they have only the good will1 the dulness will day by day clear away and vanish completely under the influence of the good will4 ,gerster1 an unknown ,hungarian1 made fame and fortune sure the first night she appeared in opera4 ,her enthusiasm almost hypnotized her auditors4 ,in less than a week she had become popular and independent4 ,her soul was smitten with a passion for growth1 and all the powers of heart and mind she possessed were enthusiastically devoted to self-improvement4 ,all great works of art have been produced when the artist was intoxicated with the passion for beauty and form which would not let him rest until his thought was expressed in marble or on canvas4 ,well1 ,i've worked hard enough for it1 said ,malibran when a critic expressed his admiration of her ,d in alt1 reached by running up three octaves from low ,d2 ,i've been chasing it for a month4 ,i pursued it everywhere1--when ,i was dressing1 when ,i was doing my hair2 and at last ,i found it on the toe of a shoe that ,i was putting on4 ,every great and commanding moment in the annals of the world1 says ,emerson1 is the triumph of some enthusiasm4 ,the victories of the ,arabs after ,mahomet1 who1 in a few years1 from a small and mean beginning1 established a larger empire than that of ,rome1 is an example4 ,they did they knew not what4 ,the naked ,derar1 horsed on an idea1 was found an overmatch for a troop of cavalry4 ,the women fought like men and conquered the ,roman men4 ,they were miserably equipped1 miserably fed1 but they were temperance troops4 ,there was neither brandy nor flesh needed to feed them4 ,they conquered ,asia and ,africa and ,spain on barley4 ,the ,caliph ,omar's walking-stick struck more terror into those who saw it than another man's sword4 ,it was enthusiasm that enabled ,napoleon to make a campaign in two weeks that would have taken another a year to accomplish4 ,these ,frenchmen are not men1 they fly1 said the ,austrians in consternation4 ,in fifteen days ,napoleon1 in his first ,italian campaign1 had gained six victories1 taken twenty-one standards1 fifty-five pieces of cannon1 had captured fifteen thousand prisoners1 and had conquered ,piedmont4 ,after this astonishing avalanche a discomfited ,austrian general said3 ,this young commander knows nothing whatever about the art of war4 ,he is a perfect ignoramus4 ,there is no doing anything with him4 ,but his soldiers followed their ,little ,corporal with an enthusiasm which knew no defeat or disaster4 ,there are important cases1 says ,a4 ,h4 ,k4 ,boyd1 in which the difference between half a heart and a whole heart makes just the difference between signal defeat and a splendid victory4 ,should ,i die this minute1 said ,nelson at an important crisis1 want of frigates would be found written on my heart4 ,the simple1 innocent ,maid of ,orleans with her sacred sword1 her consecrated banner1 and her belief in her great mission1 sent a thrill of enthusiasm through the whole ,french army such as neither king nor statesmen could produce4 ,her zeal carried everything before it4 ,oh6 what a great work each one could perform in this world if he only knew his power6 ,but1 like a bitted horse1 man does not realize his strength until he has once run away with himself4 ,underneath is laid the builder of this church and city1 ,christopher ,wren1 who lived more than ninety years1 not for himself1 but for the public good4 ,reader1 if you seek his monument1 look around6 ,turn where you will in ,london1 you find noble monuments of the genius of a man who never received instruction from an architect4 ,he built fifty-five churches in the city and thirty-six halls4 ,i would give my skin for the architect's design of the ,louvre1 said he1 when in ,paris to get ideas for the restoration of ,st4 ,paul's ,cathedral in ,london4 ,his rare skill is shown in the palaces of ,hampton ,court and ,kensington1 in ,temple ,bar1 ,drury ,lane ,theater1 the ,royal ,exchange1 and the great ,monument4 ,he changed ,greenwich palace into a sailor's retreat1 and built churches and colleges at ,oxford4 ,he also planned for the rebuilding of ,london after the great fire1 but those in authority would not adopt his splendid idea4 ,he worked thirty-five years upon his master-piece1 ,st4 ,paul's ,cathedral4 ,although he lived so long1 and was exceedingly healthy in later life1 he was so delicate as a child that he was a constant source of anxiety to his parents4 ,his great enthusiasm alone seemed to give strength to his body4 ,indifference never leads armies that conquer1 never models statues that live1 nor breathes sublime music1 nor harnesses the forces of nature1 nor rears impressive architecture1 nor moves the soul with poetry1 nor the world with heroic philanthropies4 ,enthusiasm1 as ,charles ,bell says of the hand1 wrought the statue of ,memnon and hung the brazen gates of ,thebes4 ,it fixed the mariner's trembling needle upon its axis1 and first heaved the tremendous bar of the printing-press4 ,it opened the tubes for ,galileo1 until world after world swept before his vision1 and it reefed the high topsail that rustled over ,columbus in the morning breezes of the ,bahamas4 ,it has held the sword with which freedom has fought her battles1 and poised the axe of the dauntless woodman as he opened the paths of civilization1 and turned the mystic leaves upon which ,milton and ,shakespeare inscribed their burning thoughts4 ,horace ,greeley said that the best product of labor is the high-minded workman with an enthusiasm for his work4 ,the best method is obtained by earnestness1 said ,salvini4 ,if you can impress people with the conviction that you feel what you say1 they will pardon many shortcomings4 ,and above all1 study1 study1 study6 ,all the genius in the world will not help you along with any art1 unless you become a hard student4 ,it has taken me years to master a single part4 ,there is a go1 a zeal1 a furore1 almost a fanaticism for one's ideals or calling1 that is peculiar to our ,american temperament and life4 ,you do not find this in tropical countries4 ,it did not exist fifty years ago4 ,it could not be found then even on the ,london ,exchange4 ,but the influence of the ,united ,states and of ,australia1 where1 if a person is to succeed1 he must be on the jump with all the ardor of his being1 has finally extended until what used to be the peculiar strength of a few great minds has now become characteristic of the leading nations4 ,enthusiasm is the being awake2 it is the tingling of every fiber of one's being to do the work that one's heart desires4 ,enthusiasm made ,victor ,hugo lock up his clothes while writing ,notre ,dame1 that he might not leave the work until it was finished4 ,the great actor ,garrick well illustrated it when asked by an unsuccessful preacher the secret of his power over audiences3 ,you speak of eternal verities and what you know to be true as if you hardly believed what you were saying yourself1 whereas ,i utter what ,i know to be unreal and untrue as if ,i did believe it in my very soul4 ,when he comes into a room1 every man feels as if he had taken a tonic and had a new lease of life1 said a man when asked the reason for his selection1 after he1 with two companions1 had written upon a slip of paper the name of the most agreeable companion he had ever met4 ,he is an eager1 vivid fellow1 full of joy1 bubbling over with spirits4 ,his sympathies are quick as an electric flash4 ,he throws himself into the occasion1 whatever it may be1 with his whole heart1 said the second1 in praise of the man of his choice4 ,he makes the best of everything1 said the third1 speaking of his own most cherished acquaintance4 ,the three were traveling correspondents of great ,english journals1 who had visited every quarter of the world and talked with all kinds of men4 ,the papers were examined and all were found to contain the name of a prominent lawyer in ,melbourne1 ,australia4 ,if it were not for respect for human opinions1 said ,madame de ,stal to ,m4 ,mole1 ,i would not open my window to see the ,bay of ,naples for the first time1 while ,i would go five hundred leagues to talk with a man of genius whom ,i had not seen4 ,enthusiasm is that secret and harmonious spirit which hovers over the production of genius1 throwing the reader of a book1 or the spectator of a statue1 into the very ideal presence whence these works have originated4 ,one moonlight evening in winter1 writes the biographer of ,beethoven1 we were walking through a narrow street of ,bonn4 ',hush6' exclaimed the great composer1 suddenly pausing before a little1 mean dwelling1 'what sound is that8 ,it is from my ,sonata in ,f4 ,hark6 how well it is played6' ,in the midst of the finale there was a break1 and a sobbing voice cried3 ',i cannot play any more4 ,it is so beautiful2 it is utterly beyond my power to do it justice4 ,oh1 what would ,i not give to go to the concert at ,cologne6' ',ah6 my sister1' said a second voice2 'why create regrets when there is no remedy8 ,we can scarcely pay our rent4' ',you are right1' said the first speaker1 'and yet ,i wish for once in my life to hear some really good music4 ,but it is of no use4' ',let us go in1' said ,beethoven4 ',go in6' ,i remonstrated2 'what should we go in for8' ',i will play to her1' replied my companion in an excited tone2 'here is feeling1--genius1--understanding6 ,i will play to her1 and she will understand it4 ,pardon me1' he continued1 as he opened the door and saw a young man sitting by a table1 mending shoes1 and a young girl leaning sorrowfully upon an old-fashioned piano2 ',i heard music and was tempted to enter4 ,i am a musician4 ,i--,i also overheard something of what you said4 ,you wish to hear--that is1 you would like--that is--shall ,i play for you8' ',thank you1' said the shoemaker1 'but our piano is so wretched1 and we have no music4' ',no music6' exclaimed the composer2 'how1 then1 does the young lady--,i--,i entreat your pardon1' he added1 stammering as he saw that the girl was blind2 ',i had not perceived before4 ,then you play by ear8 ,but where do you hear the music1 since you frequent no concerts8' ',we lived at ,bruhl for two years2 and1 while there1 ,i used to hear a lady practicing near us4 ,during the summer evenings her windows were generally open1 and ,i walked to and fro outside to listen to her4' ,beethoven seated himself at the piano4 ,never1 during all the years ,i knew him1 did ,i hear him play better than to that blind girl and her brother4 ,even the old instrument seemed inspired4 ,the young man and woman sat as if entranced by the magical1 sweet sounds that flowed out upon the air in rhythmical swell and cadence1 until1 suddenly1 the flame of the single candle wavered1 sank1 flickered1 and went out4 ,the shutters were thrown open1 admitting a flood of brilliant moonlight1 but the player paused1 as if lost in thought4 ',wonderful man6' said the shoemaker in a low tone2 'who and what are you8' ',listen6' replied the master1 and he played the opening bars of the ,sonata in ,f4 ',then you are ,beethoven6' burst from the young people in delighted recognition4 ',oh1 play to us once more1' they added1 as he rose to go1--'only once more6' ',i will improvise a sonata to the moonlight1' said he1 gazing thoughtfully upon the liquid stars shining so softly out of the depths of a cloudless winter sky4 ,then he played a sad and infinitely lovely movement1 which crept gently over the instrument1 like the calm flow of moonlight over the earth4 ,this was followed by a wild1 elfin passage in triple time--a sort of grotesque interlude1 like the dance of fairies upon the lawn4 ,then came a swift agitated ending--a breathless1 hurrying1 trembling movement1 descriptive of flight1 and uncertainty1 and vague impulsive terror1 which carried us away on its rustling wings1 and left us all in emotion and wonder4 ',farewell to you1' he said1 as he rose and turned toward the door4 ',you will come again8' asked the host and hostess in a breath4 ',yes1 yes1' said ,beethoven hurriedly1 ',i will come again1 and give the young lady some lessons4 ,farewell6' ,then to me he added3 ',let us make haste back1 that ,i may write out that sonata while ,i can yet remember it4' ,we did return in haste1 and not until long past the dawn of day did he rise from his table with the full score of the ,moonlight ,sonata in his hand4 ,michael ,angelo studied anatomy twelve years1 nearly ruining his health1 but this course determined his style1 his practice1 and his glory4 ,he drew his figures in skeleton1 added muscles1 fat1 and skin successively1 and then draped them4 ,he made every tool he used in sculpture1 such as files1 chisels1 and pincers4 ,in painting he prepared all his own colors1 and would not let servants or students even mix them4 ,raphael's enthusiasm inspired every artist in ,italy1 and his modest1 charming manners disarmed envy and jealousy4 ,he has been called the only distinguished man who lived and died without an enemy or detractor4 ,again and again poor ,bunyan might have had his liberty2 but not the separation from his poor blind daughter ,mary1 which he said was like pulling the flesh from his bones2 not the need of a poor family dependent upon him2 not the love of liberty nor the spur of ambition could induce him to forego his plain preaching in public places4 ,he had so forgotten his early education that his wife had to teach him again to read and write4 ,it was the enthusiasm of conviction which enabled this poor1 ignorant1 despised ,bedford tinker to write his immortal allegory with such fascination that a whole world has read it4 ,only thoughts that breathe in words that burn can kindle the spark slumbering in the heart of another4 ,rare consecration to a great enterprise is found in the work of the late ,francis ,parkman4 ,while a student at ,harvard he determined to write the history of the ,french and ,english in ,north ,america4 ,with a steadiness and devotion seldom equaled he gave his life1 his fortune1 his all to this one great object4 ,although he had1 while among the ,dakota ,indians1 collecting material for his history1 ruined his health and could not use his eyes more than five minutes at a time for fifty years1 he did not swerve a hair's breadth from the high purpose formed in his youth1 until he gave to the world the best history upon this subject ever written4 ,after ,lincoln had walked six miles to borrow a grammar1 he returned home and burned one shaving after another while he studied the precious prize4 ,gilbert ,becket1 an ,english ,crusader1 was taken prisoner and became a slave in the palace of a ,saracen prince1 where he not only gained the confidence of his master1 but also the love of his master's fair daughter4 ,by and by he escaped and returned to ,england1 but the devoted girl determined to follow him4 ,she knew but two words of the ,english language--,london and ,gilbert2 but by repeating the first she obtained passage in a vessel to the great metropolis1 and then she went from street to street pronouncing the other--,gilbert4 ,at last she came to the street on which ,gilbert lived in prosperity4 ,the unusual crowd drew the family to the window1 when ,gilbert himself saw and recognized her1 and took to his arms and home his far-come princess with her solitary fond word4 ,the most irresistible charm of youth is its bubbling enthusiasm4 ,youth sees no darkness ahead1--no defile that has no outlet1--it forgets that there is such a thing as failure in the world1 and believes that mankind has been waiting all these centuries for him to come and be the liberator of truth and energy and beauty4 ,of what use was it to forbid the boy ,handel to touch a musical instrument1 or to forbid him going to school1 lest he learn the gamut8 ,he stole midnight interviews with a dumb spinet in a secret attic4 ,the boy ,bach copied whole books of studies by moonlight1 for want of a candle churlishly denied4 ,nor was he disheartened when these copies were taken from him4 ,the painter ,west began in a garret1 and plundered the family cat for bristles to make his brushes4 ,it is the enthusiasm of youth which cuts the ,gordian knot age cannot untie4 ,people smile at the enthusiasm of youth1 says ,charles ,kingsley2 that enthusiasm which they themselves secretly look back to with a sigh1 perhaps unconscious that it is partly their own fault that they ever lost it4 ,how much the world owes to the enthusiasm of ,dante6 ,tennyson wrote his first volume at eighteen1 and at nineteen gained a medal at ,cambridge4 ,the most beautiful works of all art were done in youth1 says ,ruskin4 ,almost everything that is great has been done by youth1 wrote ,disraeli4 ,the world's interests are1 under ,god1 in the hands of the young1 says ,dr4 ,trumbull4 ,it was the youth ,hercules that performed the ,twelve ,labors4 ,enthusiastic youth faces the sun1 it shadows all behind it4 ,the heart rules youth2 the head1 manhood4 ,alexander was a mere youth when he rolled back the ,asiatic hordes that threatened to overwhelm ,european civilization almost at its birth4 ,napoleon had conquered ,italy at twenty-five4 ,byron and ,raphael died at thirty-seven1 an age which has been fatal to many a genius1 and ,poe lived but a few months longer4 ,romulus founded ,rome at twenty4 ,pitt and ,bolingbroke were ministers almost before they were men4 ,gladstone was in ,parliament in early manhood4 ,newton made some of his greatest discoveries before he was twenty-five4 ,keats died at twenty-five1 ,shelley at twenty-nine4 ,luther was a triumphant reformer at twenty-five4 ,it is said that no ,english poet ever equaled ,chatterton at twenty-one4 ,whitefield and ,wesley began their great revival as students at ,oxford1 and the former had made his influence felt throughout ,england before he was twenty-four4 ,victor ,hugo wrote a tragedy at fifteen1 and had taken three prizes at the ,academy and gained the title of ,master before he was twenty4 ,many of the world's greatest geniuses never saw forty years4 ,never before has the young man1 who is driven by his enthusiasm1 had such an opportunity as he has to-day4 ,it is the age of young men and young women4 ,their ardor is their crown1 before which the languid and the passive bow4 ,but if enthusiasm is irresistible in youth1 how much more so is it when carried into old age6 ,gladstone at eighty had ten times the weight and power that any man of twenty-five would have with the same ideals4 ,the glory of age is only the glory of its enthusiasm1 and the respect paid to white hairs is reverence to a heart fervent1 in spite of the torpid influence of an enfeebled body4 ,the ,odyssey was the creation of a blind old man1 but that old man was ,homer4 ,the contagious zeal of an old man1 ,peter the ,hermit1 rolled the chivalry of ,europe upon the ranks of ,islam4 ,dandolo1 the ,doge of ,venice1 won battles at ninety-four1 and refused a crown at ninety-six4 ,wellington planned and superintended fortifications at eighty4 ,bacon and ,humboldt were enthusiastic students to the last gasp4 ,wise old ,montaigne was shrewd in his gray-beard wisdom and loving life1 even in the midst of his fits of gout and colic4 ,dr4 ,johnson's best work1 ,the ,lives of the ,poets1 was written when he was seventy-eight4 ,defoe was fifty-eight when he published ,robinson ,crusoe4 ,newton wrote new briefs to his ,principia at eighty-three4 ,plato died writing1 at eighty-one4 ,tom ,scott began the study of ,hebrew at eighty-six4 ,galileo was nearly seventy when he wrote on the laws of motion4 ,james ,watt learned ,german at eighty-five4 ,mrs4 ,somerville finished her ,molecular and ,microscopic ,science at eighty-nine4 ,humboldt completed his ,cosmos at ninety1 a month before his death4 ,burke was thirty-five before he obtained a seat in ,parliament1 yet he made the world feel his character4 ,unknown at forty1 ,grant was one of the most famous generals in history at forty-two4 ,eli ,whitney was twenty-three when he decided to prepare for college1 and thirty when he graduated from ,yale2 yet his cotton-gin opened a great industrial future for the ,southern ,states4 ,what a power was ,bismarck at eighty6 ,lord ,palmerston was an ,old ,boy to the last4 ,he became ,prime ,minister of ,england the second time at seventy-five1 and died ,prime ,minister at eighty-one4 ,galileo at seventy-seven1 blind and feeble1 was working every day1 adapting the principle of the pendulum to clocks4 ,george ,stephenson did not learn to read and write until he had reached manhood4 ,some of ,longfellow's1 ,whittier's1 and ,tennyson's best work was done after they were seventy4 ,at sixty-three ,dryden began the translation of the ,aeneid4 ,robert ,hall learned ,italian when past sixty1 that he might read ,dante in the original4 ,noah ,webster studied seventeen languages after he was fifty4 ,cicero said well that men are like wine3 age sours the bad and improves the good4 ,with enthusiasm we may retain the youth of the spirit until the hair is silvered1 even as the ,gulf ,stream softens the rigors of northern ,europe4 ,how ages thine heart1--towards youth8 ,if not1 doubt thy fitness for thy work4 ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,on ,,time1 ,,or ,,the ,,triumph ,,of ,,promptness ,on the great clock of time there is but one word--,,now4 ,note the sublime precision that leads the earth over a circuit of five hundred millions of miles back to the solstice at the appointed moment without the loss of one second1--no1 not the millionth part of a second1--for ages and ages of which it traveled that imperiled road4--,,edward ,,everett4 ,who cannot but see oftentimes how strange the threads of our destiny run8 ,oft it is only for a moment the favorable instant is presented4 ,we miss it1 and months and years are lost4 ,by the street of by and by one arrives at the house of never4--,,cervantes4 ,lose this day by loitering--'t will be the same story tomorrow1 and the next more dilatory4 ,let's take the instant by the forward top4--,,shakespeare4 ,haste1 post1 haste6 ,haste for thy life6 was frequently written upon messages in the days of ,henry ,,viii of ,england1 with a picture of a courier swinging from a gibbet4 ,post-offices were unknown1 and letters were carried by government messengers subject to hanging if they delayed upon the road4 ,even in the old1 slow days of stage-coaches1 when it took a month of dangerous traveling to accomplish the distance we can now span in a few hours1 unnecessary delay was a crime4 ,one of the greatest gains civilization has made is in measuring and utilizing time4 ,we can do as much in an hour to-day as they could in twenty hours a hundred years ago4 ,delays have dangerous ends4 ,caesar's delay to read a message cost him his life when he reached the senate house4 ,colonel ,rahl1 the ,hessian commander at ,trenton1 was playing cards when a messenger brought a letter stating that ,washington was crossing the ,delaware4 ,he put the letter in his pocket without reading it until the game was finished1 when he rallied his men only to die just before his troops were taken prisoners4 ,only a few minutes' delay1 but he lost honor1 liberty1 life6 ,success is the child of two very plain parents--punctuality and accuracy4 ,there are critical moments in every successful life when if the mind hesitate or a nerve flinch all will be lost4 ,immediately on receiving your proclamation1 wrote ,governor ,andrew of ,massachusetts to ,president ,lincoln on ,may #c1 #ahfa1 we took up the war1 and have carried on our part of it1 in the spirit in which we believe the ,administration and the ,american people intend to act1 namely1 as if there were not an inch of red tape in the world4 ,he had received a telegram for troops from ,washington on ,monday1 ,april #ae2 at nine o'clock the next ,sunday he said3 ,all the regiments demanded from ,massachusetts are already either in ,washington1 or in ,fortress ,monroe1 or on their way to the defence of the ,capitol4 ,the only question which ,i can entertain1 he said1 is what to do2 and when that question is answered1 the other is1 what next to do4 ,the whole period of youth1 said ,ruskin1 is one essentially of formation1 edification1 instruction4 ,there is not an hour of it but is trembling with destinies--not a moment of which1 once passed1 the appointed work can ever be done again1 or the neglected blow struck on the cold iron4 ,napoleon laid great stress upon that supreme moment1 that nick of time which occurs in every battle1 to take advantage of which means victory1 and to lose in hesitation means disaster4 ,he said that he beat the ,austrians because they did not know the value of five minutes2 and it has been said that among the trifles that conspired to defeat him at ,waterloo1 the loss of a few moments by himself and ,grouchy on the fatal morning was the most significant4 ,blucher was on time1 and ,grouchy was late4 ,it was enough to send ,napoleon to ,st4 ,helena1 and to change the destiny of millions4 ,it is a well-known truism that has almost been elevated to the dignity of a maxim1 that what may be done at any time will be done at no time4 ,the ,african ,association of ,london wanted to send ,ledyard1 the traveler1 to ,africa1 and asked when he would be ready to go4 ,to-morrow morning1 was the reply4 ,john ,jervis1 afterwards ,earl ,st4 ,vincent1 was asked when he could join his ship1 and replied1 ,directly4 ,colin ,campbell1 appointed commander of the army in ,india1 and asked when he could set out1 replied without hesitation1 ,to-morrow4 ,the energy wasted in postponing until to-morrow a duty of to-day would often do the work4 ,how much harder and more disagreeable1 too1 it is to do work which has been put off6 ,what would have been done at the time with pleasure or even enthusiasm1 after it has been delayed for days and weeks1 becomes drudgery4 ,letters can never be answered so easily as when first received4 ,many large firms make it a rule never to allow a letter to lie unanswered overnight4 ,promptness takes the drudgery out of an occupation4 ,putting off usually means leaving off1 and going to do becomes going undone4 ,doing a deed is like sowing a seed3 if not done at just the right time it will be forever out of season4 ,the summer of eternity will not be long enough to bring to maturity the fruit of a delayed action4 ,if a star or planet were delayed one second1 it might throw the whole universe out of harmony4 ,there is no moment like the present1 said ,maria ,edgeworth2 not only so1 there is no moment at all1 no instant force and energy1 but in the present4 ,the man who will not execute his resolutions when they are fresh upon him can have no hopes from them afterward4 ,they will be dissipated1 lost in the hurry and scurry of the world1 or sunk in the slough of indolence4 ,cobbett said he owed his success to being always ready more than to all his natural abilities combined4 ,to this quality ,i owed my extraordinary promotion in the army1 said he4 ,if ,i had to mount guard at ten1 ,i was ready at nine2 never did any man or anything wait one minute for me4 ,how1 asked a man of ,sir ,walter ,raleigh1 do you accomplish so much1 and in so short a time8 ,when ,i have anything to do1 ,i go and do it1 was the reply4 ,the man who always acts promptly1 even if he makes occasional mistakes1 will succeed when a procrastinator1 even if he have the better judgment1 will fail4 ,when asked how he managed to accomplish so much work1 and at the same time attend to his social duties1 a ,french statesman replied1 ,i do it simply by never postponing till to-morrow what should be done to-day4 ,it was said of an unsuccessful public man that he used to reverse this process1 his favorite maxim being never to do to-day what might be postponed till to-morrow4 ,how many men have dawdled away their success and allowed companions and relatives to steal it away five minutes at a time6 ,to-morrow1 didst thou say8 asked ,cotton4 ,go to--,i will not hear of it4 ,to-morrow6 'tis a sharper who stakes his penury against thy plenty--who takes thy ready cash and pays thee naught but wishes1 hopes1 and promises1 the currency of idiots4 ,to-morrow6 it is a period nowhere to be found in all the hoary registers of time1 unless perchance in the fool's calendar4 ,wisdom disclaims the word1 nor holds society with those that own it4 ',tis fancy's child1 and folly is its father2 wrought of such stuffs as dreams are2 and baseless as the fantastic visions of the evening4 ,oh1 how many a wreck on the road to success could say3 ,i have spent all my life in pursuit of to-morrow1 being assured that to-morrow has some vast benefit or other in store for me4 ,but his resolutions remained unshaken1 ,charles ,reade continues in his story of ,noah ,skinner1 the defaulting clerk1 who had been overcome by a sleepy languor after deciding to make restitution2 by and by1 waking up from a sort of heavy doze1 he took1 as it were1 a last look at the receipts1 and murmured1 ',my head1 how heavy it feels6' ,but presently he roused himself1 full of his penitent resolutions1 and murmured again1 brokenly1 ',i'll take it to--,pembroke--,street to--morrow2 to--morrow4' ,the morrow found him1 and so did the detectives1 dead4 ,to-morrow4 ,it is the devil's motto4 ,all history is strewn with its brilliant victims1 the wrecks of half-finished plans and unexecuted resolutions4 ,it is the favorite refuge of sloth and incompetency4 ,strike while the iron is hot1 and ,make hay while the sun shines1 are golden maxims4 ,very few people recognize the hour when laziness begins to set in4 ,some people it attacks after dinner2 some after lunch2 and some after seven o'clock in the evening4 ,there is in every person's life a crucial hour in the day1 which must be employed instead of wasted if the day is to be saved4 ,with most people the early morning hour becomes the test of the day's success4 ,a person was once extolling the skill and courage of ,mayenne in ,henry's presence4 ,you are right1 said ,henry1 he is a great captain1 but ,i have always five hours' start of him4 ,henry rose at four in the morning1 and ,mayenne at about ten4 ,this made all the difference between them4 ,indecision becomes a disease and procrastination is its forerunner4 ,there is only one known remedy for the victims of indecision1 and that is prompt decision4 ,otherwise the disease is fatal to all success or achievement4 ,he who hesitates is lost4 ,a noted writer says that a bed is a bundle of paradoxes4 ,we go to it with reluctance1 yet we quit it with regret4 ,we make up our minds every night to leave it early1 but we make up our bodies every morning to keep it late4 ,yet most of those who have become eminent have been early risers4 ,peter the ,great always rose before daylight4 ,i am1 said he1 for making my life as long as possible1 and therefore sleep as little as possible4 ,alfred the ,great rose before daylight4 ,in the hours of early morning ,columbus planned his voyage to ,america1 and ,napoleon his greatest campaigns4 ,copernicus was an early riser1 as were most of the famous astronomers of ancient and modern times4 ,bryant rose at five1 ,bancroft at dawn1 and nearly all our leading authors in the early morning4 ,washington1 ,jefferson1 ,webster1 ,clay1 and ,calhoun were all early risers4 ,daniel ,webster used often to answer twenty to thirty letters before breakfast4 ,walter ,scott was a very punctual man4 ,this was the secret of his enormous achievements4 ,he rose at five4 ,by breakfast-time he had1 as he used to say1 broken the neck of the day's work4 ,writing to a youth who had obtained a situation and asked him for advice1 he gave this counsel3 ,beware of stumbling over a propensity which easily besets you from not having your time fully employed--,i mean what the women call dawdling4 ,do instantly whatever is to be done1 and take the hours of recreation after business1 never before it4 ,not too much can be said about the value of the habit of rising early4 ,eight hours is enough sleep for any man4 ,very frequently seven hours is plenty4 ,after the eighth hour in bed1 if a man is able1 it is his business to get up1 dress quickly1 and go to work4 ,a singular mischance has happened to some of our friends1 said ,hamilton4 ,at the instant when ,he ushered them into existence1 ,god gave them a work to do1 and ,he also gave them a competence of time2 so much that if they began at the right moment1 and wrought with sufficient vigor1 their time and their work would end together4 ,but a good many years ago a strange misfortune befell them4 ,a fragment of their allotted time was lost4 ,they cannot tell what became of it1 but sure enough1 it has dropped out of existence2 for just like two measuring-lines laid alongside1 the one an inch shorter than the other1 their work and their time run parallel1 but the work is always ten minutes in advance of the time4 ,they are not irregular4 ,they are never too soon4 ,their letters are posted the very minute after the mail is closed4 ,they arrive at the wharf just in time to see the steamboat off1 they come in sight of the terminus precisely as the station gates are closing4 ,they do not break any engagement or neglect any duty2 but they systematically go about it too late1 and usually too late by about the same fatal interval4 ,some one has said that promptness is a contagious inspiration4 ,whether it be an inspiration1 or an acquirement1 it is one of the practical virtues of civilization4 ,there is one thing that is almost as sacred as the marriage relation1--that is1 an appointment4 ,a man who fails to meet his appointment1 unless he has a good reason1 is practically a liar1 and the world treats him as such4 ,if a man has no regard for the time of other men1 said ,horace ,greeley1 why should he have for their money8 ,what is the difference between taking a man's hour and taking his five dollars8 ,there are many men to whom each hour of the business day is worth more than five dollars4 ,when ,president ,washington dined at four1 new members of ,congress invited to dine at the ,white ,house would sometimes arrive late1 and be mortified to find the ,president eating4 ,my cook1 ,washington would say1 never asks if the visitors have arrived1 but if the hour has arrived4 ,when his secretary excused the lateness of his attendance by saying that his watch was too slow1 ,washington replied1 ,then you must get a new watch1 or ,i another secretary4 ,franklin said to a servant who was always late1 but always ready with an excuse1 ,i have generally found that the man who is good at an excuse is good for nothing else4 ,napoleon once invited his marshals to dine with him1 but1 as they did not arrive at the moment appointed1 he began to eat without them4 ,they came in just as he was rising from the table4 ,gentlemen1 said he1 it is now past dinner1 and we will immediately proceed to business4 ,blcher was one of the promptest men that ever lived4 ,he was called ,marshal ,forward4 ,john ,quincy ,adams was never known to be behind time4 ,the ,speaker of the ,house of ,representatives knew when to call the ,house to order by seeing ,mr4 ,adams coming to his seat4 ,once a member said that it was time to begin4 ,no1 said another1 ,mr4 ,adams is not in his seat4 ,it was found that the clock was three minutes fast1 and prompt to the minute1 ,mr4 ,adams arrived4 ,webster was never late at a recitation in school or college4 ,in court1 in congress1 in society1 he was equally punctual4 ,amid the cares and distractions of a singularly busy life1 ,horace ,greeley managed to be on time for every appointment4 ,many a trenchant paragraph for the ,tribune was written while the editor was waiting for men of leisure1 tardy at some meeting4 ,punctuality is the soul of business1 as brevity is of wit4 ,during the first seven years of his mercantile career1 ,amos ,lawrence did not permit a bill to remain unsettled over ,sunday4 ,punctuality is said to be the politeness of princes4 ,some men are always running to catch up with their business3 they are always in a hurry1 and give you the impression that they are late for a train4 ,they lack method1 and seldom accomplish much4 ,every business man knows that there are moments on which hang the destiny of years4 ,if you arrive a few moments late at the bank1 your paper may be protested and your credit ruined4 ,one of the best things about school and college life is that the bell which strikes the hour for rising1 for recitations1 or for lectures1 teaches habits of promptness4 ,every young man should have a watch which is a good timekeeper2 one that is nearly right encourages bad habits1 and is an expensive investment at any price4 ,oh1 how ,i do appreciate a boy who is always on time6 says ,h4 ,c4 ,brown4 ,how quickly you learn to depend on him1 and how soon you find yourself intrusting him with weightier matters6 ,the boy who has acquired a reputation for punctuality has made the first contribution to the capital that in after years makes his success a certainty4 ,promptness is the mother of confidence and gives credit4 ,it is the best possible proof that our own affairs are well ordered and well conducted1 and gives others confidence in our ability4 ,the man who is punctual1 as a rule1 will keep his word1 and may be depended upon4 ,a conductor's watch is behind time1 and a terrible railway collision occurs4 ,a leading firm with enormous assets becomes bankrupt1 simply because an agent is tardy in transmitting available funds1 as ordered4 ,an innocent man is hanged because the messenger bearing a reprieve should have arrived five minutes earlier4 ,a man is stopped five minutes to hear a trivial story and misses a train or steamer by one minute4 ,grant decided to enlist the moment that he learned of the fall of ,sumter4 ,when ,buckner sent him a flag of truce at ,fort ,donelson1 asking for the appointment of commissioners to consider terms of capitulation1 he promptly replied3 ,no terms except an unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted4 ,i propose to move immediately upon your works4 ,buckner replied that circumstances compelled him to accept the ungenerous and unchivalrous terms which you propose4 ,the man who1 like ,napoleon1 can on the instant seize the most important thing and sacrifice the others1 is sure to win4 ,many a wasted life dates its ruin from a lost five minutes4 ,too late can be read between the lines on the tombstone of many a man who has failed4 ,a few minutes often makes all the difference between victory and defeat1 success and failure4 ,,chapter ,,xv ,,what ,a ,,good ,,appearance ,,will ,,do ,let thy attire be comely but not costly4--,,livy4 ,costly thy habit as thy purse can buy1 ,but not expressed in fancy2 rich not gaudy2 ,for the apparel oft proclaims the man4 ,,shakespeare4 ,i hold that gentleman to be the best dressed whose dress no one observes4--,,anthony ,,trollope4 ,as a general thing an individual who is neat in his person is neat in his morals4--,h4 ,w4 ,,shaw4 ,there are two chief factors in good appearance2 cleanliness of body and comeliness of attire4 ,usually these go together1 neatness of attire indicating a sanitary care of the person1 while outward slovenliness suggests a carelessness for appearance that probably goes deeper than the clothes covering the body4 ,we express ourselves first of all in our bodies4 ,the outer condition of the body is accepted as the symbol of the inner4 ,if it is unlovely1 or repulsive1 through sheer neglect or indifference1 we conclude that the mind corresponds with it4 ,as a rule1 the conclusion is a just one4 ,high ideals and strong1 clean1 wholesome lives and work are incompatible with low standards of personal cleanliness4 ,a young man who neglects his bath will neglect his mind2 he will quickly deteriorate in every way4 ,a young woman who ceases to care for her appearance in minutest detail will soon cease to please4 ,she will fall little by little until she degenerates into an ambitionless slattern4 ,it is not to be wondered at that the ,talmud places cleanliness next to godliness4 ,i should place it nearer still1 for ,i believe that absolute cleanliness is godliness4 ,cleanliness or purity of soul and body raises man to the highest estate4 ,without this he is nothing but a brute4 ,there is a very close connection between a fine1 strong1 clean physique and a fine1 strong1 clean character4 ,a man who allows himself to become careless in regard to the one will1 in spite of himself1 fall away in the other4 ,but self-interest clamors as loudly as esthetic or moral considerations for the fulfilment of the laws of cleanliness4 ,every day we see people receiving demerits for failure to live up to them4 ,i can recall instances of capable stenographers who forfeited their positions because they did not keep their finger nails clean4 ,an honest1 intelligent man whom ,i know lost his place in a large publishing firm because he was careless about shaving and brushing his teeth4 ,the other day a lady remarked that she went into a store to buy some ribbons1 but when she saw the salesgirl's hands she changed her mind and made her purchase elsewhere4 ,dainty ribbons1 she said1 could not be handled by such soiled fingers without losing some of their freshness4 ,of course1 it will not be long until that girl's employer will discover that she is not advancing his business1 and then1--well1 the law will work inexorably4 ,the first point to be emphasized in the making of a good appearance is the necessity of frequent bathing4 ,a daily bath insures a clean1 wholesome condition of the skin1 without which health is impossible4 ,next in importance to the bath is the proper care of the hair1 the hands1 and the teeth4 ,this requires little more than a small amount of time and the use of soap and water4 ,the hair1 of course1 should be combed and brushed regularly every day4 ,if it is naturally oily1 it should be washed thoroughly every two weeks with a good reliable scalp soap and warm water1 to which a very little ammonia may be added4 ,if the hair is dry or lacking in oily matter1 it should not be washed oftener than once a month and the ammonia may be omitted4 ,manicure sets are so cheap that they are within the reach of almost everyone4 ,if you can not afford to buy a whole set1 you can buy a file 7you can get one as low as ten cents71 and keep your nails smooth and clean4 ,keeping the teeth in good condition is a very simple matter1 yet perhaps more people sin in this particular point of cleanliness than in any other4 ,i know young men1 and young women1 too1 who dress very well and seem to take considerable pride in their personal appearance1 yet neglect their teeth4 ,they do not realize that there could hardly be a worse blot on one's appearance than dirty or decaying teeth1 or the absence of one or two in front4 ,nothing can be more offensive in man or woman than a foul breath1 and no one can have neglected teeth without reaping this consequence4 ,we all know how disagreeable it is to be anywhere near a person whose breath is bad4 ,it is positively disgusting4 ,no employer wants a clerk1 or stenographer1 or other employee about him who contaminates the atmosphere4 ,nor does he1 if he is at all particular1 want one whose appearance is marred by a lack of one or two front teeth4 ,many an applicant has been denied the position he sought because of bad teeth4 ,for those who have to make their way in the world1 the best counsel on the subject of clothes may be summed up in this short sentence1 ,let thy attire be comely1 but not costly4 ,simplicity in dress is its greatest charm1 and in these days1 when there is such an infinite variety of tasteful but inexpensive fabrics to choose from1 the majority can afford to be well dressed4 ,but no one need blush for a shabby suit1 if circumstances prevent his having a better one4 ,you will be more respected by yourself and every one else with an old coat on your back that has been paid for than a new one that has not4 ,it is not the shabbiness that is unavoidable1 but the slovenliness that is avoidable1 that the world frowns upon4 ,no one1 no matter how poor he may be1 will be excused for wearing a dirty coat1 a crumpled collar1 or muddy shoes4 ,if you are dressed according to your means1 no matter how poorly1 you are appropriately dressed4 ,the consciousness of making the best appearance you possibly can1 of always being scrupulously neat and clean1 and of maintaining your self-respect and integrity at all costs1 will sustain you under the most adverse circumstances1 and give you a dignity1 strength1 and magnetic forcefulness that will command the respect and admiration of others4 ,herbert ,h4 ,vreeland1 who rose in a short time from a section hand on the ,long ,island ,railroad to the presidency of all the surface railways in ,new ,york ,city1 should be a practical authority on this subject4 ,in the course of an address on how to attain success1 he said3-- ,clothes don't make the man1 but good clothes have got many a man a good job4 ,if you have twenty-five dollars1 and want a job1 it is better to spend twenty dollars for a suit of clothes1 four dollars for shoes1 and the rest for a shave1 a hair-cut1 and a clean collar1 and walk to the place1 than go with the money in the pockets of a dingy suit4 ,illustration3 ,john ,wanamaker ,most large business houses make it a rule not to employ anyone who looks seedy1 or slovenly1 or who does not make a good appearance when he applies for a position4 ,the man who hires all the salespeople for one of the largest retail stores in ,chicago says3 ,while the routine of application is in every case strictly adhered to1 the fact remains that the most important element in an applicant's chance for a trial is his personality4 ,it does not matter how much merit or ability an applicant for a position may possess1 he can not afford to be careless of his personal appearance4 ,diamonds in the rough of infinitely greater value than the polished glass of some of those who get positions may1 occasionally1 be rejected4 ,applicants whose good appearance helped them to secure a place may often be very superficial in comparison with some who were rejected in their favor and may not have half their merit2 but having secured it1 they may keep it1 though not possessing half the ability of the boy or girl who was turned away4 ,that the same rule that governs employers in ,america holds in ,england1 is evidenced by the ,london ,draper's ,record4 ,it says3-- ,wherever a marked personal care is exhibited for the cleanliness of the person and for neatness in dress1 there is also almost always found extra carefulness as regards the finish of work done4 ,work people whose personal habits are slovenly produce slovenly work2 those who are careful of their own appearance are equally careful of the looks of the work they turn out4 ,and probably what is true of the workroom is equally true of the region behind the counter4 ,is it not a fact that the smart saleswoman is usually rather particular about her dress1 is averse to wearing dingy collars1 frayed cuffs2 and faded ties8 ,the truth of the matter seems to be that extra care as regards personal habits and general appearance is1 as a rule1 indicative of a certain alertness of mind1 which shows itself antagonistic to slovenliness of all kinds4 ,no young man or woman who wishes to retain that most potent factor of the successful life1 self-respect1 can afford to be negligent in the matter of dress1 for the character is subdued to what it is clothed in4 ,as the consciousness of being well dressed tends to grace and ease of manner1 so shabby1 ill-fitting1 or soiled attire makes one feel awkward and constrained1 lacking in dignity and importance4 ,our clothes unmistakably affect our feelings1 and self respect1 as anyone knows who has experienced the sensation--and who has not8--that comes from being attired in new and becoming raiment4 ,poor1 ill-fitting1 or soiled garments are detrimental to morals and manners4 ,the consciousness of clean linen1 says ,elizabeth ,stuart ,phelps1 is in and of itself a source of moral strength1 second only to that of a clean conscience4 ,a well-ironed collar or a fresh glove has carried many a man through an emergency in which a wrinkle or a rip would have defeated him4 ,the importance of attending to little details--the perfection of which really constitutes the well-dressed man or woman--is well illustrated by this story of a young woman's failure to secure a desirable position4 ,one of those large-souled women of wealth1 in which our generation is rich1 had established an industrial school for girls in which they received a good ,english education and were trained to be self-supporting4 ,she needed the services of a superintendent and teacher1 and considered herself fortunate when the trustees of the institution recommended to her a young woman whose tact1 knowledge1 perfect manners1 and general fitness for the position they extolled in the highest terms4 ,the young woman was invited by the founder of the school to call on her at once4 ,apparently she possessed all the required qualifications2 and yet1 without assigning any reason1 ,mrs4 ,v4 absolutely refused to give her a trial4 ,long afterward1 when questioned by a friend as to the cause of her seemingly inexplicable conduct in refusing to engage so competent a teacher1 she replied3 ,it was a trifle1 but a trifle in which1 as in an ,egyptian hieroglyphic1 lay a volume of meaning4 ,the young woman came to me fashionably and expensively dressed1 but with torn and soiled gloves1 and half of the buttons off her shoes4 ,a slovenly woman is not a fit guide for any young girl4 ,probably the applicant never knew why she did not obtain the position1 for she was undoubtedly well qualified to fill it in every respect1 except in this seemingly unimportant matter of attention to the little details of dress4 ,from every point of view it pays well to dress well4 ,the knowledge that we are becomingly clothed acts like a mental tonic4 ,very few men or women are so strong and so perfectly poised as to be unaffected by their surroundings4 ,if you lie around half-dressed1 without making your toilet1 and with your room all in disorder1 taking it easy because you do not expect or wish to see anybody1 you will find yourself very quickly taking on the mood of your attire and environment4 ,your mind will slip down2 it will refuse to exert itself2 it will become as slovenly1 slipshod1 and inactive as your body4 ,on the other hand1 if1 when you have an attack of the blues1 when you feel half sick and not able to work1 instead of lying around the house in your old wrapper or dressing gown1 you take a good bath1--a ,turkish bath1 if you can afford it1--put on your best clothes1 and make your toilet as carefully as if you were going to a fashionable reception1 you will feel like a new person4 ,nine times out of ten1 before you have finished dressing your blues and your half-sick feeling will have vanished like a bad dream1 and your whole outlook on life will have changed4 ,by emphasizing the importance of dress ,i do not mean that you should be like ,beau ,brummel1 the ,english fop1 who spent four thousand dollars a year at his tailor's alone1 and who used to take hours to tie his cravat4 ,an undue love of dress is worse than a total disregard of it1 and they love dress too much who go in debt for it1 who make it their chief object in life1 to the neglect of their most sacred duty to themselves and others1 or who1 like ,beau ,brummel1 devote most of their waking hours to its study4 ,but ,i do claim1 in view of its effect on ourselves and on those with whom we come in contact1 that it is a duty1 as well as the truest economy1 to dress as well and becomingly as our position requires and our means will allow4 ,many young men and women make the mistake of thinking that well dressed necessarily means being expensively dressed1 and1 with this erroneous idea in mind1 they fall into as great a pitfall as those who think clothes are of no importance4 ,they devote the time that should be given to the culture of head and heart to studying their toilets1 and planning how they can buy1 out of their limited salaries1 this or that expensive hat1 or tie or coat1 which they see exhibited in some fashionable store4 ,if they can not by any possibility afford the coveted article1 they buy some cheap1 tawdry imitation1 the effect of which is only to make them look ridiculous4 ,young men of this stamp wear cheap rings1 vermilion-tinted ties1 and broad checks1 and almost invariably they occupy cheap positions4 ,like the dandy1 whom ,carlyle describes as a clothes-wearing man1--a man whose trade1 office and existence consists in the wearing of clothes1--every faculty of whose soul1 spirit1 person and purse is heroically consecrated to this one object1 they live to dress1 and have no time to devote to self-culture or to fitting themselves for higher positions4 ,the overdressed young woman is merely the feminine of the overdressed young man4 ,the manners of both seem to have a subtle connection with their clothes4 ,they are loud1 flashy1 vulgar4 ,their style of dress bespeaks a type of character even more objectionable than that of the slovenly1 untidily dressed person4 ,the world accepts the truth announced by ,shakespeare that the apparel oft proclaims the man2 and the man and the woman1 too1 are frequently condemned by the very garb which they think makes them so irresistible4 ,at first sight1 it may seem hasty or superficial to judge men or women by their clothes1 but experience has proved1 again and again1 that they do1 as a rule1 measure the sense and self-respect of the wearer2 and aspirants to success should be as careful in choosing their dress as their companions1 for the old adage3 ,tell me thy company and ,i will tell thee what thou art1 is offset by this wise saying of some philosopher of the commonplace3 ,show me all the dresses a woman has worn in the course of her life1 and ,i will write you her biography4 ,how exquisitely absurd it is1 says ,sydney ,smith1 to teach a girl that beauty is of no value1 dress of no use4 ,beauty is of value4 ,her whole prospect and happiness in life may often depend upon a new gown or a becoming bonnet4 ,if she has five grains of common sense1 she will find this out4 ,the great thing is to teach her their proper value4 ,it is true that clothes do not make the man1 but they have a much larger influence on man's life than we are wont to attribute to them4 ,prentice ,mulford declares dress to be one of the avenues for the spiritualization of the race4 ,this is not an extravagant statement1 when we remember what an effect clothes have in inciting to personal cleanliness4 ,let a woman1 for instance1 don an old soiled or worn wrapper1 and it will have the effect of making her indifferent as to whether her hair is frowsy or in curl papers4 ,it does not matter whether her face or hands are clean or not1 or what sort of slipshod shoes she wears1 for anything1 she argues1 is good enough to go with this old wrapper4 ,her walk1 her manner1 the general trend of her feelings1 will in some subtle way be dominated by the old wrapper4 ,suppose she changes1--puts on a dainty muslin garment instead2 how different her looks and acts6 ,her hair must be becomingly arranged1 so as not to be at odds with her dress4 ,her face and hands and finger nails must be spotless as the muslin which surrounds them4 ,the down-at-heel old shoes are exchanged for suitable slippers4 ,her mind runs along new channels4 ,she has much more respect for the wearer of the new1 clean wrapper than for the wearer of the old1 soiled one4 ,would you change the current of your thoughts8 ,change your raiment1 and you will at once feel the effect4 ,even so great an authority as ,buffon1 the naturalist and philosopher1 testifies to the influence of dress on thought4 ,he declared himself utterly incapable of thinking to good purpose except in full court dress4 ,this he always put on before entering his study1 not even omitting his sword4 ,there is something about ill-fitting1 unbecoming1 or shabby apparel which not only robs one of self-respect1 but also of comfort and power4 ,good clothes give ease of manner1 and make one talk well4 ,the consciousness of being well dressed gives a grace and ease of manner that even religion will not bestow1 while inferiority of garb often induces restraint4 ,one can not but feel that ,god is a lover of appropriate dress4 ,he has put robes of beauty and glory upon all ,his works4 ,every flower is dressed in richness2 every field blushes beneath a mantle of beauty2 every star is veiled in brightness2 every bird is clothed in the habiliments of the most exquisite taste4 ,and surely ,he is pleased when we provide a beautiful setting for the greatest of ,his handiworks4 ,,chapter ,,xvi ,,personality ,,as ,a ,,success ,,asset ,there is something about one's personality which eludes the photographer1 which the painter can not reproduce1 which the sculptor can not chisel4 ,this subtle something which every one feels1 but which no one can describe1 which no biographer ever put down in a book1 has a great deal to do with one's success in life4 ,it is this indescribable quality1 which some persons have in a remarkable degree1 which sets an audience wild at the mention of the name of a ,blaine or a ,lincoln1--which makes people applaud beyond the bounds of enthusiasm4 ,it was this peculiar atmosphere which made ,clay the idol of his constituents4 ,although1 perhaps1 ,calhoun was a greater man1 he never aroused any such enthusiasm as the mill-boy of the slashes4 ,webster and ,sumner were great men1 but they did not arouse a tithe of the spontaneous enthusiasm evoked by men like ,blaine and ,clay4 ,a historian says that1 in measuring ,kossuth's influence over the masses1 we must first reckon with the orator's physical bulk1 and then carry the measuring line above his atmosphere4 ,if we had discernment fine enough and tests delicate enough1 we could not only measure the personal atmosphere of individuals1 but could also make more accurate estimates concerning the future possibilities of schoolmates and young friends4 ,we are often misled as to the position they are going to occupy from the fact that we are apt to take account merely of their ability1 and do not reckon this personal atmosphere or magnetic power as a part of their success-capital4 ,yet this individual atmosphere has quite as much to do with one's advancement as brain-power or education4 ,indeed1 we constantly see men of mediocre ability but with fine personal presence1 superb manner1 and magnetic qualities1 being rapidly advanced over the heads of those who are infinitely their superiors in mental endowments4 ,a good illustration of the influence of personal atmosphere is found in the orator who carries his audience with him like a whirlwind1 while he is delivering his speech1 and yet so little of this personal element adheres to his cold words in print that those who read them are scarcely moved at all4 ,the influence of such speakers depends almost wholly upon their presence1--the atmosphere that emanates from them4 ,they are much larger than anything they say or do4 ,certain personalities are greater than mere physical beauty and more powerful than learning4 ,charm of personality is a divine gift that sways the strongest characters1 and sometimes even controls the destinies of nations4 ,we are unconsciously influenced by people who possess this magnetic power4 ,the moment we come into their presence we have a sense of enlargement4 ,they unlock within us possibilities of which we previously had no conception4 ,our horizon broadens2 we feel a new power stirring through all our being2 we experience a sense of relief1 as if a great weight which long had pressed upon us had been removed4 ,we can converse with such people in a way that astonishes us1 although meeting them1 perhaps1 for the first time4 ,we express ourselves more clearly and eloquently than we believed we could4 ,they draw out the best that is in us2 they introduce us1 as it were1 to our larger1 better selves4 ,with their presence1 impulses and longings come thronging to our minds which never stirred us before4 ,all at once life takes on a higher and nobler meaning1 and we are fired with a desire to do more than we have ever before done1 and to be more than we have been in the past4 ,a few minutes before1 perhaps1 we were sad and discouraged1 when1 suddenly1 the flashlight of a potent personality of this kind has opened a rift in our lives and revealed to us hidden capabilities4 ,sadness gives place to joy1 despair to hope1 and disheartenment to encouragement4 ,we have been touched to finer issues2 we have caught a glimpse of higher ideals2 and1 for the moment1 at least1 have been transformed4 ,the old commonplace life1 with its absence of purpose and endeavor1 has dropped out of sight1 and we resolve1 with better heart and newer hope1 to struggle to make permanently ours the forces and potentialities that have been revealed to us4 ,even a momentary contact with a character of this kind seems to double our mental and soul powers1 as two great dynamos double the current which passes over the wire1 and we are loath to leave the magical presence lest we lose our new-born power4 ,on the other hand1 we frequently meet people who make us shrivel and shrink into ourselves4 ,the moment they come near us we experience a cold chill1 as if a blast of winter had struck us in midsummer4 ,a blighting1 narrowing sensation1 which seems to make us suddenly smaller1 passes over us4 ,we feel a decided loss of power1 of possibility4 ,we could no more smile in their presence than we could laugh while at a funeral4 ,their gloomy miasmatic atmosphere chills all our natural impulses4 ,in their presence there is no possibility of expansion for us4 ,as a dark cloud suddenly obscures the brightness of a smiling summer sky1 their shadows are cast upon us and fill us with vague1 undefinable uneasiness4 ,we instinctively feel that such people have no sympathy with our aspirations1 and our natural prompting is to guard closely any expression of our hopes and ambitions4 ,when they are near us our laudable purposes and desires shrink into insignificance and mere foolishness2 the charm of sentiment vanishes and life seems to lose color and zest4 ,the effect of their presence is paralyzing1 and we hasten from it as soon as possible4 ,if we study these two types of personality1 we shall find that the chief difference between them is that the first loves his kind1 and the latter does not4 ,of course1 that rare charm of manner which captivates all those who come within the sphere of its influence1 and that strong personal magnetism which inclines all hearts toward its fortunate possessor1 are largely natural gifts4 ,but we shall find that the man who practises unselfishness1 who is genuinely interested in the welfare of others1 who feels it a privilege to have the power to do a fellow-creature a kindness1--even though polished manners and a gracious presence may be conspicuous by their absence1--will be an elevating influence wherever he goes4 ,he will bring encouragement to and uplift every life that touches his4 ,he will be trusted and loved by all who come in contact with him4 ,this type of personality we may all cultivate if we will4 ,magnetic personality is intangible4 ,this mysterious something1 which we sometimes call individuality1 is often more powerful than the ability which can be measured1 or the qualities that can be rated4 ,many women are endowed with this magnetic quality1 which is entirely independent of personal beauty4 ,it is often possessed in a high degree by very plain women4 ,this was notably the case with some of the women who ruled in the ,french salons more absolutely than the king on his throne4 ,at a social gathering1 when conversation drags1 and interest is at a low ebb1 the entrance of some bright woman with a magnetic personality instantly changes the whole situation4 ,she may not be handsome1 but everybody is attracted2 it is a privilege to speak to her4 ,people who possess this rare quality are frequently ignorant of the source of their power4 ,they simply know they have it1 but can not locate or describe it4 ,while it is1 like poetry1 music1 or art1 a gift of nature1 born in one1 it can be cultivated to a certain extent4 ,much of the charm of a magnetic personality comes from a fine1 cultivated manner4 ,tact1 also1 is a very important element1--next to a fine manner1 perhaps the most important4 ,one must know exactly what to do1 and be able to do just the right thing at the proper time4 ,good judgment and common sense are indispensable to those who are trying to acquire this magic power4 ,good taste is also one of the elements of personal charm4 ,you can not offend the tastes of others without hurting their sensibilities4 ,one of the greatest investments one can make is that of attaining a gracious manner1 cordiality of bearing1 generosity of feeling1--the delightful art of pleasing4 ,it is infinitely better than money capital1 for all doors fly open to sunny1 pleasing personalities4 ,they are more than welcome2 they are sought for everywhere4 ,many a youth owes his promotion or his first start in life to the disposition to be accommodating1 to help along wherever he could4 ,this was one of ,lincoln's chief characteristics2 he had a passion for helping people1 for making himself agreeable under all circumstances4 ,mr4 ,herndon1 his law partner1 says3 ,when the ,rutledge ,tavern1 where ,lincoln boarded1 was crowded1 he would often give up his bed1 and sleep on the counter in his store with a roll of calico for his pillow4 ,somehow everybody in trouble turned to him for help4 ,this generous desire to assist others and to return kindnesses especially endeared ,lincoln to the people4 ,the power to please is a tremendous asset4 ,what can be more valuable than a personality which always attracts1 never repels8 ,it is not only valuable in business1 but also in every field of life4 ,it makes statesmen and politicians1 it brings clients to the lawyer1 and patients to the physician4 ,it is worth everything to the clergyman4 ,no matter what career you enter1 you can not overestimate the importance of cultivating that charm of manner1 those personal qualities1 which attract people to you4 ,they will take the place of capital1 or influence4 ,they are often a substitute for a large amount of hard work4 ,some men attract business1 customers1 clients1 patients1 as naturally as magnets attract particles of steel4 ,everything seems to point their way1 for the same reason that the steel particles point toward the magnet1--because they are attracted4 ,such men are business magnets4 ,business moves toward them1 even when they do not apparently make half so much effort to get it as the less successful4 ,their friends call them lucky dogs4 ,but if we analyze these men closely1 we find that they have attractive qualities4 ,there is usually some charm of personality about them that wins all hearts4 ,many successful business and professional men would be surprised1 if they should analyze their success1 to find what a large percentage of it is due to their habitual courtesy and other popular qualities4 ,had it not been for these1 their sagacity1 long-headedness1 and business training would not1 perhaps1 have amounted to half so much2 for1 no matter how able a man may be1 if his coarse1 rude manners drive away clients1 patients1 or customers1 if his personality repels1 he will always be placed at a disadvantage4 ,it pays to cultivate popularity4 ,it doubles success possibilities1 develops manhood1 and builds up character4 ,to be popular1 one must strangle selfishness1 he must keep back his bad tendencies1 he must be polite1 gentlemanly1 agreeable1 and companionable4 ,in trying to be popular1 he is on the road to success and happiness as well4 ,the ability to cultivate friends is a powerful aid to success4 ,it is capital which will stand by one when panics come1 when banks fail1 when business concerns go to the wall4 ,how many men have been able to start again after having everything swept away by fire or flood1 or some other disaster1 just because they had cultivated popular qualities1 because they had learned the art of being agreeable1 of making friends and holding them with hooks of steel6 ,people are influenced powerfully by their friendships1 by their likes and dislikes1 and a popular business or professional man has every advantage in the world over a cold1 indifferent man1 for customers1 clients1 or patients will flock to him4 ,cultivate the art of being agreeable4 ,it will help you to self-expression as nothing else will2 it will call out your success qualities2 it will broaden your sympathies4 ,it is difficult to conceive of any more delightful birthright than to be born with this personal charm1 and yet it is comparatively easy to cultivate1 because it is made up of so many other qualities1 all of which are cultivatable4 ,i never knew a thoroughly unselfish person who was not an attractive person4 ,no person who is always thinking of himself and trying to figure out how he can get some advantage from everybody else will ever be attractive4 ,we are naturally disgusted with people who are trying to get everything for themselves and never think of anybody else4 ,the secret of pleasing is in being pleasant yourself1 in being interesting4 ,if you would be agreeable1 you must be magnanimous4 ,the narrow1 stingy soul is not lovable4 ,people shrink from such a character4 ,there must be heartiness in the expression1 in the smile1 in the hand-shake1 in the cordiality1 which is unmistakable4 ,the hardest natures can not resist these qualities any more than the eyes can resist the sun4 ,if you radiate sweetness and light1 people will love to get near you1 for we are all looking for the sunlight1 trying to get away from the shadows4 ,it is unfortunate that these things are not taught more in the home and in the school2 for our success and happiness depend largely upon them4 ,many of us are no better than uneducated heathens4 ,we may know enough1 but we give ourselves out stingily and we live narrow and reserved lives1 when we should be broad1 generous1 sympathetic1 and magnanimous4 ,popular people1 those with great personal charm1 take infinite pains to cultivate all the little graces and qualities which go to make up popularity4 ,if people who are naturally unsocial would only spend as much time and take as much pains as people who are social favorites in making themselves popular1 they would accomplish wonders4 ,everybody is attracted by lovable qualities and is repelled by the unlovely wherever found4 ,the whole principle of an attractive personality lives in this sentence4 ,a fine manner pleases2 a coarse1 brutal manner repels4 ,we cannot help being attracted to one who is always trying to help us1--who gives us his sympathy1 who is always trying to make us comfortable and to give us every advantage he can4 ,on the other hand1 we are repelled by people who are always trying to get something out of us1 who elbow their way in front of us1 to get the best seat in a car or a hall1 who are always looking for the easiest chair1 or for the choicest bits at the table1 who are always wanting to be waited on first at the restaurant or hotel1 regardless of others4 ,the ability to bring the best that is in you to the man you are trying to reach1 to make a good impression at the very first meeting1 to approach a prospective customer as though you had known him for years without offending his taste1 without raising the least prejudice1 but getting his sympathy and good will1 is a great accomplishment1 and this is what commands a great salary4 ,there is a charm in a gracious personality from which it is very hard to get away4 ,it is difficult to snub the man who possesses it4 ,there is something about him which arrests your prejudice1 and no matter how busy or how worried you may be1 or how much you may dislike to be interrupted1 somehow you haven't the heart to turn away the man with a pleasing personality4 ,who has not felt his power multiplied many times1 his intellect sharpened1 and a keener edge put on all of his faculties1 when coming into contact with a strong personality which has called forth hidden powers which he never before dreamed he possessed1 so that he could say things and do things impossible to him when alone8 ,the power of the orator1 which he flings back to his listeners1 he first draws from his audience1 but he could never get it from the separate individuals any more than the chemist could get the full power from chemicals standing in separate bottles in his laboratory4 ,it is in contact and combination only that new creations1 new forces1 are developed4 ,we little realize what a large part of our achievement is due to others working through us1 to their sharpening our faculties1 radiating hope1 encouragement1 and helpfulness into our lives1 and sustaining and inspiring us mentally4 ,we are apt to overestimate the value of an education from books alone4 ,a large part of the value of a college education comes from the social intercourse of the students1 the reenforcement1 the buttressing of character by association4 ,their faculties are sharpened and polished by the attrition of mind with mind1 and the pitting of brain against brain1 which stimulate ambition1 brighten the ideals1 and open up new hopes and possibilities4 ,book knowledge is valuable1 but the knowledge which comes from mind intercourse is invaluable4 ,two substances totally unlike1 but having a chemical affinity for each other1 may produce a third infinitely stronger than either1 or even both of those which unite4 ,two people with a strong affinity often call into activity in each other a power which neither dreamed he possessed before4 ,many an author owes his greatest book1 his cleverest saying to a friend who has aroused in him latent powers which otherwise might have remained dormant4 ,artists have been touched by the power of inspiration through a masterpiece1 or by some one they happened to meet who saw in them what no one else had ever seen1--the power to do an immortal thing4 ,the man who mixes with his fellows is ever on a voyage of discovery1 finding new islands of power in himself which would have remained forever hidden but for association with others4 ,everybody he meets has some secret for him1 if he can only extract it1 something which he never knew before1 something which will help him on his way1 something which will enrich his life4 ,no man finds himself alone4 ,others are his discoverers4 ,it is astonishing how much you can learn from people in social intercourse when you know how to look at them rightly4 ,but it is a fact that you can only get a great deal out of them by giving them a great deal of yourself4 ,the more you radiate yourself1 the more magnanimous you are1 the more generous of yourself1 the more you fling yourself out to them without reserve1 the more you will get back4 ,you must give much in order to get much4 ,the current will not set toward you until it goes out from you4 ,about all you get from others is a reflex of the currents from yourself4 ,the more generously you give1 the more you get in return4 ,you will not receive if you give out stingily1 narrowly1 meanly4 ,you must give of yourself in a whole-hearted1 generous way1 or you will receive only stingy rivulets1 when you might have had great rivers and torrents of blessings4 ,a man who might have been symmetrical1 well-rounded1 had he availed himself of every opportunity of touching life along all sides1 remains a pygmy in everything except his own little specialty1 because he did not cultivate his social side4 ,it is always a mistake to miss an opportunity of meeting with our kind1 and especially of mixing with those above us1 because we can always carry away something of value4 ,it is through social intercourse that our rough corners are rubbed off1 that we become polished and attractive4 ,if you go into social life with a determination to give it something1 to make it a school for self-improvement1 for calling out your best social qualities1 for developing the latent brain cells1 which have remained dormant for the lack of exercise1 you will not find society either a bore or unprofitable4 ,but you must give it something1 or you will not get anything4 ,when you learn to look upon every one you meet as holding a treasure1 something which will enrich your life1 which will enlarge and broaden your experience1 and make you more of a man1 you will not think the time in the drawing-room wasted4 ,the man who is determined to get on will look upon every experience as an educator1 as a culture chisel1 which will make his life a little more shapely and attractive4 ,frankness of manner is one of the most delightful of traits in young or old4 ,everybody admires the open-hearted1 the people who have nothing to conceal1 and who do not try to cover up their faults and weaknesses4 ,they are1 as a rule1 large-hearted and magnanimous4 ,they inspire love and confidence1 and1 by their very frankness and simplicity1 invite the same qualities in others4 ,secretiveness repels as much as frankness attracts4 ,there is something about the very inclination to conceal or cover up which arouses suspicion and distrust4 ,we cannot have the same confidence in people who possess this trait1 no matter how good they may seem to be1 as in frank1 sunny natures4 ,dealing with these secretive people is like traveling on a stage coach on a dark night4 ,there is always a feeling of uncertainty4 ,we may come out all right1 but there is a lurking fear of some pitfall or unknown danger ahead of us4 ,we are uncomfortable because of the uncertainties4 ,they may be all right1 and may deal squarely with us1 but we are not sure and can not trust them4 ,no matter how polite or gracious a secretive person may be1 we can never rid ourselves of the feeling that there is a motive behind his graciousness1 and that he has an ulterior purpose in view4 ,he is always more or less of an enigma1 because he goes through life wearing a mask4 ,he endeavors to hide every trait that is not favorable to himself4 ,never1 if he can help it1 do we get a glimpse of the real man4 ,how different the man who comes out in the open1 who has no secrets1 who reveals his heart to us1 and who is frank1 broad and liberal6 ,how quickly he wins our confidence6 ,how we all like and trust him6 ,we forgive him for many a slip or weakness1 because he is always ready to confess his faults1 and to make amends for them4 ,it he has bad qualities1 they are always in sight1 and we are ready to make allowances for them4 ,his heart is sound and true1 his sympathies are broad and active4 ,the very qualities he possesses--frankness and simplicity1--are conducive to the growth of the highest manhood and womanhood4 ,in the ,black ,hills of ,south ,dakota there lived a humble1 ignorant miner1 who won the love and good will of everyone4 ,you can't 'elp likin' 'im1 said an ,english miner1 and when asked why the miners and the people in the town couldn't help liking him1 he answered4 ,because he has a 'eart in 'im2 he's a man4 ,he always 'elps the boys when in trouble4 ,you never go to 'im for nothin'4 ,bright1 handsome young men1 graduates of ,eastern colleges1 were there seeking their fortune2 a great many able1 strong men drawn there from different parts of the country by the gold fever2 but none of them held the public confidence like this poor man4 ,he could scarcely write his name1 and knew nothing of the usages of polite society1 yet he so intrenched himself in the hearts in his community that no other man1 however educated or cultured1 had the slightest chance of being elected to any office of prominence while ,ike was around4 ,he was elected mayor of his town1 and sent to the legislature1 although he could not speak a grammatical sentence4 ,it was all because he had a heart in him2 he was a man4 ,,chapter ,,xvii ,,if ,,you ,,can ,,talk ,,well ,when ,charles ,w4 ,eliot was president of ,harvard1 he said1 ,i recognize but one mental acquisition as an essential part of the education of a lady or gentleman1 namely1 an accurate and refined use of the mother-tongue4 ,sir ,walter ,scott defined a good conversationalist as one who has ideas1 who reads1 thinks1 listens1 and who has therefore something to say4 ,there is no other one thing which enables us to make so good an impression1 especially upon those who do not know us thoroughly1 as the ability to converse well4 ,to be a good conversationalist1 able to interest people1 to rivet their attention1 to draw them to you naturally1 by the very superiority of your conversational ability1 is to be the possessor of a very great accomplishment1 one which is superior to all others4 ,it not only helps you to make a good impression upon strangers1 it also helps you to make and keep friends4 ,it opens doors and softens hearts4 ,it makes you interesting in all sorts of company4 ,it helps you to get on in the world4 ,it sends you clients1 patients1 customers4 ,it helps you into the best society1 even though you are poor4 ,a man who can talk well1 who has the art of putting things in an attractive way1 who can interest others immediately by his power of speech1 has a very great advantage over one who may know more than he1 but who cannot express himself with ease or eloquence4 ,no matter how expert you may be in any other art or accomplishment1 you cannot use your expertness always and everywhere as you can the power to converse well4 ,if you are a musician1 no matter how talented you may be1 or how many years you may have spent in perfecting yourself in your specialty1 or how much it may have cost you1 only comparatively few people can ever hear or appreciate your music4 ,you may be a fine singer1 and yet travel around the world without having an opportunity of showing your accomplishment1 or without anyone guessing your specialty4 ,but wherever you go and in whatever society you are1 no matter what your station in life may be1 you talk4 ,you may be a painter1 you may have spent years with great masters1 and yet1 unless you have very marked ability so that your pictures are hung in the salons or in the great art galleries1 comparatively few people will ever see them4 ,but if you are an artist in conversation1 everyone who comes in contact with you will see your life-picture1 which you have been painting ever since you began to talk4 ,everyone knows whether you are an artist or a bungler4 ,in fact1 you may have a great many accomplishments which people occasionally see or enjoy1 and you may have a very beautiful home and a lot of property which comparatively few people ever know about2 but if you are a good converser1 everyone with whom you talk will feel the influence of your skill and charm4 ,a noted society leader1 who has been very successful in the launching of dbutantes in society1 always gives this advice to her protgs1 ,talk1 talk4 ,it does not matter much what you say1 but chatter away lightly and gayly4 ,nothing embarrasses and bores the average man so much as a girl who has to be entertained4 ,there is a helpful suggestion in this advice4 ,the way to learn to talk is to talk4 ,the temptation for people who are unaccustomed to society1 and who feel diffident1 is to say nothing themselves and listen to what others say4 ,good talkers are always sought after in society4 ,everybody wants to invite ,mrs4 ,so-and-,so to dinners or receptions because she is such a good talker4 ,she entertains4 ,she may have many defects1 but people enjoy her society because she can talk well4 ,conversation1 if used as an educator1 is a tremendous power developer2 but talking without thinking1 without an effort to express oneself with clearness1 conciseness1 or efficiency1 mere chattering1 or gossiping1 the average society small talk1 will never get hold of the best thing in a man4 ,it lies too deep for such superficial effort4 ,thousands of young people who envy such of their mates as are getting on faster than they are keep on wasting their precious evenings and their half-holidays1 saying nothing but the most frivolous1 frothy1 senseless things--things which do not rise to the level of humor1 but the foolish1 silly talk which demoralizes one's ambition1 lowers one's ideals and all the standards of life1 because it begets habits of superficial and senseless thinking4 ,on the streets1 on the cars1 and in public places1 loud1 coarse voices are heard in light1 flippant1 slipshod speech1 in coarse slang expressions4 ,you're talking through your hat2 ,search me2 ,you just bet2 ,well1 that's the limit2 ,i hate that man2 he gets on my nerves1 and a score of other such vulgarities we often hear4 ,nothing else will indicate your fineness or coarseness of culture1 your breeding or lack of it1 so quickly as your conversation4 ,it will tell your whole life's story4 ,what you say1 and how you say it1 will betray all your secrets1 will give the world your true measure4 ,there is no accomplishment1 no attainment which you can use so constantly and effectively1 which will give so much pleasure to your friends1 as fine conversation4 ,there is no doubt that the gift of language was intended to be a much greater accomplishment than the majority of us have ever made of it4 ,most of us are bunglers in our conversation1 because we do not make an art of it2 we do not take the trouble or pains to learn to talk well4 ,we do not read enough or think enough4 ,most of us express ourselves in sloppy1 slipshod ,english1 because it is so much easier to do so than it is to think before we speak1 to make an effort to express ourselves with elegance1 ease1 and power4 ,poor conversers excuse themselves for not trying to improve by saying that good talkers are born1 not made4 ,we might as well say that good lawyers1 good physicians1 or good merchants are born1 not made4 ,none of them would ever get very far without hard work4 ,this is the price of all achievement that is of value4 ,many a man owes his advancement very largely to his ability to converse well4 ,the ability to interest people in your conversation1 to hold them1 is a great power4 ,the man who has a bungling expression1 who knows a thing1 but never can put it in logical1 interesting1 or commanding language1 is always placed at a great disadvantage4 ,i know a business man who has cultivated the art of conversation to such an extent that it is a great treat to listen to him4 ,his language flows with such liquid1 limpid beauty1 his words are chosen with such exquisite delicacy1 taste1 and accuracy1 there is such a refinement in his diction that he charms everyone who hears him speak4 ,all his life he has been a reader of the finest prose and poetry1 and has cultivated conversation as a fine art4 ,you may think you are poor and have no chance in life4 ,you may be situated so that others are dependent upon you1 and you may not be able to go to school or college1 or to study music or art1 as you long to2 you may be tied down to an iron environment2 you may be tortured with an unsatisfied1 disappointed ambition2 and yet you can become an interesting talker1 because in every sentence you utter you can practise the best form of expression4 ,every book you read1 every person with whom you converse1 who uses good ,english1 can help you4 ,few people think very much about how they are going to express themselves4 ,they use the first words that come to them4 ,they do not think of forming a sentence so that it will have beauty1 brevity1 transparency1 power4 ,the words flow from their lips helter-skelter1 with little thought of arrangement or order4 ,now and then we meet a real artist in conversation1 and it is such a treat and delight that we wonder why the most of us should be such bunglers in our conversation1 that we should make such a botch of the medium of communication between human beings1 when it is capable of being made the art of arts4 ,i have met a dozen persons in my lifetime who have given me such a glimpse of its superb possibilities that it has made all other arts seem comparatively unimportant to me4 ,i was once a visitor at ,wendell ,phillips's home in ,boston1 and the music of his voice1 the liquid charm of his words1 the purity1 the transparency of his diction1 the profundity of his knowledge1 the fascination of his personality1 and his marvelous art of putting things1 ,i shall never forget4 ,he sat down on the sofa beside me and talked as he would to an old schoolmate1 and it seemed to me that ,i had never heard such exquisite and polished ,english4 ,i have met several ,english people who possessed that marvelous power of soul in conversation which charms all who come under its spell4 ,mrs4 ,mary ,a4 ,livermore1 ,julia ,ward ,howe1 and ,elizabeth ,s4 ,p4 ,ward1 had this wonderful conversational charm1 as has ex-,president ,eliot of ,harvard4 ,the quality of the conversation is everything4 ,we all know people who use the choicest language and express their thoughts in fluent1 liquid diction1 who impress us by the wonderful flow of their conversation2 but that is all there is to it4 ,they do not impress us with their thoughts2 they do not stimulate us to action4 ,we do not feel any more determined to do something in the world1 to be somebody1 after we have heard them talk than we felt before4 ,we know other people who talk very little1 but whose words are so full of meat and stimulating brain force that we feel ourselves multiplied many times by the power they have injected into us4 ,in olden times the art of conversation reached a much higher standard than that of to-day4 ,the deterioration is due to the complete revolution in the conditions of modern civilization4 ,formerly people had almost no other way of communicating their thoughts than by speech4 ,knowledge of all kinds was disseminated almost wholly through the spoken word4 ,there were no great daily newspapers1 no magazines or periodicals of any kind4 ,the great discoveries of vast wealth in the precious minerals1 the new world opened up by inventions and discoveries1 and the great impetus to ambition have changed all this4 ,in this lightning-express age1 in these strenuous times1 when everybody has the mania to attain wealth and position1 we no longer have time to reflect with deliberation1 and to develop our powers of conversation4 ,in these great newspaper and periodical days1 when everybody can get for one or a few cents the news and information which it has cost thousands of dollars to collect1 everybody sits behind the morning sheet or is buried in a book or magazine4 ,there is no longer the same need of communicating thought by the spoken word4 ,oratory is becoming a lost art for the same reason4 ,printing has become so cheap that even the poorest homes can get more reading for a few dollars than kings and noblemen could afford in the ,middle ,ages4 ,it is a rare thing to find a polished conversationalist to-day4 ,so rare is it to hear one speaking exquisite ,english1 and using a superb diction1 that it is indeed a luxury4 ,good reading1 however1 will not only broaden the mind and give new ideas1 but it will also increase one's vocabulary1 and that is a great aid to conversation4 ,many people have good thoughts and ideas1 but they cannot express them because of the poverty of their vocabulary4 ,they have not words enough to clothe their ideas and make them attractive4 ,they talk around in a circle1 repeat and repeat1 because1 when they want a particular word to convey their exact meaning1 they cannot find it4 ,if you are ambitious to talk well1 you must be as much as possible in the society of well-bred1 cultured people4 ,if you seclude yourself1 though you are a college graduate1 you will be a poor converser4 ,we all sympathize with people1 especially the timid and shy1 who have that awful feeling of repression and stifling of thought1 when they make an effort to say something and cannot4 ,timid young people often suffer keenly in this way in attempting to declaim at school or college4 ,but many a great orator went through the same sort of experience1 when he first attempted to speak in public and was often deeply humiliated by his blunders and failures4 ,there is no other way1 however1 to become an orator or a good conversationalist than by constantly trying to express oneself efficiently and elegantly4 ,if you find that your ideas fly from you when you attempt to express them1 that you stammer and flounder about for words which you are unable to find1 you may be sure that every honest effort you make1 even if you fail in your attempt1 will make it all the easier for you to speak well the next time4 ,it is remarkable1 if one keeps on trying1 how quickly he will conquer his awkwardness and self-consciousness1 and will gain ease of manner and facility of expression4 ,everywhere we see people placed at a tremendous disadvantage because they have never learned the art of putting their ideas into interesting1 telling language4 ,we see brainy men at public gatherings1 when momentous questions are being discussed1 sit silent1 unable to tell what they know1 when they are infinitely better informed than those who are making a great deal of display of oratory or smooth talk4 ,people with a lot of ability1 who know a great deal1 often appear like a set of dummies in company1 while some superficial1 shallow-brained person holds the attention of those present simply because he can tell what he knows in an interesting way4 ,they are constantly humiliated and embarrassed when away from those who happen to know their real worth1 because they can not carry on an intelligent conversation upon any topic4 ,there are hundreds of these silent people at our national capital--many of them wives of husbands who have suddenly and unexpectedly come into political prominence4 ,many people--and this is especially true of scholars--seem to think that the great desideratum in life is to get as much valuable information into the head as possible4 ,but it is just as important to know how to give out knowledge in a palatable manner as to acquire it4 ,you may be a profound scholar1 you may be well read in history and in politics1 you may be wonderfully well-posted in science1 literature1 and art1 and yet1 if your knowledge is locked up within you1 you will always be placed at a great disadvantage4 ,locked-up ability may give the individual some satisfaction1 but it must be exhibited1 expressed in some attractive way1 before the world will appreciate it or give credit for it4 ,it does not matter how valuable the rough diamond may be1 no explaining1 no describing its marvels of beauty within1 and its great value1 would avail2 nobody would appreciate it until it was ground and polished and the light let into its depths to reveal its hidden brilliancy4 ,conversation is to the man what the cutting of the diamond is to the stone4 ,the grinding does not add anything to the diamond4 ,it merely reveals its wealth4 ,how little parents realize the harm they are doing their children by allowing them to grow up ignorant of or indifferent to the marvelous possibilities in the art of conversation6 ,in the majority of homes1 children are allowed to mangle the ,english language in a most painful way4 ,nothing else will develop the brain and character more than the constant effort to talk well1 intelligently1 interestingly1 upon all sorts of topics4 ,there is a splendid discipline in the constant effort to express one's thoughts in clear language and in an interesting manner4 ,we know people who are such superb conversers that no one would ever dream that they have not had the advantages of the higher schools4 ,many a college graduate has been silenced and put to shame by people who have never even been to a high school1 but who have cultivated the art of self-expression4 ,the school and the college employ the student comparatively a few hours a day for a few years2 conversation is a training in a perpetual school4 ,many get the best part of their education in this school4 ,conversation is a great ability discoverer1 a great revealer of possibilities and resources4 ,it stimulates thought wonderfully4 ,we think more of ourselves if we can talk well1 if we can interest and hold others4 ,the power to do so increases our self-respect1 our self-confidence4 ,no man knows what he really possesses until he makes his best effort to express to others what is in him4 ,then the avenues of the mind fly open1 the faculties are on the alert4 ,every good converser has felt a power come to him from the listener which he never felt before1 and which often stimulates and inspires to fresh endeavor4 ,the mingling of thought with thought1 the contact of mind with mind1 develops new powers1 as the mixing of two chemicals often produces a new third substance4 ,to converse well one must listen well also--hold oneself in a receptive attitude4 ,we are not only poor conversationalists1 but we are poor listeners as well4 ,we are too impatient to listen4 ,instead of being attentive and eager to drink in the story or the information1 we have not enough respect for the talker to keep quiet4 ,we look about impatiently1 perhaps snap our watch1 play a tattoo with our fingers on a chair or a table1 hitch about as if we were bored and were anxious to get away1 and interrupt the speaker before he reaches his conclusion4 ,in fact1 we are such an impatient people that we have no time for anything excepting to push ahead1 to elbow our way through the crowd to get the position or the money we desire4 ,our life is feverish and unnatural4 ,we have no time to develop charm of manner1 or elegance of diction4 ,we are too intense for epigram or repartee4 ,we lack time4 ,nervous impatience is a conspicuous characteristic of the ,american people4 ,everything bores us which does not bring us more business1 or more money1 or which does not help us to attain the position for which we are striving4 ,instead of enjoying our friends1 we are inclined to look upon them as so many rungs in a ladder1 and to value them in proportion as they furnish readers for our books1 send us patients1 clients1 customers or show their ability to give us a boost for political position4 ,before these days of hurry and drive1 before this age of excitement1 it was considered one of the greatest luxuries possible to be a listener in a group surrounding an intelligent talker4 ,it was better than most modern lectures1 than anything one could find in a book2 for there was a touch of personality1 a charm of style1 a magnetism which held1 a superb personality which fascinated4 ,for the hungry soul1 yearning for an education1 to drink in knowledge from those wise lips was to be fed with a royal feast indeed4 ,but to-day everything is touch and go4 ,we have no time to stop on the street and give a decent salutation4 ,it is3 ,how do8 or ,morning1 accompanied by a sharp nod of the head1 instead of by a graceful bow4 ,we have no time for the graces and the charms4 ,everything must give way to the material4 ,we have no time for the development of a fine manner2 the charm of the days of chivalry and leisure has almost vanished from our civilization4 ,a new type of individual has sprung up4 ,we work like ,trojans during the day1 and then rush to a theater or other place of amusement in the evening4 ,we have no time to make our own amusement or to develop the faculty of humor and fun-making as people used to do4 ,we pay people for doing that while we sit and laugh4 ,we are like some college boys1 who depend upon tutors to carry them through their examinations--they expect to buy their education ready-made4 ,life is becoming so artificial1 so forced1 so diverse from naturalness1 we drive our human engines at such a fearful speed1 that our finer life is crushed out4 ,spontaneity and humor1 and the possibility of a fine culture and a superb charm of personality in us are almost impossible and extremely rare4 ,one cause for our conversational decline is a lack of sympathy4 ,we are too selfish1 too busily engaged in our own welfare1 and wrapped up in our own little world1 too intent upon our own self-promotion to be interested in others4 ,no one can make a good conversationalist who is not sympathetic4 ,you must be able to enter into another's life1 to live it with the other person1 to be a good listener or a good talker4 ,walter ,besant used to tell of a clever woman who had a great reputation as a conversationalist1 though she talked very little4 ,she had such a cordial1 sympathetic manner that she helped the timid and the shy to say their best things1 and made them feel at home4 ,she dissipated their fears1 and they could say things to her which they could not say to anyone else4 ,people thought her an interesting conversationalist because she had this ability to call out the best in others4 ,if you would make yourself agreeable you must be able to enter into the life of the people you are conversing with1 and you must touch them along the lines of their interest4 ,no matter how much you may know about a subject1 if it does not happen to interest those to whom you are talking your efforts will be largely lost4 ,it is pitiable1 sometimes1 to see men standing around at the average reception or club gathering1 dumb1 almost helpless1 and powerless to enter heartily into the conversation because they are in a subjective mood4 ,they are thinking1 thinking1 thinking business1 business1 business2 thinking how they can get on a little faster--get more business1 more clients1 more patients1 or more readers for their books--or a better house to live in2 how they can make more show4 ,they do not enter heartily into the lives of others1 or abandon themselves to the occasion enough to make good talkers4 ,they are cold and reserved1 distant1 because their minds are somewhere else1 their affections on themselves and their own affairs4 ,there are only two things that interest them2 business and their own little world4 ,if you talk about these things1 they are interested at once2 but they do not care a snap about your affairs1 how you get on1 or what your ambition is1 or how they can help you4 ,our conversation will never reach a high standard while we live in such a feverish1 selfish1 and unsympathetic state4 ,great conversationalists have always been very tactful--interesting without offending4 ,it does not do to stab people if you would interest them1 nor to drag out their family skeletons4 ,some people have the peculiar quality of touching the best that is in us2 others stir up the bad4 ,every time they come into our presence they irritate us4 ,others allay all that is disagreeable4 ,they never touch our sensitive spots1 and they call out all that is spontaneous and sweet and beautiful4 ,lincoln was master of the art of making himself interesting to everybody he met4 ,he put people at ease with his stories and jokes1 and made them feel so completely at home in his presence that they opened up their mental treasures to him without reserve4 ,strangers were always glad to talk with him because he was so cordial and quaint1 and always gave more than he got4 ,a sense of humor such as ,lincoln had is1 of course1 a great addition to one's conversational power4 ,but not everyone can be funny2 and1 if you lack the sense of humor1 you will make yourself ludicrous by attempting to be funny4 ,a good conversationalist1 however1 is not too serious4 ,he does not deal too much with facts1 no matter how important4 ,facts1 statistics1 weary4 ,vivacity is absolutely necessary4 ,heavy conversation bores2 too light1 disgusts4 ,therefore1 to be a good conversationalist you must be spontaneous1 buoyant1 natural1 sympathetic1 and must show a spirit of good will4 ,you must feel a spirit of helpfulness1 and must enter heart and soul into things which interest others4 ,you must get the attention of people and hold it by interesting them1 and you can only interest them by a warm sympathy--a real friendly sympathy4 ,if you are cold1 distant1 and unsympathetic you can not hold their attention4 ,you must be broad1 tolerant4 ,a narrow stingy soul never talks well4 ,a man who is always violating your sense of taste1 of justice1 and of fairness1 never interests you4 ,you lock tight all the approaches to your inner self1 every avenue is closed to him4 ,your magnetism and your helpfulness are thus cut off1 and the conversation is perfunctory1 mechanical1 and without life or feeling4 ,you must bring your listener close to you1 must open your heart wide1 and exhibit a broad free nature1 and an open mind4 ,you must be responsive1 so that he will throw wide open every avenue of his nature and give you free access to his heart of hearts4 ,if a man is a success anywhere1 it ought to be in his personality1 in his power to express himself in strong1 effective1 interesting language4 ,he should not be obliged to give a stranger an inventory of his possessions in order to show that he has achieved something4 ,a greater wealth should flow from his lips1 and express itself in his manner4 ,no amount of natural ability or education or good clothes1 no amount of money1 will make you appear well if you use poor ,english4 ,,chapter ,,xviii ,a ,,fortune ,,in ,,good ,,manners ,give a boy address and accomplishments1 and you give him the mastery of palaces and fortunes wherever he goes2 he has not the trouble of earning or owning them2 they solicit him to enter and possess4--,,emerson4 ,with hat in hand1 one gets on in the world4--,,german ,,proverb4 ,what thou wilt1 ,thou must rather enforce it with thy smile1 ,than hew to it with thy sword4 ,,shakespeare4 ,politeness has been compared to an air cushion1 which1 although there is apparently nothing in it1 eases our jolts wonderfully4--,,george ,l4 ,,carey4 ,birth's gude1 but breedin's better4--,,scotch ,,proverb4 ,conduct is three fourths of life4--,,matthew ,,arnold4 ,why the doose de 'e 'old 'is 'ead down like that8 asked a cockney sergeant-major angrily1 when a worthy fellow soldier wished to be reinstated in a position from which he had been dismissed4 ,has 'e 's been han hofficer 'e bought to know 'ow to be'ave 'isself better4 ,what use 'ud 'e be has a non-commissioned hofficer hif 'e didn't dare look 'is men in the face8 ,hif a man wants to be a soldier1 hi say1 let 'im cock 'is chin hup1 switch 'is stick abart a bit1 an give a crack hover the 'ead to hanybody who comes foolin' round 'im1 helse 'e might just has well be a ,methodist parson4 ,the ,english is somewhat rude1 but it expresses pretty forcibly the fact that a good bearing is indispensable to success as a soldier4 ,mien and manner have much to do with our influence and reputation in any walk of life4 ,don't you wish you had my power8 asked the ,east ,wind of the ,zephyr4 ,why1 when ,i start they hail me by storm signals all along the coast4 ,i can twist off a ship's mast as easily as you can waft thistledown4 ,with one sweep of my wing ,i strew the coast from ,labrador to ,cape ,horn with shattered ship timber4 ,i can lift and have often lifted the ,atlantic4 ,i am the terror of all invalids1 and to keep me from piercing to the very marrow of their bones1 men cut down forests for their fires and explore the mines of continents for coal to feed their furnaces4 ,under my breath the nations crouch in sepulchers4 ,don't you wish you had my power8 ,zephyr made no reply1 but floated from out the bowers of the sky1 and all the rivers and lakes and seas1 all the forests and fields1 all the beasts and birds and men smiled at its coming4 ,gardens bloomed1 orchards ripened1 silver wheat-fields turned to gold1 fleecy clouds went sailing in the lofty heaven1 the pinions of birds and the sails of vessels were gently wafted onward1 and health and happiness were everywhere4 ,the foliage and flowers and fruits and harvests1 the warmth and sparkle and gladness and beauty and life were the only answer ,zephyr gave to the insolent question of the proud but pitiless ,east ,wind4 ,the story goes that ,queen ,victoria once expressed herself to her husband in rather a despotic tone1 and ,prince ,albert1 whose manly self-respect was smarting at her words1 sought the seclusion of his own apartment1 closing and locking the door4 ,in about five minutes some one knocked4 ,who is it8 inquired the ,prince4 ,it is ,i4 ,open to the ,queen of ,england6 haughtily responded her ,majesty4 ,there was no reply4 ,after a long interval there came a gentle tapping and the low spoken words3 ,it is ,i1 ,victoria1 your wife4 ,is it necessary to add that the door was opened1 or that the disagreement was at an end8 ,it is said that civility is to a man what beauty is to a woman3 it creates an instantaneous impression in his behalf4 ,the monk ,basle1 according to a quaint old legend1 died while under the ban of excommunication by the pope1 and was sent in charge of an angel to find his proper place in the nether world4 ,but his genial disposition and great conversational powers won friends wherever he went4 ,the fallen angels adopted his manner1 and even the good angels went a long way to see him and live with him4 ,he was removed to the lowest depths of ,hades1 but with the same result4 ,his inborn politeness and kindness of heart were irresistible1 and he seemed to change the hell into a heaven4 ,at length the angel returned with the monk1 saying that no place could be found in which to punish him4 ,he still remained the same ,basle4 ,so his sentence was revoked1 and he was sent to ,heaven and canonized as a saint4 ,the ,duke of ,marlborough wrote ,english badly and spelled it worse1 yet he swayed the destinies of empires4 ,the charm of his manner was irresistible and influenced all ,europe4 ,his fascinating smile and winning speech disarmed the fiercest hatred and made friends of the bitterest enemies4 ,a gentleman took his daughter of sixteen to ,richmond to witness the trial of his bitter personal enemy1 ,aaron ,burr1 whom he regarded as an arch-traitor4 ,but she was so fascinated by ,burr's charming manner that she sat with his friends4 ,her father took her from the courtroom1 and locked her up1 but she was so overcome by the fine manner of the accused that she believed in his innocence and prayed for his acquittal4 ,to this day1 said she fifty years afterwards1 ,i feel the magic of his wonderful deportment4 ,madame ,rcamier was so charming that when she passed around the box at the ,church ,st4 ,roche in ,paris1 twenty thousand francs were put into it4 ,at the great reception to ,napoleon on his return from ,italy1 the crowd caught sight of this fascinating woman and almost forgot to look at the great hero4 ,please1 ,madame1 whispered a servant to ,madame de ,maintenon at dinner1 one anecdote more1 for there is no roast to-day4 ,she was so fascinating in manner and speech that her guests appeared to overlook all the little discomforts of life4 ,according to ,st4 ,beuve1 the privileged circle at ,coppet after making an excursion returned from ,chambry in two coaches4 ,those arriving in the first coach had a rueful experience to relate--a terrific thunder-storm1 shocking roads1 and danger and gloom to the whole company4 ,the party in the second coach heard their story with surprise2 of thunder-storm1 of steeps1 of mud1 of danger1 they knew nothing2 no1 they had forgotten earth1 and breathed a purer air2 such a conversation between ,madame de ,stal and ,madame ,rcamier and ,benjamin ,constant and ,schlegel6 they were all in a state of delight4 ,the intoxication of the conversation had made them insensible to all notice of weather or rough roads4 ,if ,i were ,queen1 said ,madame ,tesse1 ,i should command ,madame de ,stal to talk to me every day4 ,when she had passed1 as ,longfellow wrote of ,evangeline1 it seemed like the ceasing of exquisite music4 ,madame de ,stal was anything but beautiful1 but she possessed that indefinable something before which mere conventional beauty cowers1 commonplace and ashamed4 ,her hold upon the minds of men was wonderful4 ,they were the creatures of her will1 and she shaped careers as if she were omnipotent4 ,even the ,emperor ,napoleon feared her influence over his people so much that he destroyed her writings and banished her from ,france4 ,in the words of ,whittier it could be said of her as might be said of any woman3-- ,our homes are cheerier for her sake1 ,our door-yards brighter blooming1 ,and all about the social air ,is sweeter for her coming4 ,a guest for two weeks at the house of ,arthur ,m4 ,cavanaugh1 ,m4 ,p41 who was without arms or legs1 was very desirous of knowing how he fed himself2 but the conversation and manner of the host were so charming that the visitor was scarcely conscious of his deformity4 ,when ,dickens entered a room1 said one who knew him well1 it was like the sudden kindling of a big fire1 by which every one was warmed4 ,it is said that when ,goethe entered a restaurant people would lay down their knives and forks to admire him4 ,philip of ,macedon1 after hearing the report of ,demosthenes' famous oration1 said3 ,had ,i been there he would have persuaded me to take up arms against myself4 ,henry ,clay was so graceful and impressive in his manner that a ,pennsylvania tavern-keeper tried to induce him to get out of the stage-coach in which they were riding1 and make a speech to himself and his wife4 ,i don't think much of ,choate's spread-eagle talk1 said a simple-minded member of a jury that had given five successive verdicts to the great advocate2 but ,i call him a very lucky lawyer1 for there was not one of those five cases that came before us where he wasn't on the right side4 ,his manner as well as his logic was irresistible4 ,when ,edward ,everett took a professor's chair at ,harvard after five years of study in ,europe1 he was almost worshiped by the students4 ,his manner seemed touched by that exquisite grace seldom found except in women of rare culture4 ,his great popularity lay in a magical atmosphere which every one felt1 but no one could describe1 and which never left him4 ,a ,new ,york lady had just taken her seat in a car on a train bound for ,philadelphia1 when a somewhat stout man sitting just ahead of her lighted a cigar4 ,she coughed and moved uneasily2 but the hints had no effect1 so she said tartly3 ,you probably are a foreigner1 and do not know that there is a smoking-car attached to the train4 ,smoking is not permitted here4 ,the man made no reply1 but threw his cigar from the window4 ,what has her astonishment when the conductor told her1 a moment later1 that she had entered the private car of ,general ,grant4 ,she withdrew in confusion1 but the same fine courtesy which led him to give up his cigar was shown again as he spared her the mortification of even a questioning glance1 still less of a look of amusement1 although she watched his dumb1 immovable figure with apprehension until she reached the door4 ,julian ,ralph1 after telegraphing an account of ,president ,arthur's fishing-trip to the ,thousand ,islands1 returned to his hotel at two o'clock in the morning1 to find all the doors locked4 ,with two friends who had accompanied him1 he battered at a side door to wake the servants1 but what was his chagrin when the door was opened by the ,president of the ,united ,states6 ,why1 that's all right1 said ,mr4 ,arthur when ,mr4 ,ralph asked his pardon4 ,you wouldn't have got in till morning if ,i had not come4 ,no one is up in the house but me4 ,i could have sent my colored boy1 but he had fallen asleep and ,i hated to wake him4 ,the late ,king ,edward1 when ,prince of ,wales1 the first gentleman in ,europe1 invited an eminent man to dine with him4 ,when coffee was served1 the guest1 to the consternation of the others1 drank from his saucer4 ,an open titter of amusement went round the table4 ,the ,prince1 quickly noting the cause of the untimely amusement1 gravely emptied his cup into his saucer and drank after the manner of his guest4 ,silent and abashed1 the other members of the princely household took the rebuke and did the same4 ,queen ,victoria sent for ,carlyle1 who was a ,scotch peasant1 offering him the title of nobleman1 which he declined1 feeling that he had always been a nobleman in his own right4 ,he understood so little of the manners at court that1 when presented to the ,queen1 after speaking to her a few minutes1 being tired1 he said1 ,let us sit down1 madam2 whereat the courtiers were ready to faint4 ,but she was great enough1 and gave a gesture that seated all her puppets in a moment4 ,the ,queen's courteous suspension of the rules of etiquette1 and what it may have cost her1 can be better understood from what an acquaintance of ,carlyle said of him when he saw him for the first time4 ,his presence1 in some unaccountable manner1 rasped the nerves4 ,i expected to meet a rare being1 and ,i left him feeling as if ,i had drunk sour wine1 or had had an attack of seasickness4 ,some persons wield a scepter before which others seem to bow in glad obedience4 ,but whence do they obtain such magic power8 ,what is the secret of that almost hypnotic influence over people which we would give anything to possess8 ,courtesy is not always found in high places4 ,even royal courts furnish many examples of bad manners4 ,at an entertainment given years ago by ,prince ,edward and the ,princess of ,wales1 to which only the very cream of the cream of society was admitted1 there was such pushing and struggling to see the ,princess1 who was then but lately married1 that1 as she passed through the reception rooms1 a bust of the ,princess ,royal was thrown from its pedestal and damaged1 and the pedestal upset2 and the ladies1 in their eagerness to see the ,princess1 actually stood upon it4 ,when ,catherine of ,russia gave receptions to her nobles1 she published the following rules of etiquette upon cards3 ,gentlemen will not get drunk before the feast is ended4 ,noblemen are forbidden to strike their wives in company4 ,ladies of the court must not wash out their mouths in the drinking-glasses1 or wipe their faces on the damask1 or pick their teeth with forks4 ,but to-day the nobles of ,russia have no superiors in manners4 ,etiquette originally meant the ticket or tag tied to a bag to indicate its contents4 ,if a bag had this ticket it was not examined4 ,from this the word passed to cards upon which were printed certain rules to be observed by guests4 ,these rules were the ticket or the etiquette4 ,to be the ticket1 or1 as it was sometimes expressed1 to act or talk by the card1 became the thing with the better classes4 ,it was fortunate for ,napoleon that he married ,josephine before he was made commander-in-chief of the armies of ,italy4 ,her fascinating manners and her wonderful powers of persuasion were more influential than the loyalty of any dozen men in ,france in attaching to him the adherents who would promote his interests4 ,josephine was to the drawing-room and the salon what ,napoleon was to the field--a preeminent leader4 ,the secret of her personality that made her the ,empress not only of the hearts of the ,frenchmen1 but also of the nations her husband conquered1 has been beautifully told by herself4 ,there is only one occasion1 she said to a friend1 in which ,i would voluntarily use the words1 ',i will6'--namely1 when ,i would say1 ',i will that all around me be happy4' ,it was only a glad 'good-morning1' ,as she passed along the way1 ,but it spread the morning's glory ,over the livelong day4 ,a fine manner more than compensates for all the defects of nature4 ,the most fascinating person is always the one of most winning manners1 not the one of greatest physical beauty4 ,the ,greeks thought beauty was a proof of the peculiar favor of the gods1 and considered that beauty only worth adorning and transmitting which was unmarred by outward manifestations of hard and haughty feeling4 ,according to their ideal1 beauty must be the expression of attractive qualities within--such as cheerfulness1 benignity1 contentment1 charity1 and love4 ,mirabeau was one of the ugliest men in ,france4 ,it was said he had the face of a tiger pitted by smallpox1 but the charm of his manner was almost irresistible4 ,beauty of life and character1 as in art1 has no sharp angles4 ,its lines seem continuous1 so gently does curve melt into curve4 ,it is sharp angles that keep many souls from being beautiful that are almost so4 ,our good is less good when it is abrupt1 rude1 ill timed1 or ill placed4 ,many a man and woman might double their influence and success by a kindly courtesy and a fine manner4 ,tradition tells us that before ,apelles painted his wonderful ,goddess of ,beauty which enchanted all ,greece1 he traveled for years observing fair women1 that he might embody in his matchless ,venus a combination of the loveliest found in all4 ,so the good-mannered study1 observe1 and adopt all that is finest and most worthy of imitation in every cultured person they meet4 ,throw a bone to a dog1 said a shrewd observer1 and he will run off with it in his mouth1 but with no vibration in his tail4 ,call the dog to you1 pat him on the head1 let him take the bone from your hand1 and his tail will wag with gratitude4 ,the dog recognizes the good deed and the gracious manner of doing it4 ,those who throw their good deeds should not expect them to be caught with a thankful smile4 ,ask a person at ,rome to show you the road1 said ,dr4 ,guthrie of ,edinburgh1 and he will always give you a civil and polite answer2 but ask any person a question for that purpose in this country 7,scotland71 and he will say1 ',follow your nose and you will find it4' ,but the blame is with the upper classes2 and the reason why1 in this country1 the lower classes are not polite is because the upper classes are not polite4 ,i remember how astonished ,i was the first time ,i was in ,paris4 ,i spent the first night with a banker1 who took me to a pension1 or1 as we call it1 a boarding-house4 ,when we got there1 a servant girl came to the door1 and the banker took off his hat1 and bowed to the servant girl1 and called her mademoiselle1 as though she were a lady4 ,now1 the reason why the lower classes there are so polite is because the upper classes are polite and civil to them4 ,a fine courtesy is a fortune in itself4 ,the good-mannered can do without riches1 for they have passports everywhere4 ,all doors fly open to them1 and they enter without money and without price4 ,they can enjoy nearly everything without the trouble of buying or owning4 ,they are as welcome in every household as the sunshine2 and why not8 for they carry light1 sunshine1 and joy everywhere4 ,they disarm jealousy and envy1 for they bear good will to everybody4 ,bees will not sting a man smeared with honey4 ,a man's own good breeding1 says ,chesterfield1 is the best security against other people's ill manners4 ,it carries along with it a dignity that is respected by the most petulant4 ,ill breeding invites and authorizes the familiarity of the most timid4 ,no man ever said a pert thing to the ,duke of ,marlborough1 or a civil one to ,sir ,robert ,walpole4 ,the true gentleman cannot harbor those qualities which excite the antagonism of others1 as revenge1 hatred1 malice1 envy1 or jealousy1 for these poison the sources of spiritual life and shrivel the soul4 ,generosity of heart and a genial good will towards all are absolutely essential to him who would possess fine manners4 ,here is a man who is cross1 crabbed1 moody1 sullen1 silent1 sulky1 stingy1 and mean with his family and servants4 ,he refuses his wife a little money to buy a needed dress1 and accuses her of extravagance that would ruin a millionaire4 ,suddenly the bell rings4 ,some neighbors call3 what a change6 ,the bear of a moment ago is as docile as a lamb4 ,as by magic he becomes talkative1 polite1 generous4 ,after the callers have gone1 his little girl begs her father to keep on his company manners for a little while1 but the sullen mood returns and his courtesy vanishes as quickly as it came4 ,he is the same disagreeable1 contemptible1 crabbed bear as before the arrival of his guests4 ,what friend of the great ,dr4 ,johnson did not feel mortified and pained to see him eat like an ,esquimau1 and to hear him call men liars because they did not agree with him8 ,he was called the ,ursa ,major1 or ,great ,bear4 ,benjamin ,rush said that when ,goldsmith at a banquet in ,london asked a question about the ,american ,indians1 ,dr4 ,johnson exclaimed3 ,there is not an ,indian in ,north ,america foolish enough to ask such a question4 ,sir1 replied ,goldsmith1 there is not a savage in ,america rude enough to make such a speech to a gentleman4 ,after ,stephen ,a4 ,douglas had been abused in the ,senate he rose and said3 ,what no gentleman should say no gentleman need answer4 ,aristotle thus described a real gentleman more than two thousand years ago3 ,the magnanimous man will behave with moderation under both good fortune and bad4 ,he will not allow himself to be exalted2 he will not allow himself to be abased4 ,he will neither be delighted with success1 nor grieved with failure4 ,he will never choose danger1 nor seek it4 ,he is not given to talk about himself or others4 ,he does not care that he himself should be praised1 nor that other people should be blamed4 ,a gentleman is just a gentle man3 no more1 no less2 a diamond polished that was first a diamond in the rough4 ,a gentleman is gentle1 modest1 courteous1 slow to take offense1 and never giving it4 ,he is slow to surmise evil1 as he never thinks it4 ,he subjects his appetites1 refines his tastes1 subdues his feelings1 controls his speech1 and deems every other person as good as himself4 ,a gentleman1 like porcelain-ware1 must be painted before he is glazed4 ,there can be no change after it is burned in1 and all that is put on afterwards will wash off4 ,he who has lost all but retains his courage1 cheerfulness1 hope1 virtue1 and self-respect1 is a true gentleman1 and is rich still4 ,you replace ,dr4 ,franklin1 ,i hear1 said the ,french ,minister1 ,count de ,vergennes1 to ,mr4 ,jefferson1 who had been sent to ,paris to relieve our most popular representative4 ,i succeed him2 no man can replace him1 was the felicitous reply of the man who became highly esteemed by the most polite court in ,europe4 ,you should not have returned their salute1 said the master of ceremonies1 when ,clement ,,xiv bowed to the ambassadors who had bowed in congratulating him upon his election4 ,oh1 ,i beg your pardon1 replied ,clement4 ,i have not been pope long enough to forget good manners4 ,cowper says3-- ,a modest1 sensible1 and well-bred man ,would not insult me1 and no other can4 ,i never listen to calumnies1 said ,montesquieu1 because if they are untrue ,i run the risk of being deceived1 and if they are true1 of hating people not worth thinking about4 ,i think1 says ,emerson1 ,hans ,andersen's story of the cobweb cloth woven so fine that it was invisible--woven for the king's garment--must mean manners1 which do really clothe a princely nature4 ,no one can fully estimate how great a factor in life is the possession of good manners1 or timely thoughtfulness with human sympathy behind it4 ,they are the kindly fruit of a refined nature1 and are the open sesame to the best of society4 ,manners are what vex or soothe1 exalt or debase1 barbarize or refine us by a constant1 steady1 uniform1 invincible operation like that of the air we breathe4 ,even power itself has not half the might of gentleness1 that subtle oil which lubricates our relations with each other1 and enables the machinery of society to perform its functions without friction4 ,have you not seen in the woods1 in a late autumn morning1 asks ,emerson1 a poor fungus1 or mushroom1--a plant without any solidity1 nay1 that seemed nothing but a soft mush or jelly1--by its constant1 total1 and inconceivably gentle pushing1 manage to break its way up through the frosty ground1 and actually to lift a hard crust on its head8 ,it is the symbol of the power of kindness4 ,there is no policy like politeness1 says ,magoon2 since a good manner often succeeds where the best tongue has failed4 ,the art of pleasing is the art of rising in the world4 ,the politest people in the world1 it is said1 are the ,jews4 ,in all ages they have been maltreated and reviled1 and despoiled of their civil privileges and their social rights2 yet are they everywhere polite and affable4 ,they indulge in few or no recriminations2 are faithful to old associations2 more considerate of the prejudices of others than others are of theirs2 not more worldly-minded and money-loving than people generally are2 and1 everything considered1 they surpass all nations in courtesy1 affability1 and forbearance4 ,men1 like bullets1 says ,richter1 go farthest when they are smoothest4 ,napoleon was much displeased on hearing that ,josephine had permitted ,general ,lorges1 a young and handsome man1 to sit beside her on the sofa4 ,josephine explained that1 instead of its being ,general ,lorges1 it was one of the aged generals of his army1 entirely unused to the customs of courts4 ,she was unwilling to wound the feelings of the honest old soldier1 and so allowed him to retain his seat4 ,napoleon commended her highly for her courtesy4 ,president ,jefferson was one day riding with his grandson1 when they met a slave1 who took off his hat and bowed4 ,the ,president returned the salutation by raising his hat1 but the grandson ignored the civility of the negro4 ,thomas1 said the grandfather1 do you permit a slave to be more of a gentleman than yourself8 ,lincoln was the first great man ,i talked with freely in the ,united ,states1 said ,fred ,douglass1 who in no single instance reminded me of the difference between himself and me1 of the difference in color4 ,eat at your own table1 says ,confucius1 as you would eat at the table of the king4 ,if parents were not careless about the manners of their children at home1 they would seldom be shocked or embarrassed at their behavior abroad4 ,james ,russell ,lowell was as courteous to a beggar as to a lord1 and was once observed holding a long conversation in ,italian with an organ-grinder whom he was questioning about scenes in ,italy with which they were each familiar4 ,in hastily turning the corner of a crooked street in ,london1 a young lady ran with great force against a ragged beggar-boy and almost knocked him down4 ,stopping as soon as she could1 she turned around and said very kindly3 ,i beg your pardon1 my little fellow2 ,i am very sorry that ,i ran against you4 ,the astonished boy looked at her a moment1 and then1 taking off about three quarters of a cap1 made a low bow and said1 while a broad1 pleasant smile overspread his face3 ,you have my parding1 miss1 and welcome1--and welcome2 and the next time you run ag'in' me1 you can knock me clean down and ,i won't say a word4 ,after the lady had passed on1 he said to a companion3 ,i say1 ,jim1 it's the first time ,i ever had anybody ask my parding1 and it kind o' took me off my feet4 ,respect the burden1 madame1 respect the burden1 said ,napoleon1 as he courteously stepped aside at ,st4 ,helena to make way for a laborer bending under a heavy load1 while his companion seemed inclined to keep the narrow path4 ,a ,washington politician went to visit ,daniel ,webster at ,marshfield1 ,mass41 and1 in taking a short cut to the house1 came to a stream which he could not cross4 ,calling to a rough-looking farmer near by1 he offered a quarter to be carried to the other side4 ,the farmer took the politician on his broad shoulders and landed him safely1 but would not take the quarter4 ,the old rustic presented himself at the house a few minutes later1 and to the great surprise and chagrin of the visitor was introduced as ,mr4 ,webster4 ,garrison was as polite to the furious mob that tore his clothes from his back and dragged him through the streets as he could have been to a king4 ,he was one of the serenest souls that ever lived4 ,christ was courteous1 even to ,his persecutors1 and in terrible agony on the cross1 ,he cried3 ,father1 forgive them1 for they know not what they do4 ,st4 ,paul's speech before ,agrippa is a model of dignified courtesy1 as well as of persuasive eloquence4 ,good manners often prove a fortune to a young man4 ,mr4 ,butler1 a merchant in ,providence1 ,r4 ,i41 had once closed his store and was on his way home when he met a little girl who wanted a spool of thread4 ,he went back1 opened the store1 and got the thread4 ,this little incident was talked of all about the city and brought him hundreds of customers4 ,he became very wealthy1 largely because of his courtesy4 ,ross ,winans of ,baltimore owed his great success and fortune largely to his courtesy to two foreign strangers4 ,although his was but a fourth-rate factory1 his great politeness in explaining the minutest details to his visitors was in such marked contrast with the limited attention they had received in large establishments that it won their esteem4 ,the strangers were ,russians sent by their ,czar1 who later invited ,mr4 ,winans to establish locomotive works in ,russia4 ,he did so1 and soon his profits resulting from his politeness were more than #ajj1jjj a year4 ,a poor curate saw a crowd of rough boys and men laughing and making fun of two aged spinsters dressed in antiquated costume4 ,the ladies were embarrassed and did not dare enter the church4 ,the curate pushed through the crowd1 conducted them up the central aisle1 and amid the titter of the congregation1 gave them choice seats4 ,these old ladies although strangers to him1 at their death left the gentle curate a large fortune4 ,courtesy pays4 ,not long ago a lady met the late ,president ,humphrey of ,amherst ,college1 and she was so much pleased with his great politeness that she gave a generous donation to the college4 ,why did our friend never succeed in business8 asked a man returning to ,new ,york after years of absence2 he had sufficient capital1 a thorough knowledge of his business1 and exceptional shrewdness and sagacity4 ,he was sour and morose1 was the reply2 he always suspected his employees of cheating him1 and was discourteous to his customers4 ,hence1 no man ever put good will or energy into work done for him1 and his patrons went to shops where they were sure of civility4 ,some men almost work their hands off and deny themselves many of the common comforts of life in their earnest efforts to succeed1 and yet render success impossible by their cross-grained ungentlemanliness4 ,they repel patronage1 and1 naturally1 business which might easily be theirs goes to others who are really less deserving but more companionable4 ,bad manners often neutralize even honesty1 industry1 and the greatest energy2 while agreeable manners win in spite of other defects4 ,take two men possessing equal advantages in every other respect2 if one be gentlemanly1 kind1 obliging1 and conciliating1 and the other disobliging1 rude1 harsh1 and insolent1 the former will become rich while the boorish one will starve4 ,illustration3 ,jane ,addams ,a fine illustration of the business value of good manners is found in the ,bon ,march1 an enormous establishment in ,paris where thousands of clerks are employed1 and where almost everything is kept for sale4 ,the two distinguishing characteristics of the house are one low price to all1 and extreme courtesy4 ,mere politeness is not enough2 the employees must try in every possible way to please and to make customers feel at home4 ,something more must be done than is done in other stores1 so that every visitor will remember the ,bon ,march with pleasure4 ,by this course the business has been developed until it is said to be the largest of the kind in the world4 ,thank you1 my dear2 please call again1 spoken to a little beggar-girl who bought a pennyworth of snuff proved a profitable advertisement and made ,lundy ,foote a millionaire4 ,many persons of real refinement are thought to be stiff1 proud1 reserved1 and haughty who are not1 but are merely diffident and shy4 ,it is a curious fact that diffidence often betrays us into discourtesies which our hearts abhor1 and which cause us intense mortification and embarrassment4 ,excessive shyness must be overcome as an obstacle to perfect manners4 ,it is peculiar to the ,anglo-,saxon and the ,teutonic races1 and has frequently been a barrier to the highest culture4 ,it is a disease of the finest organizations and the highest types of humanity4 ,it never attacks the coarse and vulgar4 ,sir ,isaac ,newton was the shyest man of his age4 ,he did not acknowledge his great discovery for years just for fear of attracting attention to himself4 ,he would not allow his name to be used in connection with his theory of the moon's motion1 for fear it would increase the acquaintances he would have to meet4 ,george ,washington was awkward and shy and had the air of a countryman4 ,archbishop ,whately was so shy that he would escape notice whenever it was possible4 ,at last he determined to give up trying to cure his shyness2 for why1 he asked1 should ,i endure this torture all my life8 when1 to his surprise1 it almost entirely disappeared4 ,elihu ,burritt was so shy that he would hide in the cellar when his parents had company4 ,practice on the stage or lecture platform does not always eradicate shyness4 ,david ,garrick1 the great actor1 was once summoned to testify in court2 and1 though he had acted for thirty years with marked self-possession1 he was so confused and embarrassed that the judge dismissed him4 ,john ,b4 ,gough said that he could not rid himself of his early diffidence and shrinking from public notice4 ,he said that he never went on the platform without fear and trembling1 and would often be covered with cold perspiration4 ,there are many worthy people who are brave on the street1 who would walk up to a cannon's mouth in battle1 but who are cowards in the drawing-room1 and dare not express an opinion in the social circle4 ,they feel conscious of a subtle tyranny in society's code1 which locks their lips and ties their tongues4 ,addison was one of the purest writers of ,english and a perfect master of the pen1 but he could scarcely utter a dozen words in conversation without being embarrassed4 ,shakespeare was very shy4 ,he retired from ,london at forty1 and did not try to publish or preserve one of his plays4 ,he took second or third-rate parts on account of his diffidence4 ,generally shyness comes from a person thinking too much about himself--which in itself is a breach of good breeding--and wondering what other people think about him4 ,i was once very shy1 said ,sydney ,smith1 but it was not long before ,i made two very useful discoveries2 first1 that all mankind were not solely employed in observing me2 and next1 that shamming was of no use2 that the world was very clear-sighted1 and soon estimated a man at his true value4 ,this cured me4 ,what a misfortune it is to go through life apparently encased in ice1 yet all the while full of kindly1 cordial feeling for one's fellow men6 ,shy people are always distrustful of their powers and look upon their lack of confidence as a weakness or lack of ability1 when it may indicate quite the reverse4 ,by teaching children early the arts of social life1 such as boxing1 horseback riding1 dancing1 elocution1 and similar accomplishments1 we may do much to overcome the sense of shyness4 ,shy people should dress well4 ,good clothes give ease of manner1 and unlock the tongue4 ,the consciousness of being well dressed gives a grace and ease of manner that even religion will not bestow1 while inferiority of garb often induces restraint4 ,as peculiarities in apparel are sure to attract attention1 it is well to avoid bright colors and fashionable extremes1 and wear plain1 well-fitting garments of as good material as the purse will afford4 ,beauty in dress is a good thing1 rail at it who may4 ,but it is a lower beauty1 for which a higher beauty should not be sacrificed4 ,they love dress too much who give it their first thought1 their best time1 or all their money2 who for it neglect the culture of the mind or heart1 or the claims of others on their service2 who care more for dress than for their character2 who are troubled more by an unfashionable garment than by a neglected duty4 ,when ,ezekiel ,whitman1 a prominent lawyer and graduate of ,harvard1 was elected to the ,massachusetts legislature1 he came to ,boston from his farm in countryman's dress1 and went to a hotel in ,boston4 ,he entered the parlor and sat down1 when he overheard the remark between some ladies and gentlemen3 ,ah1 here comes a real homespun countryman4 ,here's fun4 ,they asked him all sorts of queer questions1 tending to throw ridicule upon him1 when he arose and said1 ,ladies and gentlemen1 permit me to wish you health and happiness1 and may you grow better and wiser in advancing years1 bearing in mind that outward appearances are deceitful4 ,you mistook me1 from my dress1 for a country booby2 while ,i1 from the same superficial cause1 thought you were ladies and gentlemen4 ,the mistake has been mutual4 ,just then ,governor ,caleb ,strong entered and called to ,mr4 ,whitman1 who1 turning to the dumfounded company1 said3 ,i wish you a very good evening4 ,in civilized society1 says ,johnson1 external advantages make us more respected4 ,a man with a good coat upon his back meets with a better reception than he who has a bad one4 ,one cannot but feel that ,god is a lover of the beautiful4 ,he has put robes of beauty and glory upon all his works4 ,every flower is dressed in richness2 every field blushes beneath a mantle of beauty2 every star is veiled in brightness2 every bird is clothed in the habiliments of the most exquisite taste4 ,some people look upon polished manners as a kind of affectation4 ,they claim admiration for plain1 solid1 square1 rugged characters4 ,they might as well say that they prefer square1 plain1 unornamented houses made from square blocks of stone4 ,st4 ,peter's is none the less strong and solid because of its elegant columns and the magnificent sweep of its arches1 its carved and fretted marbles of matchless hues4 ,our manners1 like our characters1 are always under inspection4 ,every time we go into society we must step on the scales of each person's opinion1 and the loss or gain from our last weight is carefully noted4 ,each mentally asks1 ,is this person going up or down8 ,through how many grades has he passed8 ,for example1 young ,brown enters a drawing-room4 ,all present weigh him in their judgment and silently say1 ,this young man is gaining2 he is more careful1 thoughtful1 polite1 considerate1 straightforward1 industrious4 ,besides him stands young ,jones4 ,it is evident that he is losing ground rapidly4 ,he is careless1 indifferent1 rough1 does not look you in the eye1 is mean1 stingy1 snaps at the servants1 yet is over-polite to strangers4 ,and so we go through life1 tagged with these invisible labels by all who know us4 ,i sometimes think it would be a great advantage if one could read these ratings of his associates4 ,we cannot long deceive the world1 for that other self1 who ever stands in the shadow of ourselves holding the scales of justice1 that telltale in the soul1 rushes to the eye or into the manner and betrays us4 ,but manners1 while they are the garb of the gentleman1 do not constitute or finally determine his character4 ,mere politeness can never be a substitute for moral excellence1 any more than the bark can take the place of the heart of the oak4 ,it may well indicate the kind of wood below1 but not always whether it be sound or decayed4 ,etiquette is but a substitute for good manners and is often but their mere counterfeit4 ,sincerity is the highest quality of good manners4 ,the following recipe is recommended to those who wish to acquire genuine good manners3-- ,of ,unselfishness1 three drachms2 ,of the tincture of ,good ,cheer1 one ounce2 ,of ,essence of ,heart's-,ease1 three drachms2 ,of the ,extract of the ,rose of ,sharon1 four ounces2 ,of the ,oil of ,charity1 three drachms1 and no scruples2 ,of the ,infusion of ,common ,sense and ,tact1 one ounce2 ,of the ,spirit of ,love1 two ounces4 ,the ,mixture to be taken whenever there is the slightest symptom of selfishness1 exclusiveness1 meanness1 or ,i-am-better-than-you-ness4 ,pattern after ,him who gave the ,golden ,rule1 and who was the first true gentleman that ever breathed4 ,,chapter ,,xix ,,self-,,consciousness ,,and ,,timidity ,,foes ,,to ,,success ,timid1 shy people are morbidly self-conscious2 they think too much about themselves4 ,their thoughts are always turned inward2 they are always analyzing1 dissecting themselves1 wondering how they appear and what people think of them4 ,if these people could only forget themselves and think of others1 they would be surprised to see what freedom1 ease1 and grace they would gain2 what success in life they would achieve4 ,timidity1 shyness1 and self-consciousness belong to the same family4 ,we usually find all where we find any one of these qualities1 and they are all enemies of peace of mind1 happiness1 and achievement4 ,no one has ever done a great thing while his mind was centered upon himself4 ,we must lose ourselves before we can find ourselves4 ,self analysis is valuable only to learn our strength2 fatal1 if we dwell upon our weaknesses4 ,thousands of young people are held back from undertaking what they long to do1 and are kept from trying to make real their great life-dreams1 because they are afraid to jostle with the world4 ,they shrink from exposing their sore spots and sensitive points1 which smart from the lightest touch4 ,their super-sensitiveness makes cowards of them4 ,over-sensitiveness1 whether in man or woman1 is really an exaggerated form of self-consciousness4 ,it is far removed from conceit or self-esteem1 yet it causes one's personality to overshadow everything else4 ,a sensitive person feels that1 whatever he does1 wherever he goes1 or whatever he says1 he is the center of observation4 ,he imagines that people are criticizing his movements1 making fun at his expense1 or analyzing his character1 when they are probably not thinking of him at all4 ,he does not realize that other people are too busy and too much interested in themselves and other things to devote to him any of their time beyond what is absolutely necessary4 ,when he thinks they are aiming remarks at him1 putting slights upon him1 or trying to hold him up to the ridicule of others1 they may not be even conscious of his presence4 ,morbid sensitiveness requires heroic treatment4 ,a sufferer who wishes to overcome it must take himself in hand as determinedly as he would if he wished to get control of a quick temper1 or to rid himself of a habit of lying1 or stealing1 or drinking1 or any other defect which prevented his being a whole man4 ,what shall ,i do to get rid of it8 asks a victim4 ,think less of yourself and more of others4 ,mingle freely with people4 ,become interested in things outside of yourself4 ,do not brood over what is said to you1 or analyze every simple remark until you magnify it into something of the greatest importance4 ,do not have such a low and unjust estimate of people as to think they are bent on nothing but hurting the feelings of others1 and depreciating and making light of them on every possible occasion4 ,a man who appreciates himself at his true value1 and who gives his neighbors credit for being at least as good as he is1 cannot be a victim of over-sensitiveness4 ,one of the best schools for a sensitive boy is a large business house in which he will be thrown among strangers who will not handle him with gloves4 ,in such an environment he will soon learn that everyone has all he can do to attend to his own business4 ,he will realize that he must be a man and give and take with the others1 or get out4 ,he will be ashamed to play cry baby every time he feels hurt1 but will make up his mind to grin and bear it4 ,working in competition with other people1 and seeing that exactly the same treatment is given to those above him as to himself1 takes the nonsense out of him4 ,he begins to see that the world is too busy to bother itself especially about him1 and that1 even when people look at him1 they are not usually thinking of him4 ,a college course is of inestimable value to a boy or girl of over-refined sensibilities4 ,oftentimes1 when boys enter college as freshmen1 they are so touchy that their sense of honor is constantly being hurt and their pride stung by the unconscious thrusts of classmates and companions4 ,but after they have been in college a term1 and have been knocked about and handled in a rough but good-humored manner by youths of their own age1 they realize that it would be the most foolish thing in the world to betray resentment4 ,if one shows that he is hurt1 he knows that he will be called the class booby1 and teased unmercifully1 so he is simply forced to drop his foolish sensitiveness4 ,thousands of people are out of positions1 and cannot keep places when they get them1 because of this weakness4 ,many a good business man has been kept back1 or even ruined1 by his quickness to take offense1 or to resent a fancied slight4 ,there is many a clergyman1 well educated and able1 who is so sensitive that he can not keep a pastorate long4 ,from his distorted viewpoint some brother or sister in the church is always hurting him1 saying and thinking unkind things1 or throwing out hints and suggestions calculated to injure him in the eyes of the congregation4 ,many schoolteachers are great sufferers from over-sensitiveness4 ,remarks of parents1 or school committees1 or little bits of gossip which are reported to them make them feel as if people were sticking pins in them1 metaphorically speaking1 all the time4 ,writers1 authors1 and other people with artistic temperaments1 are usually very sensitive4 ,i have in mind a very strong1 vigorous editorial writer who is so prone to take offense that he can not hold a position either on a magazine or a daily paper4 ,he is cut to the very quick by the slightest criticism1 and regards every suggestion for the improvement of his work as a personal affront4 ,he always carries about an injured air1 a feeling that he has been imposed upon1 which greatly detracts from an otherwise agreeable personality4 ,the great majority of people1 no matter how rough in manner or bearing1 are kind-hearted1 and would much rather help than hinder a fellowbeing1 but they have all they can do to attend to their own affairs1 and have no time to spend in minutely analyzing the nature and feeling of those whom they meet in the course of their daily business4 ,in the busy world of affairs1 it is give and take1 touch and go1 and those who expect to get on must rid themselves of all morbid sensitiveness4 ,if they do not1 they doom themselves to unhappiness and failure4 ,self-consciousness is a foe to greatness in every line of endeavor4 ,no one ever does a really great thing until he feels that he is a part of something greater than himself1 until he surrenders to that greater principle4 ,some of our best writers never found themselves1 never touched their power1 until they forgot their rules for construction1 their grammar1 their rhetorical arrangement1 by losing themselves in their subject4 ,then they found their style4 ,it is when a writer is so completely carried away with his subject that he cannot help writing1 that he writes naturally4 ,he shows what his real style is4 ,no orator has ever electrified an audience while he was thinking of his style or was conscious of his rhetoric1 or trying to apply the conventional rules of oratory4 ,it is when the orator's soul is on fire with his theme1 and he forgets his audience1 forgets everything but his subject1 that he really does a great thing4 ,no painter ever did a great masterpiece when trying to keep all the rules of his profession1 the laws of drawing1 of perspective1 the science of color1 in his mind4 ,everything must be swallowed up in his zeal1 fused in the fire of his genius1--then1 and then only1 can he really create4 ,no singer ever captivated her audience until she forgot herself1 until she was lost in her song4 ,could anything be more foolish and short-sighted than to allow a morbid sensitiveness to interfere with one's advancement in life8 ,i know a young lady with a superb mind and a fine personality1 capable of filling a superior position1 who has been kept in a very ordinary situation for years simply because of her morbid sensitiveness4 ,she takes it for granted that if any criticism is made in the department where she works1 it is intended for her1 and she flies off the handle over every little remark that she can possibly twist into a reflection upon herself4 ,the result is that she makes it so unpleasant for her employers that they do not promote her4 ,and she can not understand why she does not get on faster4 ,no one wishes to employ anyone who is so sensitive that he is obliged to be on his guard every moment lest he wound him or touch a sore spot4 ,it makes an employer very uncomfortable to feel that those about him are carrying around an injured air a large part of the time1 so that he never quite knows whether they are in sympathy with him or not4 ,if anything has gone wrong in his business and he feels vexed1 he knows that he is liable to give offense to these people without ever intending it4 ,a man wants to feel that his employees understand him1 and that they take into consideration the thousand and one little vexations and happenings which are extremely trying1 and that if he does not happen to approach them with a smiling face1 with consideration and friendliness in his words or commands1 they will not take offense4 ,they will think of his troubles1 not their own1 if they are wise3 they will forget self1 and contribute their zeal to the greater good4 ,,chapter ,,xx ,,tact ,,or ,,common ,,sense ,who is stronger than thou8 asked ,braham2 and ,force replied ,address4--,,victor ,,hugo4 ,address makes opportunities2 the want of it gives them4--,,bovee4 ,he'll suit his bearing to the hour1 ,laugh1 listen1 learn1 or teach4 ,,eliza ,,cook4 ,a man who knows the world will not only make the most of everything he does know1 but of many things he does not know2 and will gain more credit by his adroit mode of hiding his ignorance1 than the pedant by his awkward attempt to exhibit his erudition4--,,colton4 ,the art of using moderate abilities to advantage wins praise1 and often acquires more reputation than actual brilliancy4--,,rochefoucauld4 ,tact clinches the bargain1 ,sails out of the bay1 ,gets the vote in the ,senate1 ,spite of ,webster or ,clay4 ,i never will surrender to a nigger1 said a ,confederate officer1 when a colored soldier chased and caught him4 ,berry sorry1 massa1 said the negro1 leveling his rifle2 must kill you den2 hain't time to go back and git a white man4 ,the officer surrendered4 ,when ,god endowed human beings with brains1 says ,montesquieu1 he did not intend to guarantee them4 ,when ,abraham ,lincoln was running for the legislature the first time1 on the platform of the improvement of the ,sangamon ,river1 he went to secure the votes of thirty men who were cradling a wheatfield4 ,they asked no questions about internal improvements1 but only seemed curious to know whether he had muscle enough to represent them in the legislature4 ,lincoln took up a cradle and led the gang around the field4 ,the whole thirty voted for him4 ,i do not know how it is1 said ,napoleon in surprise to his cook1 but at whatever hour ,i call for my breakfast my chicken is always ready and always in good condition4 ,this seemed to him the more strange because sometimes he would breakfast at eight and at other times as late as eleven4 ,sire1 said the cook1 the reason is1 that every quarter of an hour ,i put a fresh chicken down to roast1 so that your ,majesty is sure always to have it at perfection4 ,talent in this age is no match for tact4 ,we see its failure everywhere4 ,tact will manipulate one talent so as to get more out of it in a lifetime than ten talents will accomplish without it4 ,talent lies abed till noon2 tact is up at six4 ,talent is power1 tact is skill4 ,talent knows what to do1 tact knows how to do it4 ,talent is something1 but tact is everything4 ,it is not a sixth sense1 but it is like the life of all the five4 ,it is the open eye1 the quick ear1 the judging taste1 the keen smell1 and lively touch2 it is the interpreter of all riddles1 the surmounter of all difficulties1 the remover of all obstacles4 ,the world is full of theoretical1 one-sided1 impractical men1 who have turned all the energies of their lives into one faculty until they have developed1 not a full-orbed1 symmetrical man1 but a monstrosity1 while all their other faculties have atrophied and died4 ,we often call these one-sided men geniuses1 and the world excuses their impractical and almost idiotic conduct in most matters1 because they can perform one kind of work that no one else can do as well4 ,a merchant is excused if he is a giant in merchandise1 though he may be an imbecile in the drawing-room4 ,adam ,smith could teach the world economy in his ,wealth of ,nations1 but he could not manage the finances of his own household4 ,many great men are very impractical even in the ordinary affairs of life4 ,isaac ,newton could read the secret of creation2 but1 tired of rising from his chair to open the door for a cat and her kitten1 he had two holes cut through the panels for them to pass at will1 a large hole for the cat1 and a small one for the kitten4 ,beethoven was a great musician1 but he sent three hundred florins to pay for six shirts and half a dozen handkerchiefs4 ,he paid his tailor as large a sum in advance1 and yet he was so poor at times that he had only a biscuit and a glass of water for dinner4 ,he did not know enough of business to cut the coupon from a bond when he wanted money1 but sold the whole instrument4 ,dean ,swift nearly starved in a country parish where his more practical classmate ,stafford became rich4 ,one of ,napoleon's marshals understood military tactics as well as his chief1 but he did not know men so well1 and lacked the other's skill and tact4 ,napoleon might fall2 but1 like a cat1 he would fall upon his feet4 ,for his argument in the ,florida ,case1 a fee of one thousand dollars in crisp new bills of large denomination was handed to ,daniel ,webster as he sat reading in his library4 ,the next day he wished to use some of the money1 but could not find any of the bills4 ,years afterward1 as he turned the page of a book1 he found a bank-bill without a crease in it4 ,on turning the next leaf he found another1 and so on until he took the whole amount lost from the places where he had deposited them thoughtlessly1 as he read4 ,learning of a new issue of gold pieces at the ,treasury1 he directed his secretary1 ,charles ,lanman1 to obtain several hundred dollars' worth4 ,a day or two after he put his hand in his pocket for one1 but they were all gone4 ,webster was at first puzzled1 but on reflection remembered that he had given them away1 one by one1 to friends who seemed to appreciate their beauty4 ,a professor in mathematics in a ,new ,england college1 a book-worm1 was asked by his wife to bring home some coffee4 ,how much will you have8 asked the merchant4 ,well1 ,i declare1 my wife did not say1 but ,i guess a bushel will do4 ,many a great man has been so absent-minded at times as to seem devoid of common-sense4 ,the professor is not at home1 said his servant who looked out of a window in the dark and failed to recognize ,lessing when the latter knocked at his own door in a fit of absent-mindedness4 ,oh1 very well1 replied ,lessing4 ,no matter1 ,i'll call at another time4 ,louis ,philippe said he was the only sovereign in ,europe fit to govern1 for he could black his own boots4 ,the world is full of men and women apparently splendidly endowed and highly educated1 yet who can scarcely get a living4 ,not long ago three college graduates were found working on a sheep farm in ,australia1 one from ,oxford1 one from ,cambridge1 and the other from a ,german ,university1--college men tending brutes6 ,trained to lead men1 they drove sheep4 ,the owner of the farm was an ignorant1 coarse sheep-raiser4 ,he knew nothing of books or theories1 but he knew sheep4 ,his three hired graduates could speak foreign languages and discuss theories of political economy and philosophy1 but he could make money4 ,he could talk about nothing but sheep and farm2 but he had made a fortune1 while the college men could scarcely get a living4 ,even the ,university could not supply common sense4 ,it was culture against ignorance2 the college against the ranch2 and the ranch beat every time4 ,do not expect too much from books4 ,bacon said that studies teach not their own use1 but that there is a practical wisdom without them1 won by observation4 ,the use of books must be found outside their own lids4 ,it was said of a great ,french scholar3 ,he was drowned in his talents4 ,over-culture1 without practical experience1 weakens a man1 and unfits him for real life4 ,book education alone tends to make a man too critical1 too self-conscious1 timid1 distrustful of his abilities1 too fine for the mechanical drudgery of practical life1 too highly polished1 and too finely cultured for every day use4 ,the culture of books and colleges refines1 yet it is often but an ethical culture1 and is gained at the cost of vigor and rugged strength4 ,book culture alone tends to paralyze the practical faculties4 ,the bookworm loses his individuality2 his head is filled with theories and saturated with other men's thoughts4 ,the stamina of the vigorous mind he brought from the farm has evaporated in college2 and when he graduates1 he is astonished to find that he has lost the power to grapple with men and things1 and is therefore out-stripped in the race of life by the boy who has had no chance1 but who1 in the fierce struggle for existence1 has developed hard common sense and practical wisdom4 ,the college graduate often mistakes his crutches for strength4 ,he inhabits an ideal realm where common sense rarely dwells4 ,the world cares little for his theories or his encyclopaedic knowledge4 ,the cry of the age is for practical men4 ,we have been among you several weeks1 said ,columbus to the ,indian chiefs2 and1 although at first you treated us like friends1 you are now jealous of us and are trying to drive us away4 ,you brought us food in plenty every morning1 but now you bring very little and the amount is less with each succeeding day4 ,the ,great ,spirit is angry with you for not doing as you agreed in bringing us provisions4 ,to show his anger he will cause the sun to be in darkness4 ,he knew that there was to be an eclipse of the sun1 and told the day and hour it would occur1 but the ,indians did not believe him1 and continued to reduce the supply of food4 ,on the appointed day the sun rose without a cloud1 and the ,indians shook their heads1 beginning to show signs of open hostility as the hours passed without a shadow on the face of the sun4 ,but at length a dark spot was seen on one margin2 and1 as it became larger1 the natives grew frantic and fell prostrate before ,columbus to entreat for help4 ,he retired to his tent1 promising to save them1 if possible4 ,about the time for the eclipse to pass away1 he came out and said that the ,great ,spirit had pardoned them1 and would soon drive away the monster from the sun if they would never offend him again4 ,they readily promised1 and when the sun had passed out of the shadow they leaped and danced and sang for joy4 ,thereafter the ,spaniards had all the provisions they needed4 ,common sense1 said ,wendell ,phillips1 bows to the inevitable and makes use of it4 ,when ,caesar stumbled in landing on the beach of ,britain1 he instantly grasped a handful of sand and held it aloft as a signal of triumph1 hiding forever from his followers the ill omen of his threatened fall4 ,goethe1 speaking of some comparisons that had been instituted between himself and ,shakespeare1 said3 ,shakespeare always hits the right nail on the head at once2 but ,i have to stop and think which is the right nail1 before ,i hit4 ,it has been said that a few pebbles from a brook in the sling of a ,david who knows how to send them to the mark are more effective than a ,goliath's spear and a ,goliath's strength with a ,goliath's clumsiness4 ,get ready for the redskins6 shouted an excited man as he galloped up to the log-cabin of the ,moore family in ,ohio many years ago2 and give me a fresh horse as soon as you can4 ,they killed a family down the river last night1 and nobody knows where they'll turn up next6 ,what shall we do8 asked ,mrs4 ,moore1 with a pale face4 ,my husband went away yesterday to buy our winter supplies1 and will not be back until morning4 ,husband away8 ,whew6 that's bad6 ,well1 shut up as tight as you can4 ,cover up your fire1 and don't strike a light to-night4 ,then springing upon the horse the boys had brought1 he galloped away to warn other settlers4 ,mrs4 ,moore carried the younger children to the loft of the cabin1 and left ,obed and ,joe to watch1 reluctantly yielding the post of danger to them at their urgent request4 ,they're coming1 ,joe6 whispered ,obed early in the evening1 as he saw several shadows moving across the fields4 ,stand by that window with the axe1 while ,i get the rifle pointed at this one4 ,opening the bullet-pouch1 he took out a ball1 but nearly fainted as he found it was too large for the rifle4 ,his father had taken the wrong pouch4 ,obed felt around to see if there were any smaller balls in the cupboard1 and almost stumbled over a very large pumpkin1 one of the two which he and ,joe had been using to make ,jack-o'-lanterns when the messenger alarmed them4 ,pulling off his coat1 he flung it over the vegetable lantern1 made to imitate a gigantic grinning face1 with open eyes1 nose1 and mouth1 and with a live coal from the ashes he lighted the candle inside4 ,they'll sound the war-whoop in a minute1 if ,i give them time1 he whispered1 as he raised the covered lantern to the window4 ,now for it6 he added1 pulling the coat away4 ,an unearthly yell greeted the appearance of the grinning monster1 and the ,indians fled wildly to the woods4 ,quick1 ,joe6 ,light up the other one6 ,don't you see that's what scar't 'em so8 demanded ,obed2 and at the appearance of the second fiery face the savages gave a final yell and vanished in the forest4 ,mr4 ,moore and daylight came together1 but the ,indians did not return4 ,thurlow ,weed earned his first quarter by carrying a trunk on his back from a sloop in ,new ,york harbor to a ,broad ,street hotel4 ,he had very few chances such as are now open to the humblest boy1 but he had tact and intuition4 ,he could read men as an open book1 and mold them to his will4 ,he was unselfish4 ,by three presidents whom his tact and shrewdness had helped to elect he was offered the ,english mission and scores of other important positions1 but he invariably declined4 ,lincoln selected ,weed to attempt the reconciliation of the ,new ,york ,herald1 which had a large circulation in ,europe1 and was creating a dangerous public sentiment abroad and at home by its articles in sympathy with the ,confederacy4 ,though ,weed and ,bennett had not spoken to each other before for thirty years1 the very next day after their interview the ,herald became a strong ,union paper4 ,weed was then sent to ,europe to counteract the pernicious influence of secession agents4 ,the emperor of ,france favored the ,south4 ,he was very indignant because ,charleston harbor had been blockaded1 thus shutting off ,french manufacturers from large supplies of cotton4 ,but ,weed's rare tact modified his views1 and induced him to change to friendliness the tone of a hostile speech prepared for delivery to the ,national ,assembly4 ,england was working night and day preparing for war when ,weed arrived upon the scene1 and soon changed largely the current of public sentiment4 ,on his return to ,america the city of ,new ,york extended public thanks to him for his inestimable services4 ,he was equally successful in business1 and acquired a fortune of a million dollars4 ,tell me the breadth of this stream1 said ,napoleon to his chief engineer1 as they came to a bridgeless river which the army had to cross4 ,sire1 ,i cannot4 ,my scientific instruments are with the army1 and we are ten miles ahead of it4 ,measure the width of this stream instantly4--,sire1 be reasonable6--,ascertain at once the width of this river1 or you shall be deposed4 ,the engineer drew the cap-piece of his helmet down until the edge seemed just in line between his eye and the opposite bank2 then1 holding himself carefully erect1 he turned on his heel and noticed where the edge seemed to touch the bank on which he stood1 which was on the same level as the other4 ,he paced the distance to the point last noted1 and said3 ,this is the approximate width of the stream4 ,he was promoted4 ,mr4 ,webster1 said the mayor of a ,western city1 when it was learned that the great statesman1 although weary with travel1 would be delayed for an hour by a failure to make close connections1 allow me to introduce you to ,mr4 ,james1 one of our most distinguished citizens4 ,how do you do1 ,mr4 ,james8 asked ,webster mechanically1 as he glanced at a thousand people waiting to take his hand4 ,the truth is1 ,mr4 ,webster1 replied ,mr4 ,james in a most lugubrious tone1 ,i am not very well4 ,i hope nothing serious is the matter1 thundered the godlike ,daniel1 in a tone of anxious concern4 ,well1 ,i don't know that1 ,mr4 ,webster4 ,i think it's rheumatiz1 but my wife---- ,mr4 ,webster1 this is ,mr4 ,smith1 broke in the mayor1 leaving poor ,mr4 ,james to enjoy his bad health in the pitiless solitude of a crowd4 ,his total want of tact had made him ridiculous4 ,address yourself to the jury1 sir1 said a judge to a witness who insisted upon imparting his testimony in a confidential tone to the court direct4 ,the man did not understand and continued as before4 ,speak to the jury1 sir1 the men sitting behind you on the raised benches4 ,turning1 the witness bowed low in awkward suavity1 and said1 ,good-morning1 gentlemen4 ,what are these8 asked ,napoleon1 pointing to twelve silver statues in a cathedral4 ,the twelve ,apostles1 was the reply4 ,take them down1 said ,napoleon1 melt them1 coin them into money1 and let them go about doing good1 as their ,master did4 ,i don't think the ,proverbs of ,solomon show very great wisdom1 said a student at ,brown ,university2 ,i could make as good ones myself4 ,very well1 replied ,president ,wayland1 bring in two to-morrow morning4 ,he did not bring them4 ,will you lecture for us for fame8 was the telegram young ,henry ,ward ,beecher received from a ,young ,men's ,christian ,association in the ,west4 ,yes1 ,f4 ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 ,fifty and my expenses1 was the answer the shrewd young preacher sent back4 ,montaigne tells of a monarch who1 on the sudden death of an only child1 showed his resentment against ,providence by abolishing the ,christian religion throughout his dominions for a fortnight4 ,the triumphs of tact1 or common sense1 over talent and genius1 are seen everywhere4 ,walpole was an ignorant man1 and ,charlemagne could hardly write his name so that it could be deciphered2 but these giants knew men and things1 and possessed that practical wisdom and tact which have ever moved the world4 ,tact1 like ,alexander1 cuts the knots it cannot untie1 and leads its forces to glorious victory4 ,a practical man not only sees1 but seizes the opportunity4 ,there is a certain getting-on quality difficult to describe1 but which is the great winner of the prizes of life4 ,napoleon could do anything in the art of war with his own hands1 even to the making of gunpowder4 ,paul was all things to all men1 that he might save some4 ,the palm is among the hardest and least yielding of all woods1 yet rather than be deprived of the rays of the life-giving sun in the dense forests of ,south ,america1 it is said to turn into a creeper1 and climb the nearest trunk to the light4 ,a farmer who could not get a living sold one half of his farm to a young man who made enough money on the half to pay for it and buy the rest4 ,you have not tact1 was his reply1 when the old man asked how one could succeed so well where the other had failed4 ,according to an old custom a ,cape ,cod minister was called upon in ,april to make a prayer over a piece of land4 ,no1 said he1 when shown the land1 this does not need a prayer2 it needs manure4 ,to see a man as he is you must turn him round and round until you get him at the right angle4 ,place him in a good light1 as you would a picture4 ,the excellences and defects will appear if you get the right angle4 ,how our old schoolmates have changed places in the ranking of actual life6 ,the boy who led his class and was the envy of all has been distanced by the poor dunce who was called slow and stupid1 but who had a sort of dull energy in him which enabled him to get on in the world4 ,the class leader had only a theoretical knowledge1 and could not cope with the stern realities of the age4 ,even genius1 however rapid its flight1 must not omit a single essential detail1 and must be willing to work like a horse4 ,shakespeare had marvelous tact2 he worked everything into his plays4 ,he ground up the king and his vassal1 the fool and the fop1 the prince and the peasant1 the black and the white1 the pure and the impure1 the simple and the profound1 passions and characters1 honor and dishonor1--everything within the sweep of his vision he ground up into paint and spread it upon his mighty canvas4 ,some people show want of tact in resenting every slight or petty insult1 however unworthy their notice4 ,others make ,don ,quixote's mistake of fighting a windmill by engaging in controversies with public speakers and editors1 who are sure to have the advantage of the final word4 ,one of the greatest elements of strength in the character of ,washington was found in his forbearance when unjustly attacked or ridiculed4 ,artemus ,ward touches this bubble with a pretty sharp-pointed pen4 ,it was in a surtin town in ,virginny1 the ,muther of ,presidents and things1 that ,i was shaimfully aboozed by a editer in human form4 ,he set my ,show up steep1 and kalled me the urbane and gentlemunly manager1 but when ,i1 fur the purpuss of showin' fair play all round1 went to anuther offiss to get my handbills printed1 what duz this pussillanermus editer do but change his toon and abooze me like a injun4 ,he sed my wax-wurks was a humbug1 and called me a horey-heded itinerent vagabone4 ,i thort at fust ,ide pollish him orf ar-lar ,beneki ,boy1 but on reflectin' that he cood pollish me much wuss in his paper1 ,i giv it up2 and ,i wood here take occashun to advise people when they run agin1 as they sumtimes will1 these miserable papers1 to not pay no attenshun to um4 ,abuv all1 don't assault a editer of this kind4 ,it only gives him a notorosity1 which is jist what he wants1 and don't do you no more good than it would to jump into enny other mudpuddle4 ,editors are generally fine men1 but there must be black sheep in every flock4 ,john ,jacob ,astor had practical talent in a remarkable degree4 ,during a storm at sea1 on his voyage to ,america1 the other passengers ran about the deck in despair1 expecting every minute to go down2 but young ,astor went below and coolly put on his best suit of clothes1 saying that if the ship should founder and he should happen to be rescued1 he would at least save his best suit of clothes4 ,their trading talent is bringing the ,jews to the front in ,america as well as in ,europe1 said a traveler to one of that race2 and it has gained for them an ascendency1 at least in certain branches of trade1 from which nothing will ever displace them4 ,dey are coming to de vront1 most zairtainly1 replied his companion2 but vy do you shpeak of deir drading dalent all de time8 ,but don't you regard it as a talent8 ,a dalent8 ,no6 ,it is chenius4 ,i vill dell you what is de difference1 in drade1 between dalent and chenius4 ,ven one goes into a man's shtore and manaches to seel him vat he vonts1 dat is dalent2 but ven annoder man goes into dat man's shtore and sells him vot he don't vont1 dat is chenius2 and dat is de chenius vot my race has got4 ,,chapter ,,xxi ,,enamored ,,of ,,accuracy ,antonio ,stradivari has an eye ,that winces at false work and loves the true4 ,accuracy is the twin brother of honesty4--,c4 ,,simmons4 ,genius is the infinite art of taking pains4--,,carlyle4 ,i hate a thing done by halves4 ,if it be right1 do it boldly2 if it be wrong1 leave it undone4--,,gilpin4 ,if ,i were a cobbler1 it would be my pride ,the best of all cobblers to be2 ,if ,i were a tinker1 no tinker beside ,should mend an old kettle like me4 ,,old ,,song4 ,if a man can write a better book1 preach a better sermon1 or make a better mouse-trap than his neighbor1 though he build his house in the woods1 the world will make a beaten path to his door4--,,emerson4 ,sir1 it is a watch which ,i have made and regulated myself1 said ,george ,graham of ,london to a customer who asked how far he could depend upon its keeping correct time2 take it with you wherever you please4 ,if after seven years you come back to see me1 and can tell me there has been a difference of five minutes1 ,i will return you your money4 ,seven years later the gentleman returned from ,india4 ,sir1 said he1 ,i bring you back your watch4 ,i remember our conditions1 said ,graham4 ,let me see the watch4 ,well1 what do you complain of8 ,why1 said the man1 ,i have had it seven years1 and there is a difference of more than five minutes4 ,indeed6 ,in that case ,i return you your money4 ,i would not part with my watch1 said the man1 for ten times the sum ,i paid for it4 ,and ,i would not break my word for any consideration1 replied ,graham2 so he paid the money and took the watch1 which he used as a regulator4 ,he learned his trade of ,tampion1 the most exquisite mechanic in ,london1 if not in the world1 whose name on a timepiece was considered proof positive of its excellence4 ,when a person once asked him to repair a watch upon which his name was fraudulently engraved1 ,tampion smashed it with a hammer1 and handed the astonished customer one of his own master-pieces1 saying1 ,sir1 here is a watch of my making4 ,graham invented the compensating mercury pendulum1 the dead escapement1 and the orrery1 none of which have been much improved since4 ,the clock which he made for ,greenwich ,observatory has been running one hundred and fifty years1 yet it needs regulating but once in fifteen months4 ,tampion and ,graham lie in ,westminster ,abbey1 because of the accuracy of their work4 ,to insure safety1 a navigator must know how far he is from the equator1 north or south1 and how far east or west of some known point1 as ,greenwich1 ,paris1 or ,washington4 ,he could be sure of this knowledge when the sun is shining1 if he could have an absolutely accurate timekeeper2 but such a thing has not yet been made4 ,in the sixteenth century ,spain offered a prize of a thousand crowns for the discovery of an approximately correct method of determining longitude4 ,about two hundred years later the ,english government offered #e1jjj pounds for a chronometer by which a ship six months from home could get her longitude within sixty miles2 #g1ejj pounds if within forty miles2 #aj1jjj pounds if within thirty miles2 and in another clause #bj1jjj pounds for correctness within thirty miles1 a careless repetition4 ,the watchmakers of the world contested for the prizes1 but #agfa came1 and they had not been awarded4 ,in that year ,john ,harrison asked for a test of his chronometer4 ,in a trip of one hundred and forty-seven days from ,portsmouth to ,jamaica and back1 it varied less than two minutes1 and only four seconds on the outward voyage4 ,in a round trip of one hundred and fifty-six days to ,barbadoes1 the variation was only fifteen seconds4 ,the #bj1jjj pounds was paid to the man who had worked and experimented for forty years1 and whose hand was as exquisitely delicate in its movement as the mechanism of his chronometer4 ,make me as good a hammer as you know how1 said a carpenter to the blacksmith in a ,new ,york village before the first railroad was built2 six of us have come to work on the new church1 and ,i've left mine at home4 ,as good a one as ,i know how8 asked ,david ,maydole1 doubtfully1 but perhaps you don't want to pay for as good a one as ,i know how to make4 ,yes1 ,i do1 said the carpenter1 ,i want a good hammer4 ,it was indeed a good hammer that he received1 the best1 probably1 that had ever been made4 ,by means of a longer hole than usual1 ,david had wedged the handle in its place so that the head could not fly off1 a wonderful improvement in the eyes of the carpenter1 who boasted of his prize to his companions4 ,they all came to the shop next day1 and each ordered just such a hammer4 ,when the contractor saw the tools1 he ordered two for himself1 asking that they be made a little better than those of his men4 ,i can't make any better ones1 said ,maydole2 when ,i make a thing1 ,i make it as well as ,i can1 no matter whom it is for4 ,the storekeeper soon ordered two dozen1 a supply unheard of in his previous business career4 ,a ,new ,york dealer in tools came to the village to sell his wares1 and bought all the storekeeper had1 and left a standing order for all the blacksmith could make4 ,david might have grown very wealthy by making goods of the standard already attained2 but throughout his long and successful life he never ceased to study still further to perfect his hammers in the minutest detail4 ,they were usually sold without any warrant of excellence1 the word ,maydole stamped on the head being universally considered a guaranty of the best article the world could produce4 ,character is power1 and is the best advertisement in the world4 ,we have no secret1 said the manager of an iron works employing thousands of men4 ,we always try to beat our last batch of rails4 ,that is all the secret we've got1 and we don't care who knows it4 ,i don't try to see how cheap a machine ,i can produce1 but how good a machine1 said the late ,john ,c4 ,whitin1 of ,northbridge1 ,mass41 to a customer who complained of the high price of some cotton machinery4 ,business men soon learned what this meant2 and when there was occasion to advertise any machinery for sale1 ,new ,england cotton manufacturers were accustomed to state the number of years it had been in use and add1 as an all-sufficient guaranty of ,northbridge products1 ,whitin make4 ,madam1 said the sculptor ,h4 ,k4 ,brown1 as he admired a statue in alabaster made by a youth in his teens1 this boy has something in him4 ,it was the figure of an ,irishman who worked for the ,ward family in ,brooklyn years ago1 and gave with minutest fidelity not merely the man's features and expression1 but even the patches in his trousers1 the rent in his coat1 and the creases in his narrow-brimmed stove-pipe hat4 ,mr4 ,brown saw the statue at the house of a lady living at ,newburgh-on-the-,hudson4 ,six years later he invited her brother1 ,j4 ,q4 ,a4 ,ward1 to become a pupil in his studio4 ,to-day the name of ,ward is that of the most prosperous of all ,americans sculptors4 ,paint me just as ,i am1 warts and all1 said ,oliver ,cromwell to the artist who1 thinking to please the great man1 had omitted a mole4 ,i can remember when you blacked my father's shoes1 said one member of the ,house of ,commons to another in the heat of debate4 ,true enough1 was the prompt reply1 but did ,i not black them well8 ,it is easy to tell good indigo1 said an old lady4 ,just take a lump and put it into water1 and if it is good1 it will either sink or swim1 ,i am not sure which2 but never mind1 you can try it for yourself4 ,john ,b4 ,gough told of a colored preacher who1 wishing his congregation to fresco the recess back of the pulpit1 suddenly closed his ,bible and said1 ,there1 my bredren1 de ,gospel will not be dispensed with any more from dis pulpit till de collection am sufficient to fricassee dis abscess4 ,when troubled with deafness1 ,wellington consulted a celebrated physician1 who put strong caustic into his ear1 causing an inflammation which threatened his life4 ,the doctor apologized1 expressed great regrets1 and said that the blunder would ruin him4 ,no1 said ,wellington1 ,i will never mention it4 ,but you will allow me to attend you1 so that people will not withdraw their confidence8 ,no1 said the ,iron ,duke1 that would be lying4 ,father1 said a boy1 ,i saw an immense number of dogs--five hundred1 ,i am sure--in our street1 last night4 ,surely not so many1 said the father4 ,well1 there were one hundred1 ,i'm quite sure4 ,it could not be1 said the father2 ,i don't think there are a hundred dogs in our village4 ,well1 sir1 it could not be less than ten3 this ,i am quite certain of4 ,i will not believe you saw ten even1 said the father2 for you spoke as confidently of seeing five hundred as of seeing this smaller number4 ,you have contradicted yourself twice already1 and now ,i cannot believe you4 ,well1 sir1 said the disconcerted boy1 ,i saw at least our ,dash and another one4 ,we condemn the boy for exaggerating in order to tell a wonderful story2 but how much more truthful are they who never saw it rain so before1 or who call day after day the hottest of the summer or the coldest of the winter8 ,there is nothing which all mankind venerate and admire so much as simple truth1 exempt from artifice1 duplicity1 and design4 ,it exhibits at once a strength of character and integrity of purpose in which all are willing to confide4 ,to say nice things merely to avoid giving offense2 to keep silent rather than speak the truth2 to equivocate1 to evade1 to dodge1 to say what is expedient rather than what is truthful2 to shirk the truth2 to face both ways2 to exaggerate2 to seem to concur with another's opinions when you do not2 to deceive by a glance of the eye1 a nod of the head1 a smile1 a gesture2 to lack sincerity2 to assume to know or think or feel what you do not--all these are but various manifestations of hollowness and falsehood resulting from want of accuracy4 ,we find no lying1 no inaccuracy1 no slipshod business in nature4 ,roses blossom and crystals form with the same precision of tint and angle to-day as in ,eden on the morning of creation4 ,the rose in the queen's garden is not more beautiful1 more fragrant1 more exquisitely perfect1 than that which blooms and blushes unheeded amid the fern-decked brush by the roadside1 or in some far-off glen where no human eye ever sees it4 ,the crystal found deep in the earth is constructed with the same fidelity as that formed above ground4 ,even the tiny snowflake whose destiny is to become an apparently insignificant and a wholly unnoticed part of an enormous bank1 assumes its shape of ethereal beauty as faithfully as though preparing for some grand exhibition4 ,planets rush with dizzy sweep through almost limitless courses1 yet return to equinox or solstice at the appointed second1 their very movement being the uniform manifestation of the will of ,god4 ,the marvelous resources and growth of ,america have developed an unfortunate tendency to overstate1 overdraw1 and exaggerate4 ,it seems strange that there should be so strong a temptation to exaggerate in a country where the truth is more wonderful than fiction4 ,the positive is stronger than the superlative1 but we ignore this fact in our speech4 ,indeed1 it is really difficult to ascertain the exact truth in ,america4 ,how many ,american fortunes are built on misrepresentation that is needless1 for nothing else is half so strong as truth4 ,does the devil lie8 was asked of ,sir ,thomas ,browne4 ,no1 for then even he could not exist4 ,truth is necessary to permanency4 ,in ,siberia a traveler found men who could see the satellites of ,jupiter with the naked eye4 ,these men have made little advance in civilization1 yet they are far superior to us in their accuracy of vision4 ,it is a curious fact that not a single astronomical discovery of importance has been made through a large telescope1 the men who have advanced our knowledge of that science the most working with ordinary instruments backed by most accurately trained minds and eyes4 ,a double convex lens three feet in diameter is worth #fj1jjj4 ,its adjustment is so delicate that the human hand is the only instrument thus far known suitable for giving the final polish1 and one sweep of the hand more than is needed1 ,alvan ,clark says1 would impair the correctness of the glass4 ,during the test of the great glass which he made for ,russia1 the workmen turned it a little with their hands4 ,wait1 boys1 let it cool before making another trial1 said ,clark2 the poise is so delicate that the heat from your hands affects it4 ,mr4 ,clark's love of accuracy has made his name a synonym of exactness the world over4 ,no1 ,i can't do it1 it is impossible1 said ,webster1 when urged to speak on a question soon to come up1 toward the close of a ,congressional session4 ,i am so pressed with other duties that ,i haven't time to prepare myself to speak upon that theme4 ,ah1 but1 ,mr4 ,webster1 you always speak well upon any subject4 ,you never fail4 ,but that's the very reason1 said the orator1 because ,i never allow myself to speak upon any subject without first making that subject thoroughly my own4 ,i haven't time to do that in this instance4 ,hence ,i must refuse4 ,rufus ,choate would plead before a shoemaker justice of the peace in a petty case with all the fervor and careful attention to detail with which he addressed the ,united ,states ,supreme ,court4 ,whatever is right to do1 said an eminent writer1 should be done with our best care1 strength1 and faithfulness of purpose2 we have no scales by which we can weigh our faithfulness to duties1 or determine their relative importance in ,god's eyes4 ,that which seems a trifle to us may be the secret spring which shall move the issues of life and death4 ,there goes a man that has been in hell1 the ,florentines would say when ,dante passed1 so realistic seemed to them his description of the nether world4 ,there is only one real failure in life possible1 said ,canon ,farrar2 and that is1 not to be true to the best one knows4 ,it is quite astonishing1 ,grove said of ,beethoven1 to find the length of time during which some of the best known instrumental melodies remained in his thoughts till they were finally used1 or the crude1 vague1 commonplace shape in which they were first written down4 ,the more they are elaborated1 the more fresh and spontaneous they become4 ,leonardo da ,vinci would walk across ,milan to change a single tint or the slightest detail in his famous picture of the ,last ,supper4 ,every line was then written twice over by ,pope1 said his publisher ,dodsley1 of manuscript brought to be copied4 ,gibbon wrote his memoir nine times1 and the first chapters of his history eighteen times4 ,of one of his works ,montesquieu said to a friend3 ,you will read it in a few hours1 but ,i assure you it has cost me so much labor that it has whitened my hair4 ,he had made it his study by day and his dream by night1 the alpha and omega of his aims and objects4 ,he who does not write as well as he can on every occasion1 said ,george ,ripley1 will soon form the habit of not writing well on any occasion4 ,an accomplished entomologist thought he would perfect his knowledge by a few lessons under ,professor ,agassiz4 ,the latter handed him a dead fish and told him to use his eyes4 ,two hours later he examined his new pupil1 but soon remarked1 ,you haven't really looked at the fish yet4 ,you'll have to try again4 ,after a second examination he shook his head1 saying1 ,you do not show that you can use your eyes4 ,this roused the pupil to earnest effort1 and he became so interested in things he had never noticed before that he did not see ,agassiz when he came for the third examination4 ,that will do1 said the great scientist4 ,i now see that you can use your eyes4 ,reynolds said he could go on retouching a picture forever4 ,the captain of a ,nantucket whaler told the man at the wheel to steer by the ,north ,star1 but was awakened towards morning by a request for another star to steer by1 as they had sailed by the other4 ,stephen ,girard was precision itself4 ,he did not allow those in his employ to deviate in the slightest degree from his iron-clad orders4 ,he believed that no great success is possible without the most rigid accuracy in everything4 ,he did not vary from a promise in the slightest degree4 ,people knew that his word was not pretty good1 but absolutely good4 ,he left nothing to chance4 ,every detail of business was calculated and planned to a nicety4 ,he was as exact and precise even in the smallest trifles as ,napoleon2 yet his brother merchants attributed his superior success to good luck4 ,in #ahje ,napoleon broke up the great camp he had formed on the shores of the ,english ,channel1 and gave orders for his mighty host to defile toward the ,danube4 ,vast and various as were the projects fermenting in his brain1 however1 he did not content himself with giving the order1 and leaving the elaboration of its details to his lieutenants4 ,to details and minutiae which inferior captains would have deemed too microscopic for their notice1 he gave such exhaustive attention that before the bugle had sounded for the march he had planned the exact route which every regiment was to follow1 the exact day and hour it was to leave that station1 and the precise moment when it was to reach its destination4 ,these details1 so thoroughly premeditated1 were carried out to the letter1 and the result of that memorable march was the victory of ,austerlitz1 which sealed the fate of ,europe for ten years4 ,when a noted ,french preacher speaks in ,notre ,dame1 the scholars of ,paris throng the cathedral to hear his fascinating1 eloquent1 polished discourses4 ,this brilliant finish is the result of most patient work1 as he delivers but five or six sermons a year4 ,when ,sir ,walter ,scott visited a ruined castle about which he wished to write1 he wrote in a notebook the separate names of grasses and wild flowers growing near1 saying that only by such means can a writer be natural4 ,the historian1 ,macaulay1 never allowed a sentence to stand until it was as good as he could make it4 ,besides his scrapbooks1 ,garfield had a large case of some fifty pigeonholes1 labeled ,anecdotes1 ,electoral ,laws and ,commissions1 ,french ,spoliation1 ,general ,politics1 ,geneva ,award1 ,parliamentary ,decisions1 ,public ,men1 ,state ,politics1 ,tariff1 ,the ,press1 ,united ,states ,history1 etc42 every valuable hint he could get being preserved in the cold exactness of black and white4 ,when he chose to make careful preparation on a subject1 no other speaker could command so great an array of facts4 ,accurate people are methodical people1 and method means character4 ,am offered #aj1jjj bushels wheat on your account at #a4jj4 ,shall ,i buy1 or is it too high8 telegraphed a ,san ,francisco merchant to one in ,sacramento4 ,no price too high1 came back over the wire instead of ,no4 ,price too high1 as was intended4 ,the omission of a period cost the ,sacramento dealer #a1jjj4 ,how many thousands have lost their wealth or lives1 and how many frightful accidents have occurred through carelessness in sending messages6 ,the accurate boy is always the favored one1 said ,president ,tuttle4 ,those who employ men do not wish to be on the constant lookout1 as though they were rogues or fools4 ,if a carpenter must stand at his journeyman's elbow to be sure his work is right1 or if a cashier must run over his bookkeeper's columns1 he might as well do the work himself as employ another to do it in that way2 and it is very certain that the employer will get rid of such a blunderer as soon as he can4 ,if you make a good pin1 said a successful manufacturer1 you will earn more than if you make a bad steam-engine4 ,there are women1 said ,fields1 whose stitches always come out1 and the buttons they sew on fly off on the mildest provocation2 there are other women who use the same needle and thread1 and you may tug away at their work on your coat1 or waistcoat1 and you can't start a button in a generation4 ,carelessness1 indifference1 slouchiness1 slipshod financiering1 could truthfully be written over the graves of thousands who have failed in life4 ,how many clerks1 cashiers1 clergymen1 editors1 and professors in colleges have lost position and prestige by carelessness and inaccuracy6 ,you would be the greatest man of your age1 ,grattan1 said ,curran1 if you would buy a few yards of red tape and tie up your bills and papers4 ,curran realized that methodical people are accurate1 and1 as a rule1 successful4 ,bergh tells of a man beginning business who opened and shut his shop regularly at the same hour every day for weeks1 without selling two cents' worth1 yet whose application attracted attention and paved the way to fortune4 ,a4 ,t4 ,stewart was extremely systematic and precise in all his transactions4 ,method ruled in every department of his store1 and for every delinquency a penalty was rigidly enforced4 ,his eye was upon his business in all its ramifications2 he mastered every detail and worked hard4 ,from the time ,jonas ,chickering began to work for a piano-maker1 he was noted for the pains and care with which he did everything4 ,to him there were no trifles in the manufacturing of pianos4 ,neither time nor labor was of any account to him1 compared with accuracy and knowledge4 ,he soon made pianos in a factory of his own4 ,he determined to make an instrument yielding the fullest and richest volume of melody with the least exertion to the player1 withstanding atmospheric changes1 and preserving its purity and truthfulness of tone4 ,he resolved that each piano should be an improvement upon the one which preceded it2 perfection was his aim4 ,to the end of his life he gave the finishing touch to each of his instruments1 and would trust it to no one else4 ,he permitted no irregularity in workmanship or sales1 and was characterized by simplicity1 transparency1 and straightforwardness4 ,he distanced all competitors4 ,chickering's name was such a power that one piano-maker had his name changed to ,chickering by the ,massachusetts legislature1 and put it on his pianos2 but ,jonas ,chickering sent a petition to the legislature1 and the name was changed back4 ,character has a commercial as well as an ethical value4 ,joseph ,m4 ,w4 ,turner was intended by his father for a barber1 but he showed such a taste for drawing that a reluctant permission was given for him to follow art as a profession4 ,he soon became skilful1 but as he lacked means he took anything to do that came in his way1 frequently illustrating guide-books and almanacs4 ,but although the pay was very small the work was never careless4 ,his labor was worth several times what he received for it1 but the price was increased and work of higher grade given him simply because men seek the services of those who are known to be faithful1 and employ them in as lofty work as they seem able to do4 ,and so he toiled upward until he began to employ himself1 his work sure of a market at some price1 and the price increasing as other men began to get glimpses of the transcendent art revealed in his paintings1 an art not fully comprehended even in our day4 ,he surpassed the acknowledged masters in various fields of landscape work1 and left matchless studies of natural scenery in lines never before attempted4 ,what ,shakespeare is in literature1 ,turner is in his special field1 the greatest name on record4 ,the demand for perfection in the nature of ,wendell ,phillips was wonderful4 ,every word must exactly express the shade of his thought2 every phrase must be of due length and cadence2 every sentence must be perfectly balanced before it left his lips4 ,exact precision characterized his style4 ,he was easily the first forensic orator ,america has produced4 ,the rhythmical fulness and poise of his periods are remarkable4 ,alexandre ,dumas prepared his manuscript with the greatest care4 ,when consulted by a friend whose article had been rejected by several publishers1 he advised him to have it handsomely copied by a professional penman1 and then change the title4 ,the advice was taken1 and the article eagerly accepted by one of the very publishers who had refused it before4 ,many able essays have been rejected because of poor penmanship4 ,we must strive after accuracy as we would after wisdom1 or hidden treasure or anything we would attain4 ,determine to form exact business habits4 ,avoid slipshod financiering as you would the plague4 ,careless and indifferent habits would soon ruin a millionaire4 ,nearly every very successful man is accurate and painstaking4 ,accuracy means character1 and character is power4 ,,chapter ,,xxii ,,do ,,it ,,to ,a ,,finish ,years ago a relief lifeboat at ,new ,london sprung a leak1 and while being repaired a hammer was found in the bottom that had been left there by the builders thirteen years before4 ,from the constant motion of the boat the hammer had worn through the planking1 clear down to the plating4 ,not long since1 it was discovered that a girl had served twenty years for a twenty months' sentence1 in a southern prison1 because of the mistake of a court clerk who wrote years instead of months in the record of the prisoner's sentence4 ,the history of the human race is full of the most horrible tragedies caused by carelessness and the inexcusable blunders of those who never formed the habit of accuracy1 of thoroughness1 of doing things to a finish4 ,multitudes of people have lost an eye1 a leg1 or an arm1 or are otherwise maimed1 because dishonest workmen wrought deception into the articles they manufactured1 slighted their work1 covered up defects and weak places with paint and varnish4 ,how many have lost their lives because of dishonest work1 carelessness1 criminal blundering in railroad construction8 ,think of the tragedies caused by lies packed in car-wheels1 locomotives1 steamboat boilers1 and engines2 lies in defective rails1 ties1 or switches2 lies in dishonest labor put into manufactured material by workmen who said it was good enough for the meager wages they got6 ,because people were not conscientious in their work there were flaws in the steel1 which caused the rail or pillar to snap1 the locomotive or other machinery to break4 ,the steel shaft broke in mid-ocean1 and the lives of a thousand passengers were jeopardized because of somebody's carelessness4 ,even before they are completed1 buildings often fall and bury the workmen under their ruins1 because somebody was careless1 dishonest--either employer or employee--and worked lies1 deceptions1 into the building4 ,the majority of railroad wrecks1 of disasters on land and sea1 which cause so much misery and cost so many lives1 are the result of carelessness1 thoughtlessness1 or half-done1 botched1 blundering work4 ,they are the evil fruit of the low ideals of slovenly1 careless1 indifferent workers4 ,everywhere over this broad earth we see the tragic results of botched work4 ,wooden legs1 armless sleeves1 numberless graves1 fatherless and motherless homes everywhere speak of somebody's carelessness1 somebody's blunders1 somebody's habit of inaccuracy4 ,the worst crimes are not punishable by law4 ,carelessness1 slipshodness1 lack of thoroughness1 are crimes against self1 against humanity1 that often do more harm than the crimes that make the perpetrator an outcast from society4 ,where a tiny flaw or the slightest defect may cost a precious life1 carelessness is as much a crime as deliberate criminality4 ,if everybody put his conscience into his work1 did it to a complete finish1 it would not only reduce the loss of human life1 the mangling and maiming of men and women1 to a fraction of what it is at present1 but it would also give us a higher quality of manhood and womanhood4 ,most young people think too much of quantity1 and too little of quality in their work4 ,they try to do too much1 and do not do it well4 ,they do not realize that the education1 the comfort1 the satisfaction1 the general improvement1 and bracing up of the whole man that comes from doing one thing absolutely right1 from putting the trade-mark of one's character on it1 far outweighs the value that attaches to the doing of a thousand botched or slipshod jobs4 ,we are so constituted that the quality which we put into our life-work affects everything else in our lives1 and tends to bring our whole conduct to the same level4 ,the entire person takes on the characteristics of one's usual way of doing things4 ,the habit of precision and accuracy strengthens the mentality1 improves the whole character4 ,on the contrary1 doing things in a loose-jointed1 slipshod1 careless manner deteriorates the whole mentality1 demoralizes the mental processes1 and pulls down the whole life4 ,every half-done or slovenly job that goes out of your hands leaves its trace of demoralization behind4 ,after slighting your work1 after doing a poor job1 you are not quite the same man you were before4 ,you are not so likely to try to keep up the standard of your work1 not so likely to regard your word as sacred as before4 ,the mental and moral effect of half doing1 or carelessly doing things2 its power to drag down1 to demoralize1 can hardly be estimated because the processes are so gradual1 so subtle4 ,no one can respect himself who habitually botches his work1 and when self-respect drops1 confidence goes with it2 and when confidence and self-respect have gone1 excellence is impossible4 ,it is astonishing how completely a slovenly habit will gradually1 insidiously fasten itself upon the individual and so change his whole mental attitude as to thwart absolutely his life-purpose1 even when he may think he is doing his best to carry it out4 ,i know a man who was extremely ambitious to do something very distinctive and who had the ability to do it4 ,when he started on his career he was very exact and painstaking4 ,he demanded the best of himself--would not accept his second-best in anything4 ,the thought of slighting his work was painful to him1 but his mental processes have so deteriorated1 and he has become so demoralized by the habit which1 after a while1 grew upon him1 of accepting his second-best1 that he now slights his work without a protest1 seemingly without being conscious of it4 ,he is to-day doing quite ordinary things1 without apparent mortification or sense of humiliation1 and the tragedy of it all is1 he does not know why he has failed6 ,one's ambition and ideals need constant watching and cultivation in order to keep up to the standards4 ,many people are so constituted that their ambition wanes and their ideals drop when they are alone1 or with careless1 indifferent people4 ,they require the constant assistance1 suggestion1 prodding1 or example of others to keep them up to standard4 ,how quickly a youth of high ideals1 who has been well trained in thoroughness1 often deteriorates when he leaves home and goes to work for an employer with inferior ideals and slipshod methods6 ,the introduction of inferiority into our work is like introducing subtle poison into the system4 ,it paralyzes the normal functions4 ,inferiority is an infection which1 like leaven1 affects the entire system4 ,it dulls ideals1 palsies the aspiring faculty1 stupefies the ambition1 and causes deterioration all along the line4 ,the human mechanism is so constituted that whatever goes wrong in one part affects the whole structure4 ,there is a very intimate relation between the quality of the work and the quality of the character4 ,did you ever notice the rapid decline in a young man's character when he began to slight his work1 to shirk1 to slip in rotten hours1 rotten service8 ,if you should ask the inmates of our penitentiaries what had caused their ruin1 many of them could trace the first signs of deterioration to shirking1 clipping their hours1 deceiving their employers--to indifferent1 dishonest work4 ,we were made to be honest4 ,honesty is our normal expression1 and any departure from it demoralizes and taints the whole character4 ,honesty means integrity in everything4 ,it not only means reliability in your word1 but also carefulness1 accuracy1 honesty in your work4 ,it does not mean that if only you will not lie with your lips you may lie and defraud in the quality of your work4 ,honesty means wholeness1 completeness2 it means truth in everything--in deed and in word4 ,merely not to steal another's money or goods is not all there is to honesty4 ,you must not steal another's time1 you must not steal his goods or ruin his property by half finishing or botching your work1 by blundering through carelessness or indifference4 ,your contract with your employer means that you will give him your best1 and not your second-best4 ,what a fool you are1 said one workman to another1 to take so much pains with that job1 when you don't get much pay for it4 ',get the most money for the least work1' is my rule1 and ,i get twice as much money as you do4 ,that may be1 replied the other1 but ,i shall like myself better1 ,i shall think more of myself1 and that is more important to me than money4 ,you will like yourself better when you have the approval of your conscience4 ,that will be worth more to you than any amount of money you can pocket through fraudulent1 skimped1 or botched work4 ,nothing else can give you the glow of satisfaction1 the electric thrill and uplift which come from a superbly-done job4 ,perfect work harmonizes with the very principles of our being1 because we were made for perfection4 ,it fits our very natures4 ,some one has said3 ,it is a race between negligence and ignorance as to which can make the more trouble4 ,many a young man is being kept down by what probably seems a small thing to him--negligence1 lack of accuracy4 ,he never quite finishes anything he undertakes2 he can not be depended upon to do anything quite right2 his work always needs looking over by some one else4 ,hundreds of clerks and book-keepers are getting small salaries in poor positions today because they have never learned to do things absolutely right4 ,a prominent business man says that the carelessness1 inaccuracy1 and blundering of employees cost ,chicago one million dollars a day4 ,the manager of a large house in that city1 says that he has to station pickets here and there throughout the establishment in order to neutralize the evils of inaccuracy and the blundering habit4 ,one of ,john ,wanamaker's partners says that unnecessary blunders and mistakes cost that firm twenty-five thousand dollars a year4 ,the dead letter department of the ,post ,office in ,washington received in one year seven million pieces of undelivered mail4 ,of these more than eighty thousand bore no address whatever4 ,a great many of them were from business houses4 ,are the clerks who are responsible for this carelessness likely to win promotion8 ,many an employee who would be shocked at the thought of telling his employer a lie with his lips is lying every day in the quality of his work1 in his dishonest service1 in the rotten hours he is slipping into it1 in shirking1 in his indifference to his employer's interests4 ,it is just as dishonest to express deception in poor work1 in shirking1 as to express it with the lips1 yet ,i have known office-boys1 who could not be induced to tell their employer a direct lie1 to steal his time when on an errand1 to hide away during working hours to smoke a cigarette or take a nap1 not realizing1 perhaps1 that lies can be acted as well as told and that acting a lie may be even worse than telling one4 ,the man who botches his work1 who lies or cheats in the goods he sells or manufactures1 is dishonest with himself as well as with his fellow men1 and must pay the price in loss of self-respect1 loss of character1 of standing in his community4 ,yet on every side we see all sorts of things selling for a song because the maker put no character1 no thought into them4 ,articles of clothing that look stylish and attractive when first worn1 very quickly get out of shape1 and hang and look like old1 much-worn garments4 ,buttons fly off1 seams give way at the slightest strain1 dropped stitches are everywhere in evidence1 and often the entire article goes to pieces before it is worn half a dozen times4 ,everywhere we see furniture which looks all right1 but which in reality is full of blemishes and weaknesses1 covered up with paint and varnish4 ,glue starts at joints1 chairs and bedsteads break down at the slightest provocation1 castors come off1 handles pull out1 many things go to pieces altogether1 even while practically new4 ,made to sell1 not for service1 would be a good label for the great mass of manufactured articles in our markets to-day4 ,it is difficult to find anything that is well and honestly made1 that has character1 individuality and thoroughness wrought into it4 ,most things are just thrown together4 ,this slipshod1 dishonest manufacturing is so general that concerns which turn out products based upon honesty and truth often win for themselves a world-wide reputation and command the highest prices4 ,there is no other advertisement like a good reputation4 ,some of the world's greatest manufacturers have regarded their reputation as their most precious possession1 and under no circumstances would they allow their names to be put on an imperfect article4 ,vast sums of money are often paid for the use of a name1 because of its great reputation for integrity and square dealing4 ,there was a time when the names of ,graham and ,tampion on timepieces were guarantees of the most exquisite workmanship and of unquestioned integrity4 ,strangers from any part of the world could send their purchase money and order goods from those manufacturers without a doubt that they would be squarely dealt with4 ,tampion and ,graham lie in ,westminster ,abbey because of the accuracy of their work--because they refused to manufacture and sell lies4 ,when you finish a thing you ought to be able to say to yourself3 ,there1 ,i am willing to stand for that piece of work4 ,it is not pretty well done2 it is done as well as ,i can do it2 done to a complete finish4 ,i will stand for that4 ,i am willing to be judged by it4 ,never be satisfied with fairly good1 pretty good1 good enough4 ,accept nothing short of your best4 ,put such a quality into your work that anyone who comes across anything you have ever done will see character in it1 individuality in it1 your trade-mark of superiority upon it4 ,your reputation is at stake in everything you do1 and your reputation is your capital4 ,you cannot afford to do a poor job1 to let botched work or anything that is inferior go out of your hands4 ,every bit of your work1 no matter how unimportant or trivial it may seem1 should bear your trade-mark of excellence2 you should regard every task that goes through your hands1 every piece of work you touch1 as ,tampion regarded every watch that went out of his shop4 ,it must be the very best you can do1 the best that human skill can produce4 ,it is just the little difference between the good and the best that makes the difference between the artist and the artisan4 ,it is just the little touches after the average man would quit that make the master's fame4 ,regard your work as ,stradivarius regarded his violins1 which he made for eternity1 and not one of which was ever known to come to pieces or break4 ,stradivarius did not need any patent on his violins1 for no other violin maker would pay such a price for excellence as he paid2 would take such pains to put his stamp of superiority upon his instrument4 ,every ,stradivarius now in existence is worth from three to ten thousand dollars1 or several times its weight in gold4 ,think of the value such a reputation for thoroughness as that of ,stradivarius or ,tampion1 such a passion to give quality to your work1 would give you6 ,there is nothing like being enamored of accuracy1 being grounded in thoroughness as a life-principle1 of always striving for excellence4 ,no other characteristic makes such a strong impression upon an employer as the habit of painstaking1 carefulness1 accuracy4 ,he knows that if a youth puts his conscience into his work from principle1 not from the standpoint of salary or what he can get for it1 but because there is something in him which refuses to accept anything from himself but the best1 that he is honest and made of good material4 ,i have known many instances where advancement hinged upon the little overplus of interest1 of painstaking an employee put into his work1 on his doing a little better than was expected of him4 ,employers do not say all they think1 but they detect very quickly the earmarks of superiority4 ,they keep their eye on the employee who has the stamp of excellence upon him1 who takes pains with his work1 who does it to a finish4 ,they know he has a future4 ,john ,d4 ,rockefeller1 ,jr41 says that the secret of success is to do the common duty uncommonly well4 ,the majority of young people do not see that the steps which lead to the position above them are constructed1 little by little1 by the faithful performance of the common1 humble1 every-day duties of the position they are now filling4 ,the thing which you are now doing will unlock or bar the door to promotion4 ,many employees are looking for some great thing to happen that will give them an opportunity to show their mettle4 ,what can there be1 they say to themselves1 in this dry routine1 in doing these common1 ordinary things1 to help me along8 ,but it is the youth who sees a great opportunity hidden in just these simple services1 who sees a very uncommon chance in a common situation1 a humble position1 who gets on in the world4 ,it is doing things a little better than those about you do them2 being a little neater1 a little quicker1 a little more accurate1 a little more observant2 it is ingenuity in finding new and more progressive ways of doing old things2 it is being a little more polite1 a little more obliging1 a little more tactful1 a little more cheerful1 optimistic1 a little more energetic1 helpful1 than those about you that attracts the attention of your employer and other employers also4 ,many a boy is marked for a higher position by his employer long before he is aware of it himself4 ,it may be months1 or it may be a year before the opening comes1 but when it does come the one who has appreciated the infinite difference between good and better1 between fairly good and excellent1 between what others call good and the best that can be done1 will be likely to get the place4 ,if there is that in your nature which demands the best and will take nothing less2 if you insist on keeping up your standards in everything you do1 you will achieve distinction in some line provided you have the persistence and determination to follow your ideal4 ,but if you are satisfied with the cheap and shoddy1 the botched and slovenly1 if you are not particular about quality in your work1 or in your environment1 or in your personal habits1 then you must expect to take second place1 to fall back to the rear of the procession4 ,people who have accomplished work worth while have had a very high sense of the way to do things4 ,they have not been content with mediocrity4 ,they have not confined themselves to the beaten tracks2 they have never been satisfied to do things just as others do them1 but always a little better4 ,they always pushed things that came to their hands a little higher up1 a little farther on4 ,it is this little higher up1 this little farther on1 that counts in the quality of life's work4 ,it is the constant effort to be first-class in everything one attempts that conquers the heights of excellence4 ,it is said that ,daniel ,webster made the best chowder in his state on the principle that he would not be second-class in anything4 ,this is a good resolution with which to start out in your career2 never to be second-class in anything4 ,no matter what you do1 try to do it as well as it can be done4 ,have nothing to do with the inferior4 ,do your best in everything2 deal with the best2 choose the best2 live up to your best4 ,everywhere we see mediocre or second-class men--perpetual clerks who will never get away from the yardstick2 mechanics who will never be anything but bunglers1 all sorts of people who will never rise above mediocrity1 who will always fill very ordinary positions because they do not take pains1 do not put conscience into their work1 do not try to be first-class4 ,aside from the lack of desire or effort to be first-class1 there are other things that help to make second-class men4 ,dissipation1 bad habits1 neglect of health1 failure to get an education1 all make second-class men4 ,a man weakened by dissipation1 whose understanding has been dulled1 whose growth has been stunted by self-indulgences1 is a second-class man1 if1 indeed1 he is not third-class4 ,a man who1 through his amusements in his hours of leisure1 exhausts his strength and vitality1 vitiates his blood1 wears his nerves till his limbs tremble like leaves in the wind1 is only half a man1 and could in no sense be called first-class4 ,everybody knows the things that make for second-class characteristics4 ,boys imitate older boys and smoke cigarettes in order to be smart4 ,then they keep on smoking because they have created an appetite as unnatural as it is harmful4 ,men get drunk for all sorts of reasons2 but1 whatever the reason1 they cannot remain first-class men and drink4 ,dissipation in other forms is pursued because of pleasure to be derived1 but the surest consequence is that of becoming second-class1 below the standard of the best men for any purpose4 ,every fault you allow to become a habit1 to get control over you1 helps to make you second-class1 and puts you at a disadvantage in the race for honor1 position1 wealth1 and happiness4 ,carelessness as to health fills the ranks of the inferior4 ,the submerged classes that the economists talk about are those that are below the high-water mark of the best manhood and womanhood4 ,sometimes they are second-rate or third-rate people because those who are responsible for their being and their care during their minor years were so before them1 but more and more is it becoming one's own fault if1 all through life1 he remains second-class4 ,education of some sort1 and even a pretty good sort1 is possible to practically everyone in our land4 ,failure to get the best education available1 whether it be in books or in business training1 is sure to relegate one to the ranks of the second-class4 ,there is no excuse for incompetence in this age of opportunity2 no excuse for being second-class when it is possible to be first-class1 and when first-class is in demand everywhere4 ,second-class things are wanted only when first-class can't be had4 ,you wear first-class clothes if you can pay for them1 eat first-class butter1 first-class meat1 and first-class bread1 or1 if you don't1 you wish you could4 ,second-class men are no more wanted than any other second-class commodity4 ,they are taken and used when the better article is scarce or is too high-priced for the occasion4 ,for work that really amounts to anything1 first-class men are wanted4 ,if you make yourself first-class in anything1 no matter what your condition or circumstances1 no matter what your race or color1 you will be in demand4 ,if you are a king in your calling1 no matter how humble it may be1 nothing can keep you from success4 ,the world does not demand that you be a physician1 a lawyer1 a farmer1 or a merchant2 but it does demand that whatever you do undertake1 you will do it right1 will do it with all your might and with all the ability you possess4 ,it demands that you be a master in your line4 ,when ,daniel ,webster1 who had the best brain of his time1 was asked to make a speech on some question at the close of a ,congressional session1 he replied3 ,i never allow myself to speak on any subject until ,i have made it my own4 ,i haven't time to do that in this case1 hence1 ,i must refuse to speak on the subject4 ,dickens would never consent to read before an audience until he had thoroughly prepared his selection4 ,balzac1 the great ,french novelist1 sometimes worked a week on a single page4 ,macready1 when playing before scant audiences in country theaters in ,england1 ,ireland1 and ,scotland1 always played as if he were before the most brilliant audiences in the great metropolises of the world4 ,thoroughness characterizes all successful men4 ,genius is the art of taking infinite pains4 ,the trouble with many ,americans is that they seem to think they can put any sort of poor1 slipshod1 half-done work into their careers and get first-class products4 ,they do not realize that all great achievement has been characterized by extreme care1 infinite painstaking1 even to the minutest detail4 ,no youth can ever hope to accomplish much who does not have thoroughness and accuracy indelibly fixed in his life-habit4 ,slipshodness1 inaccuracy1 the habit of half doing things1 would ruin the career of a youth with a ,napoleon's mind4 ,if we were to examine a list of the men who have left their mark on the world1 we should find that1 as a rule1 it is not composed of those who were brilliant in youth1 or who gave great promise at the outset of their careers1 but rather of the plodding young men who1 if they have not dazzled by their brilliancy1 have had the power of a day's work in them1 who could stay by a task until it was done1 and well done2 who have had grit1 persistence1 common sense1 and honesty4 ,the thorough boys are the boys that are heard from1 and usually from posts far higher up than those filled by the boys who were too smart to be thorough4 ,one such boy is ,elihu ,root1 now ,united ,states ,senator4 ,when he was a boy in the grammar school at ,clinton1 ,new ,york1 he made up his mind that anything he had to study he would keep at until he mastered it4 ,although not considered one of the bright boys of the school1 his teacher soon found that when ,elihu professed to know anything he knew it through and through4 ,he was fond of hard problems requiring application and patience4 ,sometimes the other boys called him a plodder1 but ,elihu would only smile pleasantly1 for he knew what he was about4 ,on winter evenings1 while the other boys were out skating1 ,elihu frequently remained in his room with his arithmetic or algebra4 ,mr4 ,root recently said that if his close application to problems in his boyhood did nothing else for him1 it made him careful about jumping at conclusions4 ,to every problem there was only one answer1 and patience was the price to be paid for it4 ,carrying the principle of doing everything to a finish into the law1 he became one of the most noted members of the ,new ,york bar1 intrusted with vast interests1 and then a member of the ,president's cabinet4 ,william ,ellery ,channing1 the great ,new ,england divine1 who in his youth was hardly able to buy the clothes he needed1 had a passion for self-improvement4 ,i wanted to make the most of myself1 he says2 ,i was not satisfied with knowing things superficially and by halves1 but tried to get comprehensive views of what ,i studied4 ,the quality which1 more than any other1 has helped to raise the ,german people to their present commanding position in the world1 is their thoroughness4 ,it is giving young ,germans a great advantage over both ,english and ,american youths4 ,every employer is looking for thoroughness1 and ,german employees1 owing to their preeminence in this respect1 the superiority of their training1 and the completeness of their preparation for business1 are in great demand to-day in ,england1 especially in banks and large mercantile houses4 ,as a rule1 a ,german who expects to engage in business takes a four years' course in some commercial school1 and after graduation serves three years' apprenticeship without pay1 to his chosen business4 ,thoroughness and reliability1 the ,german's characteristics1 are increasing the power of ,germany throughout the civilized world4 ,our great lack is want of thoroughness4 ,how seldom you find a young man or woman who is willing to prepare for his life-work6 ,a little education is all they want1 a little smattering of books1 and then they are ready for business4 ,can't wait1 haven't time to be thorough1 is characteristic of our country1 and is written on everything--on commerce1 on schools1 on society1 on churches4 ,we can't wait for a high-school1 seminary1 or college education4 ,the boy can't wait to become a youth1 nor the youth to become a man4 ,young men rush into business with no great reserve of education or drill2 of course1 they do poor1 feverish work1 and break down in middle life1 while many die of old age in the forties4 ,perhaps there is no other country in the world where so much poor work is done as in ,america4 ,half-trained medical students perform bungling operations1 and butcher their patients1 because they are not willing to take time for thorough preparation4 ,half-trained lawyers stumble through their cases1 and make their clients pay for experience which the law school should have given4 ,half-trained clergymen bungle away in the pulpit1 and disgust their intelligent and cultured parishioners4 ,many an ,american youth is willing to stumble through life half prepared for his work1 and then blame society because he is a failure4 ,a young man1 armed with letters of introduction from prominent men1 one day presented himself before ,chief ,engineer ,parsons1 of the ,rapid ,transit ,commission of ,new ,york as a candidate for a position4 ,what can you do8 ,have you any specialty8 asked ,mr4 ,parsons4 ,i can do almost anything1 answered the young man4 ,well1 remarked the ,chief ,engineer1 rising to end the interview1 ,i have no use for anyone who can 'almost' do anything4 ,i prefer someone who can actually do one thing thoroughly4 ,there is a great crowd of human beings just outside the door of proficiency4 ,they can half do a great many things1 but can't do any one thing well1 to a finish4 ,they have acquisitions which remain permanently unavailable because they were not carried quite to the point of skill2 they stopped just short of efficiency4 ,how many people almost know a language or two1 which they can neither write nor speak2 a science or two1 whose elements they have not fully mastered2 an art or two1 which they can not practise with satisfaction or profit6 ,the ,patent ,office at ,washington contains hundreds1--yes1 thousands1--of inventions which are useless simply because they are not quite practical1 because the men who started them lacked the staying quality1 the education1 or the ability necessary to carry them to the point of practicability4 ,the world is full of half-finished work1--failures which require only a little more persistence1 a little finer mechanical training1 a little better education1 to make them useful to civilization4 ,think what a loss it would be if such men as ,edison and ,bell had not come to the front and carried to a successful termination the half-finished work of others6 ,make it a life-rule to give your best to whatever passes through your hands4 ,stamp it with your manhood4 ,let superiority be your trade-mark1 let it characterize everything you touch4 ,this is what every employer is looking for4 ,it indicates the best kind of brain2 it is the best substitute for genius2 it is better capital than cash2 it is a better promoter than friends1 or pulls with the influential4 ,a successful manufacturer says3 ,if you make a good pin1 you will earn more money than if you make a bad steam engine4 ,if a man can write a better book1 preach a better sermon1 or make a better mousetrap than his neighbor1 says ,emerson1 though he build his house in the woods1 the world will make a path to his door4 ,never allow yourself to dwell too much upon what you are getting for your work4 ,you have something of infinitely greater importance1 greater value1 at stake4 ,your honor1 your whole career1 your future success1 will be affected by the way you do your work1 by the conscience or lack of it which you put into your job4 ,character1 manhood and womanhood are at stake1 compared with which salary is nothing4 ,everything you do is a part of your career4 ,if any work that goes out of your hands is skimped1 shirked1 bungled1 or botched1 your character will suffer4 ,if your work is badly done2 if it goes to pieces2 if there is shoddy or sham in it2 if there is dishonesty in it1 there is shoddy1 sham1 dishonesty in your character4 ,we are all of a piece4 ,we cannot have an honest character1 a complete1 untarnished career1 when we are constantly slipping rotten hours1 defective material and slipshod service into our work4 ,the man who has dealt in shams and inferiority1 who has botched his work all his life1 must be conscious that he has not been a real man2 he can not help feeling that his career has been a botched one4 ,to spend a life buying and selling lies1 dealing in cheap1 shoddy shams1 or botching one's work1 is demoralizing to every element of nobility4 ,beecher said he was never again quite the same man after reading ,ruskin4 ,you are never again quite the same man after doing a poor job1 after botching your work4 ,you cannot be just to yourself and unjust to the man you are working for in the quality of your work1 for1 if you slight your work1 you not only strike a fatal blow at your efficiency1 but also smirch your character4 ,if you would be a full man1 a complete man1 a just man1 you must be honest to the core in the quality of your work4 ,no one can be really happy who does not believe in his own honesty4 ,we are so constituted that every departure from the right1 from principle1 causes loss of self-respect1 and makes us unhappy4 ,every time we obey the inward law of doing right we hear an inward approval1 the amen of the soul1 and every time we disobey it1 a protest or condemnation4 ,there is everything in holding a high ideal of your work1 for whatever model the mind holds1 the life copies4 ,whatever your vocation1 let quality be your life-slogan4 ,a famous artist said he would never allow himself to look at an inferior drawing or painting1 to do anything that was low or demoralizing1 lest familiarity with it should taint his own ideal and thus be communicated to his brush4 ,many excuse poor1 slipshod work on the plea of lack of time4 ,but in the ordinary situations of life there is plenty of time to do everything as it ought to be done4 ,there is an indescribable superiority added to the character and fiber of the man who always and everywhere puts quality into his work4 ,there is a sense of wholeness1 of satisfaction1 of happiness1 in his life which is never felt by the man who does not do his level best every time4 ,he is not haunted by the ghosts or tail ends of half-finished tasks1 of skipped problems2 is not kept awake by a troubled conscience4 ,when we are trying with all our might to do our level best1 our whole nature improves4 ,everything looks down when we are going down hill4 ,aspiration lifts the life2 groveling lowers it4 ,don't think you will never hear from a half-finished job1 a neglected or botched piece of work4 ,it will never die4 ,it will bob up farther along in your career at the most unexpected moments1 in the most embarrassing situations4 ,it will be sure to mortify you when you least expect it4 ,like ,banquo's ghost1 it will arise at the most unexpected moments to mar your happiness4 ,a single broken thread in a web of cloth is traced back to the girl who neglected her work in the factory1 and the amount of damage is deducted from her wages4 ,thousands of people are held back all their lives and obliged to accept inferior positions because they cannot entirely overcome the handicap of slipshod habits formed early in life1 habits of inaccuracy1 of slovenliness1 of skipping difficult problems in school1 of slurring their work1 shirking1 or half doing it4 ,oh1 that's good enough1 what's the use of being so awfully particular8 has been the beginning of a life-long handicap in many a career4 ,i was much impressed by this motto1 which ,i saw recently in a great establishment1 ,,where ,,only ,,the ,,best ,,is ,,good ,,enough4 ,what a life-motto this would be6 ,how it would revolutionize civilization if everyone were to adopt it and use it2 to resolve that1 whatever they did only the best they could do would be good enough1 would satisfy them6 ,adopt this motto as yours4 ,hang it up in your bedroom1 in your office or place of business1 put it into your pocket-book1 weave it into the texture of everything you do1 and your life-work will be what every one's should be--,a ,,masterpiece4 ,,chapter ,,xxiii ,,the ,,reward ,,of ,,persistence ,every noble work is at first impossible4--,,carlyle4 ,victory belongs to the most persevering4--,,napoleon4 ,success in most things depends on knowing how long it takes to succeed4--,,montesquieu4 ,perpetual pushing and assurance put a difficulty out of countenance1 and make a seeming impossibility give way4--,,jeremy ,,collier4 ,unstable as water1 thou shalt not excel4 ,the nerve that never relaxes1 the eye that never blanches1 the thought that never wanders1--these are the masters of victory4--,,burke4 ,the pit rose at me6 exclaimed ,edmund ,kean in a wild tumult of emotion1 as he rushed home to his trembling wife4 ,mary1 you shall ride in your carriage yet1 and ,charles shall go to ,eton6 ,he had been so terribly in earnest with the study of his profession that he had at length made a mark on his generation4 ,he was a little dark man with a voice naturally harsh1 but he determined1 when young1 to play the character of ,sir ,giles ,overreach1 in ,massinger's drama1 as no other man had ever played it4 ,by a persistency that nothing seemed able to daunt1 he so trained himself to play the character that his success1 when it did come1 was overwhelming1 and all ,london was at his feet4 ,i am sorry to say that ,i don't think this is in your line1 said ,woodfall the reporter1 after ,sheridan had made his first speech in ,parliament4 ,you would better have stuck to your former pursuits4 ,with head on his hand ,sheridan mused for a time1 then looked up and said1 ,it is in me1 and it shall come out of me4 ,from the same man came that harangue against ,warren ,hastings which the orator ,fox called the best speech ever made in the ,house of ,commons4 ,i had no other books than heaven and earth1 which are open to all1 said ,bernard ,palissy1 who left his home in the south of ,france in #ahbh1 at the age of eighteen4 ,though only a glass-painter1 he had the soul of an artist4 ,the sight of an elegant ,italian cup disturbed his whole existence and from that moment the determination to discover the enamel with which it was glazed possessed him like a passion4 ,for months and years he tried all kinds of experiments to learn the materials of which the enamel was compounded4 ,he built a furnace1 which was a failure1 and then a second1 burning so much wood1 spoiling so many drugs and pots of common earthenware1 and losing so much time1 that poverty stared him in the face1 and he was forced1 from lack of ability to buy fuel1 to try his experiments in a common furnace4 ,flat failure was the result1 but he decided on the spot to begin all over again1 and soon had three hundred pieces baking1 one of which came out covered with beautiful enamel4 ,to perfect his invention he next built a glass-furnace1 carrying the bricks on his back4 ,at length the time came for a trial2 but1 though he kept the heat up six days1 his enamel would not melt4 ,his money was all gone1 but he borrowed some1 and bought more pots and wood1 and tried to get a better flux4 ,when next he lighted his fire1 he attained no result until his fuel was gone4 ,tearing off the palings of his garden fence1 he fed them to the flames1 but in vain4 ,his furniture followed to no purpose4 ,the shelves of his pantry were then broken up and thrown into the furnace2 and the great burst of heat melted the enamel4 ,the grand secret was learned4 ,persistence had triumphed again4 ,if you work hard two weeks without selling a book1 wrote a publisher to an agent1 you will make a success of it4 ,know thy work and do it1 said ,carlyle2 and work at it like a ,hercules4 ,whoever is resolved to excel in painting1 or1 indeed1 in any other art1 said ,reynolds1 must bring all his mind to bear upon that one object from the moment that he rises till he goes to bed4 ,i have no secret but hard work1 said ,turner1 the painter4 ,the man who is perpetually hesitating which of two things he will do first1 said ,william ,wirt1 will do neither4 ,the man who resolves1 but suffers his resolution to be changed by the first counter-suggestion of a friend--who fluctuates from opinion to opinion1 from plan to plan1 and veers like a weather-cock to every point of the compass1 with every breath of caprice that blows1--can never accomplish anything great or useful4 ,instead of being progressive in anything1 he will be at best stationary1 and1 more probably1 retrograde in all4 ,perseverance built the pyramids on ,egypt's plains1 erected the gorgeous temple at ,jerusalem1 inclosed in adamant the ,chinese ,empire1 scaled the stormy1 cloud-capped ,alps1 opened a highway through the watery wilderness of the ,atlantic1 leveled the forests of the new world1 and reared in its stead a community of states and nations4 ,perseverance has wrought from the marble block the exquisite creations of genius1 painted on canvas the gorgeous mimicry of nature1 and engraved on a metallic surface the viewless substance of the shadow4 ,perseverance has put in motion millions of spindles1 winged as many flying shuttles1 harnessed thousands of iron steeds to as many freighted cars1 and set them flying from town to town and nation to nation1 tunneled mountains of granite1 and annihilated space with the lightning's speed4 ,it has whitened the waters of the world with the sails of a hundred nations1 navigated every sea and explored every land4 ,it has reduced nature in her thousand forms to as many sciences1 taught her laws1 prophesied her future movements1 measured her untrodden spaces1 counted her myriad hosts of worlds1 and computed their distances1 dimensions1 and velocities4 ,the slow penny is surer than the quick dollar4 ,the slow trotter will out-travel the fleet racer4 ,genius darts1 flutters1 and tires2 but perseverance wears and wins4 ,the all-day horse wins the race4 ,the afternoon-man wears off the laurels4 ,the last blow drives home the nail4 ,are your discoveries often brilliant intuitions8 asked a reporter of ,thomas ,a4 ,edison4 ,do they come to you while you are lying awake nights8 ,i never did anything worth doing by accident1 was the reply1 nor did any of my inventions come indirectly through accident1 except the phonograph4 ,no1 when ,i have fully decided that a result is worth getting ,i go ahead on it and make trial after trial until it comes4 ,i have always kept strictly within the lines of commercially useful inventions4 ,i have never had any time to put on electrical wonders1 valuable simply as novelties to catch the popular fancy4 ,i like it1 continued the great inventor4 ,i don't know any other reason4 ,anything ,i have begun is always on my mind1 and ,i am not easy while away from it until it is finished4 ,illustration3 ,thomas ,alva ,edison ,a man who thus gives himself wholly to his work is certain to accomplish something2 and if he have ability and common sense1 his success will be great4 ,how ,bulwer wrestled with the fates to change his apparent destiny6 ,his first novel was a failure2 his early poems were failures2 and his youthful speeches provoked the ridicule of his opponents4 ,but he fought his way to eminence through ridicule and defeat4 ,gibbon worked twenty years on his ,decline and ,fall of the ,roman ,empire4 ,noah ,webster spent thirty-six years on his dictionary4 ,what a sublime patience he showed in devoting a life to the collection and definition of words6 ,george ,bancroft spent twenty-six years on his ,history of the ,united ,states4 ,newton rewrote his ,chronology of ,ancient ,nations fifteen times4 ,titian wrote to ,charles ,v43 ,i send your majesty the ,last ,supper1 after working on it almost daily for seven years4 ,he worked on his ,pietro ,martyn eight years4 ,george ,stephenson was fifteen years perfecting his locomotive2 ,watt1 twenty years on his condensing engine4 ,harvey labored eight long years before he published his discovery of the circulation of the blood4 ,he was then called a crack-brained impostor by his fellow physicians4 ,amid abuse and ridicule he waited twenty-five years before his great discovery was recognized by the profession4 ,newton discovered the law of gravitation before he was twenty-one1 but one slight error in a measurement of the earth's circumference interfered with a demonstration of the correctness of his theory4 ,twenty years later he corrected the error1 and showed that the planets roll in their orbits as a result of the same law which brings an apple to the ground4 ,sothern1 the great actor1 said that the early part of his theatrical career was spent in getting dismissed for incompetency4 ,never depend upon your genius1 said ,john ,ruskin1 in the words of ,joshua ,reynolds2 if you have talent1 industry will improve it2 if you have none1 industry will supply the deficiency4 ,savages believe that when they conquer an enemy1 his spirit enters into them1 and fights for them ever afterwards4 ,so the spirit of our conquests enters us1 and helps us to win the next victory4 ,blcher may have been routed at ,ligny yesterday1 but to-day you hear the thunder of his guns at ,waterloo hurling dismay and death among his former conquerors4 ,opposing circumstances create strength4 ,opposition gives us greater power of resistance4 ,to overcome one barrier gives us greater ability to overcome the next4 ,in ,february1 #adib1 a poor gray-haired man1 his head bowed with discouragement almost to the back of his mule1 rode slowly out through the beautiful gateway of the ,alhambra4 ,from boyhood he had been haunted with the idea that the earth is round4 ,he believed that the piece of carved wood picked up four hundred miles at sea and the bodies of two men unlike any other human beings known1 found on the shores of ,portugal1 had drifted from unknown lands in the west4 ,but his last hope of obtaining aid for a voyage of discovery had failed4 ,king ,john of ,portugal1 while pretending to think of helping him1 had sent out secretly an expedition of his own4 ,he had begged bread1 drawn maps and charts to keep from starving2 he had lost his wife2 his friends had called him crazy1 and forsaken him4 ,the council of wise men called by ,ferdinand and ,isabella ridiculed his theory of reaching the east by sailing west4 ,but the sun and moon are round1 said ,columbus1 why not the earth8 ,if the earth is a ball1 what holds it up8 asked the wise men4 ,what holds the sun and moon up8 inquired ,columbus4 ,but how can men walk with their heads hanging down1 and their feet up1 like flies on a ceiling8 asked a learned doctor2 how can trees grow with their roots in the air8 ,the water would run out of the ponds and we should fall off1 said another philosopher4 ,this doctrine is contrary to the ,bible1 which says1 ',the heavens are stretched out like a tent3'--of course it is flat2 it is rank heresy to say it is round1 said a priest4 ,columbus left the ,alhambra in despair1 intending to offer his services to ,charles ,,vii41 but he heard a voice calling his name4 ,an old friend had told ,isabella that it would add great renown to her reign at a trifling expense if what the sailor believed should prove true4 ,it shall be done1 said ,isabella1 ,i will pledge my jewels to raise the money4 ,call him back4 ,columbus turned and with him turned the world4 ,not a sailor would go voluntarily2 so the king and queen compelled them4 ,three days out1 in his vessels scarcely larger than fishing-schooners1 the ,pinta floated a signal of distress for a broken rudder4 ,terror seized the sailors1 but ,columbus calmed their fears with pictures of gold and precious stones from ,india4 ,two hundred miles west of the ,canaries1 the compass ceased to point to the ,north ,star4 ,the sailors are ready to mutiny1 but he tells them the ,north ,star is not exactly north4 ,twenty-three hundred miles from home1 though he tells them it is but seventeen hundred1 a bush with berries floats by1 land birds fly near1 and they pick up a piece of wood curiously carved4 ,on ,october #ab1 ,columbus raised the banner of ,castile over the western world4 ,how hard ,i worked at that tremendous shorthand1 and all improvement appertaining to it1 said ,dickens4 ,i will only add to what ,i have already written of my perseverance at this time of my life1 and of a patient and continuous energy which then began to be matured4 ,cyrus ,w4 ,field had retired from business with a large fortune when he became possessed with the idea that by means of a cable laid upon the bottom of the ,atlantic ,ocean1 telegraphic communication could be established between ,europe and ,america4 ,he plunged into the undertaking with all the force of his being4 ,the preliminary work included the construction of a telegraph line one thousand miles long1 from ,new ,york to ,st4 ,john's1 ,newfoundland4 ,through four hundred miles of almost unbroken forest they had to build a road as well as a telegraph line across ,newfoundland4 ,another stretch of one hundred and forty miles across the island of ,cape ,breton involved a great deal of labor1 as did the laying of a cable across the ,st4 ,lawrence4 ,by hard work he secured aid for his company from the ,british government1 but in ,congress he encountered such bitter opposition from a powerful lobby that his measure only had a majority of one in the ,senate4 ,the cable was loaded upon the ,agamemnon1 the flag ship of the ,british fleet at ,sebastopol1 and upon the ,niagara1 a magnificent new frigate of the ,united ,states ,navy2 but1 when five miles of cable had been paid out1 it caught in the machinery and parted4 ,on the second trial1 when two hundred miles at sea1 the electric current was suddenly lost1 and men paced the decks nervously and sadly1 as if in the presence of death4 ,just as ,mr4 ,field was about to give the order to cut the cable1 the current returned as quickly and mysteriously as it had disappeared4 ,the following night1 when the ship was moving but four miles an hour and the cable running out at the rate of six miles1 the brakes were applied too suddenly just as the steamer gave a heavy lurch1 breaking the cable4 ,field was not the man to give up4 ,seven hundred miles more of cable were ordered1 and a man of great skill was set to work to devise a better machine for paying out the long line4 ,american and ,british inventors united in making a machine4 ,at length in mid-ocean the two halves of the cable were spliced and the steamers began to separate1 the one headed for ,ireland1 the other for ,newfoundland1 each running out the precious thread1 which1 it was hoped1 would bind two continents together4 ,before the vessels were three miles apart1 the cable parted4 ,again it was spliced1 but when the ships were eighty miles apart1 the current was lost4 ,a third time the cable was spliced and about two hundred miles paid out1 when it parted some twenty feet from the ,agamemnon1 and the vessels returned to the coast of ,ireland4 ,directors were disheartened1 the public skeptical1 capitalists were shy1 and but for the indomitable energy and persuasiveness of ,mr4 ,field1 who worked day and night almost without food or sleep1 the whole project would have been abandoned4 ,finally a third attempt was made1 with such success that the whole cable was laid without a break1 and several messages were flashed through nearly seven hundred leagues of ocean1 when suddenly the current ceased4 ,faith now seemed dead except in the breast of ,cyrus ,w4 ,field1 and one or two friends1 yet with such persistence did they work that they persuaded men to furnish capital for yet another trial even against what seemed their better judgment4 ,a new and superior cable was loaded upon the ,great ,eastern1 which steamed slowly out to sea1 paying out as she advanced4 ,everything worked to a charm until within six hundred miles of ,newfoundland1 when the cable snapped and sank4 ,after several attempts to raise it1 the enterprise was abandoned for a year4 ,not discouraged by all these difficulties1 ,mr4 ,field went to work with a will1 organized a new company1 and made a new cable far superior to anything before used1 and on ,july #ac1 #ahff1 was begun the trial which ended with the following message sent to ,new ,york3-- ,,heart',s ,,content1 ,july #bg4 ,we arrived here at nine o'clock this morning4 ,all well4 ,thank ,god6 the cable is laid and is in perfect working order4 ,,cyrus ,w4 ,,field4 ,the old cable was picked up1 spliced1 and continued to ,newfoundland1 and the two are still working1 with good prospects for usefulness for many years4 ,in ,revelation we read3 ,he that overcometh1 ,i will give him to sit down with me on my throne4 ,successful men1 it is said1 owe more to their perseverance than to their natural powers1 their friends1 or the favorable circumstances around them4 ,genius will falter by the side of labor1 great powers will yield to great industry4 ,talent is desirable1 but perseverance is more so4 ,how long did it take you to learn to play8 asked a young man of ,geradini4 ,twelve hours a day for twenty years1 replied the great violinist4 ,lyman ,beecher when asked how long it took him to write his celebrated sermon on the ,government of ,god1 replied1 ,about forty years4 ,a ,chinese student1 discouraged by repeated failures1 had thrown away his book in despair1 when he saw a poor woman rubbing an iron bar on a stone to make a needle4 ,this example of patience sent him back to his studies with a new determination1 and he became one of the three greatest scholars of ,china4 ,malibran said3 ,if ,i neglect my practice a day1 ,i see the difference in my execution2 if for two days1 my friends see it2 and if for a week1 all the world knows my failure4 ,constant1 persistent struggle she found to be the price of her marvelous power4 ,when an ,east ,india boy is learning archery1 he is compelled to practise three months drawing the string to his ear before he is allowed to touch an arrow4 ,benjamin ,franklin had this tenacity of purpose in a wonderful degree4 ,when he started in the printing business in ,philadelphia1 he carried his material through the streets on a wheelbarrow4 ,he hired one room for his office1 work-room1 and sleeping-room4 ,he found a formidable rival in the city and invited him to his room4 ,pointing to a piece of bread from which he had just eaten his dinner1 he said3 ,unless you can live cheaper than ,i can you can not starve me out4 ,all are familiar with the misfortune of ,carlyle while writing his ,history of the ,french ,revolution4 ,after the first volume was ready for the press1 he loaned the manuscript to a neighbor who left it lying on the floor1 and the servant girl took it to kindle the fire4 ,it was a bitter disappointment1 but ,carlyle was not the man to give up4 ,after many months of poring over hundreds of volumes of authorities and scores of manuscripts1 he reproduced that which had burned in a few minutes4 ,audubon1 the naturalist1 had spent two years with his gun and note-book in the forests of ,america1 making drawings of birds4 ,he nailed them all up securely in a box and went off on a vacation4 ,when he returned he opened the box only to find a nest of ,norwegian rats in his beautiful drawings4 ,every one was ruined4 ,it was a terrible disappointment1 but ,audubon took his gun and note-book and started for the forest4 ,he reproduced his drawings1 and they were even better than the first4 ,when ,dickens was asked to read one of his selections in public he replied that he had not time1 for he was in the habit of reading the same piece every day for six months before reading it in public4 ,my own invention1 he says1 such as it is1 ,i assure you1 would never have served me as it has but for the habit of commonplace1 humble1 patient1 toiling attention4 ,addison amassed three volumes of manuscript before he began the ,spectator4 ,everyone admires a determined1 persistent man4 ,marcus ,morton ran sixteen times for governor of ,massachusetts4 ,at last his opponents voted for him from admiration of his pluck1 and he was elected by a majority of one6 ,such persistence always triumphs4 ,webster declared that when a pupil at ,phillips ,exeter ,academy he never could declaim before the school4 ,he said he committed piece after piece and rehearsed them in his room1 but when he heard his name called in the academy and all eyes turned towards him the room became dark and everything he ever knew fled from his brain2 but he became the great orator of ,america4 ,indeed1 it is doubtful whether ,demosthenes himself surpassed his great reply to ,hayne in the ,united ,states ,senate4 ,webster's tenacity was illustrated by a circumstance which occurred in the academy4 ,the principal punished him for shooting pigeons by compelling him to commit one hundred lines of ,vergil4 ,he knew the principal was to take a certain train that afternoon1 so he went to his room and learned seven hundred lines4 ,he went to recite them to the principal just before train time4 ,after repeating the hundred lines he continued until he had recited two hundred4 ,the principal anxiously looked at his watch and grew nervous1 but ,webster kept right on4 ,the principal finally stopped him and asked him how many more he had learned4 ,about five hundred more1 said ,webster1 continuing to recite4 ,you can have the rest of the day for pigeon-shooting1 said the principal4 ,great writers have ever been noted for their tenacity of purpose4 ,their works have not been flung off from minds aglow with genius1 but have been elaborated and elaborated into grace and beauty1 until every trace of their efforts has been obliterated4 ,bishop ,butler worked twenty years incessantly on his ,analogy1 and even then was so dissatisfied that he wanted to burn it4 ,rousseau says he obtained the ease and grace of his style only by ceaseless inquietude1 by endless blotches and erasures4 ,vergil worked eleven years on the ,aeneid4 ,the note-books of great men like ,hawthorne and ,emerson are tell-tales of the enormous drudgery1 of the years put into a book which may be read in an hour4 ,montesquieu was twenty-five years writing his ,esprit des ,lois1 yet you can read it in sixty minutes4 ,adam ,smith spent ten years on his ,wealth of ,nations4 ,a rival playwright once laughed at ,euripides for spending three days on three lines1 when he had written five hundred lines4 ,but your five hundred lines in three days will be dead and forgotten1 while my three lines will live forever1 he replied4 ,ariosto wrote his ,description of a ,tempest in sixteen different ways4 ,he spent ten years on his ,orlando ,furioso1 and only sold one hundred copies at fifteen pence each4 ,the proof of ,burke's ,letters to a ,noble ,lord 7one of the sublimest things in all literature7 went back to the publisher so changed and blotted with corrections that the printer absolutely refused to correct it1 and it was entirely reset4 ,adam ,tucker spent eighteen years on the ,light of ,nature4 ,thoreau's ,new ,england pastoral1 ,a ,week on the ,concord and ,merrimac ,rivers1 was an entire failure4 ,seven hundred of the one thousand copies printed were returned from the publishers4 ,thoreau wrote in his diary3 ,i have some nine hundred volumes in my library1 seven hundred of which ,i wrote myself4 ,yet he took up his pen with as much determination as ever4 ,the rolling stone gathers no moss4 ,the persistent tortoise outruns the swift but fickle hare4 ,an hour a day for twelve years more than equals the time given to study in a four years' course at a high school4 ,the reading and re-reading of a single volume has been the making of many a man4 ,patience1 says ,bulwer is the courage of the conqueror2 it is the virtue par excellence1 of ,man against ,destiny--of the ,one against the ,world1 and of the ,soul against ,matter4 ,therefore1 this is the courage of the ,gospel2 and its importance in a social view--its importance to races and institutions--cannot be too earnestly inculcated4 ,want of constancy is the cause of many a failure1 making the millionaire of to-day a beggar to-morrow4 ,show me a really great triumph that is not the reward of persistence4 ,one of the paintings which made ,titian famous was on his easel eight years2 another1 seven4 ,how came popular writers famous8 ,by writing for years without any pay at all2 by writing hundreds of pages as mere practise-work2 by working like galley-slaves at literature for half a lifetime with no other compensation than--fame4 ,never despair1 says ,burke2 but if you do1 work on in despair4 ,the head of the god ,hercules is represented as covered with a lion's skin with claws joined under the chin1 to show that when we have conquered our misfortunes1 they become our helpers4 ,oh1 the glory of an unconquerable will6 ,,chapter ,,xxiv ,,nerve--,,grip1 ,,pluck ,never give up2 for the wisest is boldest1 ,knowing that ,providence mingles the cup2 ,and of all maxims1 the best1 as the oldest1 ,is the stern watchword of ',never give up6' ,be firm2 one constant element of luck ,is genuine1 solid1 old ,teutonic pluck4 ,stick to your aim2 the mongrel's hold will slip1 ,but only crowbars loose the bulldog's grip2 ,small though he looks1 the jaw that never yields ,drags down the bellowing monarch of the fields6 ,,holmes4 ,soldiers1 you are ,frenchmen1 said ,napoleon1 coolly walking among his disaffected generals when they threatened his life in the ,egyptian campaign2 you are too many to assassinate1 and too few to intimidate me4 ,how brave he is6 exclaimed the ringleader1 as he withdrew1 completely cowed4 ,general ,taylor never surrenders1 said old ,rough and ,ready at ,buena ,vista1 when ,santa ,anna with #bj1jjj men offered him a chance to save his #d1jjj soldiers by capitulation4 ,the battle was long and desperate1 but at length the ,mexicans were glad to avoid further defeat by flight4 ,when ,lincoln was asked how ,grant impressed him as a general1 he replied1 ,the greatest thing about him is cool persistency of purpose4 ,he has the grip of a bulldog2 when he once gets his teeth in1 nothing can shake him off4 ,it was ,on to ,richmond1 and ,i propose to fight it out on this line if it takes all summer1 that settled the fate of the ,rebellion4 ,my sword is too short1 said a ,spartan youth to his father4 ,add a step to it1 then1 was the only reply4 ,it is said that the snapping-turtle will not release his grip1 even after his head is cut off4 ,he is resolved1 if he dies1 to die hard4 ,it is just such grit that enables men to succeed1 for what is called luck is generally the prerogative of valiant souls4 ,it is the final effort that brings victory4 ,it is the last pull of the oar1 with clenched teeth and knit muscles1 that shows what ,oxford boatmen call the beefiness of the fellow4 ,after ,grant's defeat at the first battle of ,shiloh1 nearly every newspaper of both parties in the ,north1 almost every member of ,congress1 and public sentiment everywhere demanded his removal4 ,friends of the ,president pleaded with him to give the command to some one else1 for his own sake as well as for the good of the country4 ,lincoln listened for hours one night1 speaking only at rare intervals to tell a pithy story1 until the clock struck one4 ,then1 after a long silence1 he said3 ,i can't spare this man4 ,he fights4 ,it was ,lincoln's marvelous insight and sagacity that saved ,grant from the storm of popular passion1 and gave us the greatest hero of the ,civil ,war4 ,it is this keeping right on that wins in the battle of life4 ,grant never looked backward4 ,once1 after several days of hard fighting without definite result1 he called a council of war4 ,one general described the route by which he would retreat1 another thought it better to retire by a different road1 and general after general told how he would withdraw1 or fall back1 or seek a more favorable position in the rear4 ,at length all eyes were turned upon ,grant1 who had been a silent listener for hours4 ,he rose1 took a bundle of papers from an inside pocket1 handed one to each general1 and said3 ,gentlemen1 at dawn you will execute those orders4 ,every paper gave definite directions for an advance1 and with the morning sun the army moved forward to victory4 ,massena's army of #ah1jjj men in ,genoa had been reduced by fighting and famine to #h1jjj4 ,they had killed and captured more than #ae1jjj ,austrians1 but their provisions were completely exhausted2 starvation stared them in the face2 the enemy outnumbered them four to one1 and they seemed at the mercy of their opponents4 ,general ,ott demanded a discretionary surrender1 but ,massena replied3 ,my soldiers must be allowed to march out with colors flying1 and arms and baggage2 not as prisoners of war1 but free to fight when and where we please4 ,if you do not grant this1 ,i will sally forth from ,genoa sword in hand4 ,with eight thousand famished men ,i will attack your camp1 and ,i will fight till ,i cut my way through it4 ,ott knew the temper of the great soldier1 and agreed to accept the terms if he would surrender himself1 or if he would depart by sea so as not to be quickly joined by reinforcements4 ,massena's only reply was3 ,take my terms1 or ,i will cut my way through your army4 ,ott at last agreed1 when ,massena said3 ,i give you notice that ere fifteen days are passed ,i shall be once more in ,genoa1 and he kept his word4 ,napoleon said of this man1 who was orphaned in infancy and cast upon the world to make his own way in life3 ,when defeated1 ,massena was always ready to fight a battle over again1 as though he had been the conqueror4 ,the battle is completely lost1 said ,desaix1 looking at his watch1 when consulted by ,napoleon at ,marengo2 but it is only two o'clock1 and we shall have time to gain another4 ,he then made his famous cavalry charge1 and won the field1 although a few minutes before the ,french soldiers all along the line were momentarily expecting an order to retreat4 ,well1 said ,barnum to a friend in #ahda1 ,i am going to buy the ,american ,museum4 ,buy it6 exclaimed the astonished friend1 who knew that the showman had not a dollar2 what do you intend buying it with8 ,brass1 was the prompt reply1 for silver and gold have ,i none4 ,everyone interested in public entertainments in ,new ,york knew ,barnum1 and knew the condition of his pocket2 but ,francis ,olmstead1 who owned the ,museum building1 consulted numerous references all telling of a good showman1 who would do as he agreed1 and accepted a proposition to give security for the purchaser4 ,mr4 ,olmstead was to appoint a money-taker at the door1 and credit ,barnum towards the purchase with all above expenses and an allowance of fifty dollars per month to support his wife and three children4 ,mrs4 ,barnum assented to the arrangement1 and offered to cut down the household expenses to a little more than a dollar a day4 ,six months later ,mr4 ,olmstead entered the ticket-office at noon1 and found ,barnum eating for dinner a few slices of bread and some corned beef4 ,is this the way you eat your dinner8 he asked4 ,i have not eaten a warm dinner since ,i bought the ,museum1 except on the ,sabbath2 and ,i intend never to eat another until ,i get out of debt4 ,ah6 you are safe1 and will pay for the ,museum before the year is out1 said ,mr4 ,olmstead1 slapping the young man approvingly on the shoulder4 ,he was right1 for in less than a year ,barnum had paid every cent out of the profits of the establishment4 ,hard pounding1 gentlemen1 said ,wellington at ,waterloo to his officers1 but we will see who can pound the longest4 ,it is very kind of them to 'sand' our letters for us1 said young ,junot coolly1 as an ,austrian shell scattered earth over the dispatch he was writing at the dictation of his commander-in-chief4 ,the remark attracted ,napoleon's attention and led to the promotion of the scrivener4 ,there is room enough up higher1 said ,webster to a young man hesitating to study law because the profession was so crowded4 ,this is true in every department of activity4 ,the young man who succeeds must hold his ground and push hard4 ,whoever attempts to pass through the door to success will find it labeled1 ,push4 ,there is another big word in the ,english language3 the perfection of grit is the power of saying ,no1 with emphasis that can not be mistaken4 ,learn to meet hard times with a harder will1 and more determined pluck4 ,the nature which is all pine and straw is of no use in times of trial1 we must have some oak and iron in us4 ,the goddess of fame or of fortune has been won by many a poor boy who had no friends1 no backing1 or anything but pure grit and invincible purpose4 ,a good character1 good habits1 and iron industry are impregnable to the assaults of the ill luck that fools are dreaming of4 ,there is no luck1 for all practical purposes1 to him who is not striving1 and whose senses are not all eagerly attent4 ,what are called accidental discoveries are almost invariably made by those who are looking for something4 ,a man incurs about as much risk of being struck by lightning as by accidental luck4 ,there is1 perhaps1 an element of luck in the amount of success which crowns the efforts of different men2 but even here it will usually be found that the sagacity with which the efforts are directed and the energy with which they are prosecuted measure pretty accurately the luck contained in the results achieved4 ,apparent exceptions will be found to relate almost wholly to single undertakings1 while in the long run the rule will hold good4 ,two pearl-divers1 equally expert1 dive together and work with equal energy4 ,one brings up a pearl1 while the other returns empty-handed4 ,but let both persevere and at the end of five1 ten1 or twenty years it will be found that they succeeded almost in exact proportion to their skill and industry4 ,varied experience of men has led me1 the longer ,i live1 says ,huxley1 to set less value on mere cleverness2 to attach more and more importance to industry and physical endurance4 ,indeed1 ,i am much disposed to think that endurance is the most valuable quality of all2 for industry1 as the desire to work hard1 does not come to much if a feeble frame is unable to respond to the desire4 ,no life is wasted unless it ends in sloth1 dishonesty1 or cowardice4 ,no success is worthy of the name unless it is won by honest industry and brave breasting of the waves of fortune4 ,has luck ever made a fool speak words of wisdom2 an ignoramus utter lectures on science2 a dolt write an ,odyssey1 an ,aeneid1 a ,paradise ,lost1 or a ,hamlet2 a loafer become a ,girard or ,astor1 a ,rothschild1 ,stewart1 ,vanderbilt1 ,field1 ,gould1 or ,rockefeller2 a coward win at ,yorktown1 ,wagram1 ,waterloo1 or ,richmond2 a careless stonecutter carve an ,apollo1 a ,minerva1 a ,venus de ,medici1 or a ,greek ,slave8 ,does luck raise rich crops on the land of the sluggard1 weeds and brambles on that of the industrious farmer8 ,does luck make the drunkard sleek and attractive1 and his home cheerful1 while the temperate man looks haggard and suffers want and misery8 ,does luck starve honest labor1 and pamper idleness8 ,does luck put common sense at a discount1 folly at a premium8 ,does it cast intelligence into the gutter1 and raise ignorance to the skies8 ,does it imprison virtue1 and laud vice8 ,did luck give ,watt his engine1 ,franklin his captive lightning1 ,whitney his cotton-gin1 ,fulton his steamboat1 ,morse his telegraph1 ,blanchard his lathe1 ,howe his sewing-machine1 ,goodyear his rubber1 ,bell his telephone1 ,edison his phonograph8 ,if you are told of the man who1 worn out by a painful disorder1 tried to commit suicide1 but only opened an internal tumor1 effecting a cure2 of the ,persian condemned to lose his tongue1 on whom a bungling operation merely removed an impediment of speech2 of a painter who produced an effect long desired by throwing his brush at a picture in rage and despair2 of a musician who1 after repeated failures in trying to imitate a storm at sea1 obtained the result desired by angrily running his hands together from the extremities of the keyboard1--bear in mind that even this luck came to men as the result of action1 not inaction4 ,luck is ever waiting for something to turn up1 says ,cobden2 labor1 with keen eyes and strong will1 will turn up something4 ,luck lies in bed1 and wishes the postman would bring him the news of a legacy2 labor turns out at six o'clock1 and with busy pen or ringing hammer lays the foundation of a competence4 ,luck whines2 labor whistles4 ,luck relies on chance2 labor1 on character4 ,stick to the thing and carry it through4 ,believe you were made for the place you fill1 and that no one else can fill it as well4 ,put forth your whole energies4 ,be awake1 electrify yourself2 go forth to the task4 ,only once learn to carry a thing through in all its completeness and proportion1 and you will become a hero4 ,you will think better of yourself2 others will think better of you4 ,the world in its very heart admires the stern1 determined doer4 ,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 that 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 grasp2 better1 with love1 a crust ,than living in dishonor2 envies not1 ,nor loses faith in man2 but does his best1 ,nor even murmurs at his humbler lot2 ,but with a smile and words of hope1 gives zest ,to every toiler2 he alone is great1 ,who by a life heroic conquers fate4 ,,chapter ,,xxv ,,clear ,,grit ,let fortune empty her whole quiver on me1 ,i have a soul that1 like an ample shield1 ,can take in all1 and verge enough for more4 ,,dryden4 ,there's a brave fellow6 ,there's a man of pluck6 ,a man who's not afraid to say his say1 ,though a whole town's against him4 ,,longfellow4 ,our greatest glory is not in never falling1 but in rising every time we fall4--,,goldsmith4 ,the barriers are not yet erected which shall say to aspiring talent1 ,thus far and no farther4--,,beethoven4 ,friends and comrades1 said ,pizarro1 as he turned toward the south1 after tracing with his sword upon the sand a line from east to west1 on that side are toil1 hunger1 nakedness1 the drenching storm1 desertion1 and death2 on this side1 ease and pleasure4 ,there lies ,peru with its riches3 here1 ,panama and its poverty4 ,choose1 each man1 what best becomes a brave ,castilian4 ,for my part1 ,i go to the south4 ,so saying1 he crossed the line and was followed by thirteen ,spaniards in armor4 ,thus1 on the little island of ,gallo in the ,pacific1 when his men were clamoring to return to ,panama1 did ,pizarro and his few volunteers resolve to stake their lives upon the success of a desperate crusade against the powerful empire of the ,incas4 ,at the time they had not even a vessel to transport them to the country they wished to conquer4 ,is it necessary to add that all difficulties yielded at last to such resolute determination8 ,perseverance is a ,roman virtue1 ,that wins each godlike act1 and plucks success ,e'en from the spear-proof crest of rugged danger4 ,when you get into a tight place and everything goes against you1 till it seems as if you could not hold on a minute longer1 said ,harriet ,beecher ,stowe1 never give up then1 for that's just the place and time that the tide'll turn4 ,charles ,sumner said three things are necessary to a strong character3 ,first1 backbone2 second1 backbone2 third1 backbone4 ,while digging among the ruins of ,pompeii1 which was buried by the dust and ashes from an eruption of ,vesuvius ,a4 ,d4 #gi1 the workmen found the skeleton of a ,roman soldier in the sentry-box at one of the city's gates4 ,he might have found safety under sheltering rocks close by2 but1 in the face of certain death1 he had remained at his post1 a mute witness to the thorough discipline1 the ceaseless vigilance and fidelity which made the ,roman legionaries masters of the known world4 ,the world admires the man who never flinches from unexpected difficulties1 who calmly1 patiently1 and courageously grapples with his fate2 who dies1 if need be1 at his post4 ,clear grit always commands respect4 ,it is that quality which achieves1 and everybody admires achievement4 ,in the strife of parties and principles1 backbone without brains will carry against brains without backbone4 ,you can not1 by tying an opinion to a man's tongue1 make him the representative of that opinion2 at the close of any battle for principles1 his name will be found neither among the dead nor among the wounded1 but among the missing4 ,the ,london ,times was an insignificant sheet published by ,mr4 ,walter and was steadily losing money4 ,john ,walter1 ,jr41 then only twenty-seven years old1 begged his father to give him full control of the paper4 ,after many misgivings1 the father finally consented4 ,the young journalist began to remodel the establishment and to introduce new ideas everywhere4 ,the paper had not attempted to mold public opinion1 and had had no individuality or character of its own4 ,the audacious young editor boldly attacked every wrong1 even the government1 whenever he thought it corrupt4 ,thereupon the public customs1 printing1 and the government advertisements were withdrawn4 ,the father was in utter dismay4 ,his son1 he was sure1 would ruin the paper and himself4 ,but no remonstrance could swerve the son from his purpose to give the world a great journal which should have weight1 character1 individuality1 and independence4 ,the public soon saw that a new power stood behind the ,times2 that its articles meant business2 that new life and new blood and new ideas had been infused into the insignificant sheet2 that a man with brains and push and tenacity of purpose stood at the helm1--a man who could make a way when he could not find one4 ,among other new features foreign dispatches were introduced1 and they appeared in the ,times several days before their appearance in the government organs4 ,the leading article also was introduced to stay4 ,the aggressive editor antagonized the government1 and his foreign dispatches were all stopped at the outposts1 while the ministerial journalists were allowed to proceed4 ,but nothing could daunt this resolute young spirit4 ,at enormous expense he employed special couriers4 ,every obstacle put in his way1 and all opposition from the government1 only added to his determination to succeed4 ,enterprise1 push1 grit were behind the ,times1 and nothing could stay its progress4 ,young ,walter was the soul of the paper1 and his personality pervaded every detail4 ,in those days only three hundred copies of the paper could be struck off in an hour by the best presses1 and ,walter had duplicate and even triplicate types set4 ,then he set his brain to work1 and finally the ,walter ,press1 throwing off #ag1jjj copies per hour1 both sides printed1 was the result4 ,it was the #bith of ,november1 #ahad1 that the first steam printed paper was given to the world4 ,mean natures always feel a sort of terror before great natures1 and many a base thought has been unuttered1 many a sneaking vote withheld1 through the fear inspired by the rebuking presence of one noble man4 ,as a rule1 pure grit1 character1 has the right of way4 ,in the presence of men permeated with grit and sound in character1 meanness and baseness slink out of sight4 ,mean men are uncomfortable1 dishonesty trembles1 hypocrisy is uncertain4 ,lincoln1 being asked by an anxious visitor what he would do after three or four years if the rebellion were not subdued1 replied3 ,oh1 there is no alternative but to keep pegging away4 ,it is in me and it shall come out1 said ,sheridan1 when told that he would never make an orator as he had failed in his first speech in ,parliament4 ,he became known as one of the foremost orators of his day4 ,when a boy ,henry ,clay was very bashful and diffident1 and scarcely dared recite before his class at school1 but he determined to become an orator4 ,so he committed speeches and recited them in the cornfields1 or in the barn with the horse and cows for an audience4 ,if impossibilities ever exist1 popularly speaking1 they ought to have been found somewhere between the birth and death of ,kitto1 that deaf pauper and master of ,oriental learning4 ,but ,kitto did not find them there4 ,in the presence of his decision and imperial energy they melted away4 ,he begged his father to take him out of the poorhouse1 even if he had to subsist like the ,hottentots4 ,he told him that he would sell his books and pawn his handkerchief1 by which he thought he could raise about twelve shillings4 ,he said he could live upon blackberries1 nuts1 and field turnips1 and was willing to sleep on a hayrick4 ,here was real grit4 ,what were impossibilities to such a resolute1 indomitable will8 ,grit is a permanent1 solid quality1 which enters into the very structure1 the very tissues of the constitution4 ,many of our generals in the ,civil ,war exhibited heroism2 they were plucky1 and often displayed great determination1 but ,grant had pure grit in the most concentrated form4 ,he could not be moved from his base2 he was self-centered1 immovable4 ,if you try to wheedle out of him his plans for a campaign1 he stolidly smokes2 if you call him an imbecile and a blunderer1 he blandly lights another cigar2 if you praise him as the greatest general living1 he placidly returns the puff from his regalia2 and if you tell him he should run for the presidency1 it does not disturb the equanimity with which he inhales and exhales the unsubstantial vapor which typifies the politician's promises4 ,while you are wondering what kind of creature this man without a tongue is1 you are suddenly electrified with the news of some splendid victory2 proving that behind the cigar1 and behind the face discharged of all telltale expression1 is the best brain to plan and the strongest heart to dare among the generals of the ,republic4 ,lincoln had pure grit4 ,when the illustrated papers everywhere were caricaturing him1 when no epithet seemed too harsh to heap upon him1 when his methods were criticized by his own party1 and the generals in the war were denouncing his foolish confidence in ,grant1 and delegations were waiting upon him to ask for that general's removal1 the great ,president sat with crossed legs1 and was reminded of a story4 ,lincoln and ,grant both had that rare nerve which cares not for ridicule1 is not swerved by public clamor1 can bear abuse and hatred4 ,there is a mighty force in truth1 and in the sublime conviction and supreme self-confidence behind it2 in the knowledge that truth is mighty1 and the conviction and confidence that it will prevail4 ,pure grit is that element of character which enables a man to clutch his aim with an iron grip1 and keep the needle of his purpose pointing to the star of his hope4 ,through sunshine and storm1 through hurricane and tempest1 through sleet and rain1 with a leaky ship1 with a crew in mutiny1 it perseveres2 in fact1 nothing but death can subdue it1 and it dies still struggling4 ,the man of grit carries in his very presence a power which controls and commands4 ,he is spared the necessity of declaring himself1 for his grit speaks in his every act4 ,it does not come by fits and starts1 it is a part of his life4 ,it inspires a sublime audacity and a heroic courage4 ,many of the failures of life are due to the want of grit or business nerve4 ,it is unfortunate for a young man to start out in business life with a weak1 yielding disposition1 with no resolution or backbone to mark his own course and stick to it2 with no ability to say ,no with an emphasis1 obliging this man by investing in hopeless speculation1 and1 rather than offend a friend1 indorsing a questionable note4 ,a little boy was asked how he learned to skate4 ,oh1 by getting up every time ,i fell down1 he replied4 ,whipple tells a story of ,massna which illustrates the masterful purpose that plucks victory out of the jaws of defeat4 ,after the defeat at ,essling1 the success of ,napoleon's attempt to withdraw his beaten army depended on the character of ,massna1 to whom the ,emperor dispatched a messenger1 telling him to keep his position for two hours longer at ,aspern4 ,this order1 couched in the form of a request1 required almost an impossibility2 but ,napoleon knew the indomitable tenacity of the man to whom he gave it4 ,the messenger found ,massna seated on a heap of rubbish1 his eyes bloodshot1 his frame weakened by his unparalleled exertions during a contest of forty hours1 and his whole appearance indicating a physical state better befitting the hospital than the field4 ,but that steadfast soul seemed altogether unaffected by bodily prostration4 ,half dead as he was with fatigue1 he rose painfully and said courageously1 ',tell the ,emperor that ,i will hold out for two hours4' ,and he kept his word4 ,often defeated in battle1 said ,macaulay of ,alexander the ,great1 he was always successful in war4 ,in the battle of ,marengo1 the ,austrians considered the day won4 ,the ,french army was inferior in numbers1 and had given way4 ,the ,austrian army extended its wings on the right and on the left1 to follow up the ,french4 ,then1 though the ,french themselves thought that the battle was lost1 and the ,austrians were confident it was won1 ,napoleon gave the command to charge2 and1 the trumpet's blast being given1 the ,old ,guard charged down into the weakened center of the enemy1 cut it in two1 rolled the two wings up on either side1 and the battle was won for ,france4 ,once when ,marshal ,ney was going into battle1 looking down at his knees which were smiting together1 he said1 ,you may well shake2 you would shake worse yet if you knew where ,i am going to take you4 ,it is victory after victory with the soldier1 lesson after lesson with the scholar1 blow after blow with the laborer1 crop after crop with the farmer1 picture after picture with the painter1 and mile after mile with the traveler1 that secures what all so much desire--,,success4 ,a promising ,harvard student was stricken with paralysis of both legs4 ,physicians said there was no hope for him4 ,the lad determined to continue his college studies4 ,the examiners heard him at his bedside1 and in four years he took his degree4 ,he resolved to make a critical study of ,dante1 to do which he had to learn ,italian and ,german4 ,he persevered in spite of repeated attacks of illness and partial loss of sight4 ,he was competing for the university prize4 ,think of the paralytic lad1 helpless in bed1 competing for a prize1 fighting death inch by inch6 ,what a lesson6 ,before his manuscript was published or the prize awarded1 the brave student died1 but his work was successful4 ,congressman ,william ,w4 ,crapo1 while working his way through college1 being too poor to buy a dictionary1 actually copied one1 walking from his home in the village of ,dartmouth1 ,mass41 to ,new ,bedford to replenish his store of words and definitions from the town library4 ,oh1 the triumphs of this indomitable spirit of the conqueror6 ,this it was that enabled ,franklin to dine on a small loaf in the printing-office with a book in his hand4 ,it helped ,locke to live on bread and water in a ,dutch garret4 ,it enabled ,gideon ,lee to go barefoot in the snow1 half starved and thinly clad4 ,it sustained ,lincoln and ,garfield on their hard journeys from the log cabin to the ,white ,house4 ,president ,chadbourne put grit in place of his lost lung1 and worked thirty-five years after his funeral had been planned4 ,henry ,fawcett put grit in place of eyesight1 and became the greatest ,postmaster-,general ,england ever had4 ,prescott also put grit in place of eyesight1 and became one of ,america's greatest historians4 ,francis ,parkman put grit in place of health and eyesight1 and became the greatest historian of ,america in his line4 ,thousands of men have put grit in place of health1 eyes1 ears1 hands1 legs and yet have achieved marvelous success4 ,indeed1 most of the great things of the world have been accomplished by grit and pluck4 ,you can not keep a man down who has these qualities4 ,he will make stepping-stones out of his stumbling-blocks1 and lift himself to success4 ,at fifty1 ,barnum was a ruined man1 owing thousands more than he possessed1 yet he resolutely resumed business once more1 fairly wringing success from adverse fortune1 and paying his notes at the same time4 ,again and again he was ruined2 but phoenix-like1 he rose repeatedly from the ashes of his misfortune each time more determined than before4 ,it is all very well1 said ,charles ,j4 ,fox1 to tell me that a young man has distinguished himself by a brilliant first speech4 ,he may go on1 or he may be satisfied with his first triumph2 but show me a young man who has not succeeded at first1 and nevertheless has gone on1 and ,i will back that young man to do better than most of those who have succeeded at the first trial4 ,cobden broke down completely the first time he appeared on a platform in ,manchester1 and the chairman apologized for him4 ,but he did not give up speaking till every poor man in ,england had a larger1 better1 and cheaper loaf4 ,see young ,disraeli1 sprung from a hated and persecuted race2 without opportunity1 pushing his way up through the middle classes1 up through the upper classes1 until he stands self-poised upon the topmost round of political and social power4 ,scoffed1 ridiculed1 rebuffed1 hissed from the ,house of ,commons1 he simply says1 ,the time will come when you will hear me4 ,the time did come1 and the boy with no chance swayed the scepter of ,england for a quarter of a century4 ,one of the most remarkable examples in history is ,disraeli1 forcing his leadership upon that very party whose prejudices were deepest against his race1 and which had an utter contempt for self-made men and interlopers4 ,imagine ,england's surprise when she awoke to find this insignificant ,hebrew actually ,chancellor of the ,exchequer6 ,he was easily master of all the tortures supplied by the armory of rhetoric2 he could exhaust the resources of the bitterest invective2 he could sting ,gladstone out of his self-control2 he was absolute master of himself and his situation4 ,you could see that this young man intended to make his way in the world4 ,determined audacity was in his very face4 ,handsome1 with the hated ,hebrew blood in his veins1 after three defeats in parliamentary elections he was not the least daunted1 for he knew his day would come4 ,lord ,melbourne1 the great ,prime ,minister1 when this gay young fop was introduced to him1 asked him what he wished to be4 ,prime ,minister of ,england1 was his audacious reply4 ,william ,h4 ,seward was given a thousand dollars by his father with which to go to college2 this was all he was to have4 ,the son returned at the end of the freshman year with extravagant habits and no money4 ,his father refused to give him more1 and told him he could not stay at home4 ,when the youth found the props all taken out from under him1 and that he must now sink or swim1 he left home moneyless1 returned to college1 graduated at the head of his class1 studied law1 was elected ,governor of ,new ,york1 and became ,lincoln's great ,secretary of ,state during the ,civil ,war4 ,garfield said1 ,if the power to do hard work is not talent1 it is the best possible substitute for it4 ,the triumph of industry and grit over low birth and iron fortune in ,america1 the land of opportunity1 ought to be sufficient to put to shame all grumblers over their hard fortune and those who attempt to excuse aimless1 shiftless1 successless men because they have no chance4 ,during a winter in the ,war of #ahab1 ,general ,jackson's troops1 unprovided for and starving1 became mutinous and were going home4 ,but the general set the example of living on acorns2 and then he rode before the rebellious line and threatened with instant death the first mutineer that should try to leave4 ,the race is not always to the swift1 the battle is not always to the strong4 ,horses are sometimes weighted or hampered in the race1 and this is taken into account in the result4 ,so in the race of life the distance alone does not determine the prize4 ,we must take into consideration the hindrances1 the weights we have carried1 the disadvantages of education1 of breeding1 of training1 of surroundings1 of circumstances4 ,how many young men are weighted down with debt1 with poverty1 with the support of invalid parents or brothers and sisters1 or friends8 ,how many are fettered with ignorance1 hampered by inhospitable surroundings1 with the opposition of parents who do not understand them8 ,how many a round boy is hindered in the race by being forced into a square hole8 ,how many youths are delayed in their course because nobody believes in them1 because nobody encourages them1 because they get no sympathy and are forever tortured for not doing that against which every fiber of their being protests1 and every drop of their blood rebels8 ,how many men have to feel their way to the goal through the blindness of ignorance and lack of experience8 ,how many go bungling along from the lack of early discipline and drill in the vocation they have chosen8 ,how many have to hobble along on crutches because they were never taught to help themselves1 but have been accustomed to lean upon a father's wealth or a mother's indulgence8 ,how many are weakened for the journey of life by self-indulgence1 by dissipation1 by life-sappers2 how many are crippled by disease1 by a weak constitution1 by impaired eyesight or hearing8 ,when the prizes of life shall be finally awarded1 the distance we have run1 the weights we have carried1 the handicaps1 will all be taken into account4 ,not the distance we have run1 but the obstacles we have overcome1 the disadvantages under which we have made the race1 will decide the prizes4 ,the poor wretch who has plodded along against unknown temptations1 the poor woman who has buried her sorrows in her silent heart and sewed her weary way through life1 those who have suffered abuse in silence1 and who have been unrecognized or despised by their fellow-runners1 will often receive the greater prize4 ,the wise and active conquer difficulties1 ,by daring to attempt them2 sloth and folly ,shiver and sink at sight of toil and hazard1 ,and make the impossibility they fear4 ,i can't1 it is impossible1 said a foiled lieutenant1 to ,alexander4 ,begone1 shouted the conquering ,macedonian1 there is nothing impossible to him who will try4 ,were ,i called upon to express in a word the secret of so many failures among those who started out in life with high hopes1 ,i should say unhesitatingly1 they lacked will-power4 ,they could not half will4 ,what is a man without a will8 ,he is like an engine without steam1 a mere sport of chance1 to be tossed about hither and thither1 always at the mercy of those who have wills4 ,i should call the strength of will the test of a young man's possibilities4 ,can he will strong enough1 and hold whatever he undertakes with an iron grip8 ,it is the iron grip that takes the strong hold on life4 ,what chance is there in this crowding1 pushing1 selfish1 greedy world1 where everything is pusher or pushed1 for a young man with no will1 no grip on life8 ,the truest wisdom1 said ,napoleon1 is a resolute determination4 ,an iron will without principle might produce a ,napoleon2 but with character it would make a ,wellington or a ,grant1 untarnished by ambition or avarice4 ,the undivided will ',t is that compels the elements and wrings ,a human music from the indifferent air4 ,,chapter ,,xxvi ,,success ,,under ,,difficulties ,victories that are easy are cheap4 ,those only are worth having which come as the result of hard fighting4--,,beecher4 ,little minds are tamed and subdued by misfortunes2 but great minds rise above them4--,,washington ,,irving4 ,i have here three teams that ,i want to get over to ,staten ,island1 said a boy of twelve one day in #ahjf to the innkeeper at ,south ,amboy1 ,n4 ,j4 ,if you will put us across1 ,i'll leave with you one of my horses in pawn1 and if ,i don't send you back six dollars within forty-eight hours you may keep the horse4 ,the innkeeper asked the reason for this novel proposition1 and learned that the lad's father had contracted to get the cargo of a vessel stranded near ,sandy ,hook1 and take it to ,new ,york in lighters4 ,the boy had been sent with three wagons1 six horses1 and three men1 to carry the cargo across a sand-spit to the lighters4 ,the work accomplished1 he had started with only six dollars to travel a long distance home over the ,jersey sands1 and reached ,south ,amboy penniless4 ,i'll do it1 said the innkeeper1 as he looked into the bright honest eyes of the boy4 ,the horse was soon redeemed4 ,my son1 said this same boy's mother1 on the first of ,may1 #ahaj1 when he asked her to lend him one hundred dollars to buy a boat1 having imbibed a strong liking for the sea2 on the twenty-seventh of this month you will be sixteen years old4 ,if1 by that time1 you will plow1 harrow1 and plant with corn the eight-acre lot1 ,i will advance you the money4 ,the field was rough and stony1 but the work was done in time1 and well done4 ,from this small beginning ,cornelius ,vanderbilt laid the foundation of a colossal fortune4 ,in #ahah ,vanderbilt owned two or three of the finest coasting schooners in ,new ,york harbor1 and had a capital of nine thousand dollars4 ,seeing that steam-vessels would soon win supremacy over those carrying sails only1 he gave up his fine business to become the captain of a steamboat at one thousand dollars a year4 ,for twelve years he ran between ,new ,york ,city and ,new ,brunswick1 ,n4 ,j4 ,in #ahbi he began business as a steamboat owner1 in the face of opposition so bitter that he lost his last dollar4 ,but the tide turned1 and he prospered so rapidly that he at length owned over a hundred steamboats4 ,he early identified himself with the growing railroad interests of the country1 and became the richest man of his day in ,america4 ,barnum began the race of business life barefoot1 for at the age of fifteen he was obliged to buy on credit the shoes he wore at his father's funeral4 ,he was a remarkable example of success under difficulties4 ,there was no keeping him down2 no opposition daunted him4 ,eloquence must have been born with you1 said a friend to ,j4 ,p4 ,curran4 ,indeed1 my dear sir1 it was not1 replied the orator2 it was born some three and twenty years and some months after me4 ,speaking of his first attempt at a debating club1 he said3 ,i stood up1 trembling through every fiber2 but remembering that in this ,i was but imitating ,tully1 ,i took courage and had actually proceeded almost as far as ',mr4 ,chairman1' when1 to my astonishment and terror1 ,i perceived that every eye was turned on me4 ,there were only six or seven present1 and the room could not have contained as many more2 yet was it1 to my panic-stricken imagination1 as if ,i were the central object in nature1 and assembled millions were gazing upon me in breathless expectation4 ,i became dismayed and dumb4 ,my friends cried1 ',hear him6' but there was nothing to hear4 ,he was nicknamed ,orator ,mum1 and well did he deserve the title until he ventured to stare in astonishment at a speaker who was culminating chronology by the most preposterous anachronisms4 ,i doubt not1 said the annoyed speaker1 that ',orator ,mum' possesses wonderful talents for eloquence1 but ,i would recommend him to show it in future by some more popular method than his silence4 ,stung by the taunt1 ,curran rose and gave the man a piece of his mind1 speaking fluently in his anger4 ,encouraged by this success1 he took great pains to become a good speaker4 ,he corrected his habit of stuttering by reading favorite passages aloud every day slowly and distinctly1 and spoke at every opportunity4 ,bunyan wrote his ,pilgrim's ,progress on the untwisted papers which were used to cork the bottles of milk brought for his meals4 ,gifford wrote his first copy of a mathematical work1 when a cobbler's apprentice1 on small scraps of leather2 and ,rittenhouse1 the astronomer1 first calculated eclipses on his plow handle4 ,david ,livingstone at ten years of age was put into a cotton factory near ,glasgow4 ,out of his first week's wages he bought a ,latin grammar1 and studied in the night schools for years4 ,he would sit up and study till midnight unless his mother drove him to bed1 notwithstanding he had to be at the factory at six in the morning4 ,he mastered ,vergil and ,horace in this way1 and read extensively1 besides studying botany4 ,so eager for knowledge was he1 that he would place his book before him on the spinning-jenny1 and amid the deafening roar of machinery would pore over its pages4 ,all the performances of human art1 at which we look with praise and wonder1 says ,johnson1 are instances of the resistless force of perseverance3 it is by this that the quarry becomes a pyramid1 and that distant countries are united with canals4 ,if a man was to compare the effect of a single stroke of the pickax1 or of one impression of the spade1 with the general design and last result1 he would be overwhelmed by the sense of their disproportion2 yet those petty operations1 incessantly continued1 in time surmount the greatest difficulties1 and mountains are leveled1 and oceans bounded1 by the slender force of human beings4 ,great men never wait for opportunities2 they make them4 ,nor do they wait for facilities or favoring circumstances2 they seize upon whatever is at hand1 work out their problem1 and master the situation4 ,a young man determined and willing will find a way or make one4 ,a ,franklin does not require elaborate apparatus2 he can bring electricity from the clouds with a common kite4 ,great men have found no royal road to their triumph4 ,it is always the old route1 by way of industry and perseverance4 ,the farmer boy1 ,elihu ,b4 ,washburn1 taught school at ten dollars per month1 and early learned the lesson that it takes one hundred cents to make a dollar4 ,in after years he fought steals in ,congress1 until he was called the ,watchdog of the ,treasury4 ,when ,elias ,howe1 harassed by want and woe1 was in ,london completing his first sewing-machine1 he had frequently to borrow money to live on4 ,he bought beans and cooked them himself4 ,he also borrowed money to send his wife back to ,america4 ,he sold his first machine for five pounds1 although it was worth fifty1 and then he pawned his letters patent to pay his expenses home4 ,the boy ,arkwright begins barbering in a cellar1 but dies worth a million and a half4 ,the world treated his novelties just as it treats everybody's novelties--made infinite objection1 mustered all the impediments1 but he snapped his fingers at their objections1 and lived to become honored and wealthy4 ,there is scarcely a great truth or doctrine but has had to fight its way to public recognition in the face of detraction1 calumny1 and persecution4 ,nearly every great discovery or invention that has blessed mankind has had to fight its way to recognition1 even against the opposition of the most progressive men4 ,william ,h4 ,prescott was a remarkable example of what a boy with no chance can do4 ,while at college1 he lost one eye by a hard piece of bread thrown during a biscuit battle1 and the other eye became almost useless4 ,but the boy would not lead a useless life4 ,he set his heart upon being a historian1 and turned all his energies in that direction4 ,by the aid of others' eyes1 he spent ten years studying before he even decided upon a particular theme for his first book4 ,then he spent ten years more1 poring over old archives and manuscripts1 before he published his ,ferdinand and ,isabella4 ,what a lesson in his life for young men6 ,what a rebuke to those who have thrown away their opportunities and wasted their lives6 ,galileo with an opera-glass1 said ,emerson1 discovered a more splendid series of celestial phenomena than any one since with the great telescopes4 ,columbus found the new world in an undecked boat4 ,surroundings which men call unfavorable can not prevent the unfolding of your powers4 ,from among the rock-ribbed hills of ,new ,hampshire sprang the greatest of ,american orators and statesmen1 ,daniel ,webster4 ,from the crowded ranks of toil1 and homes to which luxury is a stranger1 have often come the leaders and benefactors of our race4 ,where shall we find an illustration more impressive than in ,abraham ,lincoln1 whose life1 career1 and death might be chanted by a ,greek chorus as at once the prelude and the epilogue of the most imperial theme of modern times8 ,born as lowly as the ,son of ,god1 in a hovel2 of what real parentage we know not2 reared in penury1 squalor1 with no gleam of light1 nor fair surrounding2 a young manhood vexed by weird dreams and visions2 with scarcely a natural grace2 singularly awkward1 ungainly even among the uncouth about him3 it was reserved for this remarkable character1 late in life1 to be snatched from obscurity1 raised to supreme command at a supreme moment1 and intrusted with the destiny of a nation4 ,the great leaders of his party were made to stand aside2 the most experienced and accomplished men of the day1 men like ,seward1 and ,chase1 and ,sumner1 statesmen famous and trained1 were sent to the rear1 while this strange figure was brought by unseen hands to the front1 and given the reins of power4 ,there is no open door to the temple of success4 ,everyone who enters makes his own door1 which closes behind him to all others1 not even permitting his own children to pass4 ,not in the brilliant salon1 not in the tapestried library1 not in ease and competence1 is genius born and nurtured2 but often in adversity and destitution1 amidst the harassing cares of a straitened household1 in bare and fireless garrets4 ,amid scenes unpropitious1 repulsive1 wretched1 have men labored1 studied1 and trained themselves1 until they have at last emanated from the gloom of that obscurity the shining lights of their times2 have become the companions of kings1 the guides and teachers of their kind1 and exercised an influence upon the thought of the world amounting to a species of intellectual legislation4 ,what does he know1 said a sage1 who has not suffered8 ,schiller produced his greatest tragedies in the midst of physical suffering almost amounting to torture4 ,handel was never greater than when1 warned by palsy of the approach of death1 and struggling with distress and suffering1 he sat down to compose the great works which have made his name immortal in music4 ,mozart composed his great operas1 and last of all his ,requiem1 when oppressed by debt and struggling with a fatal disease4 ,beethoven produced his greatest works amidst gloomy sorrow1 when oppressed by almost total deafness4 ,perhaps no one ever battled harder to overcome obstacles which would have disheartened most men than ,demosthenes4 ,he had such a weak voice1 and such an impediment in his speech1 and was so short of breath1 that he could scarcely get through a single sentence without stopping to rest4 ,all his first attempts were nearly drowned by the hisses1 jeers1 and scoffs of his audiences4 ,his first effort that met with success was against his guardian1 who had defrauded him1 and whom he compelled to refund a part of his fortune4 ,he was so discouraged by his defeats that he determined to give up forever all attempts at oratory4 ,one of his auditors1 however1 believed the young man had something in him1 and encouraged him to persevere4 ,he accordingly appeared again in public1 but was hissed down as before4 ,as he withdrew1 hanging his head in great confusion1 a noted actor1 ,satyrus1 encouraged him still further to try to overcome his impediment4 ,he stammered so much that he could not pronounce some of the letters at all1 and his breath would give out before he could get through a sentence4 ,finally1 he determined to be an orator at any cost4 ,he went to the seashore and practised amid the roar of the breakers with small pebbles in his mouth1 in order to overcome his stammering1 and at the same time accustom himself to the hisses and tumults of his audience4 ,he overcame his short breath by practising while running up steep and difficult places on the shore4 ,his awkward gestures were also corrected by long and determined drill before a mirror4 ,columbus was dismissed as a fool from court after court1 but he pushed his suit against an incredulous and ridiculing world4 ,rebuffed by kings1 scorned by queens1 he did not swerve a hair's breadth from the overmastering purpose which dominated his soul4 ,the words ,new ,world were graven upon his heart2 and reputation1 ease1 pleasure1 position1 life itself if need be1 must be sacrificed4 ,threats1 ridicule1 ostracism1 storms1 leaky vessels1 mutiny of sailors1 could not shake his mighty purpose4 ,you can not keep a determined man from success4 ,place stumbling-blocks in his way and he takes them for stepping-stones1 and on them will climb to greatness4 ,take away his money1 and he makes spurs of his poverty to urge him on4 ,cripple him1 and he writes the ,waverley ,novels4 ,all that is great and noble and true in the history of the world is the result of infinite painstaking1 perpetual plodding1 of common every-day industry4 ,roger ,bacon1 one of the profoundest thinkers the world has produced1 was terribly persecuted for his studies in natural philosophy1 yet he persevered and won success4 ,he was accused of dealing in magic1 his books were burned in public1 and he was kept in prison for ten years4 ,even our own revered ,washington was mobbed in the streets because he would not pander to the clamor of the people and reject the treaty which ,mr4 ,jay had arranged with ,great ,britain4 ,but he remained firm1 and the people adopted his opinion4 ,the ,duke of ,wellington was mobbed in the streets of ,london and his windows were broken while his wife lay dead in the house2 but the ,iron ,duke never faltered in his course1 or swerved a hair's breadth from his purpose4 ,william ,phipps1 when a young man1 heard some sailors on the street1 in ,boston1 talking about a ,spanish ship wrecked off the ,bahama ,islands1 which was supposed to have money on board4 ,young ,phipps determined to find it4 ,he set out at once1 and1 after many hardships1 discovered the lost treasure4 ,he then heard of another ship1 which had been wrecked off ,port ,de ,la ,plata many years before4 ,he set sail for ,england and importuned ,charles ,,ii for aid4 ,to his delight the king fitted up the ship ,rose ,algier for him4 ,he searched and searched for a long time in vain1 and at length had to return to ,england to repair his vessel4 ,james ,,ii was then on the throne1 and ,phipps had to wait for four years before he could raise money to return4 ,his crew mutinied and threatened to throw him overboard1 but he turned the ship's guns on them4 ,one day an ,indian diver went down for a curious sea plant and saw several cannon lying on the bottom4 ,they proved to belong to the wreck4 ,he had nothing but dim traditions to guide him1 but he returned to ,england with #a1ejj1jjj4 ,a constant struggle1 a ceaseless battle to win success in spite of every barrier1 is the price of all great achievements4 ,the man who has not fought his way up to his own loaf1 and does not bear the scar of desperate conflict1 does not know the highest meaning of success4 ,the money acquired by those who have thus struggled upward to success is not their only1 or indeed their chief reward4 ,when1 after years of toil1 of opposition1 of ridicule1 of repeated failure1 ,cyrus ,w4 ,field placed his hand upon the telegraph instrument ticking a message under the sea1 think you that the electric thrill passed no further than the tips of his fingers8 ,when ,thomas ,a4 ,edison demonstrated that the electric light had at last been developed into a commercial success1 do you suppose those bright rays failed to illuminate the inmost recesses of his soul8 ,,chapter ,,xxvii ,,uses ,,of ,,obstacles ,nature1 when she adds difficulties1 adds brains4--,,emerson4 ,many men owe the grandeur of their lives to their tremendous difficulties4--,,spurgeon4 ,the good are better made by ill1 ,as odors crushed are sweeter still4 ,,rogers4 ,though losses and crosses be lessons right severe1 ,there's wit there ye'll get there1 ye'll find no other where4 ,,burns4 ,adversity is the prosperity of the great4 ,kites rise against1 not with1 the wind4 ,many and many a time since1 said ,harriet ,martineau1 referring to her father's failure in business1 have we said that1 but for that loss of money1 we might have lived on in the ordinary provincial method of ladies with small means1 sewing and economizing and growing narrower every year2 whereas1 by being thrown1 while it was yet time1 on our own resources1 we have worked hard and usefully1 won friends1 reputation1 and independence1 seen the world abundantly1 abroad and at home2 in short1 have truly lived instead of vegetating4 ,two of the three greatest epic poets of the world were blind1--,homer and ,milton2 while the third1 ,dante1 was in his later years nearly1 if not altogether1 blind4 ,it almost seems as though some great characters had been physically crippled in certain respects so that they would not dissipate their energy1 but concentrate it all in one direction4 ,a distinguished investigator in science said that when he encountered an apparently insuperable obstacle1 he usually found himself upon the brink of some discovery4 ,returned with thanks has made many an author4 ,failure often leads a man to success by arousing his latent energy1 by firing a dormant purpose1 by awakening powers which were sleeping4 ,men of mettle turn disappointments into helps as the oyster turns into pearl the sand which annoys it4 ,let the adverse breath of criticism be to you only what the blast of the storm wind is to the eagle1--a force against him that lifts him higher4 ,a kite would not fly unless it had a string tying it down4 ,it is just so in life4 ,the man who is tied down by half a dozen blooming responsibilities and their mother will make a higher and stronger flight than the bachelor who1 having nothing to keep him steady1 is always floundering in the mud4 ,when ,napoleon's school companions made sport of him on account of his humble origin and poverty he devoted himself entirely to books1 and1 quickly rising above them in scholarship1 commanded their respect4 ,soon he was regarded as the brightest ornament of the class4 ,to make his way at the bar1 said an eminent jurist1 a young man must live like a hermit and work like a horse4 ,there is nothing that does a young lawyer so much good as to be half starved4 ,thousands of men of great native ability have been lost to the world because they have not had to wrestle with obstacles1 and to struggle under difficulties sufficient to stimulate into activity their dormant powers4 ,no effort is too dear which helps us along the line of our proper career4 ,poverty and obscurity of origin may impede our progress1 but it is only like the obstruction of ice or dbris in the river temporarily forcing the water into eddies1 where it accumulates strength and a mighty reserve which ultimately sweeps the obstruction impetuously to the sea4 ,poverty and obscurity are not insurmountable obstacles1 but they often act as a stimulus to the naturally indolent1 and develop a firmer fiber of mind1 a stronger muscle and stamina of body4 ,if the germ of the seed has to struggle to push its way up through the stones and hard sod1 to fight its way up to sunlight and air1 and then to wrestle with storm and tempest1 with snow and frost1 the fiber of its timber will be all the tougher and stronger4 ,there is good philosophy in the injunction to love our enemies1 for they are often our best friends in disguise4 ,they tell us the truth when friends flatter4 ,their biting sarcasm and scathing rebuke are mirrors which reveal us to ourselves4 ,these unkind stings and thrusts are often spurs which urge us on to grander success and nobler endeavor4 ,friends cover our faults and rarely rebuke2 enemies drag out to the light all our weaknesses without mercy4 ,we dread these thrusts and exposures as we do the surgeon's knife1 but are the better for them4 ,they reach depths before untouched1 and we are led to resolve to redeem ourselves from scorn and inferiority4 ,we are the victors of our opponents4 ,they have developed in us the very power by which we overcome them4 ,without their opposition we could never have braced and anchored and fortified ourselves1 as the oak is braced and anchored for its thousand battles with the tempests4 ,our trials1 our sorrows1 and our griefs develop us in a similar way4 ,the man who has triumphed over difficulties bears the signs of victory in his face4 ,an air of triumph is seen in every movement4 ,john ,calvin1 who made a theology for the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries1 was tortured with disease for many years1 and so was ,robert ,hall4 ,the great men who have lifted the world to a higher level were not developed in easy circumstances1 but were rocked in the cradle of difficulties and pillowed on hardships4 ,the gods look on no grander sight than an honest man struggling with adversity4 ,then ,i must learn to sing better1 said ,anaximander1 when told that the very boys laughed at his singing4 ,strong characters1 like the palm-tree1 seem to thrive best when most abused4 ,men who have stood up bravely under great misfortune for years are often unable to bear prosperity4 ,their good fortune takes the spring out of their energy1 as the torrid zone enervates races accustomed to a vigorous climate4 ,some people never come to themselves until baffled1 rebuffed1 thwarted1 defeated1 crushed1 in the opinion of those around them4 ,trials unlock their virtues2 defeat is the threshold of their victory4 ,it is defeat that turns bone to flint2 it is defeat that turns gristle to muscle2 it is defeat that makes men invincible2 it is defeat that has made those heroic natures that are now in the ascendency1 and that has given the sweet law of liberty instead of the bitter law of oppression4 ,difficulties call out great qualities1 and make greatness possible4 ,how many centuries of peace would have developed a ,grant8 ,few knew ,lincoln until the great weight of the war showed his character4 ,a century of peace would never have produced a ,bismarck4 ,perhaps ,phillips and ,garrison would never have been known to history had it not been for slavery4 ,will he not make a great painter8 was asked in regard to an artist fresh from his ,italian tour4 ,no1 never1 replied ,northcote4 ,why not8 ,because he has an income of six thousand pounds a year4 ,in the sunshine of wealth a man is1 as a rule1 warped too much to become an artist of high merit4 ,he should have some great thwarting difficulty to struggle against4 ,a drenching shower of adversity would straighten his fibers out again4 ,the best tools receive their temper from fire1 their edge from grinding2 the noblest characters are developed in a similar way4 ,the harder the diamond1 the more brilliant the luster1 and the greater the friction necessary to bring it out4 ,only its own dust is hard enough to make this most precious stone reveal its full beauty4 ,the spark in the flint would sleep forever but for friction2 the fire in man would never blaze but for antagonism4 ,suddenly1 with much jarring and jolting1 an electric car came to a standstill just in front of a heavy truck that was headed in an opposite direction4 ,the huge truck wheels were sliding uselessly round on the car tracks that were wet and slippery from rain4 ,all the urging of the teamster and the straining of the horses were in vain1--until the motorman quietly tossed a shovelful of sand on the track under the heavy wheels1 and then the truck lumbered on its way4 ,friction is a very good thing1 remarked a passenger4 ,the philosopher ,kant observed that a dove1 inasmuch as the only obstacle it has to overcome is the resistance of the air1 might suppose that if only the air were out of the way it could fly with greater rapidity and ease4 ,yet if the air were withdrawn1 and the bird should try to fly in a vacuum1 it would fall instantly to the ground1 unable to fly at all4 ,the very element that offers the opposition to flying is at the same time the condition of any flight whatever4 ,emergencies make giant men4 ,but for our ,civil ,war the names of its grand heroes would not be written among the greatest of our time4 ,the effort or struggle to climb to a higher place in life has strength and dignity in it1 and cannot fail to leave us stronger1 even though we may never reach the position we desire1 or secure the prize we seek4 ,from an aimless1 idle1 and useless brain1 emergencies often call out powers and virtues before unknown and unsuspected4 ,how often we see a young man develop astounding ability and energy after the death of a parent1 or the loss of a fortune1 or after some other calamity has knocked the props and crutches from under him4 ,the prison has roused the slumbering fire in many a noble mind4 ,robinson ,crusoe was written in prison4 ,the ,pilgrim's ,progress appeared in ,bedford ,jail1 ,sir ,walter ,raleigh wrote ,the ,history of the ,world during his imprisonment of thirteen years4 ,luther translated the ,bible while confined in the ,castle of ,wartburg4 ,for twenty years ,dante worked in exile1 and even under sentence of death4 ,take two acorns from the same tree1 as nearly alike as possible2 plant one on a hill by itself1 and the other in the dense forest1 and watch them grow4 ,the oak standing alone is exposed to every storm4 ,its roots reach out in every direction1 clutching the rocks and piercing deep into the earth4 ,every rootlet lends itself to steady the growing giant1 as if in anticipation of fierce conflict with the elements4 ,sometimes its upward growth seems checked for years1 but all the while it has been expending its energy in pushing a root across a large rock to gain a firmer anchorage4 ,then it shoots proudly aloft again1 prepared to defy the hurricane4 ,the gales which sport so rudely with its wide branches find more than their match1 and only serve still further to toughen every minutest fiber from pith to bark4 ,the acorn planted in the deep forest1 on the other hand1 shoots up a weak1 slender sapling4 ,shielded by its neighbors1 it feels no need of spreading its roots far and wide for support4 ,take two boys1 as nearly alike as possible4 ,place one in the country away from the hothouse culture and refinements of the city1 with only the district school1 the ,sunday-school1 and a few books4 ,remove wealth and props of every kind2 and1 if he has the right sort of material in him1 he will thrive4 ,every obstacle overcome lends him strength for the next conflict4 ,if he falls1 he rises with more determination than before4 ,like a rubber ball1 the harder the obstacle he meets the higher he rebounds4 ,obstacles and opposition are but apparatus of the gymnasium in which the fibers of his manhood are developed4 ,he compels respect and recognition from those who have ridiculed his poverty4 ,put the other boy in a ,vanderbilt family4 ,give him ,french and ,german nurses2 gratify his every wish4 ,place him under the tutelage of great masters and send him to ,harvard4 ,give him thousands a year for spending money1 and let him travel extensively4 ,the two meet4 ,the city lad is ashamed of his country brother4 ,the plain1 threadbare clothes1 hard hands1 tawny face1 and awkward manner of the country boy make sorry contrast with the genteel appearance of the other4 ,the poor boy bemoans his hard lot1 regrets that he has no chance in life1 and envies the city youth4 ,he thinks that it is a cruel ,providence that places such a wide gulf between them4 ,they meet again as men1 but how changed6 ,it is as easy to distinguished the sturdy1 self-made man from the one who has been propped up all his life by wealth1 position1 and family influence1 as it is for the shipbuilder to tell the difference between the plank from the rugged mountain oak and one from the sapling of the forest4 ,when ,god wants to educate a man1 he does not send him to school to the ,graces1 but to the ,necessities4 ,through the pit and the dungeon ,joseph came to a throne4 ,we are not conscious of the mighty cravings of our half divine humanity2 we are not aware of the ,god within us until some chasm yawns which must be filled1 or till the rending asunder of our affections forces us to become conscious of a need4 ,st4 ,paul in his ,roman cell2 ,john ,huss led to the stake at ,constance2 ,tyndale dying in his prison at ,amsterdam2 ,milton1 amid the incipient earthquake throes of revolution1 teaching two little boys in ,aldgate ,street2 ,david ,livingstone1 worn to a shadow1 dying in a negro hut in ,central ,africa1 alone--what failures they might all have seemed to themselves to be1 yet what mighty purposes was ,god working out by their apparent humiliations6 ,two highwaymen chancing once to pass a gibbet1 one of them exclaimed3 ,what a fine profession ours would be if there were no gibbets6 ,tut1 you blockhead1 replied the other1 gibbets are the making of us2 for1 if there were no gibbets1 every one would be a highwayman4 ,just so with every art1 trade1 or pursuit2 it is the difficulties that scare and keep out unworthy competitors4 ,success grows out of struggles to overcome difficulties1 says ,smiles4 ,if there were no difficulties there would be no success4 ,in this necessity for exertion we find the chief source of human advancement1--the advancement of individuals as of nations4 ,it has led to most of the mechanical inventions and improvements of the age4 ,stick your claws into me1 said ,mendelssohn to his critics when entering the ,birmingham orchestra4 ,don't tell me what you like1 but what you don't like4 ,john ,hunter said that the art of surgery would never advance until professional men had the courage to publish their failures as well as their successes4 ,young men need to be taught not to expect a perfectly smooth and easy way to the objects of their endeavor or ambition1 says ,dr4 ,peabody4 ,seldom does one reach a position with which he has reason to be satisfied without encountering difficulties and what might seem discouragements4 ,but if they are properly met1 they are not what they seem1 and may prove to be helps1 not hindrances4 ,there is no more helpful and profiting exercise than surmounting obstacles4 ,it was in the ,madrid jail that ,cervantes wrote ,don ,quixote4 ,he was so poor that he could not even get paper during the last of his writing1 and had to write on scraps of leather4 ,a rich ,spaniard was asked to help him1 but replied3 ,heaven forbid that his necessities should be relieved2 it is his poverty that makes the world rich4 ,he has the stuff in him to make a good musician1 said ,beethoven of ,rossini1 if he had only been well flogged when a boy2 but he is spoiled by the ease with which he composes4 ,we do our best while fighting desperately to attain what the heart covets4 ,waters says that the struggle to obtain knowledge and to advance one's self in the world strengthens the mind1 disciplines the faculties1 matures the judgment1 promotes self-reliance1 and gives one independence of thought and force of character4 ,kossuth called himself a tempest-tossed soul1 whose eyes have been sharpened by affliction4 ,as soon as young eagles can fly the old birds tumble them out and tear the down and feathers from their nest4 ,the rude and rough experience of the eaglet fits him to become the bold king of birds1 fierce and expert in pursuing his prey4 ,boys who are bound out1 crowded out1 kicked out1 usually turn out1 while those who do not have these disadvantages frequently fail to come out4 ,it was not the victories but the defeats of my life which have strengthened me1 said the aged ,sidenham ,poyntz4 ,almost from the dawn of history1 oppression has been the lot of the ,hebrews1 yet they have given the world its noblest songs1 its wisest proverbs1 its sweetest music4 ,with them persecution seems to bring prosperity4 ,they thrive where others would starve4 ,they hold the purse-strings of many nations4 ,to them hardship has been like spring mornings1 frosty but kindly1 the cold of which will kill the vermin1 but will let the plant live4 ,in one of the battles of the ,crimea a cannon-ball struck inside the fort1 crashing through a beautiful garden4 ,but from the ugly chasm there burst forth a spring of water which ever afterward flowed a living fountain4 ,from the ugly gashes which misfortunes and sorrows make in our hearts1 perennial fountains of rich experience and new joys often spring4 ,don't lament and grieve over lost wealth4 ,the ,creator may see something grand and mighty which even ,he can not bring out as long as your wealth stands in the way4 ,you must throw away the crutches of riches and stand upon your own feet1 and develop the long unused muscles of manhood4 ,god may see a rough diamond in you which only the hard hits of poverty can polish4 ,god knows where the richest melodies of our lives are1 and what drill and what discipline are necessary to bring them out4 ,the frost1 the snows1 the tempests1 the lightnings are the rough teachers that bring the tiny acorn to the sturdy oak4 ,fierce winters are as necessary to it as long summers4 ,it is its half-century's struggle with the elements for existence1 wrestling with the storm1 fighting for its life from the moment that it leaves the acorn until it goes into the ship1 that gives it value4 ,without this struggle it would have been characterless1 staminaless1 nerveless1 and its grain would have never been susceptible of high polish4 ,the most beautiful as well as the strongest woods are found not in tropical climates1 but in severe climates1 where they have to fight the frosts and the winter's cold4 ,many a man has never found himself until he has lost his all4 ,adversity stripped him only to discover him4 ,obstacles1 hardships1 are the chisel and mallet which shape the strong life into beauty4 ,the rough ledge on the hillside complains of the drill1 of the blasting which disturbs its peace of centuries3 it is not pleasant to be rent with powder1 to be hammered and squared by the quarryman4 ,but look again3 behold the magnificent statue1 the monument1 chiseled into grace and beauty1 telling its grand story of valor in the public square for centuries4 ,the statue would have slept in the marble forever but for the blasting1 the chiseling1 and the polishing4 ,the angel of our higher and nobler selves would remain forever unknown in the rough quarries of our lives but for the blastings of affliction1 the chiseling of obstacles1 and the sand-papering of a thousand annoyances4 ,who has not observed the patience1 the calm endurance1 the sweet loveliness chiseled out of some rough life by the reversal of fortune or by some terrible affliction8 ,how many business men have made their greatest strides toward manhood1 and developed their greatest virtues when reverses of fortune have swept away everything they had in the world2 when disease had robbed them of all they held dear in life6 ,often we can not see the angel in the quarry of our lives1 the statue of manhood1 until the blasts of misfortune have rent the ledge1 and difficulties and obstacles have squared and chiseled the granite blocks into grace and beauty4 ,many a man has been ruined into salvation4 ,the lightning which smote his dearest hopes opened up a new rift in his dark life1 and gave him glimpses of himself which1 until then1 he had never seen4 ,the grave buried his dearest hopes1 but uncovered in his nature possibilities of patience1 endurance1 and hope which he never before dreamed he possessed4 ,adversity is a severe instructor1 says ,edmund ,burke1 set over us by one who knows us better than we do ourselves1 as he loves us better too4 ,he that wrestles with us strengthens our nerves and sharpens our skill4 ,our antagonist is our helper4 ,this conflict with difficulty makes us acquainted with our object1 and compels us to consider it in all its relations4 ,it will not suffer us to be superficial4 ,men who have the right kind of material in them will assert their personality and rise in spite of a thousand adverse circumstances4 ,you can not keep them down4 ,every obstacle seems only to add to their ability to get on4 ,the greatest men will ever be those who have risen from the ranks4 ,it is said that there are ten thousand chances to one that genius1 talent1 and virtue shall issue from a farmhouse rather than from a palace4 ,adversity exasperates fools1 dejects cowards1 but draws out the faculties of the wise and industrious1 puts the modest to the necessity of trying their skill1 awes the opulent1 and makes the idle industrious4 ,the storms of adversity1 like those of the ocean1 rouse the faculties1 and excite the invention1 prudence1 skill1 and fortitude of the voyager4 ,a man upon whom continuous sunshine falls is like the earth in ,august3 he becomes parched and dry and hard and close-grained4 ,men have drawn from adversity the elements of greatness4 ,beethoven was almost totally deaf and burdened with sorrow when he produced his greatest works4 ,schiller wrote his best books in great bodily suffering4 ,he was not free from pain for fifteen years4 ,milton wrote his leading productions when blind1 poor1 and sick4 ,who best can suffer1 said he1 best can do4 ,bunyan said that1 if it were lawful1 he could even pray for greater trouble1 for the greater comfort's sake4 ,not until the breath of the plague had blasted a hundred thousand lives1 and the great fire had licked up cheap1 shabby1 wicked ,london1 did she arise1 phoenix-like1 from her ashes and ruin1 a grand and mighty city4 ,true salamanders live best in the furnace of persecution4 ,many of our best poets ,are cradled into poetry by wrong1 ,and learn in suffering what they teach in song4 ,byron was stung into a determination to go to the top by a scathing criticism of his first book1 ,hours of ,idleness1 published when he was but nineteen years of age4 ,macaulay said1 ,there is scarce an instance in history of so sudden a rise to so dizzy an eminence as ,byron reached4 ,in a few years he stood by the side of such men as ,scott1 ,southey1 and ,campbell1 and died at thirty-seven1 that age so fatal to genius4 ,many an orator like stuttering ,jack ,curran1 or ,orator ,mum1 as he was once called1 has been spurred into eloquence by ridicule and abuse4 ,this is the crutch age4 ,helps and aids are advertised everywhere4 ,we have institutes1 colleges1 universities1 teachers1 books1 libraries1 newspapers1 magazines4 ,our thinking is done for us4 ,our problems are all worked out in explanations and keys4 ,our boys are too often tutored through college with very little study4 ,short roads and abridged methods are characteristic of the century4 ,ingenious methods are used everywhere to get the drudgery out of the college course4 ,newspapers give us our politics1 and preachers our religion4 ,self-help and self-reliance are getting old-fashioned4 ,nature1 as if conscious of delayed blessings1 has rushed to man's relief with her wondrous forces1 and undertakes to do the world's drudgery and emancipate him from ,eden's curse4 ,but do not misinterpret her edict4 ,she emancipates from the lower only to call to the higher4 ,she does not bid the world go and play while she does the work4 ,she emancipates the muscles only to employ the brain and heart4 ,the most beautiful as well as the strongest characters are not developed in warm climates1 where man finds his bread ready made on trees1 and where exertion is a great effort1 but rather in a trying climate and on a stubborn soil4 ,it is not chance that returns to the ,hindoo ryot a penny and to the ,american laborer a dollar for his daily toil2 that makes ,mexico with its mineral wealth poor1 and ,new ,england with its granite and ice rich4 ,it is rugged necessity1 it is the struggle to obtain2 it is poverty1 the priceless spur1 that develops the stamina of manhood1 and calls the race out of barbarism4 ,intelligent labor found the world a wilderness and has made it a garden4 ,as the sculptor thinks only of the angel imprisoned in the marble block1 so ,nature cares only for the man or woman shut up in the human being4 ,the sculptor cares nothing for the block as such2 ,nature has little regard for the mere lump of breathing clay4 ,the sculptor will chip off all unnecessary material to set free the angel4 ,nature will chip and pound us remorselessly to bring out our possibilities4 ,she will strip us of wealth1 humble our pride1 humiliate our ambition1 let us down from the ladder of fame1 will discipline us in a thousand ways1 if she can develop a little character4 ,everything must give way to that4 ,the hero is not fed on sweets1 ,daily his own heart he eats2 ,chambers of the great are jails1 ,and head-winds right for royal sails4 ,then welcome each rebuff1 ,that turns earth's smoothness rough1 ,each sting1 that bids not sit nor stand but go4 ,,browning4 ,,chapter ,,xxviii ,,decision ,resolve1 and thou art free4--,,longfellow4 ,the heaviest charged words in our language are those briefest ones1 yes and no4 ,one stands for the surrender of the will1 the other for denial2 one stands for gratification1 the other for character4 ,a stout no means a stout character1 the ready yes a weak one1 gild it as we may4--,t4 ,t4 ,,munger4 ,the world is a market where everything is marked at a set price1 and whatever we buy with our time1 labor1 or ingenuity1 whether riches1 ease1 fame1 integrity1 or knowledge1 we must stand by our decision1 and not like children1 when we have purchased one thing1 repine that we do not possess another we did not buy4--,,mathews4 ,a man must master his undertaking and not let it master him4 ,he must have the power to decide instantly on which side he is going to make his mistakes4--,p4 ,d4 ,,armour4 ,when ,rome was besieged by the ,gauls in the time of the ,republic1 the ,romans were so hard pressed that they consented to purchase immunity with gold4 ,they were in the act of weighing it1 a legend tells us1 when ,camillus appeared on the scene1 threw his sword into the scales in place of the ransom1 and declared that the ,romans should not purchase peace1 but would win it with the sword4 ,this act of daring and prompt decision so roused the ,romans that they triumphantly swept from the sacred soil the enemy of their peace4 ,in an emergency1 the arrival of a prompt1 decided1 positive man1 who will do something1 although it may be wrong1 changes the face of everything4 ,such a man comes upon the scene like a refreshing breeze blown down from the mountain top4 ,he is a tonic to the hesitating1 bewildered crowd4 ,when ,antiochus ,epiphanes invaded ,egypt1 which was then under the protection of ,rome1 the ,romans sent an ambassador who met ,antiochus near ,alexandria and commanded him to withdraw4 ,the invader gave an evasive reply4 ,the brave ,roman swept a circle around the king with his sword1 and forbade his crossing the line until he had given his answer4 ,by the prompt decision of the intrepid ambassador the invader was led to withdraw1 and war was prevented4 ,the prompt decision of the ,romans won them many a battle1 and made them masters of the world4 ,all the great achievements in the history of the world are the results of quick and steadfast decision4 ,men who have left their mark upon their century have been men of great and prompt decision4 ,an undecided man1 a man who is ever balancing between two opinions1 forever debating which of two courses he will pursue1 proclaims by his indecision that he can not control himself1 that he was meant to be possessed by others2 he is not a man1 only a satellite4 ,the decided man1 the prompt man1 does not wait for favorable circumstances2 he does not submit to events2 events must submit to him4 ,the vacillating man is ever at the mercy of the opinion of the man who talked with him last4 ,he may see the right1 but he drifts toward the wrong4 ,if he decides upon a course he only follows it until somebody opposes it4 ,when ,julius ,caesar came to the ,rubicon1 which formed the boundary of ,italia1--the sacred and inviolable1--even his great decision wavered at the thought of invading a territory which no general was allowed to enter without the permission of the ,senate4 ,but his alternative was destroy myself1 or destroy my country1 and his intrepid mind did not waver long4 ,the die is cast1 he said1 as he dashed into the stream at the head of his legions4 ,the whole history of the world was changed by that moment's decision4 ,the man who said1 ,i came1 ,i saw1 ,i conquered1 could not hesitate long4 ,he1 like ,napoleon1 had the power to choose one course1 and sacrifice every conflicting plan on the instant4 ,when he landed with his troops in ,britain1 the inhabitants resolved never to surrender4 ,caesar's quick mind saw that he must commit his soldiers to victory or death4 ,in order to cut off all hope of retreat1 he burned all the ships which had borne them to the shores of ,britain4 ,there was no hope of return1 it was victory or death4 ,this action was the key to the character and triumphs of this great warrior4 ,satan's sublime decision in ,paradise ,lost1 after his hopeless banishment from heaven1 excites a feeling akin to admiration4 ,after a few moments of terrible suspense he resumes his invincible spirit and expresses that sublime line3 ,what matter where1 if ,i be still the same8 ,that power to decide instantly the best course to pursue1 and to sacrifice every opposing motive2 and1 when once sacrificed1 to silence them forever and not allow them continually to plead their claims and distract us from our single decided course1 is one of the most potent forces in winning success4 ,to hesitate is sometimes to be lost4 ,in fact1 the man who is forever twisting and turning1 backing and filling1 hesitating and dawdling1 shuffling and parleying1 weighing and balancing1 splitting hairs over non-essentials1 listening to every new motive which presents itself1 will never accomplish anything4 ,there is not positiveness enough in him2 negativeness never accomplishes anything4 ,the negative man creates no confidence1 he only invites distrust4 ,but the positive man1 the decided man1 is a power in the world1 and stands for something4 ,you can measure him1 gauge him4 ,you can estimate the work that his energy will accomplish4 ,it is related of ,alexander the ,great that1 when asked how it was that he had conquered the world1 he replied1 ,by not wavering4 ,when the packet ship ,stephen ,whitney struck1 at midnight1 on an ,irish cliff1 and clung for a few moments to the cliff1 all the passengers who leaped instantly upon the rock were saved4 ,the positive step landed them in safety4 ,those who lingered were swept off by the returning wave1 and engulfed forever4 ,the vacillating man is never a prompt man1 and without promptness no success is possible4 ,great opportunities not only come seldom into the most fortunate life1 but also are often quickly gone4 ,a man without decision1 says ,john ,foster1 can never be said to belong to himself2 since if he dared to assert that he did1 the puny force of some cause1 about as powerful as a spider1 may make a seizure of the unhappy boaster the very next minute1 and contemptuously exhibit the futility of the determination by which he was to have proved the independence of his understanding and will4 ,he belongs to whatever can make capture of him2 and one thing after another vindicates its right to him by arresting him while he is trying to go on2 as twigs and chips floating near the edge of a river are intercepted by every weed and whirled into every little eddy4 ,the decided man not only has the advantage of the time saved from dillydallying and procrastination1 but he also saves the energy and vital force which is wasted by the perplexed man who takes up every argument on one side and then on the other1 and weighs them until the two sides hang in equipoise1 with no prepondering motive to enable him to decide4 ,he is in stable equilibrium1 and so does not move at all of his own volition1 but moves very easily at the slightest volition of another4 ,yet there is not a man living who might not be a prompt and decided man if he would only learn always to act quickly4 ,the punctual man1 the decided man1 can do twice as much as the undecided and dawdling man who never quite knows what he wants4 ,prompt decision saved ,napoleon and ,grant and their armies many a time when delay would have been fatal4 ,napoleon used to say that although a battle might last an entire day1 yet it generally turned upon a few critical minutes1 in which the fate of the engagement was decided4 ,his will1 which subdued nearly the whole of ,europe1 was as prompt and decisive in the minutest detail of command as in the greatest battle4 ,decision of purpose and promptness of action enabled him to astonish the world with his marvelous successes4 ,he seemed to be everywhere at once4 ,what he could accomplish in a day surprised all who knew him4 ,he seemed to electrify everybody about him4 ,his invincible energy thrilled the whole army4 ,he could rouse to immediate and enthusiastic action the dullest troops1 and inspire with courage the most stupid men4 ,the ifs and buts1 he said1 are at present out of season2 and above all it must be done with speed4 ,he would sit up all night if necessary1 after riding thirty or forty leagues1 to attend to correspondence1 dispatches and1 details4 ,what a lesson to dawdling1 shiftless1 half-hearted men6 ,the doubt of ,charles ,v41 says ,motley1 changed the destinies of the civilized world4 ,so powerful were ,president ,washington's views in determining the actions of the people1 that when ,congress adjourned1 ,jefferson wrote to ,monroe at ,paris3 ,you will see by their proceedings the truth of what ,i always told you1--namely1 that one man outweighs them all in influence1 who supports his judgment against their own and that of their representatives4 ,republicanism resigns the vessel to the pilot4 ,there is no vocation or occupation which does not present many difficulties1 at times almost overwhelming1 and the young man who allows himself to waver every time he comes to a hard place in life will not succeed4 ,without decision there can be no concentration2 and1 to succeed1 a man must concentrate4 ,the undecided man can not bring himself to a focus4 ,he dissipates his energy1 scatters his forces1 and executes nothing4 ,he can not hold to one thing long enough to bring success out of it4 ,one vocation or occupation presents its rosy side to him1 he feels sure it is the thing he wants to do1 and1 full of enthusiasm1 adopts it as his life's work4 ,but in a few days the thorns begin to appear1 his enthusiasm evaporates1 and he wonders why he is so foolish as to think himself fitted for that vocation4 ,the one which his friend adopted is much better suited to him2 he drops his own and adopts the other4 ,so he vacillates through life1 captured by any new occupation which happens to appeal to him as the most desirable at the time1 never using his judgment or common sense1 but governed by his impressions and his feelings at the moment4 ,such people are never led by principle4 ,you never know where to find them2 they are here to-day and there to-morrow1 doing this thing and that thing1 throwing away all the skill they had acquired in mastering the drudgery of the last occupation4 ,in fact1 they never go far enough in anything to get beyond the drudgery stage to the remunerative and agreeable stage1 the skilful stage4 ,they spend their lives at the beginning of occupations1 which are always most agreeable4 ,these people rarely reach the stage of competency1 comfort1 and contentment4 ,there is a legend of a powerful genius who promised a lovely maiden a gift of rare value if she would go through a field of corn1 and1 without pausing1 going backward1 or wandering hither and thither1 select the largest and ripest ear4 ,the value of the gift was to be in proportion to the size and perfection of the ear4 ,she passed by many magnificent ones1 but was so eager to get the largest and most perfect that she kept on without plucking any until the ears she passed were successively smaller and smaller and more stunted4 ,finally they became so small that she was ashamed to select one of them2 and1 not being allowed to go backward1 she came out on the other side without any4 ,alexander1 his heart throbbing with a great purpose1 conquers the world2 ,hannibal1 impelled by his hatred to the ,romans1 even crosses the ,alps to compass his design4 ,while other men are bemoaning difficulties and shrinking from dangers and obstacles1 and preparing expedients1 the great soul1 without fuss or noise1 takes the step1 and lo1 the mountain has been leveled and the way lies open4 ,learn1 then1 to will strongly and decisively2 thus fix your floating life and leave it no longer to be carried hither and thither1 like a withered leaf1 by every wind that blows4 ,an undecided man is like the turnstile at a fair1 which is in everybody's way but stops no one4 ,the secret of the whole matter was1 replied ,amos ,lawrence1 we had formed the habit of prompt acting1 thus taking the top of the tide2 while the habit of some others was to delay till about half tide1 thus getting on the flats4 ,most of the young men and women who are lost in our cities are ruined because of their inability to say ,no to the thousand allurements and temptations which appeal to their weak passions4 ,if they would only show a little decision at first1 one emphatic ,no might silence their solicitors forever4 ,but they are weak1 they are afraid of offending1 they don't like to say ,no1 and thus they throw down the gauntlet and are soon on the broad road to ruin4 ,a little resolution early in life will soon conquer the right to mind one's own business4 ,an old legend says that a fool and a wise man were journeying together1 and came to a point where two ways opened before them1--one broad and beautiful1 the other narrow and rough4 ,the fool desired to take the pleasant way2 the wise man knew that the difficult one was the shortest and safest1 and so declared4 ,but at last the urgency of the fool prevailed2 they took the more inviting path1 and were soon met by robbers1 who seized their goods and made them captives4 ,a little later both they and their captors were arrested by officers of the law and taken before the judge4 ,then the wise man pleaded that the fool was to blame because he desired to take the wrong way4 ,the fool pleaded that he was only a fool1 and no sensible man should have heeded his counsel4 ,the judge punished them both equally4 ,if sinners entice thee1 consent thou not4 ,there is no habit that so grows on the soul as irresolution4 ,before a man knows what he has done1 he has gambled his life away1 and all because he has never made up his mind what he would do with it4 ,on many of the tombstones of those who have failed in life could be read between the lines3 ,he ,dawdled1 ,behind ,time1 ,procrastination1 ,listlessness1 ,shiftlessness1 ,nervelessness1 ,always ,behind4 ,oh1 the wrecks strewn along the shores of life just behind success1 just this side of happiness1 above which the words of warning are flying6 ,webster said of such an undecided man that he is like the irresolution of the sea at the turn of tide4 ,this man neither advances nor recedes2 he simply hovers4 ,such a man is at the mercy of any chance occurrence that may overtake him4 ,his days are lost lamenting o'er lost days4 ,he has no power to seize the facts which confront him and compel them to serve him4 ,to indolent1 shiftless1 listless people life becomes a mere shuffle of expedients4 ,they do not realize that the habit of putting everything off puts off their manhood1 their capacity1 their success2 their contagion infects their whole neighborhood4 ,scott used to caution youth against the habit of dawdling1 which creeps in at every crevice of unoccupied time and often ruins a bright life4 ,your motto must be1 he said1 ,hoc age1--do instantly4 ,this is the only way to check the propensity to dawdling4 ,how many hours have been wasted dawdling in bed1 turning over and dreading to get up6 ,many a career has been crippled by it4 ,burton could not overcome this habit1 and1 convinced that it would ruin his success1 made his servant promise before he went to bed to get him up at just such a time2 the servant called1 and called1 and coaxed2 but ,burton would beg him to be left a little longer4 ,the servant1 knowing that he would lose his shilling if he did not get him up1 then dashed cold water into the bed between the sheets1 and ,burton came out with a bound4 ,when one asked a lazy young fellow what made him lie in bed so long1 ,i am employed1 said he1 in hearing counsel every morning4 ,industry advises me to get up2 ,sloth to lie still2 and they give me twenty reasons for and against4 ,it is my part1 as an impartial judge1 to hear all that can be said on both sides1 and by the time the cause is over dinner is ready4 ,there is no doubt that1 as a rule1 great decision of character is usually accompanied by great constitutional firmness4 ,men who have been noted for great firmness of character have usually been strong and robust4 ,there is no quality of the mind which does not sympathize with bodily weakness1 and especially is this true with the power of decision1 which is usually impaired or weakened from physical suffering or any great physical debility4 ,as a rule1 it is the strong physical man who carries weight and conviction4 ,any bodily weakness1 or lassitude1 or lack of tone and vigor1 is1 perhaps1 first felt in the weakened or debilitated power of decisions4 ,nothing will give greater confidence1 and bring assistance more quickly from the bank or from a friend1 than the reputation of promptness4 ,the world knows that the prompt man's bills and notes will be paid on the day1 and will trust him4 ,let it be your first study to teach the world that you are not wood and straw2 that there is some iron in you4 ,let men know that what you say you will do2 that your decision1 once made1 is final1--no wavering2 that1 once resolved1 you are not to be allured or intimidated4 ,some minds are so constructed that they are bewildered and dazed whenever a responsibility is thrust upon them2 they have a mortal dread of deciding anything4 ,the very effort to come to immediate and unflinching decision starts up all sorts of doubts1 difficulties1 and fears1 and they can not seem to get light enough to decide nor courage enough to attempt to remove the obstacle4 ,they know that hesitation is fatal to enterprise1 fatal to progress1 fatal to success4 ,yet somehow they seem fated with a morbid introspection which ever holds them in suspense4 ,they have just energy enough to weigh motives1 but nothing left for the momentum of action4 ,they analyze and analyze1 deliberate1 weigh1 consider1 ponder1 but never act4 ,how many a man can trace his downfall in life to the failure to seize his opportunity at the favorable moment1 when it was within easy grasp1 the nick of time1 which often does not present itself but once6 ,it was said that ,napoleon had an officer under him who understood the tactics of war better than his commander1 but he lacked that power of rapid decision and powerful concentration which characterized the greatest military leaders perhaps of the world4 ,there were several generals under ,grant who were as well skilled in war tactics1 knew the country as well1 were better educated1 but they lacked that power of decision which made unconditional surrender absolutely imperative wherever he met the foe4 ,grant's decision was like inexorable fate4 ,there was no going behind it1 no opening it up for reconsideration4 ,it was his decision which voiced itself in those memorable words in the ,wilderness1 ,i propose to fight it out on these lines if it takes all summer1 and which sent back the words unconditional surrender to ,general ,buckner1 who asked him for conditions of capitulation1 that gave the first confidence to the ,north that the rebellion was doomed4 ,at last ,lincoln had a general who had the power of decision1 and the ,north breathed easy for the first time4 ,the man who would forge to the front in this competitive age must be a man of prompt and determined decision2 like ,caesar1 he must burn his ships behind him1 and make retreat forever impossible4 ,when he draws his sword he must throw the scabbard away1 lest in a moment of discouragement and irresolution he be tempted to sheathe it4 ,he must nail his colors to the mast as ,nelson did in battle1 determined to sink with his ship if he can not conquer4 ,prompt decision and sublime audacity have carried many a successful man over perilous crises where deliberation would have been ruin4 ,hoc age4 ,,chapter ,,xxix ,,observation ,,as ,a ,,success ,,factor ,henry ,ward ,beecher was not so foolish as to think that he could get on without systematic study1 and a thorough-going knowledge of the world of books4 ,when ,i first went to ,brooklyn1 he said1 men doubted whether ,i could sustain myself4 ,i replied1 ',give me uninterrupted time till nine o'clock every morning1 and ,i do not care what comes after4' ,he was a hard student during four hours every morning2 those who saw him after that imagined that he picked up the material for his sermons on the street4 ,yet having said so much1 it is true that much that was most vital in his preaching he did pick up on the street4 ,where does ,mr4 ,beecher get his sermons8 every ambitious young clergyman in the country was asking1 and upon one occasion he answered3 ,i keep my eyes open and ask questions4 ,this is the secret of many a man's success1--keeping his eyes open and asking questions4 ,although ,beecher was an omnivorous reader he did not care much for the writings of the theologians2 the ,christ was his great model1 and he knew that ,he did not search the writings of the ,sanhedrin for ,his sermons1 but picked them up as ,he walked along the banks of the ,jordan and over the hills and through the meadows and villages of ,galilee4 ,he saw that the strength of this great ,master's sermons was in their utter simplicity1 their naturalness4 ,beecher's sermons were very simple1 healthy1 and strong4 ,they pulsated with life2 they had the vigor of bright red blood in them1 because1 like ,christ's1 they grew out of doors4 ,he got them everywhere from life and nature4 ,he picked them up in the marketplace1 on ,wall ,street1 in the stores4 ,he got them from the brakeman1 the mechanic1 the blacksmith1 the day laborer1 the newsboy1 the train conductor1 the clerk1 the lawyer1 the physician1 and the business man4 ,he did not watch the progress of the great human battle from his study1 as many did4 ,he went into the thick of the fight himself4 ,he was in the smoke and din4 ,where the battle of life raged fiercest1 there he was studying its great problems4 ,now it was the problem of slavery2 again the problem of government1 or commerce1 or education1--whatever touched the lives of men4 ,he kept his hand upon the pulse of events4 ,he was in the swim of things4 ,the great1 busy1 ambitious world was everywhere throbbing for him4 ,illustration3 ,henry ,ward ,beecher ,when he once got a taste of the power and helpfulness which comes from the study of real life1 when he saw how much more forceful and interesting actual life stories were as they were being lived than anything he could get out of any book except the ,bible1 he was never again satisfied without illustrations fresh from the lives of the people he met every day4 ,beecher believed a sermon a failure when it does not make a great mass of hearers go away with a new determination to make a little more of themselves1 to do their work a little better1 to be a little more conscientious1 a little more helpful1 a little more determined to do their share in the world4 ,this great observer was not only a student of human nature1 but of all nature as well4 ,i watched him1 many a time1 completely absorbed in drinking in the beauties of the marvelous landscape1 gathering grandeur and sublimity from the great ,white ,mountains1 which he loved so well1 and where he spent many summers4 ,he always preached on ,sunday at the hotel where he stayed1 and great crowds came from every direction to hear him4 ,there was something in his sermons that appealed to the best in everyone who heard him4 ,they were full of pictures of beautiful landscapes1 seascapes1 and entrancing sunsets4 ,the clouds1 the rain1 the sunshine1 and the storm were reflected in them4 ,the flowers1 the fields1 the brooks1 the record of creation imprinted in the rocks and the mountains were intermingled with the ferryboats1 the steam-cars1 orphans1 calamities1 accidents1 all sorts of experiences and bits of life4 ,happiness and sunshine1 birds and trees alternated with the direst poverty in the slums1 people on sick beds and death beds1 in hospitals and in funeral processions2 life pictures of successes and failures1 of the discouraged1 the despondent1 the cheerful1 the optimist and the pessimist1 passed in quick succession and stamped themselves on the brains of his eager hearers4 ,wherever he went1 ,beecher continued his study of life through observation4 ,nothing else was half so interesting4 ,to him man was the greatest study in the world4 ,to place the right values upon men1 to emphasize the right thing in them1 to be able to discriminate between the genuine and the false1 to be able to pierce their masks and read the real man or woman behind them1 he regarded as one of a clergyman's greatest accomplishments4 ,like ,professor ,agassiz1 who could see wonders in the scale of a fish or a grain of sand1 ,beecher had an eye like the glass of a microscope1 which reveals marvels of beauty in common things4 ,he could see beauty and harmony where others saw only ugliness and discord1 because he read the hidden meaning in things4 ,like ,ruskin1 he could see the marvelous philosophy1 the ,divine plan1 in the lowliest object4 ,he could feel the ,divine presence in all created things4 ,an exhaustive observation1 says ,herbert ,spencer1 is an element of all great success4 ,there is no position in life where a trained eye can not be made a great success asset4 ,let's leave it to ,osler1 said the physicians at a consultation where a precious life hung by a thread4 ,then the great ,johns ,hopkins professor examined the patient4 ,he did not ask questions4 ,his experienced eye drew a conclusion from the slightest evidence4 ,he watched the patient closely2 his manner of breathing1 the appearance of the eye1--everything was a telltale of the patient's condition1 which he read as an open book4 ,he saw symptoms which others could not see4 ,he recommended a certain operation1 which was performed1 and the patient recovered4 ,the majority of those present disagreed with him1 but such was their confidence in his power to diagnose a case through symptoms and indications which escape most physicians1 that they were willing to leave the whole decision to him4 ,professor ,osler was called a living ,x-ray machine1 with additional eyes in finger tips so familiar with the anatomy that they could detect a growth or displacement so small that it would escape ordinary notice4 ,the power which inheres in a trained faculty of observation is priceless4 ,the education which ,beecher got through observation1 by keeping his eyes1 his ears1 and his mind open1 meant a great deal more to him and to the world than his college education4 ,he was not a great scholar2 he did not stand nearly as high in college as some of his classmates whom he far outstripped in life1 but his mind penetrated to the heart of things4 ,lincoln was another remarkable example of the possibilities of an education through reflection upon what he observed4 ,his mind stopped and questioned1 and extracted the meaning of everything that came within its range4 ,wherever he went1 there was a great interrogation point before him4 ,everything he saw must give up its secret before he would let it go4 ,he had a passion for knowledge2 he yearned to know the meaning of things1 the philosophy underlying the common1 everyday occurrences4 ,ruskin says3 ,hundreds of people can talk for one who can think2 but thousands can think for one who can see4 ,i once traveled abroad with two young men1 one of whom was all eyes1--nothing seemed to escape him1--and the other never saw anything4 ,the day after leaving a city1 the latter could scarcely recall anything of interest1 while the former had a genius for absorbing knowledge of every kind through the eye4 ,things so trivial that his companion did not notice them at all1 meant a great deal to him4 ,he was a poor student1 but he brought home rich treasures from over the sea4 ,the other young man was comparatively rich1 and brought home almost nothing of value4 ,while visiting ,luther ,burbank1 the wizard horticulturist1 in his famous garden1 recently1 ,i was much impressed by his marvelous power of seeing things4 ,he has observed the habits of fruits and flowers to such purpose that he has performed miracles in the fields of floriculture and horticulture4 ,stunted and ugly flowers and fruits1 under the eye of this miracle worker1 become marvels of beauty4 ,george ,w4 ,cortelyou was a stenographer not long ago4 ,many people thought he would remain a stenographer1 but he always kept his eyes open4 ,he was after an opportunity4 ,promotion was always staring him in the face4 ,he was always looking for the next step above him4 ,he was a shrewd observer4 ,but for this power of seeing things quickly1 of absorbing knowledge1 he would never have advanced4 ,the youth who would get on must keep his eyes open1 his ears open1 his mind open4 ,he must be quick1 alert1 ready4 ,i know a young ,turk1 who has been in this country only a year1 yet he speaks our language fluently4 ,he has studied the map of our country4 ,he knows its geography1 and a great deal of our history1 and much about our resources and opportunities4 ,he said that when he landed in ,new ,york it seemed to him that he saw more opportunities in walking every block of our streets than he had ever seen in the whole of ,turkey4 ,and he could not understand the lethargy1 the lack of ambition1 the indifference of our young men to our marvelous possibilities4 ,the efficient man is always growing4 ,he is always accumulating knowledge of every kind4 ,he does not merely look with his eyes4 ,he sees with them4 ,he keeps his ears open4 ,he keeps his mind open to all that is new and fresh and helpful4 ,the majority of people do not see things2 they just look at them4 ,the power of keen observation is indicative of a superior mentality2 for it is the mind1 not the optic nerve1 that really sees4 ,most people are too lazy1 mentally1 to see things carefully4 ,close observation is a powerful mental process4 ,the mind is all the time working over the material which the eye brings it1 considering1 forming opinions1 estimating1 weighing1 balancing1 calculating4 ,careless1 indifferent observation does not go back of the eye4 ,if the mind is not focused1 the image is not clean-cut1 and is not carried with force and distinctness enough to the brain to enable it to get at the truth and draw accurate conclusions4 ,the observing faculty is particularly susceptible to culture1 and is capable of becoming a mighty power4 ,few people realize what a tremendous success and happiness is possible through the medium of the eye4 ,the telegraph1 the sewing machine1 the telephone1 the telescope1 the miracles of electricity1 in fact1 every great invention of the past or present1 every triumph of modern labor-saving machinery1 every discovery in science and art1 is due to the trained power of seeing things4 ,the whole secret of a richly stored mind is alertness1 sharp1 keen attention1 and thoughtfulness4 ,indifference1 apathy1 mental lassitude and laziness are fatal to all effective observation4 ,it does not take long to develop a habit of attention that seizes the salient points of things4 ,it is a splendid drill for children to send them out on the street1 or out of doors anywhere1 just for the purpose of finding out how many things they can see in a certain given time1 and how closely they can observe them4 ,just the effort to try to see how much they can remember and bring back is a splendid drill4 ,children often become passionately fond of this exercise1 and it becomes of inestimable value in their lives4 ,other things equal1 it is the keen observer who gets ahead4 ,go into a place of business with the eye of an eagle4 ,let nothing escape you4 ,ask yourself why it is that the proprietor at fifty or sixty years of age is conducting a business which a boy of eighteen or twenty ought to be able to handle better4 ,study his employees2 analyze the situation4 ,you will find perhaps that he never knew the value of good manners in clerks4 ,he thought a boy1 if honest1 would make a good salesman2 but1 perhaps1 by gruff1 uncouth manners1 he is driving out of the door customers the proprietor is trying to bring in by advertisements4 ,you will see by his show windows1 perhaps1 before you go into his store1 that there is no business insight1 no detection of the wants of possible buyers4 ,if you keep your eyes open1 you can1 in a little while1 find out why this man is not a greater success4 ,you can see that a little more knowledge of human nature would have revolutionized his whole business1 multiplied the receipts tenfold in a few years4 ,you will see that this man has not studied men4 ,he does not know them4 ,no matter where you go1 study the situation4 ,think why the man does not do better if he is not doing well1 why he remains in mediocrity all his life4 ,if he is making a remarkable success1 try to find out why4 ,keep your eyes open1 your ears open4 ,make deductions from what you see and hear4 ,trace difficulties2 look up evidences of success or failure everywhere4 ,it will be one of the greatest factors in your own success4 ,,chapter ,,xxx ,,self-,,help ,i learned that no man in ,god's wide earth is either willing or able to help any other man4--,,pestalozzi4 ,what ,i am ,i have made myself4--,,humphry ,,davy4 ,be sure1 my son1 and remember that the best men always make themselves4--,,patrick ,,henry4 ,hereditary bondsmen1 know ye not ,who would be free themselves must strike the blow8 ,,byron4 ,who waits to have his task marked out1 ,shall die and leave his errand unfulfilled4 ,,lowell4 ,colonel ,crockett makes room for himself6 exclaimed a backwoods congressman in answer to the exclamation of the ,white ,house usher to ,make room for ,colonel ,crockett6 ,this remarkable man was not afraid to oppose the head of a great nation4 ,he preferred being right to being president4 ,though rough1 uncultured1 and uncouth1 ,crockett was a man of great courage and determination4 ,poverty is uncomfortable1 as ,i can testify1 said ,james ,a4 ,garfield2 but nine times out of ten the best thing that can happen to a young man is to be tossed overboard and compelled to sink or swim for himself4 ,in all my acquaintance ,i have never known a man to be drowned who was worth the saving4 ,garfield was the youngest member of the ,house of ,representatives when he entered1 but he had not been in his seat sixty days before his ability was recognized and his place conceded4 ,he stepped to the front with the confidence of one who belonged there4 ,he succeeded because all the world in concert could not have kept him in the background1 and because when once in the front he played his part with an intrepidity and a commanding ease that were but the outward evidences of the immense reserves of energy on which it was in his power to draw4 ,take the place and attitude which belong to you1 says ,emerson1 and all men acquiesce4 ,the world must be just4 ,it leaves every man with profound unconcern to set his own rate4 ,a person under the firm persuasion that he can command resources virtually has them1 says ,livy4 ,richard ,arkwright1 the thirteenth child1 in a hovel1 with no education1 no chance1 gave his spinning model to the world1 and put a scepter in ,england's right hand such as the queen never wielded4 ,solario1 a wandering gypsy tinker1 fell deeply in love with the daughter of the painter ,coll' ,antonio del ,fiore1 but was told that no one but a painter as good as the father should wed the maiden4 ,will you give me ten years to learn to paint1 and so entitle myself to the hand of your daughter8 ,consent was given1 ,coll' ,antonio thinking that he would never be troubled further by the gypsy4 ,about the time that the ten years were to end the king's sister showed ,coll' ,antonio a ,madonna and ,child1 which the painter extolled in terms of the highest praise4 ,judge of his surprise on learning that ,solario was the artist4 ,his great determination gained him his bride4 ,louis ,philippe said he was the only sovereign in ,europe fit to govern1 for he could black his own boots4 ,when asked to name his family coat-of-arms1 a self-made ,president of the ,united ,states replied1 ,a pair of shirtsleeves4 ,it is not the men who have inherited most1 except it be in nobility of soul and purpose1 who have risen highest2 but rather the men with no start who have won fortunes1 and have made adverse circumstances a spur to goad them up the steep mount1 where ,fame's proud temple shines afar4 ,to such men1 every possible goal is accessible1 and honest ambition has no height that genius or talent may tread1 which has not felt the impress of their feet4 ,you may leave your millions to your son1 but have you really given him anything8 ,you can not transfer the discipline1 the experience1 the power1 which the acquisition has given you2 you can not transfer the delight of achieving1 the joy felt only in growth1 the pride of acquisition1 the character which trained habits of accuracy1 method1 promptness1 patience1 dispatch1 honesty of dealing1 politeness of manner have developed4 ,you cannot transfer the skill1 sagacity1 prudence1 foresight1 which lie concealed in your wealth4 ,it meant a great deal for you1 but means nothing to your heir4 ,in climbing to your fortune1 you developed the muscle1 stamina1 and strength which enabled you to maintain your lofty position1 to keep your millions intact4 ,you had the power which comes only from experience1 and which alone enables you to stand firm on your dizzy height4 ,your fortune was experience to you1 joy1 growth1 discipline1 and character2 to him it will be a temptation1 an anxiety1 which will probably dwarf him4 ,it was wings to you1 it will be a dead weight to him2 to you it was education and expansion of your highest powers2 to him it may mean inaction1 lethargy1 indolence1 weakness1 ignorance4 ,you have taken the priceless spur--necessity--away from him1 the spur which has goaded man to nearly all the great achievements in the history of the world4 ,you thought it a kindness to deprive yourself in order that your son might begin where you left off4 ,you thought to spare him the drudgery1 the hardships1 the deprivations1 the lack of opportunities1 the meager education1 which you had on the old farm4 ,but you have put a crutch into his hand instead of a staff2 you have taken away from him the incentive to self-development1 to self-elevation1 to self-discipline and self-help1 without which no real success1 no real happiness1 no great character is ever possible4 ,his enthusiasm will evaporate1 his energy will be dissipated1 his ambition1 not being stimulated by the struggle for self-elevation1 will gradually die away4 ,if you do everything for your son and fight his battles for him1 you will have a weakling on your hands at twenty-one4 ,my life is a wreck1 said the dying ,cyrus ,w4 ,field1 my fortune gone1 my home dishonored4 ,oh1 ,i was so unkind to ,edward when ,i thought ,i was being kind4 ,if ,i had only had firmness enough to compel my boys to earn their living1 then they would have known the meaning of money4 ,his table was covered with medals and certificates of honor from many nations1 in recognition of his great work for civilization in mooring two continents side by side in thought1 of the fame he had won and could never lose4 ,but grief shook the sands of life as he thought only of the son who had brought disgrace upon a name before unsullied2 the wounds were sharper than those of a serpent's tooth4 ,during the great financial crisis of #aheg ,maria ,mitchell1 who was visiting ,england1 asked an ,english lady what became of daughters when no property was left them4 ,they live on their brothers1 was the reply4 ,but what becomes of the ,american daughters1 asked the ,english lady1 when there is no money left8 ,they earn it1 was ,miss ,mitchell's reply4 ,men who have been bolstered up all their lives are seldom good for anything in a crisis4 ,when misfortune comes1 they look around for somebody to lean upon4 ,it the prop is not there1 down they go4 ,once down1 they are as helpless as capsized turtles1 or unhorsed men in armor4 ,many a frontier boy has succeeded beyond all his expectations simply because all props were early knocked out from under him and he was obliged to stand upon his own feet4 ,a man's best friends are his ten fingers1 said ,robert ,collyer1 who brought his wife to ,america in the steerage4 ,there is no manhood mill which takes in boys and turns out men4 ,what you call no chance may be your only chance4 ,don't wait for your place to be made for you2 make it yourself4 ,don't wait for somebody to give you a lift2 lift yourself4 ,henry ,ward ,beecher did not wait for a call to a big church with a large salary4 ,he accepted the first pastorate offered him1 in a little town near ,cincinnati4 ,he became literally the light of the church1 for he trimmed the lamps1 kindled the fires1 swept the rooms1 and rang the bell4 ,his salary was only about #bjj a year1--but he knew that a fine church and great salary can not make a great man4 ,it was work and opportunity that he wanted4 ,he felt that if there were anything in him work would bring it out4 ,when ,beethoven was examining the work of ,moscheles1 he found written at the end1 ,finis1 with ,god's help4 ,he wrote under it1 ,man1 help yourself4 ,a young man stood listlessly watching some anglers on a bridge4 ,he was poor and dejected4 ,at length1 approaching a basket filled with fish1 he sighed1 ,if now ,i had these ,i would be happy4 ,i could sell them and buy food and lodgings4 ,i will give you just as many and just as good1 said the owner1 who chanced to overhear his words1 if you will do me a trifling favor4 ,and what is that8 asked the other4 ,only to tend this line till ,i come back2 ,i wish to go on a short errand4 ,the proposal was gladly accepted4 ,the old man was gone so long that the young man began to get impatient4 ,meanwhile the fish snapped greedily at the hook1 and he lost all his depression in the excitement of pulling them in4 ,when the owner returned he had caught a large number4 ,counting out from them as many as were in the basket1 and presenting them to the youth1 the old fisherman said1 ,i fulfil my promise from the fish you have caught1 to teach you whenever you see others earning what you need to waste no time in foolish wishing1 but cast a line for yourself4 ,a white squall caught a party of tourists on a lake in ,scotland1 and threatened to capsize the boat4 ,when it seemed that the crisis had really come1 the largest and strongest man in the party1 in a state of intense fear1 said1 ,let us pray4 ,no1 no1 my man1 shouted the bluff old boatman2 let the little man pray4 ,you take an oar4 ,the grandest fortunes ever accumulated or possessed on earth were and are the fruit of endeavor that had no capital to begin with save energy1 intellect1 and the will4 ,from ,croesus down to ,rockefeller the story is the same1 not only in the getting of wealth1 but also in the acquirement of eminence2 those men have won most who relied most upon themselves4 ,the male inhabitants in the ,township of ,loaferdom1 in the ,county of ,hatework1 says a printer's squib1 found themselves laboring under great inconvenience for want of an easily traveled road between ,poverty and ,independence4 ,they therefore petitioned the ,powers that be to levy a tax upon the property of the entire county for the purpose of laying out a macadamized highway1 broad and smooth1 and all the way down hill to the latter place4 ,every one is the artificer of his own fortune1 says ,sallust4 ,man is not merely the architect of his own fate1 but he must lay the bricks himself4 ,bayard ,taylor1 at twenty-three1 wrote3 ,i will become the sculptor of my own mind's statue4 ,his biography shows how often the chisel and hammer were in his hands to shape himself into his ideal4 ,labor is the only legal tender in the world to true success4 ,the gods sell everything for that1 nothing without it4 ,you will never find success marked down4 ,the door to the temple of success is never left open4 ,every one who enters makes his own door1 which closes behind him to all others4 ,circumstances have rarely favored great men4 ,they have fought their way to triumph over the road of difficulty and through all sorts of opposition4 ,a lowly beginning and a humble origin are no bar to a great career4 ,the farmer's boys fill many of the greatest places in legislatures1 in business1 at the bar1 in pulpits1 in ,congress1 to-day4 ,boys of lowly origin have made many of the greatest discoveries1 are presidents of our banks1 of our colleges1 of our universities4 ,our poor boys and girls have written many of our greatest books1 and have filled the highest places as teachers and journalists4 ,ask almost any great man in our large cities where he was born1 and he will tell you it was on a farm or in a small country village4 ,nearly all of the great capitalists of the city came from the country4 ,isaac ,rich1 the founder of ,boston ,university1 left ,cape ,cod for ,boston to make his way with a capital of only four dollars4 ,like ,horace ,greeley1 he could find no opening for a boy2 but what of that8 ,he made an opening4 ,he found a board1 and made it into an oyster stand on the street corner4 ,he borrowed a wheelbarrow1 and went three miles to an oyster smack1 bought three bushels of oysters1 and wheeled them to his stand4 ,soon his little savings amounted to #acj1 and then he bought a horse and cart4 ,self-help has accomplished about all the great things of the world4 ,how many young men falter1 faint1 and dally with their purpose because they have no capital to start with1 and wait and wait for some good luck to give them a lift6 ,but success is the child of drudgery and perseverance4 ,it cannot be coaxed or bribed2 pay the price and it is yours4 ,where is the boy to-day who has less chance to rise in the world than ,elihu ,burritt1 apprenticed to a blacksmith1 in whose shop he had to work at the forge all the daylight1 and often by candle-light8 ,yet1 he managed1 by studying with a book before him at his meals1 carrying it in his pocket that he might utilize every spare moment1 and studying at night and holidays1 to pick up an excellent education in the odds and ends of time which most boys throw away4 ,while the rich boy and the idler were yawning and stretching and getting their eyes open1 young ,burritt had seized the opportunity and improved it4 ,at thirty years of age he was master of every important language in ,europe and was studying those of ,asia4 ,what chance had such a boy for distinction8 ,probably not a single youth will read this book who has not a better opportunity for success4 ,yet he had a thirst for knowledge and a desire for self-improvement1 which overcame every obstacle in his pathway4 ,if the youth of ,america who are struggling against cruel circumstances to do something and be somebody in the world could only understand that ninety per cent4 of what is called genius is merely the result of persistent1 determined industry1 in most cases of down-right hard work1 that it is the slavery to a single idea which has given to many a mediocre talent the reputation of being a genius1 they would be inspired with new hope4 ,it is interesting to note that the men who talk most about genius are the men who like to work the least4 ,the lazier the man1 the more he will have to say about great things being done by genius4 ,the greatest geniuses have been the greatest workers4 ,sheridan was considered a genius1 but it was found that the brilliants and off-hand sayings with which he used to dazzle the ,house of ,commons were elaborated1 polished and repolished1 and put down in his memorandum book ready for any emergency4 ,genius has been well defined as the infinite capacity for taking pains4 ,if men who have done great things could only reveal to the struggling youth of to-day how much of their reputations was due to downright hard digging and plodding1 what an uplift of inspiration and encouragement they would give6 ,how often ,i have wished that the discouraged1 struggling youth could know of the heartaches1 the headaches1 the nerve-aches1 the disheartening trials1 the discouraged hours1 the fears and despair involved in works which have gained the admiration of the world1 but which have taxed the utmost powers of their authors4 ,you can read in a few minutes or a few hours a poem or a book with only pleasure and delight1 but the days and months of weary plodding over details and dreary drudgery often required to produce it would stagger belief4 ,the greatest works in literature have been elaborated and elaborated1 line by line1 paragraph by paragraph1 often rewritten a dozen times4 ,the drudgery which literary men have put into the productions which have stood the test of time is almost incredible4 ,lucretius worked nearly a lifetime on one poem4 ,it completely absorbed his life4 ,it is said that ,bryant rewrote ,thanatopsis a hundred times1 and even then was not satisfied with it4 ,john ,foster would sometimes linger a week over a single sentence4 ,he would hack1 split1 prune1 pull up by the roots1 or practise any other severity on whatever he wrote1 till it gained his consent to exist4 ,chalmers was once asked what ,foster was about in ,london4 ,hard at it1 he replied1 at the rate of a line a week4 ,even ,lord ,bacon1 one of the greatest geniuses that ever lived1 at his death left large numbers of manuscripts filled with sudden thoughts set down for use4 ,hume toiled thirteen hours a day on his ,history of ,england4 ,lord ,eldon astonished the world with his great legal learning1 but when he was a student too poor to buy books1 he had actually borrowed and copied many hundreds of pages of large law books4 ,matthew ,hale for years studied law sixteen hours a day4 ,speaking of ,fox1 some one declared that he wrote drop by drop4 ,rousseau says of the labor involved in his smooth and lively style3 ,my manuscripts1 blotted1 scratched1 interlined1 and scarcely legible1 attest the trouble they cost me4 ,there is not one of them which ,i have not been obliged to transcribe four or five times before it went to press4 4 4 4 ,some of my periods ,i have turned or returned in my head for five or six nights before they were fit to be put to paper4 ,beethoven probably surpassed all other musicians in his painstaking fidelity and persistent application4 ,there is scarcely a bar in his music that was not written and rewritten at least a dozen times4 ,his favorite maxim was1 ,the barriers are not yet erected which can say to aspiring talent and industry 'thus far and no further4' ,gibbon wrote his autobiography nine times1 and was in his study every morning1 summer and winter1 at six o'clock2 and yet youth who waste their evenings wonder at the genius which can produce ,the ,decline and ,fall of the ,roman ,empire1 upon which ,gibbon worked twenty years4 ,even ,plato1 one of the greatest writers that ever lived1 wrote the first sentence in his ,republic nine different ways before he was satisfied with it4 ,burke wrote the conclusion of his speech at the trial of ,hastings sixteen times1 and ,butler his famous ,analogy twenty times4 ,it took ,vergil seven years to write his ,georgics1 and twelve years to write the ,aeneid4 ,he was so displeased with the latter that he attempted to rise from his deathbed to commit it to the flames4 ,haydn was very poor2 his father was a coachman and he1 friendless and lonely1 married a servant girl4 ,he was sent away from home to act as errand boy for a music teacher4 ,he absorbed a great deal of information1 but he had a hard life of persecution until he became a barber in ,vienna4 ,here he blacked boots for an influential man1 who became a friend to him4 ,in #agih this poor boy's oratorio1 ,the ,creation1 came upon the musical world like the rising of a new sun which never set4 ,he was courted by princes and dined with kings and queens2 his reputation was made2 there was no more barbering1 no more poverty4 ,but of his eight hundred compositions1 ,the ,creation eclipsed them all4 ,he died while ,napoleon's guns were bombarding ,vienna1 some of the shot falling in his garden4 ,when a man like ,lord ,cavanagh1 without arms or legs1 manages to put himself into ,parliament1 when a man like ,francis ,joseph ,campbell1 a blind man1 becomes a distinguished mathematician1 a musician1 and a great philanthropist1 we get a hint as to what it means to make the most possible out of ourselves and our opportunities4 ,perhaps ninety-nine of a hundred under such unfortunate circumstances would be content to remain helpless objects of charity for life4 ,if it is your call to acquire money power instead of brain power1 to acquire business power instead of professional power1 double your talent just the same1 no matter what it may be4 ,a glover's apprentice of ,glasgow1 ,scotland1 who was too poor to afford even a candle or a fire1 and who studied by the light of the shop windows in the streets1 and when the shops were closed climbed the lamp-post1 holding his book in one hand1 and clinging to the lamp-post with the other1--this poor boy1 with less chance than almost any boy in ,america1 became the most eminent scholar of ,scotland4 ,francis ,parkman1 half blind1 became one of ,america's greatest historians in spite of everything1 because he made himself such4 ,personal value is a coin of one's own minting2 one is taken at the worth he has put into himself4 ,franklin was but a poor printer's boy1 whose highest luxury at one time was only a penny roll1 eaten in the streets of ,philadelphia4 ,michael ,faraday was a poor boy1 son of a blacksmith1 who apprenticed him at the age of thirteen to a bookbinder in ,london4 ,michael laid the foundations of his future greatness by making himself familiar with the contents of the books he bound4 ,he remained at night1 after others had gone1 to read and study the precious volumes4 ,lord ,tenterden was proud to point out to his son the shop where he had shaved for a penny4 ,a ,french doctor once taunted ,flchier1 ,bishop of ,nismes1 who had been a tallow-chandler in his youth1 with the meanness of his origin1 to which he replied1 ,if you had been born in the same condition that ,i was1 you would still have been but a maker of candles4 ,edwin ,chadwick1 in his report to the ,british ,parliament1 stated that children1 working on half time 7that is1 studying three hours a day and working the rest of their time out of doors71 really made the greatest intellectual progress during the year4 ,business men have often accomplished wonders during the busiest lives by simply devoting one1 two1 three1 or four hours daily to study or other literary work4 ,james ,watt received only the rudiments of an education at school1 for his attendance was irregular on account of delicate health4 ,he more than made up for all deficiencies1 however1 by the diligence with which he pursued his studies at home4 ,alexander ,v was a beggar2 he was born mud1 and died marble4 ,william ,herschel1 placed at the age of fourteen as a musician in the band of the ,hanoverian ,guards1 devoted all his leisure to philosophical studies4 ,he acquired a large fund of general knowledge1 and in astronomy1 a science in which he was wholly self-instructed1 his discoveries entitle him to rank with the greatest astronomers of all time4 ,george ,washington was the son of a widow1 born under the roof of a ,westmoreland farmer2 almost from infancy his lot had been that of an orphan4 ,no academy had welcomed him to its shade1 no college crowned him with its honors2 to read1 to write1 to cipher--these had been his degrees in knowledge4 ,shakespeare learned little more than reading and writing at school1 but by self-culture he made himself the great master among literary men4 ,burns1 too1 enjoyed few advantages of education1 and his youth was passed in almost abject poverty4 ,james ,ferguson1 the son of a half-starved peasant1 learned to read by listening to the recitations of one of his elder brothers4 ,while a mere boy he discovered several mechanical principles1 made models of mills and spinning-wheels1 and by means of beads on strings worked out an excellent map of the heavens4 ,ferguson made remarkable things with a common penknife4 ,how many great men have mounted the hill of knowledge by out-of-the-way paths6 ,gifford worked his intricate problems with a shoemaker's awl on a bit of leather4 ,rittenhouse first calculated eclipses on his plow-handle4 ,columbus1 while leading the life of a sailor1 managed to become the most accomplished geographer and astronomer of his time4 ,when ,peter the ,great1 a boy of seventeen1 became the absolute ruler of ,russia his subjects were little better than savages1 and in himself even the passions and propensities of barbarism were so strong that they were frequently exhibited during his whole career4 ,but he determined to transform himself and the ,russians into civilized people4 ,he instituted reforms with great energy1 and at the age of twenty-six started on a visit to the other countries of ,europe for the purpose of learning about their arts and institutions4 ,at ,saardam1 ,holland1 he was so impressed with the sights of the great ,east ,india dockyard that he apprenticed himself to a shipbuilder1 and helped to build the ,st4 ,peter1 which he promptly purchased4 ,continuing his travels1 after he had learned his trade1 he worked in ,england in paper-mills1 saw-mills1 rope-yards1 watchmakers' shops1 and other manufactories1 doing the work and receiving the treatment of a common laborer4 ,while traveling1 his constant habit was to obtain as much information as he could beforehand with regard to every place he was to visit1 and he would demand1 ,let me see all4 ,when setting out on his investigations1 on such occasions1 he carried his tablets in his hand and whatever he deemed worthy of remembrance was carefully noted down4 ,he would often leave his carriage if he saw the country people at work by the wayside as he passed along1 and not only enter into conversation with them on agricultural affairs1 but also accompany them to their homes1 examine their furniture1 and take drawings of their implements of husbandry4 ,thus he obtained much minute and correct knowledge1 which he would scarcely have acquired by other means1 and which he afterward turned to admirable account in the improvement of his own country4 ,the ancients said1 ,know thyself2 the twentieth century says1 ,help thyself4 ,self-culture gives a second birth to the soul4 ,a liberal education is a true regeneration4 ,when a man is once liberally educated1 he will generally remain a man1 not shrink to a manikin1 nor dwindle to a brute4 ,but if he is not properly educated1 if he has merely been crammed and stuffed through college1 if he has merely a broken-down memory from trying to hold crammed facts enough to pass the examination1 he will continue to shrink1 shrivel1 and dwindle1 often below his original proportions1 for he will lose both his confidence and self-respect1 as his crammed facts1 which never became a part of himself1 evaporate from his distended memory4 ,every bit of education or culture is of great advantage in the struggle for existence4 ,the microscope does not create anything new1 but it reveals marvels4 ,to educate the eye adds to its magnifying power until it sees beauty where before it saw only ugliness4 ,it reveals a world we never suspected1 and finds the greatest beauty even in the commonest things4 ,the eye of an ,agassiz could see worlds of which the uneducated eye never dreamed4 ,the cultured hand can do a thousand things the uneducated hand can not do4 ,it becomes graceful1 steady of nerve1 strong1 skilful1 indeed it almost seems to think1 so animated is it with intelligence4 ,the cultured will can seize1 grasp1 and hold the possessor1 with irresistible power and nerve1 to almost superhuman effort4 ,the educated touch can almost perform miracles4 ,the educated taste can achieve wonders almost past belief4 ,what a contrast between the cultured1 logical1 profound1 masterly reason of a ,gladstone and that of the hod-carrier who has never developed or educated his reason beyond what is necessary to enable him to mix mortar and carry brick6 ,be careful to avoid that over-intellectual culture which is purchased at the expense of moral vigor4 ,an observant professor of one of our colleges has remarked that the mind may be so rounded and polished by education1 and so well balanced1 as not to be energetic in any one faculty4 ,in other men not thus trained1 the sense of deficiency and of the sharp1 jagged corners of their knowledge leads to efforts to fill up the chasms1 rendering them at last far better educated men than the polished1 easy-going graduate who has just knowledge enough to prevent consciousness of his ignorance4 ,while all the faculties of the mind should be cultivated1 it is yet desirable that it should have two or three rough-hewn features of massive strength4 ,young men are too apt to forget the great end of life1 which is to be and do1 not to read and brood over what other men have been and done4 ,i repeat that my object is not to give him knowledge1 but to teach him how to acquire it at need1 said ,rousseau4 ,all learning is self-teaching4 ,it is upon the working of the pupil's own mind that his progress in knowledge depends4 ,the great business of the master is to teach the pupil to teach himself4 ,thinking1 not growth1 makes manhood1 says ,isaac ,taylor4 ,accustom yourself1 therefore1 to thinking4 ,set yourself to understand whatever you see or read4 ,to join thinking with reading is one of the first maxims1 and one of the easiest operations4 ,how few think justly of the thinking few3 ,how many never think who think they do4 ,,chapter ,,xxxi ,,the ,,self-,,improvement ,,habit ,if you want knowledge you must toil for it4--,,ruskin4 ,we excuse our sloth under the pretext of difficulty4--,,quintillian4 ,what sculpture is to a block of marble1 education is to the human soul4--,,addison4 ,a boy is better unborn than untaught4--,,gascoigne4 ,it is ignorance that wastes2 it is knowledge that saves1 an untaught faculty is at once quiescent and dead4--,n4 ,d4 ,,hillis4 ,the plea that this or that man has no time for culture will vanish as soon as we desire culture so much that we begin to examine seriously into our present use of time4--,,matthew ,,arnold4 ,education1 as commonly understood1 is the process of developing the mind by means of books and teachers4 ,when education has been neglected1 either by reason of lack of opportunity1 or because advantage was not taken of the opportunities afforded1 the one remaining hope is self-improvement4 ,opportunities for self-improvement surround us1 the helps to self-improvement are abundant1 and in this day of cheap books and free libraries1 there can be no good excuse for neglect to use the faculties for mental growth and development which are so abundantly supplied4 ,when we look at the difficulties which hindered the acquisition of knowledge fifty years to a century ago2 the scarcity and the costliness of books1 the value of the dimmest candle-light1 the unremitting toil which left so little time for study1 the physical weariness which had to be overcome to enable mental exertion in study1 we may well marvel at the giants of scholarship those days of hardship produced4 ,and when we add to educational limitations1 physical disabilities1 blindness1 deformity1 ill-health1 hunger and cold1 we may feel shame as we contemplate the fulness of modern opportunity and the helps and incentives to study and self-development which are so lavishly provided for our use and inspiration1 and of which we make so little use4 ,self-improvement implies one essential feeling3 the desire for improvement4 ,if the desire exists1 then improvement is usually accomplished only by the conquest of self--the material self1 which seeks pleasure and amusement4 ,the novel1 the game of cards1 the billiard cue1 idle whittling and story-telling will have to be eschewed1 and every available moment of leisure turned to account4 ,for all who seek self-improvement there is a lion in the way1 the lion of self-indulgence1 and it is only by the conquest of this enemy that progress is assured4 ,show me how a youth spends his evenings1 his odd bits of time1 and ,i will forecast his future4 ,does he look upon this leisure as precious1 rich in possibilities1 as containing golden material for his future life structure8 ,or does he look upon it as an opportunity for self-indulgence1 for a light1 flippant good time8 ,the way he spends his leisure will give the keynote of his life1 will tell whether he is dead in earnest1 or whether he looks upon it as a huge joke4 ,he may not be conscious of the terrible effects1 the gradual deterioration of character which comes from a frivolous wasting of his evenings and half-holidays1 but the character is being undermined just the same4 ,young men are often surprised to find themselves dropping behind their competitors1 but if they will examine themselves1 they will find that they have stopped growing1 because they have ceased their effort to keep abreast of the times1 to be widely read1 to enrich life with self-culture4 ,it is the right use of spare moments in reading and study which qualify men for leadership4 ,and in many historic cases the spare moments utilized for study were not spare in the sense of being the spare time of leisure4 ,they were rather spared moments1 moments spared from sleep1 from meal times1 from recreation4 ,where is the boy to-day who has less chance to rise in the world than ,elihu ,burritt1 apprenticed at sixteen to a blacksmith1 in whose shop he had to work at the forge all the daylight1 and often by candle-light8 ,yet he managed1 by studying with a book before him at his meals1 carrying it in his pocket that he might utilize every spare moment1 and studying nights and holidays1 to pick up an excellent education in the odds and ends of time which most boys throw away4 ,while the rich boy and the idler were yawning and stretching and getting their eyes open1 young ,burritt had seized the opportunity and improved it4 ,he had a thirst for knowledge and a desire for self-improvement1 which overcame every obstacle in his pathway4 ,a wealthy gentleman offered to pay his expenses at ,harvard4 ,but no1 ,elihu said he could get his education himself1 even though he had to work twelve or fourteen hours a day at the forge4 ,here was a determined boy4 ,he snatched every spare moment at the anvil and forge as if it were gold4 ,he believed1 with ,gladstone1 that thrift of time would repay him in after years with usury1 and that waste of it would make him dwindle4 ,think of a boy working nearly all the daylight in a blacksmith shop1 and yet finding time to study seven languages in a single year4 ,it is not lack of ability that holds men down but lack of industry4 ,in many cases the employee has a better brain1 a better mental capacity than his employer4 ,but he does not improve his faculties4 ,he dulls his mind by cigarette smoking4 ,he spends his money at the pool table1 theater1 or dance1 and as he grows old1 and the harness of perpetual service galls him1 he grumbles at his lack of luck1 his limited opportunity4 ,the number of perpetual clerks is constantly being recruited by those who did not think it worth while as boys to learn to write a good hand or to master the fundamental branches of knowledge requisite in a business career4 ,the ignorance common among young men and young women1 in factories1 stores1 and offices1 everywhere1 in fact1 in this land of opportunity1 where youth should be well educated1 is a pitiable thing in ,american life4 ,on every hand we see men and women of ability occupying inferior positions because they did not think it worth while in youth to develop their powers and to concentrate their attention on the acquisition of sufficient knowledge4 ,thousands of men and women find themselves held back1 handicapped for life because of the seeming trifles which they did not think it worth while to pay attention to in their early days4 ,many a girl of good natural ability spends her most productive years as a cheap clerk1 or in a mediocre position because she never thought it worth while to develop her mental faculties or to take advantage of opportunities within reach to fit herself for a superior position4 ,thousands of girls unexpectedly thrown on their own resources have been held down all their lives because of neglected tasks in youth1 which at the time were dismissed with a careless ,i don't think it worth while4 ,they did not think it would pay to go to the bottom of any study at school1 to learn to keep accounts accurately1 or fit themselves to do anything in such a way as to be able to make a living by it4 ,they expected to marry1 and never prepared for being dependent on themselves1--a contingency against which marriage1 in many instances1 is no safeguard4 ,the trouble with most youths is that they are not willing to fling the whole weight of their being into their location4 ,they want short hours1 little work and a lot of play4 ,they think more of leisure and pleasure than of discipline and training in their great life specialty4 ,many a clerk envies his employer and wishes that he could go into business for himself1 be an employer too but it is too much work to make the effort to rise above a clerkship4 ,he likes to take life easy2 and he wonders idly whether1 after all1 it is worth while to strain and strive and struggle and study to prepare oneself for the sake of getting up a little higher and making a little more money4 ,the trouble with a great many people is that they are not willing to make present sacrifices for future gain4 ,they prefer to have a good time as they go along1 rather than spend time in self-improvement4 ,they have a sort of vague wish to do something great1 but few have that intensity of longing which impels them to make the sacrifice of the present for the future4 ,few are willing to work underground for years laying a foundation for the life monument4 ,they yearn for greatness1 but their yearning is not the kind which is willing to pay any price in endeavor or make any sacrifice for its object4 ,so the majority slide along in mediocrity all their lives4 ,they have ability for something higher up1 but they have not the energy and determination to prepare for it4 ,they do not care to make necessary effort4 ,they prefer to take life easier and lower down rather than to struggle for something higher4 ,they do not play the game for all they are worth4 ,if a man or woman has but the disposition for self-improvement and advancement he will find opportunity to rise or what he can not find create4 ,here is an example from the everyday life going on around us and in which we are all taking part4 ,a young ,irishman who had reached the age of nineteen or twenty without learning to read or write1 and who left home because of the intemperance that prevailed there1 learned to read a little by studying billboards1 and eventually got a position as steward aboard a man-of-war4 ,he chose that occupation and got leave to serve at the captain's table because of a great desire to learn4 ,he kept a little tablet in his coat-pocket1 and whenever he heard a new word wrote it down4 ,one day an officer saw him writing and immediately suspected him of being a spy4 ,when he and the other officers learned what the tablet was used for1 the young man was given more opportunities to learn1 and these led in time to promotion1 until1 finally1 the sometime steward won a prominent position in the navy4 ,success as a naval officer prepared the way for success in other fields4 ,self-help has accomplished about all the great things of the world4 ,how many young men falter1 faint1 and dally with their purpose1 because they have no capital to start with1 and wait and wait for some good luck to give them a lift6 ,but success is the child of drudgery and perseverance4 ,it can not be coaxed or bribed2 pay the price and it is yours4 ,one of the sad things about the neglected opportunities for self-improvement is that it puts people of great natural ability at a disadvantage among those who are their mental inferiors4 ,i know a member of one of our city legislatures1 a splendid fellow1 immensely popular1 who has a great1 generous heart and broad sympathies1 but who can not open his mouth without so murdering the ,english language that it is really painful to listen to him4 ,there are a great many similar examples in ,washington of men who have been elected to important positions because of their great natural ability and fine characters1 but who are constantly mortified and embarrassed by their ignorance and lack of early training4 ,one of the most humiliating experiences that can ever come to a human being is to be conscious of possessing more than ordinary ability1 and yet be tied to an inferior position because of lack of early and intelligent training commensurate with his ability4 ,to be conscious that one has ability to realize eighty or ninety per cent of his possibilities1 if he had only had the proper education and training1 but because of this lack to be unable to bring out more than twenty-five per cent of it on account of ignorance1 is humiliating and embarrassing4 ,in other words1 to go through life conscious that you are making a botch of your capabilities just because of lack of training1 is a most depressing thing4 ,nothing else outside of sin causes more sorrow than that which comes from not having prepared for the highest career possible to one4 ,there are no bitterer regrets than those which come from being obliged to let opportunities pass by for which one never prepared himself4 ,i know a pitiable case of a born naturalist whose ambition was so suppressed1 and whose education so neglected in youth1 that later when he came to know more about natural history than almost any man of his day1 he could not write a grammatical sentence1 and could never make his ideas live in words1 perpetuate them in books1 because of his ignorance of even the rudiments of an education4 ,his early vocabulary was so narrow and pinched1 and his knowledge of his language so limited that he always seemed to be painfully struggling for words to express his thought4 ,think of the suffering of this splendid man1 who was conscious of possessing colossal scientific knowledge1 and yet was absolutely unable to express himself grammatically6 ,how often stenographers are mortified by the use of some unfamiliar word or term1 or quotation1 because of the shallowness of their preparation6 ,it is not enough to be able to take dictation when ordinary letters are given1 not enough to do the ordinary routine of office work4 ,the ambitious stenographer must be prepared for the unusual demand1 must have good reserves of knowledge to draw from in case of emergency4 ,but1 if she is constantly slipping up upon her grammar1 or is all at sea the moment she steps out of her ordinary routine1 her employer knows that her preparation is shallow1 that her education is very limited1 and her prospects will be limited also4 ,a young lady writes me that she is so handicapped by the lack of an early education that she fairly dreads to write a letter to anyone of education or culture for fear of making ignorant mistakes in grammar and spelling4 ,her letter indicates that she has a great deal of natural ability4 ,yet she is much limited and always placed at a disadvantage because of this lack of an early education4 ,it is difficult to conceive of a greater misfortune than always to be embarrassed and handicapped just because of the neglect of those early years4 ,i am often pained by letters from people1 especially young people1 which indicate that the writers have a great deal of natural ability1 that they have splendid minds1 but a large part of their ability is covered up1 rendered ineffectual by their ignorance4 ,many of these letters show that the writers are like diamonds in the rough1 with only here and there a little facet ground off1 just enough to let in the light and reveal the great hidden wealth within4 ,i always feel sorry for these people who have passed the school age and who will probably go through life with splendid minds handicapped by their ignorance which1 even late in life1 they might largely or entirely overcome4 ,it is such a pity that1 a young man1 for instance1 who has the natural ability which would make him a leader among men1 must1 for the lack of a little training1 a little preparation1 work for somebody else1 perhaps with but half of his ability but with a better preparation1 more education4 ,everywhere we see clerks1 mechanics1 employees in all walks of life1 who cannot rise to anything like positions which correspond with their natural ability1 because they have not had the education4 ,they are ignorant4 ,they can not write a decent letter4 ,they murder the ,english language1 and hence their superb ability cannot be demonstrated1 and remains in mediocrity4 ,the parable of the talents illustrates and enforces one of nature's sternest laws3 ,to him that hath shall be given2 from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath4 ,scientists call this law the survival of the fittest4 ,the fittest are those who use what they have1 who gain strength by struggle1 and who survive by self-development by control of their hostile or helpful environment4 ,the soil1 the sunshine1 the atmosphere are very liberal with the material for the growth of the plant or the tree1 but the plant must use all it gets1 it must work it up into flowers1 into fruit1 into leaf or fiber or something or the supply will cease4 ,in other words1 the soil will not send any more building material up the sap than is used for growth1 and the faster this material is used the more rapid the growth1 the more abundantly the material will come4 ,the same law holds good everywhere4 ,nature is liberal with us if we utilize what she gives us1 but if we stop using it1 if we do not transform what she gives us into power1 if we do not do some building somewhere1 if we do not transform the material which she gives us into force and utilize that force1 we not only find the supply cut off1 but we find that we are growing weaker1 less efficient4 ,everything in nature is on the move1 either one way or the other4 ,it is either going up or down4 ,it is either advancing or retrograding2 we cannot hold without using4 ,nature withdraws muscle or brain if we do not use them4 ,she withdraws skill the moment we stop drilling efficiently1 the moment we stop using our power4 ,the force is withdrawn when we cease exercising it4 ,a college graduate is often surprised years after he leaves the college to find that about all he has to show for his education is his diploma4 ,the power1 the efficiency which he gained there has been lost because he has not been using them4 ,he thought at the time that everything was still fresh in his mind after his examination that this knowledge would remain with him1 but it has been slipping away from him every minute since he stopped using it1 and only that has remained and increased which he has used2 the rest has evaporated4 ,a great many college graduates ten years afterwards find that they have but very little left to show for their four years' course1 because they have not utilized their knowledge4 ,they have become weaklings without knowing it4 ,they constantly say to themselves1 ,i have a college education1 ,i must have some ability1 ,i must amount to something in the world4 ,but the college diploma has no more power to hold the knowledge you have gained in college than a piece of tissue paper over a gas jet can hold the gas in the pipe4 ,everything which you do not use is constantly slipping away from you4 ,use it or lose it4 ,the secret of power is use4 ,ability will not remain with us1 force will evaporate the moment we cease to do something with it4 ,the tools for self-improvement are at your hand1 use them4 ,if the ax is dull the more strength must be put forth4 ,if your opportunities are limited you must use more energy1 put forth more effort4 ,progress may seem slow at first1 but perseverance assures success4 ,line upon line1 and precept upon precept is the rule of mental upbuilding and ,in due time ye shall reap if ye faint not4 ,,chapter ,,xxxii ,,raising ,,of ,,values ,destiny is not about thee1 but within1-- ,thyself must make thyself4 ,the world is no longer clay1 but rather iron in the hands of its workers1 says ,emerson1 and men have got to hammer out a place for themselves by steady and rugged blows4 ,to make the most of your stuff1 be it cloth1 iron1 or character1--this is success4 ,raising common stuff to priceless value is great success4 ,the man who first takes the rough bar of wrought iron may be a blacksmith1 who has only partly learned his trade1 and has no ambition to rise above his anvil4 ,he thinks that the best possible thing he can do with his bar is to make it into horseshoes1 and congratulates himself upon his success4 ,he reasons that the rough lump of iron is worth only two or three cents a pound1 and that it is not worth while to spend much time or labor on it4 ,his enormous muscles and small skill have raised the value of the iron from one dollar1 perhaps1 to ten dollars4 ,along comes a cutler1 with a little better education1 a little more ambition1 a little finer perception1 and says to the blacksmith3 ,is this all you can see in that iron8 ,give me a bar1 and ,i will show you what brains and skill and hard work can make of it4 ,he sees a little further into the rough bar4 ,he has studied many processes of hardening and tempering2 he has tools1 grinding and polishing wheels1 and annealing furnaces4 ,the iron is fused1 carbonized into steel1 drawn out1 forged1 tempered1 heated white-hot1 plunged into cold water or oil to improve its temper1 and ground and polished with great care and patience4 ,when this work is done1 he shows the astonished blacksmith two thousand dollars' worth of knife-blades where the latter only saw ten dollars' worth of crude horseshoes4 ,the value has been greatly raised by the refining process4 ,knife-blades are all very well1 if you can make nothing better1 says another artisan1 to whom the cutler has shown the triumph of his art1 but you haven't half brought out what is in that bar of iron4 ,i see a higher and better use2 ,i have made a study of iron1 and know what there is in it and what can be made of it4 ,this artisan has a more delicate touch1 a finer perception1 a better training1 a higher ideal1 and superior determination1 which enable him to look still further into the molecules of the rough bar1--past the horse-shoes1 past the knife-blades1--and he turns the crude iron into the finest cambric needles1 with eyes cut with microscopic exactness4 ,the production of the invisible points requires a more delicate process1 a finer grade of skill than the cutler possesses4 ,this feat the last workman considers marvelous1 and he thinks he has exhausted the possibilities of the iron4 ,he has multiplied many times the value of the cutler's product4 ,but1 behold6 another very skilful mechanic1 with a more finely organized mind1 a more delicate touch1 more patience1 more industry1 a higher order of skill1 and a better training1 passes with ease by the horse-shoes1 the knife-blades1 and the needles1 and returns the product of his bar in fine mainsprings for watches4 ,where the others saw horseshoes1 knife-blades1 or needles1 worth only a few thousand dollars1 his penetrating eye saw a product worth one hundred thousand dollars4 ,a higher artist-artisan appears1 who tells us that the rough bar has not even yet found its highest expression2 that he possesses the magic that can perform a still greater miracle in iron4 ,to him1 even main-springs seem coarse and clumsy4 ,he knows that the crude iron can be manipulated and coaxed into an elasticity that can not even be imagined by one less trained in metallurgy4 ,he knows that1 if care enough be used in tempering the steel1 it will not be stiff1 trenchant1 and merely a passive metal1 but so full of its new qualities that it almost seems instinct with life4 ,with penetrating1 almost clairvoyant vision1 this artist-artisan sees how every process of mainspring making can be carried further2 and how1 at every stage of manufacture1 more perfection can be reached2 how the texture of the metal can be so much refined that even a fiber1 a slender thread of it1 can do marvelous work4 ,he puts his bar through many processes of refinement and fine tempering1 and1 in triumph1 turns his product into almost invisible coils of delicate hair-springs4 ,after infinite toil and pain1 he has made his dream true2 he has raised the few dollars' worth of iron to a value of one million dollars1 perhaps forty times the value of the same weight of gold4 ,still another workman1 whose processes are so almost infinitely delicate1 whose product is so little known1 by even the average educated man1 that his trade is unmentioned by the makers of dictionaries and encylopedias1 takes but a fragment of one of the bars of steel1 and develops its higher possibilities with such marvelous accuracy1 such ethereal fineness of touch1 that even mainsprings and hairsprings are looked back upon as coarse1 crude1 and cheap4 ,when his work is done1 he shows you a few of the minutely barbed instruments used by dentists to draw out the finest branches of the dental nerves4 ,while a pound of gold1 roughly speaking1 is worth about two hundred and fifty dollars1 a pound of these slender1 barbed filaments of steel1 if a pound could be collected1 might be worth hundreds of times as much4 ,other experts may still further refine the product1 but it will be many a day before the best will exhaust the possibilities of a metal that can be subdivided until its particles will float in the air4 ,it sounds magical1 but the magic is only that wrought by the application of the homeliest virtues2 by the training of the eye1 the hand1 the perception2 by painstaking care1 by hard work1 and by determination and grit4 ,if a metal possessing only a few coarse material qualities is capable of such marvelous increase in value1 by mixing brains with its molecules1 who shall set bounds to the possibilities of the development of a human being1 that wonderful compound of physical1 mental1 moral1 and spiritual forces8 ,whereas1 in the development of iron1 a dozen processes are possible1 a thousand influences may be brought to bear upon mind and character4 ,while the iron is an inert mass acted upon by external influences only1 the human being is a bundle of forces1 acting and counteracting1 yet all capable of control and direction by the higher self1 the real1 dominating personality4 ,the difference in human attainment is due only slightly to the original material4 ,it is the ideal followed and unfolded1 the effort made1 the processes of education and experience undergone that fuse1 hammer1 and mold our life-bar into its ultimate development4 ,life1 everyday life1 has counterparts of all the tortures the iron undergoes1 and through them it comes to its highest expression4 ,the blows of opposition1 the struggles amid want and woe1 the fiery trials of disaster and bereavement1 the crushings of iron circumstances1 the raspings of care and anxiety1 the grinding of constant difficulties1 the rebuffs that chill enthusiasm1 the weariness of years of dry1 dreary drudgery in education and discipline1--all these are necessary to the man who would reach the highest success4 ,the iron1 by this manipulation1 is strengthened1 refined1 made more elastic or more resistant1 and adapted to the use each artisan dreams of4 ,if every blow should fracture it1 if every furnace should burn the life out of it1 if every roller should pulverize it1 of what use would it be8 ,it has that virtue1 those qualities that withstand all2 that draw profit from every test1 and come out triumphant in the end4 ,in the iron the qualities are1 in the main1 inherent2 but in ourselves they are largely matters of growth1 culture1 and development1 and all are subject to the dominating will4 ,just as each artisan sees in the crude iron some finished1 refined product1 so must we see in our lives glorious possibilities1 if we would but realize them4 ,if we see only horseshoes or knife-blades1 all our efforts and struggles will never produce hairsprings4 ,we must realize our own adaptability to great ends2 we must resolve to struggle1 to endure trials and tests1 to pay the necessary price1 confident that the result will pay us for our suffering1 our trials1 and our efforts4 ,those who shrink from the forging1 the rolling1 and the drawing out1 are the ones who fail1 the nobodies1 the faulty characters1 the criminals4 ,just as a bar of iron1 if exposed to the elements1 will oxidize1 and become worthless1 so will character deteriorate if there is no constant effort to improve its form1 to increase its ductility1 to temper it1 or to better it in some way4 ,it is easy to remain a common bar of iron1 or comparatively so1 by becoming merely a horseshoe2 but it is hard to raise your life-product to higher values4 ,many of us consider our natural gift-bars poor1 mean1 and inadequate1 compared with those of others2 but1 if we are willing1 by patience1 toil1 study1 and struggle1 to hammer1 draw out1 and refine1 to work on and up from clumsy horseshoes to delicate hairsprings1 we can1 by infinite patience and persistence1 raise the value of the raw material to almost fabulous heights4 ,it was thus that ,columbus1 the weaver1 ,franklin1 the journeyman printer1 ,aesop1 the slave1 ,homer1 the beggar1 ,demosthenes1 the cutler's son1 ,ben ,jonson1 the bricklayer1 ,cervantes1 the common soldier1 and ,haydn1 the poor wheelwright's son1 developed their powers1 until they towered head and shoulders above other men4 ,there is very little difference between the material given to a hundred average boys and girls at birth1 yet one with no better means of improvement than the others1 perhaps with infinitely poorer means1 will raise his material in value a hundredfold1 five-hundredfold1 aye1 a thousandfold1 while the ninety-nine will wonder why their material remains so coarse and crude1 and will attribute their failure to hard luck4 ,while one boy is regretting his want of opportunities1 his lack of means to get a college education1 and remains in ignorance1 another with half his chances picks up a good education in the odds and ends of time which other boys throw away4 ,from the same material1 one man builds a palace and another a hovel4 ,from the same rough piece of marble1 one man calls out an angel of beauty which delights every beholder1 another a hideous monster which demoralizes every one who sees it4 ,the extent to which you can raise the value of your life-bar depends very largely upon yourself4 ,whether you go upward to the mainspring or hairspring stage1 depends very largely upon your ideal1 your determination to be the higher thing1 upon your having the grit to be hammered1 to be drawn out1 to be thrust from the fire into cold water or oil in order to get the proper temper4 ,of course1 it is hard and painful1 and it takes lots of stamina to undergo the processes that produce the finest product1 but would you prefer to remain a rough bar of iron or a horseshoe all your life8 ,illustration3 ,lincoln studying by the firelight ,,chapter ,,xxxiii ,,self-,,improvement ,,through ,,public ,,speaking ,it does not matter whether you want to be a public speaker or not1 everybody should have such complete control of himself1 should be so self-centered and self-posed that he can get up in any audience1 no matter how large or formidable1 and express his thoughts clearly and distinctly4 ,self-expression in some manner is the only means of developing mental power4 ,it may be in music2 it may be on canvas3 it may be through oratory2 it may come through selling goods or writing a book2 but it must come through self-expression4 ,self-expression in any legitimate form tends to call out what is in a man1 his resourcefulness1 inventiveness2 but no other form of self-expression develops a man so thoroughly and so effectively1 and so quickly unfolds all of his powers1 as expression before an audience4 ,it is doubtful whether anyone can reach the highest standard of culture without studying the art of expression1 especially public vocal expression4 ,in all ages oratory has been regarded as the highest expression of human achievement4 ,young people1 no matter what they intend to be1 whether blacksmith or farmer1 merchant or physician1 should make it a study4 ,nothing else will call out what is in a man so quickly and so effectively as the constant effort to do his best in speaking before an audience4 ,when one undertakes to think on his feet and speak extemporaneously before the public1 the power and the skill of the entire man are put to a severe test4 ,the writer has the advantage of being able to wait for his moods4 ,he can write when he feels like it2 and he knows that he can burn his manuscript again and again if it does not suit him4 ,there are not a thousand eyes upon him4 ,he does not have a great audience criticizing every sentence1 weighing every thought4 ,he does not have to step upon the scales of every listener's judgment to be weighed1 as does the orator4 ,a man may write as listlessly as he pleases1 use much or little of his brain or energy1 just as he chooses or feels like doing4 ,no one is watching him4 ,his pride and vanity are not touched1 and what he writes may never be seen by anyone4 ,then1 there is always a chance for revision4 ,in conversation1 we do not feel that so much depends upon our words2 only a few persons hear them1 and perhaps no one will ever think of them again4 ,in music1 whether vocal or instrumental1 what one gives out is only partially one's own2 the rest is the composer's4 ,yet anyone who lays any claim to culture1 should train himself to think on his feet1 so that he can at a moment's notice rise and express himself intelligently4 ,the occasions for little speaking are increasing enormously4 ,a great many questions which used to be settled in the office are now discussed and settled at dinners4 ,all sorts of business deals are now carried through at dinners4 ,there was never before any such demand for dinner oratory as to-day4 ,we know men who have1 by the dint of hard work and persistent grit1 lifted themselves into positions of prominence1 and yet they are not able to stand on their feet in public1 even to make a few remarks1 or scarcely to put a motion without trembling like an aspen leaf4 ,they had plenty of opportunities when they were young1 at school1 in debating clubs to get rid of their self-consciousness and to acquire ease and facility in public speaking1 but they always shrank from every opportunity1 because they were timid1 or felt that somebody else could handle the debate or questions better4 ,there are plenty of business men to-day who would give a great deal of money if they could only go back and improve the early opportunities for learning to think and speak on their feet which they threw away4 ,now they have money1 they have position1 but they are nobodies when called upon to speak in public4 ,all they can do is to look foolish1 blush1 stammer out an apology and sit down4 ,some time ago ,i was at a public meeting when a man who stands very high in the community1 who is king in his specialty1 was called upon to give his opinion upon the matter under consideration1 and he got up and trembled and stammered and could scarcely say his soul was his own4 ,he could not even make a decent appearance4 ,he had power and a great deal of experience1 but there he stood1 as helpless as a child1 and he felt cheap1 mortified1 embarrassed1 and probably would have given anything if he had early in life trained himself to get himself in hand so that he could think on his feet and say with power and effectiveness that which he knew4 ,at the very meeting where this strong man who had the respect and confidence of everybody who knew him1 and who made such a miserable failure of his attempt to give his opinion upon an important public matter on which he was well posted1 being so confused and self-conscious and stage struck that he could say scarcely anything1 a shallow-brained business man1 in the same city1 who hadn't a hundredth part of the other man's practical power in affairs1 got up and made a brilliant speech1 and strangers no doubt thought that he was much the stronger man4 ,he had simply cultivated the ability to say his best thing on his feet1 and the other man had not1 and was placed at a tremendous disadvantage4 ,a very brilliant young man in ,new ,york who has climbed to a responsible position in a very short time1 tells me that he has been surprised on several occasions when he has been called upon to speak at banquets1 or on other public occasions1 at the new discoveries he has made of himself of power which he never before dreamed he possessed1 and he now regrets more than anything else that he has allowed so many opportunities for calling himself out to go by in the past4 ,the effort to express one's ideas in lucid1 clean-cut1 concise1 telling ,english tends to make one's everyday language choicer and more direct1 and improves one's diction generally4 ,in this and other ways speech-making develops mental power and character4 ,this explains the rapidity with which a young man develops in school or college when he begins to take part in public debates or in debating societies4 ,every man1 says ,lord ,chesterfield1 may choose good words instead of bad ones and speak properly instead of improperly2 he may have grace in his motions and gestures1 and may be a very agreeable instead of disagreeable speaker if he will take care and pains4 ,it is a matter of painstaking and preparation4 ,there is everything in learning what you wish to know4 ,your vocal culture1 manner1 and mental furnishing1 are to be made a matter for thought and careful training4 ,nothing will tire an audience more quickly than monotony1 everything expressed on the same dead level4 ,there must be variety2 the human mind tires very quickly without it4 ,this is especially true of a monotonous tone4 ,it is a great art to be able to raise and lower the voice with sweet flowing cadences which please the ear4 ,gladstone said1 ,ninety-nine men in every hundred never rise above mediocrity because the training of the voice is entirely neglected and considered of no importance4 ,it was indeed said of a certain ,duke of ,devonshire that he was the only ,english statesman who ever took a nap during the progress of his own speech4 ,he was a perfect genius for dry uninteresting oratory1 moving forward with a monotonous droning1 and pausing now and then as if refreshing himself by slumber4 ,in thinking on one's feet before an audience1 one must think quickly1 vigorously1 effectively4 ,at the same time he must speak effectively through a properly modulated voice1 with proper facial and bodily expression and gesture4 ,this requires practise in early life4 ,in youth the would-be orator must cultivate robust health1 since force1 enthusiasm1 conviction1 will-power are greatly affected by physical condition4 ,one1 too1 must cultivate bodily posture1 and have good habits at easy command4 ,what would have been the result of ,webster's reply to ,hayne1 the greatest oratorical effort ever made on this continent1 if he had sat down in the ,senate and put his feet on his desk8 ,think of a great singer like ,nordica attempting to electrify an audience while lounging on a sofa or sitting in a slouchy position4 ,an early training for effective speaking will make one careful to secure a good vocabulary by good reading and a dictionary4 ,one must know words4 ,there is no class of people put to such a severe test of showing what is in them as public speakers2 no other men who run such a risk of exposing their weak spots1 or making fools of themselves in the estimation of others1 as do orators4 ,public speaking--thinking on one's feet--is a powerful educator except to the thick-skinned man1 the man who has no sensitiveness1 or who does not care for what others think of him4 ,nothing else so thoroughly discloses a man's weaknesses or shows up his limitations of thought1 his poverty of speech1 his narrow vocabulary4 ,nothing else is such a touchstone of the character and the extent of one's reading1 the carefulness or carelessness of his observation4 ,close1 compact statement must be had4 ,learn to stop when you get through4 ,do not keep stringing out conversation or argument after you have made your point4 ,you only weaken your case and prejudice people against you for your lack of tact1 good judgment1 or sense of proportion4 ,do not neutralize all the good impression you have made by talking on and on long after you have made your point4 ,the attempt to become a good public speaker is a great awakener of all the mental faculties4 ,the sense of power that comes from holding attention1 stirring the emotions or convincing the reason of an audience1 gives self-confidence1 assurance1 self-reliance1 arouses ambition1 and tends to make one more effective in every particular4 ,one's manhood1 character1 learning1 judgment of his opinions--all things that go to make him what he is--are being unrolled like a panorama4 ,every mental faculty is quickened1 every power of thought and expression spurred4 ,thoughts rush for utterance1 words press for choice4 ,the speaker summons all his reserves of education1 of experience1 of natural or acquired ability1 and masses all his forces in the endeavor to capture the approval and applause of the audience4 ,such an effort takes hold of the entire nature1 beads the brow1 fires the eye1 flushes the cheek1 and sends the blood surging through the veins4 ,dormant impulses are stirred1 half-forgotten memories revived1 the imagination quickened to see figures and similes that would never come to calm thought4 ,this forced awakening of the whole personality has effects reaching much further than the oratorical occasion4 ,the effort to marshal all one's reserves in a logical and orderly manner1 to bring to the front all the power one possesses1 leaves these reserves permanently better in hand1 more readily in reach4 ,the ,debating ,club is the nursery of orators4 ,no matter how far you have to go to attend it1 or how much trouble it is1 or how difficult it is to get the time1 the drill you will get by it is the turning point4 ,lincoln1 ,wilson1 ,webster1 ,choate1 ,clay1 and ,patrick ,henry got their training in the old-fashioned ,debating ,society4 ,do not think that because you do not know anything about parliamentary law that you should not accept the presidency of your club or debating society4 ,this is just the place to learn1 and when you have accepted the position you can post yourself on the rules1 and the chances are that you will never know the rules until you are thrust into the chair where you will be obliged to give rulings4 ,join just as many young people's organizations--especially self-improvement organizations--as you can1 and force yourself to speak every time you get a chance4 ,if the chance does not come to you1 make it4 ,jump to your feet and say something upon every question that is up for discussion4 ,do not be afraid to rise to put a motion or to second it or give your opinion upon it4 ,do not wait until you are better prepared4 ,you never will be4 ,every time you rise to your feet will increase your confidence1 and after awhile you will form the habit of speaking until it will be as easy as anything else1 and there is no one thing which will develop young people so rapidly and effectively as the debating clubs and discussions of all sorts4 ,a vast number of our public men have owed their advance more to the old-fashioned debating societies than anything else4 ,here they learned confidence1 self-reliance2 they discovered themselves4 ,it was here they learned not to be afraid of themselves1 to express their opinions with force and independence4 ,nothing will call a young man out more than the struggle in a debate to hold his own4 ,it is strong1 vigorous exercise for the mind as wrestling is for the body4 ,do not remain way back on the back seat4 ,go up front4 ,do not be afraid to show yourself4 ,this shrinking into a corner and getting out of sight and avoiding publicity is fatal to self-confidence4 ,it is so easy and seductive1 especially for boys and girls in school or college1 to shrink from the public debates or speaking1 on the ground that they are not quite well enough educated at present4 ,they want to wait until they can use a little better grammar1 until they have read more history and more literature1 until they have gained a little more culture and ease of manner4 ,the way to acquire grace1 ease1 facility1 the way to get poise and balance so that you will not feel disturbed in public gatherings1 is to get the experience4 ,do the thing so many times that it will become second nature to you4 ,if you have an invitation to speak1 no matter how much you may shrink from it1 or how timid or shy you may be1 resolve that you will not let this opportunity for self-enlargement slip by you4 ,we know of a young man who has a great deal of natural ability for public speaking1 and yet he is so timid that he always shrinks from accepting invitations to speak at banquets or in public because he is so afraid that he has not had experience enough4 ,he lacks confidence in himself4 ,he is so proud1 and so afraid that he will make some slip which will mortify him1 that he has waited and waited and waited until now he is discouraged and thinks that he will never be able to do anything in public speaking at all4 ,he would give anything in the world if he had only accepted all of the invitations he has had1 because then he would have profited by experience4 ,it would have been a thousand times better for him to have made a mistake1 or even to have broken down entirely a few times1 than to have missed the scores of opportunities which would undoubtedly have made a strong public speaker of him4 ,what is technically called stage fright is very common4 ,a college boy recited an address to the conscript fathers4 ,his professor asked1--,is that the way ,caesar would have spoken it8 ,yes1 he replied1 if ,caesar had been scared half to death1 and as nervous as a cat4 ,an almost fatal timidity seizes on an inexperienced person1 when he knows that all eyes are watching him1 that everybody in his audience is trying to measure and weigh him1 studying him1 scrutinizing him to see how much there is in him2 what he stands for1 and making up their minds whether he measures more or less than they expected4 ,some are constitutionally sensitive1 and so afraid of being gazed at that they don't dare to open their mouths1 even when a question in which they are deeply interested and on which they have strong views is being discussed4 ,at debating clubs1 meetings of literary societies1 or gatherings of any kind1 they sit dumb1 longing1 yet fearing to speak4 ,the sound of their own voices1 if they should get on their feet to make a motion or to speak in a public gathering1 would paralyze them4 ,the mere thought of asserting themselves1 of putting forward their views or opinions on any subject as being worthy of attention1 or as valuable as those of their companions1 makes them blush and shrink more into themselves4 ,this timidity is often1 however1 not so much the fear of one's audience1 as the fear lest one can make no suitable expression of his thought4 ,the hardest thing for the public speaker to overcome is self-consciousness4 ,those terrible eyes which pierce him through and through1 which are measuring him1 criticizing him1 are very difficult to get out of one's consciousness4 ,but no orator can make a great impression until he gets rid of himself1 until he can absolutely annihilate his self-consciousness1 forget himself in his speech4 ,while he is wondering what kind of an impression he is making1 what people think of him1 his power is crippled1 and his speech to that extent will be mechanical1 wooden4 ,even a partial failure on the platform has good results1 for it often arouses a determination to conquer the next time1 which never leaves one4 ,demosthenes' heroic efforts1 and ,disraeli's ,the time will come when you will hear me1 are historic examples4 ,it is not the speech1 but the man behind the speech1 that wins a way to the front4 ,one man carries weight because he is himself the embodiment of power1 he is himself convinced of what he says4 ,there is nothing of the negative1 the doubtful1 the uncertain in his nature4 ,he not only knows a thing1 but he knows that he knows it4 ,his opinion carries with it the entire weight of his being4 ,the whole man gives consent to his judgment4 ,he himself is in his conviction1 in his act4 ,one of the most entrancing speakers ,i have ever listened to--a man to hear whom people would go long distances and stand for hours to get admission to the hall where he spoke--never was able to get the confidence of his audience because he lacked character4 ,people liked to be swayed by his eloquence4 ,there was a great charm in the cadences of his perfect sentences4 ,but somehow they could not believe what he said4 ,the orator must be sincere4 ,the public is very quick to see through shams4 ,if the audience sees mud at the bottom of your eye1 that you are not honest yourself1 that you are acting1 they will not take any stock in you4 ,it is not enough to say a pleasing thing1 an interesting thing1 the orator must be able to convince2 and to convince others he must have strong convictions4 ,great speeches have become the beacon lights of history4 ,those who are prepared acquire a world-wide influence when the fit occasion comes4 ,very few people ever rise to their greatest possibilities or ever know their entire power unless confronted by some great occasion4 ,we are as much amazed as others are when1 in some great emergency1 we out-do ourselves4 ,somehow the power that stands behind us in the silence1 in the depths of our natures1 comes to our relief1 intensifies our faculties a thousandfold and enables us to do things which before we thought impossible4 ,it would be difficult to estimate the great part which practical drill in oratory may play in one's life4 ,great occasions1 when nations have been in peril1 have developed and brought out some of the greatest orators of the world4 ,cicero1 ,mirabeau1 ,patrick ,henry1 ,webster1 and ,john ,bright might all be called to witness to this fact4 ,the occasion had much to do with the greatest speech delivered in the ,united ,states ,senate--,webster's reply to ,hayne4 ,webster had no time for immediate preparation1 but the occasion brought all the reserves in this giant1 and he towered so far above his opponent that ,hayne looked like a pygmy in comparison4 ,the pen has discovered many a genius1 but the process is slower and less effective than the great occasion that discovers the orator4 ,every crisis calls out ability1 previously undeveloped1 and perhaps unexpected4 ,no orator living was ever great enough to give out the same power and force and magnetism to an empty hall1 to empty seats1 that he could give to an audience capable of being fired by his theme4 ,in the presence of the audience lies a fascination1 an indefinable magnetism that stimulates all the mental faculties1 and acts as a tonic and vitalizer4 ,an orator can say before an audience what he could not possibly say before he went on the platform1 just as we can often say to a friend in animated conversation things which we could not possibly say when alone4 ,as when two chemicals are united1 a new substance is formed from the combination1 which did not exist in either alone1 he feels surging through his brain the combined force of his audience1 which he calls inspiration1 a mighty power which did not exist in his own personality4 ,actors tell us that there is an indescribable inspiration which comes from the orchestra1 the footlights1 the audience1 which it is impossible to feel at a cold mechanical rehearsal4 ,there is something in a great sea of expectant faces which awakens the ambition and arouses the reserve of power which can never be felt except before an audience4 ,the power was there just the same before1 but it was not aroused4 ,in the presence of the orator1 the audience is absolutely in his power to do as he will4 ,they laugh or cry as he pleases1 or rise and fall at his bidding1 until he releases them from the magic spell4 ,what is oratory but to stir the blood of all hearers1 to so arouse their emotions that they can not control themselves a moment longer without taking the action to which they are impelled8 ,his words are laws may be well said of the statesmen whose orations sway the world4 ,what art is greater than that of changing the minds of men8 ,wendell ,phillips so played upon the emotions1 so changed the convictions of ,southerners who hated him1 but who were curious to listen to his oratory1 that1 for the time being he almost persuaded them that they were in the wrong4 ,i have seen him when it seemed to me that he was almost godlike in his power4 ,with the ease of a master he swayed his audience4 ,some who hated him in the slavery days were there1 and they could not resist cheering him4 ,he warped their own judgment and for the time took away their prejudice4 ,when ,james ,russell ,lowell was a student1 said ,wetmore ,story1 he and ,story went to ,faneuil ,hall to hear ,webster4 ,they meant to hoot him for his remaining in ,tyler's cabinet4 ,it would be easy1 they reasoned1 to get the three thousand people to join them4 ,when he begun1 ,lowell turned pale1 and ,story livid4 ,his great eyes1 they thought1 were fixed on them4 ,his opening words changed their scorn to admiration1 and their contempt to approbation4 ,he gave us a glimpse into the ,holy of ,holies1 said another student1 in relating his experience in listening to a great preacher4 ,is not oratory a fine art8 ,the well-spring of eloquence1 when up-gushing as the very water of life1 quenches the thirst of myriads of men1 like the smitten rock of the wilderness reviving the life of desert wanderers4 ,,chapter ,,xxxiv ,,the ,,triumphs ,,of ,,the ,,common ,,virtues ,the talent of success is nothing more than doing what you can do well1 and doing well whatever you do1 without a thought of fame4--,,longfellow4 ,it is not a question of what a man knows but what use he can make of what he knows4--,j4 ,g4 ,,holland4 ,seest thou a man diligent in business8 ,he shall stand before kings4--,,solomon4 ,the most encouraging truth that can be impressed upon the mind of youth is this3 ,what man has done man may do4 ,men of great achievements are not to be set on pedestals and reverenced as exceptions to the average of humanity4 ,instead1 these great men are to be considered as setting a standard of success for the emulation of every aspiring youth4 ,their example shows what can be accomplished by the practise of the common virtues1--diligence1 patience1 thrift1 self-denial1 determination1 industry1 and persistence4 ,we can best appreciate the uplifting power of these simple virtues which all may cultivate and exercise1 by taking some concrete example of great success which has been achieved by patient plodding toward a definite goal4 ,no more illustrious example of success won by the exercise of common virtues can be offered than ,abraham ,lincoln1 rail-splitter and president4 ,probably ,lincoln has been the hero of more ,american boys during the last two generations than any other ,american character4 ,young people look upon him as a marvelous being1 raised up for a divine purpose2 and yet1 if we analyze his character1 we find it made up of the humblest virtues1 the commonest qualities2 the poorest boys and girls1 who look upon him as a demigod1 possess these qualities4 ,the strong thing about ,lincoln was his manliness1 his straightforward1 downright honesty4 ,you could depend upon him4 ,he was ambitious to make the most of himself4 ,he wanted to know something1 to be somebody1 to lift his head up from his humble environment and be of some account in the world4 ,he simply wanted to better his condition4 ,it is true that he had a divine hunger for growth1 a passion for a larger and completer life than that of those about him2 but there is no evidence of any great genius1 any marvelous powers4 ,he was a simple man1 never straining after effect4 ,his simplicity was his chief charm4 ,everybody who knew him felt that he was a man1 a large-hearted1 generous friend1 always ready to help everybody and everything out of their troubles1 whether it was a pig stuck in the mire1 a poor widow in trouble1 or a farmer who needed advice4 ,he had a helpful mind1 open1 frank1 transparent4 ,he never covered up anything1 never had secrets4 ,the door of his heart was always open so that anyone could read his inmost thoughts4 ,the ability to do hard work1 and to stick to it1 is the right hand of genius and the best substitute for it1--in fact1 that is genius4 ,if young people were to represent ,lincoln's total success by one hundred1 they would probably expect to find some brilliant faculty which would rank at least fifty per cent of the total4 ,but ,i think that the verdict of history has given his honesty of purpose1 his purity and unselfishness of motive as his highest attributes1 and certainly these qualities are within the reach of the poorest boy and the humblest girl in ,america4 ,suppose we rank his honesty1 his integrity twenty per cent of the total1 his dogged persistence1 his ability for hard work ten per cent1 his passion for wholeness1 for completeness1 for doing everything to a finish ten more1 his aspiration1 his longing for growth1 his yearning for fulness of life ten more4 ,the reader can see that it would be easy to make up the hundred per cent1 without finding any one quality which could be called genius2 that the total of his character would be made up of the sum of the commonest qualities1 the most ordinary virtues within the reach of the poorest youth in the land4 ,there is no one quality in his entire make-up so overpowering1 so commanding that it could be ranked as genius4 ,what an inestimable blessing to the world1 what an encouragement1 an inspiration to poor boys and poor girls that his great achievement can be accounted for by the triumph in his character of those qualities which are beyond the reach of money1 of family1 of influence1 but that are within the reach of the poorest and the humblest4 ,in a speech to the people in ,colorado ,mountains1 ,roosevelt said3 ,you think that my success is quite foreign to anything you can achieve4 ,let me assure you that the big prizes ,i have won are largely accidental4 ,if ,i have succeeded1 it is only as anyone of you can succeed1 merely because ,i have tried to do my duty as ,i saw it in my home and in my business1 and as a citizen4 ,if when ,i die the ones who know me best believe that ,i was a thoughtful1 helpful husband1 a loving1 wise and painstaking father1 a generous1 kindly neighbor and an honest citizen1 that will be a far more real honor1 and will prove my life to have been more successful than the fact that ,i have ever been president of the ,united ,states4 ,had a few events over which no one had control been other than they were it is quite possible ,i might never have held the high office ,i now occupy1 but no train of events could accidentally make me a noble character or a faithful member of my home and community4 ,therefore each of you has the same chance to succeed in true success as ,i have had1 and if my success in the end proves to have been as great as that achieved by many of the humblest of you ,i shall be fortunate4 ,mc,kinley did not start with great mental ability4 ,there was nothing very surprising or startling in his career4 ,he was not a great genius1 not notable as a scholar4 ,he did not stand very high in school2 he was not a great lawyer2 he did not make a great record in ,congress2 but he had a good1 level head4 ,he had the best substitute for genius--the ability for hard work and persistence4 ,he knew how to keep plodding1 how to hang on1 and he knew that the only way to show what he was made of in ,congress was to stick to one thing1 and he made a specialty of the tariff1 following the advice of a statesman friend4 ,the biographies of the giants of the race are often discouraging to the average poor boy1 because the moment he gets the impression that the character he is reading about was a genius1 the effect is largely lost upon himself1 because he knows that he is not a genius1 and he says to himself1 ,this is very interesting reading1 but ,i can never do those things4 ,but when he reads the life of ,mc,kinley he does not see any reason why he could not do the same things himself1 because there were no great jumps1 no great leaps and bounds in his life from particular ability or special opportunity4 ,he had no very brilliant talents1 but he averaged well4 ,he had good common sense and was a hard worker4 ,he had tact and diplomacy and made the most of every opportunity4 ,nothing can keep from success the man who has iron in his blood and is determined that he will succeed4 ,when he is confronted by barriers he leaps over them1 tunnels through them1 or makes a way around them4 ,obstacles only serve to stiffen his backbone1 increase his determination1 sharpen his wits and develop his innate resources4 ,the record of human achievement is full of the truth4 ,there is no difficulty to him who wills4 ,all the performances of human art1 at which we look with praise and wonder1 says ,johnson1 are instances of the resistless force of perseverance4 ,it has been well said that from the same materials one man builds palaces1 another hovels2 one warehouses1 another villas4 ,bricks and mortar are mortar and bricks until the architect makes them something else4 ,the boulder which was an obstacle in the path of the weak becomes a stepping-stone in the pathway of the resolute4 ,the difficulties which dishearten one man only stiffen the sinews of another1 who looks on them as a sort of mental spring-board by which to vault across the gulf of failure to the sure1 solid ground of full success4 ,one of the greatest generals on the ,confederate side in the ,civil ,war1 ,stonewall ,jackson1 was noted for his slowness4 ,with this he possessed great application and dogged determination4 ,if he undertook a task1 he never let go till he had it done4 ,so1 when he went to ,west ,point1 his habitual class response was that he was too busy getting the lesson of a few days back to look at the one of the day4 ,he kept up this steady gait1 and1 from the least promising plebe1 came out seventeenth in a class of seventy1 distancing fifty-three who started with better attainments and better minds4 ,his classmates used to say that1 if the course was ten years instead of four1 he would come out first4 ,the world always stands aside for the determined man4 ,you will find no royal road to your triumph4 ,there is no open door to the ,temple of ,success4 ,one of the commonest of common virtues is perseverance1 yet it has been the open sesame of more fast locked doors of opportunity than have brilliant tributes4 ,every man and woman can exercise this virtue of perseverance1 can refuse to stop short of the goal of ambition1 can decline to turn aside in search of pleasures that do but hinder progress4 ,the romance of perseverance under especial difficulty is one of the most fascinating subjects in history4 ,tenacity of purpose has been characteristic of all characters who have left their mark on the world4 ,perseverance1 it has been said1 is the statesman's brain1 the warrior's sword1 the inventor's secret1 the scholar's open sesame4 ,persistency is to talent what steam is to the engine4 ,it is the driving force by which the machine accomplishes the work for which it was intended4 ,a great deal of persistency1 with a very little talent1 can be counted on to go farther than a great deal of talent without persistency4 ,you cannot keep a determined man from success4 ,take away his money1 and he makes spurs of his poverty to urge him on4 ,lock him up in a dungeon1 and he writes the immortal ,pilgrim's ,progress4 ,stick to a thing and carry it through in all its completeness and proportion1 and you will become a hero4 ,you will think better of yourself2 others will exalt you4 ,thoroughness is another of the common virtues which all may cultivate4 ,the man who puts his best into every task will leave far behind the man who lets a job go with the comment ,that's good enough4 ,nothing is good enough unless it reflects our best4 ,daniel ,webster had no remarkable traits of character in his boyhood4 ,he was sent to ,phillips ,exeter ,academy in ,new ,hampshire1 and stayed there only a short time when a neighbor found him crying on his way home1 and asked the reason4 ,daniel said he despaired of ever making a scholar4 ,he said the boys made fun of him1 for always being at the foot of the class1 and that he had decided to give up and go home4 ,the friend said he ought to go back1 and see what hard study would do4 ,he went back1 applied himself to his studies with determination to win1 and it was not long before he silenced those who had ridiculed him1 by reaching the head of the class1 and remaining there4 ,fidelity to duty has been a distinguishing virtue in men who have risen to positions of authority and command4 ,it has been observed that the dispatches of ,napoleon rang with the word glory4 ,wellington's dispatches centered around the common word duty4 ,nowadays people seem unwilling to tread the rough path of duty and by patience and steadfast perseverance step into the ranks of those the country delights to honor4 ,every little while ,i get letters from young men who say1 if they were positively sure that they could be a ,webster in law1 they would devote all their energies to study1 fling their whole lives into their work2 or if they could be an ,edison in invention1 or a great leader in medicine1 or a merchant prince like ,wanamaker or ,marshall ,field1 they could work with enthusiasm and zeal and power and concentration4 ,they would be willing to make any sacrifice1 to undergo any hardship in order to achieve what these men have achieved4 ,but many of them say they do not feel that they have the marvelous ability1 the great genius1 the tremendous talent exhibited by those leaders1 and so they are not willing to make the great exertion4 ,they do not realize that success is not necessarily doing some great thing1 that it is not making a tremendous strain to do something great2 but that it is just honestly1 earnestly living the everyday simple life4 ,it is by the exercise of the common everyday virtues2 it is by trying to do everything one does to a complete finish2 it is by trying to be scrupulously honest in every transaction2 it is by always ringing true in our friendships1 by holding a helpful1 accommodating attitude toward those about us2 by trying to be the best possible citizen1 a good1 accommodating1 helpful neighbor1 a kind1 encouraging father2 it is by all these simple things that we attain success4 ,there is no great secret about success4 ,it is just a natural persistent exercise of the commonest every-day qualities4 ,we have seen people in the country in the summer time trampling down the daisies and the beautiful violets1 the lovely wild flowers in their efforts to get a branch of showy flowers off a large tree1 which1 perhaps1 would not compare in beauty and delicacy and loveliness to the things they trampled under their feet in trying to procure it4 ,oh1 how many exquisite experiences1 delightful possible joys we trample under our feet in straining after something great1 in trying to do some marvelous thing that will attract attention and get our names in the papers6 ,we trample down the finer emotions1 we spoil many of the most delicious things in life in our scrambling and greed to grasp something which is unusual1 something showy that we can wave before the world in order to get its applause4 ,in straining for effect1 in the struggle to do something great and wonderful1 we miss the little successes1 the sum of which would make our lives sublime2 and often1 after all this straining and struggling for the larger1 for the grander things1 we miss them1 and then we discover to our horror what we have missed on the way up--what sweetness1 what beauty1 what loveliness1 what a lot of common1 homely1 cheering things we have lost in the useless struggle4 ,great scientists tell us that the reason why the secrets of nature have been hidden from the world so long is because we are not simple enough in our methods of reasoning2 that investigators are always looking for unusual phenomena1 for something complicated2 that the principles of nature's secrets are so extremely simple that men overlook them in their efforts to see and solve the more intricate problems4 ,it is most unfortunate that so many young people get the impression that success consists in doing some marvelous thing1 that there must be some genius born in the man who achieves it1 else he could not do such remarkable things4 ,,chapter ,,xxxv ,,getting ,,aroused ,how's the boy gittin' on1 ,davis8 asked ,farmer ,john ,field1 as he watched his son1 ,marshall1 waiting upon a customer4 ,well1 ,john1 you and ,i are old friends1 replied ,deacon ,davis1 as he took an apple from a barrel and handed it to ,marshall's father as a peace offering2 we are old friends1 and ,i don't want to hurt your feelin's2 but ,i'm a blunt man1 and air goin' to tell you the truth4 ,marshall is a good1 steady boy1 all right1 but he wouldn't make a merchant if he stayed in my store a thousand years4 ,he weren't cut out for a merchant4 ,take him back to the farm1 ,john1 and teach him how to milk cows6 ,if ,marshall ,field had remained as clerk in ,deacon ,davis's store in ,pittsfield1 ,massachusetts1 where he got his first position1 he could never have become one of the world's merchant princes4 ,but when he went to ,chicago and saw the marvelous examples around him of poor boys who had won success1 it aroused his ambition and fired him with the determination to be a great merchant himself4 ,if others can do such wonderful things1 he asked himself1 why cannot ,i8 ,of course1 there was the making of a great merchant in ,mr4 ,field from the start2 but circumstances1 an ambition-arousing environment1 had a great deal to do with stimulating his latent energy and bringing out his reserve force4 ,it is doubtful if he would have climbed so rapidly in any other place than ,chicago4 ,in #ahef1 when young ,field went there1 this marvelous city was just starting on its unparalleled career4 ,it had then only about eighty-five thousand inhabitants4 ,a few years before it had been a mere ,indian trading village4 ,but the city grew by leaps and bounds1 and always beat the predictions of its most sanguine inhabitants4 ,success was in the air4 ,everybody felt that there were great possibilities there4 ,illustration3 ,marshall ,field ,many people seem to think that ambition is a quality born within us2 that it is not susceptible to improvement2 that it is something thrust upon us which will take care of itself4 ,but it is a passion that responds very quickly to cultivation1 and it requires constant care and education1 just as the faculty for music or art does1 or it will atrophy4 ,if we do not try to realize our ambition1 it will not keep sharp and defined4 ,our faculties become dull and soon lose their power if they are not exercised4 ,how can we expect our ambition to remain fresh and vigorous through years of inactivity1 indolence1 or indifference8 ,if we constantly allow opportunities to slip by us without making any attempt to grasp them1 our inclination will grow duller and weaker4 ,what ,i most need1 as ,emerson says1 is somebody to make me do what ,i can4 ,to do what ,i can1 that is my problem2 not what a ,napoleon or a ,lincoln could do1 but what ,i can do4 ,it makes all the difference in the world to me whether ,i bring out the best thing in me or the worst1--whether ,i utilize ten1 fifteen1 twenty-five1 or ninety per cent of my ability4 ,everywhere we see people who have reached middle life or later without being aroused4 ,they have developed only a small percentage of their success possibilities4 ,they are still in a dormant state4 ,the best thing in them lies so deep that it has never been awakened4 ,when we meet these people we feel conscious that they have a great deal of latent power that has never been exercised4 ,great possibilities of usefulness and of achievement are1 all unconsciously1 going to waste within them4 ,some time ago there appeared in the newspapers an account of a girl who had reached the age of fifteen years1 and yet had only attained the mental development of a small child4 ,only a few things interested her4 ,she was dreamy1 inactive1 and indifferent to everything around her most of the time until1 one day1 while listening to a hand organ on the street1 she suddenly awakened to full consciousness4 ,she came to herself2 her faculties were aroused1 and in a few days she leaped forward years in her development4 ,almost in a day she passed from childhood to budding womanhood4 ,most of us have an enormous amount of power1 of latent force1 slumbering within us1 as it slumbered in this girl1 which could do marvels if we would only awaken it4 ,the judge of the municipal court in a flourishing western city1 one of the most highly esteemed jurists in his state1 was in middle life1 before his latent power was aroused1 an illiterate blacksmith4 ,he is now sixty1 the owner of the finest library in his city1 with the reputation of being its best-read man1 and one whose highest endeavor is to help his fellow man4 ,what caused the revolution in his life8 ,the hearing of a single lecture on the value of education4 ,this was what stirred the slumbering power within him1 awakened his ambition1 and set his feet in the path of self-development4 ,i have known several men who never realized their possibilities until they reached middle life4 ,then they were suddenly aroused1 as if from a long sleep1 by reading some inspiring1 stimulating book1 by listening to a sermon or a lecture1 or by meeting some friend1--someone with high ideals1--who understood1 believed in1 and encouraged them4 ,it will make all the difference in the world to you whether you are with people who are watching for ability in you1 people who believe in1 encourage1 and praise you1 or whether you are with those who are forever breaking your idols1 blasting your hopes1 and throwing cold water on your aspirations4 ,the chief probation officer of the children's court in ,new ,york1 in his report for #aije1 says3 ,removing a boy or girl from improper environment is the first step in his or her reclamation4 ,the ,new ,york ,society for the ,prevention of ,cruelty to ,children1 after thirty years of investigation of cases involving the social and moral welfare of over half a million of children1 has also come to the conclusion that environment is stronger than heredity4 ,even the strongest of us are not beyond the reach of our environment4 ,no matter how independent1 strong-willed1 and determined our nature1 we are constantly being modified by our surroundings4 ,take the best-born child1 with the greatest inherited advantages1 and let it be reared by savages1 and how many of its inherited tendencies will remain8 ,if brought up from infancy in a barbarous1 brutal atmosphere1 it will1 of course1 become brutal4 ,the story is told of a well-born child who1 being lost or abandoned as an infant1 was suckled by a wolf with her own young ones1 and who actually took on all the characteristics of the wolf1--walked on all fours1 howled like a wolf1 and ate like one4 ,it does not take much to determine the lives of most of us4 ,we naturally follow the examples about us1 and1 as a rule1 we rise or fall according to the strongest current in which we live4 ,the poet's ,i am a part of all that ,i have met is not a mere poetic flight of fancy2 it is an absolute truth4 ,everything--every sermon or lecture or conversation you have heard1 every person who has touched your life--has left an impress upon your character1 and you are never quite the same person after the association or experience4 ,you are a little different1--modified somewhat from what you were before1--just as ,beecher was never the same man after reading ,ruskin4 ,some years ago a party of ,russian workmen were sent to this country by a ,russian firm of shipbuilders1 in order that they might acquire ,american methods and catch the ,american spirit4 ,within six months the ,russians had become almost the equals of the ,american artisans among whom they worked4 ,they had developed ambition1 individuality1 personal initiative1 and a marked degree of excellence in their work4 ,a year after their return to their own country1 the deadening1 non-progressive atmosphere about them had done its work4 ,the men had lost the desire to improve2 they were again plodders1 with no goal beyond the day's work4 ,the ambition aroused by stimulating environment had sunk to sleep again4 ,our ,indian schools sometimes publish1 side by side1 photographs of the ,indian youths as they come from the reservation and as they look when they are graduated1--well dressed1 intelligent1 with the fire of ambition in their eyes4 ,we predict great things for them2 but the majority of those who go back to their tribes1 after struggling awhile to keep up their new standards1 gradually drop back to their old manner of living4 ,there are1 of course1 many notable exceptions1 but these are strong characters1 able to resist the downward-dragging tendencies about them4 ,if you interview the great army of failures1 you will find that multitudes have failed because they never got into a stimulating1 encouraging environment1 because their ambition was never aroused1 or because they were not strong enough to rally under depressing1 discouraging1 or vicious surroundings4 ,most of the people we find in prisons and poor-houses are pitiable examples of the influence of an environment which appealed to the worst instead of to the best in them4 ,whatever you do in life1 make any sacrifice necessary to keep in an ambition-arousing atmosphere1 an environment that will stimulate you to self-development4 ,keep close to people who understand you1 who believe in you1 who will help you to discover yourself and encourage you to make the most of yourself4 ,this may make all the difference to you between a grand success and a mediocre existence4 ,stick to those who are trying to do something and to be somebody in the world1--people of high aims1 lofty ambition4 ,keep close to those who are dead-in-earnest4 ,ambition is contagious4 ,you will catch the spirit that dominates in your environment4 ,the success of those about you who are trying to climb upward will encourage and stimulate you to struggle harder if you have not done quite so well yourself4 ,there is a great power in a battery of individuals who are struggling for the achievement of high aims1 a great magnetic force which will help you to attract the object of your ambition4 ,it is very stimulating to be with people whose aspirations run parallel with your own4 ,if you lack energy1 if you are naturally lazy1 indolent1 or inclined to take it easy1 you will be urged forward by the constant prodding of the more ambitious4 ,,chapter ,,xxxvi ,,the ,,man ,,with ,,an ,,idea ,he who wishes to fulfil his mission must be a man of one idea1 that is1 of one great overmastering purpose1 over shadowing all his aims1 and guiding and controlling his entire life4--,,bate4 ,a healthful hunger for a great idea is the beauty and blessedness of life4--,,jean ,,ingelow4 ,a profound conviction raises a man above the feeling of ridicule4--,j4 ,,stuart ,,mill4 ,ideas go booming through the world louder than cannon4 ,thoughts are mightier than armies4 ,principles have achieved more victories than horsemen or chariots4--,w4 ,m4 ,,paxton4 ,what are you bothering yourselves with a knitting machine for8 asked ,ari ,davis1 of ,boston1 a manufacturer of instruments2 why don't you make a sewing-machine8 ,his advice had been sought by a rich man and an inventor who had reached their wits' ends in the vain attempt to produce a device for knitting woolen goods4 ,i wish ,i could1 but it can't be done4 ,oh1 yes it can1 said ,davis2 ,i can make one myself4 ,well1 the capitalist replied1 you do it1 and ,i'll insure you an independent fortune4 ,the words of ,davis were uttered in a spirit of jest1 but the novel idea found lodgment in the mind of one of the workmen who stood by1 a mere youth of twenty1 who was thought not capable of a serious idea4 ,but ,elias ,howe was not so rattle-headed as he seemed1 and the more he reflected1 the more desirable such a machine appeared to him4 ,four years passed1 and with a wife and three children to support in a great city on a salary of nine dollars a week1 the light-hearted boy had become a thoughtful1 plodding man4 ,the thought of the sewing-machine haunted him night and day1 and he finally resolved to produce one4 ,after months wasted in the effort to work a needle pointed at both ends1 with the eye in the middle1 that should pass up and down through the cloth1 suddenly the thought flashed through his mind that another stitch must be possible1 and with almost insane devotion he worked night and day1 until he had made a rough model of wood and wire that convinced him of ultimate success4 ,in his mind's eye he saw his idea1 but his own funds and those of his father1 who had aided him more or less1 were insufficient to embody it in a working machine4 ,but help came from an old schoolmate1 ,george ,fisher1 a coal and wood merchant of ,cambridge4 ,he agreed to board ,elias and his family and furnish five hundred dollars1 for which he was to have one-half of the patent1 if the machine proved to be worth patenting4 ,in ,may1 #ahde1 the machine was completed1 and in ,july ,elias ,howe sewed all the seams of two suits of woolen clothes1 one for ,mr4 ,fisher and the other for himself4 ,the sewing outlasted the cloth4 ,this machine1 which is still preserved1 will sew three hundred stitches a minute1 and is considered more nearly perfect than any other prominent invention at its first trial4 ,there is not one of the millions of sewing-machines now in use that does not contain some of the essential principles of this first attempt4 ,when it was decided to try and elevate ,chicago out of the mud by raising its immense blocks up to grade1 the young son of a poor mechanic1 named ,george ,m4 ,pullman1 appeared on the scene1 and put in a bid for the great undertaking1 and the contract was awarded to him4 ,he not only raised the blocks1 but did it in such a way that business within them was scarcely interrupted4 ,all this time he was revolving in his mind his pet project of building a sleeping car which would be adopted on all railroads4 ,he fitted up two old cars on the ,chicago and ,alton road with berths1 and soon found they would be in demand4 ,he then went to work on the principle that the more luxurious his cars were1 the greater would be the demand for them4 ,after spending three years in ,colorado gold mines1 he returned and built two cars which cost #ah1jjj each4 ,everybody laughed at ,pullman's folly4 ,but ,pullman believed that whatever relieved the tediousness of long trips would meet with speedy approval1 and he had faith enough in his idea to risk his all in it4 ,pullman was a great believer in the commercial value of beauty4 ,the wonderful town which he built and which bears his name1 as well as his magnificent cars1 is an example of his belief in this principle4 ,he counts it a good investment to surround his employees with comforts and beauty and good sanitary conditions1 and so the town of ,pullman is a model of cleanliness1 order1 and comfort4 ,it has ever been the man with an idea1 which he puts into practical effect1 who has changed the face of ,christendom4 ,the germ idea of the steam engine can be seen in the writings of the ,greek philosophers1 but it was not developed until more than two thousand years later4 ,it was an ,english blacksmith1 ,newcomen1 with no opportunities1 who in the seventeenth century conceived the idea of moving a piston by the elastic force of steam2 but his engine consumed thirty pounds of coal in producing one horse power4 ,the perfection of the modern engine is largely due to ,james ,watt1 a poor1 uneducated ,scotch boy1 who at fifteen walked the streets of ,london in a vain search for work4 ,a professor in the ,glasgow ,university gave him the use of a room to work in1 and while waiting for jobs he experimented with old vials for steam reservoirs and hollow canes for pipes1 for he could not bear to waste a moment4 ,he improved ,newcomen's engine by cutting off the steam after the piston had completed a quarter or a third of its stroke1 and letting the steam already in the chamber expand and drive the piston the remaining distance4 ,this saved nearly three-fourths of the steam4 ,watt suffered from pinching poverty and hardships which would have disheartened ordinary men2 but he was terribly in earnest1 and his brave wife ,margaret begged him not to mind her inconvenience1 nor be discouraged4 ,if the engine will not work1 she wrote him while struggling in ,london1 something else will4 ,never despair4 ,i had gone to take a walk1 said ,watt1 on a fine ,sabbath afternoon1 and had passed the old washing-house1 thinking upon the engine at the time1 when the idea came into my head that1 as steam is an elastic body1 it would rush into a vacuum1 and if a communication were made between the cylinder and an exhausted vessel1 it would rush into it1 and might be there condensed without cooling the cylinder4 ,the idea was simple1 but in it lay the germ of the first steam engine of much practical value4 ,sir ,james ,mackintosh places this poor ,scotch boy who began with only an idea at the head of all inventors in all ages and all nations4 ,see ,george ,stephenson1 working in the coal pits for sixpence a day1 patching the clothes and mending the boots of his fellow-workmen at night1 to earn a little money to attend a night school1 giving the first money he ever earned1 #aej1 to his blind father to pay his debts4 ,people say he is crazy2 his roaring steam engine will set the house on fire with its sparks2 smoke will pollute the air2 carriage makers and coachmen will starve for want of work4 ,for three days the committee of the ,house of ,commons plies questions to him4 ,this was one of them3 ,if a cow get on the track of the engine traveling ten miles an hour1 will it not be an awkward situation8 ,yes1 very awkward1 indeed1 for the coo1 replied ,stephenson4 ,a government inspector said that if a locomotive ever went ten miles an hour1 he would undertake to eat a stewed engine for breakfast4 ,what can be more palpably absurd and ridiculous than the prospect held out of locomotives traveling twice as fast as horses8 asked a writer in the ,english ,quarterly ,review for ,march1 #ahbe4 ,we should as soon expect the people of ,woolwich to suffer themselves to be fired off upon one of ,congreve's rockets as to trust themselves to the mercy of such a machine1 going at such a rate4 ,we trust that ,parliament will1 in all the railways it may grant1 limit the speed to eight or nine miles an hour1 which we entirely agree with ,mr4 ,sylvester is as great as can be ventured upon4 ,this article referred to ,stephenson's proposition to use his newly invented locomotive instead of horses on the ,liverpool and ,manchester ,railroad1 then in process of construction4 ,the company decided to lay the matter before two leading ,english engineers1 who reported that steam would be desirable only when used in stationary engines one and a half miles apart1 drawing the cars by means of ropes and pulleys4 ,but ,stephenson persuaded them to test his idea by offering a prize of about twenty-five hundred dollars for the best locomotive produced at a trial to take place ,october #f1 #ahbi4 ,on the eventful day1 thousands of spectators assembled to watch the competition of four engines1 the ,novelty1 the ,rocket1 the ,perseverance1 and the ,sanspareil4 ,the ,perseverance could make but six miles an hour1 and so was ruled out1 as the conditions called for at least ten4 ,the ,sanspareil made an average of fourteen miles an hour1 but as it burst a water-pipe it lost its chance4 ,the ,novelty did splendidly1 but also burst a pipe1 and was crowded out1 leaving the ,rocket to carry off the honors with an average speed of fifteen miles an hour1 the highest rate attained being twenty-nine4 ,this was ,stephenson's locomotive1 and so fully vindicated his theory that the idea of stationary engines on a railroad was completely exploded4 ,he had picked up the fixed engines which the genius of ,watt had devised1 and set them on wheels to draw men and merchandise1 against the most direful predictions of the foremost engineers of his day4 ,in all the records of invention there is no more sad or affecting story than that of ,john ,fitch4 ,poor he was in many senses1 poor in appearance1 poor in spirit4 ,he was born poor1 lived poor1 and died poor4 ,if there ever was a true inventor1 this man was one4 ,he was one of those eager souls that would coin their own flesh to carry their point4 ,he only uttered the obvious truth when he said one day1 in a crisis of his invention1 that if he could get one hundred pounds by cutting off one of his legs he would gladly give it to the knife4 ,he tried in vain both in this country and in ,france to get money to build his steamboat4 ,he would say3 ,you and ,i will not live to see the day1 but the time will come when the steamboat will be preferred to all other modes of conveyance1 when steamboats will ascend the ,western rivers from ,new ,orleans to ,wheeling1 and when steamboats will cross the ocean4 ,johnny ,fitch will be forgotten1 but other men will carry out his ideas and grow rich and great upon them4 ,poor1 ragged1 forlorn1 jeered at1 pitied as a madman1 discouraged by the great1 refused by the rich1 he kept on till1 in #agij1 he had the first vessel on the ,delaware that ever answered the purpose of a steamboat4 ,it ran six miles an hour against the tide1 and eight miles with it4 ,at noon1 on ,friday1 ,august #d1 #ahjg1 a crowd of curious people might have been seen along the wharves of the ,hudson ,river4 ,they had gathered to witness what they considered a ridiculous failure of a crank who proposed to take a party of people up the ,hudson ,river to ,albany in what he called a steam vessel named the ,clermont4 ,did anybody ever hear of such a ridiculous idea as navigating against the current up the ,hudson in a vessel without sails8 ,the thing will 'bust1' says one2 it will burn up1 says another1 and they will all be drowned1 exclaims a third1 as he sees vast columns of black smoke shoot up with showers of brilliant sparks4 ,nobody present1 in all probability1 ever heard of a boat going by steam4 ,it was the opinion of everybody that the man who had tooled away his money and his time on the ,clermont was little better than an idiot1 and ought to be in an insane asylum4 ,but the passengers go on board1 the plank is pulled in1 and the steam is turned on4 ,the walking beam moves slowly up and down1 and the ,clermont floats out into the river4 ,it can never go up stream1 the spectators persist4 ,but it did go up stream1 and the boy1 who in his youth said there is nothing impossible1 had scored a great triumph1 and had given to the world the first steamboat that had any practical value4 ,notwithstanding that ,fulton had rendered such great service to humanity1 a service which has revolutionized the commerce of the world1 he was looked upon by many as a public enemy4 ,critics and cynics turned up their noses when ,fulton was mentioned4 ,the severity of the world's censure1 ridicule1 and detraction has usually been in proportion to the benefit the victim has conferred upon mankind4 ,as the ,clermont burned pine wood1 dense columns of fire and smoke belched forth from her smoke-stack while she glided triumphantly up the river1 and the inhabitants along the banks were utterly unable to account for the spectacle4 ,they rushed to the shore amazed to see a boat on fire go against the stream so rapidly with neither oars nor sails4 ,the noise of her great paddle-wheels increased the wonder4 ,sailors forsook their vessels1 and fishermen rowed home as fast as possible to get out of the way of the fire monster4 ,the ,indians were as much frightened as their predecessors were when the first ship approached their hunting-ground on ,manhattan ,island4 ,the owners of sailing vessels were jealous of the ,clermont1 and tried to run her down4 ,others whose interests were affected denied ,fulton's claim to the invention and brought suits against him4 ,but the success of the ,clermont soon led to the construction of other steamships all over the country4 ,the government employed ,fulton to aid in building a powerful steam frigate1 which was called ,fulton the ,first4 ,he also built a diving boat for the government for the discharge of torpedoes4 ,by this time his fame had spread all over the civilized world1 and when he died1 in #ahae1 newspapers were marked with black lines2 the legislature of ,new ,york wore badges of mourning2 and minute guns were fired as the long funeral procession passed to old ,trinity churchyard4 ,very few private persons were ever honored with such a burial4 ,true1 ,dr4 ,lardner had proved to scientific men that a steamship could not cross the ,atlantic1 but in #ahaj the ,savannah from ,new ,york appeared off the coast of ,ireland under sail and steam1 having made this impossible passage4 ,those on shore thought that a fire had broken out below the decks1 and a king's cutter was sent to her relief4 ,although the voyage was made without accident1 it was nearly twenty years before it was admitted that steam navigation could be made a commercial success in ocean traffic4 ,as ,junius ,smith impatiently paced the deck of a vessel sailing from an ,english port to ,new ,york1 on a rough and tedious voyage in #ahcb1 he said to himself1 ,why not cross the ocean regularly in steamships8 ,in ,new ,york and in ,london a deaf ear was turned to any such nonsense4 ,smith's first encouragement came from ,george ,grote1 the historian and banker1 who said the idea was practicable2 but it was the same old story1--he would risk no money in it4 ,at length ,isaac ,selby1 a prominent business man of ,london1 agreed to build a steamship of two thousand tons1 the ,british ,queen4 ,an unexpected delay in fitting the engines led the projectors to charter the ,sirius1 a river steamer of seven hundred tons1 and send her to ,new ,york4 ,learning of this1 other parties started from ,bristol four days later in the ,great ,western1 and both vessels arrived at ,new ,york the same day4 ,soon after ,smith made the round trip between ,london and ,new ,york in thirty-two days4 ,what a sublime picture of determination and patience was that of ,charles ,goodyear1 of ,new ,haven1 buried in poverty and struggling with hardships for eleven long years1 to make ,india rubber of practical use6 ,see him in prison for debt2 pawning his clothes and his wife's jewelry to get a little money to keep his children 7who were obliged to gather sticks in the field for fire7 from starving4 ,watch his sublime courage and devotion to his idea1 when he had no money to bury a dead child and when his other five were near starvation2 when his neighbors were harshly criticizing him for his neglect of his family and calling him insane4 ,but1 behold his vulcanized rubber2 the result of that heroic struggle1 applied to over five hundred uses by #ajj1jjj employees4 ,what a pathetic picture was that of ,palissy1 plodding on through want and woe to rediscover the lost art of enameling pottery2 building his furnaces with bricks carried on his back1 seeing his six children die of neglect1 probably of starvation1 his wife in rags and despair over her husband's folly2 despised by his neighbors for neglecting his family1 worn to a skeleton himself1 giving his clothes to his hired man because he could not pay him in money1 hoping always1 failing steadily1 until at last his great work was accomplished1 and he reaped his reward4 ,german unity was the idea engraven upon ,bismarck's heart4 ,what cared this herculean despot for the ,diet chosen year after year simply to vote down every measure he proposed8 ,he was indifferent to all opposition4 ,he simply defied and sent home every ,diet which opposed him4 ,he could play the game alone4 ,to make ,germany the greatest power in ,europe1 to make ,william of ,prussia a greater potentate than ,napoleon or ,alexander1 was his all-absorbing purpose4 ,it mattered not what stood in his way1 whether people1 ,diet1 or nation2 all must bend to his mighty will4 ,germany must hold the deciding voice in the ,areopagus of the world4 ,he rode roughshod over everybody and everything that stood in his way1 defiant of opposition1 imperious1 irrepressible6 ,see the great ,dante in exile1 condemned to be burnt alive on false charges of embezzlement4 ,look at his starved features1 gaunt form1 melancholy1 a poor wanderer2 but he never gave up his idea2 he poured out his very soul into his immortal poem1 ever believing that right would at last triumph4 ,columbus was exposed to continual scoffs and indignities1 being ridiculed as a mere dreamer and stigmatized as an adventurer4 ,the very children1 it is said1 pointed to their foreheads as he passed1 being taught to regard him as a kind of madman4 ,an ,american was once invited to dine with ,oken1 the famous ,german naturalist4 ,to his surprise1 they had neither meats nor dessert1 but only baked potatoes4 ,oken was too great a man to apologize for their simple fare4 ,his wife explained1 however1 that her husband's income was very small1 and that they preferred to live simply in order that he might obtain books and instruments for his scientific researches4 ,before the discovery of ether it often took a week1 in some cases a month1 to recover from the enormous dose1 sometimes five hundred drops of laudanum1 given to a patient to deaden the pain during a surgical operation4 ,young ,dr4 ,morton believed that there must be some means provided by ,nature to relieve human suffering during these terrible operations2 but what could he do8 ,he was not a chemist2 he did not know the properties of chemical substances2 he was not liberally educated4 ,dr4 ,morton did not resort to books1 however1 nor did he go to scientific men for advice1 but immediately began to experiment with well-known substances4 ,he tried intoxicants even to the point of intoxication1 but as soon as the instruments were applied the patient would revive4 ,he kept on experimenting with narcotics in this manner until at last he found what he sought in ether4 ,what a grand idea ,bishop ,vincent worked out for the young world in the ,chautauqua ,circle1 ,dr4 ,clark in his world-wide ,christian ,endeavor movement1 the ,methodist ,church in the ,epworth ,league1 ,edward ,everett ,hale in his little bands of ,king's ,daughters and ,ten ,times ,one is ,ten6 ,here is ,clara ,barton who has created the ,red ,cross ,society1 which is loved by all nations4 ,she noticed in our ,civil ,war that the ,confederates were shelling the hospital4 ,she thought it the last touch of cruelty to fight what couldn't fight back1 and she determined to have the barbarous custom stopped4 ,of course the world laughed at this poor unaided woman4 ,but her idea has been adopted by all nations2 and the enemy that aims a shot at the tent or building over which flies the white flag with the red cross has lost his last claim to human consideration4 ,in all ages those who have advanced the cause of humanity have been men and women possessed1 in the opinion of their neighbors4 ,noah in building the ark1 ,moses in espousing the cause of the ,israelites1 or ,christ in living and dying to save a fallen race1 incurred the pity and scorn of the rich and highly educated1 in common with all great benefactors4 ,yet in every age and in every clime men and women have been willing to incur poverty1 hardship1 toil1 ridicule1 persecution1 or even death1 if thereby they might shed light or comfort upon the path which all must walk from the cradle to the grave4 ,in fact it is doubtful whether a man can perform very great service to mankind who is not permeated with a great purpose--with an overmastering idea4 ,beecher had to fight every step of the way to his triumph through obstacles which would have appalled all but the greatest characters4 ,oftentimes in these great battles for principle and struggles for truth1 he stood almost alone fighting popular prejudice1 narrowness1 and bigotry1 uncharitableness and envy even in his own church4 ,but he never hesitated nor wavered when he once saw his duty4 ,there was no shilly-shallying1 no hunting for a middle ground between right and wrong1 no compromise on principles4 ,he hewed close to the chalk line and held his line plumb to truth4 ,he never pandered for public favor nor sought applause4 ,duty and truth were his goal1 and he went straight to his mark4 ,other churches did not agree with him nor his1 but he was too broad for hatred1 too charitable for revenge1 and too magnanimous for envy4 ,what tale of the ,arabian ,nights equals in fascination the story of such lives as those of ,franklin1 of ,morse1 ,goodyear1 ,howe1 ,edison1 ,bell1 ,beecher1 ,gough1 ,mrs4 ,harriet ,beecher ,stowe1 ,amos ,lawrence1 ,george ,peabody1 ,mc,cormick1 ,hoe1 and scores of others1 each representing some great idea embodied in earnest action1 and resulting in an improvement of the physical1 mental1 and moral condition of those around them8 ,there are plenty of ideas left in the world yet4 ,everything has not been invented4 ,all good things have not been done4 ,there are thousands of abuses to rectify1 and each one challenges the independent soul1 armed with a new idea4 ,but how shall ,i get ideas8 ,keep your wits open6 ,observe6 ,study6 ,but above all1 ,think6 and when a noble image is indelibly impressed upon the mind--,act6 ,,chapter ,,xxxvii ,,dare ,the ,spartans did not inquire how many the enemy are1 but where they are4--,,agis ,,ii4 ,what's brave1 what's noble1 let's do it after the high ,roman fashion1 and make death proud to take us4--,,shakespeare4 ,let me die facing the enemy4--,,bayard4 ,who conquers me1 shall find a stubborn foe4--,,byron4 ,no great deed is done ,by falterers who ask for certainty4 ,,george ,,eliot4 ,fortune befriends the bold4--,,dryden4 ,to stand with a smile upon your face against a stake from which you cannot get away--that1 no doubt1 is heroic4 ,but the true glory is resignation to the inevitable4 ,to stand unchained1 with perfect liberty to go away1 held only by the higher claims of duty1 and let the fire creep up to the heart1--this is heroism4--,f4 ,w4 ,,robertson4 ,steady1 men6 ,every man must die where he stands6 said ,colin ,campbell to the ,ninety-third ,highlanders at ,balaklava1 as an overwhelming force of ,russian cavalry came sweeping down4 ,ay1 ay1 ,sir ,colin6 we'll do that6 was the response from men1 many of whom had to keep their word by thus obeying4 ,bring back the colors1 shouted a captain at the battle of the ,alma1 when an ensign maintained his ground in front1 although the men were retreating4 ,no1 cried the ensign1 bring up the men to the colors4 ,to dare1 and again to dare1 and without end to dare1 was ,danton's noble defiance to the enemies of ,france4 ,the ,commons of ,france have resolved to deliberate1 said ,mirabeau to ,de ,breze1 who brought an order from the king for them to disperse1 ,june #bc1 #aghi4 ,we have heard the intentions that have been attributed to the king2 and you1 sir1 who cannot be recognized as his organ in the ,national ,assembly1--you1 who have neither place1 voice1 nor right to speak1--you are not the person to bring to us a message of his4 ,go1 say to those who sent you that we are here by the power of the people1 and that we will not be driven hence1 save by the power of the bayonet4 ,when the assembled senate of ,rome begged ,regulus not to return to ,carthage to fulfil an illegal promise1 he calmly replied3 ,have you resolved to dishonor me8 ,torture and death are awaiting me1 but what are these to the shame of an infamous act1 or the wounds of a guilty mind8 ,slave as ,i am to ,carthage1 ,i still have the spirit of a ,roman4 ,i have sworn to return4 ,it is my duty4 ,let the gods take care of the rest4 ,the courage which ,cranmer had shown since the accession of ,mary gave way the moment his final doom was announced4 ,the moral cowardice which had displayed itself in his miserable compliance with the lust and despotism of ,henry ,,viii displayed itself again in six successive recantations by which he hoped to purchase pardon4 ,but pardon was impossible2 and ,cranmer's strangely mingled nature found a power in its very weakness when he was brought into the church of ,st4 ,mary at ,oxford on the #bast of ,march1 to repeat his recantation on the way to the stake4 ,now1 ended his address to the hushed congregation before him1--now ,i come to the great thing that troubleth my conscience more than any other thing that ever ,i said or did in my life1 and that is the setting abroad of writings contrary to the truth2 which here ,i now renounce and refuse as things written by a hand contrary to the truth which ,i thought in my heart1 and written for fear of death1 to save my life1 if it might be4 ,and1 forasmuch as my hand offended in writing contrary to my heart1 my hand therefore shall be the first punished2 for if ,i come to the fire it shall be the first burned4 ,this was the hand that wrote it1 he again exclaimed at the stake1 therefore it shall suffer first punishment2 and holding it steadily in the flame1 he never stirred nor cried till life was gone4 ,a woman's piercing shriek suddenly startled a party of surveyors at dinner in a forest of northern ,virginia on a calm1 sunny day in #agej4 ,the cries were repeated in quick succession1 and the men sprang through the undergrowth to learn their cause4 ,oh1 sir1 exclaimed the woman as she caught sight of a youth of eighteen1 but a man in stature and bearing2 you will surely do something for me6 ,make these friends release me4 ,my boy1--my poor boy is drowning1 and they will not let me go6 ,it would be madness2 she will jump into the river1 said one of the men who was holding her2 and the rapids would dash her to pieces in a moment6 ,throwing off his coat1 the youth sprang to the edge of the bank1 scanned for a moment the rocks and whirling currents1 and then1 at sight of part of the boy's dress1 plunged into the roaring rapids4 ,thank ,god1 he will save my child6 cried the mother1 and all rushed to the brink of the precipice2 there he is6 ,oh1 my boy1 my darling boy6 ,how could ,i leave you8 ,but all eyes were bent upon the youth struggling with strong heart and hope amid the dizzy sweep of the whirling currents far below4 ,now it seemed as if he would be dashed against a projecting rock1 over which the water flew in foam1 and anon a whirlpool would drag him in1 from whose grasp escape would seem impossible4 ,twice the boy went out of sight1 but he had reappeared the second time1 although terribly near the most dangerous part of the river4 ,the rush of waters here was tremendous1 and no one had ever dared to approach it1 even in a canoe1 lest he should be dashed to pieces4 ,the youth redoubled his exertions4 ,three times he was about to grasp the child1 when some stronger eddy would toss it from him4 ,one final effort he makes2 the child is held aloft by his strong right arm2 but a cry of horror bursts from the lips of every spectator as boy and man shoot over the falls and vanish in the seething waters below4 ,there they are6 shouted the mother a moment later1 in a delirium of joy4 ,see6 they are safe6 ,great ,god1 ,i thank ,thee6 ,and sure enough1 they emerged unharmed from the boiling vortex1 and in a few minutes reached a low place in the bank and were drawn up by their friends1 the boy senseless1 but still alive1 and the youth almost exhausted4 ,god will give you a reward1 solemnly spoke the grateful woman4 ,he will do great things for you in return for this day's work1 and the blessings of thousands besides mine will attend you4 ,the youth was ,george ,washington4 ,your ,grace has not the organ of animal courage largely developed1 said a phrenologist1 who was examining ,wellington's head4 ,you are right1 replied the ,iron ,duke1 and but for my sense of duty ,i should have retreated in my first fight4 ,that first fight1 on an ,indian field1 was one of the most terrible on record4 ,when ,general ,jackson was a judge and was holding court in a small settlement1 a border ruffian1 a murderer and desperado1 came into the court-room with brutal violence and interrupted the court4 ,the judge ordered him to be arrested4 ,the officer did not dare to approach him4 ,call a posse1 said the judge1 and arrest him4 ,but they also shrank in fear from the ruffian4 ,call me1 then1 said ,jackson2 this court is adjourned for five minutes4 ,he left the bench1 walked straight up to the man1 and with his eagle eye actually cowed the ruffian1 who dropped his weapons1 afterwards saying1 ,there was something in his eye ,i could not resist4 ,one of the last official acts of ,president ,carnot1 of ,france1 was the sending of a medal of the ,french ,legion of ,honor to a little ,american girl who lives in ,indiana4 ,while a train on the ,pan ,handle ,railroad1 having on board several distinguished ,frenchmen1 was bound to ,chicago and the ,world's ,fair1 ,jennie ,carey1 who was then ten years old1 discovered that a trestle was on fire1 and that if the train1 which was nearly due1 entered it a dreadful wreck would take place4 ,thereupon she ran out upon the track to a place where she could be seen from some little distance4 ,then she took off her red flannel skirt and1 when the train came in view1 waved it back and forth across the track4 ,it was seen1 and the train stopped4 ,on board of it were seven hundred people1 many of whom must have suffered death but for ,jennie's courage and presence of mind4 ,when they returned to ,france1 the ,frenchmen brought the occurrence to the notice of ,president ,carnot1 and the result was the sending of the medal of this famous ,french society1 the purpose of which is the honoring of bravery and merit1 wherever they may be found4 ,it was the heroic devotion of an ,indian girl that saved the life of ,captain ,john ,smith1 when the powerful ,king ,powhatan had decreed his death4 ,ill could the struggling colony spare him at that time4 ,on ,may #aj1 #agif1 ,napoleon carried the bridge at ,lodi1 in the face of the ,austrian batteries4 ,fourteen cannon--some accounts say thirty--were trained upon the ,french end of the structure4 ,behind them were six thousand troops4 ,napoleon massed four thousand grenadiers at the head of the bridge1 with a battalion of three hundred carbineers in front4 ,at the tap of the drum the foremost assailants wheeled from the cover of the street wall under a terrible hail of grape and canister1 and attempted to pass the gateway to the bridge4 ,the front ranks went down like stalks of grain before a reaper2 the column staggered and reeled backward1 and the valiant grenadiers were appalled by the task before them4 ,without a word or a look of reproach1 ,napoleon placed himself at their head1 and his aides and generals rushed to his side4 ,forward again1 this time over heaps of dead that choked the passage1 and a quick run1 counted by seconds only1 carried the column across two hundred yards of clear space1 scarcely a shot from the ,austrians taking effect beyond the point where the platoons wheeled for the first leap4 ,so sudden and so miraculous was it all that the ,austrian artillerists abandoned their guns instantly1 and instead of rushing to the front and meeting the ,french onslaught1 their supports fled in a panic4 ,this ,napoleon had counted on in making the bold attack4 ,the contrast between ,napoleon's slight figure and the massive grenadiers suggested the nickname ,little ,corporal4 ,when ,stephen of ,colonna fell into the hands of base assailants1 they asked him in derision1 ,where is now your fortress8 ,here1 was his bold reply1 placing his hand upon his heart4 ,after the ,mexican ,war ,general ,mc,clellan was employed as a topographical engineer in surveying the ,pacific coast4 ,from his headquarters at ,vancouver he had gone on an exploring expedition with two companions1 a soldier and a servant1 when one evening he received word that the chiefs of the ,columbia ,river tribes desired to confer with him4 ,from the messenger's manner he suspected that the ,indians meant mischief1 and so he warned his companions that they must be ready to leave camp at a moment's notice4 ,mounting his horse1 he rode boldly into the ,indian village4 ,about thirty chiefs were holding council4 ,mc,clellan was led into the circle1 and placed at the right hand of ,saltese4 ,he was familiar with the ,chinook jargon1 and could understand every word spoken in the council4 ,saltese made known the grievance of the tribes4 ,two ,indians had been captured by a party of white pioneers and hanged for theft4 ,retaliation for this outrage seemed imperative4 ,the chiefs pondered long1 but had little to say4 ,mc,clellan had been on friendly terms with them1 and was not responsible for the forest executions1 but still1 he was a white man1 and the chiefs had vowed vengeance against the race4 ,the council was prolonged for hours before sentence was passed1 and then ,saltese1 in the name of the head men of the tribes1 decreed that ,mc,clellan should immediately be put to death4 ,mc,clellan said nothing4 ,he had known that argument and pleas for justice or mercy would be of no avail4 ,he sat motionless1 apparently indifferent to his fate4 ,by his listlessness he had thrown his captors off their guard4 ,when the sentence was passed he acted like a flash4 ,flinging his left arm around the neck of ,saltese1 he whipped out his revolver and held it close to the chief's temple4 ,revoke that sentence1 or ,i shall kill you this instant6 he cried1 with his fingers clicking the trigger4 ,i revoke it6 exclaimed ,saltese1 fairly livid from fear4 ,i must have your word that ,i can leave this council in safety4 ,you have the word of ,saltese1 was the quick response4 ,mc,clellan knew how sacred was the pledge which he had received4 ,the revolver was lowered4 ,saltese was released from the embrace of the strong arm4 ,mc,clellan strode out of the tent with his revolver in his hand4 ,not a hand was raised against him4 ,he mounted his horse and rode to his camp1 where his two followers were ready to spring into the saddle and to escape from the villages4 ,he owed his life to his quickness of perception1 his courage1 and to his accurate knowledge of ,indian character4 ,in #ahef1 ,rufus ,choate spoke to an audience of nearly five thousand in ,lowell1 ,mass41 in favor of the candidacy of ,james ,buchanan for the presidency4 ,the floor of the great hall began to sink1 settling more and more as he proceeded with his address1 until a sound of cracking timber below would have precipitated a stampede with fatal results but for the coolness of ,b4 ,f4 ,butler1 who presided4 ,telling the people to remain quiet1 he said that he would see if there were any cause for alarm4 ,he found the supports of the floor in so bad a condition that the slightest applause would be likely to bury the audience in the ruins of the building4 ,returning rather leisurely to the platform1 he whispered to ,choate as he passed1 ,we shall all be in ---- in five minutes2 then he told the crowd that there was no immediate danger if they would slowly disperse4 ,the post of danger1 he added1 was on the platform1 which was most weakly supported1 therefore he and those with him would be the last to leave4 ,no doubt many lives were saved by his coolness4 ,many distinguished foreign and ,american statesmen were present at a fashionable dinner party where wine was freely poured1 but ,schuyler ,colfax1 then vice-president of the ,united ,states1 declined to drink from a proffered cup4 ,colfax dares not drink1 sneered a ,senator who had already taken too much4 ,you are right1 said the ,vice-,president1 ,i dare not4 ,when ,grant was in ,houston many years ago1 he was given a rousing reception4 ,naturally hospitable1 and naturally inclined to like a man of ,grant's make-up1 the ,houstonites determined to go beyond any other ,southern city in the way of a banquet and other manifestations of their good-will and hospitality4 ,they made lavish preparations for the dinner1 the committee taking great pains to have the finest wines that could be procured for the table that night4 ,when the time came to serve the wine1 the headwaiter went first to ,grant4 ,without a word the general quietly turned down all the glasses at his plate4 ,this movement was a great surprise to the ,texans1 but they were equal to the occasion4 ,without a single word being spoken1 every man along the line of the long tables turned his glasses down1 and there was not a drop of wine taken that night4 ,two ,french officers at ,waterloo were advancing to charge a greatly superior force4 ,one1 observing that the other showed signs of fear1 said1 ,sir1 ,i believe you are frightened4 ,yes1 ,i am1 was the reply1 and if you were half as much frightened1 you would run away4 ,that's a brave man1 said ,wellington1 when he saw a soldier turn pale as he marched against a battery2 he knows his danger1 and faces it4 ,there are many cardinals and bishops at ,worms1 said a friend to ,luther1 and they will burn your body to ashes as they did that of ,john ,huss4 ,luther replied3 ,although they should make a fire that should reach from ,worms to ,wittenberg1 and that should flame up to heaven1 in the ,lord's name ,i would pass through it and appear before them4 ,he said to another3 ,i would enter ,worms though there were as many devils there as there are tiles upon the roofs of the houses4 ,another man said to him3 ,duke ,george will surely arrest you4 ,he replied3 ,it is my duty to go1 and ,i will go1 though it rain ,duke ,georges for nine days together4 ,a ,western paper recently invited the surviving ,union and ,confederate officers to give an account of the bravest act observed by each during the ,civil ,war4 ,colonel ,thomas ,wentworth ,higginson said that at a dinner at ,beaufort1 ,s4 ,c41 where wine flowed freely and ribald jests were bandied1 ,dr4 ,miner1 a slight1 boyish fellow who did not drink1 was told that he could not go until he had drunk a toast1 told a story1 or sung a song4 ,he replied3 ,i cannot sing1 but ,i will give a toast1 although ,i must drink it in water4 ,it is ',our ,mothers4' ,the men were so affected and ashamed that they took him by the hand and thanked him for displaying such admirable moral courage4 ,it takes courage for a young man to stand firmly erect while others are bowing and fawning for praise and power4 ,it takes courage to wear threadbare clothes while your comrades dress in broadcloth4 ,it takes courage to remain in honest poverty when others grow rich by fraud4 ,it takes courage to say ,no squarely when those around you say ,yes4 ,it takes courage to do your duty in silence and obscurity while others prosper and grow famous although neglecting sacred obligations4 ,it takes courage to unmask your true self1 to show your blemishes to a condemning world1 and to pass for what you really are4 ,it takes courage and pluck to be outvoted1 beaten1 laughed at1 scoffed1 ridiculed1 derided1 misunderstood1 misjudged1 to stand alone with all the world against you1 but ,they are slaves who dare not be ,in the right with two or three4 ,an honest man is not the worse because a dog barks at him4 ,we live ridiculously for fear of being thought ridiculous4 ,tis he is the coward who proves false to his vows1 ,to his manhood1 his honor1 for a laugh or a sneer4 ,the youth who starts out by being afraid to speak what he thinks will usually end by being afraid to think what he wishes4 ,how we shrink from an act of our own6 ,we live as others live4 ,custom or fashion1 or your doctor or minister1 dictates1 and they in turn dare not depart from their schools4 ,dress1 living1 servants1 carriages1 everything must conform1 or we are ostracized4 ,who dares conduct his household or business affairs in his own way1 and snap his fingers at ,dame ,grundy8 ,it takes courage for a public man not to bend the knee to popular prejudice4 ,it takes courage to refuse to follow custom when it is injurious to his health and morals4 ,how much easier for a politician to prevaricate and dodge an issue than to stand squarely on his feet like a man6 ,as the strongest man has a weakness somewhere1 so the greatest hero is a coward somewhere4 ,peter was courageous enough to draw his sword to defend his ,master1 but he could not stand the ridicule and the finger of scorn of the maidens in the high priest's hall1 and he actually denied even the acquaintance of the ,master he had declared he would die for4 ,don't be like ,uriah ,heep1 begging everybody's pardon for taking the liberty of being in the world4 ,there is nothing attractive in timidity1 nothing lovable in fear4 ,both are deformities and are repulsive4 ,manly courage is always dignified and graceful4 ,bruno1 condemned to be burned alive in ,rome1 said to his judge3 ,you are more afraid to pronounce my sentence than ,i am to receive it4 ,anne ,askew1 racked until her bones were dislocated1 never flinched1 but looked her tormentor calmly in the face and refused to adjure her faith4 ,i should have thought fear would have kept you from going so far1 said a relative who found the little boy ,nelson wandering a long distance from home4 ,fear8 said the future admiral1 ,i don't know him4 ,to think a thing is impossible is to make it so4 ,courage is victory1 timidity's defeat4 ,that simple shepherd-lad1 ,david1 fresh from his flocks1 marching unattended and unarmed1 save with his shepherd's staff and sling1 to confront the colossal ,goliath with his massive armor1 is the sublimest audacity the world has ever seen4 ,dent1 ,i wish you would get down and see what is the matter with that leg there1 said ,grant1 when he and ,colonel ,dent were riding through the thickest of a fire that had become so concentrated and murderous that his troops had all been driven back4 ,i guess looking after your horse's legs can wait1 said ,dent2 it is simply murder for us to sit here4 ,all right1 said ,grant2 if you don't want to see to it1 ,i will4 ,he dismounted1 untwisted a piece of telegraph wire which had begun to cut the horse's leg1 examined it deliberately1 and climbed into his saddle4 ,dent1 said he1 when you've got a horse that you think a great deal of1 you should never take any chances with him4 ,if that wire had been left there for a little time longer he would have gone dead lame1 and would perhaps have been ruined for life4 ,wellington said that at ,waterloo the hottest of the battle raged round a farmhouse1 with an orchard surrounded by a thick hedge1 which was so important a point in the ,british position that orders were given to hold it at any hazard or sacrifice4 ,at last the powder and ball ran short and the hedges took fire1 surrounding the orchard with a wall of flame4 ,a messenger had been sent for ammunition1 and soon two loaded wagons came galloping toward the farmhouse4 ,the driver of the first wagon1 with the reckless daring of an ,english boy1 spurred his struggling and terrified horses through the burning heap2 but the flames rose fiercely round1 and caught the powder1 which exploded in an instant1 sending wagon1 horses1 and rider in fragments into the air4 ,for a instant the driver of the second wagon paused1 appalled by his comrade's fate2 the next1 observing that the flames1 beaten back for the moment by the explosion1 afforded him one desperate chance1 sent his horses at the smoldering breach and1 amid the deafening cheers of the garrison1 landed his terrible cargo safely within4 ,behind him the flames closed up1 and raged more fiercely than ever4 ,at the battle of ,friedland a cannon-ball came over the heads of the ,french soldiers1 and a young soldier instinctively dodged4 ,napoleon looked at him and smilingly said3 ,my friend1 if that ball were destined for you1 though you were to burrow a hundred feet under ground it would be sure to find you there4 ,when the mine in front of ,petersburg was finished the fuse was lighted and the ,union troops were drawn up ready to charge the enemy's works as soon as the explosion should make a breach4 ,but seconds1 minutes1 and tens of minutes passed1 without a sound from the mine1 and the suspense became painful4 ,lieutenant ,doughty and ,sergeant ,rees volunteered to examine the fuse4 ,through the long subterranean galleries they hurried in silence1 not knowing but that they were advancing to a horrible death4 ,they found the defect1 fired the train anew1 and soon a terrible upheaval of earth gave the signal to march to victory4 ,at the battle of ,copenhagen1 as ,nelson walked the deck slippery with blood and covered with the dead1 he said3 ,this is warm work1 and this day may be the last to any of us in a moment4 ,but1 mark me1 ,i would not be elsewhere for thousands4 ,at the battle of ,trafalgar1 when he was shot and was being carried below1 he covered his face1 that those fighting might not know their chief had fallen4 ,in a skirmish at ,salamanca1 while the enemy's guns were pouring shot into his regiment1 ,sir ,william ,napier's men became disobedient4 ,he at once ordered a halt1 and flogged four of the ringleaders under fire4 ,the men yielded at once1 and then marched three miles under a heavy cannonade as coolly as if it were a review4 ,execute your resolutions immediately4 ,thoughts are but dreams until their effects be tried4 ,does competition trouble you8 work away2 what is your competitor but a man8 ,conquer your place in the world1 for all things serve a brave soul4 ,combat difficulty manfully2 sustain misfortune bravely2 endure poverty nobly2 encounter disappointment courageously4 ,the influence of the brave man is contagious and creates an epidemic of noble zeal in all about him4 ,every day sends to the grave obscure men who have only remained in obscurity because their timidity has prevented them from making a first effort2 and who1 if they could have been induced to begin1 would in all probability have gone great lengths in the career of usefulness and fame4 ,no great deed is done1 says ,george ,eliot1 by falterers who ask for certainty4 ,after the great inward struggle was over1 and he had determined to remain loyal to his principles1 ,thomas ,more walked cheerfully to the block4 ,his wife called him a fool for staying in a dark1 damp1 filthy prison when he might have his liberty by merely renouncing his doctrines1 as some of the bishops had done4 ,but ,thomas ,more preferred death to dishonor4 ,his daughter showed the power of love to drive away fear4 ,she remained true to her father when all others1 even her mother1 had forsaken him4 ,after his head had been cut off and exhibited on a pole on ,london ,bridge1 the poor girl begged it of the authorities1 and requested that it be buried in the coffin with her4 ,her request was granted1 for her death soon occurred4 ,when ,sir ,walter ,raleigh came to the scaffold he was very faint1 and began his speech to the crowd by saying that during the last two days he had been visited by two ague fits4 ,if1 therefore1 you perceive any weakness in me1 ,i beseech you ascribe it to my sickness rather than to myself4 ,he took the ax and kissed the blade1 and said to the sheriff3 ',t is a sharp medicine1 but a sound cure for all diseases4 ,don't waste time dreaming of obstacles you may never encounter1 or in crossing bridges you have not reached4 ,to half will and to hang forever in the balance is to lose your grip on life4 ,abraham ,lincoln's boyhood was one long struggle with poverty1 with little education1 and no influential friends4 ,when at last he had begun the practice of law1 it required no little courage to cast his fortune with the weaker side in politics1 and thus imperil what small reputation he had gained4 ,only the most sublime moral courage could have sustained him as ,president to hold his ground against hostile criticism and a long train of disaster2 to issue the ,emancipation ,proclamation1 to support ,grant and ,stanton against the clamor of the politicians and the press4 ,lincoln never shrank from espousing an unpopular cause when he believed it to be right4 ,at the time when it almost cost a young lawyer his bread and butter to defend the fugitive slave1 and when other lawyers had refused1 ,lincoln would always plead the cause of the unfortunate whenever an opportunity presented4 ,go to ,lincoln1 people would say1 when these hounded fugitives were seeking protection2 he's not afraid of any cause1 if it's right4 ,then to side with ,truth is noble when we share her wretched crust1 ,ere her cause bring fame and profit1 and 'tis prosperous to be just3 ,then it is the brave man chooses1 while the coward stands aside1 ,doubting in his abject spirit1 till his ,lord is crucified4 ,,lowell4 ,as ,salmon ,p4 ,chase left the court room after an impassioned plea for the runaway slave girl ,matilda1 a man looked at him in surprise and said3 ,there goes a fine young fellow who has just ruined himself4 ,but in thus ruining himself ,chase had taken the first important step in a career in which he became ,governor of ,ohio1 ,united ,states ,senator from ,ohio1 ,secretary of the ,united ,states ,treasury1 and ,chief ,justice of the ,united ,states ,supreme ,court4 ,at the trial of ,william ,penn for having spoken at a ,quaker meeting1 the recorder1 not satisfied with the first verdict1 said to the jury3 ,we will have a verdict by the help of ,god1 or you shall starve for it4 ,you are ,englishmen1 said ,penn2 mind your privileges1 give not away your right4 ,at last the jury1 after two days and two nights without food1 returned a verdict of ,not guilty4 ,the recorder fined them forty marks apiece for their independence4 ,what cared ,christ for the jeers of the crowd8 ,the palsied hand moved1 the blind saw1 the leper was made whole1 the dead spake1 despite the ridicule and scoffs of the spectators4 ,what cared ,wendell ,phillips for rotten eggs1 derisive scorn1 and hisses8 ,in him at last the scornful world had met its match4 ,were ,beecher and ,gough to be silenced by the rude ,english mobs that came to extinguish them8 ,no6 they held their ground and compelled unwilling thousands to hear and to heed4 ,did ,anna ,dickinson leave the platform when the pistol bullets of the ,molly ,maguires flew about her head8 ,she silenced those pistols by her courage and her arguments4 ,what the world wants is a ,knox1 who dares to preach on with a musket leveled at his head2 a ,garrison1 who is not afraid of a jail1 or a mob1 or a scaffold erected in front of his door4 ,when ,general ,butler was sent with nine thousand men to quell the ,new ,york riots1 he arrived in advance of his troops1 and found the streets thronged with an angry mob1 which had already hanged several men to lamp-posts4 ,without waiting for his men1 ,butler went to the place where the crowd was most dense1 overturned an ash barrel1 stood upon it1 and began3 ,delegates from ,five ,points1 fiends from hell1 you have murdered your superiors1 and the bloodstained crowd quailed before the courageous words of a single man in a city which ,mayor ,fernando ,wood could not restrain with the aid of police and militia4 ,our enemies are before us1 exclaimed the ,spartans at ,thermopylae4 ,and we are before them4 was the cool reply of ,leonidas4 ,deliver your arms1 came the message from ,xerxes4 ,come and take them1 was the answer ,leonidas sent back4 ,a ,persian soldier said3 ,you will not be able to see the sun for flying javelins and arrows4 ,then we will fight in the shade1 replied a ,lacedemonian4 ,what wonder that a handful of such men checked the march of the greatest host that ever trod the earth6 ,it is impossible1 said a staff officer1 when ,napoleon gave directions for a daring plan4 ,impossible6 thundered the great commander1 impossible is the adjective of fools6 ,the courageous man is an example to the intrepid4 ,his influence is magnetic4 ,men follow him1 even to the death4 ,men who have dared have moved the world1 often before reaching the prime of life4 ,it is astonishing what daring to begin and perseverance have enabled even youths to achieve4 ,alexander1 who ascended the throne at twenty1 had conquered the known world before dying at thirty-three4 ,julius ,caesar captured eight hundred cities1 conquered three hundred nations1 defeated three million men1 became a great orator and one of the greatest statesmen known1 and still was a young man4 ,washington was appointed adjutant-general at nineteen1 was sent at twenty-one as an ambassador to treat with the ,french1 and won his first battle as a colonel at twenty-two4 ,lafayette was made general of the whole ,french ,army at twenty4 ,charlemagne was master of ,france and ,germany at thirty4 ,galileo was but eighteen when he saw the principle of the pendulum in the swing lamp in the cathedral at ,pisa4 ,peel was in ,parliament at twenty-one4 ,gladstone was in ,parliament before he was twenty-two1 and at twenty-four he was ,lord of the ,treasury4 ,elizabeth ,barrett ,browning was proficient in ,greek and ,latin at twelve2 ,de ,quincey at eleven4 ,robert ,browning wrote at eleven poetry of no mean order4 ,cowley1 who sleeps in ,westminster ,abbey1 published a volume of poems at fifteen4 ,luther was but twenty-nine when he nailed his famous thesis to the door of the bishop and defied the pope4 ,nelson was a lieutenant in the ,british ,navy before he was twenty4 ,he was but forty-seven when he received his death wound at ,trafalgar4 ,at thirty-six1 ,cortez was the conqueror of ,mexico2 at thirty-two1 ,clive had established the ,british power in ,india4 ,hannibal1 the greatest of military commanders1 was only thirty when1 at ,cannae1 he dealt an almost annihilating blow at the republic of ,rome1 and ,napoleon was only twenty-seven when1 on the plains of ,italy1 he outgeneraled and defeated1 one after another1 the veteran marshals of ,austria4 ,equal courage and resolution are often shown by men who have passed the allotted limit of life4 ,victor ,hugo and ,wellington were both in their prime after they had reached the age of threescore years and ten4 ,gladstone ruled ,england with a strong hand at eighty-four1 and was a marvel of literary and scholarly ability4 ,shakespeare says3 ,he is not worthy of the honeycomb that shuns the hive because the bees have stings4 ,the brave man is not he who feels no fear1 ,for that were stupid and irrational2 ,but he whose noble soul its fear subdues ,and bravely dares the danger nature shrinks from4 ,many a bright youth has accomplished nothing of worth to himself or the world simply because he did not dare to commence things4 ,begin6 ,begin6 ,begin666 ,whatever people may think of you1 do that which you believe to be right4 ,be alike indifferent to censure or praise4--,,pythagoras4 ,i dare to do all that may become a man3 ,who dares do more is none4 ,,shakespeare4 ,for man's great actions are performed in minor struggles4 ,there are obstinate and unknown braves who defend themselves inch by inch in the shadows against the fatal invasion of want and turpitude4 ,there are noble and mysterious triumphs which no eye sees1 no renown rewards1 and no flourish of trumpets salutes4 ,life1 misfortune1 isolation1 abandonment1 and poverty are battlefields which have their heroes4--,,victor ,,hugo4 ,quit yourselves like men4--#a ,,samuel iv4 #i4 ,,chapter ,,xxxviii ,,the ,,will ,,and ,,the ,,way ,i will find a way or make one4 ,nothing is impossible to the man who can will4--,,mirabeau4 ,the iron will of one stout heart shall make a thousand quail3 ,a feeble dwarf1 dauntlessly resolved1 will turn the tide of battle1 ,and rally to a nobler strife the giants that had fled4--,,tupper4 ,in the lexicon of youth which fate reserves for a bright manhood there is no such word as fail4--,,bulwer4 ,when a firm and decisive spirit is recognized1 it is curious to see how the space clears around a man and leaves him room and freedom4--,,john ,,foster4 ,as well can the ,prince of ,orange pluck the stars from the sky1 as bring the ocean to the wall of ,leyden for your relief1 was the derisive shout of the ,spanish soldiers when told that the ,dutch fleet would raise that terrible four months' siege of #aegd4 ,but from the parched lips of ,william1 tossing on his bed of fever at ,rotterdam1 had issued the command3 ,break down the dikes3 give ,holland back to ocean6 and the people had replied3 ,better a drowned land than a lost land4 ,they began to demolish dike after dike of the strong lines1 ranged one within another for fifteen miles to their city of the interior4 ,it was an enormous task2 the garrison was starving2 and the besiegers laughed in scorn at the slow progress of the puny insects who sought to rule the waves of the sea4 ,but ever1 as of old1 ,heaven aids those who help themselves4 ,on the first and second of ,october a violent equinoctial gale rolled the ocean inland1 and swept the fleet on the rising waters almost to the camp of the ,spaniards4 ,the next morning the garrison sallied out to attack their enemies1 but the besiegers had fled in terror under cover of the darkness4 ,the next day the wind changed1 and a counter tempest brushed the water1 with the fleet upon it1 from the surface of ,holland4 ,the outer dikes were replaced at once1 leaving the ,north ,sea within its old bounds4 ,when the flowers bloomed the following spring1 a joyous procession marched through the streets to found the ,university of ,leyden1 in commemoration of the wonderful deliverance of the city4 ,at a dinner party given in #ahcg1 at the residence of ,chancellor ,kent1 in ,new ,york ,city1 some of the most distinguished men in the country were invited1 and among them was a young and rather melancholy and reticent ,frenchman4 ,professor ,morse was also one of the guests1 and during the evening he drew the attention of ,mr4 ,gallatin1 then a prominent statesman1 to the stranger1 observing that his forehead indicated a great intellect4 ,yes1 replied ,mr4 ,gallatin1 touching his own forehead with his finger1 there is a great deal in that head of his3 but he has a strange fancy4 ,can you believe it8 ,he has the idea that he will one day be the ,emperor of ,france4 ,can you conceive anything more absurd than that8 ,it did seem absurd1 for this reserved ,frenchman was then a poor adventurer1 an exile from his country1 without fortune or powerful connections1 and yet1 fourteen years later1 his idea became a fact1--his dream of becoming ,napoleon ,,iii4 was realized4 ,true1 before he accomplished his purpose there were long1 dreary years of imprisonment1 exile1 disaster1 and patient labor and hope1 but he gained his ambition at last4 ,he was not scrupulous as to the means employed to accomplish his ends1 yet he is a remarkable example of what pluck and energy can do4 ,when ,mr4 ,ingram1 publisher of the ,illustrated ,london ,news1 began life as a newsdealer at ,nottingham1 ,england1 he walked ten miles to deliver a single paper rather than disappoint a customer4 ,does any one wonder that such a youth succeeded8 ,once he rose at two o'clock in the morning and walked to ,london to get some papers because there was no post to bring them4 ,he determined that his customers should not be disappointed4 ,this is the kind of will that finds a way4 ,there is scarcely anything in all biography grander than the saying of young ,henry ,fawcett1 ,gladstone's last ,postmaster-,general1 to his grief-stricken father1 who had put out both his eyes by birdshot during a game hunt3 ,never mind1 father1 blindness shall not interfere with my success in life4 ,one of the most pathetic sights in ,london streets1 long afterward1 was ,henry ,fawcett1 ,m4 ,p41 led everywhere by a faithful daughter1 who acted as amanuensis as well as guide to her plucky father4 ,think of a young man1 scarcely on the threshold of active life1 suddenly losing the sight of both eyes and yet by mere pluck and almost incomprehensible tenacity of purpose1 lifting himself into eminence in any direction1 to say nothing of becoming one of the foremost men in a country noted for its great men6 ,the courageous daughter who was eyes to her father was herself a marvelous example of pluck and determination4 ,for the first time in the history of ,oxford ,college1 which reaches back centuries1 she succeeded in winning the post which had only been gained before by great men1 such as ,gladstone1--the post of senior wrangler4 ,this achievement had had no parallel in history up to that date1 and attracted the attention of the whole civilized world4 ,not only had no woman ever held this position before1 but with few exceptions it had only been held by men who in after life became highly distinguished4 ,circumstances1 says ,milton1 have rarely favored famous men4 ,they have fought their way to triumph through all sorts of opposing obstacles4 ,the true way to conquer circumstances is to be a greater circumstance yourself4 ,yet1 while desiring to impress in the most forcible manner possible the fact that will-power is necessary to success1 and that1 other things being equal1 the greater the will-power1 the grander and more complete the success1 we can not indorse the theory that there is nothing in circumstances or environments1 or that any man1 simply because he has an indomitable will1 may become a ,bonaparte1 a ,pitt1 a ,webster1 a ,beecher1 a ,lincoln4 ,we must temper determination with discretion1 and support it with knowledge and common sense1 or it will only lead us to run our heads against posts4 ,we must not expect to overcome a stubborn fact merely by a stubborn will4 ,we only have the right to assume that we can do anything within the limit of our utmost faculty1 strength1 and endurance4 ,obstacles permanently insurmountable bar our progress in some directions1 but in any direction we may reasonably hope and attempt to go we shall find that1 as a rule1 they are either not insurmountable or else not permanent4 ,the strong-willed1 intelligent1 persistent man will find or make a way where1 in the nature of things1 a way can be found or made4 ,every schoolboy knows that circumstances do give clients to lawyers and patients to physicians2 place ordinary clergymen in extraordinary pulpits2 place sons of the rich at the head of immense corporations and large houses1 when they have very ordinary ability and scarcely any experience1 while poor young men with unusual ability1 good education1 good character1 and large experience1 often have to fight their way for years to obtain even very mediocre situations2 that there are thousands of young men of superior ability1 both in the city and in the country1 who seem to be compelled by circumstances to remain in very ordinary positions for small pay1 when others about them are raised by money or family influence into desirable places4 ,in other words1 we all know that the best men do not always get the best places2 circumstances do have a great deal to do with our position1 our salaries1 our station in life4 ,every one knows that there is not always a way where there is a will2 that labor does not always conquer all things2 that there are things impossible even to him that wills1 however strongly2 that one can not always make anything of himself he chooses2 that there are limitations in our very natures which no amount of will-power or industry can overcome4 ,but while it is true that the will-power can not perform miracles1 yet that it is almost omnipotent1 and can perform wonders1 all history goes to prove4 ,as ,shakespeare says3-- ,men at some time are masters of their fates2 ,the fault1 dear ,brutus1 is not in our stars1 ,but in ourselves1 that we are underlings4 ,show me a man who according to popular prejudice is a victim of bad luck1 and ,i will show you one who has some unfortunate crooked twist of temperament that invites disaster4 ,he is ill-tempered1 conceited1 or trifling2 lacks character1 enthusiasm1 or some other requisite for success4 ,disraeli said that man is not the creature of circumstances1 but that circumstances are the creatures of men4 ,believe in the power of will1 which annihilates the sickly1 sentimental doctrine of fatalism1--you must1 but can't1 you ought1 but it is impossible4 ,give me the man who faces what he must1 ,who breaks his birth's invidious bar1 ,and grasps the skirts of happy chance1 ,and breasts the blows of circumstance1 ,and grapples with his evil star4 ,the indomitable will1 the inflexible purpose1 will find a way or make one4 ,there is always room for a man of force4 ,he who has a firm will1 says ,goethe1 molds the world to himself4 ,people do not lack strength1 says ,victor ,hugo1 they lack will4 ,he who resolves upon any great end1 by that very resolution has scaled the great barriers to it1 and he who seizes the grand idea of self-cultivation1 and solemnly resolves upon it1 will find that idea1 that resolution1 burning like fire within him1 and ever putting him upon his own improvement4 ,he will find it removing difficulties1 searching out1 or making means2 giving courage for despondency1 and strength for weakness4 ,nearly all great men1 those who have towered high above their fellows1 have been remarkable above all things else for their energy of will4 ,of ,julius ,caesar it was said by a contemporary that it was his activity and giant determination1 rather than his military skill1 that won his victories4 ,the youth who starts out in life determined to make the most of his eyes and let nothing escape him which he can possibly use for his own advancement2 who keeps his ears open for every sound that can help him on his way1 who keeps his hands open that he may clutch every opportunity1 who is ever on the alert for everything which can help him to get on in the world1 who seizes every experience in life and grinds it up into paint for his great life's picture1 who keeps his heart open that he may catch every noble impulse1 and everything which may inspire him1--that youth will be sure to make his life successful2 there are no ifs or ands about it4 ,if he has his health1 nothing can keep him from final success4 ,no tyranny of circumstances can permanently imprison a determined will4 ,the world always stands aside for the determined man4 ,the general of a large army may be defeated1 said ,confucius1 but you can not defeat the determined mind of a peasant4 ,the poor1 deaf pauper1 ,kitto1 who made shoes in the almshouse1 and who became the greatest of ,biblical scholars1 wrote in his journal1 on the threshold of manhood3 ,i am not myself a believer in impossibilities3 ,i think that all the fine stories about natural ability1 etc41 are mere rigmarole1 and that every man may1 according to his opportunities and industry1 render himself almost anything he wishes to become4 ,lincoln is probably the most remarkable example on the pages of history1 showing the possibilities of our country4 ,from the poverty in which he was born1 through the rowdyism of a frontier town1 the discouragement of early bankruptcy1 and the fluctuations of popular politics1 he rose to the championship of union and freedom4 ,lincoln's will made his way4 ,when his friends nominated him as a candidate for the legislature1 his enemies made fun of him4 ,when making his campaign speeches he wore a mixed jean coat so short that he could not sit down on it1 flax and tow-linen trousers1 straw hat1 and pot-metal boots4 ,he had nothing in the world but character and friends4 ,when his friends suggested law to him1 he laughed at the idea of his being a lawyer4 ,he said he had not brains enough4 ,he read law barefoot under the trees1 his neighbors said1 and he sometimes slept on the counter in the store where he worked4 ,he had to borrow money to buy a suit of clothes to make a respectable appearance in the legislature1 and walked to take his seat at ,vandalia1--one hundred miles4 ,see ,thurlow ,weed1 defying poverty and wading through the snow two miles1 with rags for shoes1 to borrow a book to read before the sap-bush fire4 ,see ,locke1 living on bread and water in a ,dutch garret4 ,see ,heyne1 sleeping many a night on a barn floor with only a book for his pillow4 ,see ,samuel ,drew1 tightening his apron string in lieu of a dinner4 ,history is full of such examples4 ,he who will pay the price for victory need never fear final defeat4 ,paris was in the hands of a mob1 the authorities were panic-stricken1 for they did not dare to trust their underlings4 ,in came a man who said1 ,i know a young officer who has the courage and ability to quell this mob4 ,send for him2 send for him2 send for him1 said they4 ,napoleon was sent for1 came1 subjugated the mob1 subjugated the authorities1 ruled ,france and then conquered ,europe4 ,success in life is dependent largely upon the will-power1 and whatever weakens or impairs it diminishes success4 ,the will can be educated4 ,that which most easily becomes a habit in us is the will4 ,learn1 then1 to will decisively and strongly2 thus fix your floating life1 and leave it no longer to be carried hither and thither1 like a withered leaf1 by every wind that blows4 ,it is not talent that men lack1 it is the will to labor2 it is the purpose4 ,it was the insatiable thirst for knowledge which held to his task1 through poverty and discouragement1 ,john ,leyden1 a ,scotch shepherd's son4 ,barefoot and alone1 he walked six or eight miles daily to learn to read1 which was all the schooling he had4 ,his desire for an education defied the extremest poverty1 and no obstacle could turn him from his purpose4 ,he was rich when he discovered a little bookstore1 and his thirsty soul would drink in the precious treasures from its priceless volumes for hours1 perfectly oblivious of the scanty meal of bread and water which awaited him at his lowly lodging4 ,nothing could discourage him from trying to improve himself by study4 ,it seemed to him that an opportunity to get at books and lectures was all that any man could need4 ,before he was nineteen1 this poor shepherd boy with no chance had astonished the professors of ,edinburgh by his knowledge of ,greek and ,latin4 ,hearing that a surgeon's assistant in the ,civil ,service was wanted1 although he knew nothing whatever of medicine1 he determined to apply for it4 ,there were only six months before the place was to be filled1 but nothing would daunt him1 and he took his degree with honor4 ,walter ,scott1 who thought this one of the most remarkable illustrations of perseverance1 helped to fit him out1 and he sailed for ,india4 ,webster was very poor even after he entered ,dartmouth ,college4 ,a friend sent him a recipe for greasing his boots4 ,webster wrote and thanked him1 and added3 ,but my boots needs other doctoring1 for they not only admit water1 but even peas and gravel-stones4 ,yet he became one of the greatest men in the world4 ,sydney ,smith said3 ,webster was a living lie1 because no man on earth could be as great as he looked4 ,carlyle said of him3 ,one would incline at sight to back him against the world4 ,what seemed to be luck followed ,stephen ,girard all his life4 ,no matter what he did1 it always seemed to others to turn to his account4 ,being a foreigner1 unable to speak ,english1 short1 stout1 and with a repulsive face1 blind in one eye1 it was hard for him to get a start4 ,but he was not the man to give up4 ,he had begun as a cabin boy at thirteen1 and for nine years sailed between ,bordeaux and the ,french ,west ,indies4 ,he improved every leisure minute at sea1 mastering the art of navigation4 ,at the age of eight he had first discovered that he was blind in one eye4 ,his father1 evidently thinking that he would never amount to anything1 would not help him to an education beyond that of mere reading and writing1 but sent his younger brothers to college4 ,the discovery of his blindness1 the neglect of his father1 and the chagrin of his brothers' advancement soured his whole life4 ,when he began business for himself in ,philadelphia1 there seemed to be nothing he would not do for money4 ,he bought and sold anything1 from groceries to old junk2 he bottled wine and cider1 from which he made a good profit4 ,everything he touched prospered4 ,he left nothing to chance4 ,his plans and schemes were worked out with mathematical care4 ,his letters written to his captains in foreign ports1 laying out their routes and giving detailed instructions1 are models of foresight and systematic planning4 ,he never left anything of importance to others4 ,he was rigidly accurate in his instructions1 and would not allow the slightest departure from them4 ,he used to say that while his captains might save him money by deviating from instructions once1 yet they would cause loss in ninety-nine other cases4 ,he never lost a ship1 and many times that which brought financial ruin to many others1 as the ,war of #ahab1 only increased his wealth4 ,everybody1 especially his jealous brother merchants1 attributed his great success to his luck4 ,while undoubtedly he was fortunate in happening to be at the right place at the right time1 yet he was precision1 method1 accuracy1 energy itself4 ,what seemed luck with him was only good judgment and promptness in seizing opportunities1 and the greatest care and zeal in improving them to their utmost possibilities4 ,the mathematician tells you that if you throw the dice1 there are thirty chances to one against your turning up a particular number1 and a hundred to one against your repeating the same throw three times in succession3 and so on in an augmenting ratio4 ,many a young man who has read the story of ,john ,wanamaker's romantic career has gained very little inspiration or help from it toward his own elevation and advancement1 for he looks upon it as the result of good luck1 chance1 or fate4 ,what a lucky fellow1 he says to himself as he reads2 what a bonanza he fell into6 ,but a careful analysis of ,wanamaker's life only enforces the same lesson taught by the analysis of most great lives1 namely1 that a good mother1 a good constitution1 the habit of hard work1 indomitable energy1 determination which knows no defeat1 decision which never wavers1 a concentration which never scatters its forces1 courage which never falters1 self-mastery which can say ,no1 and stick to it1 strict integrity and downright honesty1 a cheerful disposition1 unbounded enthusiasm in one's calling1 and a high aim and noble purpose insure a very large measure of success4 ,youth should be taught that there is something in circumstances2 that there is such a thing as a poor pedestrian happening to find no obstruction in his way1 and reaching the goal when a better walker finds the drawbridge up1 the street blockaded1 and so fails to win the race2 that wealth often does place unworthy sons in high positions2 that family influence does gain a lawyer clients1 a physician patients1 an ordinary scholar a good professorship2 but that1 on the other hand1 position1 clients1 patients1 professorships1 managers' and superintendents' positions do not necessarily constitute success4 ,he should be taught that in the long run1 as a rule1 the best man does win the best place1 and that persistent merit does succeed4 ,there is about as much chance of idleness and incapacity winning real success or a high position in life1 as there would be in producing a ,paradise ,lost by shaking up promiscuously the separate words of ,webster's ,dictionary1 and letting them fall at random on the floor4 ,fortune smiles upon those who roll up their sleeves and put their shoulders to the wheel2 upon men who are not afraid of dreary1 dry1 irksome drudgery1 men of nerve and grit who do not turn aside for dirt and detail4 ,the youth should be taught that he alone is great1 who1 by a life heroic1 conquers fate2 that diligence is the mother of good luck2 that nine times out of ten what we call luck or fate is but a mere bugbear of the indolent1 the languid1 the purposeless1 the careless1 the indifferent2 that1 as a rule1 the man who fails does not see or seize his opportunity4 ,opportunity is coy1 is swift1 is gone1 before the slow1 the unobservant1 the indolent1 or the careless can seize her3-- ,in idle wishes fools supinely stay3 ,be there a will and wisdom finds a way4 ,it has been well said that the very reputation of being strong-willed1 plucky1 and indefatigable is of priceless value4 ,it often cows enemies and dispels at the start opposition to one's undertakings which would otherwise be formidable4 ,it is astonishing what men who have come to their senses late in life have accomplished by a sudden resolution4 ,arkwright was fifty years of age when he began to learn ,english grammar and improve his writing and spelling4 ,benjamin ,franklin was past fifty before he began the study of science and philosophy4 ,milton1 in his blindness1 was past the age of fifty when he sat down to complete his world-known epic1 and ,scott at fifty-five took up his pen to redeem a liability of #fjj1jjj4 ,yet ,i am learning1 said ,michael ,angelo1 when threescore years and ten were past1 and he had long attained the highest triumphs of his art4 ,even brains are second in importance to will4 ,the vacillating man is always pushed aside in the race of life4 ,it is only the weak and vacillating who halt before adverse circumstances and obstacles4 ,a man with an iron will1 with a determination that nothing shall check his career1 is sure1 if he has perseverance and grit1 to succeed4 ,we may not find time for what we would like1 but what we long for and strive for with all our strength1 we usually approximate1 if we do not fully reach4 ,i wish it were possible to show the youth of ,america the great part that the will might play in their success in life and in their happiness as well4 ,the achievements of will-power are simply beyond computation4 ,scarcely anything in reason seems impossible to the man who can will strong enough and long enough4 ,how often we see this illustrated in the case of a young woman who suddenly becomes conscious that she is plain and unattractive2 who1 by prodigious exercise of her will and untiring industry1 resolves to redeem herself from obscurity and commonness2 and who not only makes up for her deficiencies1 but elevates herself into a prominence and importance which mere personal attractions could never have given her6 ,charlotte ,cushman1 without a charm of form or face1 climbed to the very top of her profession4 ,how many young men1 stung by consciousness of physical deformity or mental deficiencies1 have1 by a strong1 persistent exercise of will-power1 raised themselves from mediocrity and placed themselves high above those who scorned them6 ,history is full of examples of men and women who have redeemed themselves from disgrace1 poverty1 and misfortune by the firm resolution of an iron will4 ,the consciousness of being looked upon as inferior1 as incapable of accomplishing what others accomplish2 the sensitiveness at being considered a dunce in school1 has stung many a youth into a determination which has elevated him far above those who laughed at him1 as in the case of ,newton1 of ,adam ,clark1 of ,sheridan1 ,wellington1 ,goldsmith1 ,dr4 ,chalmers1 ,curran1 ,disraeli and hundreds of others4 ,it is men like ,mirabeau1 who trample upon impossibilities2 like ,napoleon1 who do not wait for opportunities1 but make them2 like ,grant1 who has only unconditional surrender for the enemy1 who change the very front of the world4 ,i can't1 it is impossible1 said a foiled lieutenant to ,alexander4 ,be gone1 shouted the conquering ,macedonian1 there is nothing impossible to him who will try4 ,were ,i called upon to express in a word the secret of so many failures among those who started out in life with high hopes1 ,i should say unhesitatingly1 they lacked will-power4 ,they could not half will4 ,what is a man without a will8 ,he is like an engine without steam1 a mere sport of chance1 to be tossed about hither and thither1 always at the mercy of those who have wills4 ,i should call the strength of will the test of a young man's possibilities4 ,can he will strong enough1 and hold whatever he undertakes with an iron grip8 ,it is the iron grip that takes the strong hold on life4 ,the truest wisdom1 said ,napoleon1 is a resolute determination4 ,an iron will without principle might produce a ,napoleon2 but with character it would make a ,wellington or a ,grant1 untarnished by ambition or avarice4 ,the undivided will ',tis that compels the elements and wrings ,a human music from the indifferent air4 ,,chapter ,,xxxix ,,one ,,unwavering ,,aim ,life is an arrow--therefore you must know ,what mark to aim at1 how to use the bow-- ,then draw it to the head and let it go4 ,,henry ,,van ,,dyke4 ,the important thing in life is to have a great aim1 and to possess the aptitude and perseverance to attain it4--,,goethe4 ,a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways4 ,let every one ascertain his special business and calling1 and then stick to it if he would be successful4--,,franklin4 ,why do you lead such a solitary life8 asked a friend of ,michael ,angelo4 ,art is a jealous mistress1 replied the artist2 she requires the whole man4 ,during his labors at the ,sistine ,chapel1 according to ,disraeli1 he refused to meet any one1 even at his own house4 ,this day we sailed westward1 which was our course1 were the simple but grand words which ,columbus wrote in his journal day after day4 ,hope might rise and fall1 terror and dismay might seize upon the crew at the mysterious variations of the compass1 but ,columbus1 unappalled1 pushed due west and nightly added to his record the above words4 ,cut an inch deeper1 said a member of the ,old ,guard to the surgeon probing his wound1 and you will find the ,emperor1--meaning his heart4 ,by the marvelous power of concentrated purpose ,napoleon had left his name on the very stones of the capital1 had burned it indelibly into the heart of every ,frenchman1 and had left it written in living letters all over ,europe4 ,france to-day has not shaken off the spell of that name4 ,in the fair city on the ,seine the mystic ,n confronts you everywhere4 ,oh1 the power of a great purpose to work miracles6 ,it has changed the face of the world4 ,napoleon knew that there were plenty of great men in ,france1 but they did not know the might of the unwavering aim by which he was changing the destinies of ,europe4 ,he saw that what was called the balance of power was only an idle dream2 that1 unless some master-mind could be found which was a match for events1 the millions would rule in anarchy4 ,his iron will grasped the situation2 and like ,william ,pitt1 he did not loiter around balancing the probabilities of failure or success1 or dally with his purpose4 ,there was no turning to the right nor to the left2 no dreaming away time1 nor building air-castles2 but one look and purpose1 forward1 upward and onward1 straight to his goal4 ,his great success in war was due largely to his definiteness of aim4 ,he always hit the bull's-eye4 ,he was like a great burning-glass1 concentrating the rays of the sun upon a single spot2 he burned a hole wherever he went4 ,after finding the weak place in the enemy's ranks1 he would mass his men and hurl them like an avalanche upon the critical point1 crowding volley upon volley1 charge upon charge1 till he made a breach4 ,what a lesson of the power concentration there is in this man's life6 ,to succeed to-day a man must concentrate all the faculties of his mind upon one unwavering aim1 and have a tenacity of purpose which means death or victory4 ,every other inclination which tempts him from his aim must be suppressed4 ,a man may starve on a dozen half-learned trades or occupations2 he may grow rich and famous upon one trade thoroughly mastered1 even though it be the humblest4 ,even ,gladstone1 with his ponderous yet active brain1 said he could not do two things at once2 he threw his entire strength upon whatever he did4 ,the intensest energy characterized everything he undertook1 even his recreation4 ,if such concentration of energy is necessary for the success of a ,gladstone1 what can we common mortals hope to accomplish by scatteration8 ,all great men have been noted for their power of concentration which makes them oblivious of everything outside their aim4 ,victor ,hugo wrote his ,notre ,dame during the revolution of #ahcj1 while the bullets were whistling across his garden4 ,he shut himself up in one room1 locking his clothes up in another1 lest they should tempt him to go out into the street1 and spent most of that winter wrapped in a big gray comforter1 pouring his very life into his work4 ,abraham ,lincoln possessed such power of concentration that he could repeat quite correctly a sermon to which he had listened in his boyhood4 ,a ,new ,york sportsman1 in answer to an advertisement1 sent twenty-five cents for a sure receipt to prevent a shotgun from scattering1 and received the following3 ,dear ,sir3 ,to keep a gun from scattering put in but a single shot4 ,it is the men who do one thing in this world who come to the front4 ,who is the favorite actor8 ,it is a ,jefferson1 who devotes a lifetime to a ,rip ,van ,winkle1 a ,booth1 an ,irving1 a ,kean1 who plays one character until he can play it better than any other man living1 and not the shallow players who impersonate all parts4 ,the great man is the one who never steps outside of his specialty or dissipates his individuality4 ,it is an ,edison1 a ,morse1 a ,bell1 a ,howe1 a ,stephenson1 a ,watt4 ,it is an ,adam ,smith1 spending ten years on the ,wealth of ,nations4 ,it is a ,gibbon1 giving twenty years to his ,decline and ,fall of the ,roman ,empire4 ,it is a ,hume1 writing thirteen hours a day on his ,history of ,england4 ,it is a ,webster1 spending thirty-six years on his dictionary4 ,it is a ,bancroft1 working twenty-six years on his ,history of the ,united ,states4 ,it is a ,field1 crossing the ocean fifty times to lay a cable1 while the world ridicules4 ,it is a ,newton1 writing his ,chronology of ,ancient ,nations sixteen times4 ,a one-talent man who decides upon a definite object accomplishes more than a ten-talent man who scatters his energies and never knows exactly what he will do4 ,the weakest living creature1 by concentrating his powers upon one thing1 can accomplish something2 the strongest1 by dispersing his over many1 may fail to accomplish anything4 ,a great purpose is cumulative2 and1 like a great magnet1 it attracts all that is kindred along the stream of life4 ,illustration3 ,joseph ,jefferson ,a ,yankee can splice a rope in many different ways2 an ,english sailor only knows one way1 but that is the best one4 ,it is the one-sided man1 the sharp-eyed man1 the man of single and intense purpose1 the man of one idea1 who cuts his way through obstacles and forges to the front4 ,the time has gone forever when a ,bacon can span universal knowledge2 or when1 absorbing all the knowledge of the times1 a ,dante can sustain arguments against fourteen disputants in the ,university of ,paris1 and conquer in them all4 ,the day when a man can successfully drive a dozen callings abreast is a thing of the past4 ,concentration is the keynote of the century4 ,scientists estimate that there is energy enough in less than fifty acres of sunshine to run all the machinery in the world1 if it could be concentrated4 ,but the sun might blaze out upon the earth forever without setting anything on fire2 although these rays focused by a burning-glass would melt solid granite1 or even change a diamond into vapor4 ,there are plenty of men who have ability enough2 the rays of their faculties1 taken separately1 are all right1 but they are powerless to collect them1 to bring them all to bear upon a single spot4 ,versatile men1 universal geniuses1 are usually weak1 because they have no power to concentrate their talents upon one point1 and this makes all the difference between success and failure4 ,chiseled upon the tomb of a disappointed1 heart-broken king1 ,joseph ,,ii4 of ,austria1 in the ,royal ,cemetery at ,vienna1 a traveler tells us1 is this epitaph3 ,here lies a monarch who1 with the best of intentions1 never carried out a single plan4 ,sir ,james ,mackintosh was a man of remarkable ability4 ,he excited in every one who knew him the greatest expectations4 ,many watched his career with much interest1 expecting that he would dazzle the world2 but there was no purpose in his life4 ,he had intermittent attacks of enthusiasm for doing great things1 but his zeal all evaporated before he could decide what to do4 ,this fatal defect in his character kept him balancing between conflicting motives2 and his whole life was almost thrown away4 ,he lacked power to choose one object and persevere with a single aim1 sacrificing every interfering inclination4 ,he1 for instance1 vacillated for weeks trying to determine whether to use usefulness or utility in a composition4 ,one talent utilized in a single direction will do infinitely more than ten talents scattered4 ,a thimbleful of powder behind a ball in a rifle will do more execution than a carload of powder unconfined4 ,the rifle-barrel is the purpose that gives direct aim to the powder1 which otherwise1 no matter how good it might be1 would be powerless4 ,the poorest scholar in school or college often1 in practical life1 far outstrips the class leader or senior wrangler1 simply because what little ability he has he employs for a definite object1 while the other1 depending upon his general ability and brilliant prospects1 never concentrates his powers4 ,it is fashionable to ridicule the man of one idea1 but the men who have changed the front of the world have been men of a single aim4 ,no man can make his mark on this age of specialties who is not a man of one idea1 one supreme air1 one master passion4 ,the man who would make himself felt on this bustling planet1 who would make a breach in the compact conservatism of our civilization1 must play all his guns on one point4 ,a wavering aim1 a faltering purpose1 has no place in the twentieth century4 ,mental shiftlessness is the cause of many a failure4 ,the world is full of unsuccessful men who spend their lives letting empty buckets down into empty wells4 ,mr4 ,a4 often laughs at me1 said a young ,american chemist1 because ,i have but one idea4 ,he talks about everything1 aims to excel in many things2 but ,i have learned that1 if ,i ever wish to make a breach1 ,i must play my guns continually upon one point4 ,this great chemist1 when an obscure schoolmaster1 used to study by the light of a pine knot in a log cabin4 ,not many years later he was performing experiments in electro-magnetism before ,english earls1 and subsequently he was at the head of one of the largest scientific institutes of this country4 ,he was the late ,professor ,henry1 of the ,smithsonian ,institution1 ,washington4 ,we should guard against a talent which we can not hope to practise in perfection1 says ,goethe4 ,improve it as we may1 we shall always1 in the end1 when the merit of the matter has become apparent to us1 painfully lament the loss of time and strength devoted to such botching4 ,an old proverb says3 ,the master of one trade will support a wife and seven children1 and the master of seven will not support himself4 ,it is the single aim that wins4 ,men with monopolizing ambitions rarely live in history4 ,they do not focus their powers long enough to burn their names indelibly into the roll of honor4 ,edward ,everett1 even with his magnificent powers1 disappointed the expectations of his friends4 ,he spread himself over the whole field of knowledge and elegant culture2 but the mention of the name of ,everett does not call up any one great achievement as does that of names like ,garrison and ,phillips4 ,voltaire called the ,frenchman ,la ,harpe an oven which was always heating1 but which never cooked anything4 ,hartley ,coleridge was splendidly endowed with talent1 but there was one fatal lack in his character--he had no definite purpose1 and his life was a failure4 ,unstable as water1 he could not excel4 ,southey1 the uncle of ,coleridge1 says of him3 ,coleridge has two left hands4 ,he was so morbidly shy from living alone in his dreamland that he could not open a letter without trembling4 ,he would often rally from his purposeless life1 and resolve to redeem himself from the oblivion he saw staring him in the face2 but1 like ,sir ,james ,mackintosh1 he remained a man of promise merely to the end of his life4 ,the man who succeeds has a program4 ,he fires his course and adheres to it4 ,he lays his plans and executes them4 ,he goes straight to his goal4 ,he is not pushed this way and that every time a difficulty is thrown in his path2 if he can not get over it he goes through it4 ,constant and steady use of the faculties under a central purpose gives strength and power1 while the use of faculties without an aim or end only weakens them4 ,the mind must be focused on a definite end1 or1 like machinery without a balance-wheel1 it will rack itself to pieces4 ,this age of concentration calls1 not for educated men merely1 not for talented men1 not for geniuses1 not for jacks-of-all-trades1 but for men who are trained to do one thing as well as it can be done4 ,napoleon could go through the drill of his soldiers better than any one of his men4 ,stick to your aim4 ,the constant changing of one's occupation is fatal to all success4 ,after a young man has spent five or six years in a dry goods store1 he concludes that he would rather sell groceries1 thereby throwing away five years of valuable experience which will be of very little use to him in the grocery business2 and so he spends a large part of his life drifting around from one kind of employment to another1 learning part of each but all of none1 forgetting that experience is worth more to him than money and that the years devoted to learning his trade or occupation are the most valuable4 ,half-learned trades1 no matter if a man has twenty1 will never give him a good living1 much less a competency1 while wealth is absolutely out of the question4 ,how many young men fail to reach the point of efficiency in one line of work before they get discouraged and venture into something else6 ,how easy to see the thorns in one's own profession or vocation1 and only the roses in that of another6 ,a young man in business1 for instance1 seeing a physician riding about town in his carriage1 visiting his patients1 imagines that a doctor must have an easy1 ideal life1 and wonders that he himself should have embarked in an occupation so full of disagreeable drudgery and hardships4 ,he does not know of the years of dry1 tedious study which the physician has consumed1 the months and perhaps years of waiting for patients1 the dry detail of anatomy1 the endless names of drugs and technical terms4 ,there is a sense of great power in a vocation after a man has reached the point of efficiency in it1 the point of productiveness1 the point where his skill begins to tell and brings in returns4 ,up to this point of efficiency1 while he is learning his trade1 the time seems to have been almost thrown away4 ,but he has been storing up a vast reserve of knowledge of detail1 laying foundations1 forming his acquaintances1 gaining his reputation for truthfulness1 trustworthiness1 and integrity1 and in establishing his credit4 ,when he reaches this point of efficiency1 all the knowledge and skill1 character1 influence1 and credit thus gained come to his aid1 and he soon finds that in what seemed almost thrown away lies the secret of his prosperity4 ,the credit he established as a clerk1 the confidence1 the integrity1 the friendships formed1 he finds equal to a large capital when he starts out for himself and takes the highway to fortune2 while the young man who half learned several trades1 got discouraged and stopped just short of the point of efficiency1 just this side of success1 is a failure because he didn't go far enough2 he did not press on to the point at which his acquisition would have been profitable4 ,in spite of the fact that nearly all very successful men have made a life-work of one thing1 we see on every hand hundreds of young men and women flitting about from occupation to occupation1 trade to trade1 in one thing to-day and another to-morrow1--just as though they could go from one thing to another by turning a switch1 as though they could run as well on another track as on the one they have left1 regardless of the fact that no two careers have the same gage1 that every man builds his own road upon which another man's engine can not run either with speed or safety4 ,this fickleness1 this disposition to shift about from one occupation to another1 seems to be peculiar to ,american life1 so much so that1 when a young man meets a friend whom he has not seen for some time1 the commonest question to ask is1 ,what are you doing now8 showing the improbability or uncertainty that he is doing to-day what he was doing when they last met4 ,some people think that if they keep everlastingly at it they will succeed1 but this is not always so4 ,working without a plan is as foolish as going to sea without a compass4 ,a ship which has broken its rudder in mid-ocean may keep everlastingly at it1 may keep on a full head of steam1 driving about all the time1 but it never arrives anywhere1 it never reaches any port unless by accident2 and if it does find a haven1 its cargo may not be suited to the people1 the climate1 or conditions4 ,the ship must be directed to a definite port1 for which its cargo is adapted1 and where there is a demand for it1 and it must aim steadily for that port through sunshine and storm1 through tempest and fog4 ,so a man who would succeed must not drift about rudderless on the ocean of life4 ,he must not only steer straight toward his destined port when the ocean is smooth1 when the currents and winds serve1 but he must keep his course in the very teeth of the wind and the tempest1 and even when enveloped in the fogs of disappointment and mists of opposition4 ,atlantic liners do not stop for fogs or storms2 they plow straight through the rough seas with only one thing in view1 their destined port1 and no matter what the weather is1 no matter what obstacles they encounter1 their arrival in port can be predicted to within a few hours4 ,on the prairies of ,south ,america there grows a flower that always inclines in the same direction4 ,if a traveler loses his way and has neither compass nor chart1 by turning to this flower he will find a guide on which he can implicitly rely2 for no matter how the rains descend or the winds blow1 its leaves point to the north4 ,so there are many men whose purposes are so well known1 whose aims are so constant1 that no matter what difficulties they may encounter1 or what opposition they may meet1 you can tell almost to a certainty where they will come out4 ,they may be delayed by head winds and counter currents1 but they will always head for the port and will steer straight towards the harbor4 ,you know to a certainty that whatever else they may lose1 they will not lose their compass or rudder4 ,whatever may happen to a man of this stamp1 even though his sails may be swept away and his mast stripped to the deck1 though he may be wrecked by the storms of life1 the needle of his compass will still point to the ,north ,star of his hope4 ,whatever comes1 his life will not be purposeless4 ,even a wreck that makes its port is a greater success than a full-rigged ship with all its sails flying1 with every mast and every rope intact1 which merely drifts along into an accidental harbor4 ,to fix a wandering life and give it direction is not an easy task1 but a life which has no definite aim is sure to be frittered away in empty and purposeless dreams4 ,listless triflers1 busy idlers1 purposeless busy-bodies1 are seen everywhere4 ,a healthy1 definite purpose is a remedy for a thousand ills which attend aimless lives4 ,discontent and dissatisfaction flee before a definite purpose4 ,what we do begrudgingly without a purpose becomes a delight with one1 and no work is well done nor healthily done which is not enthusiastically done4 ,mere energy is not enough2 it must be concentrated on some steady1 unwavering aim4 ,what is more common than unsuccessful geniuses1 or failures with commanding talents8 ,indeed1 the term unrewarded genius has become a proverb4 ,every town has unsuccessful educated and talented men4 ,but education is of no value1 talent is worthless1 unless it can do something1 achieve something4 ,men who can do something at everything and a very little at anything are not wanted in this age4 ,what this age wants is young men and women who can do one thing without losing their identity or individuality1 or becoming narrow1 cramped1 or dwarfed4 ,nothing can take the place of an all-absorbing purpose2 education can not1 genius can not1 talent can not1 industry can not1 will-power can not4 ,the purposeless life must ever be a failure4 ,what good are powers1 faculties1 unless we can use them for a purpose8 ,what good would a chest of tools do a carpenter unless he could use them8 ,a college education1 a head full of knowledge1 are worth little to the men who cannot use them to some definite end4 ,the man without a purpose never leaves his mark upon the world4 ,he has no individuality2 he is absorbed in the mass1 lost in the crowd1 weak1 wavering1 and incompetent4 ,consider1 my lord1 said ,rowland ,hill to the ,prime ,minister of ,england1 that a letter to ,ireland and the answer back would cost thousands upon thousands of my affectionate countrymen more than a fifth of their week's wages4 ,if you shut the post-office to them1 which you do now1 you shut out warm hearts and generous affections from home1 kindred1 and friends4 ,the lad learned that it cost to carry a letter from ,london to ,edinburgh1 four hundred and four miles1 one eighteenth of a cent1 while the government charged for a simple folded sheet of paper twenty-eight cents1 and twice as much if there was the smallest inclosure4 ,against the opposition and contempt of the post-office department he at length carried his point1 and on ,january #aj1 #ahdj1 penny postage was established throughout ,great ,britain4 ,mr4 ,hill was chosen to introduce the system1 at a salary of fifteen hundred pounds a year4 ,his success was most encouraging1 but at the end of two years a ,tory minister dismissed him without paying for his services1 as agreed4 ,the public was indignant1 and at once contributed sixty-five thousand dollars2 and1 at the request of ,queen ,victoria1 ,parliament voted him one hundred thousand dollars cash1 together with ten thousand dollars a year for life4 ,it is a great purpose which gives meaning to life2 it unifies all our powers1 binds them together in one cable and makes strong and united what was weak1 separated1 scattered4 ,smatterers are weak and superficial4 ,of what use is a man who knows a little of everything and not much of anything8 ,it is the momentum of constantly repeated acts that tells the story4 ,let thine eyes look straight before thee4 ,ponder the path of thy feet and let all thy ways be established4 ,turn not to the right hand nor to the left4 ,one great secret of ,st4 ,paul's power lay in his strong purpose4 ,nothing could daunt1 nothing intimidate him4 ,the ,roman ,emperor could not muzzle him1 the dungeon could not appall him1 no prison suppress him1 obstacles could not discourage him4 ,this one thing ,i do was written all over his work4 ,the quenchless zeal of his mighty purpose burned its way down through the centuries1 and its contagion will never cease to fire the hearts of men4 ,try and come home somebody1 said his mother to ,gambetta as she sent him off to ,paris to school4 ,poverty pinched this lad hard in his little garret study and his clothes were shabby1 but what of that8 ,he had made up his mind to get on in the world4 ,for years he was chained to his desk and worked like a hero4 ,at last his opportunity came4 ,jules ,favre was to plead a great cause on a certain day2 but1 being ill1 he chose this young man1 absolutely unknown1 rough and uncouth1 to take his place4 ,for many years ,gambetta had been preparing for such an opportunity1 and he was equal to it4 ,he made one of the greatest speeches that up to that time had ever been made in ,france4 ,that night all the papers in ,paris were sounding the praises of this ragged1 uncouth ,bohemian1 and soon all ,france recognized him as the ,republican leader4 ,this sudden rise was not due to luck or accident4 ,he had been steadfastly working and fighting his way up against oppositions and poverty for just such an occasion4 ,had he not been equal to it1 it would only have made him ridiculous4 ,what a stride2 yesterday1 poor and unknown1 living in a garret2 today1 deputy-elect1 in the city of ,marseilles1 and the great ,republican leader6 ,when ,louis ,napoleon had been defeated at ,sedan and had delivered his sword to ,william of ,prussia1 and when the ,prussian army was marching on ,paris1 the brave ,gambetta went out of the besieged city in a balloon barely grazed by the ,prussian guns1 landed in ,amiens1 and by almost superhuman skill raised three armies of #hjj1jjj men1 provided for their maintenance1 and directed their military operations4 ,a ,german officer said3 ,this colossal energy is the most remarkable event of modern history1 and will carry down ,gambetta's name to remote posterity4 ,this youth who was poring over his books in an attic while other youths were promenading the ,champs ,elyses1 although but thirty-two years old1 was now virtually dictator of ,france1 and the greatest orator in the ,republic4 ,what a striking example of the great reserve of personal power1 which1 even in dissolute lives1 is sometimes called out by a great emergency or sudden sorrow1 and ever after leads the life to victory6 ,when ,gambetta found that his first speech had electrified all ,france1 his great reserve rushed to the front2 he was suddenly weaned from dissipation1 and resolved to make his mark in the world4 ,nor did he lose his head in his quick leap into fame4 ,he still lived in the upper room in the musty ,latin ,quarter1 and remained a poor man1 without stain of dishonor1 though he might easily have made himself a millionaire4 ,when he died the ,figaro said1 ,the ,republic has lost its greatest man4 ,american boys should study this great man1 for he loved our country1 and took our ,republic as the pattern for ,france4 ,there is no grander sight in the world than that of a young man fired with a great purpose1 dominated by one unwavering aim4 ,he is bound to win2 the world stands to one side and lets him pass2 it always makes way for the man with a will in him4 ,he does not have one-half the opposition to overcome that the undecided1 purposeless man has who1 like driftwood1 runs against all sorts of snags to which he must yield simply because he has no momentum to force them out of his way4 ,what a sublime spectacle it is to see a youth going straight to his goal1 cutting his way through difficulties1 and surmounting obstacles which dishearten others1 as though they were but stepping-stones6 ,defeat1 like a gymnasium1 only gives him new power2 opposition only doubles his exertions2 dangers only increase his courage4 ,no matter what comes to him1 sickness1 poverty1 disaster1 he never turns his eye from his goal4 ,duos qui sequitur lepores1 neutrum capit4 ,,chapter ,,xl ,,work ,,and ,,wait ,what we do upon some great occasion will probably depend on what we already are2 and what we are will be the result of previous years of self-discipline4--,h4 ,p4 ,,liddon4 ,i consider a human soul without education like marble in a quarry1 which shows none of its inherent beauties until the skill of the polisher sketches out the colors1 makes the surface shine1 and discovers every ornamental cloud1 spot1 and vein that runs throughout the body of it4--,,addison4 ,use your gifts faithfully1 and they shall be enlarged2 practise what you know1 and you shall attain to higher knowledge4--,,arnold4 ,haste trips up its own heels1 fetters and stops itself4--,,seneca4 ,the more you know1 the more you can save yourself and that which belongs to you1 and do more work with less effort4--,,charles ,,kingsley4 ,i was a mere cipher in that vast sea of human enterprise1 said ,henry ,bessemer1 speaking of his arrival in ,london in #ahca4 ,although but eighteen years old1 and without an acquaintance in the city1 he soon made work for himself by inventing a process of copying bas-reliefs on cardboard4 ,his method was so simple that one could learn in ten minutes how to make a die from an embossed stamp for a penny4 ,having ascertained later that in this way the raised stamps on all official papers in ,england could easily be forged1 he set to work and invented a perforated stamp which could not be forged nor removed from a document4 ,at the public stamp office he was told by the chief that the government was losing #ajj1jjj pounds a year through the custom of removing stamps from old parchments and using them again4 ,the chief also fully appreciated the new danger of easy counterfeiting4 ,so he offered ,bessemer a definite sum for his process of perforation1 or an office for life at eight hundred pounds a year4 ,bessemer chose the office1 and hastened to tell the good news to a young woman with whom he had agreed to share his fortune4 ,in explaining his invention1 he told how it would prevent any one from taking a valuable stamp from a document a hundred years old and using it a second time4 ,yes1 said his betrothed1 ,i understand that2 but1 surely1 if all stamps had a date put upon them they could not at a future time be used without detection4 ,this was a very short speech1 and of no special importance if we omit a single word of four letters2 but1 like the schoolboy's pins which saved the lives of thousands of people annually by not getting swallowed1 that little word1 by keeping out of the ponderous minds of the ,british revenue officers1 had for a long period saved the government the burden of caring for an additional income of #ajj1jjj pounds a year4 ,and the same little word1 if published in its connection1 would render ,bessemer's perforation device of far less value than a last year's bird's nest4 ,he felt proud of the young woman's ingenuity1 and promptly suggested the improvement at the stamp office4 ,as a result his system of perforation was abandoned and he was deprived of his promised office1 the government coolly making use from that day to this1 without compensation1 of the idea conveyed by that little insignificant word4 ,so ,bessemer's financial prospects were not very encouraging2 but1 realizing that the best capital a young man can have is a capital wife1 he at once entered into a partnership which placed at his command the combined ideas of two very level heads4 ,the result1 after years of thought and experiment1 was the ,bessemer process of making steel cheaply1 which has revolutionized the iron industry throughout the world4 ,his method consists simply in forcing hot air from below into several tons of melted pig-iron1 so as to produce intense combustion2 and then adding enough spiegel-eisen 7looking-glass iron71 an ore rich in carbon1 to change the whole mass to steel4 ,he discovered this simple process only after trying in vain much more difficult and expensive methods4 ,all things come round to him who will but wait4 ,the great lack of the age is want of thoroughness4 ,how seldom you find a young man or woman who is willing to take time to prepare for his life work6 ,a little education is all they want1 a little smattering of books1 and then they are ready for business4 ,can't wait is characteristic of the century1 and is written on everything2 on commerce1 on schools1 on society1 on churches4 ,can't wait for a high school1 seminary1 or college4 ,the boy can't wait to become a youth1 nor the youth a man4 ,youth rush into business with no great reserve of education or drill2 of course they do poor1 feverish work1 and break down in middle life1 and many die of old age in the forties4 ,everybody is in a hurry4 ,buildings are rushed up so quickly that they will not stand1 and everything is made to sell4 ,not long ago a professor in one of our universities had a letter from a young woman in the ,west1 asking him if he did not think she could teach elocution if she could come to the university and take twelve lessons4 ,our young people of to-day are not willing to lay broad1 deep foundations4 ,the weary years in preparatory school and college dishearten them4 ,they only want a smattering of an education4 ,but as ,pope says1-- ,a little learning is a dangerous thing2 ,drink deep1 or taste not the ,pierian spring3 ,there shallow draughts intoxicate the brain1 ,and drinking largely sobers us again4 ,the shifts to cover up ignorance1 and the constant trembling lest some blunder should expose one's emptiness1 are pitiable4 ,short cuts and abridged methods are the demand of the hour4 ,but the way to shorten the road to success is to take plenty of time to lay in your reserve power4 ,hard work1 a definite aim1 and faithfulness will shorten the way4 ,don't risk a life's superstructure upon a day's foundation4 ,patience is ,nature's motto4 ,she works ages to bring a flower to perfection4 ,what will she not do for the greatest of her creation8 ,ages and aeons are nothing to her2 out of them she has been carving her great statue1 a perfect man4 ,johnson said a man must turn over half a library to write one book4 ,when an authoress told ,wordsworth she had spent six hours on a poem1 he replied that he would have spent six weeks4 ,think of ,bishop ,hall spending thirty years on one of his works6 ,owens was working on the ,commentary to the ,epistle to the ,hebrews for twenty years4 ,moore spent several weeks on one of his musical stanzas which reads as if it were a dash of genius4 ,carlyle wrote with the utmost difficulty and never executed a page of his great histories till he had consulted every known authority1 so that every sentence is the quintessence of many books1 the product of many hours of drudging research in the great libraries4 ,today1 ,sartor ,resartus is everywhere4 ,you can get it for a mere trifle at almost any bookseller's1 and hundreds of thousands of copies are scattered over the world4 ,but when ,carlyle brought it to ,london in #ahea1 it was refused almost contemptuously by three prominent publishers4 ,at length he managed to get it into ,fraser's ,magazine1 the editor of which conveyed to the author the pleasing information that his work had been received with unqualified disapprobation4 ,henry ,ward ,beecher sent half a dozen articles to the publisher of a religious paper to pay for his subscription1 but they were respectfully declined4 ,the publishers of the ,atlantic ,monthly returned ,miss ,alcott's manuscript1 suggesting that she had better stick to teaching4 ,one of the leading magazines ridiculed ,tennyson's first poems1 and consigned the young poet to temporary oblivion4 ,only one of ,ralph ,waldo ,emerson's books had a remunerative sale4 ,washington ,irving was nearly seventy years old before the income from his books paid the expenses of his household4 ,in some respects it is very unfortunate that the old system of binding boys out to a trade has been abandoned4 ,to-day very few boys learn any trade4 ,they pick up what they know1 as they go along1 just as a student crams for a particular examination1 just to get through1 without any effort to see how much he may learn on any subject4 ,think of an ,american youth spending ten years with ,da ,vinci on the model of an equestrian statue that he might master the anatomy of the horse6 ,most young ,american artists would expect1 in a quarter of that time1 to sculpture an ,apollo ,belvidere4 ,a rich man asked ,howard ,burnett to do a little something for his album4 ,burnett complied and charged a thousand francs4 ,but it took you only five minutes1 objected the rich man4 ,yes1 but it took me thirty years to learn how to do it in five minutes4 ,what the age wants is men who have the nerve and the grit to work and wait1 whether the world applaud or hiss2 a ,mirabeau1 who can struggle on for forty years before he has a chance to show the world his vast reserve1 destined to shake an empire2 a ,farragut1 a ,von ,moltke1 who have the persistence to work and wait for half a century for their first great opportunities2 a ,grant1 fighting on in heroic silence1 when denounced by his brother generals and politicians everywhere2 a ,michael ,angelo1 working seven long years decorating the ,sistine ,chapel with his matchless ,creation and the ,last ,judgment1 refusing all remuneration therefor1 lest his pencil might catch the taint of avarice2 a ,thurlow ,weed1 walking two miles through the snow with rags tied around his feet for shoes1 to borrow the history of the ,french ,revolution1 and eagerly devouring it before the sap-bush fire2 a ,milton1 elaborating ,paradise ,lost in a world he could not see2 a ,thackeray1 struggling on cheerfully after his ,vanity ,fair was refused by a dozen publishers2 a ,balzac1 toiling and waiting in a lonely garret2 men whom neither poverty1 debt1 nor hunger could discourage or intimidate2 not daunted by privations1 not hindered by discouragements4 ,it wants men who can work and wait4 ,when a young lawyer ,daniel ,webster once looked in vain through all the law libraries near him1 and then ordered at an expense of fifty dollars the necessary books1 to obtain authorities and precedents in a case in which his client was a poor blacksmith4 ,he won his case1 but1 on account of the poverty of his client1 only charged fifteen dollars1 thus losing heavily on the books bought1 to say nothing of his time4 ,years after1 as he was passing through ,new ,york ,city1 he was consulted by ,aaron ,burr on an important but puzzling case then pending before the ,supreme ,court4 ,he saw in a moment that it was just like the blacksmith's case1 an intricate question of title1 which he had solved so thoroughly that it was to him now as simple as the multiplication table4 ,going back to the time of ,charles ,,ii he gave the law and precedents involved with such readiness and accuracy of sequence that ,burr asked in great surprise if he had been consulted before in the case4 ,most certainly not1 he replied1 ,i never heard of your case till this evening4 ,very well1 said ,burr1 proceed2 and1 when he had finished1 ,webster received a fee that paid him liberally for all the time and trouble he had spent for his early client4 ,albert ,bierstadt first crossed the ,rocky ,mountains with a band of pioneers in #ahei1 making sketches for the paintings of ,western scenes for which he had become famous4 ,as he followed the trail to ,pike's ,peak1 he gazed in wonder upon the enormous herds of buffaloes which dotted the plains as far as the eye could reach1 and thought of the time when they would have disappeared before the march of civilization4 ,the thought haunted him and found its final embodiment in ,the ,last of the ,buffaloes in #ahij4 ,to perfect this great work he had spent twenty years4 ,everything which endures1 which will stand the test of time1 must have a deep1 solid foundation4 ,in ,rome the foundation is often the most expensive part of an edifice1 so deep must they dig to build on the living rock4 ,fifty feet of ,bunker ,hill ,monument is under ground2 unseen and unappreciated by those who tread about that historic shaft1 but it is this foundation1 apparently thrown away1 which enables it to stand upright1 true to the plumb-line through all the tempests that lash its granite sides4 ,a large part of every successful life must be spent in laying foundation stones underground4 ,success is the child of drudgery and perseverance and depends upon knowing how long it takes to succeed4 ,endurance is a much better test of character than any one act of heroism1 however noble4 ,the pianist ,thalberg said he never ventured to perform one of his celebrated pieces in public until he had played it at least fifteen hundred times4 ,he laid no claim whatever to genius2 he said it was all a question of hard work4 ,the accomplishments of such industry1 such perseverance1 would put to shame many a man who claims genius4 ,before ,edmund ,kean would consent to appear in that character which he acted with such consummate skill1 ,the ,gentleman ,villain1 he practised constantly before a glass1 studying expression for a year and a half4 ,when he appeared upon the stage1 ,byron1 who went with ,moore to see him1 said he never looked upon so fearful and wicked a face4 ,as the great actor went on to delineate the terrible consequences of sin1 ,byron fainted4 ,for years ,i was in my place of business by sunrise1 said a wealthy banker who had begun without a dollar2 and often ,i did not leave it for fifteen or eighteen hours4 ,patience1 it is said1 changes the mulberry leaf to satin4 ,the giant oak on the hillside was detained months or years in its upward growth while its root took a great turn around some rock1 in order to gain a hold by which the tree was anchored to withstand the storms of centuries4 ,da ,vinci spent four years on the head of ,mona ,lisa1 perhaps the most beautiful ever painted1 but he left therein an artistic thought for all time4 ,said ,captain ,bingham3 ,you can have no idea of the wonderful machine that the ,german army is and how well it is prepared for war4 ,a chart is made out which shows just what must be done in the case of wars with the different nations1 and every officer's place in the scheme is laid out beforehand4 ,there is a schedule of trains which will supersede all other schedules the moment war is declared1 and this is so arranged that the commander of the army here could telegraph to any officer to take such a train and go to such a place at a moment's notice4 ,a learned clergyman was thus accosted by an illiterate preacher who despised education3 ,sir1 you have been to college1 ,i presume8 ,yes1 sir1 was the reply4 ,i am thankful1 said the former1 that the ,lord opened my mouth without any learning4 ,a similar event1 retorted the clergyman1 happened in ,balaam's time4 ,a young man just graduated told the ,president of ,trinity ,college that he had completed his education1 and had come to say good-by4 ,indeed1 said the ,president1 ,i have just begun my education4 ,many an extraordinary man has been made out of a very ordinary boy3 but in order to accomplish this we must begin with him while he is young4 ,it is simply astonishing what training will do for a rough1 uncouth1 and even dull lad1 if he has good material in him1 and comes under the tutelage of a skilled educator before his habits become fixed or confirmed4 ,even a few weeks' or months' drill of the rawest and roughest recruits in the late ,civil ,war so straightened and dignified stooping and uncouth soldiers1 and made them manly1 erect1 and courteous in their bearing1 that their own friends scarcely knew them4 ,if this change is so marked in the youth who has grown to maturity1 what a miracle is possible in the lad who is taken early and put under a course of drill and systematic training1 both physical1 mental1 and moral6 ,how often a man who is in the penitentiary1 in the poorhouse1 or among the tramps1 or living out a miserable existence in the slums of our cities1 rough1 slovenly1 has slumbering within the rags possibilities which would have developed him into a magnificent man1 an ornament to the human race instead of a foul blot and ugly scar1 had he only been fortunate enough early in life to have enjoyed the benefits of efficient and systematic training6 ,laziness begins in cobwebs and ends in iron chains4 ,edison described his repeated efforts to make the phonograph reproduce an aspirated sound1 and added3 ,from eighteen to twenty hours a day for the last seven months ,i have worked on this single word 'specia4' ,i said into the phonograph 'specia1 specia1 specia1' but the instrument responded 'pecia1 pecia1 pecia4' ,it was enough to drive one mad4 ,but ,i held firm1 and ,i have succeeded4 ,the road to distinction must be paved with years of self-denial and hard work4 ,horace ,mann1 the great author of the common school system of ,massachusetts1 was a remarkable example of that pluck and patience which can work and wait4 ,his only inheritance was poverty and hard work4 ,but he had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and a determination to get on in the world4 ,he braided straw to earn money to buy books for which his soul thirsted4 ,gladstone was bound to win4 ,although he had spent many years of preparation for his life work1 in spite of the consciousness of marvelous natural endowments which would have been deemed sufficient by many young men1 and notwithstanding he had gained the coveted prize of a seat in ,parliament1 yet he decided to make himself master of the situation2 and amid all his public and private duties1 he not only spent eleven terms more in the study of the law1 but also studied ,greek constantly and read every well-written book or paper he could obtain1 so determined was he that his life should be rounded out to its fullest measure1 and that his mind should have broad and liberal culture4 ,ole ,bull said3 ,if ,i practise one day1 ,i can see the result2 if ,i practise two days1 my friends can see it2 if ,i practise three days1 the great public can see it4 ,the habit of seizing every bit of knowledge1 no matter how insignificant it may seem at the time1 every opportunity1 every occasion1 and grinding them all up into experience1 can not be overestimated4 ,you will find use for all of it4 ,webster once repeated with effect an anecdote which he had heard fourteen years before1 and which he had not thought of in the meantime4 ,it exactly fitted the occasion4 ,it is an ill mason that rejects any stone4 ,webster was once urged to speak on a subject of great importance1 but refused1 saying he was very busy and had no time to master the subject4 ,but1 replied his friend1 a very few words from you would do much to awaken public attention to it4 ,webster replied1 ,if there be so much weight in my words1 it is because ,i do not allow myself to speak on any subject until my mind is imbued with it4 ,on one occasion ,webster made a remarkable speech before the ,phi ,beta ,kappa ,society at ,harvard1 when a book was presented to him2 but after he had gone1 his impromptu speech1 carefully written out1 was found in the book which he had forgotten to take away4 ,demosthenes was once asked to speak on a great and sudden emergency1 but replied1 ,i am not prepared4 ,in fact1 it was thought by many that ,demosthenes did not possess any genius whatever1 because he never allowed himself to speak on any subject without thorough preparation4 ,in any meeting or assembly1 when called upon1 he would never rise1 even to make remarks1 it was said1 without previously preparing himself4 ,alexander ,hamilton said1 ,men give me credit for genius4 ,all the genius ,i have lies just in this3 when ,i have a subject in hand ,i study it profoundly4 ,day and night it is before me4 ,i explore it in all its bearings4 ,my mind becomes pervaded with it4 ,then the effort which ,i make the people are pleased to call the fruit of genius2 it is the fruit of labor and thought4 ,the law of labor is equally binding on genius and mediocrity4 ,nelaton1 the great surgeon1 said that if he had four minutes in which to perform an operation on which a life depended1 he would take one minute to consider how best to do it4 ,many men1 says ,longfellow1 do not allow their principles to take root1 but pull them up every now and then1 as children do flowers they have planted1 to see if they are growing4 ,we must not only work1 but also wait4 ,the spruce young spark1 says ,sizer1 who thinks chiefly of his mustache and boots and shiny hat1 of getting along nicely and easily during the day1 and talking about the theater1 the opera1 or a fast horse1 ridiculing the faithful young fellow who came to learn the business and make a man of himself because he will not join in wasting his time in dissipation1 will see the day1 if his useless life is not earlier blasted by vicious indulgences1 when he will be glad to accept a situation from the fellow-clerk whom he now ridicules and affects to despise1 when the latter shall stand in the firm1 dispensing benefits and acquiring fortune4 ,i have been watching the careers of young men by the thousand in this busy city of ,new ,york for over thirty years1 said ,dr4 ,cuyler1 and ,i find that the chief difference between the successful and the failures lies in the single element of staying power4 ,permanent success is oftener won by holding on than by sudden dash1 however brilliant4 ,the easily discouraged1 who are pushed back by a straw1 are all the time dropping to the rear--to perish or to be carried along on the stretcher of charity4 ,they who understand and practise ,abraham ,lincoln's homely maxim of 'pegging away' have achieved the solidest success4 ,the ,duke of ,wellington became so discouraged because he did not advance in the army that he applied for a much inferior position in the customs department1 but was refused4 ,napoleon had applied for every vacant position for seven years before he was recognized1 but meanwhile he studied with all his might1 supplementing what was considered a thorough military education by researches and reflections which in later years enabled him easily to teach the art of war to veterans who had never dreamed of his novel combinations4 ,reserves which carry us through great emergencies are the result of long working and long waiting4 ,dr4 ,collyer declares that reserves mean to a man also achievement1--the power to do the grandest thing possible to your nature when you feel you must1 or some precious thing will be lost1--to do well always1 but best in the crisis on which all things turn2 to stand the strain of a long fight1 and still find you have something left1 and so to never know you are beaten1 because you never are beaten4 ,he only is independent in action who has been earnest and thorough in preparation and self-culture4 ,not for school1 but for life1 we learn2 and our habits--of promptness1 earnestness1 and thoroughness1 or of tardiness1 fickleness1 and superficiality--are the things acquired most readily and longest retained4 ,to vary the language of another1 the three great essentials to success in mental and physical labor are ,practice1 ,patience1 and ,perseverance1 but the greatest of these is ,perseverance4 ,let us1 then1 be up and doing1 ,with a heart for any fate2 ,still achieving1 still pursuing1 ,learn to labor and to wait4 ,,chapter ,,xli ,,the ,,might ,,of ,,little ,,things ,think naught a trifle1 though it small appear2 ,small sands the mountain1 moments make the year1 ,and trifles1 life4 ,,young4 ,it is but the littleness of man that sees no greatness in trifles4--,,wendell ,,phillips4 ,he that despiseth small things shall fall by little and little4--,,ecclesiasticus4 ,the creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn4--,,emerson4 ,men are led by trifles4--,,napoleon4 ,a pebble on the streamlet scant ,has turned the course of many a river4 ,the bad thing about a little sin is that it won't stay little4 ,arletta's pretty feet1 glistening in the brook1 made her the mother of ,william the ,conqueror1 says ,palgrave's ,history of ,normandy and ,england4 ,had she not thus fascinated ,duke ,robert the ,liberal1 of ,normandy1 ,harold would not have fallen at ,hastings1 no ,anglo-,norman dynasty could have arisen1 no ,british ,empire4 ,we may tell which way the wind blew before the ,deluge by marking the ripple and cupping of the rain in the petrified sand now preserved forever4 ,we tell the very path by which gigantic creatures1 whom man never saw1 walked to the river's edge to find their food4 ,it was little ,greece that rolled back the overflowing tide of ,asiatic luxury and despotism1 giving instead to ,europe and ,america models of the highest political freedom yet attained1 and germs of limitless mental growth4 ,a different result at ,plataea would have delayed the progress of the human race more than ten centuries4 ,among the lofty ,alps1 it is said1 the guides sometimes demand absolute silence1 lest the vibration of the voice bring down an avalanche4 ,the power of observation in the ,american ,indian would put many an educated man to shame4 ,returning home1 an ,indian discovered that his venison1 which had been hanging up to dry1 had been stolen4 ,after careful observation he started to track the thief through the woods4 ,meeting a man on the route1 he asked him if he had seen a little1 old1 white man1 with a short gun1 and with a small bobtailed dog4 ,the man told him he had met such a man1 but was surprised to find that the ,indian had not even seen the one he described1 and asked him how he could give such a minute description of the man he had never seen4 ,i knew the thief was a little man1 said the ,indian1 because he rolled up a stone to stand on in order to reach the venison2 ,i knew he was an old man by his short steps2 ,i knew he was a white man by his turning out his toes in walking1 which an ,indian never does2 ,i knew he had a short gun by the mark it left on the tree where he had stood it up2 ,i knew the dog was small by his tracks and short steps1 and that he had a bob-tail by the mark it left in the dust where he sat4 ,two drops of rain1 falling side by side1 were separated a few inches by a gentle breeze4 ,striking on opposite sides of the roof of a court-house in ,wisconsin1 one rolled southward through the ,rock ,river and the ,mississippi to the ,gulf of ,mexico2 while the other entered successively the ,fox ,river1 ,green ,bay1 ,lake ,michigan1 the ,straits of ,mackinaw1 ,lake ,huron1 ,st4 ,clair ,river1 ,lake ,st4 ,clair1 ,detroit ,river1 ,lake ,erie1 ,niagara ,river1 ,lake ,ontario1 the ,st4 ,lawrence ,river1 and finally reached the ,gulf of ,st4 ,lawrence4 ,how slight the influence of the breeze1 yet such was the formation of the continent that a trifling cause was multiplied almost beyond the power of figures to express its momentous effect upon the destinies of these companion raindrops4 ,who can calculate the future of the smallest trifle when a mud crack swells to an ,amazon and the stealing of a penny may end on the scaffold8 ,the act of a moment may cause a life's regret4 ,a trigger may be pulled in an instant1 but the soul returns never4 ,a spark falling upon some combustibles led to the invention of gunpowder4 ,a few bits of seaweed and driftwood1 floating on the waves1 enabled ,columbus to stay a mutiny of his sailors which threatened to prevent the discovery of a new world4 ,there are moments in history which balance years of ordinary life4 ,dana could interest a class for hours on a grain of sand2 and from a single bone1 such as no one had ever seen before1 ,agassiz could deduce the entire structure and habits of an animal which no man had ever seen so accurately that subsequent discoveries of complete skeletons have not changed one of his conclusions4 ,a cricket once saved a military expedition from destruction4 ,the commanding officer and hundreds of his men were going to ,south ,america on a great ship1 and1 through the carelessness of the watch1 they would have been dashed upon a ledge of rock had it not been for a cricket which a soldier had brought on board4 ,when the little insect scented the land1 it broke its long silence by a shrill note1 and thus warned them of their danger4 ,by gnawing through a dike1 even a rat may drown a nation4 ,a little boy in ,holland saw water trickling from a small hole near the bottom of a dike4 ,he realized that the leak would rapidly become larger if the water were not checked1 so he held his hand over the hole for hours on a dark and dismal night until he could attract the attention of passers-by4 ,his name is still held in grateful remembrance in ,holland4 ,the beetling chalk cliffs of ,england were built by rhizopods1 too small to be clearly seen without the aid of a magnifying-glass4 ,what was so unlikely as that throwing an empty wine-flask in the fire should furnish the first notion of a locomotive1 or that the sickness of an ,italian chemist's wife and her absurd craving for reptiles for food should begin the electric telegraph4 ,madame ,galvani noticed the contraction of the muscles of a skinned frog which was accidentally touched at the moment her husband took a spark from an electrical machine4 ,she gave the hint which led to the discovery of galvanic electricity1 now so useful in the arts and in transmitting vocal or written language4 ,the fate of a nation1 says ,gladstone1 has often depended upon the good or bad digestion of a fine dinner4 ,a stamp act to raise #fj1jjj pounds produced the ,american ,revolution1 a war that cost ,england #ajj1jjj1jjj pounds4 ,a war between ,france and ,england1 costing more than a hundred thousand lives1 grew out of a quarrel as to which of two vessels should first be served with water4 ,the quarrel of two ,indian boys over a grasshopper led to the ,grasshopper ,war4 ,what mighty contests rise from trivial things6 ,a young man once went to ,india to seek his fortune1 but1 finding no opening1 he went to his room1 loaded his pistol1 put the muzzle to his head1 and pulled the trigger4 ,but it did not go off4 ,he went to the window to point it in another direction and try it again1 resolved that if the weapon went off he would regard it as a ,providence that he was spared4 ,he pulled the trigger and it went off the first time4 ,trembling with excitement he resolved to hold his life sacred1 to make the most of it1 and never again to cheapen it4 ,this young man became ,general ,robert ,clive1 who1 with but a handful of ,european soldiers1 secured to the ,east ,india ,company and afterwards to ,great ,britain a great and rich country with two hundred millions of people4 ,the cackling of a goose aroused the sentinels and saved ,rome from the ,gauls1 and the pain from a thistle warned a ,scottish army of the approach of the ,danes4 ,henry ,ward ,beecher came within one vote of being elected superintendent of a railway4 ,if he had had that vote ,america would probably have lost its greatest preacher4 ,what a little thing fixes destiny6 ,trifles light as air often suggest to the thinking mind ideas which have revolutionized the world4 ,a famous ruby was offered to the ,english government4 ,the report of the crown jeweler was that it was the finest he had ever seen or heard of1 but that one of the facets was slightly fractured4 ,that invisible fracture reduced the value of the ruby thousands of dollars1 and it was rejected from the regalia of ,england4 ,it was a little thing for the janitor to leave a lamp swinging in the cathedral at ,pisa1 but in that steady swaying motion the boy ,galileo saw the pendulum1 and conceived the idea of thus measuring time4 ,i was singing to the mouthpiece of a telephone1 said ,edison1 when the vibrations of my voice caused a fine steel point to pierce one of my fingers held just behind it4 ,that set me to thinking4 ,if ,i could record the motions of the point and send it over the same surface afterward1 ,i saw no reason why the thing would not talk4 ,i determined to make a machine that would work accurately1 and gave my assistants the necessary instructions1 telling them what ,i had discovered4 ,that's the whole story4 ,the phonograph is the result of the pricking of a finger4 ,it was a little thing for a cow to kick over a lantern left in a shanty1 but it laid ,chicago in ashes1 and rendered homeless a hundred thousand people4 ,some little weakness1 some self-indulgence1 a quick temper1 want of decision1 are little things1 you say1 when placed beside great abilities1 but they have wrecked many a career4 ,the ,parliament of ,great ,britain1 the ,congress of the ,united ,states1 and representative governments all over the world have come from ,king ,john signing the ,magna ,charta4 ,bentham says1 ,the turn of a sentence has decided many a friendship1 and1 for aught we know1 the fate of many a kingdom4 ,perhaps you turned a cold shoulder but once1 and made but one stinging remark1 yet it may have cost you a friend forever4 ,the sight of a stranded cuttlefish led ,cuvier to an investigation which made him one of the greatest natural historians in the world4 ,the web of a spider suggested to ,captain ,brown the idea of a suspension bridge4 ,a missing marriage certificate kept the hod-carrier of ,hugh ,miller from establishing his claim to the ,earldom of ,crawford4 ,the masons would call out1 ,john1 ,yearl of ,crawford1 bring us anither hod o' lime4 ,the absence of a comma in a bill which passed through ,congress years ago cost our government a million dollars4 ,a single misspelled word prevented a deserving young man from obtaining a situation as instructor in a ,new ,england college4 ,i cannot see that you have made any progress since my last visit1 said a gentleman to ,michael ,angelo4 ,but1 said the sculptor1 ,i have retouched this part1 polished that1 softened that feature1 brought out that muscle1 given some expression to this lip1 more energy to that limb1 etc4 ,but they are trifles6 exclaimed the visitor4 ,it may be so1 replied the great artist1 but trifles make perfection1 and perfection is no trifle4 ,that infinite patience which made ,michael ,angelo spend a week in bringing out a muscle in a statue1 with more vital fidelity to truth1 or ,gerhard ,dow a day in giving the right effect to a dewdrop on a cabbage leaf1 makes all the difference between success and failure4 ,the cry of the infant ,moses attracted the attention of ,pharoah's daughter1 and gave the ,jews a lawgiver4 ,a bird alighting on the bough of a tree at the mouth of the cave where ,mahomet lay hid turned aside his pursuers1 and gave a prophet to many nations4 ,a flight of birds probably prevented ,columbus from discovering this continent4 ,when he was growing anxious1 ,martin ,alonzo ,pinzon persuaded him to follow a flight of parrots toward the southwest2 for to the ,spanish seamen of that day it was good luck to follow in the wake of a flock of birds when on a voyage of discovery4 ,but for his change of course ,columbus would have reached the coast of ,florida4 ,never1 wrote ,humboldt1 had the flight of birds more important consequences4 ,the children of a spectacle-maker placed two or more pairs of the spectacles before each other in play1 and told their father that distant objects looked larger4 ,from this hint came the telescope4 ,every day is a little life2 and our whole life but a day repeated4 ,those that dare lose a day are dangerously prodigal2 those that dare misspend it1 desperate4 ,what is the happiness of your life made up of8 ,little courtesies1 little kindnesses1 pleasant words1 genial smiles1 a friendly letter1 good wishes1 and good deeds4 ,one in a million--once in a lifetime--may do a heroic action4 ,napoleon was a master of trifles4 ,to details which his inferior officers thought too microscopic for their notice he gave the most exhaustive consideration4 ,nothing was too small for his attention4 ,he must know all about the provisions1 the horse fodder1 the biscuits1 the camp kettles1 the shoes4 ,when the bugle sounded for the march to battle1 every officer had his orders as to the exact route which he should follow1 the exact day he was to arrive at a certain station1 and the exact hour he was to leave1 and they were all to reach the point of destination at a precise moment4 ,it is said that nothing could be more perfectly planned than his memorable march which led to the victory of ,austerlitz1 and which sealed the fate of ,europe for many years4 ,he would often charge his absent officers to send him perfectly accurate returns1 even to the smallest detail4 ,when they are sent to me1 ,i give up every occupation in order to read them in detail1 and to observe the difference between one monthly return and another4 ,no young girl enjoys her novel as much as ,i do these returns4 ,napoleon left nothing to chance1 nothing to contingency1 so far as he could possibly avoid it4 ,everything was planned to a nicety before he attempted to execute it4 ,wellington1 too1 was great in little things4 ,he knew no such things as trifles4 ,while other generals trusted to subordinates1 he gave his personal attention to the minutest detail4 ,the history of many a failure could be written in three words1 ,lack of detail4 ,how many a lawyer has failed from the lack of details in deeds and important papers1 the lack of little words which seemed like surplusage1 and which involved his clients in litigation1 and often great losses6 ,how many wills are contested from the carelessness of lawyers in the omission or shading of words1 or ambiguous use of language6 ,not even ,helen of ,troy1 it is said1 was beautiful enough to spare the tip of her nose2 and if ,cleopatra's had been an inch shorter ,mark ,antony might never have become infatuated with her wonderful charms1 and the blemish would have changed the history of the world4 ,anne ,boleyn's fascinating smile split the great ,church of ,rome in twain1 and gave a nation an altered destiny4 ,napoleon1 who feared not to attack the proudest monarchs in their capitols1 shrank from the political influence of one independent woman in private life1 ,madame de ,stal4 ,cromwell was about to sail for ,america when a law was passed prohibiting emigration4 ,at that time he was a profligate1 having squandered all his property4 ,but when he found that he could not leave ,england he reformed his life4 ,had he not been detained1 who can tell what the history of ,great ,britain would have been8 ,from the careful and persistent accumulation of innumerable facts1 each trivial in itself1 but in the aggregate forming a mass of evidence1 a ,darwin extracts his law of evolution1 and a ,linnaeus constructs the science of botany4 ,a pan of water and two thermometers were the tools by which ,dr4 ,black discovered latent heat2 and a prism1 a lens1 and a sheet of pasteboard enabled ,newton to unfold the composition of light and the origin of colors4 ,an eminent foreign savant called on ,dr4 ,wollaston1 and asked to be shown over those laboratories of his in which science had been enriched by so many great discoveries1 when the doctor took him into a little study1 and1 pointing to an old tea tray on the table1 on which stood a few watch glasses1 test papers1 a small balance1 and a blow-pipe1 said1 ,there is my laboratory4 ,a burnt stick and a barn door served ,wilkie in lieu of pencil and paper4 ,a single potato1 carried to ,england by ,sir ,walter ,raleigh in the sixteenth century1 has multiplied into food for millions1 driving famine from ,ireland again and again4 ,it seemed a small thing to drive ,william ,brewster1 ,john ,robinson1 and the poor people of ,austerfield and ,scrooby into perpetual exile1 but as ,pilgrims they became the founders of a mighty people4 ,a few immortal sentences from ,garrison and ,phillips1 a few poems from ,lowell and ,whittier1 and the leaven is at work which will not cease its action until the whipping-post and bodily servitude are abolished forever4 ,for want of a nail the shoe was lost1 ,for want of a shoe the horse was lost2 ,for want of a horse the rider was lost1 and all1 says ,poor ,richard1 for want of a horseshoe nail4 ,a single remark dropped by an unknown person in the street led to the successful story of ,the ,bread-winners4 ,a hymn chanted by the barefooted friars in the temple of ,jupiter at ,rome led to the famous ,decline and ,fall of the ,roman ,empire4 ,words are things says ,byron1 and a small drop of ink1 falling like dew upon a thought1 produces that which makes thousands1 perhaps millions1 think4 ,i give these books for the founding of a college in this colony2 such were the words of ten ministers who in the year #agjj assembled at the village of ,branford1 a few miles east of ,new ,haven4 ,each of the worthy fathers deposited a few books upon the table around which they were sitting2 such was the founding of ,yale ,college4 ,great men are noted for their attention to trifles4 ,goethe once asked a monarch to excuse him1 during an interview1 while he went to an adjoining room to jot down a stray thought4 ,hogarth would make sketches of rare faces and characteristics upon his finger-nails upon the streets4 ,indeed1 to a truly great mind there are no little things4 ,trifles light as air suggest to the keen observer the solution of mighty problems4 ,bits of glass arranged to amuse children led to the discovery of the kaleidoscope4 ,goodyear discovered how to vulcanize rubber by forgetting1 until it became red hot1 a skillet containing a compound which he had before considered worthless4 ,a ship-worm boring a piece of wood suggested to ,sir ,isambard ,brunel the idea of a tunnel under the ,thames at ,london4 ,tracks of extinct animals in the old red sandstone led ,hugh ,miller on and on until he became the greatest geologist of his time4 ,sir ,walter ,scott once saw a shepherd boy plodding sturdily along1 and asked him to ride4 ,this boy was ,george ,kemp1 who became so enthusiastic in his study of sculpture that he walked fifty miles and back to see a beautiful statue4 ,he did not forget the kindness of ,sir ,walter1 and1 when the latter died1 threw his soul into the design of the magnificent monument erected in ,edinburgh to the memory of the author of ,waverley4 ,a poor boy applied for a situation at a bank in ,paris1 but was refused4 ,as he left the door1 he picked up a pin4 ,the bank president saw this1 called the boy back1 and gave him a situation from which he rose until he became the greatest banker of ,paris1--,laffitte4 ,a ,massachusetts soldier in the ,civil ,war observed a bird hulling rice1 and shot it2 taking its bill for a model1 he invented a hulling machine which has revolutionized the rice business4 ,the eye is a perpetual camera imprinting upon the sensitive mental plates and packing away in the brain for future use every face1 every tree1 every plant1 flower1 hill1 stream1 mountain1 every scene upon the street1 in fact1 everything which comes within its range4 ,there is a phonograph in our natures which catches1 however thoughtless and transient1 every syllable we utter1 and registers forever the slightest enunciation1 and renders it immortal4 ,these notes may appear a thousand years hence1 reproduced in our descendants1 in all their beautiful or terrible detail4 ,least of all seeds1 greatest of all harvests1 seems to be one of the great laws of nature4 ,all life comes from microscopic beginnings4 ,in nature there is nothing small4 ,the microscope reveals as great a world below as the telescope above4 ,all of nature's laws govern the smallest atoms1 and a single drop of water is a miniature ocean4 ,the strength of a chain lies in its weakest link1 however large and strong all the others may be4 ,we are all inclined to be proud of our strong points1 while we are sensitive and neglectful of our weaknesses4 ,yet it is our greatest weakness which measures our real strength4 ,a soldier who escapes the bullets of a thousand battles may die from the scratch of a pin1 and many a ship has survived the shocks of icebergs and the storms of ocean only to founder in a smooth sea from holes made by tiny insects4 ,small things become great when a great soul sees them4 ,a single noble or heroic act of one man has sometimes elevated a nation4 ,many an honorable career has resulted from a kind word spoken in season or the warm grasp of a friendly hand4 ,it is the little rift within the lute ,that by and by will make the music mute1 ,and1 ever widening1 slowly silence all4 ,,tennyson4 ,it was only a glad 'good-morning1' ,as she passed along the way1 ,but it spread the morning's glory ,over the livelong day4 ,only a thought in passing--a smile1 or encouraging word1 ,has lifted many a burden no other gift could have stirred4 ,,chapter ,,xlii ,,the ,,salary ,,you ,,do ,,not ,,find ,,in ,,your ,,pay ,,envelope ,the quality which you put into your work will determine the quality of your life4 ,the habit of insisting upon the best of which you are capable1 of always demanding of yourself the highest1 never accepting the lowest or second best1 no matter how small your remuneration1 will make all the difference to you between failure and success4 ,if the laborer gets no more than the wages his employer offers him1 he is cheated2 he cheats himself4 ,a boy or a man who works simply for his salary1 and is actuated by no higher motive1 is dishonest1 and the one whom he most defrauds is himself4 ,he is cheating himself1 in the quality of his daily work1 of that which all the after years1 try as he may1 can never give him back4 ,if ,i were allowed but one utterance on this subject1 so vital to every young man starting on the journey of life1 ,i would say3 ,don't think too much of the amount of salary your employer gives you at the start4 ,think1 rather1 of the possible salary you can give yourself1 in increasing your skill1 in expanding your experience1 in enlarging and ennobling yourself4 ,a man's or a boy's work is material with which to build character and manhood4 ,it is life's school for practical training of the faculties1 stretching the mind1 and strengthening and developing the intellect1 not a mere mill for grinding out a salary of dollars and cents4 ,bismarck was said to have really founded the ,german ,empire when working for a small salary as secretary to the ,german legation in ,russia2 for in that position he absorbed the secrets of strategy and diplomacy which later were used so effectively for his country4 ,he worked so assiduously1 so efficiently1 that ,germany prized his services more than those of the ambassador himself4 ,if ,bismarck had earned only his salary1 he might have remained a perpetual clerk1 and ,germany a tangle of petty states4 ,i have never known an employee to rise rapidly1 or even to get beyond mediocrity1 whose pay envelope was his goal1 who could not see infinitely more in his work than what he found in the envelope on ,saturday night4 ,that is necessity2 but the larger part of the real pay of a real man's work is outside of the pay envelope4 ,one part of this outside salary is the opportunity of the employee to absorb the secrets of his employer's success1 and to learn from his mistakes1 while he is being paid for learning his trade or profession4 ,the other part1 and the best of all1 is the opportunity for growth1 for development1 for mental expansion2 the opportunity to become a larger1 broader1 more efficient man4 ,the opportunity for growth in a disciplinary institution1 where the practical faculties1 the executive faculties1 are brought into systematic1 vigorous exercise at a definite time and for a definite number of hours1 is an advantage beyond computation4 ,there is no estimating the value of such training4 ,it is the opportunity1 my employee friend1 that will help you to make a large man of yourself1 which1 perhaps1 you could not possibly do without being employed in some kind of an institution which has the motive1 the machinery1 the patronage to give you the disciplining and training you need to bring out your strongest qualities4 ,and instead of paying for the opportunity of unfolding and developing from a green1 ignorant boy into a strong1 level-headed1 efficient man1 you are paid6 ,the youth who is always haggling over the question of how many dollars and cents he will sell his services for1 little realizes how he is cheating himself by not looking at the larger salary he can pay himself in increasing his skill1 in expanding his experience1 and in making himself a better1 stronger1 more useful man4 ,the few dollars he finds in his pay envelope are to this larger salary as the chips which fly from the sculptor's chisel are to the angel which he is trying to call out of the marble4 ,you can draw from the faithfulness of your work1 from the grand spirit which you bring to it1 the high purpose which emanates from you in its performance1 a recompense so munificent that what your employer pays you will seem insignificant beside it4 ,he pays you in dollars2 you pay yourself in valuable experience1 in fine training1 in increased efficiency1 in splendid discipline1 in self-expression1 in character building4 ,then1 too1 the ideal employer gives those who work for him a great deal that is not found in the pay envelope4 ,he gives them encouragement1 sympathy4 ,he inspires them with the possibility of doing something higher1 better4 ,how small and narrow and really blind to his own interests must be the youth who can weigh a question of salary against all those privileges he receives in exchange for the meager services he is able to render his employer4 ,do not fear that your employer will not recognize your merit and advance you as rapidly as you deserve4 ,it he is looking for efficient employees1--and what employer is not8--it will be to his own interest to do so1--just as soon as it is profitable4 ,w4 ,bourke ,cockran1 himself a remarkable example of success1 says3 ,the man who brings to his occupation a loyal desire to do his best is certain to succeed4 ,by doing the thing at hand surpassingly well1 he shows that it would be profitable to employ him in some higher form of occupation1 and1 when there is profit in his promotion1 he is pretty sure to secure it4 ,do you think that kings of business like ,andrew ,carnegie1 ,john ,wanamaker1 ,robert ,c4 ,ogden1 and other lesser powers in the commercial world would have attained their present commanding success had they hesitated and haggled about a dollar or two of salary when they began their life-work8 ,if they had1 they would now probably be working on comparatively small salaries for other people4 ,it was not salary1 but opportunity1 that each wanted1--a chance to show what was in him1 to absorb the secrets of the business4 ,they were satisfied with a dollar or two apiece a week1 hardly enough to live on1 while they were learning the lessons that made them what they are to-day4 ,no1 the boys who rise in the world are not those who1 at the start1 split hairs about salaries4 ,often we see bright boys who have worked1 perhaps for years1 on small salaries1 suddenly jumping1 as if by magic1 into high and responsible positions4 ,why8 ,simply because1 while their employers were paying them but a few dollars a week1 they were paying themselves vastly more in the fine quality of their work1 in the enthusiasm1 determination1 and high purpose they brought to their tasks1 and in increased insight into business methods4 ,colonel ,robert ,c4 ,clowry1 president of the ,western ,union ,telegraph ,company1 worked without pay as a messenger boy for months for experience1 which he regarded as worth infinitely more than salary--and scores of our most successful men have cheerfully done the same thing4 ,a millionaire merchant of ,new ,york told me the story of his rise4 ,i walked from my home in ,new ,england to ,new ,york1 he said1 where ,i secured a place to sweep out a store for three dollars and a half a week4 ,at the end of a year1 ,i accepted an offer from the firm to remain for five years at a salary of seven dollars and a half a week4 ,long before this time had expired1 however1 ,i had a proposition from another large concern in ,new ,york to act as its foreign representative at a salary of three thousand dollars a year4 ,i told the manager that ,i was then under contract1 but that1 when my time should be completed1 ,i should be glad to talk with him in regard to his proposition4 ,when his contract was nearly up1 he was called into the office of the head of the house1 and a new contract with him for a term of years at three thousand dollars a year was proposed4 ,the young man told his employers that the manager of another house had offered him that amount a year or more before1 but that he did not accept it because he wouldn't break his contract4 ,they told him they would think the matter over and see what they could do for him4 ,incredible as it may seem1 they notified him1 a little later1 that they were prepared to enter into a ten-year contract with him at ten thousand dollars a year1 and the contract was closed4 ,he told me that he and his wife lived on eight dollars a week in ,new ,york1 during a large part of this time1 and that1 by saving and investments1 they laid up #aag1jjj4 ,at the end of his contract1 he was taken into the firm as a partner1 and became a millionaire4 ,suppose that this boy had listened to his associates1 who probably said to him1 many times3 ,what a fool you are1 ,george1 to work here overtime to do the things which others neglect6 ,why should you stay here nights and help pack goods1 and all that sort of thing1 when it is not expected of you8 ,would he then have risen above them1 leaving them in the ranks of perpetual employees8 ,no1 but the boy who walked one hundred miles to ,new ,york to get a job saw in every opportunity a great occasion1 for he could not tell when fate might be taking his measure for a larger place4 ,the very first time he swept out the store1 he felt within him the ability to become a great merchant1 and he determined that he would be4 ,he felt that the opportunity was the salary4 ,the chance actually to do with his own hands the thing which he wanted to learn2 to see the way in which princely merchants do business2 to watch their methods2 to absorb their processes2 to make their secrets his own1--this was his salary1 compared with which the three dollars and fifty cents looked contemptible4 ,he put himself into training1 always looking out for the main chance4 ,he never allowed anything of importance to escape his attention4 ,when he was not working1 he was watching others1 studying methods1 and asking questions of everybody he came in contact with in the store1 so eager was he to learn how everything was done4 ,he told me that he did not go out of ,new ,york ,city for twelve years2 that he preferred to study the store1 and to absorb every bit of knowledge that he could1 for he was bound some day to be a partner or to have a store of his own4 ,it is not difficult to see a proprietor in the boy who sweeps the store or waits on customers--if the qualities that make a proprietor are in him--by watching him work for a single day4 ,you can tell by the spirit which he brings to his task whether there is in him the capacity for growth1 expansion1 enlargement2 an ambition to rise1 to be somebody1 or an inclination to shirk1 to do as little as possible for the largest amount of salary4 ,when you get a job1 just think of yourself as actually starting out in business for yourself1 as really working for yourself4 ,get as much salary as you can1 but remember that that is a very small part of the consideration4 ,you have actually gotten an opportunity to get right into the very heart of the great activities of a large concern1 to get close to men who do things2 an opportunity to absorb knowledge and valuable secrets on every hand2 an opportunity to drink in1 through your eyes and your ears1 knowledge wherever you go in the establishment1 knowledge that will be invaluable to you in the future4 ,every hint and every suggestion which you can pick up1 every bit of knowledge you can absorb1 you should regard as a part of your future capital which will be worth more than money capital when you start out for yourself4 ,just make up your mind that you are going to be a sponge in that institution and absorb every particle of information and knowledge possible4 ,resolve that you will call upon all of your resourcefulness1 your inventiveness1 your ingenuity1 to devise new and better ways of doing things2 that you will be progressive1 up-to-date2 that you will enter into your work with a spirit of enthusiasm and a zest which know no bounds1 and you will be surprised to see how quickly you will attract the attention of those above you4 ,this striving for excellence will make you grow4 ,it will call out your resources1 call out the best thing in you4 ,the constant stretching of the mind over problems which interest you1 which are to mean everything to you in the future1 will help you expand into a broader1 larger1 more effective man4 ,if you work with this spirit1 you will form a like habit of accuracy1 of close observation2 a habit of reading human nature2 a habit of adjusting means to ends2 a habit of thoroughness1 of system2 a habit of putting your best into everything you do1 which means the ultimate attainment of your maximum efficiency4 ,in other words1 if you give your best to your employer1 the best possible comes back to you in skill1 training1 shrewdness1 acumen1 and power4 ,your employer may pinch you on salary1 but he can not close your eyes and ears2 he can not shut off your perceptive faculties2 he can not keep you from absorbing the secrets of his business which may have been purchased by him at an enormous cost of toil and sacrifice and even of several failures4 ,on the other hand1 it is impossible for you to rob your employer by clipping your hours1 shirking your work1 by carelessness or indifference1 without robbing yourself of infinitely more1 of capital which is worth vastly more than money capital--the chance to make a man of yourself1 the chance to have a clean record behind you instead of a smirched one4 ,if you think you are being kept back1 if you are working for too small a salary1 if favoritism puts some one into a position above you which you have justly earned1 never mind1 no one can rob you of your greatest reward1 the skill1 the efficiency1 the power you have gained1 the consciousness of doing your level best1 of giving the best thing in you to your employer1 all of which advantages you will carry with you to your next position1 whatever it may be4 ,don't say to yourself1 ,i am not paid for doing this extra work2 ,i do not get enough salary1 anyway1 and it is perfectly right for me to shirk when my employer is not in sight or to clip my hours when ,i can1 for this means a loss of self-respect4 ,you will never again have the same confidence in your ability to succeed2 you will always be conscious that you have done a little1 mean thing1 and no amount of juggling with yourself can induce that inward monitor which says right to the well-done thing and wrong to the botched work1 to alter its verdict in your favor4 ,there is something within you that you cannot bribe2 a divine sense of justice and right that can not be blindfolded4 ,nothing will ever compensate you for the loss of faith in yourself4 ,you may still succeed when others have lost confidence in you1 but never when you have lost confidence in yourself4 ,if you do not respect yourself2 if you do not believe in yourself1 your career is at an end so far as its upward tendency is concerned4 ,then again1 an employee's reputation is his capital4 ,in the absence of money capital1 his reputation means everything4 ,it not only follows him around from one employer to another1 but it also follows him when he goes into business for himself1 and is always either helping or hindering him1 according to its nature4 ,contrast the condition of a young man starting out for himself who has looked upon his position as a sacred trust1 a great opportunity1 backed1 buttressed1 and supported by a splendid past1 an untarnished reputation--a reputation for being a dead-in-earnest hard worker1 square1 loyal1 and true to his employer's interests--with that of another young man of equal ability starting out for himself1 who has done just as little work for his salary as possible1 and who has gone on the principle that the more he could get out of an employer--the more salary he could get with less effort--the shrewder1 smarter man he was4 ,the very reputation of the first young man is splendid credit4 ,he is backed up by the good opinion of everybody that knows him4 ,people are afraid of the other3 they can not trust him4 ,he beat his employer1 why should not he beat others8 ,everybody knows that he has not been honest at heart with his employer1 not loyal or true4 ,he must work all the harder to overcome the handicap of a bad reputation1 a smirched record4 ,in other words1 he is starting out in life with a heavy handicap1 which1 if it does not drag him down to failure1 will make his burden infinitely greater1 and success1 even a purely commercial success1 so much the harder to attain4 ,there is nothing like a good1 solid1 substantial reputation1 a clean record1 an untarnished past4 ,it sticks to us through life1 and is always helping us4 ,we find it waiting at the bank when we try to borrow money1 or at the jobber's when we ask for credit4 ,it is always backing us up and helping us in all sorts of ways4 ,young men are sometimes surprised at their rapid advancement4 ,they can not understand it1 because they do not realize the tremendous power of a clean name1 of a good reputation which is backing them4 ,i know a young man who came to ,new ,york1 got a position in a publishing house at fifteen dollars a week1 and worked five years before he received thirty-five dollars a week4 ,the other employees and his friends called him a fool for staying at the office after hours and taking work home nights and holidays1 for such a small salary2 but he told them that the opportunity was what he was after1 not the salary4 ,his work attracted the attention of a publisher who offered him sixty dollars a week1 and very soon advanced him to seventy-five2 but he carried with him to the new position the same habits of painstaking1 hard work1 never thinking of the salary1 but regarding the opportunity as everything4 ,employees sometimes think that they get no credit for trying to do more than they are paid for2 but here is an instance of a young man who attracted the attention of others even outside of the firm he worked for1 just because he was trying to earn a great deal more than he was paid for doing4 ,the result was1 that in less than two years from the time he was receiving sixty dollars a week1 he went to a third large publishing house at ten thousand dollars a year1 and also with an interest in the business4 ,the salary is of very little importance to you in comparison with the reputation for integrity and efficiency you have left behind you and the experience you have gained while earning the salary4 ,these are the great things4 ,in olden times boys had to give years of their time in order to learn a trade1 and often would pay their employer for the opportunity4 ,english boys used to think it was a great opportunity to be able to get into a good concern1 with a chance to work without salary for years in order to learn their business or trade4 ,now the boy is paid for learning his trade4 ,many employees may not think it is so very bad to clip their hours1 to shirk at every opportunity1 to sneak away and hide during business hours1 to loiter when out on business for their employer1 to go to their work in the morning all used up from dissipation2 but often when they try to get another place their reputation has gone before them1 and they are not wanted4 ,others excuse themselves for poor work on the ground that their employer does not appreciate their services and is mean to them4 ,a youth might just as well excuse himself for his boorish manners and ungentlemanly conduct on the ground that other people were mean and ungentlemanly to him4 ,my young friends1 you have nothing to do with your employer's character or his method of doing things4 ,you may not be able to make him do what is right1 but you can do right yourself4 ,you may not be able to make him a gentleman1 but you can be one yourself2 and you can not afford to ruin yourself and your whole future just because your employer is not what he ought to be4 ,no matter how mean and stingy he may be1 your opportunity for the time is with him1 and it rests with you whether you will use it or abuse it1 whether you will make of it a stepping-stone or a stumbling-block4 ,the fact is that your present position1 your way of doing your work1 is the key that will unlock the door above you4 ,slighted work1 botched work1 will never make a key to unlock the door to anything but failure and disgrace4 ,there is nothing else so valuable to you as an opportunity to build a name for yourself4 ,your reputation is the foundation for your future success1 and if you slip rotten hours1 and slighted1 botched work into the foundation1 your superstructure will topple4 ,the foundation must be clean1 solid1 and firm4 ,the quality which you put into your work will determine the quality of your life4 ,the habit of insisting upon the best of which you are capable1 of always demanding of yourself the highest1 never accepting the lowest or second best1 no matter how small your remuneration1 will make all the difference to you between mediocrity or failure1 and success4 ,if you bring to your work the spirit of an artist instead of an artisan1 a burning zeal1 an absorbing enthusiasm1 these will take the drudgery out of it and make it a delight4 ,take no chances of marring your reputation by the picayune and unworthy endeavor to get square with a stingy or mean employer4 ,never mind what kind of a man he is1 resolve that you will approach your task in the spirit of a master1 that whether he is a man of high ideals or not1 you will be one4 ,remember that you are a sculptor and that every act is a chisel blow upon life's marble block4 ,you can not afford to strike false blows which may mar the angel that sleeps in the stone4 ,whether it is beautiful or hideous1 divine or brutal1 the image you evolve from the block must stand as an expression of yourself1 of your ideals4 ,those who do not care how they do their work1 if they can only get through with it and get their salary for it1 pay very dearly for their trifling2 they cut very sorry figures in life4 ,regard your work as a great life school for the broadening1 deepening1 rounding into symmetry1 harmony1 beauty1 of your ,god-given faculties1 which are uncut diamonds sacredly intrusted to you for the polishing and bringing out of their hidden wealth and beauty4 ,look upon it as a man-builder1 a character-builder1 and not as a mere living-getter4 ,regard the living-getting1 money-making part of your career as a mere incidental as compared with the man-making part of it4 ,the smallest people in the world are those who work for salary alone4 ,the little money you get in your pay envelope is a pretty small1 low motive for which to work4 ,it may be necessary to secure your bread and butter1 but you have something infinitely higher to satisfy than that2 that is1 your sense of the right2 the demand in you to do your level best1 to be a man1 to do the square thing1 the fair thing4 ,these should speak so loud in you that the mere bread-and-butter question will be insignificant in comparison4 ,many young employees1 just because they do not get quite as much salary as they think they should1 deliberately throw away all of the other1 larger1 grander remuneration possible for them outside of their pay envelope1 for the sake of getting square with their employer4 ,they deliberately adopt a shirking1 do-as-little-as-possible policy1 and instead of getting this larger1 more important salary1 which they can pay themselves1 they prefer the consequent arrested development1 and become small1 narrow1 inefficient1 rutty men and women1 with nothing large or magnanimous1 nothing broad1 noble1 progressive in their nature4 ,their leadership faculties1 their initiative1 their planning ability1 their ingenuity and resourcefulness1 inventiveness1 and all the qualities which make the leader1 the large1 full1 complete man1 remain undeveloped4 ,while trying to get square with their employer1 by giving him pinched service1 they blight their own growth1 strangle their own prospects1 and go through life half men instead of full men--small1 narrow1 weak men1 instead of the strong1 grand1 complete men they might be4 ,i have known employees actually to work harder in scheming1 shirking1 trying to keep from working hard in the performance of their duties1 than they would have worked if they had tried to do their best1 and had given the largest1 the most liberal service possible to their employers4 ,the hardest work in the world is that which is grudgingly done4 ,start out with a tacit understanding with yourself that you will be a man1 that you will express in your work the highest thing in you1 the best thing in you4 ,you can not afford to debase or demoralize yourself by bringing out your mean side1 the lowest and most despicable thing in you4 ,never mind whether your employer appreciates the high quality of your work or not1 or thinks more of you for your conscientiousness1 you will certainly think more of yourself after getting the approval of that still small voice within you which says right to the noble act4 ,the effort always to do your best will enlarge your capacity for doing things1 and will encourage you to push ahead toward larger triumphs4 ,everywhere we see people who are haunted by the ghosts of half-finished jobs1 the dishonest work done away back in their youth4 ,these covered-up defects are always coming back to humiliate them later1 to trip them up1 and to bar their progress4 ,the great failure army is full of people who have tried to get square with their employers for the small salary and lack of appreciation4 ,no one can respect himself or have that sublime faith in himself which makes for high achievement while he puts half-hearted1 mean service into his work4 ,the man who has not learned to fling his whole soul into his task1 who has not learned the secret of taking the drudgery out of his work by putting the best of himself into it1 has not learned the first principles of success or happiness4 ,let other people do the poor jobs1 the botched work1 if they will4 ,keep your standard up4 ,it is a lofty ideal that redeems the life from the curse of commonness and imparts a touch of nobility to the personality4 ,no matter how small your salary1 or how unappreciative your employer1 bring the entire man to your task2 be all there2 fling your life into it with all the energy and enthusiasm you can muster4 ,poor work injures your employer a little1 but it may ruin you4 ,be proud of your work and go to it every morning superbly equipped2 go to it in the spirit of a master1 of a conqueror4 ,determine to do your level best and never to demoralize yourself by doing your second best4 ,conduct yourself in such a way that you can always look yourself in the face without wincing2 then you will have a courage born of conviction1 of personal nobility and integrity which have never been tarnished4 ,what your employer thinks of you1 what the world thinks of you1 is not half as important as what you think of yourself4 ,others are with you comparatively little through life4 ,you have to live with yourself day and night through your whole existence1 and you can not afford to tie that divine thing in you to a scoundrel4 ,,chapter ,,xliii ,,expect ,,great ,,things ,,of ,,yourself ,why1 asked ,mirabeau1 should we call ourselves men1 unless it be to succeed in everything everywhere8 ,nothing else will so nerve you to accomplish great things as to believe in your own greatness1 in your own marvelous possibilities4 ,count that man an enemy who shakes your faith in yourself1 in your ability to do the thing you have set your heart upon doing1 for when your confidence is gone1 your power is gone4 ,your achievement will never rise higher than your self-faith4 ,it would be as reasonable for ,napoleon to have expected to get his army over the ,alps by sitting down and declaring that the undertaking was too great for him1 as for you to hope to achieve anything significant in life while harboring grave doubts and fears as to your ability4 ,the miracles of civilization have been performed by men and women of great self-confidence1 who had unwavering faith in their power to accomplish the tasks they undertook4 ,the race would have been centuries behind what it is to-day had it not been for their grit1 their determination1 their persistence in finding and making real the thing they believed in and which the world often denounced as chimerical or impossible4 ,there is no law by which you can achieve success in anything without expecting it1 demanding it1 assuming it4 ,there must be a strong1 firm self-faith first1 or the thing will never come4 ,there is no room for chance in ,god's world of system and supreme order4 ,everything must have not only a cause1 but a sufficient cause--a cause as large as the result4 ,a stream can not rise higher than its source4 ,a great success must have a great source in expectation1 in self-confidence1 and in persistent endeavor to attain it4 ,no matter how great the ability1 how large the genius1 or how splendid the education1 the achievement will never rise higher than the confidence4 ,he can who thinks he can1 and he can't who thinks he can't4 ,this is an inexorable1 indisputable law4 ,it does not matter what other people think of you1 of your plans1 or of your aims4 ,no matter if they call you a visionary1 a crank1 or a dreamer2 you must believe in yourself4 ,you forsake yourself when you lose your confidence4 ,never allow anybody or any misfortune to shake your belief in yourself4 ,you may lose your property1 your health1 your reputation1 other people's confidence1 even2 but there is always hope for you so long as you keep a firm faith in yourself4 ,if you never lose that1 but keep pushing on1 the world will1 sooner or later1 make way for you4 ,a soldier once took a message to ,napoleon in such great haste that the horse he rode dropped dead before he delivered the paper4 ,napoleon dictated his answer and1 handing it to the messenger1 ordered him to mount his own horse and deliver it with all possible speed4 ,the messenger looked at the magnificent animal1 with its superb trappings1 and said1 ,nay1 ,general1 but this is too gorgeous1 too magnificent for a common soldier4 ,napoleon said1 ,nothing is too good or too magnificent for a ,french soldier4 ,the world is full of people like this poor ,french soldier1 who think that what others have is too good for them2 that it does not fit their humble condition2 that they are not expected to have as good things as those who are more favored4 ,they do not realize how they weaken themselves by this mental attitude of self-depreciation or self-effacement4 ,they do not claim enough1 expect enough1 or demand enough of or for themselves4 ,you will never become a giant if you only make a pygmy's claim for yourself2 if you only expect small things of yourself4 ,there is no law which can cause a pygmy's thinking to produce a giant4 ,the statue follows the model4 ,the model is the inward vision4 ,most people have been educated to think that it was not intended they should have the best there is in the world2 that the good and the beautiful things of life were not designed for them1 but were reserved for those especially favored by fortune4 ,they have grown up under this conviction of their inferiority1 and of course they will be inferior until they claim superiority as their birthright4 ,a vast number of men and women who are really capable of doing great things1 do small things1 live mediocre lives1 because they do not expect or demand enough of themselves4 ,they do not know how to call out their best4 ,one reason why the human race as a whole has not measured up to its possibilities1 to its promise2 one reason why we see everywhere splendid ability doing the work of mediocrity2 is because people do not think half enough of themselves4 ,we do not realize our divinity2 that we are a part of the great causation principle of the universe4 ,we do not think highly enough of our superb birthright1 nor comprehend to what heights of sublimity we were intended and expected to rise1 nor to what extent we can really be masters of ourselves4 ,we fail to see that we can control our own destiny3 make ourselves do whatever is possible2 make ourselves become whatever we long to be4 ,if we choose to be no more than clods of clay1 says ,marie ,corelli1 then we shall be used as clods of clay for braver feet to tread on4 ,the persistent thought that you are not as good as others1 that you are a weak1 ineffective being1 will lower your whole standard of life and paralyze your ability4 ,a man who is self-reliant1 positive1 optimistic1 and undertakes his work with the assurance of success1 magnetizes conditions4 ,he draws to himself the literal fulfilment of the promise1 ,for unto every one that hath shall be given1 and he shall have abundance4 ,there is everything in assuming the part we wish to play1 and playing it royally4 ,if you are ambitious to do big things1 you must make a large program for yourself1 and assume the part it demands4 ,there is something in the atmosphere of the man who has a large and true estimate of himself1 who believes that he is going to win out2 something in his very appearance that wins half the battle before a blow is struck4 ,things get out of the way of the vigorous1 affirmative man1 which are always tripping the self-depreciating1 negative man4 ,we often hear it said of a man1 ,everything he undertakes succeeds1 or ,everything he touches turns to gold4 ,by the force of his character and the creative power of his thought1 such a man wrings success from the most adverse circumstances4 ,confidence begets confidence4 ,a man who carries in his very presence an air of victory1 radiates assurance1 and imparts to others confidence that he can do the thing he attempts4 ,as time goes on1 he is reenforced not only by the power of his own thought1 but also by that of all who know him4 ,his friends and acquaintances affirm and reaffirm his ability to succeed1 and make each successive triumph easier of achievement than its predecessor4 ,his self-poise1 assurance1 confidence1 and ability increase in a direct ratio to the number of his achievements4 ,as the savage ,indian thought that the power of every enemy he conquered entered into himself1 so in reality does every conquest in war1 in peaceful industry1 in commerce1 in invention1 in science1 or in art add to the conqueror's power to do the next thing4 ,set the mind toward the thing you would accomplish so resolutely1 so definitely1 and with such vigorous determination1 and put so much grit into your resolution1 that nothing on earth can turn you from your purpose until you attain it4 ,this very assertion of superiority1 the assumption of power1 the affirmation of belief in yourself1 the mental attitude that claims success as an inalienable birthright1 will strengthen the whole man and give power to a combination of faculties which doubt1 fear1 and a lack of confidence undermine4 ,confidence is the ,napoleon of the mental army4 ,it doubles and trebles the power of all the other faculties4 ,the whole mental army waits until confidence leads the way4 ,even a race-horse can not win the prize after it has once lost confidence in itself4 ,courage1 born of self-confidence1 is the prod which brings out the last ounce of reserve force4 ,the reason why so many men fail is because they do not commit themselves with a determination to win at any cost4 ,they do not have that superb confidence in themselves which never looks back2 which burns all bridges behind it4 ,there is just uncertainty enough as to whether they will succeed to take the edge off their effort1 and it is just this little difference between doing pretty well and flinging all oneself1 all his power1 into his career1 that makes the difference between mediocrity and a grand achievement4 ,if you doubt your ability to do what you set out to do2 if you think that others are better fitted to do it than you2 if you fear to let yourself out and take chances2 if you lack boldness2 if you have a timid1 shrinking nature2 if the negatives preponderate in your vocabulary2 if you think that you lack positiveness1 initiative1 aggressiveness1 ability2 you can never win anything very great until you change your whole mental attitude and learn to have great faith in yourself4 ,fear1 doubt1 and timidity must be turned out of your mind4 ,your own mental picture of yourself is a good measure of yourself and your possibilities4 ,if there is no out-reach to your mind1 no spirit of daring1 no firm self-faith1 you will never accomplish much4 ,a man's confidence measures the height of his possibilities4 ,a stream can not rise higher than its fountain-head4 ,power is largely a question of strong1 vigorous1 perpetual thinking along the line of the ambition1 parallel with the aim--the great life purpose4 ,here is where power originates4 ,the deed must first live in the thought or it will never be a reality2 and a strong1 vigorous concept of the thing we want to do is a tremendous initial step4 ,a thought that is timidly born will be timidly executed4 ,there must be vigor of conception or an indifferent execution4 ,all the greatest achievements in the world began in longing--in dreamings and hopings which for a time were nursed in despair1 with no light in sight4 ,this longing kept the courage up and made self-sacrifice easier until the thing dreamed of--the mental vision--was realized4 ,according to your faith be it unto you4 ,our faith is a very good measure of what we get out of life4 ,the man of weak faith gets little2 the man of mighty faith gets much4 ,the very intensity of your confidence in your ability to do the thing you attempt is definitely related to the degree of your achievement4 ,if we were to analyze the marvelous successes of many of our self-made men1 we should find that when they first started out in active life they held the confident1 vigorous1 persistent thought of and belief in their ability to accomplish what they had undertaken4 ,their mental attitude was set so stubbornly toward their goal that the doubts and fears which dog and hinder and frighten the man who holds a low estimate of himself1 who asks1 demands1 and expects but little1 of or for himself1 got out of their path1 and the world made way for them4 ,we are very apt to think of men who have been unusually successful in any line as greatly favored by fortune2 and we try to account for it in all sorts of ways but the right one4 ,the fact is that their success represents their expectations of themselves--the sum of their creative1 positive1 habitual thinking4 ,it is their mental attitude outpictured and made tangible in their environment4 ,they have wrought--created--what they have and what they are out of their constructive thought and their unquenchable faith in themselves4 ,we must not only believe we can succeed1 but we must believe it with all our hearts4 ,we must have a positive conviction that we can attain success4 ,no lukewarm energy or indifferent ambition ever accomplished anything4 ,there must be vigor in our expectation1 in our faith1 in our determination1 in our endeavor4 ,we must resolve with the energy that does things4 ,not only must the desire for the thing we long for be kept uppermost1 but there must be strongly concentrated intensity of effort to attain our object4 ,as it is the fierceness of the heat that melts the iron ore and makes it possible to weld it or mold it into shape2 as it is the intensity of the electrical force that dissolves the diamond--the hardest known substance2 so it is the concentrated aim1 the invincible purpose1 that wins success4 ,nothing was ever accomplished by a half-hearted desire4 ,many people make a very poor showing in life1 because there is no vim1 no vigor in their efforts4 ,their resolutions are spineless2 there is no backbone in their endeavor--no grit in their ambition4 ,one must have that determination which never looks back and which knows no defeat2 that resolution which burns all bridges behind it and is willing to risk everything upon the effort4 ,when a man ceases to believe in himself--gives up the fight--you can not do much for him except to try to restore what he has lost--his self-faith--and to get out of his head the idea that there is a fate which tosses him hither and thither1 a mysterious destiny which decides things whether he will or not4 ,you can not do much with him until he comprehends that he is bigger than any fate2 that he has within himself a power mightier than any force outside of him4 ,one reason why the careers of most of us are so pinched and narrow1 is because we do not have a large faith in ourselves and in our power to accomplish4 ,we are held back by too much caution4 ,we are timid about venturing4 ,we are not bold enough4 ,whatever we long for1 yearn for1 struggle for1 and hold persistently in the mind1 we tend to become just in exact proportion to the intensity and persistence of the thought4 ,we think ourselves into smallness1 into inferiority by thinking downward4 ,we ought to think upward1 then we would reach the heights where superiority dwells4 ,the man whose mind is set firmly toward achievement does not appropriate success1 he is success4 ,self-confidence is not egotism4 ,it is knowledge1 and it comes from the consciousness of possessing the ability requisite for what one undertakes4 ,civilization to-day rests upon self-confidence4 ,a firm self-faith helps a man to project himself with a force that is almost irresistible4 ,a balancer1 a doubter1 has no projectile power4 ,if he starts at all1 he moves with uncertainty4 ,there is no vigor in his initiative1 no positiveness in his energy4 ,there is a great difference between a man who thinks that perhaps he can do1 or who will try to do a thing1 and a man who knows he can do it1 who is bound to do it2 who feels within himself a pulsating power1 an irresistible force1 equal to any emergency4 ,this difference between uncertainty and certainty1 between vacillation and decision1 between the man who wavers and the man who decides things1 between ,i hope to and ,i can1 between ,i'll try and ,i will--this little difference measures the distance between weakness and power1 between mediocrity and excellence1 between commonness and superiority4 ,the man who does things must be able to project himself with a mighty force1 to fling the whole weight of his being into his work1 ever gathering momentum against the obstacles which confront him2 every issue must be met wholly1 unhesitatingly4 ,he can not do this with a wavering1 doubting1 unstable mind4 ,the fact that a man believes implicitly that he can do what may seem impossible or very difficult to others1 shows that there is something within him that makes him equal to the work he has undertaken4 ,faith unites man with the ,infinite1 and no one can accomplish great things in life unless he works in oneness with the ,infinite4 ,when a man lives so near to the ,supreme that the divine ,presence is felt all the time1 then he is in a position to express power4 ,there is nothing which will multiply one's ability like self-faith4 ,it can make a one-talent man a success1 while a ten-talent man without it would fail4 ,faith walks on the mountain tops1 hence its superior vision4 ,it sees what is invisible to those who follow in the valleys4 ,it was the sustaining power of a mighty self-faith that enabled ,columbus to bear the jeers and imputations of the ,spanish cabinet2 that sustained him when his sailors were in mutiny and he was at their mercy in a little vessel on an unknown sea2 that enabled him to hold steadily to his purpose1 entering in his diary day after day--,this day we sailed west1 which was our course4 ,it was this self-faith which gave courage and determination to ,fulton to attempt his first trip up the ,hudson in the ,clermont1 before thousands of his fellow citizens1 who had gathered to howl and jeer at his expected failure4 ,he believed he could do the thing he attempted though the whole world was against him4 ,what miracles self-confidence has wrought6 ,what impossible deeds it has helped to perform6 ,it took ,dewey past cannons1 torpedoes1 and mines to victory at ,manila ,bay2 it carried ,farragut1 lashed to the rigging1 past the defenses of the enemy in ,mobile ,bay2 it led ,nelson and ,grant to victory2 it has been the great tonic in the world of invention1 discovery1 and art2 it has won a thousand triumphs in war and science which were deemed impossible by doubters and the faint-hearted4 ,self-faith has been the miracle-worker of the ages4 ,it has enabled the inventor and the discoverer to go on and on amidst troubles and trials which otherwise would have utterly disheartened them4 ,it has held innumerable heroes to their tasks until the glorious deeds were accomplished4 ,the only inferiority in us is what we put into ourselves4 ,if only we better understood our divinity we should all have this larger faith which is the distinction of the brave soul4 ,we think ourselves into smallness4 ,were we to think upward we should reach the heights where superiority dwells4 ,perhaps there is no other one thing which keeps so many people back as their low estimate of themselves4 ,they are more handicapped by their limiting thought1 by their foolish convictions of inefficiency1 than by almost anything else1 for there is no power in the universe that can help a man do a thing when he thinks he can not do it4 ,self-faith must lead the way4 ,you can not go beyond the limits you set for yourself4 ,it is one of the most difficult things to a mortal to really believe in his own bigness1 in his own grandeur2 to believe that his yearnings and hungerings and aspirations for higher1 nobler things have any basis in reality or any real1 ultimate end4 ,but they are1 in fact1 the signs of ability to match them1 of power to make them real4 ,they are the stirrings of the divinity within us2 the call to something better1 to go higher4 ,no man gets very far in the world or expresses great power until self-faith is born in him2 until he catches a glimpse of his higher1 nobler self2 until he realizes that his ambition1 his aspiration1 are proofs of his ability to reach the ideal which haunts him4 ,the ,creator would not have mocked us with the yearning for infinite achievement without giving us the ability and the opportunity for realizing it1 any more than he would have mocked the wild birds with an instinct to fly south in the winter without giving them a sunny ,south to match the instinct4 ,the cause of whatever comes to you in life is within you4 ,there is where it is created4 ,the thing you long for and work for comes to you because your thought has created it2 because there is something inside you that attracts it4 ,it comes because there is an affinity within you for it4 ,your own comes to you2 is always seeking you4 ,whenever you see a person who has been unusually successful in any field1 remember that he has usually thought himself into his position2 his mental attitude and energy have created it2 what he stands for in his community has come from his attitude toward life1 toward his fellow men1 toward his vocation1 toward himself4 ,above all else1 it is the outcome of his self-faith1 of his inward vision of himself2 the result of his estimate of his powers and possibilities4 ,the men who have done the great things in the world have been profound believers in themselves4 ,if ,i could give the young people of ,america but one word of advice1 it would be this--,believe in yourself with all your might4 ,that is1 believe that your destiny is inside of you1 that there is a power within you which1 if awakened1 aroused1 developed1 and matched with honest effort1 will not only make a noble man or woman of you1 but will also make you successful and happy4 ,all through the ,bible we find emphasized the miracle-working power of faith4 ,faith in himself indicates that a man has a glimpse of forces within him which either annihilate the obstacles in the way1 or make them seem insignificant in comparison with his ability to overcome them4 ,faith opens the door that enables us to look into the soul's limitless possibilities and reveals such powers there1 such unconquerable forces1 that we are not only encouraged to go on1 but feel a great consciousness of added power because we have touched omnipotence1 and gotten a glimpse of the great source of things4 ,faith is that something within us which does not guess1 but knows4 ,it knows because it sees what our coarser selves1 our animal natures can not see4 ,it is the prophet within us1 the divine messenger appointed to accompany man through life to guide and direct and encourage him4 ,it gives him a glimpse of his possibilities to keep him from losing heart1 from quitting his upward life struggle4 ,our faith knows because it sees what we can not see4 ,it sees resources1 powers1 potencies which our doubts and fears veil from us4 ,faith is assured1 is never afraid1 because it sees the way out2 sees the solution of its problem4 ,it has dipped in the realms of our finer life our higher and diviner kingdom4 ,all things are possible to him who has faith1 because faith sees1 recognizes the power that means accomplishment4 ,if we had faith in ,god and in ourselves we could remove all mountains of difficulty1 and our lives would be one triumphal march to the goal of our ambition4 ,if we had faith enough we could cure all our ills and accomplish the maximum of our possibilities4 ,faith never fails2 it is a miracle worker4 ,it looks beyond all boundaries1 transcends all limitations1 penetrates all obstacles and sees the goal4 ,it is doubt and fear1 timidity and cowardice1 that hold us down and keep us in mediocrity--doing petty things when we are capable of sublime deeds4 ,if we had faith enough we should travel ,godward infinitely faster than we do4 ,the time will come when every human being will have unbounded faith and will live the life triumphant4 ,then there will be no poverty in the world1 no failures1 and the discords of life will all vanish4 ,,chapter ,,xliv ,,the ,,next ,,time ,,you ,,think ,,you ,,are ,a ,,failure ,if you made a botch of last year1 if you feel that it was a failure1 that you floundered and blundered and did a lot of foolish things2 if you were gullible1 made imprudent investments1 wasted your time and money1 don't drag these ghosts along with you to handicap you and destroy your happiness all through the future4 ,haven't you wasted enough energy worrying over what can not be helped8 ,don't let these things sap any more of your vitality1 waste any more of your time or destroy any more of your happiness4 ,there is only one thing to do with bitter experiences1 blunders and unfortunate mistakes1 or with memories that worry us and which kill our efficiency1 and that is to forget them1 bury them6 ,to-day is a good time to leave the low-vaulted past1 to drop the yesterdays1 to forget bitter memories4 ,resolve that you will close the door on everything in the past that pains and can not help you4 ,free yourself from everything which handicaps you1 keeps you back and makes you unhappy4 ,throw away all useless baggage1 drop everything that is a drag1 that hinders your progress4 ,enter upon to-morrow with a clean slate and a free mind4 ,don't be mortgaged to the past1 and never look back4 ,there is no use in castigating yourself for not having done better4 ,form a habit of expelling from your mind thoughts or suggestions which call up unpleasant subjects or bitter memories1 and which have a bad influence upon you4 ,every one ought to make it a life-rule to wipe out from his memory everything that has been unpleasant1 unfortunate4 ,we ought to forget everything that has kept us back1 has made us suffer1 has been disagreeable1 and never allow the hideous pictures of distressing conditions to enter our minds again4 ,there is only one thing to do with a disagreeable1 harmful experience1 and that is--forget it6 ,there are many times in the life of a person who does things that are worth while when he gets terribly discouraged and thinks it easier to go back than to push on4 ,but there is no victory in retreating4 ,we should never leave any bridges unburned behind us1 any way open for retreat to tempt our weakness1 indecision or discouragement4 ,if there is anything we ever feel grateful for1 it is that we have had courage and pluck enough to push on1 to keep going when things looked dark and when seemingly insurmountable obstacles confronted us4 ,most people are their own worst enemies4 ,we are all the time queering our life game by our vicious1 tearing-down thoughts and unfortunate moods4 ,everything depends upon our courage1 our faith in ourselves1 in our holding a hopeful1 optimistic outlook2 and yet1 whenever things go wrong with us1 whenever we have a discouraging day or an unfortunate experience1 a loss or any misfortune1 we let the tearing-down thought1 doubt1 fear1 despondency1 like a bull in a china shop1 tear through our mentalities1 perhaps breaking up and destroying the work of years of building up1 and we have to start all over again4 ,we work and live like the frog in the well2 we climb up only to fall back1 and often lose all we gain4 ,one of the worst things that can ever happen to a person is to get it into his head that he was born unlucky and that the ,fates are against him4 ,there are no ,fates1 outside of our own mentality4 ,we are our own ,fates4 ,we control our own destiny4 ,there is no fate or destiny which puts one man down and another up4 ,it is not in our stars1 but in ourselves1 that we are underlings4 ,he only is beaten who admits it4 ,the man is inferior who admits that he is inferior1 who voluntarily takes an inferior position because he thinks the best things were intended for somebody else4 ,you will find that just in proportion as you increase your confidence in yourself by the affirmation of what you wish to be and to do1 your ability will increase4 ,no matter what other people may think about your ability1 never allow yourself to doubt that you can do or become what you long to4 ,increase your self-confidence in every possible way1 and you can do this to a remarkable degree by the power of self-suggestion4 ,this form of suggestion--talking to oneself vigorously1 earnestly--seems to arouse the sleeping forces in the subconscious self more effectually than thinking the same thing4 ,there is a force in words spoken aloud which is not stirred by going over the same words mentally4 ,they sometimes arouse slumbering energies within us which thinking does not stir up--especially if we have not been trained to think deeply1 to focus the mind closely4 ,they make a more lasting impression upon the mind1 just as words which pass through the eye from the printed page make a greater impression on the brain than we get by thinking the same words2 as seeing objects of nature makes a more lasting impression upon the mind than thinking about them4 ,a vividness1 a certain force1 accompanies the spoken word--especially if earnestly1 vehemently uttered--which is not apparent to many in merely thinking about what the words express4 ,if you repeat a firm resolve to yourself aloud1 vigorously1 even vehemently1 you are more likely to carry it to reality than if you merely resolve in silence4 ,we become so accustomed to our silent thoughts that the voicing of them1 the giving audible expression to our yearnings1 makes a much deeper impression upon us4 ,the audible self-encouragement treatment may be used with marvelous results in correcting our weaknesses2 overcoming our deficiencies4 ,never allow yourself to think meanly1 narrowly1 poorly of yourself4 ,never regard yourself as weak1 inefficient1 diseased1 but as perfect1 complete1 capable4 ,never even think of the possibility of going through life a failure or a partial failure4 ,failure and misery are not for the man who has seen the ,god-side of himself1 who has been in touch with divinity4 ,they are for those who have never discovered themselves and their ,god-like qualities4 ,stoutly assert that there is a place for you in the world1 and that you are going to fill it like a man4 ,train yourself to expect great things of yourself4 ,never admit1 even by your manner1 that you think you are destined to do little things all your life4 ,it is marvelous what mental strength can be developed by the perpetual affirmation of vigorous fitness1 strength1 power1 efficiency2 these are thoughts and ideals that make a strong man4 ,the way to get the best out of yourself is to put things right up to yourself1 handle yourself without gloves1 and talk to yourself as you would to a son of yours who has great ability but who is not using half of it4 ,when you go into an undertaking just say to yourself1 ,now1 this thing is right up to me4 ,i've got to make good1 to show the man in me or the coward4 ,there is no backing out4 ,you will be surprised to see how quickly this sort of self-suggestion will brace you up and put new spirit in you4 ,i have a friend who has helped himself wonderfully by talking to himself about his conduct4 ,when he feels that he is not doing all that he ought to1 that he has made some foolish mistake or has failed to use good sense and good judgment in any transaction1 when he feels that his stamina and ambition are deteriorating1 he goes off alone to the country1 to the woods if possible1 and has a good heart-to-heart talk with himself something after this fashion3 ,now young man1 you need a good talking-to1 a bracing-up all along the line4 ,you are going stale1 your standards are dropping1 your ideals are getting dull1 and the worst of it all is that when you do a poor job1 or are careless about your dress and indifferent in your manner1 you do not feel as troubled as you used to4 ,you are not making good4 ,this lethargy1 this inertia1 this indifference will seriously cripple your career if you're not very careful4 ,you are letting a lot of good chances slip by you1 because you are not as progressive and up-to-date as you ought to be4 ,in short1 you are becoming lazy4 ,you like to take things easy4 ,nobody ever amounts to much who lets his energies flag1 his standards droop and his ambition ooze out4 ,now1 ,i am going to keep right after you1 young man1 until you are doing yourself justice4 ,this take-it-easy sort of policy will never land you at the goal you started for4 ,you will have to watch yourself very closely or you will be left behind4 ,you are capable of something much better than what you are doing4 ,you must start out to-day with a firm resolution to make the returns from your work greater to-night than ever before4 ,you must make this a red-letter day4 ,bestir yourself2 get the cobwebs out of your head2 brush off the brain ash4 ,think1 think1 think to some purpose6 ,do not mull and mope like this4 ,you are only half-alive1 man2 get a move on you6 ,this young man says that every morning when he finds his standards are down and he feels lazy and indifferent he hauls himself over the coals1 as he calls it1 in order to force himself up to a higher standard and put himself in tune for the day4 ,it is the very first thing he attends to4 ,he forces himself to do the most disagreeable tasks first1 and does not allow himself to skip hard problems4 ,now1 don't be a coward1 he says to himself4 ,if others have done this1 you can do it4 ,by years of stern discipline of this kind he has done wonders with himself4 ,he began as a poor boy living in the slums of ,new ,york with no one to take an interest in him1 encourage or push him4 ,though he had little opportunity for schooling when he was a small boy1 he has given himself a splendid education1 mainly since he was twenty-one4 ,i have never known any one else who carried on such a vigorous campaign in self-victory1 self-development1 self-training1 self-culture as this young man has4 ,at first it may seem silly to you to be talking to yourself1 but you will derive so much benefit from it that you will have recourse to it in remedying all your defects4 ,there is no fault1 however great or small1 which will not succumb to persistent audible suggestion4 ,for example1 you may be naturally timid and shrink from meeting people2 and you may distrust your own ability4 ,if so1 you will be greatly helped by assuring yourself in your daily self-talks that you are not timid2 that1 on the contrary1 you are the embodiment of courage and bravery4 ,assure yourself that there is no reason why you should be timid1 because there is nothing inferior or peculiar about you2 that you are attractive and that you know how to act in the presence of others4 ,say to yourself that you are never again going to allow yourself to harbor any thoughts of self-depreciation or timidity or inferiority2 that you are going to hold your head up and go about as though you were a king1 a conqueror1 instead of crawling about like a whipped cur2 you are going to assert your manhood1 your individuality4 ,if you lack initiative1 stoutly affirm your ability to begin things1 and to push them to a finish4 ,and always put your resolve into action at the first opportunity4 ,you will be surprised to see how you can increase your courage1 your confidence1 and your ability1 if you will be sincere with yourself and strong and persistent in your affirmations4 ,i know of nothing so helpful for the timid1 those who lack faith in themselves1 as the habit of constantly affirming their own importance1 their own power1 their own divinity4 ,the trouble is that we do not think half enough of ourselves2 do not accurately measure our ability2 do not put the right estimate upon our possibilities4 ,we berate ourselves1 belittle1 efface ourselves1 because we do not see the larger1 diviner man in us4 ,try this experiment the very next time you get discouraged or think that you are a failure1 that your work does not amount to much--turn about face4 ,resolve that you will go no further in that direction4 ,stop and face the other way1 and go the other way4 ,every time you think you are a failure1 it helps you to become one1 for your thought is your life pattern and you can not get away from it4 ,you can not get away from your ideals1 the standard which you hold for yourself1 and if you acknowledge in your thought that you are a failure1 that you can't do anything worth while1 that luck is against you1 that you don't have the same opportunity that other people have---your convictions will control the result4 ,there are thousands of people who have lost everything they valued in the world1 all the material results of their lives' endeavor1 and yet1 because they possess stout hearts1 unconquerable spirits1 a determination to push ahead which knows no retreat1 they are just as far from real failure as before their loss2 and with such wealth they can never be poor4 ,a great many people fail to reach a success which matches their ability because they are victims of their moods1 which repel people and repel business4 ,we avoid morose1 gloomy people just as we avoid a picture which makes a disagreeable impression upon us4 ,everywhere we see people with great ambitions doing very ordinary things1 simply because there are so many days when they do not feel like it or when they are discouraged or blue4 ,a man who is at the mercy of a capricious disposition can never be a leader1 a power among men4 ,it is perfectly possible for a well-trained mind to completely rout the worst case of the blues in a few minutes2 but the trouble with most of us is that instead of flinging open the mental blinds and letting in the sun of cheerfulness1 hope1 and optimism1 we keep them closed and try to eject the darkness by main force4 ,the art of arts is learning how to clear the mind of its enemies--enemies of our comfort1 happiness1 and success4 ,it is a great thing to learn to focus the mind upon the beautiful instead of the ugly1 the true instead of the false1 upon harmony instead of discord1 life instead of death1 health instead of disease4 ,this is not always easy1 but it is possible to everybody4 ,it requires only skilful thinking1 the forming of the right thought habits4 ,the best way to keep out darkness is to keep the life filled with light2 to keep out discord1 keep it filled with harmony2 to shut out error1 keep the mind filled with truth2 to shut out ugliness1 contemplate beauty and loveliness2 to get rid of all that is sour and unwholesome1 contemplate all that is sweet and wholesome4 ,opposite thoughts can not occupy the mind at the same time4 ,no matter whether you feel like it or not1 just affirm that you must feel like it1 that you will feel like it1 that you do feel like it1 that you are normal and that you are in a position to do your best4 ,say it deliberately1 affirm it vigorously and it will come true4 ,the next time you get into trouble1 or are discouraged and think you are a failure1 just try the experiment of affirming vigorously1 persistently1 that all that is real must be good1 for ,god made all that is1 and whatever doesn't seem to be good is not like its creator and therefore can not be real4 ,persist in this affirmation4 ,you will be surprised to see how unfortunate suggestions and adverse conditions will melt away before it4 ,the next time you feel the blues or a fit of depression coming on1 just get by yourself--if possible after taking a good bath and dressing yourself becomingly--and give yourself a good talking-to4 ,talk to yourself in the same dead-in-earnest way that you would talk to your own child or a dear friend who was deep in the mire of despondency1 suffering tortures from melancholy4 ,drive out the black1 hideous pictures which haunt your mind4 ,sweep away all depressing thoughts1 suggestions1 all the rubbish that is troubling you4 ,let go of everything that is unpleasant2 all the mistakes1 all the disagreeable past2 just rise up in arms against the enemies of your peace and happiness2 summon all the force you can muster and drive them out4 ,resolve that no matter what happens you are going to be happy2 that you are going to enjoy yourself4 ,when you look at it squarely1 it is very foolish--almost criminal--to go about this beautiful world1 crowded with splendid opportunities1 and things to delight and cheer us1 with a sad1 dejected face1 as though life had been a disappointment instead of a priceless boon4 ,just say to yourself1 ,i am a man and ,i am going to do the work of a man4 ,it's right up to me and ,i am going to face the situation4 ,do not let anybody or anything shake your faith that you can conquer all the enemies of your peace and happiness1 and that you inherit an abundance of all that is good4 ,we should early form the habit of erasing from the mind all disagreeable1 unhealthy1 death-dealing thoughts4 ,we should start out every morning with a clean slate4 ,we should blot out from our mental gallery all discordant pictures and replace them with the harmonious1 uplifting1 life-giving ones4 ,the next time you feel jaded1 discouraged1 completely played out and blue1 you will probably find1 if you look for the reason1 that your condition is largely due to exhausted vitality1 either from overwork1 overeating1 or violating in some way the laws of digestion1 or from vicious habits of some kind4 ,the blues are often caused by exhausted nerve cells1 due to overstraining work1 long-continued excitement1 or over-stimulated nerves from dissipation4 ,this condition is caused by the clamoring of exhausted nerve cells for nourishment1 rest1 or recreation4 ,multitudes of people suffer from despondency and melancholy1 as a result of a run-down condition physically1 due to their irregular1 vicious habits and a lack of refreshing sleep4 ,when you are feeling blue or discouraged1 get as complete a change of environment as possible4 ,whatever you do1 do not brood over your troubles or dwell upon the things which happen to annoy you at the time4 ,think the pleasantest1 happiest things possible4 ,hold the most charitable1 loving thoughts toward others4 ,make a strenuous effort to radiate joy and gladness to everybody about you4 ,say the kindest1 pleasantest things4 ,you will soon begin to feel a wonderful uplift2 the shadows which darkened your mind will flee away1 and the sun of joy will light up your whole being4 ,stoutly1 constantly1 everlastingly affirm that you will become what your ambitions indicate as fitting and possible4 ,do not say1 ,i shall be a success sometime2 say1 ,i am a success4 ,success is my birthright4 ,do not say that you are going to be happy in the future4 ,say to yourself1 ,i was intended for happiness1 made for it1 and ,i am happy now4 ,if1 however1 you affirm1 ,i am health2 ,i am prosperity2 ,i am this or that1 but do not believe it1 you will not be helped by affirmation4 ,you must believe what you affirm and try to realise it4 ,assert your actual possession of the things you need2 of the qualities you long to have4 ,force your mind toward your goal2 hold it there steadily1 persistently1 for this is the mental state that creates4 ,the negative mind1 which doubts and wavers1 creates nothing4 ,i1 myself1 am good fortune1 says ,walt ,whitman4 ,if we could only realize that the very attitude of assuming that we are the real embodiment of the thing we long to be or to attain1 that we possess the good things we long for1 not that we possess all the qualities of good1 but that we are these qualities--with the constant affirming1 ,i myself am good luck1 good fortune2 ,i am myself a part of the great creative1 sustaining principle of the universe1 because my real1 divine self and my ,father are one--what a revolution would come to earth's toilers6 ,,chapter ,,xlv ,,stand ,,for ,,something ,the greatest thing that can be said of a man1 no matter how much he has achieved1 is that he has kept his record clean4 ,why is it that1 in spite of the ravages of time1 the reputation of ,lincoln grows larger and his character means more to the world every year8 ,it is because he kept his record clean1 and never prostituted his ability nor gambled with his reputation4 ,where1 in all history1 is there an example of a man who was merely rich1 no matter how great his wealth1 who exerted such a power for good1 who was such a living force in civilization1 as was this poor backwoods boy8 ,what a powerful illustration of the fact that character is the greatest force in the world6 ,a man assumes importance and becomes a power in the world just as soon as it is found that he stands for something2 that he is not for sale2 that he will not lease his manhood for salary1 for any amount of money or for any influence or position2 that he will not lend his name to anything which he can not indorse4 ,the trouble with so many men to-day is that they do not stand for anything outside their vocation4 ,they may be well educated1 well up in their specialties1 may have a lot of expert knowledge1 but they can not be depended upon4 ,there is some flaw in them which takes the edge off their virtue4 ,they may be fairly honest1 but you cannot bank on them4 ,it is not difficult to find a lawyer or a physician who knows a good deal1 who is eminent in his profession2 but it is not so easy to find one who is a man before he is a lawyer or a physician2 whose name is a synonym for all that is clean1 reliable1 solid1 substantial4 ,it is not difficult to find a good preacher2 but it is not so easy to find a real man1 sterling manhood1 back of the sermon4 ,it is easy to find successful merchants1 but not so easy to find men who put character above merchandise4 ,what the world wants is men who have principle underlying their expertness--principle under their law1 their medicine1 their business2 men who stand for something outside of their offices and stores2 who stand for something in their community2 whose very presence carries weight4 ,everywhere we see smart1 clever1 longheaded1 shrewd men1 but how comparatively rare it is to find one whose record is as clean as a hound's tooth2 who will not swerve from the right2 who would rather fail than be a party to a questionable transaction6 ,everywhere we see business men putting the stumbling-blocks of deception and dishonest methods right across their own pathway1 tripping themselves up while trying to deceive others4 ,we see men worth millions of dollars filled with terror2 trembling lest investigations may uncover things which will damn them in the public estimation6 ,we see them cowed before the law like whipped spaniels2 catching at any straw that will save them from public disgrace6 ,what a terrible thing to live in the limelight of popular favor1 to be envied as rich and powerful1 to be esteemed as honorable and straightforward1 and yet to be conscious all the time of not being what the world thinks we are2 to live in constant terror of discovery1 in fear that something may happen to unmask us and show us up in our true light6 ,but nothing can happen to injure seriously the man who lives four-square to the world2 who has nothing to cover up1 nothing to hide from his fellows2 who lives a transparent1 clean life1 with never a fear of disclosures4 ,if all of his material possessions are swept away from him1 he knows that he has a monument in the hearts of his countrymen1 in the affection and admiration of the people1 and that nothing can happen to harm his real self because he has kept his record clean4 ,mr4 ,roosevelt early resolved that1 let what would come1 whether he succeeded in what he undertook or failed1 whether he made friends or enemies1 he would not take chances with his good name--he would part with everything else first2 that he would never gamble with his reputation2 that he would keep his record clean4 ,his first ambition was to stand for something1 to be a man4 ,before he was a politician or anything else the man must come first4 ,illustration3 ,theodore ,roosevelt ,in his early career he had many opportunities to make a great deal of money by allying himself with crooked1 sneaking1 unscrupulous politicians4 ,he had all sorts of opportunities for political graft4 ,but crookedness never had any attraction for him4 ,he refused to be a party to any political jobbery1 any underhand business4 ,he preferred to lose any position he was seeking1 to let somebody else have it1 if he must get smirched in the getting it4 ,he would not touch a dollar1 place1 or preferment unless it came to him clean1 with no trace of jobbery on it4 ,politicians who had an ax to grind knew it was no use to try to bribe him1 or to influence him with promises of patronage1 money1 position1 or power4 ,mr4 ,roosevelt knew perfectly well that he would make many mistakes and many enemies1 but he resolved to carry himself in such a way that even his enemies should at least respect him for his honesty of purpose1 and for his straightforward1 square-deal methods4 ,he resolved to keep his record clean1 his name white1 at all hazards4 ,everything else seemed unimportant in comparison4 ,in times like these the world especially needs such men as ,mr4 ,roosevelt--men who hew close to the chalk-line of right and hold the line plumb to truth2 men who do not pander to public favor2 men who make duty and truth their goal and go straight to their mark1 turning neither to the right nor to the left1 though a paradise tempt them4 ,who can ever estimate how much his influence has done toward purging politics and elevating the ,american ideal4 ,he has changed the view-point of many statesmen and politicians4 ,he has shown them a new and a better way4 ,he has made many of them ashamed of the old methods of grafting and selfish greed4 ,he has held up a new ideal1 shown them that unselfish service to their country is infinitely nobler than an ambition for self-aggrandizement4 ,american patriotism has a higher meaning to-day1 because of the example of this great ,american4 ,many young politicians and statesmen have adopted cleaner methods and higher aims because of his influence4 ,there is no doubt that tens of thousands of young men in this country are cleaner in their lives1 and more honest and ambitious to be good citizens1 because here is a man who always stands for the square deal1 for civic righteousness1 for ,american manhood4 ,every man ought to feel that there is something in him that bribery can not touch1 that influence can not buy2 something that is not for sale2 something he would not sacrifice or tamper with for any price2 something he would give his life for if necessary4 ,if a man stands for something worth while1 compels recognition for himself alone1 on account of his real worth1 he is not dependent upon recommendations2 upon fine clothes1 a fine house1 or a pull4 ,he is his own best recommendation4 ,the young man who starts out with the resolution to make his character his capital1 and to pledge his whole manhood for every obligation he enters into1 will not be a failure1 though he wins neither fame nor fortune4 ,no man ever really does a great thing who loses his character in the process4 ,no substitute has ever yet been discovered for honesty4 ,multitudes of people have gone to the wall trying to find one4 ,our prisons are full of people who have attempted to substitute something else for it4 ,no man can really believe in himself when he is occupying a false position and wearing a mask2 when the little monitor within him is constantly saying1 ,you know you are a fraud2 you are not the man you pretend to be4 ,the consciousness of not being genuine1 not being what others think him to be1 robs a man of power1 honeycombs the character1 and destroys self-respect and self-confidence4 ,when ,lincoln was asked to take the wrong side of a case he said1 ,i could not do it4 ,all the time while talking to that jury ,i should be thinking1 ',lincoln1 you're a liar1 you're a liar1' and ,i believe ,i should forget myself and say it out loud4 ,character as capital is very much underestimated by a great number of young men4 ,they seem to put more emphasis upon smartness1 shrewdness1 long-headedness1 cunning1 influence1 a pull1 than upon downright honesty and integrity of character4 ,yet why do scores of concerns pay enormous sums for the use of the name of a man who1 perhaps1 has been dead for half a century or more8 ,it is because there is power in that name2 because there is character in it2 because it stands for something2 because it represents reliability and square dealing4 ,think of what the name of ,tiffany1 of ,park and ,tilford1 or any of the great names which stand in the commercial world as solid and immovable as the rock of ,gibraltar1 are worth6 ,does it not seem strange that young men who know these facts should try to build up a business on a foundation of cunning1 scheming1 and trickery1 instead of building on the solid rock of character1 reliability1 and manhood8 ,is it not remarkable that so many men should work so hard to establish a business on an unreliable1 flimsy foundation1 instead of building upon the solid masonry of honest goods1 square dealing1 reliability8 ,a name is worth everything until it is questioned2 but when suspicion clings to it1 it is worth nothing4 ,there is nothing in this world that will take the place of character4 ,there is no policy in the world1 to say nothing of the right or wrong of it1 that compares with honesty and square dealing4 ,in spite of1 or because of1 all the crookedness and dishonesty that is being uncovered1 of all the scoundrels that are being unmasked1 integrity is the biggest word in the business world to-day4 ,there never was a time in all history when it was so big1 and it is growing bigger4 ,there never was a time when character meant so much in business2 when it stood for so much everywhere as it does to-day4 ,there was a time when the man who was the shrewdest and sharpest and cunningest in taking advantage of others got the biggest salary2 but to-day the man at the other end of the bargain is looming up as never before4 ,nathan ,straus1 when asked the secret of the great success of his firm1 said it was their treatment of the man at the other end of the bargain4 ,he said they could not afford to make enemies2 they could not afford to displease or to take advantage of customers1 or to give them reason to think that they had been unfairly dealt with1--that1 in the long run1 the man who gave the squarest deal to the man at the other end of the bargain would get ahead fastest4 ,there are merchants who have made great fortunes1 but who do not carry weight among their fellow men because they have dealt all their lives with inferiority4 ,they have lived with shoddy and shams so long that the suggestion has been held in their minds until their whole standards of life have been lowered2 their ideals have shrunken2 their characters have partaken of the quality of their business4 ,contrast these men with the men who stood for half a century or more at the head of solid houses1 substantial institutions2 men who have always stood for quality in everything2 who have surrounded themselves not only with ability but with men and women of character4 ,we instinctively believe in character4 ,we admire people who stand for something2 who are centered in truth and honesty4 ,it is not necessary that they agree with us4 ,we admire them for their strength1 the honesty of their opinions1 the inflexibility of their principles4 ,the late ,carl ,schurz was a strong man and antagonized many people4 ,he changed his political views very often2 but even his worst enemies knew there was one thing he would never go back on1 friends or no friends1 party or no party--and that was his devotion to principle as he saw it4 ,there was no parleying with his convictions4 ,he could stand alone1 if necessary1 with all the world against him4 ,his inconsistencies1 his many changes in parties and politics1 could not destroy the universal admiration for the man who stood for his convictions4 ,although he escaped from a ,german prison and fled his country1 where he had been arrested on account of his revolutionary principles when but a mere youth1 ,emperor ,william the ,first had such a profound respect for his honesty of purpose and his strength of character that he invited him to return to ,germany and visit him1 gave him a public dinner1 and paid him great tribute4 ,who can estimate the influence of ,president ,eliot in enriching and uplifting our national ideas and standards through the thousands of students who go out from ,harvard ,university8 ,the tremendous force and nobility of character of ,phillips ,brooks raised everyone who came within his influence to higher levels4 ,his great earnestness in trying to lead people up to his lofty ideals swept everything before it4 ,one could not help feeling while listening to him and watching him that there was a mighty triumph of character1 a grand expression of superb manhood4 ,such men as these increase our faith in the race2 in the possibilities of the grandeur of the coming man4 ,we are prouder of our country because of such standards4 ,it is the ideal that determines the direction of the life4 ,and what a grand sight1 what an inspiration1 are those men who sacrifice the dollar to the ideal6 ,the principles by which the problem of success is solved are right and justice1 honesty and integrity2 and just in proportion as a man deviates from these principles he falls short of solving his problem4 ,it is true that he may reach something4 ,he may get money1 but is that success8 ,the thief gets money1 but does he succeed8 ,is it any honester to steal by means of a long head than by means of a long arm8 ,it is very much more dishonest1 because the victim is deceived and then robbed--a double crime4 ,we often receive letters which read like this3 ,i am getting a good salary2 but ,i do not feel right about it1 somehow4 ,i can not still the voice within me that says1 ',wrong1 wrong1' to what ,i am doing4 ,leave it1 leave it1 we always say to the writers of these letters4 ,do not stay in a questionable occupation1 no matter what inducement it offers4 ,its false light will land you on the rocks if you follow it4 ,it is demoralizing to the mental faculties1 paralyzing to the character1 to do a thing which one's conscience forbids4 ,tell the employer who expects you to do questionable things that you can not work for him unless you can put the trade-mark of your manhood1 the stamp of your integrity1 upon everything you do4 ,tell him that if the highest thing in you can not bring success1 surely the lowest can not4 ,you can not afford to sell the best thing in you1 your honor1 your manhood1 to a dishonest man or a lying institution4 ,you should regard even the suggestion that you might sell out for a consideration as an insult4 ,resolve that you will not be paid for being something less than a man2 that you will not lease your ability1 your education1 your inventiveness1 your self-respect1 for salary1 to do a man's lying for him2 either in writing advertisements1 selling goods1 or in any other capacity4 ,resolve that1 whatever your vocation1 you are going to stand for something2 that you are not going to be merely a lawyer1 a physician1 a merchant1 a clerk1 a farmer1 a congressman1 or a man who carries a big money-bag2 but that you are going to be a man first1 last1 and all the time4 ,,chapter ,,xlvi ,,nature',s ,,little ,,bill ,though the mills of ,god grind slowly1 yet they grind exceeding small2 ,though with patience ,he stands waiting1 with exactness grinds ,he all4 ,,frederick ,,von ,,logau4 ,because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily1 therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil4--,,ecclesiastes4 ,man is a watch1 wound up at first but never ,wound up again3 once down he's down forever4 ,,herrick4 ,old age seizes upon an ill-spent youth like fire upon a rotten house4--,,south4 ,last ,sunday a young man died here of extreme old age at twenty-five4--,,john ,,newton4 ,if you will not hear ,reason1 she'll surely rap your knuckles4--,,poor ,,richard',s ,,sayings4 ,oh6 oh6 ah6 exclaimed ,franklin2 what have ,i done to merit these cruel sufferings8 ,many things1 replied the ,gout2 you have eaten and drunk too freely1 and too much indulged those legs of yours in your indolence4 ,nature seldom presents her bill on the day you violate her laws4 ,but if you overdraw your account at her bank1 and give her a mortgage on your body1 be sure she will foreclose4 ,she may loan you all you want2 but1 like ,shylock1 she will demand the last ounce of flesh4 ,she rarely brings in her cancer bill before the victim is forty years old4 ,she does not often annoy a man with her drink bill until he is past his prime1 and then presents it in the form of ,bright's disease1 fatty degeneration of the heart1 drunkard's liver1 or some similar disease4 ,what you pay the saloon keeper is but a small part of your score4 ,we often hear it said that the age of miracles is past4 ,we marvel that a thief dying on the cross should appear that very day in ,paradise2 but behold how that bit of meat or vegetable on a ,hawarden breakfast table is snatched from ,death1 transformed into thought1 and on the following night shakes ,parliament in the magnetism and oratory of a ,gladstone4 ,the age of miracles past1 when three times a day right before our eyes ,nature performs miracles greater even than raising the dead8 ,watch that crust of bread thrown into a cell in ,bedford ,jail and devoured by a poor1 hungry tinker2 cut1 crushed1 ground1 driven by muscles1 dissolved by acids and alkalies2 absorbed and hurled into the mysterious red river of life4 ,scores of little factories along this strange stream1 waiting for this crust1 transmute it as it passes1 as if by magic1 here into a bone cell1 there into gastric juice1 here into bile1 there into a nerve cell1 yonder into a brain cell4 ,we can not trace the processes by which this crust arrives at the muscle and acts1 arrives at the brain and thinks4 ,we can not see the manipulating hand which throws back and forth the shuttle which weaves ,bunyan's destinies1 nor can we trace the subtle alchemy which transforms this prison crust into the finest allegory in the world1 the ,pilgrim's ,progress4 ,but we do know that1 unless we supply food when the stomach begs and clamors1 brain and muscle can not continue to act2 and we also know that unless the food is properly chosen1 unless we eat it properly1 unless we maintain good digestion by exercise of mind and body1 it will not produce the speeches of a ,gladstone or the allegories of a ,bunyan4 ,truly we are fearfully and wonderfully made4 ,imagine a cistern which would transform the foul sewage of a city into pure drinking water in a second's time1 as the black venous blood1 foul with the ashes of burned-up brain cells and dbris of worn-out tissues1 is transformed in the lungs1 at every breath1 into pure1 bright1 red blood4 ,each drop of blood from that magic stream of liquid life was compounded by a divine ,chemist4 ,in it float all our success and destiny4 ,in it are the extensions and limits of our possibilities4 ,in it are health and long life1 or disease and premature death4 ,in it are our hopes and our fears1 our courage1 our cowardice1 our energy or lassitude1 our strength or weakness1 our success or failure4 ,in it are susceptibilities of high or broad culture1 or pinched or narrow faculties handed down from an uncultured ancestry4 ,from it our bones and nerves1 our muscles and brain1 our comeliness or ugliness1 all come4 ,in it are locked up the elements of a vicious or a gentle life1 the tendencies of a criminal or a saint4 ,how important is it1 then1 that we should obey the laws of health1 and thus maintain the purity and power of this our earthly ,river of ,life6 ,we hear a great deal about the 'vile body1' said ,spencer1 and many are encouraged by the phrase to transgress the laws of health4 ,but ,nature quietly suppresses those who treat thus disrespectfully one of her highest products1 and leaves the world to be peopled by the descendants of those who are not so foolish4 ,nature gives to him that hath4 ,she shows him the contents of her vast storehouse1 and bids him take all he wants and be welcome4 ,but she will not let him keep for years what he does not use4 ,use or lose is her motto4 ,every atom we do not utilize this great economist snatches from us4 ,if you put your arm in a sling and do not use it1 ,nature will remove the muscle almost to the bone1 and the arm will become useless1 but in exact proportion to your efforts to use it again she will gradually restore what she took away4 ,put your mind in the sling of idleness1 or inactivity1 and in like manner she will remove your brain1 even to imbecility4 ,the blacksmith wants one powerful arm1 and she gives it to him1 but reduces the other4 ,you can1 if you will1 send all the energy of your life into some one faculty1 but all your other faculties will starve4 ,a young lady may wear tight corsets if she chooses1 but ,nature will remove the rose from her cheek and put pallor there4 ,she will replace a clear complexion with muddy hues and sallow spots4 ,she will take away the elastic step1 the luster from the eye4 ,don't expect to have health for nothing4 ,nothing in this world worth anything can be had for nothing4 ,health is the prize of a constant struggle4 ,nature passes no act without affixing a penalty for its violation4 ,whenever she is outraged she will have her penalty1 although it take a life4 ,a great surgeon stood before his class to perform a certain operation which the elaborate mechanism and minute knowledge of modern science had only recently made possible4 ,with strong and gentle hand he did his work successfully so far as his part of the terrible business went2 and then he turned to his pupils and said1 ,two years ago a safe and simple operation might have cured this disease4 ,six years ago a wise way of life might have prevented it4 ,we have done our best as the case now stands1 but ,nature will have her word to say4 ,she does not always consent to the repeal of her capital sentences4 ,next day the patient died4 ,apart from accidents1 we hold our life largely at will4 ,what business have seventy-five thousand physicians in the ,united ,states8 ,it is our own fault that even one-tenth of them get a respectable living4 ,what a commentary upon our modern ,american civilization that three hundred and fifty thousand people in this country die annually from absolutely preventable diseases6 ,seneca said1 ,the gods have given us a long life1 but we have made it short4 ,few people know enough to become old4 ,it is a rare thing for a person to die of old age4 ,only three or four out of a hundred die of anything like old age4 ,but ,nature evidently intended1 by the wonderful mechanism of the human body1 that we should live well up to a century4 ,thomas ,parr1 of ,england1 lived to the age of one hundred and fifty-two years4 ,he was married when he was a hundred and twenty1 and did not leave off work until he was a hundred and thirty4 ,the great ,dr4 ,harvey examined ,parr's body1 but found no cause of death except a change of living4 ,henry ,jenkins1 of ,yorkshire1 ,england1 lived to be a hundred and sixty-nine1 and would probably have lived longer had not the king brought him to ,london1 where luxuries hastened his death4 ,the court records of ,england show that he was a witness in a trial a hundred and forty years before his death4 ,he swam across a rapid river when he was a hundred4 ,there is nothing we are more ignorant of than the physiology and chemistry of the human body4 ,not one person in a thousand can correctly locate important internal organs or describe their use in the animal economy4 ,what an insult to the ,creator who fashioned them so wonderfully and fearfully in ,his own image1 that the graduates from our high schools and even universities1 and young women who finish their education1 become proficient in the languages1 in music1 in art1 and have the culture of travel1 but can not describe or locate the various organs or functions upon which their lives depend6 ,the time will come1 says ,frances ,willard1 when it will be told as a relic of our primitive barbarism that children were taught the list of prepositions and the names of the rivers of ,thibet1 but were not taught the wonderful laws on which their own bodily happiness is based1 and the humanities by which they could live in peace and goodwill with those about them4 ,nothing else is so important to man as the study and knowledge of himself1 and yet he knows less of himself than he does of the beasts about him4 ,the human body is the great poem of the ,great ,author4 ,not to learn how to read it1 to spell out its meaning1 to appreciate its beauties1 or to attempt to fathom its mysteries1 is a disgrace to our civilization4 ,what a price mortals pay for their ignorance1 let a dwarfed1 half-developed1 one-sided1 short-lived nation answer4 ,a brilliant intellect in a sickly body is like gold in a spent swimmer's pocket4 ,often1 from lack of exercise1 one side of the brain gradually becomes paralyzed and deteriorates into imbecility4 ,how intimately the functions of the nervous organs are united6 ,the whole man mourns for a felon4 ,the least swelling presses a nerve against a bone and causes one intense agony1 and even a ,napoleon becomes a child4 ,a corn on the toe1 an affection of the kidneys or of the liver1 a boil anywhere on the body1 or a carbuncle1 may seriously affect the eyes and even the brain4 ,the whole system is a network of nerves1 of organs1 of functions1 which are so intimately joined1 and related in such close sympathy1 that an injury to one part is immediately felt in every other4 ,nature takes note of all our transactions1 physical1 mental1 or moral1 and places every item promptly to our debit or credit4 ,let us take a look at a page in ,nature's ledger3-- ,to damage to the heart in ,the irritable heart1 the youth by immoderate athletics1 tobacco heart1 a life of tobacco chewing1 cigarette promise impaired or blighted4 smoking1 drinking strong tea or coffee1 rowing1 running to trains1 overstudy1 excitement1 etc4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,to one digestive apparatus ,dyspepsia1 melancholia1 years ruined1 by eating hurriedly1 by of misery to self1 anxiety to eating unsuitable or poorly one's family1 pity and disgust cooked food1 by drinking ice of friends4 water when one is heated1 by swallowing scalding drinks1 especially tea1 which forms tannic acid on the delicate lining of the stomach2 or by eating when tired or worried1 or after receiving bad news1 when the gastric juice can not be secreted1 etc4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,to one nervous system ,years of weakness1 disappointed shattered by dissipation1 abuses1 ambition1 hopeless inefficiency1 over-excitement1 a fast life1 a burnt-out life4 feverish haste to get riches or fame1 hastening puberty by stimulating food1 exciting life1 etc4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,to damage by undue mental ,impaired powers of mind1 exertion by burning the softening of the brain1 midnight oil1 exhausting the blighted hopes4 brain cells faster than they can be renewed4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,to overstraining the brain ,a disappointed ambition1 a trying to lead his class in life of invalidism4 college1 trying to take a prize1 or to get ahead of somebody else4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,to hardening the delicate ,a hardened brain1 a hardened and sensitive gray matter of conscience1 a ruined the brain and nerves1 and home1 ,bright's disease1 fatty ruining the lining membranes of degeneration1 nervous the stomach and nervous degeneration1 a short1 system by alcohol1 opium1 etc4 useless1 wasted life4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,by forced balances1 here and ,accounts closed4 ,physiological there4 and moral bankruptcy4 ,sometimes two or three such items are charged to a single account4 ,to offset them1 there is placed on the credit side a little feverish excitement1 too fleeting for calm enjoyment1 followed by regret1 remorse1 and shame4 ,be sure your sins will find you out4 ,they are all recorded4 ,the gods are just1 and of our pleasant vices ,make instruments to scourge us4 ,it is a wonder that we live at all4 ,we violate every law of our being1 yet we expect to live to a ripe old age4 ,what would you think of a man who1 having an elegant watch delicately adjusted to heat and cold1 should leave it on the sidewalk with cases open on a dusty or a rainy day1 and yet expect it to keep good time8 ,what would you think of a householder who should leave the doors and windows of his mansion open to thieves and tramps1 to winds and dust and rain8 ,what are our bodies but timepieces made by an ,infinite ,hand1 wound up to run a century1 and so delicately adjusted to heat and cold that the temperature will not vary half a degree between the heat of summer and the cold of winter whether we live in the regions of eternal frost or under the burning sun of the tropics8 ,a particle of dust or the slightest friction will throw this wonderful timepiece out of order1 yet we often leave it exposed to all the corroding elements4 ,we do not always keep open the twenty-five miles of ventilating pores in the skin by frequent bathing4 ,we seldom lubricate the delicate wheels of the body with the oil of gladness4 ,we expose it to dust and cinders1 cold and draughts1 and poisonous gases4 ,how careful we are to filter our water1 air our beds1 ventilate our sleeping-rooms1 and analyze our milk6 ,we shrink from contact with filth and disease4 ,but we put paper colored with arsenic on our walls1 and daily breathe its poisonous exhalations4 ,we frequent theaters crowded with human beings1 many of whom are uncleanly and diseased4 ,we sit for hours and breathe in upon fourteen hundred square feet of lung tissue the heated1 foul1 and heavy air2 carbonic acid gas from hundreds of gas burners1 each consuming as much oxygen as six people2 air filled with shreds of tissue expelled from diseased lungs2 poisonous effluvia exhaled from the bodies of people who rarely bathe1 from clothing seldom washed1 fetid breaths1 and skin disease in different stages of development4 ,for hours we sit in this bath of poison1 and wonder at our headache and lassitude next morning4 ,we pour a glass of ice water into a stomach busy in the delicate operation of digestion1 ignorant or careless of the fact that it takes half an hour to recover from the shock and get the temperature back to ninety-eight degrees1 so that the stomach can go on secreting gastric juice4 ,then down goes another glass of water with similar results4 ,we pour down alcohol which thickens the velvety lining of the stomach1 and hardens the soft tissues1 the thin sheaths of nerves1 and the gray matter of the brain4 ,we crowd meats1 vegetables1 pastry1 confectionery1 nuts1 raisins1 wines1 fruits1 etc41 into one of the most delicately constructed organs of the body1 and expect it to take care of its miscellaneous and incongruous load without a murmur4 ,after all these abuses we do not give the blood a chance to go to the stomach and help it out of its misery1 but summon it to the brain and muscles1 notwithstanding the fact that it is so important to have an extra supply to aid digestion that ,nature has made the blood vessels of the alimentary canal large enough to contain several times the amount in the entire body4 ,who ever saw a horse leave his oats and hay1 when hungry1 to wash them down with water8 ,the dumb beasts can teach us some valuable lessons in eating and drinking4 ,nature mixes our gastric juice or pepsin and acids in just the right proportion to digest our food1 and keep it at exactly the right temperature4 ,if we dilute it1 or lower its temperature by ice water1 we diminish its solvent or digestive power1 and dyspepsia is the natural result4 ,english factory children have received the commiseration of the world because they were scourged to work fourteen hours out of the twenty-four4 ,but there is many a theoretical republican who is a harsher taskmaster to his stomach than this2 who allows it no more resting time than he does his watch2 who gives it no ,sunday1 no holiday1 no vacation in any sense1 and who seeks to make his heart beat faster for the sake of the exhilaration he can thus produce4 ,although the heart weighs a little over half a pound1 yet it pumps eighteen pounds of blood from itself1 forcing it into every nook and corner of the entire body1 back to itself in less than two minutes4 ,this little organ1 the most perfect engine in the world1 does a daily work equal to lifting one hundred and twenty-four tons one foot high1 and exerts one-third as much muscle power as does a stout man at hard labor4 ,if the heart should expend its entire force lifting its own weight1 it would raise itself nearly twenty thousand feet an hour1 ten times as high as a pedestrian can lift himself in ascending a mountain4 ,what folly1 then1 to goad this willing1 hard-working slave to greater exertions by stimulants6 ,we must pay the penalty of our vocations4 ,beware of work that kills the workman4 ,those who prize long life should avoid all occupations which compel them to breathe impure air or deleterious gases1 and especially those in which they are obliged to inhale dust and filings from steel and brass and iron1 the dust in coal mines1 and dust from threshing machines4 ,stone-cutters1 miners1 and steel grinders are short lived1 the sharp particles of dust irritating and inflaming the tender lining of the lung cells4 ,the knife and fork grinders in ,manchester1 ,england1 rarely live beyond thirty-two years4 ,those who work in grain elevators and those who are compelled to breathe chemical poisons are short lived4 ,deep breathing in dusty places sends the particles of dust into the upper and less used lobes of the lungs1 and these become a constant irritant1 until they finally excite an inflammation1 which may end in consumption4 ,all occupations in which arsenic is used shorten life4 ,dr4 ,william ,ogle1 who is authority upon this subject1 says1 ,of all the various influences that tend to produce differences of mortality in any community1 none is more potent than the character of the prevailing occupations4 ,finding that clergymen and priests have the lowest death-rate1 he represented it as one hundred1 and by comparison found that the rate for inn and hotel servants was three hundred and ninety-seven2 miners1 three hundred and thirty-one2 earthenware makers1 three hundred and seventeen2 file makers1 three hundred2 innkeepers1 two hundred and seventy-four2 gardeners1 farmers1 and agricultural laborers closely approximating the clerical standard4 ,he gave as the causes of high mortality1 first1 working in a cramped or constrained attitude2 second1 exposure to the action of poisonous or irritating substances2 third1 excessive work1 mental or physical2 fourth1 working in confined or foul air2 fifth1 the use of strong drink2 sixth1 differences in liability to fatal accidents2 seventh1 exposure to the inhalation of dust4 ,the deaths of those engaged in alcoholic industries were as one thousand five hundred and twenty-one to one thousand of the average of all trades4 ,it is very important that occupations should be congenial4 ,whenever our work galls us1 whenever we feel it to be a drudgery and uncongenial1 the friction grinds life away at a terrible rate4 ,health can be accumulated1 invested1 and made to yield its compound interest1 and thus be doubled and redoubled4 ,the capital of health may1 indeed1 be forfeited by one misdemeanor1 as a rich man may sink all his property in one bad speculation2 but it is as capable of being increased as any other kind of capital4 ,one is inclined to think with a recent writer that it looks as if the rich men kept out of the kingdom of heaven were also excluded from the kingdom of brains4 ,in ,new ,york1 ,boston1 ,philadelphia1 and ,chicago are thousands of millionaires1 some of them running through three or four generations of fortune2 and yet1 in all their ranks1 there is seldom a man possessed of the higher intellectual qualities that flower in literature1 eloquence1 or statesmanship4 ,scarcely one of them has produced a book worth printing1 a poem worth reading1 or a speech worth listening to4 ,they are struck with intellectual sterility4 ,they go to college2 they travel abroad2 they hire the dearest masters2 they keep libraries among their furniture2 and some of them buy works of art4 ,but1 for all that1 their brains wither under luxury1 often by their own vices or tomfooleries1 and mental barrenness is the result4 ,he who violates ,nature's law must suffer the penalty1 though he have millions4 ,the fruits of intellect do not grow among the indolent rich4 ,they are usually out of the republic of brains4 ,work or starve is ,nature's motto2 starve mentally1 starve morally1 even if you are rich enough to prevent physical starvation4 ,how heavy a bill ,nature collects of him in whom the sexual instinct has been permitted to taint the whole life with illicit thoughts and deeds1 stultifying the intellect1 deadening the sensibilities1 dwarfing the soul6 ,i waive the quantum of the sin1 ,the hazard of concealing2 ,but och1 it hardens all within1 ,and petrifies the feeling4 ,the sense of fatigue is one of ,nature's many signals of danger4 ,all we accomplish by stimulating or crowding the body or mind when tired is worse than lost4 ,insomnia1 and sometimes even insanity1 is ,nature's penalty for prolonged loss of sleep4 ,one of the worst tortures of the ,inquisition was that of keeping victims from sleeping1 often driving them to insanity or death4 ,melancholy follows insomnia2 insanity1 both4 ,to keep us in a healthy condition1 ,nature takes us back to herself1 puts us under the ether of sleep1 and keeps us there nearly one-third of our lives1 while she overhauls and repairs in secret our wonderful mechanism4 ,she takes us back each night wasted and dusty from the day's work1 broken1 scarred1 and injured in the great struggle of life4 ,each cell of the brain is reburnished and refreshened2 all the ashes or waste from the combustion of the tissues is washed out into the blood stream1 pumped to the lungs1 and thrown out in the breath2 and the body is returned in the morning as fresh and good as new4 ,the ,american honey does not always pay for the sting4 ,labor is the eternal condition on which the rich man gains an appetite for his dinner1 and the poor man a dinner for his appetite2 but the habit of constant1 perpetual industry often becomes a disease4 ,in the ,norse legend1 ,allfader was not allowed to drink from ,mirmir's ,spring1 the fount of wisdom1 until he had left his eye as a pledge4 ,scholars often leave their health1 their happiness1 their usefulness behind1 in their great eagerness to drink deep draughts at wisdom's fountain4 ,professional men often sacrifice everything that is valuable in life for the sake of reputation1 influence1 and money4 ,business men sacrifice home1 family1 health1 happiness1 in the great struggle for money and power4 ,the ,american prize1 like the pearl in the oyster1 is very attractive1 but is too often the result of disease4 ,charles ,linnaeus1 the great naturalist1 so exhausted his brain by over-exertion that he could not recognize his own work1 and even forgot his own name4 ,kirk ,white won the prize at ,cambridge1 but it cost him his life4 ,he studied at night and forced his brain by stimulants and narcotics in his endeavor to pull through1 but he died at twenty-four4 ,paley died at sixty-two of overwork4 ,he was called one of the sublimest spirits in the world4 ,president ,timothy ,dwight of ,yale ,college nearly killed himself by overwork when a young man4 ,when at ,yale he studied nine hours1 taught six hours a day1 and took no exercise whatever4 ,he could not be induced to stop until he became so nervous and irritable that he was unable to look at a book ten minutes a day4 ,his mind gave way1 and it was a long time before he fully recovered4 ,imagine the surprise of the angels at the death of men and women in the early prime and vigor of life4 ,could we but read the notes of their autopsies we might say less of mysterious ,providence at funerals4 ,they would run somewhat as follows3-- ,,notes ,,from ,,the ,,angels' ,,autopsies4 ,what1 is it returned so soon8--a body framed for a century's use returned at thirty8--a temple which was twenty-eight years in building destroyed almost before it was completed8 ,what have gray hairs1 wrinkles1 a bent form1 and death to do with youth8 ,has all this beauty perished like a bud just bursting into bloom1 plucked by the grim destroyer8 ,has she fallen a victim to tight-lacing1 over-excitement1 and the gaiety and frivolity of fashionable life8 ,here is an educated1 refined woman who died of lung starvation4 ,what a tax human beings pay for breathing impure air6 ,nature provides them with a tonic atmosphere1 compounded by the divine ,chemist1 but they refuse to breathe it in its purity1 and so must pay the penalty in shortened lives4 ,they can live a long time without water1 a longer time without food1 clothing1 or the so-called comforts of life2 they can live without education or culture1 but their lungs must have good1 healthful air-food twenty-four thousand times a day if they would maintain health4 ,oh1 that they would see1 as we do1 the intimate connection between bad air1 bad morals1 and a tendency to crime6 ,here are the ruins of an idolized son and loving husband4 ,educated and refined1 what infinite possibilities beckoned him onward at the beginning of his career6 ,but the ,devil's agent offered him imagination1 sprightliness1 wit1 eloquence1 bodily strength1 and happiness in eau de vie1 or water of life1 as he called it1 at only fifteen cents a glass4 ,the best of our company tried to dissuade him1 but to no avail4 ,the poor mortal closed his bargain with the dramseller1 and what did he get8 ,a hardened conscience1 a ruined home1 a diseased body1 a muddled brain1 a heartbroken wife1 wretched children1 disappointed friends1 triumphant enemies1 days of remorse1 nights of anguish1 an unwept deathbed1 an unhonored grave4 ,and only to think that he is only one of many thousands6 ,what fools these mortals be6 ,did he not see the destruction toward which he was rushing with all the feverish haste of slavish appetite8 ,ah1 yes1 but only when it was too late4 ,in his clenched hand1 as he lay dead1 was found a crumpled paper containing the following1 in lines barely legible so tremulous were the nerves of the writer3 ,wife1 children1 and over forty thousand dollars all gone6 ,i alone am responsible4 ,all has gone down my throat4 ,when ,i was twenty-one ,i had a fortune4 ,i am not yet thirty-five years old4 ,i have killed my beautiful wife1 who died of a broken heart2 have murdered our children with neglect4 ,when this coin is gone ,i do not know how ,i can get my next meal4 ,i shall die a drunken pauper4 ,this is my last money1 and my history4 ,if this bill comes into the hands of any man who drinks1 let him take warning from my life's ruin4 ,what a magnificent specimen of manhood this would have been if his life had been under the rule of reason1 not passion6 ,he dies of old age at forty1 his hair is gray1 his eyes are sunken1 his complexion sodden1 his body marked with the labels of his disease4 ,a physique fit for a god1 fashioned in the ,creator's image1 with infinite possibilities1 a physiological hulk wrecked on passion's seas1 and fit only for a danger signal to warn the race4 ,what would parents think of a captain who would leave his son in charge of a ship without giving him any instructions or chart showing the rocks1 reefs1 and shoals8 ,do they not know that those who sleep in the ocean are but a handful compared with those who have foundered on passion's seas8 ,oh1 the sins of silence which parents commit against those dearer to them than life itself6 ,youth can not understand the great solicitude of parents regarding their education1 their associations1 their welfare generally1 and the mysterious silence in regard to their physical natures4 ,an intelligent explanation1 by all mothers to the daughters and by all fathers to the sons1 of the mysteries of their physical lives1 when at the right age1 would revolutionize civilization4 ,this young clergyman killed himself trying to be popular4 ,this student committed suicide by exhausting his brain in trying to lead his class4 ,this young lawyer overdrew his account at ,nature's bank1 and she foreclosed by a stroke of paralysis4 ,this merchant died at thirty-five by his own hand4 ,his life was slipping away without enjoyment4 ,he had murdered his capacity for happiness1 and dug his own spiritual grave while making preparations for enjoying life4 ,this young society man died of nothing to do and dissipation1 at thirty4 ,what a miserable farce the life of men and women seems to us6 ,time1 which is so precious that even the ,creator will not give a second moment until the first is gone1 they throw away as though it were water4 ,opportunities which angels covet they fling away as of no consequence1 and die failures1 because they have no chance in life4 ,life1 which seems so precious to us1 they spurn as if but a bauble4 ,scarcely a mortal returns to us who has not robbed himself of years of precious life4 ,scarcely a man returns to us dropping off in genuine old age1 as autumn leaves drop in the forest4 ,has life become so cheap that mortals thus throw it away8 ,,chapter ,,xlvii ,,habit--,,the ,,servant1--,,the ,,master ,habit1 if wisely and skilfully formed1 becomes truly a second nature4--,,bacon4 ,habit1 with its iron sinews1 ,clasps and leads us day by day4 ,,lamartine4 ,the chain of habit coils itself around the heart like a serpent1 to gnaw and stifle it4--,,hazlitt4 ,you can not1 in any given case1 by any sudden and single effort1 will to be true1 if the habit of your life has been insincerity4--,f4 ,w4 ,,robertson4 ,it is a beautiful provision in the mental and moral arrangement of our nature1 that that which is performed as a duty may by frequent repetition1 become a habit2 and the habit of stern virtue1 so repulsive to others1 may hang around our neck like a wreath of flowers4--,,paxton ,,hood4 ,when shall ,i begin to train my child8 asked a young mother of a learned physician4 ,how old is the child8 inquired the doctor4 ,two years1 sir4 ,then you have lost just two years1 replied he1 gravely4 ,you must begin with his grandmother1 said ,oliver ,wendell ,holmes1 when asked a similar question4 ,at the mouth of the ,mississippi1 says ,beecher1 how impossible would it be to stay its waters1 and to separate from each other the drops from the various streams that have poured in on either side1--of the ,red ,river1 the ,arkansas1 the ,ohio1 and the ,missouri1--or to sift1 grain by grain the particles of sand that have been washed from the ,alleghany1 or the ,rocky ,mountains2 yet how much more impossible would it be when character is the river1 and habits are the side-streams6 ,we sow an act1 we reap a habit2 we sow a habit1 we reap a character4 ,while correct habits depend largely on self-discipline1 and often on self-denial1 bad habits1 like weeds1 spring up1 unaided and untrained1 to choke the plants of virtue and as with ,canada thistles1 allowed to go to seed in a fair meadow1 we may have one day's seeding1 ten years' weeding4 ,we seldom see much change in people after they get to be twenty-five or thirty years of age1 except in going further in the way they have started2 but it is a great comfort to think that1 when one is young1 it is almost as easy to acquire a good habit as a bad one1 and that it is possible to be hardened in goodness as well as in evil4 ,take good care of the first twenty years of your life1 and you may hope that the last twenty will take good care of you4 ,a writer on the history of ,staffordshire tells of an idiot who1 living near a town clock1 and always amusing himself by counting the hour of the day whenever the clock struck1 continued to strike and count the hour correctly without its aid1 when at one time it happened to be injured by an accident4 ,dr4 ,johnson had acquired the habit of touching every post he passed in the street2 and1 if he missed one1 he was uneasy1 irritable1 and nervous till he went back and touched the neglected post4 ,even thought is but a habit4 ,heredity is a man's habit transmitted to his offspring4 ,a special study of hereditary drunkenness has been made by ,professor ,pellman of ,bonn ,university1 ,germany4 ,he thus traced the careers of children1 grandchildren1 and great-grandchildren in all parts of the present ,german ,empire1 until he was able to present tabulated biographies of the hundreds descended from some original drunkard4 ,notable among the persons described by ,professor ,pellman is ,frau ,ada ,jurke1 who was born in #agdj1 and was a drunkard1 a thief1 and a tramp for the last forty years of her life1 which ended in #ahjj4 ,her descendants numbered #hcd1 of whom #gji were traced in local records from youth to death4 ,one hundred and six of the #gji were born out of wedlock4 ,there were #add beggars1 and #fb more who lived from charity4 ,of the women1 #aha led disreputable lives4 ,there were in the family #gf convicts1 #g of whom were sentenced for murder4 ,in a period of some seventy-five years1 this one family rolled up a bill of costs in almshouses1 prisons1 and correctional institutions amounting to at least #e1jjj1jjj marks1 or about #a1bej1jjj4 ,isaac ,watts had a habit of rhyming4 ,his father grew weary of it1 and set out to punish him1 which made the boy cry out3-- ,pray1 father1 on me mercy take1 ,and ,i will no more verses make4 ,a minister had a bad habit of exaggeration1 which seriously impaired his usefulness4 ,his brethren came to expostulate4 ,with extreme humiliation over this fault as they set it forth1 he said1 ,brethren1 ,i have long mourned over this fault1 and ,i have shed barrels of tears because of it4 ,they gave him up as incorrigible4 ,men carelessly or playfully get into habits of speech or act which become so natural that they speak or act as they do not intend1 to their discomfiture4 ,professor ,phelps told of some ,andover students1 who1 for sport1 interchanged the initial consonants of adjacent words4 ,but1 said he1 retribution overtook them4 ,on a certain morning1 when one of them was leading the devotions1 he prayed the ,lord to 'have mercy on us1 feak and weeble sinners4' ,the habit had come to possess him4 ,many speakers have undesirable habits of utterance or gesture4 ,some are continually applying the hand to some part of the face1 the chin1 the whiskers2 some give the nose a peck with thumb and forefinger2 others have the habit characterized as1-- ,washing the hands with invisible soap ,in a bowl of invisible water4 ,we are continually denying that we have habits which we have been practising all our lives1 says ,beecher4 ,here is a man who has lived forty or fifty years2 and a chance shot sentence or word lances him1 and reveals to him a trait which he has always possessed1 but which1 until now1 he had not the remotest idea that he possessed4 ,for forty or fifty years he has been fooling himself about a matter as plain as the nose on his face4 ,had the angels been consulted1 whether to create man1 with this principle introduced1 that1 if a man did a thing once1 if would be easier the second time1 and at length would be done without effort1 they would have said1 ,create6 ,remember that habit is an arrangement1 a principle of human nature1 which we must use to increase the efficiency and ease of our work in life4 ,make sobriety a habit1 and intemperance will be hateful2 make prudence a habit1 and reckless profligacy will be as contrary to the course of nature in the child1 or in the adult1 as the most atrocious crimes are to any of us4 ,out of hundreds of replies from successful men as to the probable cause of failure1 bad habits was in almost every one4 ,how easy it is to be nobody2 it is the simplest thing in the world to drift down the stream1 into bad company1 into the saloon2 just a little beer1 just a little gambling1 just a little bad company1 just a little killing of time1 and the work is done4 ,new ,orleans is from five to fifteen feet below high water in the ,mississippi ,river4 ,the only protection to the city from the river is the levee4 ,in ,may1 #ahhc1 a small break was observed in the levee1 and the water was running through4 ,a few bags of sand or loads of dirt would have stopped the water at first2 but it was neglected for a few hours1 and the current became so strong that all efforts to stop it were fruitless4 ,a reward of five hundred thousand dollars was offered to any man who would stop it2 but it was too late--it could not be done4 ,beware of small sins and white lies4 ,a man of experience says3 ,there are four good habits1--punctuality1 accuracy1 steadiness1 and dispatch4 ,without the first1 time is wasted2 without the second1 mistakes the most hurtful to our own credit and interest1 and those of others1 may be committed2 without the third1 nothing can be well done2 and without the fourth1 opportunities of great advantage are lost1 which it is impossible to recall4 ,abraham ,lincoln gained his clear precision of statement of propositions by practise1 and ,wendell ,phillips his wonderful ,english diction by always thinking and conversing in excellent style4 ,family customs exercise a vast influence over the world4 ,children go forth from the parent-nest1 spreading the habits they have imbibed over every phase of society4 ,these can easily be traced to their sources4 ,to be sure1 this is only a trifle in itself2 but1 then1 the manner in which ,i do every trifling thing is of very great consequence1 because it is just in these little things that ,i am forming my business habits4 ,i must see to it that ,i do not fail here1 even if this is only a small task4 ,a physical habit is like a tree grown crooked4 ,you can not go to the orchard1 and take hold of a tree grown thus1 and straighten it1 and say1 ',now keep straight6' and have it obey you4 ,what can you do8 ,you can drive down a stake1 and bind the tree to it1 bending it back a little1 and scarifying the bark on one side4 ,and if1 after that1 you bend it back a little more every month1 keeping it taut through the season1 and from season to season1 at length you will succeed in making it permanently straight4 ,you can straighten it1 but you can not do it immediately2 you must take one or two years for it4 ,sir ,george ,staunton visited a man in ,india who had committed murder2 and in order not only to save his life1 but what was of much greater consequence to him1 his caste1 he had submitted to a terrible penalty1--to sleep for seven years on a bed1 the entire top of which was studded with iron points1 as sharp as they could be without penetrating the flesh4 ,sir ,george saw him during the fifth year of his sentence4 ,his skin then was like the hide of a rhinoceros2 and he could sleep comfortably on his bed of thorns1 and he said that at the end of the seven years he thought he should use the same bed from choice4 ,what a vivid parable of a sinful life6 ,sin1 at first a bed of thorns1 after a time becomes comfortable through the deadening of moral sensibility4 ,when the suspension bridge over ,niagara ,river was to be erected1 the question was1 how to get the cable over4 ,with a favoring wind a kite was elevated1 which alighted on the opposite shores4 ,to its insignificant string a cord was attached1 which was drawn over1 then a rope1 then a larger one1 then a cable2 finally the great bridge was completed1 connecting the ,united ,states with ,canada4 ,first across the gulf we cast ,kite-borne threads till lines are passed1 ,and habit builds the bridge at last4 ,launch your bark on the ,niagara ,river1 said ,john ,b4 ,gough2 it is bright1 smooth1 and beautiful1 ,down the stream you glide on your pleasure excursion4 ,suddenly some one cries out from the bank1 ',young men1 ahoy6' ',what is it8' ',the rapids are below you4' ',ha6 ha6 we have heard of the rapids1 but we are not such fools as to get there4 ,if we go too fast1 then we shall up with the helm1 and steer to the shore4 ,then on1 boys1 don't be alarmed--there is no danger4' ',young men1 ahoy there6' ',what is it8' ',the rapids are below you6' ',ha6 ha6 we will laugh and quaff4 ,what care we for the future8 ,no man ever saw it4 ,sufficient for the day is the evil thereof4 ,we will enjoy life while we may1 will catch pleasure as it flies4 ,there's time enough to steer out of danger4' ',young men1 ahoy6' ',what is it8' ',beware6 ,beware6 ,the rapids are below you6' ,now you see the water foaming all around4 ,see how fast you pass that point6 ,up with the helm6 ,now turn6 ,pull hard6 ,quick1 quick6 ,pull for your lives6 ,pull till the blood starts from the nostrils1 and the veins stand like whip-cords upon the brow6 ,set the mast in the socket6 hoist the sail--ah6 ah6 it is too late6 ,shrieking1 cursing1 howling1 blaspheming1 over you go4 ,thousands go over the rapids every year1 through the power of habit1 crying all the while1 ',when ,i find out that it is injuring me1 ,i will give it up6' ,a community is often surprised and shocked at some crime4 ,the man was seen on the street yesterday1 or in his store1 but he showed no indication that he would commit such crime to-day4 ,yet the crime committed to-day is but a regular and natural sequence of what the man did yesterday and the day before4 ,it was but a result of the fearful momentum of all his past habits4 ,a painter once wanted a picture of innocence1 and drew from life the likeness of a child at prayer4 ,the little suppliant was kneeling by his mother4 ,the palms of his hands were reverently pressed together1 and his mild blue eyes were upturned with the expression of devotion and peace4 ,the portrait was much prized by the painter1 who hung it up on his wall1 and called it ,innocence4 ,years passed away1 and the artist became an old man4 ,still the picture hung there4 ,he had often thought of painting a counterpart1--the picture of guilt1--but had not found the opportunity4 ,at last he effected his purpose by paying a visit to a neighboring jail4 ,on the damp floor of his cell lay a wretched culprit heavily ironed4 ,wasted was his body1 and hollow his eyes2 vice was visible in his face4 ,the painter succeeded admirably2 and the portraits were hung side by side for ,innocence and ,guilt4 ,the two originals of the pictures were discovered to be one and the same person1--first1 in the innocence of childhood6 second1 in the degradation of guilt and sin and evil habits4 ,will-power can be so educated that it will focus the thought upon the bright side of things1 upon objects which lift and elevate4 ,habits of contentment and goodness may be formed the same as any others4 ,walking upon the quarter-deck of a vessel1 though at first intolerably confining1 becomes by custom so agreeable to a sailor that on shore he often hems himself within the same bounds4 ,lord ,kames tells of a man who1 having relinquished the sea for a country life1 reared an artificial mount1 with a level summit1 resembling a quarter-deck not only in shape1 but in size1 where he generally walked4 ,when ,franklin was superintending the erection of some forts on the frontier1 as a defense against the ,indians1 he slept at night in a blanket on a hard floor2 and1 on his first return to civilized life1 he could hardly sleep in a bed4 ,captain ,ross and his crew1 having been accustomed1 during their polar wanderings1 to lie on the frozen snow or a bare rock1 afterwards found the accommodations of a whaler too luxurious for them1 and the captain exchanged his hammock for a chair4 ,two sailors1 who had been drinking1 took a boat off to their ship4 ,they rowed but made no progress2 and presently each began to accuse the other of not working hard enough4 ,lustily they plied the oars1 but after another hour's work still found themselves no farther advanced4 ,by this time they had become tolerably sober2 and one of them1 looking over the side1 said to the other1 ,why1 ,tom1 we haven't pulled the anchor up yet4 ,and thus it is with those who are anchored to something of which they are not conscious1 perhaps1 but which impedes their efforts1 even though they do their very best4 ,a youth thoughtless1 when all the happiness of his home forever depends on the chances or the passions of an hour6 exclaims ,ruskin4 ,a youth thoughtless1 when his every act is a foundation-stone of future conduct1 and every imagination a fountain of life or death6 ,be thoughtless in any after years1 rather than now1--though1 indeed1 there is only one place where a man may be nobly thoughtless1--his deathbed4 ,no thinking should ever be left to be done there4 ,sir ,james ,paget tells us that a practised musician can play on the piano at the rate of twenty-four notes a second4 ,for each note a nerve current must be transmitted from the brain to the fingers1 and from the fingers to the brain4 ,each note requires three movements of a finger1 the bending down and raising up1 and at least one lateral1 making no less than seventy-two motions in a second1 each requiring a distinct effort of the will1 and directed unerringly with a certain speed1 and a certain force1 to a certain place4 ,some can do this easily1 and be at the same time busily employed in intelligent conversation4 ,thus1 by obeying the law of habit until repetition has formed a second nature1 we are able to pass the technique of life almost wholly over to the nerve centers1 leaving our minds free to act or enjoy4 ,all through our lives the brain is constantly educating different parts of the body to form habits which will work automatically from reflex action1 and thus is delegated to the nervous system a large part of life's duties4 ,this is nature's wonderful economy to release the brain from the drudgery of individual acts1 and leave it free to command all its forces for higher service4 ,man's life-work is a masterpiece or a botch1 according as each little habit has been perfectly or carelessly formed4 ,it is said that if you invite one of the devil's children to your home the whole family will follow4 ,so one bad habit seems to have a relationship with all the others4 ,for instance1 the one habit of negligence1 slovenliness1 makes it easier to form others equally bad1 until the entire character is honeycombed by the invasion of a family of bad habits4 ,a man is often shocked when he suddenly discovers that he is considered a liar4 ,he never dreamed of forming such a habit2 but the little misrepresentations to gain some temporary end1 had1 before he was aware of it1 made a beaten track in the nerve and brain tissue1 until lying has become almost a physical necessity4 ,he thinks he can easily overcome this habit1 but he will not4 ,he is bound to it with cords of steel2 and only by painful1 watchful1 and careful repetition of the exact truth1 with a special effort of the will-power at each act1 can he form a counter trunk-line in the nerve and brain tissue4 ,society is often shocked by the criminal act of a man who has always been considered upright and true4 ,but1 if they could examine the habit-map in his nervous mechanism and brain1 they would find the beginnings of a path leading directly to his deed1 in the tiny repetitions of what he regarded as trivial acts4 ,all expert and technical education is built upon the theory that these trunk-lines of habit become more and more sensitive to their accustomed stimuli1 and respond more and more readily4 ,we are apt to overlook the physical basis of habit4 ,every repetition of an act makes us more likely to perform that act1 and discovers in our wonderful mechanism a tendency to perpetual repetition1 whose facility increases in exact proportion to the repetition4 ,finally the original act becomes voluntary from a natural reaction4 ,it is cruel to teach the vicious that they can1 by mere force of will-power1 turn about face1 and go in the other direction1 without explaining to them the scientific process of character-building1 through habit-formation4 ,what we do to-day is practically what we did yesterday2 and1 in spite of resolutions1 unless carried out in this scientific way1 we shall repeat to-morrow what we have done to-day4 ,how unfortunate that the science of habit-forming is not known by mothers1 and taught in our schools1 colleges1 and universities6 ,it is a science compared with which other departments of education sink into insignificance4 ,the converted man is not always told that the great battle is yet before him2 that he must persistently1 painfully1 prayerfully1 and with all the will-power he possesses1 break up the old habits1 and lay counter lines which will lead to the temple of virtue4 ,he is not told that1 in spite of all his efforts1 in some unguarded moment1 some old switch may be left open1 some old desire may flash along the line1 and that1 possibly before he is aware of it1 he may find himself yielding to the old temptation which he had supposed to be conquered forever4 ,an old soldier was walking home with a beefsteak in one hand and a basket of eggs in the other1 when some one yelled1 ,halt6 ,attention6 ,instantly the veteran came to a stand2 and1 as his arms took the position of attention1 eggs and meat went tumbling into the street1 the accustomed nerves responding involuntarily to the old stimulus4 ,paul evidently understood the force of habit4 ,i find1 then1 he declares1 the law1 that to me who would do good1 evil is present4 ,for ,i delight in the law of ,god after the inward man2 but ,i see a different law in my members1 warring against the law in my mind1 and bringing me into captivity1 under the law of sin1 which is in my members4 ,o wretched man that ,i am6 who shall deliver me from the body of this death6 ,he referred to the ancient custom of binding a murderer face to face with the dead body of his victim1 until suffocated by its stench and dissolution4 ,i would give a world1 if ,i had it1 said an unfortunate wretch1 to be a true man2 yet in twenty-four hours ,i may be overcome and disgraced with a shilling's worth of sin4 ,how shall ,i a habit break8 ,as you did that habit make4 ,as you gathered1 you must lose2 ,as you yielded1 now refuse4 ,thread by thread the strands we twist1 ,till they bind us1 neck and wrist2 ,thread by thread the patient hand ,must untwine1 ere free we stand2 ,as we builded1 stone by stone1 ,we must toil unhelped1 alone1 ,till the wall is overthrown4 ,,chapter ,,xlviii ,,the ,,cigarette ,we are so accustomed to the sight and smell of tobacco that we entirely overlook the fact that the tobacco of commerce in all its forms is the product of a poisonous weed4 ,it is first a narcotic and then an irritant poison4 ,it has its place in all toxicological classifications together with its proper antidotes4 ,tobacco has not achieved its almost universal popularity without strong opposition4 ,in ,england ,king ,james launched his famous ,counterblaste against its use4 ,in ,turkey1 where men and women are alike slaves to its fascination1 tobacco was originally forbidden under severe penalties2 the loss of the ears1 the slitting of the nostrils and even death itself being penalties imposed for the infraction of the law forbidding the use of tobacco in any form4 ,since then pipes1 cigars1 snuff and chewing tobacco have become popularized and tobacco in some form or another is used by almost every nation4 ,the last development in the form of tobacco using was the cigarette rolled between the fingers1 and the worst form of the cigarette is the manufactured article sold in cheap packages and freely used by boys who in many cases have not reached their teens4 ,the manufactured ,american cigarette seems to be especially deadly in its effect4 ,it is said to contain five and one-half per cent4 of nicotine1 or more than twice as much as the ,cuban-made cigarette contains1 and more than six times as much as is contained in the ,turkish cigarette4 ,i am not going to quarrel with the use of tobacco in general by mature men4 ,he who has come to man's estate is free to decide for himself whether he shall force a poison on his revolting stomach2 for the nausea that follows the first use of tobacco is the stomach's attempt to eject the poison which has been absorbed from pipe1 cigar1 or cigarette4 ,the grown man1 too1 is able to determine whether he wants to pay the tax which the use of tobacco levies upon his time1 his health1 his income and his prosperity4 ,the most that can be said of the use of tobacco is that if habitual users of the narcotic weed are successful in life they must be successful in spite of the use of tobacco and not because of it2 for it is opposed to both reason and common sense that the habitual use of a poison in any form should promote the development and exercise of the faculties whose energetic use is essential to success4 ,what ,i desire to do is to warn the boy1 the growing youth1 of the baneful influence of the cigarette on minds yet unformed1 on bodies yet in process of development4 ,the danger of the cigarette to the growing boy lies first in the fact that it poisons the body4 ,that it does not kill at the outset is due to the fact that the dose is small and so slowly increased that the body gradually accommodates itself to this poison as it does to strychnine1 arsenic1 opium1 and other poisons4 ,but all the time there is a slow but steady process of physical degeneration4 ,the digestion is affected1 the heart is overtaxed1 liver and bowels are deranged in their functions1 and as the poison spreads throughout the system there is a gradual physical deterioration which is marked alike in the countenance and in the carriage of the body4 ,any person who cares to do so may prove for himself the poisonous nature of nicotine which is derived from tobacco and taken into the system by those who chew or smoke4 ,dr4 ,j4 ,j4 ,kellogg says3 ,a few months ago ,i had all the nicotine removed from a cigarette1 making a solution of it4 ,i injected half the quantity into a frog1 with the effect that the frog died almost instantly4 ,the rest was administered to another frog with like effect4 ,both frogs were full grown1 and of average size4 ,the conclusion is evident that a single cigarette contains poison enough to kill two frogs4 ,a boy who smokes twenty cigarettes a day has inhaled enough poison to kill forty frogs4 ,why does the poison not kill the boy8 ,it does tend to kill him4 ,if not immediately1 he is likely to die sooner or later of weak heart1 ,bright's disease1 or some other malady which scientific physicians everywhere now recognize as a natural result of chronic nicotine poisoning4 ,a chemist1 not long since1 took the tobacco used in an average cigarette and soaked it in several teaspoonfuls of water and then injected a portion of it under the skin of a cat4 ,the cat almost immediately went into convulsions1 and died in fifteen minutes4 ,dogs have been killed with a single drop of nicotine4 ,a single drop of nicotine taken from a seasoned pipe1 and applied to the tongue of a venomous snake has caused almost instant death4 ,a ,western farmer tried to rear a brood of motherless chickens in his greenhouse4 ,but the chickens did not thrive4 ,they refused to eat2 their skins became dry and harsh2 their feathers were ruffled2 they were feverish and drank constantly4 ,soon they began to die4 ,as the temperature and general condition of the greenhouse seemed to be especially favorable to the rearing of chickens1 the florist was puzzled to determine the cause of their sickness and death4 ,after a careful study of the symptoms he found that the source of the trouble arose from the fumes of the tobacco stems burned in the greenhouse to destroy green flies and destructive plant parasites4 ,though the chickens had always been removed from the greenhouse during the tobacco fumigation and were not returned while any trace of smoke was apparent to the human senses1 it was evident that the soil1 air1 and leaves of the plants retained enough of the poison to keep the chickens in a condition of semi-intoxication4 ,the conditions were promptly changed1 and the chickens removed to other quarters recovered rapidly and in a short time were healthy and lively though they were stunted in growth because of this temporary exposure to the effects of nicotine4 ,the symptoms in the chickens were almost identical with the symptoms of nicotine poisoning in young boys1 and the effects were relatively the same4 ,the most moderate use of the cigarette is injurious to the body and mind of the youth2 excessive indulgence leads inevitably to insanity and death4 ,a young man died in a ,minnesota state institution not long ago1 who1 five years before1 had been one of the most promising young physicians of the ,west4 ,still under thirty years at the time of his commitment to the institution1 says the newspaper account of his story1 he had already made three discoveries in nervous diseases that had made him looked up to in his profession4 ,but he smoked cigarettes1--smoked incessantly4 ,for a long time the effects of the habit were not apparent on him4 ,in fact1 it was not until a patient died on the operating table under his hands1 and the young doctor went to pieces1 that it became known that he was a victim of the paper pipes4 ,but then he had gone too far4 ,he was a wreck in mind as well as in body1 and he ended his days in a maniac's cell4 ,another unfortunate victim of the cigarette was1 not long ago1 taken to the ,brooklyn ,hospital4 ,he was a fireman on the railroad and was only twenty-one years old4 ,he said he began smoking cigarettes when a mere boy4 ,before being taken to the hospital he smoked all night for weeks without sleep4 ,when in the hospital he recognized none1 but called loudly to everyone he saw to kill him4 ,he would batter his head against the wall in the attempt to commit suicide4 ,at length he was taken to the ,king's ,county ,hospital in a strait jacket1 where death soon relieved him of his sufferings4 ,similar results are following the excessive use of cigarettes1 every day and in all sections of the country4 ,died of heart failure is the daily verdict on scores of those who drop down at the desk or in the street4 ,can not this sudden taking off1 of apparently hale and sturdy men be related1 oftentimes to the heart weakness caused by the excessive use of tobacco and particularly of cigarettes8 ,excessive cigarette smoking increases the heart's action very materially1 in some instances twenty-five or thirty beats a minute4 ,think of the enormous amount of extra work forced upon this delicate organ every twenty-four hours6 ,the pulsations are not only greatly increased but also very materially weakened1 so that the blood is not forced to every part of the system1 and hence the tissues are not nourished as they would be by means of fewer but stronger1 more vigorous pulsations4 ,the indulgence in cigarettes stunts the growth and retards physical development4 ,an investigation of all the students who entered ,yale ,university during nine years shows that the cigarette smokers were the inferiors1 both in weight and lung capacity1 of the non-smokers1 although they averaged fifteen months older4 ,it has been said that the universal habit of smoking has made ,germany a spectacled nation4 ,tobacco greatly irritates the eyes1 and injuriously affects the optic nerves4 ,the eyes of boys who use cigarettes to excess grow dull and weak1 and every feature shows the mark of the insidious poison4 ,the face is pallid and haggard1 the cheeks hollow1 the skin drawn1 there is a loss of frankness of expression1 the eyes are shifty1 the movements nervous and uncertain1 and all this is but preliminary to the ultimate degradation and loss of self-respect which follow the victim of the cigarette habit1 through years of misery and failure4 ,side by side with physical deterioration there goes on a process of moral degeneration which robs the cigarette smoking boy of refinement1 of manners4 ,the moral depravity which follows cigarette habit is appalling4 ,lying1 cheating1 swearing1 impurity1 loss of courage and manhood1 a complete dropping of life's standards1 result from such indulgence4 ,magistrate ,crane1 of ,new ,york ,city1 says3 ,ninety-nine out of a hundred boys between the ages of ten and seventeen years who come before me charged with crime have their fingers disfigured by yellow cigarette stains--,i am not a crank on this subject1 ,i do not care to pose as a reformer1 but it is my opinion that cigarettes will do more than liquor to ruin boys4 ,when you have arraigned before you boys hopelessly deaf through the excessive use of cigarettes1 boys who have stolen their sisters' earnings1 boys who absolutely refuse to work1 who do nothing but gamble and steal1 you can not help seeing that there is some direct cause1 and a great deal of this boyhood crime1 is1 in my mind1 easy to trace to the deadly cigarette4 ,there is something in the poison of the cigarette that seems to get into the system of the boy and to destroy all moral fiber4 ,he gives the following probable course of a boy who begins to smoke cigarettes3 ,first1 cigarettes4 ,second1 beer and liquors4 ,third1 craps--petty gambling4 ,fourth1 horse-racing--gambling on a bigger scale4 ,fifth1 larceny4 ,sixth1 state prison4 ,another ,new ,york ,city magistrate says3 ,yesterday ,i had before me thirty-five boy prisoners4 ,thirty-three of them were confirmed cigarette smokers4 ,to-day1 from a reliable source1 ,i have made the grewsome discovery that two of the largest cigarette manufacturers soak their product in a weak solution of opium4 ,the fact that out of thirty-five prisoners thirty-three smoked cigarettes might seem to indicate some direct connection between cigarettes and crime4 ,and when it is announced on authority that most cigarettes are doped with opium1 this connection is not hard to understand4 ,opium is like whisky1--it creates an increasing appetite that grows with what it feeds upon4 ,a growing boy who lets tobacco and opium get a hold upon his senses is never long in coming under the domination of whisky1 too4 ,tobacco is the boy's easiest and most direct road to whisky4 ,when opium is added1 the young man's chance of resisting the combined forces and escaping physical1 mental1 and moral harm is slim1 indeed4 ,i think the above statement regarding the use of opium by manufacturers is exaggerated4 ,yet we know that young men of great natural ability1 everywhere1 some of them in high positions1 are constantly losing their grip1 deteriorating1 dropping back1 losing their ambition1 their push1 their stamina1 and their energy1 because of the cigarette's deadly hold upon them4 ,did you ever watch the gradual deterioration of the cigarette smoker1 the gradual withdrawal of manliness and character1 the fading out of purpose1 the decline of ambition2 the substitution of the beastly for the manly1 the decline of the divine and the ascendency of the brute8 ,a very interesting study this1 to watch the gradual withdrawal from the face of all that was manly and clean1 and all that makes for success4 ,we can see where purity left him and was gradually replaced by vulgarity1 and where he began to be cursed by commonness4 ,we can see the point at which he could begin to do a bad job or a poor day's work without feeling troubled about it4 ,we can tell when he began to lose his great pride in his personal appearance1 when he began to leave his room in the morning and to go to his work without being perfectly groomed4 ,only a little while before he would have been greatly mortified to have been seen by his employers and associates with slovenly dress2 but now baggy trousers1 unblackened shoes1 soiled linen1 frayed neck-tie do not trouble him4 ,he is not quite as conscientious about his work as he used to be4 ,he can leave a half-finished job1 and cut his hours and rob his employer a little here and there without being troubled seriously4 ,he can write a slipshod letter4 ,he isn't particular about his spelling1 punctuation1 or handwriting1 as formerly4 ,he doesn't mind a little deceit4 ,vulgarity no longer shocks him4 ,he does not blush at the unclean test4 ,womanhood is not as sacred to him as in his innocent days4 ,he does not reverence women as formerly2 and he finds himself laughing at the coarse jest and the common remarks about them among his associates1 when once he would have resented and turned away in disgust4 ,dr4 ,lewis ,bremer1 late physician at ,st4 ,vincent's ,institute for the ,insane says1 ,basing my opinion upon my experience gained in private sanitariums and hospitals1 ,i will broadly state that the boy who smokes cigarettes at seven will drink whisky at fourteen1 take morphine at twenty-five1 and wind up at thirty with cocaine and the rest of the narcotics4 ,the saddest effects of cigarette smoking are mental4 ,the physical signs of deterioration have their mental correspondencies4 ,sir ,william ,hamilton said3 ,there is nothing great in matter but man2 there is nothing great in man but mind4 ,the cigarette smoker takes man's distinguishing faculty and uncrowns it4 ,he puts an enemy in his mouth to steal away his brains4 ,anything which impairs one's success capital1 which cuts down his achievement and makes him a possible failure when he might have been a grand success1 is a crime against him4 ,anything which benumbs the senses1 deadens the sensibilities1 dulls the mental faculties1 and takes the edge off one's ability1 is a deadly enemy1 and there is nothing else which effects all this so quickly as the cigarette4 ,it is said that within the past fifty years not a student at ,harvard ,university who used tobacco has been graduated at the head of his class1 although1 on the average1 five out of six use tobacco4 ,the symptoms of a cigarette victim resembles those of an opium eater4 ,a gradual deadening1 benumbing influence creeps all through the mental and moral faculties2 the standards all drop to a lower level2 the whole average of life is cut down1 the victim loses that power of mental grasp1 the grip of mind which he once had4 ,in place of his former energy and vim and push1 he is more and more inclined to take things easy and to slide along the line of the least resistance4 ,he becomes less and less progressive4 ,he dreams more and acts less4 ,hard work becomes more and more irksome and repulsive1 until work seems drudgery to him4 ,professor ,william ,mc,keever1 of the ,kansas ,agricultural ,college1 in the course of his findings after an exhaustive study of ,the ,cigarette ,smoking ,boy presents facts which are as appalling as they are undeniable3 ,for the past eight years ,i have been tracing out the cigarette boy's biography and ,i have found that in practically all cases the lad began his smoking habit clandestinely and with little thought of its seriousness while the fond parents perhaps believed that their boy was too good to engage in such practise4 ,i have tabulated reports of the condition of nearly #b1ejj cigarette-smoking schoolboys1 and in describing them physically my informants have repeatedly resorted to the use of such epithets as 'sallow1' 'sore-eyed1' 'puny1' 'squeaky-voiced1' 'sickly1' 'short-winded1' and 'extremely nervous4' ,in my tabulated reports it is shown that1 out of a group of twenty-five cases of young college students1 smokers1 whose average age of beginning was #ac1 according to their own admissions they had suffered as follows3 ,sore throat1 four2 weak eyes1 ten2 pain in chest1 eight2 'short wind1' twenty-one2 stomach trouble1 ten2 pain in heart1 nine4 ,ten of them appeared to be very sickly4 ,the younger the boy1 the worse the smoking hurts him in every way1 for these lads almost invariably inhale the fumes2 and that is the most injurious part of the practise4 ,professor ,mc,keever made hundreds of sphygmograph records of boys addicted to the smoking habit4 ,discussing what the records showed1 he says3 ,the injurious effects of smoking upon the boy's mental activities are very marked4 ,of the many hundreds of tabulated cases in my possession1 several of the very youthful ones have been reduced almost to the condition of imbeciles4 ,out of #b1ccf who were attending public school1 only six were reported 'bright students4' ,a very few1 perhaps ten1 were 'average1' and all the remainder were 'poor' or 'worthless' as students4 ,the average grades of fifty smokers and fifty non-smokers were computed from the records of one term's work done in the ,kansas ,agricultural college and the results favored the latter group with a difference of #ag4e per cent4 ,the two groups represented the same class rank2 that is1 the same number of seniors1 juniors1 sophomores1 and freshmen4 ,a thorough investigation of the effects of cigarette smoking on boys has been carried on in one of the ,san ,francisco schools for many months4 ,this investigation was ordered because a great many of the boys were inferior to the girls1 both mentally and morally4 ,it was found that nearly three-fourths of the boys who smoked cigarettes had nervous disorders1 while only one of those who did not smoke had any nervous symptoms4 ,a great many of the cigarette smokers had defective hearing1 while only one of those who did not smoke was so afflicted4 ,a large percentage of the boys who smoked were defective in memory1 while only one boy who did not smoke was so affected4 ,a large portion of the boys who smoked were reported as low in deportment and morals1 while only a very small percentage of those who did not smoke were similarly affected4 ,it was found that the minds of many of the cigarette smokers could not comprehend or grasp ideas as quickly or firmly as those who did not smoke4 ,nearly all of the cigarette smokers were found to be untidy and unclean in their personal appearance1 and a great many of them were truants2 but among those who did not smoke not a single boy had been corrected for truancy4 ,most of the smokers ranked very low in their studies as compared with those who did not smoke4 ,seventy-nine per cent4 of them failed of promotion1 while the percentage of failure among those who did not smoke was exceedingly small4 ,of twenty boy smokers who were under careful observation for several months1 nineteen stood below the average of the class1 while only two of those who did not smoke stood below4 ,seventeen out of the twenty were very poor workers and seemed absolutely incapable of close or continuous application to any of their studies4 ,professor ,wilkinson1 principal of a leading high school1 says1 ,i will not try to educate a boy with the cigarette habit4 ,it is wasted time4 ,the mental faculties of the boy who smokes cigarettes are blunted4 ,another high school principal says1 ,boys who smoke cigarettes are always backward in their studies2 they are filthy in their personal habits1 and coarse in their manners1 they are hard to manage and dull in appearance4 ,it is apparent therefore that the cigarette habit disqualifies the student mentally1 that it retards him in his studies1 dwarfs his intellect1 and leaves him far behind those of inferior mental equipment who do not indulge in the injurious use of tobacco in any form4 ,the mental1 moral1 and physical deterioration from the use of cigarettes1 has been noted by corporations and employers of labor generally1 until to-day the cigarette devotee finds himself barred from many positions that are open to those of inferior capabilities1 who are not enslaved by the deadly habit4 ,cigarette smoking is no longer simply a moral question4 ,the great business world has taken it up as a deadly enemy of advancement1 of achievement4 ,leading business firms all over the country have put the cigarette on the prohibited list4 ,in ,detroit alone1 sixty-nine merchants have agreed not to employ the cigarette user4 ,in ,chicago1 ,montgomery ,ward and ,company1 ,hibbard1 ,spencer and ,bartlett1 and some of the other large concerns have prohibited cigarette smoking among all employees under eighteen years of age4 ,marshall ,field and ,company1 and the ,morgan and ,wright ,tire ,company have this rule3 ,no cigarettes can be smoked by our employees4 ,one of the questions on the application blanks at ,wanamaker's reads3 ,do you use tobacco or cigarettes8 ,the superintendent of the ,linden ,street ,railway1 of ,st4 ,louis1 says3 ,under no circumstances will ,i hire a man who smokes cigarettes4 ,he is as dangerous on the front of a motor as a man who drinks4 ,in fact1 he is more dangerous2 his nerves are apt to give way at any moment4 ,if ,i find a car running badly1 ,i immediately begin to investigate to find if the man smokes cigarettes4 ,nine times out of ten he does1 and then he goes1 for good4 ,the late ,e4 ,h4 ,harriman1 head of the ,union ,pacific ,railroad system1 used to say that they might as well go to a lunatic asylum for their employees as to hire cigarette smokers4 ,the ,union ,pacific ,railroad prohibits cigarette smoking among its employees4 ,the ,new ,york1 ,new ,haven1 and ,hartford1 the ,chicago1 ,rock ,island1 and ,pacific1 the ,lehigh ,valley1 the ,burlington1 and many others of the leading railroad companies of this country have issued orders positively forbidding the use of cigarettes by employees while on duty4 ,some time ago1 twenty-five laborers working on a bridge were discharged by the roadmasters of the ,west ,superior1 ,wisconsin ,railroad because of cigarette smoking4 ,the ,pittsburg and ,western ,railroad which is part of the ,baltimore and ,ohio system1 gave orders forbidding the use of cigarettes by its employees on passenger trains and also notified passengers that they must not smoke cigarettes in their coaches4 ,in the call issued for the competitive examination for messenger service in the ,chicago ,post-office1 sometime since1 seven hundred applicants were informed that only the best equipped boys were wanted for this service1 and that under no circumstances would boys who smoked cigarettes be employed4 ,other post-offices have taken a similar stand4 ,if some one should present you with a most delicately adjusted chronometer1--one which would not vary a second in a year--do you think it would pay you to trifle with it1 to open the case in the dust1 to leave it out in the rain overnight1 or to put in a drop of glue or a chemical which would ruin the delicacy of its adjustment so that it would no longer keep good time8 ,would you think it wise to take such chances8 ,but the ,creator has given you a matchless machine1 so delicately and wondrously made that it takes a quarter of a century to bring it to perfection1 to complete growth1 and yet you presume to trifle with it1 to do all sorts of things which are infinitely worse than leaving your watch open out of doors overnight1 or even in water4 ,the great object of the watch is to keep time4 ,the supreme purpose of this marvelous piece of human machinery is power4 ,the watch means nothing except time4 ,if the human machinery does not produce power1 it is of no use4 ,the merest trifle will prevent the watch from keeping time2 but you think that you can put anything into your human machinery1 that you can do all sorts of irrational things with it1 and yet you expect it to produce power--to keep perfect time4 ,it is important that the human machine shall be kept as responsive to the slightest impression or influence as possible1 and the brain should be kept clear so that the thought may be sharp1 biting1 gripping1 so that the whole mentality will act with efficiency4 ,and yet you do not hesitate to saturate the delicate brain-cells with vile drinks1 to poison them with nicotine1 to harden them with smoke from the vilest of weeds4 ,you expect the man to turn out as exquisite work1 to do the most delicate things to retain his exquisite sense of ability notwithstanding the hardening1 the benumbing influence of cigarette poisoning4 ,let the boy or youth who is tempted to indulge in the first cigarette ask himself--,can ,i afford to take this enormous risk8 ,can ,i jeopardize my health1 my strength1 my future1 my all1 by indulging in a practise which has ruined tens of thousands of promising lives8 ,let the youth who is tempted say1 ,no6 ,i will wait until mind and body are developed1 until ,i have reached man's estate before ,i will begin to use tobacco4 ,experience proves that those who reach a robust manhood are rarely willing to sacrifice health and happiness to the cigarette habit4 ,many years ago an eminent physician and specialist in nervous diseases put himself on record as holding the firm belief that the evil effects of the use of tobacco were more lasting and far reaching than the injurious consequences that follow the excessive use of alcohol4 ,apart from affections of the throat and cancerous diseases of lips and tongue which frequently affect smokers there is a physical taint which is transmitted to offspring which handicaps the unfortunate infant from its earliest breath4 ,the only salvation of the race1 said this physician1 lay in the fact that women did not smoke4 ,if they too acquired the tobacco habit future generations would be stamped by the degeneracy and depravity which follow the use of tobacco as surely as they follow the use of alcohol4 ,in view of these facts the increase of cigarette smoking among women may well alarm those who have at heart the wellbeing of the rising generation4 ,so rapidly has this habit spread that fashionable hotels and cafes are providing rooms for the especial use of those women who like to indulge in an after-dinner cigarette4 ,a noted restaurant in ,new ,york recently added an annex to which ladies with their escorts might retire and smoke4 ,we often see women smoking in ,new ,york hotels and restaurants4 ,not long ago the writer was a guest at a dinner and to his surprise several ladies at the table lighted their cigarettes with as much composure as if it were the most natural thing in the world4 ,at a reception recently1 ,i saw the granddaughter of one of ,america's greatest authors smoking cigarettes4 ,what a spectacle1 to see a descendant so nearly removed from one of ,nature's grandest noblemen1 a princely gentleman1 smoking6 ,and ,i said to myself1 ,what would her grandfather think if he could see this8 ,on a train running between ,london and ,liverpool1 a compartment especially reserved for women smokers has been provided4 ,it is said that three ,american women were the cause of this innovation4 ,the superintendent of one of our largest ,american railways says that he would not be surprised if the ,american roads were compelled to follow the lead of their ,english brethren4 ,it is not unreasonable to suppose that this addiction to the use of tobacco is in many cases inherited4 ,a friend told me of a very charming young woman who was passionately devoted to tobacco4 ,at a time when it was not usual for women to smoke in public her craving for a cigarette was so strong that she could not deny herself the indulgence4 ,she said her father1 a deacon in the church1 had been an inveterate smoker1 and her love of tobacco dated back to her earliest remembrance4 ,every woman should use the uttermost of her influence to discourage the use of the cigarette and enlist the girls as well as boys in her fight against the evil and injurious practise of cigarette smoking4 ,,chapter ,,xlix ,,the ,,power ,,of ,,purity ,blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see ,god4--,,sermon ,,on ,,the ,,mount4 ,my strength is as the strength of ten ,because my heart is pure4 ,,tennyson4 ,virtue alone raises us above hopes1 fears1 and chances4--,,seneca4 ,even from the body's purity the mind ,receives a secret sympathetic aid4 ,,thomson4 ,purity is a broad word with a deep meaning4 ,it denotes far more than superficial cleanness4 ,it goes below the surface of guarded speech and polite manners to the very heart of being4 ,out of the heart are the issues of life4 ,make the fountain clean and the waters that flow from it will be pure and limpid4 ,make the heart clean and the life will be clean4 ,purity is defined as free from contact with that which weakens1 impairs or pollutes4 ,how forceful then is the converse of the definition3 ,impurity weakens1 impairs1 and pollutes4 ,it weakens both mind and body4 ,it impairs the health4 ,it pollutes not only the thoughts but the conduct which inevitably has its beginning and its end in thought4 ,innocence is the state of natural purity4 ,it was the state of ,adam and ,eve in the ,garden of ,eden4 ,when they sinned they knew that they were naked4 ,they lost innocence never to regain it4 ,but purity may be attained4 ,as an unclean garment may be washed1 so the heart may be purified and made clean4 ,ghosts of past impurities still may dog us1 but they are ghosts that may be laid with an imperative ,get thee behind me1 ,satan4 ,they are like the lions that affrighted ,bunyan's pilgrim--chained securely4 ,they may roar and threaten1 but they are powerless if we deny their power4 ,the man who is striving for purity whole-heartedly is like one who sits safely in a guarded house4 ,old memories of evil things like specters may peer in at the windows and mow and gibber at him1 but they can not touch him unless he gives them power1 unless he unlocks the door of his heart and bids them enter4 ,as the lotus flower grows out of the mud1 so may purity and beauty spring up from even the vilest past if we but will it so4 ,as purity is power so impurity is impotence1 weakness1 degeneracy4 ,many a man goes on in an impure career thinking himself secure1 thinking his secret hidden4 ,but impurity1 like murder1 will out4 ,there was a noted pugilist who was unexpectedly defeated in a great ring battle4 ,people said the fight was a fake1 that it was a put up job4 ,but those who knew said impurity4 ,he had lived an evil1 debauched life for several years1 and he went into the ring impaired in strength1 weakened by his transgressions of the law of pure living4 ,purity is power2 impurity is weakness4 ,there is a saying of ,scripture which is absolutely scientific3 ,be sure your sin will find you out4 ,note this2 it is not that your sin will be found out1 but your sin will find you out4 ,sin recoils on the sinner1 and of all sins that surely find us out1 the sins against purity are the most certain to bring retribution4 ,young men do not think that listening to an off-color story1 or anything that is vulgar1 can injure them much1 and1 for fear of ridicule1 they laugh when they hear anything of the kind1 even when it is repulsive to them1 and when they loathe it4 ,it is a rare thing for a young man to express with emphasis his disapproval4 ,to know life properly is to know the best in it1 not the worst4 ,no one ever yet was made stronger by his knowledge of impurity or experience in sin4 ,it is said that the mind's phonograph will faithfully reproduce a bad story even up to the point of death4 ,do not listen once4 ,you can never get the stain entirely out of your life4 ,your character will absorb the poison4 ,impurity is especially fatal in its grip upon the young1 because of the vividness of the youthful imagination and the facility with which insinuating suggestions enter the youthful thought4 ,our court records show that a very large percentage of criminals began their downfall through the fatal contagion of impurity communicated from various associations4 ,remember that you can not tell what may come to you in the future1 what honor or promotion2 and you can not afford to take chances upon having anything in your history which can come up to embarrass you or to keep you back4 ,a thing which you now look upon as a bit of pleasure may come up in the future to hamper your progress4 ,the thing you do to-day while trying to have a good time may come up to block your progress years afterwards4 ,i know men who have been thrust into positions of honor and public trust who would give anything in the world if they could blot out some of the unclean experiences of their youth4 ,things in their early history1 which they had forgotten all about and which they never expected to hear from again1 are raked up when they become candidates for office or positions of trust4 ,these forgotten bits of so-called pleasure loom up in after-life as insurmountable bars across their pathway4 ,i know a very rich young man who thought he was just having a good time in his youth--sowing his wild oats--who would give a large part of his vast wealth to-day if he could blot out a few years of his folly4 ,it seems strange that men will work hard to build a reputation1 and then throw it all away by some weakness in their character4 ,how many men there are in this country with great brain power1 men who are kings in their specialties1 men who have worked like slaves to achieve their aims1 whose reputations have been practically ruined by the flaw of impurity6 ,character is a record of our thoughts and acts4 ,that which we think about most1 the ideals and motives uppermost in our mind1 are constantly solidifying into character4 ,what we are constantly thinking about1 and aiming toward and trying to obtain becomes a permanent part of the life4 ,the man whose thoughts are low and impure1 very quickly gives this bent and tendency to his character4 ,the character levels itself with the thought1 whether high or low4 ,no man can have a pure1 clean character who does not habitually have pure1 clean thoughts4 ,the immoral man is invariably an impure thinker--whatever we harbor in the mind out-pictures itself in the body4 ,in ,eastern countries the leper is compelled to cry1 ,unclean1 unclean1 upon the approach of any one not so cursed4 ,what a blessing to humanity if our modern moral lepers were compelled to cry1 ,unclean1 unclean1 before they approach innocent victims with their deadly contagion6 ,about the vilest thing on earth is a human being whose character is so tainted with impurity that he leaves the slimy trail of the serpent wherever he goes4 ,there never was a more beautiful and pathetic prayer than that of the poor soiled1 broken-hearted ,psalmist in his hour of shame1 ,create in me a clean heart4 ,who shall ascend into the hill of the ,lord1 who shall stand in ,his holy place8 ,he that hath clean hands and a pure heart4 ,there are thousands of men who would cut off their right hands to-day to be free from the stain1 the poison1 of impurity4 ,there can be no lasting greatness without purity4 ,vice honeycombs the physical strength as well as destroys the moral fiber4 ,now and again some man of note topples with a crash to sudden ruin4 ,yet the cause of the moral collapse is not sudden4 ,there has been a slow undermining of virtue going on probably for years2 then1 in an hour when honor1 truth1 or honesty is brought to a crucial test1 the weakened character gives way and there is an appalling commercial or social crash which often finds an echo in the revolver shot of the suicide4 ,tennyson shows the effect of ,launcelot's guilty love for ,guinevere1 in the great knight's conscious loss of power4 ,his wrongful passion indirectly brought about the death of fair ,elaine4 ,he himself at times shrank from puny men wont to go down before the shadow of his spear4 ,like a scarlet blot his sin stains all his greatness1 and he muses on it remorsefully3 ,for what am ,i8 ,what profits me my name ,of greatest knight8 ,i fought for it and have it4 ,pleasure to have it1 none2 to lose it pain2 ,now grown a part of me3 but what use in it8 ,to make men worse by making my sin known8 ,or sin seem less1 the sinner seeming great8 ,later when the knights of the ,round ,table joined in the search for the ,holy ,grail1 that lost sacred vessel1 ,the cup1 the cup itself from which our ,lord ,drank at the last sad supper with his own1 ,launcelot was overtaken by his sin and failed ignominiously4 ,only ,galahad the ,pure was permitted to see the cup unsurrounded by a blinding glory1 a fearful splendor of watching eyes and guarding shapes4 ,no one is quite the same in his own estimation when he has been once guilty of contact with impurity4 ,his self-respect has suffered a loss4 ,something has gone out of his life4 ,his own good opinion of himself has suffered deterioration1 and he can never face his life-task with quite the same confidence again4 ,somehow he feels that the world will know of his soul's debauch and judge him accordingly4 ,there is nothing which will mar a life more quickly than the consciousness of a soul-stain4 ,the loss of self-respect1 the loss of character1 is irreparable4 ,we are beginning to find that there is an intimate connection between absolute purity of one's thought and life and his good health1 good thinking1 and good work1 a very close connection between the moral faculties and the physical health2 that nothing so exhausts vitality and vitiates the quality of work and ideals1 so takes the edge off of one's ambition1 dulls the brain and aspiration1 as impurity of thought and life4 ,it seems to blight all the faculties and to demoralize the whole man1 so that his efficiency is very much lessened4 ,he does not speak with the same authority4 ,the air of the conqueror disappears from his manner4 ,he does not think so clearly2 he does not act with so great certainty1 and his self-faith is lost1 because confidence is based upon self-respect1 and he can no longer respect himself when he does things which he would not respect in another4 ,the fact that his impure acts are done secretly makes no difference4 ,no one can thoroughly respect himself when he does that which demoralizes him1 which is unbecoming a gentleman1 no matter whether other people know it or not4 ,impurity blights everything it touches4 ,it is not enough to be thought pure and clean and sound4 ,one must actually be pure and clean and sound morally1 or his self-respect is undermined4 ,purity is power because it means integrity of thought1 integrity of conduct4 ,it means wholeness4 ,the impure man can not be a great power1 because he can not thoroughly believe in himself when conscious that he is rotten in any part of his nature4 ,impurity works like leaven1 which affects everything in a man4 ,the very consciousness that the impurity is working within him robs him of power4 ,apart from the moral side of this question1 let us show how these things affect one's success in life by sapping the energies1 weakening the nature1 lowering one's standards1 blurring one's ideals1 discouraging one's ambition1 and lessening one's vitality and power4 ,in the last analysis of success1 the mainspring of achievement must rest in the strength of one's vitality1 for1 without a stock of health equal to great emergencies and persistent longevity1 even the greatest ambition is comparatively powerless4 ,and there is nothing that will sap the life-forces so quickly as dissipation and impure living4 ,is there anything truer than that ,to be carnally minded is death8 ,if the thought is carnal1 the body must correspond1 must express it in some physical discord4 ,nothing else will destroy the very foundations of vitality quicker than impurity of thought and animal self-indulgence4 ,the ideals must be kept bright and the ambition clean-cut4 ,purity of thought means that the mental processes are not clouded1 muddy1 or clogged by brain ash from a dissipated life1 from violation of the laws of health4 ,pure thought comes from pure blood1 and pure blood from a clean1 sane life4 ,purity signifies a great deal besides freedom from sensual taint4 ,it means saneness1 purity1 and quality4 ,it has been characteristic of great leaders1 men whose greatness has stood the acid test of time1 that they have been virtuous in conduct1 pure in thought4 ,i have such a rich story that ,i want to tell you1 said an officer1 who one evening came into the ,union camp in a rollicking mood4 ,there are no ladies present1 are there8 ,general ,grant1 lifting his eyes from the paper which he was reading1 and looking the officer squarely in the eye1 said slowly and deliberately3 ,no1 but there are gentlemen present4 ,a great trait of ,grant's character1 said ,george ,w4 ,childs1 was his purity4 ,i never heard him express an impure thought1 or make an indelicate allusion in any way or shape4 ,there is nothing ,i ever heard him say that could not be repeated in the presence of women4 ,if a man was brought up for an appointment1 and it was shown that he was an immoral man1 ,grant would not appoint him1 no matter how great the pressure brought to bear4 ,on one occasion1 when ,grant formed one of a dinner-party of ,americans in a foreign city1 conversation drifted into references to questionable affairs1 when he suddenly rose and said1 ,gentlemen1 please excuse me1 ,i will retire4 ,it is the glory of a man to have clean lips and a clean mind4 ,it is the glory of a woman not to know evil1 even in her thoughts4 ,isaac ,newton's most intimate friend in young manhood was a noted foreign chemist4 ,they were constant associates until one day the ,italian told an impure story1 after which ,newton never would associate with him4 ,my extreme youth1 when ,i took command of the army of ,italy1 said ,napoleon1 rendered it necessary that ,i should evince great reserve of manners and the utmost severity of morals4 ,this was indispensable to enable me to sustain authority over men so greatly my superiors in age and experience4 ,i pursued a line of conduct in the highest degree irreproachable and exemplary4 ,in spotless morality ,i was a ,cato1 and must have appeared such to all4 ,i was a philosopher and a sage4 ,my supremacy could be retained only by proving myself a better man than any other man in the army4 ,had ,i yielded to human weakness1 ,i should have lost my power4 ,the military antagonist and conqueror of ,napoleon1 the ,duke of ,wellington1 was a man of simple life and austere virtue4 ,when he was laid to rest in the crypt of ,st4 ,paul's ,cathedral1 in streaming ,london's central roar1 the poet who wrote his funeral ode was able to say of him3 ,whatever record leap to light ,he never shall be shamed4 ,the peril of impurity lies in the insidiousness of the poison4 ,just one taint of impurity1 one glance at a lewd picture1 one hearing of an unclean story may begin the fatal corruption of mind and heart4 ,it is the little rift within the lute ,that by and by will make the music mute1 ,the little rift within the lover's lute ,or little pitted speck in garnered fruit ,that rotting inward slowly molders all4 ,when ,bunyan's pilgrim was assailed by temptation he stopped his ears with his fingers and fled for his life4 ,let the young man who values himself1 who sets store upon health and has ambition to succeed in his chosen career1 be deaf to unclean speech and flee the companionship of those who think and speak uncleanness4 ,it is the experience of every man who has forsaken vice and turned his feet into the paths of virtue that evil memories will1 in his holiest hours1 leap upon him like a lion from ambush4 ,into the harmony of the hymn he sings memory will interpolate unbidden1 the words of some sensual song4 ,pictures of his debauches1 his past licentiousness1 will fill his vision1 and the unhappy victim can only beat upon his breast and cry1 ,me miserable6 ,whither shall ,i flee8 ,this has been1 through all time1 the experience of the men that have sought sanctity in seclusion4 ,the saints1 the hermits in their caves1 the monks in their cells1 could never escape the obsessions of memory which with horrible realism and scorching vividness revived past scenes of sin4 ,a boy once showed to another a book of impure words and pictures4 ,he to whom the book was shown had it in his hands only a few minutes4 ,in after-life he held high office in the church1 and years and years afterwards told a friend that he would give half he possessed had he never seen it1 because its impure images1 at the most holy times1 would arise unbidden to his mind4 ,physicians tell us that every particle of the body changes in a very few years2 but no chemistry1 human or divine1 can entirely expunge from the mind a bad picture4 ,like the paintings buried for centuries in ,pompeii1 without the loss of tint or shade1 these pictures are as brilliant in age as in youth4 ,association begets assimilation4 ,we can not mix with evil associations without being contaminated2 can not touch pitch without being defiled4 ,impurity is especially fatal in its grip upon the young1 because of the vividness of the youthful imagination and the facility with which insinuating suggestions enter the youthful thought4 ,indelible and satanic is the taint of the evil suggestive power which a lewd1 questionable picture or story leaves upon the mind4 ,nothing else more fatally mars the ideals of life and lowers the standard of manhood and womanhood4 ,to read writers whose lines express the utmost possible impurity so dexterously and cunningly that not a vulgar word is used1 but rosy1 glowing1 suggestive language--authors who soften evil and show deformity with the tints of beauty--what is this but to take the feet out of the straight road into the guiltiest path of seduction8 ,very few realize the power of a diseased imagination to ruin a precious life4 ,perhaps the defect began in a little speck of taint4 ,no other faculty has such power to curse or bless mankind1 to build up or tear down1 to ennoble or debauch1 to make happy or miserable1 or has such power upon our destiny1 as the imagination4 ,many a ruined life began its downfall in the dry rot of a perverted imagination4 ,how little we realize that by subtle1 moral manufacture1 repeated acts of the imagination weave themselves into a mighty tapestry1 every figure and fancy of which will stand out in living colors in the character-web of our lives1 to approve or condemn us4 ,in many cases where1 for no apparent reason1 one is making failure after failure1 never reaching1 even approximately1 the position which was anticipated for him1 if he would look frankly into his own heart1 and searchingly at his own secret habits1 he would find that which1 hidden1 like the worm at the heart of the rose1 is destroying and making impossible all that ennobles1 beautifies1 and enriches life4 ,i solemnly warn you1 says ,beecher1 against indulging a morbid imagination4 ,in that busy and mischievous faculty begins the evil4 ,were it not for his airy imagination1 man might stand his own master1--not overmatched by the worst part of himself4 ,but ah6 these summer reveries1 these venturesome dreams1 these fairy castles1 builded for no good purposes1--they are haunted by impure spirits1 who will fascinate1 bewitch1 and corrupt you4 ,blessed are the pure in heart4 ,blessed art thou1 most favored of ,god1 whose ,,thoughts are chastened2 whose imagination will not breathe or fly in tainted air1 and whose path hath been measured by the golden reed of purity4 ,to be pure in heart is the youth's first great commandment4 ,do not listen to men who tell you that vice is a necessity4 ,nothing is a necessity that is wrong1--that debauches self-respect4 ,all wickedness is weakness4 ,vice and vigor have nothing in common4 ,purity is strength1 health1 power4 ,do not imagine that impurity can be hidden6 ,one may as well expect to have consumption or any other deadly disease1 and to look and appear healthy1 as to be impure in thought and mind1 and to look and appear manly and noble souled4 ,character writes its record in the flesh4 ,no1 no1 these are not trifles1 said ,george ,whitefield1 when a friend asked why he was so particular to bathe frequently1 and always have his linen scrupulously clean2 a minister must be without spot1 even in his garments4 ,purity in a good man can not be carried too far4 ,there is a permanency in the stamp left by the sins resulting from impure thought that follows even to the grave4 ,diseases unnameable1 the consequences of the ,scarlet ,sin1 the following after the strange woman1 write their record in the very bones1 literally fulfilling the ,scripture statement--,their sins shall lie down with their bones in the dust4 ,we often detect in the eye and in the manner the black leper spots of impurity long before the youth suspects they have ever been noticed4 ,when there is a scar or a stain upon one's self-respect it is bound to appear on the surface sooner or later4 ,what fearful blots and stains are left on the characters of those who have to fight for a lifetime to rid themselves of a blighting and contaminating influence1 moral or physical6 ,chemists tell us that scarlet is the only color which can not be bleached4 ,there is no known chemical which can remove it4 ,so1 formerly1 scarlet rags were made into blotting paper4 ,when the sacred writer wished to emphasize the power of ,divine forgiveness1 of ,divine love1 he said3 ,even though thy sins be as scarlet1 they shall be made white as wool6 ,it certainly takes omnipotent power to expunge impurity from the mind4 ,there is certainly one sin which only ,divine power can bleach out of the character--the sin of impurity4 ,no man can think much of himself when he is conscious of impurity anywhere in his life4 ,and the very knowledge that one is absolutely pure in his thought and clean in his life increases his self-respect and his self-faith wonderfully4 ,it is a terrible handicap to be conscious that1 however much others may think of us1 we are foul inside1 that our thoughts are vile4 ,it does not matter that our vicious acts are secret1 we can not cover them4 ,whatever we have thought or done will outpicture itself in the expression1 in the bearing4 ,it will be hung out upon the bulletin board of the face and manner for the world to read4 ,we instinctively feel a person's reality2 not what he pretends1 but what he is1 for we radiate our reality1 which often contradicts our words4 ,there is only one panacea for impurity4 ,constant occupation and pure1 high thinking are absolutely necessary to a clean life4 ,i should be a poor counselor of young men1 wrote a true friend of youth1 if ,i taught you that purity is possible only by isolation from the world4 ,we do not want that sort of holiness which can thrive only in seclusion2 we want that virile1 manly purity which keeps itself unspotted from the world1 even amid its worst debasements1 just as the lily lifts its slender chalice of white and gold to heaven1 untainted by the soil in which it grows1 though that soil be the reservoir of death and putrefaction4 ,impurity is the forfeiture of manliness4 ,the true man must be untarnished4 ,james went so far as to declare that this is just what religion is4 ,pure religion and undefiled before ,god and the ,father is this 99 99 to keep himself unspotted from the world4 ,every true man shrinks from uncleanness4 ,he knows what it means4 ,impurity makes lofty friendships impossible4 ,it robs all of life's intercourse of its freshness and its joyous innocence4 ,it sullies all beauty4 ,it does these things chiefly because it separates men from ,god and ,his vision4 ,the best and holiest is barred to the stained man4 ,impurity makes it impossible for him to appreciate what is pure and fine1 dulls his finer perceptions1 and he is not given the place where only pure and fine things are4 ,illustration3 ,helen ,keller ,there can be no such thing as an impure gentleman4 ,the two words contradict each other4 ,a gentleman must be pure4 ,he need not have fine clothes4 ,he may have had few advantages4 ,but he must be pure and clean4 ,and1 if he have all outward grace and gift and be inwardly unclean1 though he may call himself a gentleman1 he is a liar and a lie4 ,o1 young man1 guard your heart-purity6 ,keep innocency6 ,never lose it2 if it be gone1 you have lost from the casket the most precious gift of ,god4 ,the first purity of imagination1 of thought1 and of feeling1 if soiled1 can be cleansed by no fuller's soap4 ,if a harp be broken1 art may repair it2 if a light be quenched1 the flame may kindle it2 but if a flower be crushed1 what art can repair it8 ,if an odor be wafted away1 who can collect or bring it back8 ,parents are1 in many cases1 responsible for the impurity of their children4 ,through a mistaken sense of delicacy1 they allow the awakened1 searching mind of the child to get information concerning its physical nature from the mind of some boy or girl no better taught than itself1 and so conceive wholly wrong and harmful ideas concerning things of which it is vitally important that every human being should at the outset of life have clear and adequate ideas4 ,such silence1 many times1 is fatal1 and always foolish1 if not criminal4 ,i have noticed1 says ,william ,acton1 that all patients who have confessed to me that they have practised vice1 lamented that they were not1 when children1 made aware of its consequences2 and ,i have been pressed over and over again to urge on parents1 guardians1 schoolmasters1 and others interested in the education of youth1 the necessity of giving to their charges some warning1 some intimation1 of their danger4 ,to parents and guardians ,i offer my earnest advice that they should1 by hearty sympathy and frank explanation1 aid their charges in maintaining pure lives4 ,what stronger breastplate than a heart untainted8 ,a prominent writer says3 ,if young persons poison their bodies and corrupt their minds with vicious courses1 no lapse of time1 after a reform1 is likely to restore them to physical soundness and the soul purity of their earlier days4 ,there is one idea concerning purity which should never have been conceived1 and1 having been conceived1 should be1 once and forever1 eternally exploded4 ,it is that purity is different in the different sexes4 ,it would be loosening the foundations of virtue to countenance the notion that1 because of a difference in sex1 men are at liberty to set morality at defiance1 and to do with impunity that which1 if done by a woman1 would stain her character for life4 ,to maintain a pure and virtuous condition of society1 therefore1 man as well as woman must be virtuous and pure1 both alike shunning all acts infringing on the heart1 character1 and conscience1--shunning them as poison1 which1 once imbibed1 can never be entirely thrown out again4 ,is there any reason why a man should have any license to drag his thoughts through the mud and filth any more than a woman8 ,is there any sex in principle8 ,isn't a stain a blot upon a boy's character just as bad as upon a girl's8 ,if purity is so refining and elevating for one sex1 why should it not be for the other8 ,it is incredible that a man should be socially ostracized for comparatively minor offenses1 yet be rotten with immorality and be received into the best homes4 ,but1 if a woman makes the least false step in this direction1 she is not only ostracized but treated with the utmost contempt1 while the man who was the chief sinner in causing a woman's downfall1 society will pardon4 ,to put it on the very lowest ground1 ,i am certain that if young men knew and realized the fearful risks to health that they take by indulging in gross impurities they would put them by with a shudder of disgust and aversion4 ,it may very easily happen--it very often actually does happen--that one single step from the path of purity clouds a man's whole life with misery and unspeakable suffering2 and not only that1 but even entails lifelong disease on children yet unborn4 ,to return to its ,maker at the close of life the marvelous body which ,he gave us1 scarred by a heedless life1 with the heart rotten with impurity1 the imagination filled with vicious images1 the character honeycombed with vice1 is a most ungrateful return for the priceless life of opportunity4 ,a mind retaining all the dew and freshness of innocence shrinks from the very idea of impurity1 the very suggestion of it1 as if it were sin to have even thought or heard of it1 as if even the shadow of the evil would leave some soil on the unsullied whiteness of the virgin mind4 ,when modesty is once extinguished1 it knows not a return4 ,,chapter ,l ,,the ,,habit ,,of ,,happiness ,the highest happiness must always come from the exercise of the best thing in us4 ,when you find happiness in anything but useful work1 you will be the first man or woman to make the discovery4 ,if you take an inventory of yourself at the very outset of your career you will find that you think you are going to find happiness in things or in conditions4 ,most people think they are going to find the largest part of their happiness in money1 what money will buy or what it will give them in the way of power1 influence1 comforts1 luxuries4 ,they think they are going to find a great deal of their happiness in marriage4 ,how quickly they find that the best happiness they will ever know is that which must be limited to their own capacity for enjoyment1 that their happiness can not come from anything outside of them but must be developed from within4 ,many people believe they are going to find much of their happiness in books1 in travel1 in leisure1 in freedom from the thousand and one anxieties and cares and worries of business2 but the moment they get in the position where they thought they would have freedom many other things come up in their minds and cut off much of the expected joy4 ,when they get money and leisure they often find that they are growing selfish1 which cuts off a lot of their happiness4 ,no man able to work can be idle without feeling a sense of guilt at not doing his part in the world1 for every time he sees the poor laboring people who are working for him1 who are working everywhere1 he is constantly reminded of his meanness in shifting upon others what he is able to do and ought to do himself4 ,idleness is the last place to look for happiness4 ,idleness is like a stagnant pool4 ,the moment the water ceases to flow1 to work1 to do something1 all sorts of vermin and hideous creatures develop in it4 ,it becomes torpid and unhealthy giving out miasma and repulsive odors4 ,in the same way work is the only thing that will keep the individual healthy and wholesome and clean4 ,an idle brain very quickly breeds impurities4 ,the married man quickly learns that his domestic happiness depends upon what he himself contributes to the partnership1 that he can not take out a great deal without putting a great deal in1 for selfishness always reaps a mean1 despicable harvest4 ,it is only the generous giver who gets much4 ,there is nothing which will so shrivel up a man2 and contract his capacity for happiness as selfishness4 ,it is always a fatal blighter1 blaster1 disappointer4 ,we must give to get1 we must be great before we can get great enjoyment2 great in our motive1 grand in our endeavor1 sublime in our ideas4 ,it is impossible1 absolutely unscientific1 for a bad person to be truly happy2 just as impossible as it would be for one to be comfortable while lying on a bed of nettles which are constantly pricking him4 ,there is no way under heaven by which a person can be really happy without being good1 clean1 square1 and true4 ,this does not mean that a person is happy because he does not use tobacco1 drink1 gamble1 use profane language or does not do other vicious things4 ,some of the meanest1 narrowest1 most contemptible people in the world do none of these things but they are uncharitable1 jealous1 envious1 revengeful4 ,they stab you in the back1 slander you1 cheat you4 ,they may be cunning1 underhanded1 and yet have a fairly good standing in the church4 ,no person can be really happy who has a small1 narrow1 bigoted1 uncharitable mind or disposition4 ,generosity1 charity1 kindness are absolutely essential to real happiness4 ,deceitful people can not be happy2 they can not respect themselves because they inwardly despise themselves for deceiving you4 ,a person must be open minded1 transparent1 simple1 in order to be really happy4 ,a person who is always covering up something1 trying to keep things from you1 misleading you1 deceiving you1 can not get away from self-reproach1 and hence can not be really happy4 ,selfishness is a fatal enemy of happiness because no one ever does a really selfish thing without feeling really mean1 without despising himself for it4 ,i have never seen a strong young man sneak into a vacant seat in a car and allow an old man or woman with a package or a baby in her arms to stand1 without looking as though he knew he had done a mean1 selfish thing4 ,there is a look of humiliation in his face4 ,we are so constituted that we can not help condemning ourselves for our mean or selfish acts4 ,the liar is never really happy4 ,he is always on nettles lest his deceit betray him4 ,he never feels safe4 ,dishonesty in all its phases is fatal to happiness1 for no dishonest person can get his self-approval4 ,without this no happiness is possible4 ,before you can be really happy1 my friend1 you must be able to look back upon a well-spent past1 a conscientious1 unselfish past4 ,if not1 you will be haunted by demons which will destroy your happiness4 ,if you have been mean and selfish1 greedy and dishonest with your fellowmen1 all sorts of horrible things will rise out of your money pile to terrify and to make your happiness impossible4 ,in other words1 happiness is merely a result of the life work4 ,it will partake of the exact quality of the motive which you have put into your life work4 ,if these motives have been selfish1 greedy1 grasping1 if cunning and dishonesty have dominated in your career1 your happiness will be marred accordingly4 ,you can not complain of your happiness1 because it is your own child1 the product of your own brain1 your own effort4 ,it has been made up of your motives1 colored by your life aim4 ,it exactly corresponds to the cause which produced it4 ,there is the greatest difference in the world between the happiness which comes from a sweet1 beautiful1 unselfish1 helpful1 sympathetic1 industrious1 honorable career1 and the mean satisfaction which may grow to be a part of your marked self if you have lived a selfish1 grasping life4 ,what we call happiness is the harvest from our life sowing1 our habitual thought-sowing1 deed-doing4 ,if we have sown selfish1 envious1 jealous1 revengeful1 hateful seeds1 greedy1 grasping seeds1 we can not expect a golden happiness harvest like that which comes from a clean and unselfish1 helpful sowing4 ,if our harvest is full of the rank1 poisonous weeds of jealousy1 envy1 dishonesty1 cunning1 and cruelty1 we have no one to blame but ourselves1 for we sowed the seed which produced that sort of a harvest4 ,somehow some people have an entirely wrong idea of what real happiness is4 ,they seem to think it can be bought1 can be had by influence1 that it can be purchased by money2 that if they have money they can get that wonderful1 mysterious thing which they call happiness4 ,but happiness is a natural1 faithful harvest from our sowing4 ,it would be as impossible for selfish seed1 greed seed to produce a harvest of contentment1 of genuine satisfaction1 of real joy1 as for thistle seeds to produce a harvest of wheat or corn4 ,whatever the quality of your enjoyment or happiness may be1 you have patterned it by your life motive by the spirit in which you have worked1 by the principles which have actuated you4 ,a pretty different harvest1 ,i grant1 many of us must face1 marred with all sorts of hideous1 poisonous weeds1 but they are all the legitimate product of our sowing4 ,no one can rob us of our harvest or change it very much4 ,every thought1 every act1 every motive1 whether secret or public1 is a seed which no power on earth can prevent going to its harvest of beauty or ugliness1 honor or shame4 ,most people have an idea that happiness is something that can be manufactured4 ,they do not realize that it can no more be manufactured than wheat or corn can be manufactured4 ,it must be grown1 and the harvest will be like the seed4 ,you1 young man1 make up your mind at the very outset of your career that whatever comes to you in life1 that whether you succeed or fail1 whether you have this or that1 there is one thing you will have1 and that is a happy1 contented mind1 that you will extract your happiness as you go along4 ,you will not take the chances of picking up or developing the happy habit after you get rich1 for then you may be too old4 ,most people postpone their enjoyment until they are disappointed to find the power of enjoyment has largely gone by and that even if they had the means they could not get anything like as much real happiness out of it as they could have gotten as they went along when they were younger4 ,take no chances with your happiness1 or the sort of a life that can produce it2 whatever else you risk1 do not risk this4 ,early form the happy habit1 the habit of enjoyment every day1 no matter what comes or does not come to you during the day4 ,pick crumbs of comfort out of your situation1 no matter how unpleasant or disagreeable4 ,i know a man who1 although poor1 can manage to get more comfort out of a real tough1 discouraging situation than any one else ,i have ever seen4 ,i have often seen him when he did not have a dollar to his name1 with a wife to support2 yet he was always buoyant1 happy1 cheerful1 consented4 ,he would even make fun out of an embarrassing situation1 see something ludicrous in his extreme poverty4 ,there have never been such conflicting estimates1 such varying ideas1 regarding any state of human condition as to what constitutes happiness4 ,many people think that it is purchasable with money1 but many of the most restless1 discontented1 unhappy people in the world are rich4 ,they have the means of purchasing what they thought would produce happiness1 but the real thing eludes them4 ,on the other hand1 some of the poorest people in the world are happy4 ,the fact is that there is no possible way of cornering or purchasing happiness for it is absolutely beyond the reach of money4 ,it is true1 we can purchase a few comforts and immunities from some annoyances and worries with money which we can not get without it4 ,on the other hand1 the great majority of people who have inherited money are positively injured by it1 because it often stops their own development by taking away the motive for self-effort and self-reliance4 ,when people get money they often stop growing because they depend upon the money instead of relying upon their own inherent resources4 ,rich people suffer from their indulgences more than poor ones suffer from their hardships4 ,a great many rich people die with liver and kidney troubles which are effected both by eating and drinking4 ,the kidneys are very susceptible to the presence of alcohol4 ,if rich people try to get greater enjoyment out of life than poor people by eating and drinking1 they are likely very quickly to come to grief4 ,if they try to seek it through the avenue of leisure they soon find that an idle brain is one of the most dangerous things in the world--nothing deteriorates faster4 ,the mind was made for continual strong action1 systematic1 vigorous exercise1 and this is possible only when some dominating aim and a great life purpose leads the way4 ,no person can be really healthful whose mind is not usefully and continually employed4 ,so there is no possibility of finding real happiness in idleness if we are able to work4 ,nature brings a wonderful compensatory power to those who are crippled or sick or otherwise disabled from working1 but there is no compensation for idleness in those who are able to work4 ,nature only gives us the use of faculties we employ4 ,use or lose is her motto1 and when we cease to use a faculty or function it is gradually taken away from us1 gradually shrivels and atrophies4 ,there is no satisfaction like that which comes from the steady1 persistent1 honest1 conscientious pursuit of a noble aim4 ,there are a multitude of evidences in man's very structure that his marvelous mechanism was intended for action1 for constant exercise1 and that idleness and stagnation always mean deterioration and death of power4 ,no man can remain idle without shrinking1 shrivelling1 constantly becoming a less efficient man2 for he can keep up only those faculties and powers which he constantly employs1 and there is no other possible way4 ,nature puts her ban of deterioration and loss of power upon idleness4 ,we see these victims everywhere shorn of power--weak1 nerveless1 backboneless1 staminaless1 gritless people1 without forcefulness1 mere nonentities because they have ceased working4 ,without work mental health is impossible and without health the fullest happiness is impossible4 ,it has been said that happiness is the most delusive thing that man pursues4 ,yet why need it be a blind search8 ,if we were to stop the first hundred people we meet on the street and ask them what in their experience has given them the most happiness1 probably the answer of no two would be alike4 ,how interesting and instructive it would be to give a thousand dollars to each of these hundred people1 and without their knowing it1 follow them and see what they would do with the money1--what it would mean to them4 ,to some poor youth hungry for an education1 with no opportunity to gain it1 this money would mean a college education4 ,another would see in his money a more comfortable home for his aged parents4 ,to another this money would suggest all sorts of dissipation4 ,some would see books and leisure for self-improvement1 a trip abroad4 ,we all wear different colored glasses and no two see life with the same tint4 ,some find their present happiness in coarse dissipation2 others in a quiet nook with a book4 ,some find their greatest happiness in friends1 in social intercourse2 others seek happiness in roving over the earth1 always thinking that the greatest enjoyment is in another day1 in another place1 a little further on1 in the next room1 or to-morrow1 or in another country4 ,to many people1 happiness is never where they are1 but almost anywhere else4 ,most people lose sight of the simplicity of happiness4 ,they look for it in big1 complicated things4 ,real happiness is perfectly simple4 ,in fact1 it is incompatible with complexity4 ,simplicity is its very essence4 ,i was dining recently with a particularly successful young man who is trying very hard to be happy1 but he takes such a complicated1 strenuous view of everything that his happiness is always flying from him4 ,he drives everything so fiercely1 his life is so vigorous1 so complicated1 that happiness can not find a home with him very long4 ,nor does he understand why4 ,he has money1 health2 but he always has that restless far-away1 absent-minded gaze into something beyond1 and ,i do not think he is ever really very happy4 ,his whole manner of living is extremely complex4 ,he does not seem to know where to find happiness4 ,he has evidently mistaken the very nature of happiness4 ,he thinks it consists in making a great show1 in having great possessions1 in doing things which attract a great deal of attention2 but happiness would be strangled1 suffocated in such an environment4 ,the essentials of real happiness are few1 simple1 and close at hand4 ,happiness is made up of very simple ingredients4 ,it flees from the complex life4 ,it evades pomp and show4 ,the heart would starve amid the greatest luxuries4 ,simple joys and the treasures of the heart and mind make happiness4 ,happiness has very little to do with material things4 ,it is a mental state of mind4 ,real permanent happiness can not be found in mere temporary things1 because its roots reach away down into eternal principles4 ,one of the most pathetic pictures in civilization is the great army of men and women searching the world over for happiness1 as though it existed in things rather than in a state of mind4 ,the people who have spent years and a fortune trying to find it look as hungry and as lean of contentment and all that makes life desirable as when they started out4 ,chasing happiness all over the world is about as silly a business as any human being ever engaged in1 for it was never yet found by any pursuer4 ,yet happiness is the simplest thing in the world4 ,it is found in many a home with carpetless floors and pictureless walls4 ,it knows neither rank1 station1 nor color1 nor does it recognize wealth4 ,it only demands that it live with a contented mind and pure heart4 ,it will not live with ostentation2 it flees from pretense2 it loves the simple life2 it insists upon a sweet1 healthful1 natural environment4 ,it hates the forced and complicated and formal4 ,real happiness flees from the things that pass away2 it abides only in principle1 permanency4 ,i have never seen a person who has lived a grasping1 greedy1 money-chasing life1 who was not disappointed at what money has given him for his trouble4 ,it is only in giving1 in helping1 that we find our quest4 ,everywhere we go we see people who are disappointed1 chagrined1 shocked1 to find that what they thought would be the angel of happiness turned out to be only a ghost4 ,all the misery and the crime of the world rest upon the failure of human beings to understand the principle that no man can really be happy until he harmonizes with the best thing in him1 with the divine1 and not with the brute4 ,no one can be happy who tries to harmonize his life with his animal instincts4 ,the ,god 7the good7 in him is the only possible thing that can make him happy4 ,real happiness can not be bribed by anything sordid or low4 ,nothing mean or unworthy appeals to it4 ,there is no affinity between them4 ,founded upon principle1 it is as scientific as the laws of mathematics1 and he who works his problem correctly will get the happiness answer4 ,there is only one way to secure the correct answer to a mathematical problem2 and that is to work in harmony with mathematical laws4 ,it would not matter if half the world believed there was some other way to get the answer1 it would never come until the law was followed with the utmost exactitude4 ,it does not matter that the great majority of the human race believe there is some other way of reaching the happiness goal4 ,the fact that they are discontented1 restless1 and unhappy shows that they are not working their problem scientifically4 ,we are all conscious that there is another man inside of us1 that there accompanies us through life a divine1 silent messenger1 that other1 higher1 better self1 which speaks from the depths of our nature and which gives its consent1 its amen to every right action1 and condemns every wrong one4 ,man is built upon the plan of honesty1 of rectitude--the divine plan4 ,when he perverts his nature by trying to express dishonesty1 chicanery1 and cunning1 of course he can not be happy4 ,the very essence of happiness is honesty1 sincerity1 truthfulness4 ,he who would have real happiness for his companion must be clean1 straightforward1 and sincere4 ,the moment he departs from the right she will take wings and fly away4 ,it is just as impossible for a person to reach the normal state of harmony while he is practising selfish1 grasping methods1 as it is to produce harmony in an orchestra with instruments that are all jangled and out of tune4 ,to be happy1 we must be in tune with the infinite within us1 in harmony with our better selves4 ,there is no way to get around it4 ,there is no tonic like that which comes from doing things worth while4 ,there is no happiness like that which comes from doing our level best every day1 everywhere2 no satisfaction like that which comes from stamping superiority1 putting our royal trade-mark upon everything which goes through our hands4 ,recently a rich young man was asked why he did not work4 ,i do not have to1 he said4 ,do not have to has ruined more young men than almost anything else4 ,the fact is1 ,nature never made any provision for the idle man4 ,vigorous activity is the law of life2 it is the saving grace1 the only thing that can keep a human being from retrograding4 ,activity along the line of one's highest ambition is the normal state of man1 and he who tries to evade it pays the penalty in deterioration of faculty1 in paralysis of efficiency4 ,do not flatter yourself that you can be really happy unless you are useful4 ,happiness and usefulness were born twins4 ,to separate them is fatal4 ,it is as impossible for a human being to be happy who is habitually idle as it is for a fine chronometer to be normal when not running4 ,the highest happiness is the feeling of wellbeing which comes to one who is actively employed doing what he was made to do1 carrying out the great life-purpose patterned in his individual bent4 ,the practical fulfilling of the life-purpose is to man what the actual running and keeping time are to the watch4 ,without action both are meaningless4 ,man was made to do things4 ,nothing else can take the place of achievement in his life4 ,real happiness without achievement of some worthy aim is unthinkable4 ,one of the greatest satisfactions in this world is the feeling of enlargement1 of growth1 of stretching upward and onward4 ,no pleasure can surpass that which comes from the consciousness of feeling one's horizon of ignorance being pushed farther and farther away--of making headway in the world--of not only getting on1 but also of getting up4 ,happiness is incompatible with stagnation4 ,a man must feel his expanding power lifting1 tugging away at a lofty purpose1 or he will miss the joy of living4 ,the discords1 the bickerings1 the divorces1 the breaking up of rich homes1 and the resorting to all sorts of silly devices by many rich people in their pursuit of happiness1 prove that it does not dwell with them1 that happiness does not abide with low ideals1 with selfishness1 idleness1 and discord4 ,it is a friend of harmony1 of truth1 of beauty1 of affection1 of simplicity4 ,multitudes of men have made fortunes1 but have murdered their capacity for enjoyment in the process4 ,how often we hear the remark1 ,he has the money1 but can not enjoy it4 ,a man can have no greater delusion than that he can spend the best years of his life coining all of his energies into dollars1 neglecting his home1 sacrificing friendships1 self-improvement1 and everything else that is really worth while1 for money1 and yet find happiness at the end6 ,the happiness habit is just as necessary to our best welfare as the work habit1 or the honesty or square-dealing habit4 ,no one can do his best1 his highest thing1 who is not perfectly normal1 and happiness is a fundamental necessity of our being4 ,it is an indication of health1 of sanity1 of harmony4 ,the opposite is a symptom of disease1 of abnormality4 ,there are plenty of evidences in the human economy that we were intended for happiness1 that it is our normal condition2 that suffering1 unhappiness1 discontent1 are absolutely foreign and abnormal to our natures4 ,there is no doubt that our life was intended to be one grand1 sweet song4 ,we are built upon the plan of harmony1 and every form of discord is abnormal4 ,there is something wrong when any human being in this world1 tuned to infinite harmonies and beauties that are unspeakable1 is unhappy and discontented4 ,,chapter ,,li ,,put ,,beauty ,,into ,,your ,,life ,when the barbarians overran ,greece1 desecrated her temples1 and destroyed her beautiful works of art1 even their savageness was somewhat tamed by the sense of beauty which prevailed everywhere4 ,they broke her beautiful statues1 it is true2 but the spirit of beauty refused to die1 and it transformed the savage heart and awakened even in the barbarian a new power4 ,from the apparent death of ,grecian art ,roman art was born4 ,cyclops forging iron for ,vulcan could not stand against ,pericles forging thought for ,greece4 ,the barbarian's club which destroyed the ,grecian statues was no match for the chisel of ,phidias and ,praxiteles4 ,what is the best education8 some one asked ,plato many centuries ago4 ,it is1 he replied1 that which gives to the body and to the soul all the beauty and all the perfection of which they are capable4 ,the life that would be complete2 that would be sweet and sane1 as well as strong1 must be ornamented1 softened1 and enriched by a love of the beautiful4 ,there is a lack in the make-up of a person who has no appreciation of beauty1 who does not thrill before a great picture or an entrancing sunset1 or a glimpse of beauty in nature4 ,savages have no appreciation of beauty4 ,they have a passion for adornment1 but there is nothing to show that their esthetic faculties are developed4 ,they merely obey their animal instincts and passions4 ,but as civilization advances ambition grows1 wants multiply1 and higher and higher faculties show themselves1 until in the highest expression of civilization1 we find aspiration and love of the beautiful most highly developed4 ,we find it manifested on the person1 in the home1 in the environment4 ,the late ,professor ,charles ,eliot ,norton of ,harvard ,university1 one of the finest thinkers of his day1 said that beauty has played an immense part in the development of the highest qualities in human beings2 and that civilization could be measured by its architecture1 sculpture1 and painting4 ,what an infinite satisfaction comes from beginning early in life to cultivate our finer qualities1 to develop finer sentiments1 purer tastes1 more delicate feelings1 the love of the beautiful in all its varied forms of expression6 ,one can make no better investment than the cultivation of a taste for the beautiful1 for it will bring rainbow hues and enduring joys to the whole life4 ,it will not only greatly increase one's capacity for happiness1 but also one's efficiency4 ,a remarkable instance of the elevating1 refining influence of beauty has been demonstrated by a ,chicago school-teacher1 who fitted up in her school a beauty corner for her pupils4 ,it was furnished with a stained glass window1 a divan covered with an ,oriental rug1 and a few fine photographs and paintings1 among which was a picture of the ,sistine ,madonna4 ,several other esthetic trifles1 artistically arranged1 completed the furnishings of the beauty corner4 ,the children took great delight in their little retreat1 especially in the exquisite coloring of the stained glass window4 ,insensibly their conduct and demeanor were affected by the beautiful objects with which they daily associated4 ,they became more gentle1 more refined1 more thoughtful and considerate4 ,a young ,italian boy1 in particular1 who had been incorrigible before the establishment of the beauty corner1 became1 in a short time1 so changed and softened that the teacher was astonished4 ,one day she asked him what it was that made him so good lately4 ,pointing to the picture of the ,sistine ,madonna the boy said1 ,how can a feller do bad things when she's looking at him8 ,character is fed largely through the eye and ear4 ,the thousand voices in nature of bird and insect and brook1 the soughing of the wind through the trees1 the scent of flower and meadow1 the myriad tints in earth and sky1 in ocean and forest1 mountain and hill1 are just as important for the development of a real man as the education he receives in the schools4 ,if you take no beauty into your life through the eye or the ear to stimulate and develop your esthetic faculties1 your nature will be hard1 juiceless1 and unattractive4 ,beauty is a quality of divinity1 and to live much with the beautiful is to live close to the divine4 ,the more we see of beauty everywhere2 in nature1 in life1 in man and child1 in work and rest1 in the outward and the inward world1 the more we see of ,god 7good74 ,there are many evidences in the ,new ,testament that ,christ was a great lover of the beautiful especially in nature4 ,was it not ,he who said3 ,consider the lilies of the field2 they toil not1 neither do they spin2 yet ,solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these8 ,back of the lily and the rose1 back of the landscape1 back of all beautiful things that enchant us1 there must be a great lover of the beautiful and a great beauty-principle4 ,every star that twinkles in the sky1 every flower1 bids us look behind it for its source1 points us to the great ,author of the beautiful4 ,the love of beauty plays a very important part in the poised1 symmetrical life4 ,we little realize how much we are influenced by beautiful people and things4 ,we may see them so often that they become common in our experience and fail to attract much of our conscious attention1 but every beautiful picture1 every sunset and bit of landscape1 every beautiful face and form and flower1 beauty in any form1 wherever we encounter it1 ennobles1 refines and elevates character4 ,there is everything in keeping the soul and mind responsive to beauty4 ,it is a great refreshener1 recuperator1 life-giver1 health promoter4 ,our ,american life tends to kill the finer sentiments2 to discourage the development of charm and grace as well as beauty2 it over-emphasizes the value of material things and under-estimates that of esthetic things1 which are far more developed in countries where the dollar is not the ,god4 ,as long as we persist in sending all the sap and energy of our being into the money-making gland or faculty and letting the social faculty1 the esthetic faculty1 and all the finer1 nobler faculties lie dormant1 and even die1 we certainly can not expect a well-rounded and symmetrical life1 for only faculties that are used1 brain cells that are exercised1 grow2 all others atrophy4 ,if the finer instincts in man and the nobler qualities that live in the higher brain are under-developed1 and the coarser instincts which dwell in the lower brain close to the brute faculties are over-developed1 man must pay the penalty of animality and will lack appreciation of all that is finest and most beautiful in life4 ,the vision that you hold in your mind1 the ideal that is enthroned in your heart--this you will build your life by1 this you will become4 ,it is the quality of mind1 of ideals1 and not mere things1 that make a man4 ,it is as essential to cultivate the esthetic faculties and the heart qualities as to cultivate what we call the intellect4 ,the time will come when our children will be taught1 both at home and in school1 to consider beauty as a most precious gift1 which must be preserved in purity1 sweetness1 and cleanliness1 and regarded as a divine instrument of education4 ,there is no investment which will give such returns as the culture of the finer self1 the development of the sense of the beautiful1 the sublime1 and the true2 the development of qualities that are crushed out or strangled in the mere dollar-chaser4 ,there are a thousand evidences in us that we were intended for temples of beauty1 of sweetness1 of loveliness1 of beautiful ideas1 and not mere storehouses for vulgar things4 ,there is nothing which will pay so well as to train the finest and truest1 the most beautiful qualities in us in order that we may see beauty everywhere and be able to extract sweetness from everything4 ,everywhere we go there are a thousand things to educate the best there is in us4 ,every sunset1 landscape1 mountain1 hill1 and tree has secrets of charm and beauty waiting for us4 ,in every patch of meadow or wheat1 in every leaf and flower1 the trained eye will see beauty which would ravish an angel4 ,the cultured ear will find harmony in forest and field1 melody in the babbling brook1 and untold pleasure in all ,nature's songs4 ,whatever our vocation1 we should resolve that we will not strangle all that is finest and noblest in us for the sake of the dollar1 but that we will put beauty into our life at every opportunity4 ,just in proportion to your love for the beautiful will you acquire its charms and develop its graces4 ,the beauty thought1 the beauty ideal1 will outpicture themselves in the face and manner4 ,if you are in love with beauty you will be an artist of some kind4 ,your profession may be to make the home beautiful and sweet1 or you may work at a trade2 but whatever your vocation1 if you are in love with the beautiful1 it will purify your taste1 elevate and enrich your life1 and make you an artist instead of a mere artisan4 ,there is no doubt that in the future beauty will play an infinitely greater part in civilized life than it has thus far4 ,it is becoming commercialized everywhere4 ,the trouble with us is that the tremendous material-prizes in this land of opportunity are so tempting that we have lost sight of the higher man4 ,we have developed ourselves along the animal side of our nature2 the greedy1 grasping side4 ,the great majority of us are still living in the basement of our beings4 ,now and then one rises to the drawing-room4 ,now and then one ascends to the upper stories and gets a glimpse of the life beautiful1 the life worth while4 ,there is nothing on earth that will so slake the thirst of the soul as the beauty which expresses itself in sweetness and light4 ,an old traveling man relates that once when on a trip to the ,west he sat next to an elderly lady who every now and then would lean out of the open window and pour some thick salt--it seemed to him--from a bottle4 ,when she had emptied the bottle she would refill it from a hand-bag4 ,a friend to whom this man related the incident told him he was acquainted with the lady1 who was a great lover of flowers and an earnest follower of the precept3 ,scatter your flowers as you go1 for you may never travel the same road again4 ,he said she added greatly to the beauty of the landscape along the railroads on which she traveled1 by her custom of scattering flower seeds along the track as she rode4 ,many roads have thus been beautified and refreshed by this old lady's love of the beautiful and her effort to scatter beauty wherever she went4 ,if we would all cultivate a love of the beautiful and scatter beauty seeds as we go through life1 what a paradise this earth would become6 ,what a splendid opportunity a vacation in the country offers to put beauty into the life2 to cultivate the esthetic faculties1 which in most people are wholly undeveloped and inactive6 ,to some it is like going into ,god's great gallery of charm and beauty4 ,they find in the landscape1 the valley1 the mountains1 the fields1 the meadows1 the flowers1 the streams1 the brooks and the rivers1 riches that no money can buy2 beauties that would enchant the angels4 ,but this beauty and glory can not be bought2 they are only for those who can see them1 appreciate them--who can read their message and respond to their affinity4 ,have you never felt the marvelous power of beauty in nature8 ,if not1 you have missed one of the most exquisite joys in life4 ,i was once going through the ,yosemite ,valley1 and after riding one hundred miles in a stage-coach over rough mountain roads1 ,i was so completely exhausted that it did not seem as though ,i could keep my seat until we traveled over the ten more miles which would bring us to our destination4 ,but on looking down from the top of the mountain ,i caught a glimpse of the celebrated ,yosemite ,falls and the surrounding scenery1 just as the sun broke through the clouds2 and there was revealed a picture of such rare beauty and marvelous picturesqueness that every particle of fatigue1 brain-fag1 and muscle weariness departed in an instant4 ,my whole soul thrilled with a winged sense of sublimity1 grandeur1 and beauty1 which ,i had never experienced before1 and which ,i never can forget4 ,i felt a spiritual uplift which brought tears of joy to my eyes4 ,no one can contemplate the wonderful beauties of ,nature and doubt that the ,creator must have intended that man1 made in ,his own image and likeness1 should be equally beautiful4 ,beauty of character1 charm of manner1 attractiveness and graciousness of expression1 a godlike bearing1 are our birthrights4 ,yet how ugly1 stiff1 coarse1 and harsh in appearance and bearing many of us are6 ,no one can afford to disregard his good looks or personal appearance4 ,but if we wish to beautify the outer1 we must first beautify the inner1 for every thought and every motion shapes the delicate tracings of our face for ugliness or beauty4 ,inharmonious and destructive attitudes of mind will warp and mar the most beautiful features4 ,shakespeare says3 ,god has given you one face and you make yourselves another4 ,the mind can make beauty or ugliness at will4 ,a sweet1 noble disposition is absolutely essential to the highest form of beauty4 ,it has transformed many a plain face4 ,a bad temper1 ill nature1 jealousy1 will ruin the most beautiful face ever created4 ,after all1 there is no beauty like that produced by a lovely character4 ,neither cosmetics1 massage1 nor drugs can remove the lines of prejudice1 selfishness1 envy1 anxiety1 mental vacillation that are the results of wrong thought habits4 ,beauty is from within4 ,if every human being would cultivate a gracious mentality1 not only would what he expressed be artistically beautiful1 but also his body4 ,there would indeed be grace and charm1 a superiority about him1 which would be even greater than mere physical beauty4 ,we have all seen even very plain women who1 because of the charm of their personality1 impressed us as transcendently beautiful4 ,the exquisite soul qualities expressed through the body transformed it into their likeness4 ,a fine spirit speaking through the plainest body will make it beautiful4 ,some one1 speaking of ,fanny ,kemble1 said3 ,although she was very stout and short1 and had a very red face1 yet she impressed me as the supreme embodiment of majestic attributes4 ,i never saw so commanding a personality in feminine form4 ,any type of mere physical beauty would have paled to insignificance by her side4 ,antoine ,berryer says truly3 ,there are no ugly women4 ,there are only women who do not know how to look pretty4 ,the highest beauty--beauty that is far superior to mere regularity of feature or form--is within reach of everybody4 ,it is perfectly possible for one1 even with the homeliest face1 to make herself beautiful by the habit of perpetually holding in mind the beauty thought1 not the thought of mere superficial beauty1 but that of heart beauty1 soul beauty1 and by the cultivation of a spirit of kindness1 hopefulness1 and unselfishness4 ,the basis of all real personal beauty is a kindly1 helpful bearing and a desire to scatter sunshine and good cheer everywhere1 and this1 shining through the face1 makes it beautiful4 ,the longing and the effort to be beautiful in character can not fail to make the life beautiful1 and since the outward is but an expression of the inward1 a mere outpicturing on the body of the habitual thought and dominating motives1 the face1 the manners1 and the bearing must follow the thought and become sweet and attractive4 ,if you hold the beauty thought1 the love thought1 persistently in the mind1 you will make such an impression of harmony and sweetness wherever you go that no one will notice any plainness or deformity of person4 ,there are girls who have dwelt upon what they consider their unfortunate plainness so long that they have seriously exaggerated it4 ,they are not half so plain as they think they are2 and1 were it not for the fact that they have made themselves very sensitive and self-conscious on the subject1 others would not notice it at all4 ,in fact1 if they could get rid of their sensitiveness and be natural1 they could1 with persistent effort1 make up in sprightliness of thought1 in cheerfulness of manner1 in intelligence1 and in cheery helpfulness1 what they lack in grace and beauty of face4 ,we admire the beautiful face1 the beautiful form1 but we love the face illumined by a beautiful soul4 ,we love it because it suggests the ideal of the possible perfect man or woman1 the ideal which was the ,creator's model4 ,it is not the outward form of our dearest friend1 but our ideal of friendship which he arouses or suggests in us that stirs up and brings into exercise our love and admiration4 ,the highest beauty does not exist in the actual4 ,it is the ideal1 possible beauty1 which the person or object symbolizes or suggests1 that gives us delight4 ,everyone should endeavor to be beautiful and attractive2 to be as complete a human being as possible4 ,there is not a taint of vanity in the desire for the highest beauty4 ,the love of beauty that confines itself to mere external form1 however1 misses its deepest significance4 ,beauty of form1 of coloring1 of light and shade1 of sound1 make our world beautiful2 yet the mind that is warped and twisted can not see all this infinite beauty4 ,it is the indwelling spirit1 the ideal in the soul1 that makes all things beautiful2 that inspires and lifts us above ourselves4 ,we love the outwardly beautiful1 because we crave perfection1 and we can not help admiring those persons and things that most nearly embody or measure up to our human ideal4 ,but a beautiful character will make beauty and poetry out of the prosiest environment1 bring sunshine into the darkest home1 and develop beauty and grace amid the ugliest surroundings4 ,what would become of us if it were not for the great souls who realize the divinity of life1 who insist upon bringing out and emphasizing its poetry1 its music1 its harmony and beauty8 ,how sordid and common our lives would become but for these beauty-makers1 these inspirers1 these people who bring out all that is best and most attractive in every place1 every situation and condition6 ,there is no accomplishment1 no trait of character1 no quality of mind1 which will give greater satisfaction and pleasure or contribute more to one's welfare than an appreciation of the beautiful4 ,how many people might be saved from wrong-doing1 even from lives of crime1 by the cultivation of the esthetic faculties in their childhood6 ,a love of the truly beautiful would save children from things which encoarsen and brutalize their natures4 ,it would shield them from a multitude of temptations4 ,parents do not take sufficient pains to develop the love and appreciation of beauty in their children4 ,they do not realize that in impressionable youth1 everything about the home1 even the pictures1 the paper on the wall1 affect the growing character4 ,they should never lose an opportunity of letting their boys and girls see beautiful works of art1 hear beautiful music2 they should make a practise of reading to them or having them read very often some lofty poem1 or inspirational passages from some great writer1 that will fill their minds with thoughts of beauty1 open their souls to the inflow of the ,divine ,mind1 the ,divine ,love which encompasses us round about4 ,the influences that moved our youth determine the character1 the success and happiness of our whole lives4 ,every soul is born responsive to the beautiful1 but this instinctive love of beauty must be fostered through the eye and the mind must be cultivated1 or it will die4 ,the craving for beauty is as strong in a child of the slums as in a favorite of fortune4 ,the physical hunger of the poor1 the yearning of their stomachs1 says ,jacob ,a4 ,riis1 is not half so bitter1 or so little likely to be satisfied as their esthetic hunger1 their starving for the beautiful4 ,mr4 ,riis has often tried to take flowers from his ,long ,island home to the poors in ,mulberry ,street1 ,new ,york4 ,but they never got there1 he says4 ,before ,i had gone half a block from the ferry ,i was held up by a shrieky mob of children who cried for the posies and would not let me go another step till ,i had given them one4 ,and when they got it they ran1 shielding the flower with the most jealous care1 to some place where they could hide and gloat over their treasure4 ,they came dragging big1 fat babies and little weazened ones that they might get a share1 and the babies' eyes grew round and big at the sight of the golden glory from the fields1 the like of which had never come their way4 ,the smaller the baby1 and the poorer1 the more wistful its look1 and so my flowers went4 ,who could have said them no8 ,i learned then what ,i had but vaguely understood before1 that there is a hunger that is worse than that which starves the body and gets into the newspapers4 ,all children love beauty and beautiful things4 ,it is the spark of the divine nature that is in them and justifies itself6 ,to that ideal their souls grow4 ,when they cry out for it they are trying to tell us in the only way they can that if we let the slum starve the ideal1 with its dirt and its ugliness and its hard-trodden mud where flowers were meant to grow1 we are starving that which we little know4 ,a man1 a human1 may grow a big body without a soul2 but as a citizen1 as a mother1 he or she is worth nothing to the commonwealth4 ,the mark they are going to leave upon it is the black smudge of the slum4 ,so when in these latter days we invade that slum to make homes there and teach the mothers to make them beautiful2 when we gather the children into kindergartens1 hang pictures in the schools2 when we build beautiful new schools and public buildings and let in the light1 with grass and flower and bird1 where darkness and foulness were before2 when we teach the children to dance and play and enjoy themselves--alas6 that it should ever be needed--we are trying to wipe off the smudge1 and to lift the heavy mortgage which it put on the morrow1 a much heavier one in the loss of citizenship than any community1 even the republic1 can long endure4 ,we are paying arrears of debt which we incurred by our sad neglect1 and we could be about no better business4 ,there are many poor children in the slums of ,new ,york1 ,mr4 ,millionaire1 who could go into your drawing-room and carry away from its rich canvases1 its costly furnishings1 a vision of beauty which you never perceived in them because your esthetic faculties1 your finer sensibilities1 were early stifled by your selfish pursuit of the dollar4 ,the world is full of beautiful things1 but the majority have not been trained to discern them4 ,we can not see all the beauty that lies around us1 because our eyes have not been trained to see it2 our esthetic faculties have not been developed4 ,we are like the lady who1 standing with the great artist1 ,turner1 before one of his wonderful landscapes1 cried out in amazement3 ,why1 ,mr4 ,turner1 ,i can not see those things in nature that you have put in your picture4 ,don't you wish you could1 madam8 he replied4 ,just think what rare treats we shut out of our lives in our mad1 selfish1 insane pursuit of the dollar6 ,do you not wish that you could see the marvels that ,turner saw in a landscape1 that ,ruskin saw in a sunset8 ,do you not wish that you had put a little more beauty into your life instead of allowing your nature to become encoarsened1 your esthetic faculties blinded and your finer instincts blighted by the pursuit of the coarser things of life1 instead of developing your brute instincts of pushing1 elbowing your way through the world for a few more dollars1 in your effort to get something away from somebody else8 ,fortunate is the person who has been educated to the perception of beauty2 he possesses a heritage of which no reverses can rob him4 ,yet it is a heritage possible to all who will take the trouble to begin early in life to cultivate the finer qualities of the soul1 the eye1 and the heart4 ,i am a lover of untainted and immortal beauty1 exclaims ,emerson4 ,oh1 world1 what pictures and what harmony are thine6 ,a great scientist tells us that there is no natural object in the universe which1 if seen as the ,master sees it1 coupled with all its infinite meaning1 its utility and purpose1 is not beautiful4 ,beauty is ,god's handwriting4 ,just as the most disgusting object1 if put under a magnifying glass of sufficient power1 would reveal beauties undreamed of1 so even the most unlovely environment1 the most cruel conditions1 will1 when viewed through the glass of a trained and disciplined mind1 show something of the beautiful and the hopeful4 ,a life that has been rightly trained will extract sweetness from everything2 it will see beauty everywhere4 ,situated as we are in a world of beauty and sublimity1 we have no right to devote practically all of our energies and to sap all our life forces in the pursuit of selfish aims1 in accumulating material wealth1 in piling up dollars4 ,it is our duty to treat life as a glory1 not as a grind or a purely business transaction1 dealing wholly with money and bread-and-butter questions4 ,wherever you are1 put beauty into your life4 ,,chapter ,,lii ,,education ,,by ,,absorption ,john ,wanamaker was once asked to invest in an expedition to recover from the ,spanish ,main doubloons which for half a century had lain at the bottom of the sea in sunken frigates4 ,young men1 he replied1 ,i know of a better expedition than this1 right here4 ,near your own feet lie treasures untold2 you can have them all by faithful study4 ,let us not be content to mine the most coal1 to make the largest locomotives1 to weave the largest quantities of carpets2 but1 amid the sounds of the pick1 the blows of the hammer1 the rattle of the looms1 and the roar of the machinery1 take care that the immortal mechanism of ,god's own hand--the mind--is still full-trained for the highest and noblest service4 ,the uneducated man is always placed at a great disadvantage4 ,no matter how much natural ability one may have1 if he is ignorant1 he is discounted4 ,it is not enough to possess ability1 it must be made available by mental discipline4 ,we ought to be ashamed to remain in ignorance in a land where the blind1 the deaf and dumb1 and even cripples and invalids1 manage to obtain a good education4 ,many youths throw away little opportunities for self-culture because they cannot see great ones4 ,they let the years slip by without any special effort at self-improvement1 until they are shocked in middle life1 or later1 by waking up to the fact that they are still ignorant of what they ought to know4 ,everywhere we go we see men and women1 especially from twenty-five to forty years of age1 who are cramped and seriously handicapped by the lack of early training4 ,i often get letters from such people1 asking if it is possible for them to educate themselves so late in life4 ,of course it is4 ,there are so many good correspondence schools to-day1 and institutions like ,chautauqua1 so many evening schools1 lectures1 books1 libraries1 and periodicals1 that men and women who are determined to improve themselves have abundant opportunities to do so4 ,while you lament the lack of an early education and think it too late to begin1 you may be sure that there are other young men and young women not very far from you who are making great strides in self-improvement1 though they may not have half as good an opportunity for it as you have4 ,the first thing to do is to make a resolution1 strong1 vigorous1 and determined1 that you are going to be an educated man or woman2 that you are not going to go through life humiliated by ignorance2 that1 if you have been deprived of early advantages1 you are going to make up for their loss4 ,resolve that you will no longer be handicapped and placed at a disadvantage for that which you can remedy4 ,you will find the whole world will change to you when you change your attitude toward it4 ,you will be surprised to see how quickly you can very materially improve your mind after you have made a vigorous resolve to do so4 ,go about it with the same determination that you would to make money or to learn a trade4 ,there is a divine hunger in every normal being for self-expansion1 a yearning for growth or enlargement4 ,beware of stifling this craving of nature for self-unfoldment4 ,man was made for growth4 ,it is the object1 the explanation1 of his being4 ,to have an ambition to grow larger and broader every day1 to push the horizon of ignorance a little further away1 to become a little richer in knowledge1 a little wiser1 and more of a man--that is an ambition worth while4 ,it is not absolutely necessary that an education should be crowded into a few years of school life4 ,the best-educated people are those who are always learning1 always absorbing knowledge from every possible source and at every opportunity4 ,i know young people who have acquired a better education1 a finer culture1 through a habit of observation1 or of carrying a book in the pocket to read at odd moments1 or by taking courses in correspondence schools1 than many who have gone through college4 ,youths who are quick to catch at new ideas1 and who are in frequent contact with superior minds1 not only often acquire a personal charm1 but even1 to a remarkable degree1 develop mental power4 ,the world is a great university4 ,from the cradle to the grave we are always in ,god's great kindergarten1 where everything is trying to teach us its lesson2 to give us its great secret4 ,some people are always at school1 always storing up precious bits of knowledge4 ,everything has a lesson for them4 ,it all depends upon the eye that can see1 the mind that can appropriate4 ,very few people ever learn how to use their eyes4 ,they go through the world with a superficial glance at things2 their eye pictures are so faint and so dim that details are lost and no strong impression is made on the mind4 ,yet the eye was intended for a great educator4 ,the brain is a prisoner1 never getting out to the outside world4 ,it depends upon its five or six servants1 the senses1 to bring it material1 and the larger part of it comes through the eye4 ,the man who has learned the art of seeing things looks with his brain4 ,i know a father who is training his boy to develop his powers of observation4 ,he will send him out upon a street with which he is not familiar for a certain length of time1 and then question him on his return to see how many things he has observed4 ,he sends him to the show windows of great stores1 to museums and other public places to see how many of the objects he has seen the boy can recall and describe when he gets home4 ,the father says that this practise develops in the boy a habit of seeing things1 instead of merely looking at them4 ,when a new student went to the great naturalist1 ,professor ,agassiz of ,harvard1 he would give him a fish and tell him to look it over for half an hour or an hour1 and then describe to him what he saw4 ,after the student thought he had told everything about the fish1 the professor would say1 ,you have not really seen the fish yet4 ,look at it a while longer1 and then tell me what you see4 ,he would repeat this several times1 until the student developed a capacity for observation4 ,if we go through life like an interrogation point1 holding an alert1 inquiring mind toward everything1 we can acquire great mental wealth1 wisdom which is beyond all material riches4 ,ruskin's mind was enriched by the observation of birds1 insects1 beasts1 trees1 rivers1 mountains1 pictures of sunset and landscape1 and by memories of the song of the lark and of the brook4 ,his brain held thousands of pictures--of paintings1 of architecture1 of sculpture1 a wealth of material which he reproduced as a joy for all time4 ,everything gave up its lesson1 its secret1 to his inquiring mind4 ,the habit of absorbing information of all kinds from others is of untold value4 ,a man is weak and ineffective in proportion as he secludes himself from his kind4 ,there is a constant stream of power1 a current of forces running to and fro between individuals who come in contact with one another1 if they have inquiring minds4 ,we are all giving and taking perpetually when we associate together4 ,the achiever to-day must keep in touch with the society around him2 he must put his finger on the pulse of the great busy world and feel its throbbing life4 ,he must be a part of it1 or there will be some lack in his life4 ,a single talent which one can use effectively is worth more than ten talents imprisoned by ignorance4 ,education means that knowledge has been assimilated and become a part of the person4 ,it is the ability to express the power within one1 to give out what one knows1 that measures efficiency and achievement4 ,pent-up knowledge is useless4 ,people who feel their lack of education1 and who can afford the outlay1 can make wonderful strides in a year by putting themselves under good tutors1 who will direct their reading and study along different lines4 ,the danger of trying to educate oneself lies in desultory1 disconnected1 aimless studying which does not give anything like the benefit to be derived from the pursuit of a definite program for self-improvement4 ,a person who wishes to educate himself at home should get some competent1 well-trained person to lay out a plan for him1 which can only be effectively done when the adviser knows the vocation1 the tastes1 and the needs of the would-be student4 ,anyone who aspires to an education1 whether in country or city1 can find someone to at least guide his studies2 some teacher1 clergyman1 lawyer1 or other educated person in the community to help him4 ,there is one special advantage in self-education1--you can adapt your studies to your own particular needs better than you could in school or college4 ,everyone who reaches middle life without an education should first read and study along the line of his own vocation1 and then broaden himself as much as possible by reading on other lines4 ,one can take up1 alone1 many studies1 such as history1 ,english literature1 rhetoric1 drawing1 mathematics1 and can also acquire by oneself1 almost as effectively as with a teacher1 a reading knowledge of foreign languages4 ,the daily storing up of valuable information for use later in life1 the reading of books that will inspire and stimulate to greater endeavor1 the constant effort to try to improve oneself and one's condition in the world1 are worth far more than a bank account to a youth4 ,how many girls there are in this country who feel crippled by the fact that they have not been able to go to college4 ,and yet they have the time and the material close at hand for obtaining a splendid education1 but they waste their talents and opportunities in frivolous amusements and things which do not count in forceful character-building4 ,it is not such a very great undertaking to get all the essentials of a college course at home1 or at least a fair substitute for it4 ,every hour in which one focuses his mind vigorously upon his studies at home may be as beneficial as the same time spent in college4 ,every well-ordered household ought to protect the time of those who desire to study at home4 ,at a fixed hour every evening during the long winter there should be by common consent a quiet period for mental concentration1 for what is worth while in mental discipline1 a quiet hour uninterrupted by time-thief callers4 ,in thousands of homes where the members are devoted to each other1 and should encourage and help each other along1 it is made almost impossible for anyone to take up reading1 studying1 or any exercise for self-improvement4 ,perhaps someone is thoughtless and keeps interrupting the others so that they can not concentrate their minds2 or those who have nothing in common with your aims or your earnest life drop in to spend an evening in idle chatter4 ,they have no ideals outside of the bread-and-butter and amusement questions1 and do not realize how they are hindering you4 ,there is constant temptation to waste one's evenings and it takes a stout ambition and a firm resolution to separate oneself from a jolly1 fun-loving1 and congenial family circle1 or happy-hearted youthful callers1 in order to try to rise above the common herd of unambitious persons who are content to slide along1 totally ignorant of everything but the requirements of their particular vocations4 ,a habit of forcing yourself to fix your mind steadfastly and systematically upon certain studies1 even if only for periods of a few minutes at a time1 is1 of itself1 of the greatest value4 ,this habit helps one to utilize the odds and ends of time which are unavailable to most people because they have never been trained to concentrate the mind at regular intervals4 ,a good understanding of the possibilities that live in spare moments is a great success asset4 ,the very reputation of always trying to improve yourself1 of seizing every opportunity to fit yourself for something better1 the reputation of being dead-in-earnest1 determined to be somebody and to do something in the world1 would be of untold assistance to you4 ,people like to help those who are trying to help themselves4 ,they will throw opportunities in their way4 ,such a reputation is the best kind of capital to start with4 ,one trouble with people who are smarting under the consciousness of deficient education is that they do not realize the immense value of utilizing spare minutes4 ,like many boys who will not save their pennies and small change because they can not see how a fortune could ever grow by the saving1 they can not see how a little studying here and there each day will ever amount to a good substitute for a college education4 ,i know a young man who never even attended a high school1 and yet educated himself so superbly that he has been offered a professorship in a college4 ,most of his knowledge was gained during his odds and ends of time1 while working hard at his vocation4 ,spare time meant something to him4 ,the correspondence schools deserve very great credit for inducing hundreds of thousands of people1 including clerks1 mill operatives1 and employees of all kinds1 to take their courses1 and thus save for study the odds and ends of time which otherwise would probably be thrown away4 ,we have heard of some most remarkable instances of rapid advancement which these correspondence school students have made by reason of the improvement in their education4 ,many students have reaped a thousand per cent on their educational investment4 ,it has saved them years of drudgery and has shortened wonderfully the road to their goal4 ,wisdom will not open her doors to those who are not willing to pay the price in self-sacrifice1 in hard work4 ,her jewels are too precious to scatter before the idle1 the ambitionless4 ,the very resolution to redeem yourself from ignorance at any cost is the first great step toward gaining an education4 ,charles ,wagner once wrote to an ,american regarding his little boy1 ,may he know the price of the hours4 ,god bless the rising boy who will do his best1 for never losing a bit of the precious and ,god-given time4 ,there is untold wealth locked up in the long winter evenings and odd moments ahead of you4 ,a great opportunity confronts you4 ,what will you do with it8 ,,chapter ,,liii ,,the ,,power ,,of ,,suggestion ,when plate-glass windows first came into use1 ,rogers1 the poet1 took a severe cold by sitting with his back to what he supposed was an open window in a dining-room but which was really plate-glass4 ,all the time he was eating he imagined he was taking cold1 but he did not dare ask to have the window closed4 ,we little realize how much suggestion has to do with health4 ,in innumerable instances people have been made seriously ill1 sometimes fatally so1 by others telling them how badly they looked1 or suggesting that they had inherited some fatal disease4 ,a prominent ,new ,york business man recently told me of an experiment which the friends of a robust young man made upon him4 ,it was arranged that1 beginning in the morning1 each one should tell him1 when he came to work1 that he was not looking well1 and ask him what the trouble was4 ,they were to say it in a way that would not arouse his suspicions1 and note the result4 ,at one o'clock this vigorous young man had been so influenced by the suggestion that he quit work and went home1 saying that he was sick4 ,there have been many interesting experiments in the ,paris hospitals upon patients in a hypnotic trance1 wounds being inflicted by mental suggestion4 ,while a cold poker was laid across their limbs1 for example1 the subjects were told that they were being seared with a red-hot iron1 and immediately the flesh would have the appearance of being severely burned4 ,i have known patients to collapse completely at the sight of surgical instruments in the operating room4 ,i have heard them say that they could actually feel the cutting of the knife long before they took the anesthetic4 ,patients are often put to sleep by the injection into their arms of a weak solution of salt and water1 which they are led to think is morphia4 ,every physician of large experience knows that he can relieve or produce pain simply by suggestion4 ,many a physician sends patients to some famous resort not so much for the waters or the air as for the miracle which the complete change of thought effects4 ,even quacks and charlatans are able1 by stimulating the hope of those who are sick1 to produce marvelous cures4 ,the mental attitude of the nurse has much to do with the recovery of a sick person4 ,if she holds the constant suggestion that the patient will recover2 if she stoutly affirms it1 it will be a wonderful rallying help to the forces which make for life4 ,if1 on the other hand1 she holds the conviction that he is going to die1 she will communicate her belief1 and this will consequently depress the patient4 ,we are under the influence of suggestion every moment of our waking lives4 ,everything we see1 hear1 feel1 is a suggestion which produces a result corresponding to its own nature4 ,its subtle power seems to reach and affect the very springs of life4 ,the power of suggestion on expectant minds is often little less than miraculous4 ,an invalid with a disappointed ambition1 who thinks he has been robbed of his chances in life and who has suffered for years1 becomes all wrought up over some new remedy which is advertised to do marvels4 ,he is in such an expectant state of mind that he is willing to make almost any sacrifice to obtain the wonderful remedy2 and when he receives it1 he is in such a receptive mood that he responds quickly1 and thinks it is the medicine which has worked the magic4 ,faith in one's physician is a powerful curative suggestion4 ,many patients1 especially those who are ignorant1 believe that the physician holds the keys of life and death4 ,they have such implicit confidence in him that what he tells them has powerful influence upon them for good or ill4 ,the possibilities of healing power in the affirmative suggestion that the patient is going to get well are tremendous4 ,the coming physician will constantly reassure his patient verbally1 often vehemently1 that he is absolutely bound to recover2 he will tell him that there is an omnipotent healing power within him1 and that he gets a hint of this in the power which heals a wound1 and which refreshes1 renews1 and recreates him during sleep4 ,it is almost impossible for a patient to get well while people are constantly reminding him how ill he looks4 ,his will-power together with all his physical recuperative forces could not counteract the effect of the reiteration of the sick suggestion4 ,many a sick-room is made a chamber of horrors because of the depressing suggestion which pervades it4 ,instead of being filled with sunshine1 good cheer1 and encouragement1 it is often darkened1 ,god's beautiful sunshine shut out2 ventilation is poor2 everybody has a sad1 anxious face2 medicine bottles and surgical apparatus are spread about2 everything is calculated to engender disease rather than to encourage health and inspire hope4 ,why1 there is enough depressing suggestion in such a place to make a perfectly well person ill6 ,what people need is encouragement1 uplift1 hope4 ,their natural resisting powers should be strengthened and developed4 ,instead of telling a friend in trouble1 despair1 or suffering that you feel very sorry for him1 try to pull him out of his slough of despond1 to arouse the latent recuperative1 restorative energies within him4 ,picture to him his ,god image1 his better self1 which1 because it is a part of the great immortal principle1 is never sick and never out of harmony1 can never be discordant or suffer4 ,right suggestion would prevent a great majority of our divorces4 ,great infatuation for another has been overcome by suggestion in numerous instances4 ,many women have been thus cured of a foolish love for impossible men1 as in the case of girls who have become completely infatuated with the husband of a friend4 ,fallen women have been entirely reclaimed1 have been brought to see their better1 finer1 diviner selves through the power of suggestion4 ,the suggestion which comes from a sweet1 beautiful1 charming character is contagious and sometimes revolutionizes a whole neighborhood4 ,we all know how the suggestion of heroic deeds1 great records1 has aroused the ambitions and stirred the energies of others to do likewise4 ,many a life has turned upon a few moments' conversation1 upon a little encouragement1 upon the suggestion of an inspiring book4 ,many men who have made their impress upon history1 who have left civilization a little higher1 accomplished what they did largely because their ambition was aroused by suggestion2 some book or some individual gave them the first glimpse of their possibility and enabled them to feel for the first time a thrill of the power within them4 ,the suggestion of inferiority is one of the most difficult to overcome4 ,who can ever estimate the damage to humanity and the lives wrecked through it6 ,i know men whose whole careers have been practically ruined through the constant suggestion1 while they were children1 that they would never amount to anything4 ,this suggestion of inferiority has made them so timid and shy and so uncertain of themselves that they have never been able to assert their individuality4 ,i knew a college student whose rank in his class entitled him to the highest recognition1 whose life was nearly ruined by suggestion2 he overheard some of his classmates say that he had no more dignity than a goose1 and always made a very poor appearance2 that under no circumstances would they think of electing him as class orator1 because he would make such an unfortunate impression upon an audience4 ,he had unusual ability1 but his extreme diffidence1 timidity1 shyness1 made him appear awkward and sometimes almost foolish1--all of which he would undoubtedly have overgrown1 had he not overheard the criticism of his classmates4 ,he thought it meant that he was mentally inferior1 and this belief kept him back ever after4 ,what a subtle power there is in the suggestion of the human voice6 ,what emotions are aroused in us by its different modulations6 ,how we laugh and cry1 become indignant1 revengeful1 our feelings leaping from one extreme to the other1 according to the passion-freighted or love-freighted words which reach our ear2 how we sit spell-bound1 with bated breath1 before the great orator who is playing upon the emotions of his audience1 as a musician plays upon the strings of his harp1 now bringing out tears1 now smiles1 now pathos1 now indignation6 ,the power of his word-painting makes a wonderful impression4 ,a thousand listeners respond to whatever he suggests4 ,the voice is a great betrayer of our feelings and emotions4 ,it is tender when conveying love to our friends2 cold1 selfish1 and without a particle of sympathy during business transactions when we are trying to get the best of a bargain4 ,how we are attracted by a gentle voice1 and repulsed by one that is harsh6 ,we all know how susceptible even dogs and horses are to the different modulations of the human voice4 ,they know the tone of affection2 they are reassured and respond to it4 ,but they are stricken with fear and trembling at the profanity of the master's rage4 ,some natures are powerfully affected by certain musical strains2 they are immediately lifted out of the deepest depression and despondency into ecstasy4 ,nothing has touched them2 they have just merely felt a sensation through the auditory nerve which aroused and awakened into activity certain brain cells and changed their whole mental attitude4 ,music has a decided influence upon the blood pressure in the arteries1 and upon the respiration4 ,we all know how it soothes1 refreshes1 and rests us when jaded and worried4 ,when its sweet harmonies fill the soul1 all cares1 worries1 and anxieties fly away4 ,george ,eliot1 in ,the ,mill on the ,floss1 gives voice to what some of us have often1 doubtless1 felt1 when under its magic spell4 ,certain strains of music1 she says1 affect me so strangely that ,i can never hear them without changing my whole attitude of mind for a time1 and if the effect would last1 ,i might be capable of heroism4 ,latimer1 ,ridley1 and hundreds of others went to the stake actually rejoicing1 the spectators wondering at the smile of ineffable peace which illumined their faces above the fierce glare of the flames1 at the hymns of praise and thanksgiving heard amid the roar of crackling fagots4 ,no1 we don't get sick1 said an actor1 because we can't get sick4 ,patti and a few other stars could afford that luxury1 but to the majority of us it is denied4 ,it is a case of 'must' with us2 and although there have been times when1 had ,i been at home1 or a private man1 ,i could have taken to my bed with as good a right to be sick as any one ever had1 ,i have not done so1 and have worn off the attack through sheer necessity4 ,it's no fiction that will power is the best of tonics1 and theatrical people understand that they must keep a good stock of it always on hand4 ,a tight-rope walker was so ill with lumbago that he could scarcely move4 ,but when he was advertised to appear1 he summoned all his will power1 and traversed the rope several times with a wheelbarrow1 according to the program4 ,when through he doubled up and had to be carried to his bed1 as stiff as a frozen frog4 ,somewhere ,i have read a story of a poor fellow who went to hang himself1 but finding by chance a pot of money1 he flung away the rope and went hurriedly home4 ,he who hid the gold1 when he missed it1 hanged himself with the rope which the other man had left4 ,success is a great tonic1 and failure a great depressant4 ,the successful attainment of what the heart longs for1 as a rule1 improves health and happiness4 ,generally we not only find our treasure where our heart is1 but our health also4 ,who has not noticed men of indifferent health1 perhaps even invalids1 and men who lacked energy and determination1 suddenly become roused to a realization of unthought-of powers and unexpected health upon attaining some signal success8 ,the same is sometimes true of persons in poor health who have suddenly been thrown into responsible positions by death of parents or relatives1 or who1 upon sudden loss of property1 have been forced to do what they had thought impossible before4 ,an education is a health tonic4 ,delicate boys and girls1 whom parents and friends thought entirely too slender to bear the strain1 often improve in health in school and college4 ,other things equal1 intelligent1 cultured1 educated people enjoy the best health4 ,there is for the same reason a very intimate relation between health and morals4 ,a house divided against itself can not stand4 ,intemperance1 violation of chastity1 and vice of all kinds are discordant notes in the human economy which tend to destroy the great harmony of life4 ,the body is but a servant of the mind4 ,a well-balanced1 cultured1 and well-disciplined intellect reacts very powerfully upon the physique1 and tends to bring it into harmony with itself4 ,on the other hand1 a weak1 vacillating1 one-sided1 unsteady1 and ignorant mind will ultimately bring the body into sympathy with it4 ,every pure and uplifting thought1 every noble aspiration for the good and the true1 every longing of the heart for a higher and better life1 every lofty purpose and unselfish endeavor1 reacts upon the body1 makes it stronger1 more harmonious1 and more beautiful4 ,as a man thinketh in his heart1 so is he4 ,the body is molded and fashioned by the thought4 ,if a young woman were to try to make herself beautiful1 she would not begin by contemplating ugliness1 or dwelling upon the monstrosities of vice1 for their hideous images would be reproduced in her own face and manners4 ,nor would she try to make herself graceful by practising awkwardness4 ,we can never gain health by contemplating disease any more than we can reach perfection by dwelling upon imperfection1 or harmony through discord4 ,we should keep a high ideal of health and harmony constantly before the mind2 and we should fight every discordant thought and every enemy of harmony as we would fight a temptation to crime4 ,never affirm or repeat about your health what you do not wish to be true4 ,do not dwell upon your ailments nor study your symptoms4 ,never allow yourself to think that you are not complete master of yourself4 ,stoutly affirm your own superiority over bodily ills1 and do not acknowledge yourself the slave of an inferior power4 ,the mind has undoubted power to preserve and sustain physical youth and beauty1 to keep the body strong and healthy1 to renew life1 and to preserve it from decay1 many years longer than it does now4 ,the longest lived men and women have1 as a rule1 been those who have attained great mental and moral development4 ,they have lived in the upper region of a higher life1 beyond the reach of much of the jar1 the friction1 and the discords which weaken and shatter most lives4 ,many nervous diseases have been cured by music1 while others have been greatly retarded in their development by it4 ,anything which keeps the mind off our troubles tends to restore harmony throughout the body4 ,it is a great thing to form a habit1 acquire a reputation1 of always talking up and never down1 of seeing good things and never bad1 of encouraging and never discouraging1 and of always being optimistic about everything4 ,send forth loving1 stainless1 and happy thoughts1 and blessings will flow into your hands2 send forth hateful1 impure1 and unhappy thoughts1 and curses will rain down upon you and fear and unrest will wait upon your pillow4 ,there is no one principle that is abused to-day in the business world more than the law of suggestion4 ,everywhere in this country we see the pathetic victims of those who make a business of overpowering and controlling weaker minds4 ,thus is suggestion carried even to the point of hypnotism as is illustrated by unscrupulous salesmen and promoters4 ,if a person steals the property of another he is imprisoned1 but if he hypnotizes his victim by projecting his own strong trained thought into the innocent1 untrained1 unsuspecting victim's mind1 overcomes his objections1 and induces him voluntarily to buy the thing he does not want and can not afford to buy1 perhaps impoverishing himself for years so that he and his family suffer for the necessities of life1 no law can stop him4 ,it would be better and should be considered less criminal for a man to go into a home and steal articles of value than to overpower the minds of the heads of poor families and hypnotize them into signing contracts for what they have really no right and are not able to buy4 ,solicitors often command big salaries because of their wonderful personal magnetism and great powers of persuasion4 ,the time will come when many of these marvelous persuaders1 with long heads cunningly trained1 traveling about the country1 hypnotizing their subjects and robbing them of their hard-earned money1 will be regarded as criminals4 ,on the other hand1 suggestion is used for practical good in business life4 ,it is now a common practise in many concerns to put in the hands of their employees inspiring books and to republish in pamphlet form special articles from magazines and periodicals which are calculated to stir the employees to new endeavor1 to arouse them to greater action and make them more ambitious to do bigger things4 ,schools of salesmanship are using very extensively the psychology of business and are giving all sorts of illustrations which will spur men to greater efficiency4 ,the up-to-date merchant shows his knowledge of the power of suggestion for customers by his fascinating show-windows and display of merchandise4 ,the restaurant keeper knows the power of suggestion of delicious viands upon the appetite1 and we often see tempting dishes and articles of food displayed in the window or in the restaurant where the eye will carry the magic suggestion to the brain4 ,a person who has been reared in luxury and refinement would be so affected by the suggestion of uncleanliness and disorderliness in a cheap ,bowery eating-place that he would lose the keenest appetite4 ,if1 however1 the same food1 cooked in the same way1 could be transferred to one of the luxurious ,broadway restaurants and served upon delicate china and spotless linen with entrancing music1 the entire condition would be reversed4 ,the new suggestion would completely reverse the mental and physical conditions4 ,the suggestion of the ugly suspicions of a whole nation so overpowered ,dreyfus during his trial that it completely neutralized his individuality1 overbalanced his consciousness of innocence4 ,his whole manner was that of a guilty person1 so that many of his friends actually believed him guilty4 ,after the verdict1 in the presence of a vast throng which had gathered to see him publicly disgraced1 when his buttons and other insignia of office were torn from his uniform1 his sword taken from him and broken1 and the people were hissing1 jeering1 and hurling all sorts of anathemas at him1 no criminal could have exhibited more evidence of guilt4 ,the radiations of the guilty suggestion from millions of people completely over-powered his own mentality1 his individuality1 and1 although he was absolutely innocent1 his appearance and manner gave every evidence of the treason he was accused of4 ,there is no suggestion so fatal1 so insinuating1 as that of impurity4 ,vast multitudes of people have fallen victims to this vicious1 subtle1 fatal poison4 ,who can depict the tragedies which have been caused by immoral1 impure suggestion conveyed to minds which were absolutely pure1 which have never before felt the taint of contamination8 ,the subtle poisoning infused through the system makes the entrance of the succeeding vicious suggestions easier and easier1 until finally the whole moral system becomes saturated with the poison4 ,there is a wonderful illustration of the power of suggestion in the experience of what are called the ,stigmatists4 ,these nuns who for years concentrated all of their efforts in trying to live the life that ,christ did1 to enter into all of ,his sufferings1 so completely concentrated all of their energies upon the ,christ suffering1 and so vividly pictured the wounds in their imaginations1 that their thought really changed the chemical and physical structure of the tissues and they actually reproduced the nail marks in the hands and feet and the spear wound as in the side of the crucified ,christ4 ,these nuns devoted their lives to this reproduction of the physical evidences of the crucifixion4 ,the fixing of the mind for a long period of time upon the wounds of the hands1 feet1 and the side1 were so vivid1 so concentrated1 that the picture was made real in their own flesh4 ,in addition to the mental picturing1 they kept constantly before them the physical picture of the crucified ,christ1 which made their mental picture all the more vivid and concentrated4 ,the religious ecstasy was so intense that they could actually see ,christ being crucified1 and this mental attitude was outpictured in the flesh4 ,,chapter ,,liv ,,the ,,curse ,,of ,,worry ,this monster dogs us from the cradle to the grave4 ,there is no occasion so sacred but it is there4 ,unbidden it comes to the wedding and the funeral alike4 ,it is at every reception1 every banquet2 it occupies a seat at every table4 ,no human intellect can estimate the unutterable havoc and ruin wrought by worry4 ,it has ever forced genius to do the work of mediocrity2 it has caused more failures1 more broken hearts1 more blasted hopes1 than any other one cause since the dawn of the world4 ,did you ever hear of any good coming to any human being from worry8 ,did it ever help anybody to better his condition8 ,does it not always--everywhere--do just the opposite by impairing the health1 exhausting the vitality1 lessening efficiency8 ,what have not men done under the pressure of worry6 ,they have plunged into all sorts of vice2 have become drunkards1 drug fiends2 have sold their very souls in their efforts to escape this monster4 ,think of the homes which it has broken up2 the ambitions it has ruined2 the hopes and prospects it has blighted6 ,think of the suicide victims of this demon6 ,if there is any devil in existence1 is it not worry1 with all its attendant progeny of evils8 ,yet1 in spite of all the tragic evils that follow in its wake1 a visitor from another world would get the impression that worry is one of our dearest1 most helpful friends1 so closely do we hug it to ourselves and so loath are we to part from it4 ,is it not unaccountable that people who know perfectly well that success and happiness both depend on keeping themselves in condition to get the most possible out of their energies should harbor in their minds the enemy of this very success and happiness8 ,is it not strange that they should form this habit of anticipating evils that will probably never come1 when they know that anxiety and fretting will not only rob them of peace of mind and strength and ability to do their work1 but also of precious years of life8 ,no man can utilize his normal power who dissipates his nervous energy in useless anxiety4 ,nothing will sap one's vitality and blight one's ambition or detract from one's real power in the world more than the worrying habit4 ,work kills no one1 but worry has killed vast multitudes4 ,it is not the doing things which injures us so much as the dreading to do them--not only performing them mentally over and over again1 but anticipating something disagreeable in their performance4 ,many of us approach an unpleasant task in much the same condition as a runner who begins his start such a long distance away that by the time he reaches his objective point--the ditch or the stream which is to test his agility--he is too exhausted to jump across4 ,worry not only saps vitality and wastes energy1 but it also seriously affects the quality of one's work4 ,it cuts down ability4 ,a man can not get the highest quality of efficiency into his work when his mind is troubled4 ,the mental faculties must have perfect freedom before they will give out their best4 ,a troubled brain can not think clearly1 vigorously1 and logically4 ,the attention can not be concentrated with anything like the same force when the brain cells are poisoned with anxiety as when they are fed by pure blood and are clean and unclouded4 ,the blood of chronic worriers is vitiated with poisonous chemical substances and broken-down tissues1 according to ,professor ,elmer ,gates and other noted scientists1 who have shown that the passions and the harmful emotions cause actual chemical changes in the secretions and generate poisonous substances in the body which are fatal to healthy growth and action4 ,one of the worst forms of worry is the brooding over failure4 ,it blights the ambition1 deadens the purpose and defeats the very object the worrier has in view4 ,some people have the unfortunate habit of brooding over their past lives1 castigating themselves for their shortcomings and mistakes1 until their whole vision is turned backward instead of forward1 and they see everything in a distorted light1 because they are looking only on the shadow side4 ,the longer the unfortunate picture which has caused trouble remains in the mind1 the more thoroughly it becomes imbedded there1 and the more difficult it is to remove it4 ,are we not convinced that a power beyond our control runs the universe1 that every moment of worry detracts from our success capital and makes our failure more probable2 that every bit of anxiety and fretfulness leaves its mark on the body1 interrupts the harmony of our physical and mental well-being1 and cripples efficiency1 and that this condition is at war with our highest endeavor8 ,is it not strange that people will persist in allowing little worries1 petty vexations1 and unnecessary frictions to grind life away at such a fearful rate that old age stares them in the face in middle life8 ,look at the women who are shriveled and shrunken and aged at thirty1 not because of the hard work they have done1 or the real troubles they have had1 but because of habitual fretting1 which has helped nobody1 but has brought discord and unhappiness to their homes4 ,somewhere ,i read of a worrying woman who made a list of possible unfortunate events and happenings which she felt sure would come to pass and be disastrous to her happiness and welfare4 ,the list was lost1 and to her amazement1 when she recovered it1 a long time afterwards1 she found that not a single unfortunate prediction in the whole catalogue of disasters had been realized4 ,is not this a good suggestion for worriers8 ,write down everything which you think is going to turn out badly1 and then put the list aside4 ,you will be surprised to see what a small percentage of the doleful things ever come to pass4 ,it is a pitiable thing to see vigorous men and women1 who have inherited godlike qualities and who bear the impress of divinity1 wearing anxious faces and filled with all sorts of fear and uncertainty1 worrying about yesterday1 to-day1 to-morrow--everything imaginable4 ,fear runs like a baleful thread through the whole web of life from beginning to end1 says ,dr4 ,holcomb4 ,we are born into the atmosphere of fear and dread1 and the mother who bore us had lived in the same atmosphere for weeks and months before we were born4 ,we are afraid of our parents1 afraid of our teachers1 afraid of our playmates1 afraid of ghosts1 afraid of rules and regulations and punishments1 afraid of the doctor1 the dentist1 the surgeon4 ,our adult life is a state of chronic anxiety1 which is fear in a milder form4 ,we are afraid of failure in business1 afraid of disappointments and mistakes1 afraid of enemies1 open or concealed2 afraid of poverty1 afraid of public opinion1 afraid of accidents1 of sickness1 of death1 and unhappiness after death4 ,man is like a haunted animal from the cradle to the grave1 the victim of real or imaginary fears1 not only his own1 but those reflected upon him from the superstitions1 self-deceptions1 sensory illusions1 false beliefs1 and concrete errors of the whole human race1 past and present4 ,most of us are foolish children1 afraid of our shadows1 so handicapped in a thousand ways that we can not get efficiency into our life work4 ,a man who is filled with fear is not a real man4 ,he is a puppet1 a mannikin1 an apology of a man4 ,quit fearing things that may never happen1 just as you would quit any bad practise which has caused you suffering4 ,fill your mind with courage1 hope1 and confidence4 ,do not wait until fear thoughts become intrenched in your mind and your imagination4 ,do not dwell upon them4 ,apply the antidote instantly1 and the enemies will flee4 ,there is no fear so great or intrenched so deeply in the mind that it can not be neutralized or entirely eradicated by its opposite4 ,the opposite suggestion will kill it4 ,once ,dr4 ,chalmers was riding on a stage-coach beside the driver1 and he noticed that ,john kept hitting the off leader a severe crack with his whip4 ,when he asked him why he did this1 ,john answered3 ,away yonder there is a white stone2 that off leader is afraid of that stone2 so by the crack of my whip and the pain in his legs ,i want to get his mind off from it4 ,dr4 ,chalmers went home1 elaborated the idea1 and wrote ,the ,expulsive ,power of a ,new ,affection4 ,you must drive out fear by putting a new idea into the mind4 ,fear1 in any of its expressions1 like worry or anxiety1 can not live an instant in your mind in the presence of the opposite thought1 the image of courage1 fearlessness1 confidence1 hope1 self-assurance1 self-reliance4 ,fear is a consciousness of weakness4 ,it is only when you doubt your ability to cope with the thing you dread that fear is possible4 ,fear of disease1 even1 comes from a consciousness that you will not be able to successfully combat it4 ,during an epidemic of a dreaded contagious disease1 people who are especially susceptible and full of fear become panic-stricken through the cumulative effect of hearing the subject talked about and discussed on every hand and the vivid pictures which come from reading the newspapers4 ,their minds 7as in the case of yellow fever7 become full of images of the disease1 of its symptoms--black vomit1 delirium1--and of death1 mourning1 and funerals4 ,if you never accomplish anything else in life1 get rid of worry4 ,there are no greater enemies of harmony than little anxieties and petty cares4 ,do not flies aggravate a nervous horse more than his work8 ,do not little naggings1 constantly touching him with the whip1 or jerking at the reins1 fret and worry him much more than the labor of drawing the carriage8 ,it is the little pin-pricks1 the petty annoyances of our everyday life1 that mar our comfort and happiness and rob us of more strength than the great troubles which we nerve ourselves to meet4 ,it is the perpetual scolding and fault-finding of an irritable man or woman which ruins the entire peace and happiness of many a home4 ,the most deplorable waste of energy in human life is caused by the fatal habit of anticipating evil1 of fearing what the future has in store for us1 and under no circumstances can the fear or worry be justified by the situation1 for it is always an imaginary one1 utterly groundless and without foundation4 ,what we fear is invariably something that has not yet happened4 ,it does not exist2 hence is not a reality4 ,if you are actually suffering from a disease you have feared1 then fear only aggravates every painful feature of your illness and makes its fatal issue more probable4 ,the fear habit shortens life1 for it impairs all the physiological processes4 ,its power is shown by the fact that it actually changes the chemical composition of the secretions of the body4 ,fear victims not only age prematurely but they also die prematurely4 ,all work done when one is suffering from a sense of fear or foreboding has little efficiency4 ,fear strangles originality1 daring1 boldness2 it kills individuality1 and weakens all the mental processes4 ,great things are never done under a sense of fear of some impending danger4 ,fear always indicates weakness1 the presence of cowardice4 ,what a slaughterer of years1 what a sacrificer of happiness and ambitions1 what a miner of careers this monster has been6 ,the ,bible says1 ,a broken spirit drieth the bones4 ,it is well known that mental depression--melancholy--will check very materially the glandular secretions of the body and literally dry up the tissues4 ,fear depresses normal mental action1 and renders one incapable of acting wisely in an emergency1 for no one can think clearly and act wisely when paralyzed by fear4 ,when a man becomes melancholy and discouraged about his affairs1 when he is filled with fear that he is going to fail1 and is haunted by the specter of poverty and a suffering family1 before he realizes it1 he attracts the very thing he dreads1 and the prosperity is crushed out of his business4 ,but he is a mental failure first4 ,if1 instead of giving up to his fear1 a man would persist in keeping prosperity in his mind1 assume a hopeful1 optimistic attitude1 and would conduct his business in a systematic1 economical1 far-sighted manner1 actual failure would be comparatively rare4 ,but when a man becomes discouraged1 when he loses heart and grip1 and becomes panic-stricken and a victim of worry1 he is not in a position to make the effort which is absolutely necessary to bring victory1 and there is a shrinkage all along the line4 ,there is not a single redeeming feature about worry or any of its numerous progeny4 ,it is always1 everywhere1 an unmitigated curse4 ,although there is no reality in fear1 no truth behind it1 yet everywhere we see people who are slaves to this monster of the imagination4 ,,chapter ,,lv ,,take ,a ,,pleasant ,,thought ,,to ,,bed ,,with ,,you ,shut off your mental steam when you quit work4 ,lock up your business when you lock up your office or factory at night4 ,don't drag it into your home to mar your evening or to distress your sleep4 ,you can not afford to allow the enemies of your peace and happiness to etch their black pictures deeper and deeper into your consciousness4 ,many people lie down to sleep as the camels lie down in the desert1 with their packs still on their backs4 ,they do not seem to know how to lay down their burdens1 and their minds go on working a large part of the night4 ,if you are inclined to worry during the night1 to keep your mental faculties on the strain1 taut1 it will be a good plan for you to have a bow in your bedroom and unstring it every night as a reminder that you should also unstring your mind so that it will not lose its springing power4 ,the ,indian knows enough to unstring his bow just as soon as he uses it so that it will not lose its resilience4 ,if a man who works hard all day uses his brain a large part of the night1 doing his work over and over again1 he gets up in the morning weary1 jaded4 ,instead of having a clear1 vigorous brain capable of powerfully focusing his mind1 he approaches his work with all his standards down1 and with about as much chance of winning as a race horse who has been driven all night before a contest would have4 ,not even a man with the will of a ,napoleon could win out under such conditions4 ,it is of the utmost importance to stop the grinding1 rasping process in the brain at night and to keep from wearing life away and wasting one's precious vitality4 ,many people become slaves to night worry4 ,they get into a chronic habit of thinking after they retire--especially of contemplating their troubles and trials1--and it is a very difficult habit to break4 ,it is fundamental to sound health to make it a rule never to discuss business troubles and things that vex and irritate one at night1 especially just before retiring1 for whatever is dominant in the mind when one falls asleep continues its influence on the nervous structure long into the night4 ,some people age more at night than during the daytime1 when1 it would appear1 if they must worry at all1 the reverse ought to be true4 ,when hard at work during the day they do not have much time to think of their ailments1 their business troubles1 their misfortunes4 ,but when they retire1 the whole brood of troubling thoughts and worry ghosts fill the mind with horrors4 ,they grow older instead of younger1 as they would under the influence of sound1 refreshing sleep4 ,mental discord saps vitality1 lessens courage1 shortens life4 ,it does not pay to indulge in violent temper1 corroding thoughts1 mental discord in any form4 ,life is too short1 too precious1 to spend any part of it in such unprofitable1 soul-racking1 health-destroying business4 ,the imagination is particularly active at night1 and all unpleasant1 disagreeable things seem a great deal worse then than in the day1 because in the silence and darkness imagination magnifies everything4 ,we have all dreamed of the evening's experience1 after we went to sleep3 perhaps it is the refrain of a song or the intense situation in a play which we live over again4 ,this shows how powerful impressions are2 how important it is never to retire to rest in a fit of temper1 or in an ugly1 unpleasant mood4 ,we should get ourselves into mental harmony1 should become serene and quiet before retiring1 and1 if possible1 lie down smiling1 no matter how long it may take to secure this condition4 ,never retire with a frown on your brow2 with a perplexed1 troubled1 vexed expression4 ,smooth out the wrinkles2 drive away all the enemies of your peace of mind1 and never allow yourself to go to sleep with critical1 cruel1 jealous thoughts toward any one4 ,it is bad enough to feel inimical toward others when under severe provocation or in a hot temper1 but you certainly can not afford deliberately to continue this state of mind after the provocation has ceased4 ,the wear and tear upon your nervous system and your health takes too much out of you4 ,be at peace with all the world at least once every twenty-four hours4 ,you can not afford to allow the enemies of your happiness and your manhood or womanhood to etch their miserable images deeper and deeper into your life and character as you sleep4 ,many of us with crotchety1 sour dispositions and quick tempers sometimes have very hard work to be decent in our treatment of others4 ,but we can1 at least when we are alone1 and away from the people who nettle and antagonize us1 forget injuries1 quit harboring unpleasant thoughts and hard feelings toward others4 ,it is a great thing to form a habit of forgetting and forgiving before going to sleep1 of clearing the mind of all happiness and success enemies4 ,if we have been impulsive1 foolish1 or wicked during the day in our treatment of others2 if we have been holding a vicious1 ugly1 revengeful1 jealous attitude toward others1 it is a good time to wipe off the slate and start anew4 ,it is a blessed thing to put into practise ,st4 ,paul's exhortation to the ,ephesians3 ,let not the sun go down upon your wrath4 ,if you wish to wake up feeling refreshed and renewed1 you simply must retire in a happy1 forgiving1 cheerful mood4 ,if you go to sleep in an ugly mood or while worrying or depressed1 you will wake up tired1 exhausted and with no elasticity or spring in your brain or buoyancy in your spirits1 for the blood poisoned by worry1 by discordant mood1 is incapable of refreshing the brain4 ,if you have a grudge against another1 forget it1 wipe it out1 erase it completely1 and substitute a charitable love thought1 a kindly1 generous thought1 before you fall asleep4 ,if you make a habit of clearing the mind every night of its enemies1 of driving them all out before you go to sleep1 your slumber will be undisturbed by hideous dreams and you will rise refreshed1 renewed4 ,clean your mental house before retiring4 ,throw out everything that causes you pain1 everything that is disagreeable1 undesirable2 all unkind thoughts of anger1 hatred1 jealousy1 all selfish1 uncharitable thoughts4 ,do not allow them to print their black hideous pictures upon your mind4 ,and when you have let go of all the rubbish and have swept and dusted and garnished your mind1 fill it full of the pleasantest1 sweetest1 happiest1 most helpful1 encouraging1 uplifting thought-pictures possible4 ,an evening-happiness bath ought to be the custom in every home4 ,a bath of love and good-will toward every living creature is more important than a water bath4 ,we should fall asleep in the most cheerful1 the happiest possible frame of mind4 ,our minds should be filled with lofty thoughts--with thoughts of love and of helpfulness--thoughts which will continue to create that which is helpful and uplifting1 which will renew the soul and help us to awake in the morning refreshed and in superb condition for the day's work4 ,if you have any difficulty in banishing unpleasant or torturing thoughts1 force yourself to read some good1 inspiring book--something that will smooth out your wrinkles and put you in a happy mood2 something that will make you see the real grandeur and beauty of life2 something that will make you feel ashamed of petty meannesses and narrow1 uncharitable thoughts4 ,after a little practise1 you will be surprised to see how quickly and completely you can change your whole mental attitude so that you will face life the right way before you fall asleep4 ,you will be surprised also to find how wonderfully serene1 calm1 refreshed1 and rejuvenated you will be when you wake in the morning1 and how much easier it will be to start right1 and wear a smile that won't come off during the day1 than it was when you went to bed in an ill-humored1 worrying or ugly mood1 or full of ungenerous1 uncharitable thoughts4 ,unless you tune your mind to harmony for sleep1 there will be a constant strain upon the nervous system4 ,even if you do manage to go to sleep with a troubled mind1 the brain keeps on working and you will wake up exhausted4 ,we should take special pains to erase the memory of all unfortunate experiences of the day1 all domestic business or professional troubles and anxieties1 in order to retire in a placid1 peaceful1 harmonious state of mind2 not only because of the necessity of rising refreshed and invigorated in the morning1 but because the character and the disposition are affected by the condition of the mind upon falling asleep4 ,mental discords not only prevent sound sleep but also leave in the blood poisonous waste from the chemical changes which in turn dulls and impairs the brain action4 ,many business men suffer so much torture at night that some of them actually dread to retire because of the long1 tedious1 wakeful hours4 ,financial troubles are particularly exaggerated at night2 and even many optimists suffer more or less from pessimism then4 ,business men ought to know how to turn off brain power when they are not using it4 ,they would not think of leaving or closing their factories at night without turning off the machinery power4 ,why should they then attempt to go to sleep without turning off their mental power8 ,it is infinitely important to one's health to turn off mental power when not actually using it to produce something4 ,when you get through your regular day's work1 why allow your precious energy to dribble away in little worries8 ,why carry your business home1 take it to bed with you1 and waste your life forces in ineffective thinking8 ,why permit a great leakage of mental energy and a waste of life-force8 ,you must learn to shut off mental steam when you quit work4 ,many men use up almost as much mental energy in the evening and in a restless night as during their actual work in the day4 ,refresh1 renew1 rejuvenate yourself by play and pleasant recreation4 ,play as hard as you work2 have a jolly good time1 and then you will get that refreshing1 invigorating sleep which gives an overplus of energy1 a buoyancy of spirit which will make you eager to plunge into the next day's work4 ,no matter how tired or busy you are1 or how late you retire1 make it a rule never to go to sleep without erasing every unfortunate impression1 every disagreeable experience1 every unkind thought1 every particle of envy1 jealousy1 and selfishness1 from the mind4 ,just imagine that the words harmony1 good cheer1 and good will to every living creature are written all over your sleeping room in letters of light4 ,people who have learned the art of putting themselves into harmony with all the world before they retire1 of never harboring a thought of jealousy1 hatred1 envy1 revenge1 or ill-will of any kind against any human being1 get a great deal more out of sleep and retain their youth much longer and are much more efficient than those who have the habit of reviewing their disagreeable experiences and thinking about all their troubles and trials in the night4 ,make it a rule to put the mind into harmony and a good-will attitude when retiring1 and you will be surprised to see how much fresher1 younger1 stronger and more normal you will become4 ,i know people whose lives have been completely revolutionized by this experiment of putting themselves in tune before going to sleep4 ,formerly they were in the habit of retiring in a bad mood2 tired1 discouraged over anticipated evils and all sorts of worries and anxieties4 ,they would worry over the bad things in their business1 the unfortunate conditions in their affairs1 and their mistakes1 and would discuss their misfortunes at night with their wives4 ,the result was that their minds were in an upset condition when they fell asleep1 and these melancholy1 black1 ugly pictures1 so exaggerated in awful vividness in the stillness1 became etched deeper and deeper into their minds1 and they awoke in the morning weary and exhausted1 instead of feeling1 as every one should1 like a newly-made creature with fresh ambition and invigorated determination4 ,form the habit of making a call upon the ,great ,within of you before retiring4 ,leave the message of up-lift1 of self-betterment1 self-enlargement1 which you yearn for and long to realize but do not know how to bring about4 ,registering this call1 this demand for something higher and nobler1 in your subconsciousness1 putting it right up to yourself1 will work like a leaven during the night2 and after a while all the building forces within you will help to unite in furthering your aim2 in helping you to realize your vision4 ,there are marvelous possibilities for health building1 success building1 happiness building1 in the preparation of the mind before going to sleep by impressing1 declaring1 picturing as vividly as possible our ideals of ourselves1 what we would like to become and what we long to accomplish4 ,you will be surprised to see how quickly that wonderful force in your subjective self will begin to shape the pattern1 to copy the model which you thus give it4 ,in these great interior creative1 restorative forces lies the great secret of life4 ,blessed is he who findeth it4 ,,chapter ,,lvi ,,the ,,conquest ,,of ,,poverty ,no one can become prosperous while he really expects or half expects to remain poor4 ,we tend to get what we expect1 and to expect nothing is to get nothing4 ,when every step you take is on the road to failure1 how can you hope to arrive at the success goal8 ,prosperity begins in the mind and is impossible while the mental attitude is hostile to it4 ,it is fatal to work for one thing and to expect something else1 because everything must be created mentally first and is bound to follow its mental pattern4 ,most people do not face life in the right way4 ,they neutralize a large part of their effort because their mental attitude does not correspond with their endeavor1 so that while working for one thing they are really expecting something else4 ,they discourage1 drive away1 the very thing they are pursuing by holding the wrong mental attitude towards it4 ,they do not approach their work with that assurance of victory which attracts1 which forces results1 that determination and confidence which knows no defeat4 ,to be ambitious for wealth and yet always expecting to be poor1 to be always doubting your ability to get what you long for1 is like trying to reach ,east by traveling ,west4 ,there is no philosophy which will help a man to succeed when he is always doubting his ability to do so1 and thus attracting failure4 ,the man who would succeed must think success1 must think upward4 ,he must think progressively1 creatively1 constructively1 inventively1 and1 above all1 optimistically4 ,you will go in the direction in which you face4 ,if you look towards poverty1 towards lack1 you will go that way4 ,if1 on the other hand1 you turn squarely around and refuse to have anything to do with poverty1--to think it1--live it1 or recognize it--you will then begin to make progress towards the goal of plenty4 ,as long as you radiate doubt and discouragement1 you will be a failure4 ,if you want to get away from poverty1 you must keep your mind in a productive1 creative condition4 ,in order to do this you must think confident1 cheerful1 creative thoughts4 ,the model must precede the statue4 ,you must see a new world before you can live in it4 ,if the people who are down in the world1 who are side-tracked1 who believe that their opportunity has gone forever1 that they can never get on their feet again1 only knew the power of reversal of their thought1 they could easily get a new start4 ,if you would attract good fortune you must get rid of doubt4 ,as long as that stands between you and your ambition1 it will be a bar that will cut you off4 ,you must have faith4 ,no man can make a fortune while he is convinced that he can't4 ,the ,i can't philosophy has wrecked more careers than almost anything else4 ,confidence is the magic key that unlocks the door of supply4 ,i never knew a man to be successful who was always talking about business being bad4 ,the habit of looking down1 talking down1 is fatal to advancement4 ,the ,creator has bidden every man to look up1 not down4 ,he made him to climb1 not to grovel4 ,there is no providence which keeps a man in poverty1 or in painful or distressing circumstances4 ,the ,creator never put vast multitudes of people on this earth to scramble for a limited supply1 as though ,he were not able to furnish enough for all4 ,there is nothing in this world which men desire and struggle for1 and that is good for them1 of which there is not enough for everybody4 ,take the thing we need most--food4 ,we have not begun to scratch the possibilities of the food supply in ,america4 ,the ,state of ,texas could supply food1 home1 and luxuries to every man1 woman1 and child on this continent4 ,as for clothing1 there is material enough in the country to clothe all its inhabitants in purple and fine linen4 ,we have not begun yet to touch the possibilities of our clothing and dress supply4 ,the same is true of all of the other necessities and luxuries4 ,we are still on the outer surface of abundance1 a surface covering kingly supplies for every individual on the globe4 ,illustration3 ,william ,mc,kinley ,when the whale ships in ,new ,bedford ,harbor and other ports were rotting in idleness1 because the whale was becoming extinct1 ,americans became alarmed lest we should dwell in darkness2 but the oil wells came to our rescue with abundant supply4 ,and then1 when we began to doubt that this source would last1 ,science gave us the electric light4 ,there is building material enough to give every person on the globe a mansion finer than any that a ,vanderbilt or ,rothschild possesses4 ,it was intended that we should all be rich and happy2 that we should have an abundance of all the good things the heart can crave4 ,we should live in the realization that there is an abundance of power where our present power comes from1 and that we can draw upon this great source for as much as we can use4 ,there is something wrong when the children of the ,king of kings go about like sheep hounded by a pack of wolves4 ,there is something wrong when those who have inherited infinite supply are worrying about their daily bread2 are dogged by fear and anxiety so that they can not take any peace2 that their lives are one battle with want2 that they are always under the harrow of worry1 always anxious4 ,there is something wrong when people are so worried and absorbed in making a living that they can not make a life4 ,we were made for happiness1 to express joy and gladness1 to be prosperous4 ,the trouble with us is that we do not trust the law of infinite supply1 but close our natures so that abundance cannot flow to us4 ,in other words1 we do not obey the law of attraction4 ,we keep our minds so pinched and our faith in ourselves so small1 so narrow1 that we strangle the inflow of supply4 ,abundance follows a law as strict as that of mathematics4 ,if we obey it1 we get the flow2 if we strangle it1 we cut it off4 ,the trouble is not in the supply2 there is abundance awaiting everyone on the globe4 ,prosperity begins in the mind1 and is impossible with a mental attitude which is hostile to it4 ,we can not attract opulence mentally by a poverty-stricken attitude which is driving away what we long for4 ,it is fatal to work for one thing and to expect something else4 ,no matter how much one may long for prosperity1 a miserable1 poverty-stricken1 mental attitude will close all the avenues to it4 ,the weaving of the web is bound to follow the pattern4 ,opulence and prosperity can not come in through poverty-thought and failure-thought channels4 ,they must be created mentally first4 ,we must think prosperity before we can come to it4 ,how many take it for granted that there are plenty of good things in this world for others1 comforts1 luxuries1 fine houses1 good clothes1 opportunity for travel1 leisure1 but not for them6 ,they settle down into the conviction that these things do not belong to them1 but are for those in a very different class4 ,but why are you in a different class8 ,simply because you think yourself into another class2 think yourself into inferiority2 because you place limits for yourself4 ,you put up bars between yourself and plenty4 ,you cut off abundance1 make the law of supply inoperative for you1 by shutting your mind to it4 ,and by what law can you expect to get what you believe you can not get8 ,by what philosophy can you obtain the good things of the world when you are thoroughly convinced that they are not for you8 ,one of the greatest curses of the world is the belief in the necessity of poverty4 ,most people have a strong conviction that some must necessarily be poor2 that they were made to be poor4 ,but there was no poverty1 no want1 no lack1 in the ,creator's plan for man4 ,there need not be a poor person on the planet4 ,the earth is full of resources which we have scarcely yet touched4 ,we have been poor in the very midst of abundance1 simply because of our own blighting limiting thought4 ,we are discovering that thoughts are things1 that they are incorporated into the life and form part of the character1 and if we harbor the fear thought1 the lack thought1 if we are afraid of poverty1 of coming to want1 this poverty thought1 fear thought incorporates itself in the very life texture and makes us the magnet to attract more poverty like itself4 ,it was not intended that we should have such a hard time getting a living1 that we should just manage to squeeze along1 to get together a few comforts1 to spend about all of our time making a living instead of making a life4 ,the life abundant1 full1 free1 beautiful1 was intended for us4 ,let us put up a new image1 a new ideal of plenty1 of abundance4 ,have we not worshiped the ,god of poverty1 of lack1 of want1 about long enough8 ,let us hold the thought that ,god is our great supply1 that if we can keep in tune1 in close touch with ,him1 so that we can feel our at-one-ness with ,him1 the great ,source of all supply1 abundance will flow to us and we shall never again know want4 ,there is nothing which the human race lacks so much as unquestioned1 implicit confidence in the divine source of all supply4 ,we ought to stand in the same relation to the ,infinite ,source as the child does to its parents4 ,the child does not say1 ,i do not dare eat this food for fear that ,i may not get any more4 ,it takes everything with absolute confidence and assurance that all its needs will be supplied1 that there is plenty more where these things came from4 ,we do not have half good enough opinions of our possibilities2 do not expect half enough of ourselves2 we do not demand half enough1 hence the meagerness1 the stinginess of what we actually get4 ,we do not demand the abundance which belongs to us1 hence the leanness1 the lack of fulness1 the incompleteness of our lives4 ,we do not demand royally enough4 ,we are content with too little of the things worth while4 ,it was intended that we should live the abundant life1 that we should have plenty of everything that is good for us4 ,no one was meant to live in poverty and wretchedness4 ,the lack of anything that is desirable is not natural to the constitution of any human being4 ,erase all the shadows1 all the doubts and fears1 and the suggestions of poverty and failure from your mind4 ,when you have become master of your thought1 when you have once learned to dominate your mind1 you will find that things will begin to come your way4 ,discouragement1 fear1 doubt1 lack of self-confidence1 are the germs which have killed the prosperity and happiness of tens of thousands of people4 ,every man must play the part of his ambition4 ,if you are trying to be a successful man you must play the part4 ,if you are trying to demonstrate opulence1 you must play it1 not weakly1 but vigorously1 grandly4 ,you must feel opulent1 you must think opulence1 you must appear opulent4 ,your bearing must be filled with confidence4 ,you must give the impression of your own assurance1 that you are large enough to play your part and to play it superbly4 ,suppose the greatest actor living were to have a play written for him in which the leading part was to represent a man in the process of making a fortune--a great1 vigorous1 progressive character1 who conquered by his very presence4 ,suppose this actor1 in playing the part1 were to dress like an unprosperous man1 walk on the stage in a stooping1 slouchy1 slipshod manner1 as though he had no ambition1 no energy or life1 as though he had no real faith that he could ever make money or be a success in business2 suppose he went around the stage with an apologetic1 shrinking1 skulking manner1 as much as to say1 ,now1 ,i do not believe that ,i can ever do this thing that ,i have attempted2 it is too big for me4 ,other people have done it1 but ,i never thought that ,i should ever be rich or prosperous4 ,somehow good things do not seem to be meant for me4 ,i am just an ordinary man1 ,i haven't had much experience and ,i haven't much confidence in myself1 and it seems presumptuous for me to think ,i am ever going to be rich or have much influence in the world4 ,what kind of an impression would he make upon the audience8 ,would he give confidence1 would he radiate power or forcefulness1 would he make people think that that kind of a weakling could create a fortune1 could manipulate conditions which would produce money8 ,would not everybody say that the man was a failure8 ,would they not laugh at the idea of his conquering anything8 ,poverty itself is not so bad as the poverty thought4 ,it is the conviction that we are poor and must remain so that is fatal4 ,it is the attitude of mind that is destructive1 the facing toward poverty1 and feeling so reconciled to it that one does not turn about face and struggle to get away from it with a determination which knows no retreat4 ,if we can conquer inward poverty1 we can soon conquer poverty of outward things1 for1 when we change the mental attitude1 the physical changes to correspond4 ,holding the poverty thought1 keeps us in touch with poverty-stricken1 poverty-producing conditions2 and the constant thinking of poverty1 talking poverty1 living poverty1 makes us mentally poor4 ,this is the worst kind of poverty4 ,we can not travel toward prosperity until the mental attitude faces prosperity4 ,as long as we look toward despair1 we shall never arrive at the harbor of delight4 ,the man who persists in holding his mental attitude toward poverty1 or who is always thinking of his hard luck and failure to get on1 can by no possibility go in the opposite direction1 where the goal of prosperity lies4 ,there are multitudes of poor people in this country who are half satisfied to remain in poverty1 and who have ceased to make a desperate struggle to rise out of it4 ,they may work hard1 but they have lost the hope1 the expectation of getting an independence4 ,many people keep themselves poor by fear of poverty1 allowing themselves to dwell upon the possibility of coming to want1 of not having enough to live upon1 by allowing themselves to dwell upon conditions of poverty4 ,when you make up your mind that you are done with poverty forever2 that you will have nothing more to do with it2 that you are going to erase every trace of it from your dress1 your personal appearance1 your manner1 your talk1 your actions1 your home2 that you are going to show the world your real mettle2 that you are no longer going to pass for a failure2 that you have set your face persistently toward better things--a competence1 an independence--and that nothing on earth can turn you from your resolution1 you will be amazed to find what a reenforcing power will come to you1 what an increase of confidence1 reassurance1 and self-respect4 ,resolve with all the vigor you can muster that1 since there are plenty of good things in the world for everybody1 you are going to have your share1 without injuring anybody else or keeping others back4 ,it was intended that you should have a competence1 an abundance4 ,it is your birthright4 ,you are success organized1 and constructed for happiness1 and you should resolve to reach your divine destiny4 ,,chapter ,,lvii ,a ,,new ,,way ,,of ,,bringing ,,up ,,children ,only a thought1 but the work it wrought ,could never by tongue or pen be taught1 ,but it ran through a life like a thread of gold1 ,and the life bore fruit a hundredfold4 ,not long ago there was on exhibition in ,new ,york a young horse which can do most marvelous things2 and yet his trainer says that only five years ago he had a very bad disposition4 ,he was fractious1 and would kick and bite1 but now instead of displaying his former viciousness1 he is obedient1 tractable1 and affectionate4 ,he can readily count and reckon up figures1 can spell many words1 and knows what they mean4 ,in fact this horse seems to be capable of learning almost anything4 ,five years of kindness have completely transformed the vicious yearling colt4 ,he is very responsive to kindness1 but one can do nothing with him by whipping or scolding him4 ,his trainer says that in all the five years he has never touched him with a whip but once4 ,i know a mother of a large family of children who has never whipped but one of them1 and that one only once4 ,when her first child was born people said she was too good-natured to bring up children1 that she would spoil them1 as she would not correct or discipline them1 and would do nothing but love them4 ,but this love has proved the great magnet which has held the family together in a marvelous way4 ,not one of those children has gone astray4 ,they have all grown up manly and womanly1 and love has been wonderfully developed in their natures4 ,their own affection responded to the mother's love and has become their strongest motive4 ,to-day all her children look upon ,mother as the grandest figure in the world4 ,she has brought out the best in them because she saw the best in them4 ,the worst did not need correcting or repressing1 because the expulsive power of a stronger affection drove out of the nature or discouraged the development of vicious tendencies which1 in the absence of a great love1 might have become dominant and ruined the life4 ,love is a healer1 a life-giver1 a balm for our hurts4 ,all through the ,bible are passages which show the power of love as a healer and life-lengthener4 ,with long life will ,i satisfy him1 said the ,psalmist1 because he hath set his love upon me4 ,when shall we learn that the great curative principle is love1 that love heals because it is harmony8 ,there can be no discord where it reigns4 ,love is serenity1 is peace and happiness4 ,love is the great disciplinarian1 the supreme harmonizer1 the true peacemaker4 ,it is the great balm for all that blights happiness or breeds discontent1 a sovereign panacea for malice1 revenge1 and all the brutal propensities4 ,as cruelty melts before kindness1 so the evil passions and their antidote in sweet charity and loving sympathy4 ,the mother is the supreme shaper of life and destiny4 ,many a mother's love for her children has undoubtedly stayed the ravages of some fatal disease4 ,her conviction that she was necessary to them and her great love for them have braced her1 and have enabled her to successfully cope with the enemies of her life for a long time4 ,one mother ,i know seems to have the magical art of curing nearly all the ills of her children by love4 ,if any member of the family has any disagreeable experience1 is injured or pained1 hurt or unhappy1 he immediately goes to the mother for the universal balm1 which heals all troubles4 ,this mother has a way of drawing the troubled child out of discord into the zone of perpetual harmony4 ,if he is swayed by jealousy1 hatred1 or anger1 she applies the love solvent1 the natural antidote for these passion poisons4 ,she knows that scolding a child when he is already suffering more than he can bear is like trying to put out a fire with kerosene4 ,our orphan asylums give pathetic illustration of how quickly the child mind matures and ages prematurely without the uplift and enrichment of the mother love1 the mother sympathy1--parental protection and home influence4 ,it is well known that children who lose their parents and are adopted by their grandparents and live in the country1 where they do not have an opportunity to mingle much with other children1 adopt the manners and mature vocabulary of their elders1 for they are very imitative1 and become little men and women before they are out of their youth4 ,think of a child reared in the contaminating atmosphere of the slums1 where everything is dripping with suggestions of vulgarity and wickedness of every description6 ,think of his little mind being filled with profanity1 obscenity1 and filth of all kinds6 ,is it any wonder that he becomes so filled with vicious1 criminal suggestions that he tends to become like his environment8 ,contrast such a child with one that is brought up in an atmosphere of purity1 refinement1 and culture1 and whose mind is always filled with noble1 uplifting suggestions of the true1 the beautiful1 and the lovely4 ,what a difference in the chances of these two children1 and without any special effort or choice of their own6 ,one mind is trained upward1 towards the light1 the other downward1 towards darkness4 ,what chance has a child to lead a noble life when all his first impressionable years are saturated with the suggestion of evil1 when jealousy and hatred1 revenge1 quarreling and bickering1 all that is low and degrading1 fill his ears and eyes8 ,how important it is that the child should only hear and see and be taught that which will make for beauty and for truth1 for loveliness and grandeur of character6 ,we ought to have a great deal of charity for those whose early lives have been soaked in evil1 criminal1 impurity thoughts4 ,the minds of children are like the sensitive plates of a photographer1 recording every thought or suggestion to which they are exposed4 ,these early impressions make up the character and determine the future possibility4 ,if you would encourage your child and help him to make the most of himself1 inject bright1 hopeful1 optimistic1 unselfish pictures into his atmosphere4 ,to stimulate and inspire his confidence and unselfishness means growth1 success1 and happiness for him in his future years1 while the opposite practice may mean failure and misery4 ,it is of infinitely more importance to hold the right thought towards a child1 the confident1 successful1 happy1 optimistic thought1 than to leave him a fortune without this4 ,with his mind properly trained he could not fail1 could not be unhappy1 without reversing the whole formative process of his early life4 ,keep the child's mind full of harmony1 of truth1 and there will be no room for discord1 for error4 ,it is cruel constantly to remind children of their deficiencies or peculiarities4 ,sensitive children are often seriously injured by the suggestion of inferiority and the exaggeration of defects which might have been entirely overcome4 ,this everlasting harping against the bad does not help the child half as much as keeping his little mind full of the good1 the beautiful1 and the true4 ,the constant love suggestion1 purity suggestion1 nobility suggestion will so permeate the life after a while that there will be nothing to attract the opposite4 ,it will be so full of sunshine1 so full of beauty and love1 that there will be little or no place for their opposites4 ,the child's self-confidence should be buttressed1 braced1 and encouraged in every possible way2 not that he should be taught to overestimate his ability and his possibilities1 but the idea that he is ,god's child1 that he is heir to an ,infinite inheritance1 magnificent possibilities1 should be instilled into the very marrow of his being4 ,a great many boys1 especially those who are naturally sensitive1 shy1 and timid1 are apt to suspect that they lack the ability which others have4 ,it is characteristic of such youths that they distrust their own ability and are very easily discouraged or encouraged4 ,it is a sin to shake or destroy a child's self-confidence1 to reflect upon his ability or to suggest that he will never amount to much4 ,these discouraging words1 like initials cut in the sapling1 grow wider and wider with the years1 until they become great ugly scars in the man4 ,most parents do not half realize how impressionable children are1 and how easily they may be injured or ruined by discouragement or ridicule4 ,children require a great deal of appreciation1 praise1 and encouragement4 ,they live upon it4 ,it is a great tonic to them4 ,on the other hand1 they wither very quickly under criticism1 blame1 or depreciation4 ,their sensitive natures can not stand it4 ,it is the worst kind of policy to be constantly blaming1 chiding them1 and positively cruel1 bordering on criminality even1 to suggest to them that they are mentally deficient or peculiar1 that they are stupid and dull1 and that they will probably never amount to anything in the world4 ,how easy it is for a parent or teacher to ruin a child's constructive ability1 to change a naturally1 positive creative mind to a negative1 non-producing one1 by chilling the child's enthusiasm1 by projecting into his plastic mind the idea that he is stupid1 dull1 lazy1 a blockhead and good-for-nothing2 that he will never amount to anything2 that it is foolish for him to try to be much1 because he has not the ability or physical stamina to enable him to accomplish what many others do4 ,such teaching would undermine the brightest intellect4 ,i have known of an extremely sensitive1 timid boy who had a great deal of natural ability1 but who developed very slowly1 whose whole future was nearly ruined by his teacher and parents constantly telling him that he was stupid and dull1 and that he probably never would amount to anything4 ,a little praise1 a little encouragement1 would have made a superb man of this youth1 because he had the material for the making of one4 ,but he actually believed that he was not up to the ordinary mental standard2 he was thoroughly convinced that he was mentally deficient1 and this conviction never entirely left him4 ,we are beginning to discover that it is much easier to attract than to coerce4 ,praise and encouragement will do infinitely more for children than threats and punishment4 ,the warm sunshine is more than a match for the cold1 has infinitely more influence in developing the bud1 the blossom1 and the fruit than the wind and the tempest1 which suppress what responds voluntarily to the genial influence of the sun's rays4 ,we all know how boys will work like troopers under the stimulus of encouragement and praise4 ,many parents and teachers know this1 and how fatal the opposite policy is4 ,but unfortunately a great majority do not appreciate the magic of praise and appreciation4 ,pupils will do anything for a teacher who is always kind1 considerate1 and interested in them2 but a cross1 fractious1 nagging one so arouses their antagonism that it often proves a fatal bar to their progress4 ,there must be no obstruction1 no ill-feeling between the teacher and the pupil1 if the best results are to be obtained4 ,many parents are very much distressed by the waywardness of their children2 but this waywardness is often more imaginary than real4 ,a large part of children's pranks and mischief is merely the outcome of exuberant youthful spirits1 which must have an outlet1 and if they are suppressed1 their growth is fatally stunted4 ,they are so full of life1 energy1 and so buoyant that they can not keep still4 ,they must do something4 ,give them an outlet for their animal spirits4 ,love is the only power that can regulate and control them4 ,do not try to make men of your boys or women of your girls4 ,it is not natural4 ,love them4 ,make home just as happy a place as possible1 and give them rein1 freedom4 ,encourage them in their play1 for they are now in their fun age4 ,many parents ruin the larger1 completer1 fuller development of their children by repressing them1 destroying their childhood1 their play days1 by trying to make them adults4 ,there is nothing sadder in ,american life than the child who has been robbed of its childhood4 ,children are little animals1 sometimes selfish1 often cruel1 due to the fact that some parts of their brain develop faster than others1 so that their minds are temporarily thrown out of balance1 sometimes even to cruel or criminal tendencies1 but later the mind becomes more symmetrical and the vicious tendencies usually disappear4 ,their moral faculties and sense of responsibility unfold more slowly than other traits1 and of course1 they will do mischievous things2 but it is a fatal mistake to be always suppressing them4 ,they must give out their surplus energy in some way4 ,encourage them to romp4 ,play with them4 ,it will keep you young1 and will link them to you with hooks of steel4 ,do not be afraid of losing your dignity4 ,if you make home the happiest1 most cheerful place on earth for your children1 if you love them enough1 there is little danger of their becoming bad4 ,thousands of parents by being so severe with their children1 scolding and criticizing them and crushing their childhood1 make them secretive and deceitful instead of open and transparent1 and estrange them and drive them away from home4 ,a man ought to look back upon the home of his childhood as the ,eden of his life1 where love reigned1 instead of as a place where a long-faced severity and harshness ruled1 where he was suppressed and his fun-loving spirits snuffed out4 ,every mother1 whether she realizes it or not1 is constantly using the power of suggestion in rearing her children1 healing all their little hurts4 ,she kisses the bumps and bruises and tells the child all is well again1 and he is not only comforted1 but really believes that the kiss and caress have magic to cure the injury4 ,the mother is constantly antidoting and neutralizing the child's little troubles and discords by giving the opposite thought and applying the love-elixir4 ,it is possible1 through the power of suggestion1 to develop in children faculties upon which health1 success1 and happiness depend4 ,most of us know how dependent our efficiency is upon our moods1 our courage1 hope4 ,if the cheerful1 optimistic faculties were brought out and largely developed in childhood1 it would change our whole outlook upon life1 and we would not drag through years of half-heartedness1 discouragement1 and mental anguish1 our steps dogged by fear1 apprehension1 anxiety1 and disappointment4 ,one reason why we have such poor health is because we have been steeped in poor-health thought from infancy4 ,we have been saturated with the idea that pain1 physical suffering1 and disease1 are a part of life2 necessary evils which can not be avoided4 ,we have had it so instilled into us that robust health is the exception and could not be expected to be the rule that we have come to accept this unfortunate condition of things as a sort of fate from which we can not hope to get away4 ,the child hears so much sick talk1 is cautioned so much about the dangers of catching all sorts of diseases1 that he grows up with the conviction that physical discords1 aches1 pains1 all discomfort and suffering1 are a necessary part of his existence1 that at any time disease is liable to overtake him and ruin his happiness and thwart his career4 ,think of what the opposite training would do for the child2 if he were taught that health is the ever-lasting fact and that disease is but the manifestation of the absence of harmony6 ,think what it would mean to him if he were trained to believe that abounding health1 rich1 full1 complete1 instead of sickness1 that certainty instead of uncertainty were his birthright6 ,think what it would mean for him to expect this during all his growing years1 instead of building into his consciousness the opposite1 instead of being saturated with the sick thought and constantly being cautioned against disease and the danger of contracting it6 ,the child should be taught that ,god never created disease1 and never intended that we should suffer2 that we were made for abounding health and happiness1 made for enjoyment not for pain--made to be happy1 not miserable1 to express harmony1 not discord4 ,children are extremely credulous4 ,they are inclined to believe everything that an adult tells them1 especially the nurse1 the father and mother1 and their older brothers and sisters4 ,even the things that are told them in jest they take very seriously2 and their imaginations are so vivid and their little minds so impressionable that they magnify everything4 ,they are often punished for telling falsehoods1 when the fault is really due to their excessively active imagination4 ,many ignorant or thoughtless parents and nurses constantly use fear as a means of governing children4 ,they fill their little minds full of all sorts of fear stories and terror pictures which may mar their whole lives4 ,they often buy soothing syrups and all sorts of sleeping potions to prevent the little ones from disturbing their rest at night1 or to keep them quiet and from annoying them in the day time1 and thus are liable to stunt their brain development4 ,even if children were not seriously injured by fear1 it would be wicked to frighten them1 for it is wrong to deceive them4 ,if there is anything in the world that is sacred to the parent or teacher1 it is the unquestioned confidence of children4 ,i believe that the beginnings of deterioration in a great many people who go wrong could be traced to the forfeiting of the children's respect and confidence by the parents and teachers4 ,we all know from experience that confidence once shaken is almost never entirely restored4 ,even when we forgive1 we seldom forget2 the suspicion often remains4 ,there should never be any shadows between the child and his parents and teachers4 ,he should always be treated with the utmost frankness1 transparency1 sincerity4 ,the child's respect is worth everything to his parents4 ,nothing should induce them to violate it or to shake it4 ,it should be regarded as a very sacred thing1 a most precious possession4 ,think of the shock which must come to a child when he grows up and discovers that those he has trusted implicitly and who seemed almost like gods to him have been deceiving him for years in all sorts of ways6 ,i have heard mothers say that they dreaded to have their children grow up and discover how they had deceived them all through their childhood2 to have them discover that they had resorted to fear1 superstition1 and all sorts of deceits in order to govern or influence them4 ,whenever you are tempted to deceive a child again1 remember that the time will come when he will understand1 and that he will receive a terrible shock when he discovers that you1 up to whom he has looked with such implicit trust1 such simple confidence1 have deceived him4 ,parents should remember that every distressing1 blood-curdling story told to a child1 every superstitious fear instilled into his young life1 the mental attitude they bear towards him1 the whole treatment they accord him1 are making phonographic records in his nature which will be reproduced with scientific exactness in his future life4 ,whatever you do1 never punish a child when he is suffering with fear4 ,it is a cruel thing to punish children the way most mothers and teachers do1 anyway2 but to punish a child when he is already quivering with terror is extremely distressing1 and to whip a child when you are angry is brutal4 ,many children never quite forget or forgive a parent or teacher for this cruelty4 ,parents1 teachers1 friends often put a serious stumbling-block in the way of a youth by suggesting that he ought to study for the ministry1 or the law2 to be a physician1 an engineer1 or enter some other profession or business for which he may be totally unfitted4 ,i know a man whose career was nearly ruined by the suggestion of his grandmother when he was a child that she would educate him for the church1 and that it was her wish for him to become a clergyman4 ,it was not that she saw in the little child any fitness for this holy office1 but because she wanted a clergyman in the family1 and she often reminded him that he must not disappoint her4 ,the boy1 who idolized his grandmother1 pondered this thought until he became a young man4 ,the idea possessed him so strongly that every time he tried to make a choice of a career the picture of a clergyman rushed first to his mind1 and1 although he could see no real reason why he should become a clergyman1 the suggestion that he ought to worked like leaven in his nature and kept him from making any other choice until too late to enable him to succeed to any great extent4 ,i know a most brilliant and marvelously fascinating woman who is extremely ambitious to make a name for herself1 but she is almost totally lacking in her ability to apply herself1 even in the line where her talent is greatly marked4 ,she seems to be abundantly endowed in every faculty and quality except this4 ,now1 if her parents had known the secret of correcting mental deficiencies1 building up weak faculties1 this girl could have been so trained that she would probably have had a great career and made a world-wide name for herself4 ,i have in mind another woman1 a most brilliant linguist1 who speaks fluently seven languages4 ,she is a most fascinating conversationalist and impresses one as having read everything1 but1 although in good health1 she is an object of charity to-day1 simply because she has never developed her practical faculties at all1 and this because she was never trained to work1 to depend upon herself even in little things when she was a child4 ,she was fond of her books1 was a most brilliant scholar1 but never learned to be practical or to do anything herself4 ,her self-reliance and independence were never developed4 ,all of her early friends predicted a brilliant future for her1 but because of the very consciousness of possessing so many brilliant qualities and of the fact that she was flattered during all her student life and not obliged to depend upon herself for anything1 she continued to exercise her strong scholarship faculties only1 little dreaming that the neglect to develop her weaker ones would wreck her usefulness and her happiness4 ,it is not enough to possess ability4 ,we must be able to use it effectively1 and whatever interferes with its activity to that extent kills efficiency4 ,there are many people who are very able in most qualities and yet their real work is seriously injured and often practically ruined1 or they are thrown into the mediocre class1 owing to some weakness or deficiency which might have been entirely remedied by cultivation and proper training in earlier life4 ,i know a man of superb ability in nearly every respect who is so timid and shy that he does not dare push himself forward or put himself in the position of greatest advantage1 does not dare begin things4 ,consequently his whole life has been seriously handicapped4 ,if children could only be taught to develop a positive1 creative mind1 it would be of infinitely more value and importance to them than inheriting a fortune with a non-productive one4 ,youths should be taught that the most valuable thing to learn in life next to integrity is how to build their minds up to the highest possible producing point1 the highest possible state of creative efficiency4 ,the most important part of the education of the future will be to increase the chances of success in life and lessen the danger of failure and the wrecking of one's career by building up weak and deficient faculties1 correcting one-sided tendencies1 so that the individual will become more level-headed1 better balanced1 and have a more symmetrical mind4 ,many students leave school and college knowing a great deal1 but without a bit of improvement in their self-confidence1 their initiative ability4 ,they are just as timid1 shy1 and self-depreciatory as before entering4 ,now1 what advantage is it to send a youth out into the world with a head full of knowledge but without the confidence or assurance to use it effectively1 or the ability to grapple with life's problems with that vigor and efficiency which alone can bring success8 ,it is an unpardonable reflection upon a college which turns out youths who dare not say their souls are their own1 who have not developed a vigorous self-confidence1 assurance1 and initiative4 ,hundreds of students are turned out of our colleges every year who would almost faint away if they were suddenly called upon to speak in public1 to read a resolution1 or even to put a motion4 ,the time will come when an education will enable a youth while upon his feet in public to express himself forcefully1 to use the ability he has and summon his knowledge quickly4 ,he will be so trained in self-control1 in self-confidence1 in level-headedness1 that he will not be thrown off his guard in an emergency4 ,the future education will mean that what the student knows will be available1 that he can utilize it at will1 that he will be trained to use it efficiently4 ,many of our graduates leave college every year as weak and inefficient in many respects as when they began their education4 ,what is education for if it is not to train the youth to be the master of his faculties1 master of every situation1 able to summon all of his reserves of knowledge and power at will8 ,a college graduate1 timid1 stammering1 blushing1 and confused1 when suddenly called upon to use his knowledge whether in public or elsewhere1 ought to be an unknown thing4 ,of what use is education which can not be summoned at will8 ,of what good are the reserves of learning which can not be marshaled quickly when we need them1 which do not help one to be master of himself and the situation1 whatever it may be8 ,the time will come when no child will be allowed to grow up without being taught to believe in himself1 to have great confidence in his ability4 ,this will be a most important part of his education1 for if he believes in himself enough1 he will not be likely to allow a single deficient faculty or weakness to wreck his career4 ,he should be reared in the conviction that he was sent into this world with a mission and that he is going to deliver it4 ,every youth should be taught that it was intended he should fill a place in the world which no one else can fill2 that he should expect to fill it1 and train himself for it2 taught that he was made in the ,creator's image1 that in the truth of his being he is divine1 perfect1 immortal1 and that the image of ,god can not fail4 ,he should be taught to think grandly of himself1 to form a sublime estimate of his possibilities and of his future4 ,this will increase his self-respect and self-development in well-proportioned living4 ,,chapter ,,lviii ,,the ,,home ,,as ,a ,,school ,,of ,,good ,,manners ,not long ago ,i visited a home where such exceptionally good breeding prevailed and such fine manners were practised by all the members of the family1 that it made a great impression upon me4 ,this home is the most remarkable school of good manners1 refinement1 and culture generally1 ,i have ever been in4 ,the parents are bringing up their children to practise their best manners on all occasions4 ,they do not know what company manners mean4 ,the boys have been taught to treat their sisters with as much deference as though they were stranger guests4 ,the politeness1 courtesy1 and consideration which the members of this family show toward one another are most refreshing and beautiful4 ,coarseness1 gruffness1 lack of delicacy find no place there4 ,both boys and girls have been trained from infancy to make themselves interesting1 and to entertain and try to make others happy4 ,the entire family make it a rule to dress before dinner in the evening1 just as they would if special company were expected4 ,their table manners are specially marked4 ,at table every one is supposed to be at his best1 not to bring any grouch1 or a long or sad face to it1 but to contribute his best thought1 his wittiest sayings1 to the conversation4 ,every member of the family is expected to do his best to make the meal a really happy occasion4 ,there is a sort of rivalry to see who can be the most entertaining1 or contribute the spiciest bits of conversation4 ,there is no indication of dyspepsia in this family1 because every one is trained to laugh and be happy generally1 and laughter is a fatal enemy of indigestion4 ,the etiquette of the table is also strictly observed4 ,every member of the family tries to do just the proper thing and always to be mindful of others' rights4 ,kindness seems to be practised for the joy of it1 not for the sake of creating a good impression on friends or acquaintances4 ,there is in this home an air of peculiar refinement which is very charming4 ,the children are early taught to greet callers and guests cordially1 heartily1 in real ,southern1 hospitable fashion1 and to make them feel that they are very welcome4 ,they are taught to make every one feel comfortable and at home1 so that there will be no sense of restraint4 ,as a result of this training the children have formed a habit of good behavior and are considered an acquisition to any gathering4 ,they are not embarrassed by the awkward slips and breaks which are so mortifying to those who only wear their company manners on special occasions4 ,a stranger would almost think this home was a school of good breeding1 and it is a real treat to visit these people4 ,it is true the parents in this family have the advantage of generations of fine breeding and ,southern hospitality back of them1 which gives the children a great natural advantage4 ,there is an atmosphere of chivalry and cordiality in this household which is really refreshing4 ,many parents seem to expect that their children will pick up their good manners outside of the home1 in school1 or while visiting4 ,this is a fatal mistake4 ,every home should be a school of good manners and good breeding4 ,the children should be taught that there is nothing more important than the development of an interesting personality1 an attractive presence1 and an ability to entertain with grace and ease4 ,they should be taught that the great object of life is to develop a superb personality1 a noble manhood and womanhood4 ,there is no art like that of a beautiful behavior1 a fine manner1 no wealth greater than that of a pleasing personality4 ,,chapter ,,lix ,,mother ,all that ,i am or hope to be1 said ,lincoln1 after he had become ,president1 ,i owe to my angel mother4 ,my mother was the making of me1 said ,thomas ,edison1 recently4 ,she was so true1 so sure of me2 and ,i felt that ,i had some one to live for2 some one ,i must not disappoint4 ,all that ,i have ever accomplished in life1 declared ,dwight ,l4 ,moody1 the great evangelist1 ,i owe to my mother4 ,to the man who has had a good mother1 all women are sacred for her sake1 said ,jean ,paul ,richter4 ,the testimony of great men in acknowledgment of the boundless debt they owe to their mothers would make a record stretching from the dawn of history to to-day4 ,few men1 indeed1 become great who do not owe their greatness to a mother's love and inspiration4 ,how often we hear people in every walk of life say1 ,i never could have done this thing but for my mother4 ,she believed in me1 encouraged me when others saw nothing in me4 ,a kiss from my mother made me a painter1 said ,benjamin ,west4 ,a distinguished man of to-day says3 ,i never could have reached my present position had ,i not known that my mother expected me to reach it4 ,from a child she made me feel that this was the position she expected me to fill2 and her faith spurred me on and gave me the power to attain it4 ,everything that a man has and is he owes to his mother4 ,from her he gets health1 brain1 encouragement1 moral character1 and all his chances of success4 ,in the shadow of every great man's fame walks his mother1 says ,dorothy ,dix4 ,she has paid the price of his success4 ,she went down into the ,valley of the ,shadow to give him life1 and every day for years and years thereafter she toiled incessantly to push him on toward his goal4 ,she gave the labor of her hands for his support2 she poured into him ambition when he grew discouraged2 she supplemented his weakness with her strength2 she filled him with her hope and faith when his own failed4 ,at last he did the ,big ,thing1 and people praised him1 and acclaimed him1 and nobody thought of the quiet1 insignificant little woman in the background1 who had been the real power behind the throne4 ,sometimes even the king himself forgets who was the kingmaker4 ,many a man is enjoying a fame which is really due to a self-effacing1 sacrificing mother4 ,people hurrah for the governor1 or mayor1 or congressman1 but the real secret of his success is often tucked away in that little unknown1 unappreciated1 unheralded mother4 ,his education and his chance to rise may have been due to her sacrifices4 ,it is a strange fact that our mothers1 the molders of the world1 should get so little credit and should be so seldom mentioned among the world's achievers4 ,the world sees only the successful son2 the mother is but a round in the ladder upon which he has climbed4 ,her name or face is seldom seen in the papers2 only her son is lauded and held up to our admiration4 ,yet it was that sweet1 pathetic figure in the background that made his success possible4 ,the woman who merits the greatest fame is the woman who gives a brilliant mind to the world4 ,the mothers of great men and women deserve just as much honor as the great men and women themselves1 and they will receive it from the better understanding of the coming days4 ,a wife may do much toward polishing up a man and boosting him up the ladder1 but unless his mother first gave him the intellect to scintillate and the muscles to climb with1 the wife labors in vain1 continues ,dorothy ,dix1 in the ,evening ,journal4 ,you can not make a clod shine4 ,you can not make a mollusk aspire4 ,you must have the material to work with1 to produce results4 ,by the time a man is married his character is formed1 and he changes very little4 ,his mother has made him2 and no matter how hard she tries1 there is very little that his wife can do toward altering him4 ,it is not the philosophies1 the theories1 the code of ethics that a man acquires in his older years that really influence him4 ,it is the things that he learned at his mother's knee1 the principles that she instilled in him in his very cradle1 the taste and habits that she formed1 the strength and courage that she breathed into him4 ,it is the childish impressions that count4 ,it is the memory of whispered prayers1 of bedtime stories1 of old ideals held unfalteringly before a boy's gaze2 it is half-forgotten songs1 and dim visions of heroes that a mother taught her child to worship1 that make the very warp and woof of the soul4 ,it is the pennies1 that a mother teaches a boy to save and the self-denial that she inculcates in doing it1 that form the real foundation of the fortune of the millionaire4 ,it is the mother that loves books1 and who gives her sons her love of learning1 who bestows the great scholars1 the writers1 and orators1 on the world4 ,it is the mother that worships science1 who turns the eyes of the child upon her breast up to the wonder of the stars1 and who teaches the little toddler at her side to observe the marvel of beast1 and bird1 and flower1 and all created things1 whose sons become the great astronomers and naturalists1 and biologists4 ,the very atmosphere that radiates from and surrounds the mother is the inspiration and constitutes the holy of holies of family life4 ,in my mother's presence1 said a prominent man1 ,i become for the time transformed into another person4 ,how many of us have felt the truth of this statement6 ,how ashamed we feel when we meet her eyes1 that we have ever harbored an unholy thought1 or dishonorable suggestion6 ,it seems impossible to do wrong while under that magic influence4 ,what revengeful plans1 what thoughts of hatred and jealousy1 have been scattered to the four winds while in the mother's presence6 ,her children go out from communion with her resolved to be better men1 nobler women1 truer citizens4 ,how many of us have stood and watched with admiration the returning victor of some petty battle1 cheering until we were hoarse1 exhausting ourselves with the vehemence of our enthusiasm1 says a writer1 when right beside us1 possibly touching our hand1 was one greater than he8 ,one whose battle has not been petty--whose conflict has not been of short duration1 but has for us fought many a severe fight4 ,when we had the scarlet fever or diphtheria and not one would come near us1 who held the cup of cold water to our fever-parched lips8 ,who bent over us day and night and fought away with almost supernatural strength the greatest of all enemies--death8 ,the world's greatest heroine--,mother6 ,who is it that each ,sunday dinner-time chose the neck of the chicken that we might have the juicy wing or breast or leg8 ,who is it stays home from the concert1 the social1 the play1 that we may go with the others and not be stinted for small change8 ,who is it crucifies her love of pretty clothes1 her desire for good things1 her longing for pleasure that we may have all these8 ,who is it8 ,mother6 ,the greatest heroine in the world is the mother4 ,no one else makes such sacrifices1 or endures anything like the suffering that she uncomplainingly endures for her children4 ,what is the giving of one's life in battle or in a wreck at sea to save another1 in comparison with the perpetual sacrifice of many mothers of a living death lasting for half a century or more8 ,how the world's heroes dwindle in comparison with the mother heroine6 ,there is no one in the average family1 the value of whose services begins to compare with those of the mother1 and yet there is no one who is more generally neglected or taken advantage of4 ,she must remain at home evenings1 and look after the children1 when the others are out having a good time4 ,her cares never cease4 ,she is responsible for the housework1 for the preparation of meals2 she has the children's clothes to make or mend1 there is company to be entertained1 darning to be done1 and a score of little duties which must often be attended to at odd moments1 snatched from her busy days1 and she is often up working at night1 long after every one else in the house is asleep4 ,no matter how loving or thoughtful the father may be1 the heavier burdens1 the greater anxieties1 the weightier responsibilities of the home1 of the children1 usually fall on the mother4 ,indeed1 the very virtues of the good mother are a constant temptation to the other members of the family1 especially the selfish ones1 to take advantage of her4 ,they seem to take it for granted that they can put all their burdens on the patient1 uncomplaining mother2 that she will always do anything to help out1 and to enable the children to have a good time2 and in many homes1 sad to say1 the mother1 just because of her goodness1 is shamefully imposed upon and neglected4 ,oh1 mother won't mind1 mother will stay at home4 ,how often we hear remarks like this from thoughtless children6 ,it is always the poor mother on whom the burden falls2 and the pathetic thing is that she rarely gets much credit or praise4 ,many mothers in the poor and working classes practically sacrifice all that most people hold dearest in life for their children4 ,they deliberately impair their health1 wear themselves out1 make all sorts of sacrifices1 to send a worthless boy to college4 ,they take in washing1 go out house-cleaning1 do the hardest and most menial work1 in order to give their boys and girls an education and the benefit of priceless opportunities that they never had2 yet1 how often1 they are rewarded only with total indifference and neglect6 ,some time ago ,i heard of a young girl1 beautiful1 gay1 full of spirit and vigor1 who married and had four children4 ,her husband died penniless1 and the mother made the most heroic efforts to educate the children4 ,by dint of unremitting toil and unheard of sacrifices and privations she succeeded in sending the boys to college and the girls to a boarding-school4 ,when they came home1 pretty1 refined girls and strong young men1 abreast with all the new ideas and tastes of their times1 she was a worn-out1 commonplace old woman4 ,they had their own pursuits and companions4 ,she lingered unappreciated among them for two or three years1 and then died1 of some sudden failure of the brain4 ,the shock of her fatal illness woke them to consciousness of the truth4 ,they hung over her1 as she lay prostrate1 in an agony of grief4 ,the oldest son1 as he held her in his arms1 cried3 ,you have been a good mother to us6 ,her face brightened1 her eyes kindled into a smile1 and she whispered3 ,you never said so before1 ,john4 ,then the light died out1 and she was gone4 ,many men spend more money on expensive caskets1 flowers1 and emblems of mourning than they ever spent on their poor1 loving1 self-sacrificing mothers for many years while alive4 ,men who1 perhaps1 never thought of carrying flowers to their mothers in life1 pile them high on their coffins4 ,who can ever depict the tragedies that have been enacted in the hearts of ,american mothers1 who have suffered untold tortures from neglect1 indifference1 and lack of appreciation8 ,what a pathetic story of neglect many a mother's letters from her grown-up children could tell6 ,a few scraggy lines1 a few sentences now and then1 hurriedly written and mailed--often to ease a troubled conscience--mere apologies for letters1 which chill the mother heart4 ,i know men who owe their success in life to their mother2 who have become prosperous and influential1 because of the splendid training of the self-sacrificing mother1 and whose education was secured at an inestimable cost to her1 and yet they seldom think of carrying to her flowers1 confectionery1 or little delicacies1 or of taking her to a place of amusement1 or of giving her a vacation or bestowing upon her any of the little attentions and favors so dear to a woman's heart4 ,they seem to think she is past the age for these things1 that she no longer cares for them1 that about all she expects is enough to eat and drink1 and the simplest kind of raiment4 ,these men do not know the feminine heart which never changes in these respects1 except to grow more appreciative of the little attentions1 the little considerations1 and thoughtful acts which meant so much to them in their younger days4 ,not long ago ,i heard a mother1 whose sufferings and sacrifices for her children during a long and trying struggle with poverty should have given her a monument1 say1 that she guessed she'd better go to an old ladies' home and end her days there4 ,what a picture that was6 ,an aged woman with white hair and a sweet1 beautiful face2 with a wonderful light in her eye2 calm1 serene1 and patient1 yet dignified1 whose children1 all of whom are married and successful1 made her feel as if she were a burden6 ,they live in luxurious homes1 but have never offered to provide a home for the poor1 old rheumatic mother1 who for so many years slaved for them4 ,they put their own homes1 stocks1 and other property in their wives' names1 and while they pay the rent of their mother's meagerly furnished rooms and provide for her actual needs1 they apparently never think what joy it would give her to own her own home1 and to possess some pretty furnishings1 and a few pictures4 ,in many cases men through thoughtlessness do not provide generously for their mothers even when well able to4 ,they seem to think that a mother can live most anywhere1 and most anyway2 that if she has enough to supply her necessities she is satisfied4 ,just think1 you prosperous business men1 how you would feel if the conditions were reversed1 if you were obliged to take the dependent1 humiliating position of your mother6 ,whatever else you are obliged to neglect1 take no chances of giving your mother pain by neglecting her1 and of thus making yourself miserable in the future4 ,the time may come when you will stand by her bedside1 in her last sickness1 or by her coffin1 and wish that you had exchanged a little of your money for more visits and more attentions and more little presents to your mother2 when you will wish that you had cultivated her more1 even at the cost of making a little less money4 ,there is no one else in this world who can take your mother's place in your life4 ,and there is no remorse like that which comes from the remembrance of ill-treating1 abusing1 or being unkind to one's mother4 ,these things stand out with awful vividness and terrible clearness when the mother is gone forever from sight1 and you have time to contrast your treatment with her long suffering1 tenderness1 and love1 and her years of sacrifice for you4 ,one of the most painful things ,i have ever witnessed was the anguish of a son who had become wealthy and in his prosperity neglected the mother1 whose sacrifices alone had made his success possible4 ,he did not take the time to write to her more than twice a year1 and then only brief letters4 ,he was too busy to send a good long letter to the poor old lonely mother back in the country1 who had risked her life and toiled and sacrificed for years for him6 ,finally1 when he was summoned to her bedside in the country1 in her last sickness1 and realized that his mother had been for years without the ordinary comforts of life1 while he had been living in luxury1 he broke down completely4 ,and while he did everything possible to alleviate her suffering1 in the few last days that remained to her on earth1 and gave her an imposing burial1 what torture he must have suffered1 at this pitiful picture of his mother who had sacrificed everything for him6 ,the regrets for thoughtless acts and indifference to admonitions now felt and expressed by many living sons of dead mothers will1 in time1 be felt and expressed by the living sons of living mothers1 says ,richard ,l4 ,metcalfe1 in the ,commoner4 ,the boys of to-day who do not understand the value of the mother's companionship will yet sing--with those who already know--this song of tribute and regret3 ',the hours ,i spent with thee1 dear heart1 ,are as a string of pearls to me2 ,i count them over1 every one apart1 ,my rosary4 ',each hour a pearl1 each pearl a prayer1 ,to still a heart in absence wrung2 ,i tell each bead unto the end1 and there ,a cross is hung4 ',o memories that bless--and burn6 ,oh mighty gain and bitter loss6 ,i kiss each bead and strive at last to learn ,to kiss the cross1 ,sweet heart1 ,to kiss the cross4' ,no man worthy of the name ever neglects or forgets his mother4 ,i have an acquaintance1 of very poor parentage1 who had a hard struggle to get a start in the world2 but when he became prosperous and built his beautiful home1 he finished a suite of rooms in it especially for his mother1 furnished them with all conveniences and comforts possible1 and insisted upon keeping a maid specially for her4 ,although she lives with her son's family1 she is made to feel that this part of the great home is her own1 and that she is as independent as though she lived in her own house4 ,every son should be ambitious to see his mother as well provided for as his wife4 ,really great men have always reverenced and cared tenderly for their mothers4 ,president ,mc,kinley provided in his will that1 first of all1 his mother should be made comfortable for life4 ,the first act of ,garfield1 after he was inaugurated ,president1 was to kiss his aged mother1 who sat near him1 and who said this was the proudest and happiest moment of her life4 ,ex-,president ,loubet of ,france1 even after his elevation to the presidency1 took great pride in visiting his mother1 who was a humble market gardener in a little ,french village4 ,a writer on one occasion1 describing a meeting between this mother and her son1 says3 ,her noted son awaited her in the market-place1 as she drove up in her little cart loaded with vegetables4 ,assisting his mother to alight1 the ,french ,president gave her his arm and escorted her to her accustomed seat4 ,then holding over her a large umbrella1 to shield her from the threatening weather1 he seated himself at her side1 and mother and son enjoyed a long talk together4 ,i once saw a splendid young college graduate introduce his poor1 plainly dressed old mother to his classmates with as much pride and dignity as though she was a queen4 ,her form was bent1 her hands were calloused1 she was prematurely old1 and much of this deterioration was caused by all sorts of drudgery to help her boy to pay his college expenses4 ,i have seen other college men whose mothers had made similar sacrifices1 and who were ashamed to have them attend their graduating exercises1 ashamed to introduce them to their classmates4 ,think of the humiliation and suffering of the slave mother1 who has given all the best of her life to a large family1 battling with poverty in her efforts to dignify her little home1 and to give her children an education1 when she realizes that she is losing ground intellectually1 yet has no time or strength for reading1 or self-culture1 no opportunity for broadening her mental outlook by traveling or mingling with the world6 ,but this is nothing compared to the anguish she endures1 when1 after the flower of her youth is gone and there is nothing left of her but the ashes of a burned-out existence1 the shreds of a former superb womanhood1 she awakes to the consciousness that her children are ashamed of her ignorance and desire to keep her in the background4 ,from babyhood children should be taught to look up to1 not down on their mother4 ,for that reason she should never appear before them in slovenly raiment1 nor conduct herself in any way that would lessen their respect4 ,she should keep up her intellectual culture that they may not advance beyond her understanding and sympathies4 ,no matter how callous or ungrateful a son may be1 no matter how low he may sink in vice or crime1 he is always sure of his mother's love1 always sure of one who will follow him even to his grave1 if she is alive and can get there2 of one who will cling to him when all others have fled4 ,it is forever true1 as ,kipling poignantly expresses it in his beautiful verses on ,mother ,love3 ',if ,i were hanged on highest hill1 ,mother o' mine1 ,o mother o' mine6 ,i know whose love would follow still1 ,mother o' mine1 ,o mother o' mine6 ',if ,i were drowned in the deepest sea1 ,mother o' mine1 ,o mother o' mine6 ,i know whose tears would come down to me1 ,mother o' mine1 ,o mother o' mine6 ',if ,i were cursed of body and soul1 ,mother o' mine1 ,o mother o' mine6 ,i know whose prayer's would make me whole6 ,mother o' mine1 ,o mother o' mine6' ,one of the saddest sights ,i have ever seen was that of a poor1 old1 broken-down mother1 whose life had been poured into her children1 making a long journey to the penitentiary to visit her boy1 who had been abandoned by everybody but herself4 ,poor old mother6 ,it did not matter that he was a criminal1 that he had disgraced his family1 that everybody else had forsaken him1 that he had been unkind to her--the mother's heart went out to him just the same4 ,she did not see the hideous human wreck that crime had made4 ,she saw only her darling boy1 the child that ,god had given her1 pure and innocent as in his childhood4 ,oh1 there is no other human love like this1 which follows the child from the cradle to the grave1 never once abandons1 never once forsakes him1 no matter how unfortunate or degenerate he may become4 ,so your best girl is dead1 sneeringly said a ,new ,york magistrate to a young man who was arrested for attempting suicide4 ,who was she8 ,without raising his eyes1 the unfortunate victim burst into tears and replied1 ,she was my mother6 ,the smile vanished from the magistrate's face and1 with tears in his eyes1 he said1 ,young man1 go and try to be a good man1 for your mother's sake4 ,how little we realize what tragedy may be going on in the hearts of those whom we sneeringly condemn6 ,what movement set on foot in recent years1 deserves heartier support than that for the establishment of a national ,mothers' ,day8 ,the day set apart as ,mothers' ,day by those who have inaugurated this movement is the second ,sunday in ,may4 ,let us unite in doing all we can to make it a real ,mothers' ,day1 by especially honoring our mothers2 in the flesh1 those of us who are so fortunate as to have our mothers with us2 in the spirit1 those who are not so fortunate4 ,if away from her1 write a good1 loving letter1 or telephone or telegraph to the best mother who ever lived--your mother4 ,send her some flowers1 an appropriate present2 go and spend the day with her1 or in some other way make her heart glad4 ,show her that you appreciate her1 and that you give her credit for a large part of your success4 ,let us do all we can to make up for past neglect of the little-known1 half-appreciated1 unheralded mothers who have had so little credit in the past1 and are so seldom mentioned among the world's achievers1 by openly1 and especially in our hearts1 paying our own mothers every tribute of honor1 respect1 devotion1 and gratitude that love and a sense of duty can suggest4 ,let us acknowledge to the world the great debt we owe them by wearing1 every one of us1 boy and girl1 man and woman1 on ,mothers' ,day1 a white carnation--the flower chosen as the symbol and emblem of motherhood4 ,happily chosen emblem6 ,what could more fittingly represent motherhood with its whiteness symbolizing purity2 its lasting qualities1 faithfulness2 its fragrance1 love2 its wide field of growth1 charity2 its form1 beauty6 ,what an impressive and beautiful tribute to motherhood it would be for a whole nation to unite one day in wearing its chosen emblem1 and in song and speech1 and other appropriate exercises1 to honor its mothers6 ,,chapter ,,lx ,,why ,,so ,,many ,,married ,,women ,,deteriorate ,a woman writes me3 ,you would laugh if you knew the time ,i have had in getting the dollar which ,i enclose for your inspiring magazine4 ,i would get a pound less of butter1 a bar less of soap4 ,i never have a cent of my own4 ,do you think it wrong of me to deceive my husband in this way8 ,i either have to do this or give up trying at all4 ,there are thousands of women who work harder than their husbands and really have more right to the money1 who are obliged to practise all sorts of deceit in order to get enough to buy clothing and other things essential to decent living4 ,the difficulty of extracting money from an unwilling husband has been the beginning of thousands of tragedies4 ,the majority of husbands are inclined to exert a censorship over their wives' expenditures4 ,i have heard women say that they would go without necessary articles of clothing and other requirements just as long as possible and worry for days and weeks before they could summon courage to ask for money1 because they dreaded a scene and the consequent discord in the home4 ,many women make it a rule never to ask for money1 except when the husband is leaving the house and in a hurry to get away4 ,the disagreeable scene is thus cut as short as possible1 as he has not time then to go into all the details of his wife's alleged extravagances and find out what has become of every cent of the money given her on some similar previous occasion4 ,the average man does not begin to realize how it humiliates his wife to feel that she must ask him for fifty cents1 a dollar1 or five dollars every time she needs it1 and to tell him just exactly what she is going to do with it1 and then perhaps be met with a sharp reproof for her extravagance of foolish expenditures4 ,men who are extremely kind and considerate with their wives in most things are often contemptibly mean regarding money matters4 ,many a man who is generous with his tips and buys expensive cigars and orders costly lunches for himself and friends at the club because he wants to be considered a good fellow1 will go home at night and bicker with his wife over the smallest expenditure1 destroying the whole peace of the household1 when perhaps she does not spend as much upon herself as he does for cigars and drink4 ,why is it that men are so afraid to trust their wives with money when they trust them implicitly with everything else1 especially as women are usually much more economical than men would be in managing the home and providing for the children8 ,a large part of the friction in the average home centers around money matters and could be avoided by a simple1 definite understanding between husband and wife1 and a business arrangement of household finances4 ,a regular advance to the wife for the household and a certain sum for personal use which she need not account for1 would do more to bring about peace and harmony in the majority of homes than almost anything else4 ,to be a slave to the home1 as many women are1 and then to be obliged to assume the attitude of a beggar for every little bit of money she needs for herself1 or to have to give an accounting for every cent she spends and tell her lord and master what she did with her last money before she can get any more1 is positively degrading4 ,when the husband gets ready to regard his wife as an equal partner in the marriage firm instead of as an employee with one share in a million-dollar company1 or as merely a housekeeper2 when he is willing to regard his income as much his wife's as his own and not put her in the position of a beggar for every penny she gets2 when he will grant her the same privileges he demands for himself2 when he is willing to allow his wife to live her own life in her own way without trying to boss her1 we shall have more true marriages1 happier homes1 a higher civilization4 ,some one says that a man is never so happy as when he has a few dollars his wife knows nothing about4 ,and there is a great deal of truth in it4 ,men who are perfectly honest with their wives about most things are often secretive about money matters4 ,they hoodwink them regarding their incomes and especially about any ready cash they have on hand4 ,no matter how much the average man may think of his wife1 or how considerate he may be in other matters1 he rarely considers that she has the same right to his cash that he has1 although he may be boasting to outsiders of her superior management in matters of economy4 ,he feels that he is the natural guardian of the money1 as he makes it2 that he has a little more right to it than has his wife1 and that he must protect it and dole it out to her4 ,what disagreeable experiences1 unfortunate bickerings1 misunderstandings and family prejudice could be avoided if newly-married women would insist upon having a certain proportion of the income set aside for the maintenance of the home and for their own personal needs1 without the censorship of their husbands and without being obliged to give an itemized account of their expenditures6 ,it is a rare thing to find a man who does not waste ten times as much money on foolish things as does his wife1 and yet he would make ten times the talk about his wife's one-tenth foolishness as his own ten-tenths4 ,on the other hand1 thousands of women1 starving for affection1 protest against their husband's efforts to substitute money for it--to satisfy their cravings1 their heart-hunger1 with the things that money can buy4 ,it is an insult to womanhood to try to satisfy her nature with material things1 while the affections are famishing for genuine sympathy and love1 for social life1 for contact with the great1 throbbing world outside4 ,women do admire beautiful things2 but there is something they admire infinitely more4 ,luxuries do not come first in any real woman's desires4 ,she prefers poverty with love to luxury with an indifferent or loveless husband4 ,how gladly would these women whose affections are blighted by cold indifference or the unfaithfulness of their husbands1 exchange their liberal allowance1 their luxuries1 for genuine sympathy and affection6 ,one of the most pathetic spectacles in ,american life is that of the faded1 outgrown wife1 standing helpless in the shadow of her husband's prosperity and power1 having sacrificed her youth1 beauty1 and ambition--nearly everything that the feminine mind holds dear--to enable an indifferent1 selfish1 brutish husband to get a start in the world4 ,it does not matter that in her unselfish effort to help him she burned up much of her attractiveness over the cooking stove2 that she lost more of it at the washtub1 in scrubbing and cleaning1 and rearing and caring for their children during the slavery of her early married life2 it does not matter how much she suffered during those terrible years of poverty and privation4 ,just as soon as the selfish husband begins to get prosperous1 finds that he is succeeding1 feels his power1 he often begins to be ashamed of the woman who has given up everything to make his success possible4 ,it is a sad thing to see any human being whose life is blighted by the lack of love2 but it is doubly pathetic to see a woman who has given everything to the man she loved and who gets in return only her board and clothes and an allowance1 great or small4 ,some men seem to think that the precept1 ,man does not live by bread alone1 was not meant to include woman4 ,they can not understand why she should not be happy and contented if she has a comfortable home and plenty to eat and wear4 ,they would be surprised to learn that many a wife would gladly give up luxuries and live on bread and water1 if she could only have her husband's sympathy in her aspirations1 his help and encouragement in the unfolding of her stifled talents4 ,i know a very able1 promising young man who says that if he had had a rich father he never would have developed his creative power2 that his ambition would have been strangled2 that it was the desperate struggle to make a place for himself in the world that developed the real man in him4 ,this young man married a poor girl who had managed by the hardest kind of work and sacrifice to pay her way through college4 ,she had just begun to develop her power1 to feel her wings1 when her husband caged her in his home1 took away her highest incentive for self-development4 ,he said that a man who could not support a wife without her working had no business to marry4 ,he dressed his wife like a queen2 gave her horses and carriages and servants4 ,but all the time he was discouraging her from developing her self-reliance1 taking away all motives for cultivating her resourcefulness and originality4 ,at first the wife was very eager to work4 ,her ambition rebelled against the gilded chains by which she was bound4 ,she was restless1 nervous1 and longed to use her powers to do something for herself and the world4 ,but her husband did not believe in a woman doing the things she wished to do4 ,he wanted his wife to look pretty and fresh when he returned from his business at night2 to keep young and to shine in society4 ,he was proud of her beauty and vivacity4 ,he thought he loved her1 but it was a selfish love1 for real love has a tender regard for a person's highest good1 for that person's sake4 ,gradually the glamour of society1 the lethe of a luxurious life1 paralyzed her ambition1 which clamored less and less peremptorily for recognition1 until at length she subsided into a life of almost total inaction4 ,multitudes of women in this country to-day are vegetating in luxurious homes1 listless1 ambitionless1 living narrow1 superficial1 rutty lives1 because the spur of necessity has been taken away from them2 because their husbands1 who do not want them to work1 have taken them out of an ambition-arousing environment4 ,but a life of leisure is not the only way of paralyzing the development of a wife's individuality4 ,it can be done just as effectively by her becoming a slave of her family4 ,i believe that the average wife is confined to her home a great deal too much4 ,many women do not seem to have any existence outside of the little home orbit2 do not have any special interests or pleasures to speak of apart from their husbands4 ,they have been brought up to think that wives have very little purpose in life other than to be the slaves and playthings of their lords and masters1 to bear and bring up children1 and to keep meekly in the background4 ,the wife who wishes to hold her husband's affection1 if he is ambitious1 must continue to grow1 must keep pace with him mentally4 ,she must make a continual investment in self-improvement and in intellectual charm so that her mental growth will compensate for the gradual loss of physical charm4 ,she must keep her husband's admiration1 and if he is a progressive man he is not likely to admire a wife who stands still mentally4 ,admiration is a very important part of love4 ,you may be very sure that if you have an ambitious husband you must do something to keep up with him besides lounging1 idling about the home1 reading silly novels1 dressing stylishly and waiting for him to return at night4 ,if he sees that your sun rises and sets in him1 that you have little interest outside1 that you are not broadening and deepening your life in other ways by extending your interests1 reaching out for self-enlargement1 self-improvement1 he will be disappointed in you1 and this will be a great strain upon his love4 ,it is impossible for a girl who has had only a little schooling to appreciate the transforming power that comes from liberal education and broad culture4 ,for the sake of her husband and children and her own peace of mind and satisfaction1 she should try to improve herself in every possible way4 ,think of what it means to be able to surround one's home with an atmosphere of refinement1 culture and superior intelligence6 ,the quality of one's own ideals has a great deal to do with the quality of the ideals of one's family4 ,even considered alone from the standpoint of self-protection1 as a safeguard1 a woman ought to get a liberal education2 a college education1 if possible4 ,the conditions of home life in this country are such that it is very difficult for the wife to keep up with her husband's growth1 to keep pace with him1 because he is constantly in an ambition-arousing1 stimulating environment4 ,unless she is unusually ambitious and has great power of application and concentration and plenty of leisure1 she is likely to drop behind her husband4 ,as a rule1 the husband has infinitely more to encourage and stimulate him than has the wife4 ,success itself is a tremendous tonic4 ,the consciousness of perpetual triumph1 of conquering things1 is a great stimulus4 ,it is true that women have developed more admirable and loving qualities in their home life than have men2 but during all these centuries1 while women have been shut up in the home1 men have been touching hands with the great1 busy world1 absorbing knowledge of human nature and broadening their minds by coming into contact with men and things4 ,they have developed independence1 stamina1 strength1 by being compelled to solve the larger1 more practical problems of life4 ,the business man and the professional man are really in a perpetual school1 a great practical university4 ,the strenuous life1 however dangerous1 is essentially educative4 ,the man has the incalculable advantage of a great variety of experiences and of freshness of view4 ,he is continually coming in contact with new people1 new things1 being molded by a vast number of forces in the busy world which never touch the wife4 ,if women1 equally with men1 do not continue to grow and expand after marriage1 how can we expect race improvement8 ,woman must ascend to higher1 wider planes1 or both man and woman must descend4 ,male and female created ,he them4 ,there is no separating them2 they must rise or fall together4 ,the woman's cause is man's2 they rise or sink ,together1 dwarfed or godlike1 bond or free4 ,many a man has tired of his wife because she has not kept pace with him2 because1 instead of growing broader and keener as the years pass1 she has become narrow4 ,it never occurs to him that the fault may be wholly his own4 ,in the early years of their married life he perhaps laughed at her dreams1 as he called her longings for self-improvement4 ,he discouraged1 if he did not actually oppose1 every effort she made to grow to the full stature of her womanhood4 ,his indifference or hostility quenched the hopes she had indulged before marriage4 ,the bitterness of her disappointment crushed her spirit4 ,she lost her buoyancy and enthusiasm and gradually sank to the level of a household drudge4 ,and the husband wonders what has changed the joyous1 high-spirited girl he married into the dull1 apathetic woman who now performs her duties like an automaton4 ,there are to-day thousands of wives doing the work of ordinary housemaids1 who1 putting it on a low standard1 are smothering ability to earn perhaps more money than the men who enslave them1 if they only had an opportunity to unfold the powers which ,god has given them2 but they have been brought up from infancy to believe that marriage is the only real career for a woman1 that these longings and hungerings for self-expression are to be smothered1 covered up by the larger duties of a wife and mother4 ,if the husbands could change places with their wives for a year1 they would feel the contracting1 narrowing influence in which the average wife lives4 ,their minds would soon cease to reach out1 they would quickly feel the pinching1 paralyzing effect of the monotonous existence1 of doing the same things every day1 year in and year out4 ,the wives1 on the other hand1 would soon begin to broaden out4 ,their lives would become richer1 fuller1 more complete1 from contact with the world1 from the constant stretching of their minds over large problems4 ,i have heard men say that remaining in the home on ,sundays or holidays just about uses them up2 that it is infinitely harder and more trying than the same time spent in their occupations1 and that while they love their children their incessant demands1 the noise and confusion would drive them to drink if they had to bear it all the time4 ,strong men admit that they can not stand these little nerve-racking vexations of the home4 ,yet they wonder why the wife and mother is nervous1 and seem to think that she can bear this sort of thing three hundred and sixty-five days in the year without going away and getting relief for a half-dozen days during the whole time4 ,few men would exchange places with their wives4 ,their hours are shorter1 and when their day's work is done1 it is done1 while a wife and mother not only works all day1 but is also likely to be called during the night4 ,if any one is disturbed in the night by the children1 it is the mother2 rarely the father4 ,how long would men continue to conduct their business offices or factories with the primitive1 senseless methods in vogue in the average kitchen to-day8 ,man puts all his inventiveness1 his ingenuity1 in improving methods1 in facilitating his business and getting the drudgery out of his work in his office and factory1 but the wife and mother still plods along in an ill-fitted kitchen and laundry4 ,and yet our greatest modern inventor has said that the cares of the home could be reduced to a minimum and the servant problem solved if the perfectly practicable devices1 for lightening household labor were adopted in the home6 ,but1 many of our men readers will say1 is there any profession in the world grander than that of home making8 ,can anything be more stimulating1 more elevating1 than home making and the rearing of children8 ,how can such a vocation be narrowing or monotonous8 ,of course it is grand4 ,there is nothing grander in the universe than the work of a true wife1 a noble mother4 ,but it would require the constitution of a ,hercules1 an infinitely greater patience than that of a ,job1 to endure such work with almost no change or outside variety1 year in and year out1 as many wives and mothers do1 without breaking down4 ,the average man does not appreciate how almost devoid of incentives to broadmindedness1 to many-sidedness1 to liberal growth1 the home life of many women is4 ,there is a disease called arrested development1 in which the stature of the adult remains that of a child1 all physical growth and expansion having stopped4 ,one of the most pitiable phases of ,american life and one of the most discouraging elements in our civilization is the suppressed wife who is struggling with arrested development after marriage4 ,i have known of beautiful young wives who went to their husbands with the same assurance of confidence and trust as to their hopes and ambitions with which a child would approach its mother1 only to meet with a brutal rebuff for even venturing to have an ambition which did not directly enhance the husband's comfort or convenience in his home4 ,it is a strange fact that most men think that when a woman marries she goes to her new home with as rigid vows as the monks take on entering the monastery1 or the nuns the convent1 and they regard the suggestion of a career for her1 which does not directly bear upon the home1 as domestic treason4 ,there are some women1 especially sensitive ones1 who would never again tell their husbands of their hopes and aspirations after they had been laughed at and ridiculed a few times1 but would be forever silent1 even when the canker of bitter disappointment was consuming them4 ,suppose a girl has the brains and the ability of a ,george ,eliot and she marries a young business man who thinks that writing articles or books or devoting a large part of her time to music is all nonsense2 that her place is at home1 taking care of it and bringing up her children1 and denies her the right to exercise her talent4 ,how would he like to have the conditions reversed8 ,it is true that woman is peculiarly fitted for the home1 and every normal woman should have a home of her own1 but her career should not be confined or limited to it any more than a man's4 ,i do not see why she should not be allowed to live the life normal to her2 why she should be denied the right of self-expression1 any more than the man4 ,and ,i regard that man as a tyrant who tries to cramp her in the natural expression of her ambition or sneers at1 nags1 and criticizes her for seeking to bring out1 to unfold1 the sacred thing which the ,creator has given her4 ,this is one of her inalienable rights which no man should dare interfere with4 ,if he does1 he deserves the unhappiness which is likely to come to his home4 ,a wife should neither be a drudge nor a dressed-up doll2 she should develop herself by self-effort1 just as her husband develops himself4 ,she should not put herself in a position where her inventiveness1 resourcefulness1 and individuality will be paralyzed by lack of motive4 ,we hear a great deal about the disinclination of college girls to marry4 ,if this is a fact1 it is largely due to the unfairness of men4 ,the more education girls get1 the more they will hesitate to enter a condition of slavery1 even under the beautiful guise of home4 ,is it any wonder that so many girls refuse to marry1 refuse to take chances of suppressing the best thing in them8 ,is it any wonder that they protest against putting themselves in a position where they will not be able to deliver to the world the sacred message which the ,creator has given them8 ,i believe in marriage1 but ,i do not believe in that marriage which paralyzes self-development1 strangles ambition1 discourages evolution and self-growth1 and which takes away the life purpose4 ,to be continually haunted by the ghosts of strangled talents and smothered faculties prevents real contentment and happiness4 ,many a home has been made miserable1 not because the husband was not kind and affectionate1 not because there was not enough to eat and to wear1 but because the wife was haunted with unrealized hopes and disappointed ambitions and expectations4 ,is there anything more pitiful than such a stifled life with its crushed hopes8 ,is there anything sadder than to go through life conscious of talents and powers which we can not possibly develop2 to feel that the best thing in us must be strangled for the want of opportunity1 for the lack of appreciation even by those who love us best2 to know that we can never by any possibility reach our highest expression1 but must live a sordid life when under different conditions a higher would be possible8 ,a large part of the marital infelicity about which we hear so much comes from the husband's attempt to cramp his wife's ambition and to suppress her normal expression4 ,a perversion of native instinct1 a constant stifling of ambition1 and the longing to express oneself naturally1 gradually undermine the character and lead to discontentment and unhappiness4 ,a mother who is cramped and repressed transmits the seeds of discontent and one-sided tendencies to her children4 ,the happiest marriages are those in which the right of husband and wife to develop broadly and naturally along individual lines has been recognized by each4 ,the noblest and most helpful wives and mothers are those who develop their powers to their fullest capacity4 ,woman is made to admire power1 and she likes to put herself under the domination of a masterful man and rest in his protection4 ,but it must be a voluntary obedience which comes from admiration of original force1 of sturdy1 rugged1 masculine qualities4 ,the average man can not get away from the idea of his wife's service to him personally2 that she is a sort of running mate1 not supposed to win the race1 but to help to pull him along so that he will win it4 ,he can not understand why she should have an ambition which bears no direct relation to his comfort1 his well-being1 his getting on in the world4 ,the very suggestion of woman's inferiority1 that she must stand in the man's shadow and not get ahead of him1 that she does not have quite the same rights in anything that he has1 the same property rights1 the same suffrage rights2 in other words1 the whole suggestion of woman's inferiority1 has been a criminal wrong to her4 ,many women who are advocating woman's suffrage perhaps would not use the ballot if they had it4 ,their fight is one for freedom to do as they please1 to live their own lives in their own way4 ,the greatest argument in the woman's suffrage movement is woman's protest against unfair1 unjust treatment by men4 ,man's opposition to woman suffrage is merely a relic of the old-time domestic barbarism4 ,it is but another expression of his determination to boss everybody and everything about him4 ,the time will come when men will be ashamed that they ever opposed woman's suffrage4 ,think of a man considering it right and just for his most ignorant workman to have an equal vote with himself on public matters and yet denying the right to his educated wife and daughters6 ,,chapter ,,lxi ,,thrift ,mony a mickle makes a muckle4--,,scotch ,,proverb4 ,a penny saved is a penny earned4--,,english ,,saying4 ,beware of little extravagances2 a small leak will sink a big ship4--,,franklin4 ,no gain is more certain than that which proceeds from the economical use of what we have4--,,latin ,,proverb4 ,make all you can1 save all you can1 give all you can4--,,john ,,wesley4 ,all fortunes have their foundation laid in economy4--,j4 ,g4 ,,holland4 ,in the philosophy of thrift1 the unit measure of prosperity is always the smallest of coins current4 ,thrift is measured not by the pound but by the penny1 not by the dollar but by the cent4 ,thus any person in receipt of an income or salary however small finds it in his power to practise thrift and to lay the foundation of prosperity4 ,the word thrift in its origin means the grasping or holding fast the things that we have4 ,it implies economy1 carefulness1 as opposed to waste and extravagance4 ,it involves self-denial and frugal living for the time being1 until the prosperity which grows out of thrift permits the more liberal indulgence of natural desires4 ,one of the primary elements of thrift is to spend less than you earn1 to save something however small from the salary received1 to lay aside at regular intervals when possible some part of the money earned or made1 in provision for the future4 ,every boy should realize1 in starting out1 that he can never accumulate money unless he acquires the habit of saving1 said ,russell ,sage4 ,even if he can save only a few cents at the beginning1 it is better than saving nothing at all2 and he will find1 as the months go on1 that it becomes easier for him to lay by a part of his earnings4 ,it is surprising how fast an account in a savings bank can be made to grow1 and the boy who starts one and keeps it up stands a good chance of enjoying a prosperous old age4 ,some people who spend every cent of their income on their living expenses are always bewailing the fact that they have never become rich4 ,they pick out some man who is known to have made a fortune and speak of him as being 'lucky4' ,there is practically no such thing as luck in business1 and the boy who depends upon it to carry him through is very likely not to get through at all4 ,the men who have made a success of their lives are men who started out right when they were boys4 ,they studied while at school1 and when they went to work1 they didn't expect to be paid wages for loafing half the time4 ,they weren't always on the lookout for an 'easy snap' and they forged ahead1 not waiting always for the opportunities that never came1 and bewailing the supposed fact that times are no longer what they used to be4 ,a young man may have many friends1 says ,sir ,thomas ,lipton1 but he will find none so steadfast1 so constant1 so ready to respond to his wants1 so capable of pushing him ahead1 as a little leather-covered book1 with the name of a bank on the cover4 ,saving is the first great principle of success4 ,it creates independence1 it gives a young man standing1 it fills him with vigor1 it stimulates him with proper energy2 in fact1 it brings to him the best part of any success1--happiness and contentment4 ,it is estimated that if a man will begin at twenty years of age to lay by twenty-six cents every working day1 investing at seven per cent4 compound interest1 he will at seventy years of age have amassed thirty-two thousand dollars4 ,economy is wealth4 ,this proverb has been repeated to most of us until we are either tired of it or careless of it1 but it is well to remember that a saying becomes a proverb because of its truth and significance4 ,many a man has proved that if economy is not actual wealth1 it is1 in many cases1 potentially so4 ,professor ,marshall1 the noted ,english economist1 estimates that #ejj1jjj1jjj is spent annually by the ,british working classes for things that do nothing to make their lives nobler or happier4 ,at a meeting of the ,british ,association1 the president1 in an address to the economic section1 expressed his belief that the simple item of food-waste alone would justify the above-mentioned estimate4 ,one potent cause of waste to-day is that very many of the women do not know how to buy economically1 and are neither passable cooks nor good housekeepers4 ,edward ,atkinson estimated that in the ,united ,states the waste from bad cooking alone is over a hundred million dollars a year6 ,provided he has some ability and good sense to start with1 is thrifty1 honest1 and economical1 said ,philip ,d4 ,armour1 there is no reason why any young man should not accumulate money and attain so-called success in life4 ,when asked to what qualities he attributed his own success1 ,mr4 ,armour said3 ,i think that thrift and economy had much to do with it4 ,i owe much to my mother's training and to a good line of ,scotch ancestors1 who have always been thrifty and economical4 ,a young man should cultivate the habit of always saving something1 said the late ,marshall ,field1 however small his income4 ,it was by living up to this principle that ,mr4 ,field became the richest and most successful merchant in the world4 ,when asked by an interviewer1 whom ,i sent to him on one occasion1 what he considered the turning point in his career1 he answered1 ,saving the first five thousand dollars ,i ever had1 when ,i might just as well have spent the modest salary ,i made4 ,possession of that sum1 once ,i had it1 gave me the ability to meet opportunities4 ,that ,i consider the turning point4 ,the first savings prove the turning point in many a young man's career4 ,but it is true that the lack of thrift is one of the greatest curses of modern civilization4 ,extravagance1 ostentatious display1 a desire to outshine others1 is a vice of our age1 and especially of our country4 ,some one has said that investigation would place at the head of the list of the cause of poverty1 wastefulness inherited from wasteful parents4 ,if you know how to spend less than you get1 said ,franklin1 you have the philosopher's stone4 ,the great trouble with many young people is that they do not acquire the saving habit at the start1 and never find the philosopher's stone4 ,they don't learn to spend less than they get4 ,if they learned that lesson in time1 they would have little difficulty in making themselves independent4 ,it is this first saving that counts4 ,john ,jacob ,astor said it cost him more to get the first thousand dollars than it did afterwards to get a hundred thousand2 but if he had not saved the first thousand1 he would have died poor4 ,the first thing that a man should learn to do1 says ,andrew ,carnegie1 is to save his money4 ,by saving his money he promotes thrift1--the most valued of all habits4 ,thrift is the great fortune-maker4 ,it draws the line between the savage and the civilized man4 ,thrift not only develops the fortune1 but it develops1 also1 the man's character4 ,the savings bank is one of the greatest encouragements to thrift1 because it pays a premium on deposits in the form of interest on savings4 ,one of the greatest benefits ever extended by this government to its citizens is the opening of ,postal ,savings ,banks where money can be deposited with absolute security against loss1 because the ,federal ,government would have to fail before the bank could fail4 ,the economies which enable a man to start a savings account are not usually pinching economies1 not the stinting of the necessaries of life1 but merely the foregoing of selfish pleasures and indulgences which not only drain the purse but sap the physical strength and undermine the health of brain and body4 ,the majority of people do not even try to practise self-control2 are not willing to sacrifice present enjoyment1 ease1 for larger future good4 ,they spend their money at the time for transient gratification1 for the pleasure of the moment1 with little thought for to-morrow1 and then they envy others who are more successful1 and wonder why they do not get on better themselves4 ,they store up neither money nor knowledge for the future4 ,the squirrels know that it will not always be summer4 ,they store food for the winter1 which their instinct tells them is coming2 but multitudes of human beings store nothing1 consume everything as they go along1 so that when sickness or old age come1 there is no reserve1 nothing to fall back upon4 ,they have sacrificed their future for the present4 ,the facility with which loose change slips away from these people is most insidious and unaccountable4 ,i know young men who spend more for unnecessary things1 what they call incidentals--cigars1 drinks1 all sorts of sweets1 soda-water and nick-nacks of various kinds--than for their essentials1 board1 clothes1 rooms4 ,then they wonder where all their money goes to1 as they never keep any account of it1 and rarely restrain a desire4 ,they do not realize it when they fling out a nickel here and a dime there1 pay a quarter for this and a quarter for that2 but in a week it counts up1 and in a year it amounts to a large sum4 ,he never lays up a cent is an expression which we hear every day regarding those who earn enough to enable them to save a competence4 ,a short time ago1 a young man in ,new ,york complained to a friend of poverty and his inability to save money4 ,how much do you spend for luxuries8 asked the friend4 ,luxuries6 answered the young man1 if by luxuries you mean cigars and a few drinks1 ,i don't average1--including an occasional cigar or a glass of light wine for a friend1--over six dollars a week4 ,most of the boys spend more1 but ,i make it a rule to be moderate in my expenditures4 ,ten years ago1 declared the friend1 ,i was spending about the same every week for the same things1 and paying thirty dollars a month for five inconvenient rooms up four flights of stairs4 ,i had just married then1 and one day ,i told my wife that ,i longed to have her in a place befitting her needs and refinement4 ',john1' was her reply1 ',if you love me well enough to give up two things which are not only useless1 but extremely harmful to you1 we can1 for what those things alone cost1 own a pretty home in ten years4' ,she sat down by me with a pencil and paper1 and in less than five minutes had demonstrated that she was right4 ,you dined with me in the suburbs the other day1 and spoke of the beauty and convenience of our cottage4 ,that cottage cost three thousand dollars1 and every dollar of it was my former cigar and drink money4 ,but ,i gained more than a happy wife and pretty home by saving2 ,i gained self-control1 better health1 self-respect1 a truer manhood1 a more permanent happiness4 ,i desire every young man who is trying to secure pleasure through smoking and drinking1 whether moderately or immoderately1 to make use of his judgment1 and pencil and paper1 and see if he is not forfeiting in a number of directions far more than he is gaining4 ,there is an impressive fact in the ,gospel story of the ,prodigal ,son4 ,the statement he wasted his substance in riotous living means more than that he wasted his funds4 ,it implies that he wasted himself4 ,and the most serious phase of all waste is not the waste of substance but the waste of self1 of one's energy1 capital1 the lowering of morals1 the undermining of character1 the loss of self-respect which thrift encourages and promotes4 ,thrift is not only one of the foundation-stones of a fortune1 but also one of character4 ,the habit of thrift improves the quality of the character4 ,the saving of money usually means the saving of a man4 ,it means cutting off indulgences or avoiding vicious habits which are ruinous4 ,it often means health in the place of dissipation4 ,it often means a clear instead of a cloudy and muddled brain4 ,furthermore1 the saving habit indicates an ambition to get on and up in the world4 ,it develops a spirit of independence1 of self-reliance4 ,a little bank account or an insurance policy indicates a desire to improve one's condition1 to look up in life4 ,it means hope1 it means ambition1 a determination to make good4 ,people believe in the young man1 who1 without being mean or penurious1 saves a part of his income4 ,it is an indication of many sterling qualities4 ,business men naturally reason that if a young man is saving his money1 he is also saving his energy1 his vitality1 from being wasted1 that he is looking up in the world1 and not down2 that he is longheaded1 wise2 that he is determined not to sacrifice the larger gain of the future for the gratification of the hour4 ,a snug little bank account will add to your self-respect and self-confidence1 because it shows that you have practicability1 a little more independence4 ,you can look the world in the face with a little more assurance1 you can stand a little more erect and face the future with more confidence1 if you know that there stands between yourself and want a little ready money or a safe investment of some kind4 ,the very consciousness that there is something back of you that will prove a barrier to the wolf which haunts so many human beings1 and which is a terror and an efficiency destroyer to so many1 will strengthen and buttress you at every point4 ,it will relieve you from worry and anxiety about the future2 it will unlock your faculties1 release them from the restraint and suppression which uncertainty1 fear1 and doubt impose1 and leave you free to do your best work4 ,another great aid and incentive to thrift is the life insurance policy4 ,primarily devised for the support of widows and orphans1 life insurance practise has been developed so as to include the secure investment of surplus earnings in conjunction with the insurance of a sum payable at death4 ,i am a great believer in the efficiency of savings-banks as character builders2 but life insurance has some greater advantages1 especially in furnishing that imperious must1 that spur of necessity so important as a motive to most people4 ,people can put money into savings-banks when they get it1 provided some stronger desire does not overcome the inclination2 but they feel that they must pay their insurance premium4 ,then again1 money obtainable just by signing the name is so easily withdrawn for spending in all sorts of ways4 ,this is one reason why ,i often recommend life insurance to young people as a means of saving4 ,it has been of untold value as an object-lesson of the tremendous possibilities in acquiring the saving habit4 ,i believe that life insurance is doing a great deal to induce the habit of saving4 ,when a young man on a salary or a definite income takes out an insurance policy he has a definite aim4 ,he has made up his mind positively to save so much money every year from his income to pay his premium4 ,then it is easier for him to say ,no1 to the hundred-and-one alluring temptations to spend his money for this and that4 ,he can say ,no1 then with emphasis1 because he knows he must keep up his insurance4 ,an insurance policy has often changed the habits of an entire family from thriftlessness and spendthrift tendencies to thrift and order4 ,the very fact that a certain amount must be saved from the income every week1 or every month1 or every year1 has often developed the faculty of prudence and economy of the entire household4 ,everybody is cautioned to be careful because the premium must be paid4 ,and oftentimes it is the first sign of a program or order1--system in the home4 ,the consciousness of a sacred obligation to make payments on that which means protection for those dear to you often shuts out a great deal of foolishness1 and cuts out a lot of temptation to spend money for self-gratification and to cater to one's weak tendencies4 ,the life insurance policy has thus proved to be a character insurance as well1 an insurance against silly expenditures1 an insurance against one's own weak will power1 or vicious1 weak tendencies2 a real protection against one's self1 one's real enemy4 ,among the sworn enemies of thrift may be named going into debt1 borrowing money1 keeping no itemized account of daily expenditures1 and buying on the instalment plan4 ,that great ,english preacher ,spurgeon said that debt1 dirt1 and the devil made up the trinity of evil4 ,and debt can discount the devil at any time for possibilities of present personal torment4 ,the temptations to go into debt are increasing rapidly4 ,on every hand in the cities one may read such advertisements as ,we ,trust ,you1 ,your ,credit is ,good ,with ,us1 and with these statements come offers of clothing1 furniture1 and what not on easy payments4 ,but as the ,irishman remarked after an experience with the instalment purchase of furniture3 ,onaisy payments they sure are4 ,as a matter of fact1 the easy payments take all the ease and comfort out of life--they are easy only for the man who receives them4 ,beware of the delusions of buying on the instalment plan4 ,there are thousands of poor families in this country who buy organs and sets of books and encyclopedias1 lightning rods1 farming implements1 and all sorts of things which they might get along without1 because they can pay for them a little at a time4 ,in this way1 they keep themselves poor4 ,they are always pinching1 sacrificing1 to save up for the agent when he comes around to collect4 ,all through the ,south there are poor homes of both colored and white families1 where there are not sufficient cooking utensils and knives1 forks1 and spoons to enable the members to eat with comfort1 and yet you will find expensive things in their homes which they have bought on the instalment plan1 and which keep them poor for years trying to pay for them4 ,as far as borrowing money is concerned the bitter experience of countless men and women is crystallized in that old saying3 ,he that goes a borrowing goes a sorrowing4 ,there is a world of safety for the man who follows ,shakespeare's advice3 ,neither a borrower nor a lender be4 ,it is sometimes said flippantly that poverty is no disgrace but it's mighty uncomfortable4 ,and yet poverty is often a real disgrace4 ,people born to poverty may rise above it4 ,people who have poverty thrust upon them may overcome it4 ,in this great land of abundance and opportunity poverty is in most cases a disgrace and a reproach4 ,dr4 ,johnson said to ,boswell1 ,i admonish you avoid poverty1 the temptation and worry it breeds4 ,there is something humiliating in being poor4 ,the very consciousness that we have nothing to show for our endeavor besides a little character and the little we have done1 is anything but encouraging4 ,somehow1 we feel that we have not amounted to much1 and we know the world looks upon us in the same way if we have not managed to accumulate something4 ,it is a reflection upon our business ability1 upon our judgment1 upon our industry4 ,it is not so much for the money1 as for what it means to have earned and saved money2 it is the idea of thrift4 ,if we have not been thrifty1 if we have not saved anything1 the world will look upon us as good for nothing1 as partial failures1 as either lazy1 slipshod1 or extravagant4 ,they regard us as either not having been able to make money1 or if we have1 not being able to save it4 ,but let it be remembered that thrift is not parsimony not miserliness4 ,it often means very liberal spending4 ,it is a perpetual protest against putting the emphasis on the wrong thing4 ,no one should make the mistake of economizing to the extent of planting seeds1 and then denying liberal nourishment to the plants that grow from them2 of conducting business without advertising2 or of saving a little extra expense by pinching on one's table or dress4 ,a dollar saved is a dollar earned1 but a dollar spent well and liberally is often several dollars earned4 ,a dollar saved is often very many dollars lost4 ,the progressive1 generous spirit1 nowadays1 will leave far behind the plodder that devotes time to adding pennies that could be given to making dollars4 ,the only value a dollar has is its buying power4 ,no matter how many times it has been spent1 it is still good4 ,hoarded money is of no more use than gold so inaccessible in old ,mother ,earth that it will never feel the miner's pick4 ,there is plenty in this world1 if we keep it moving and keep moving after it4 ,imagine everybody in the world stingy1 living on the principle of ,we can do without that1 or ,our grandfathers got along without such things1 and ,i guess ,i can4 ,what would become of our parks1 grand buildings1 electrical improvements2 of music and art8 ,what would become of labor that nurses a tree from a forest to a piano or a palace car8 ,what would become of those dependent upon the finished work8 ,what would happen1 what panic would follow1 if everybody turned stingy1 is indefinable4 ,so apportion your wants that your means may exceed them1 says ,bulwer4 ,with one hundred pounds a year ,i may need no man's help2 ,i may at least have 'my crust of bread and liberty4' ,but with five thousand pounds a year1 ,i may dread a ring at my bell2 ,i may have my tyrannical master in servants whose wages ,i can not pay2 my exile may be at the fiat of the first long-suffering man who enters judgement against me2 for the flesh that lies nearest my heart1 some ,shylock may be dusting his scales and whetting his knife4 ,every man is needy who spends more than he has2 no man is needy who spends less4 ,i may so ill manage that1 with five thousand a year1 ,i purchase the worst evils of poverty1--terror and shame2 ,i may so well manage my money that1 with one hundred pounds a year1 ,i purchase the best blessings of wealth1--safety and respect4 ,,chapter ,,lxii ,a ,,college ,,education ,,at ,,home ,tumbling around in a library was the phrase ,oliver ,wendell ,holmes used in describing in part his felicities in boyhood4 ,one of the most important things that wise students get out of their schooldays is a familiarity with books in various departments of learning4 ,the ability to pick out from a library what is needed in life is of the greatest practical value4 ,it is like a man selecting his tools for intellectual expansion and social service4 ,men in every department of practical life1 says ,president ,hadley of ,yale1 men in commerce1 in transportation1 or in manufactures--have told me that what they really wanted from our colleges was men who have this selective power of using books efficiently4 ,the beginnings of this kind of knowledge are best learned in any home fairly well furnished with books4 ,libraries are no longer a luxury1 but a necessity4 ,a home without books and periodicals and newspapers is like a house without windows4 ,children learn to read by being in the midst of books2 they unconsciously absorb knowledge by handling them4 ,no family can now afford to be without good reading4 ,children who are well supplied with dictionaries1 encyclopedias1 histories1 works of reference1 and other useful books1 will educate themselves unconsciously1 and almost without expense1 and will learn many things of their own accord in moments which would otherwise be wasted2 and which1 if learned in schools1 academies1 or colleges1 would cost ten times as much as the expense of the books would be4 ,besides1 homes are brightened and made attractive by good books1 and children stay in such pleasant homes2 while those whose education has been neglected are anxious to get away from home1 and drift off and fall into all manner of snares and dangers4 ,it is astonishing how much a bright child will absorb from being brought up in the atmosphere of good books1 being allowed to constantly use them1 to handle them1 to be familiar with their bindings and titles4 ,it is a great thing for children to be brought up in the atmosphere of books4 ,many people never make a mark on a book1 never bend down a leaf1 or underscore a choice passage4 ,their libraries are just as clean as the day they bought them1 and1 often1 their minds are just about as clean of information4 ,don't be afraid to mark your books4 ,make notes in them4 ,they will be all the more valuable4 ,one who learns to use his books in early life1 grows up with an increasing power for effective usefulness4 ,it is related that ,henry ,clay's mother furnished him with books by her own earnings at the washtub4 ,wear threadbare clothes and patched shoes if necessary1 but do not pinch or economize on books4 ,if you can not give your children an academic education you can place within their reach a few good books which will lift them above their surroundings1 into respectability and honor4 ,is not one's early home the place where he should get his principal training for life8 ,it is here we form habits which shape our careers1 and which cling to us as long as we live4 ,it is here that regular1 persistent mental training should fix the life ever after4 ,i know of pitiable cases where ambitious boys and girls have longed to improve themselves1 and yet were prevented from doing so by the pernicious habits prevailing in the home1 where everybody else spent the evenings talking and joking1 with no effort at self-improvement1 no thought of higher ideals1 no impulse to read anything better than a cheap1 exciting story4 ,the aspiring members of the family were teased and laughed at until they got discouraged and gave up the struggle4 ,if the younger ones do not want to read or study themselves1 they will not let anybody else so inclined do so4 ,children are naturally mischievous1 and like to tease4 ,they are selfish1 too1 and can not understand why anyone else should want to go off by himself to read or study when they want him to play4 ,were the self-improvement habit once well established in a home1 it would become a delight4 ,the young people would look forward to the study hour with as much anticipation as to playing4 ,were it possible for every family that squanders precious time1 to spend an evening in such a home1 it would be an inspiration4 ,a bright1 alert1 intelligent1 harmonious atmosphere so pervades a self-improving home that one feels insensibly uplifted and stimulated to better things4 ,i know a ,new ,england family in which all the children and the father and mother1 by mutual consent1 set aside a portion of each evening for study or some form of self-culture4 ,after dinner1 they give themselves completely to recreation4 ,they have a regular romp and play1 and all the fun possible for an hour4 ,then when the time comes for study1 the entire house becomes so still that you could hear a pin drop4 ,everyone is in his place reading1 writing1 studying1 or engaged in some form of mental work4 ,no one is allowed to speak or disturb anyone else4 ,if any member of the family is indisposed1 or for any reason does not feel like working1 he must at least keep quiet and not disturb the others4 ,there is perfect harmony and unity of purpose1 an ideal condition for study4 ,everything that would scatter the efforts or cause the mind to wander1 all interruptions that would break the continuity of thought1 is carefully guarded against4 ,more is gained in one hour of close1 uninterrupted study1 than in two or three broken by many interruptions1 or weakened by mind wandering4 ,sometimes the habits of a home are revolutionized by the influence of one resolute youth who declares himself1 taking a stand and announcing that1 as for himself1 he does not propose to be a failure1 that he is going to take no chances as to his future4 ,the moment he does this1 he stands out in strong contrast with the great mass of young people who are throwing away their opportunities and have not grit and stamina enough to do anything worth while4 ,the very reputation of always trying to improve yourself in every possible way1 of being dead in earnest1 will attract the attention of everybody who knows you1 and you will get many a recommendation for promotion which never comes to those who make no special effort to climb upward4 ,there is a great deal of time wasted even in the busiest lives1 which1 if properly organized1 might be used to advantage4 ,many housewives who are so busy from morning to night that they really believe they have no time for reading books1 magazines1 or newspapers would be amazed to find how much they would have if they would more thoroughly systematize their work4 ,order is a great time saver1 and we certainly ought to be able to so adjust our living plan that we can have a fair amount of time for self-improvement1 for enlarging life4 ,yet many people think that their only opportunity for self-improvement depends upon the time left after everything else has been attended to4 ,what would a business man accomplish if he did not attend to important matters until he had time that was not needed for anything else8 ,the good business man goes to his office in the morning and plunges right into the important work of the day4 ,he knows perfectly well that if he attends to all the outside matters1 all the details and little things that come up1 sees everybody that wants to see him1 and answers all the questions people want to ask1 that it will be time to close his office before he gets to his main business4 ,most of us manage somehow to find time for the things we love4 ,if one is hungry for knowledge1 if one yearns for self-improvement1 if one has a taste for reading1 he will make the opportunity4 ,where the heart is1 there is the treasure4 ,where the ambition is1 there is time4 ,it takes not only resolution but also determination to set aside unessentials for essentials1 things pleasant and agreeable to-day for the things that will prove best for us in the end4 ,there is always temptation to sacrifice future good for present pleasure2 to put off reading to a more convenient season1 while we enjoy idle amusements or waste the time in gossip or frivolous conversation4 ,the greatest things of the world have been done by those who systematized their work1 organized their time4 ,men who have left their mark on the world have appreciated the preciousness of time1 regarding it as the great quarry4 ,if you want to develop a delightful form of enjoyment1 to cultivate a new pleasure1 a new sensation which you have never before experienced1 begin to read good books1 good periodicals1 regularly every day4 ,do not tire yourself by trying to read a great deal at first4 ,read a little at a time1 but read some every day1 no matter how little4 ,if you are faithful you will soon acquire a taste for reading--the reading habit2 and it will1 in time1 give you infinite satisfaction1 unalloyed pleasure4 ,in a gymnasium1 one often sees lax1 listless people1 who1 instead of pursuing a systematic course of training to develop all the muscles of the body1 flit aimlessly from one thing to another1 exercising with pulley-weights for a minute or two1 taking up dumb-bells and throwing them down1 swinging once or twice on parallel bars1 and so frittering away time and strength4 ,far better it would be for such people to stay away from a gymnasium altogether1 for their lack of purpose and continuity makes them lose rather than gain muscular energy4 ,a man or woman who would gather strength from gymnastic exercise must set about it systematically and with a will4 ,he must put mind and energy into the work1 or else continue to have flabby muscles and an undeveloped body4 ,illustration3 ,julia ,ward ,howe ,the physical gymnasium differs only in kind from the mental one4 ,thoroughness and system are as necessary in one as in the other4 ,it is not the tasters of books--not those who sip here and there1 who take up one book after another1 turn the leaves listlessly and hurry to the end1--who strengthen and develop the mind by reading4 ,to get the most from your reading you must read with a purpose4 ,to sit down and pick up a book listlessly1 with no aim except to pass away time1 is demoralizing4 ,it is much as if an employer were to hire a boy1 and tell him he could start when he pleased in the morning1 work when he felt like it1 rest when he wanted to1 and quit when he got tired6 ,never go to a book you wish to read for a purpose1 if you can possibly avoid it1 with a tired1 jaded mentality4 ,if you do1 you will get the same in kind from it4 ,go to it fresh1 vigorous1 and with active1 never passive1 faculties4 ,this practise is a splendid and effective cure for mind-wandering1 which afflicts so many people1 and which is encouraged by the multiplicity of and facility of obtaining reading matter at the present day4 ,what can give greater satisfaction than reading with a purpose1 and that consciousness of a broadening mind that follows it1 and growth1 of expansion1 of enriching the life1 the consciousness that we are pushing ignorance1 bigotry1 and whatever clouds the mind and hampers progress a little further away from us8 ,the kind of reading that counts1 that makes mental fiber and stamina is that upon which the mind is concentrated2 approaching a book with all one's soul intent upon its contents4 ,how few people ever learn to concentrate their attention4 ,most of us waste a vast amount of precious time dawdling and idling4 ,we sit or stand over our work without thinking4 ,our minds are blank much of the time4 ,passive reading is even more harmful in its effects than desultory reading4 ,it no more strengthens the brain than sitting down in a gymnasium develops the body4 ,the mind remains inactive1 in a sort of indolent revery1 wandering here and there1 without focusing anywhere4 ,such reading takes the spring and snap out of the mental faculties1 weakens the intellect1 and makes the brain torpid and incapable of grappling with great principles and difficult problems4 ,what you get out of a book is not necessarily what the author puts into it1 but what you bring to it4 ,if the heart does not lead the head2 if the thirst for knowledge1 the hunger for a broader and deeper culture1 are not the motives for reading1 you will not get the most out of a book4 ,but1 if your thirsty soul drinks in the writer's thought as the parched soil absorbs rain1 then your latent possibilities and the potency of your being1 like delayed germs and seeds in the soil1 will spring forth into new life4 ,when you read1 read as ,macaulay did1 as ,carlyle did1 as ,lincoln did--as did every great man who has profited by his reading--with your whole soul absorbed in what you read1 with such intense concentration that you will be oblivious of everything else outside of your book4 ,reading furnishes us only with the materials of knowledge1 said ,john ,locke2 it is thinking that makes what we read ours4 ,in order to get the most out of books1 the reader must be a thinker4 ,the mere acquisition of facts is not the acquisition of power4 ,to fill the mind with knowledge that can not be made available is like filling our houses with furniture and bric--brac until we have no room to move about4 ,food does not become physical force1 brain1 or muscle until it has been thoroughly digested and assimilated1 and has become an integral part of the blood1 brain1 and other tissues4 ,knowledge does not become power until digested and assimilated by the brain1 until it has become a part of the mind itself4 ,if you wish to become intellectually strong1 after reading with the closest attention1 form this habit3 frequently close your book and sit and think1 or stand and walk and think--but think1 contemplate1 reflect4 ,turn what you have read over and over in your mind4 ,it is not yours until you have assimilated it by your thought4 ,when you first read it1 it belongs to the author4 ,it is yours only when it becomes an integral part of you4 ,many people have an idea that if they keep reading everlastingly1 if they always have a book in their hands at every leisure moment1 they will1 of necessity1 become full-rounded and well-educated4 ,but they might just as well expect to become athletes by eating at every opportunity4 ,it is even more necessary to think than to read4 ,thinking1 contemplating what we have read1 is what digestion and assimilation are to the food4 ,some of the biggest fools ,i know are always cramming themselves with knowledge4 ,but they never think4 ,when they get a few minutes' leisure they grab a book and go to reading4 ,in other words1 they are always eating intellectually1 but never digesting their knowledge or assimilating it4 ,i know a young man who has formed such a habit of reading that he is almost never without a book1 a magazine1 or a paper4 ,he is always reading at home1 on the cars1 at the railway stations1 and he has acquired a vast amount of knowledge4 ,he has a perfect passion for knowledge1 and yet his mind seems to have been weakened by this perpetual brain stuffing4 ,by every reader let ,milton's words be borne in mind3 ,who reads ,incessantly1 and to his reading brings not ,a spirit and judgment equal or superior1 4 4 4 ,uncertain and unsettled still remains1 ,deep versed in books and shallow in himself1 ,crude or intoxicate1 collecting toys ,and trifles for choice matters1 worth a sponge1 ,as children gathering pebbles on the shore4 ,when ,webster was a boy1 books were scarce1 and so precious that he never dreamed that they were to be read only once1 but thought they ought to be committed to memory1 or read and re-read until they became a part of his very life4 ,elizabeth ,barrett ,browning says1 ,we err by reading too much1 and out of proportion to what we think4 ,i should be wiser1 ,i am persuaded1 if ,i had not read half as much2 should have had stronger and better exercised faculties1 and should stand higher in my own appreciation4 ,those who live more quietly do not have so many distracting influences1 and consequently think more deeply and reflect more than others4 ,they do not read so much but they are better readers4 ,you should bring your mind to the reading of a book1 or to the study of any subject1 as you take an ax to the grindstone2 not for what you get from the stone1 but for the sharpening of the ax4 ,the greatest advantage of books does not always come from what we remember of them1 but from their suggestiveness1 their character-building power4 ,it is not in the library1 but in yourself1 says ,fr4 ,gregory1 in your self-respect and your consciousness of duty nobly done--that you are to find the ',fountain of ,youth1' the ',elixir of ,life1' and all the other things that tend to preserve life's freshness and bloom4 ,it is a grand thing to read a good book--it is a grander thing to live a good life--and in the living of such life is generated the power that defies age and its decadence4 ,it is not the ability1 the education1 the knowledge that one has that makes the difference between men4 ,the mere possession of knowledge is not always the possession of power2 knowledge which has not become a part of yourself1 knowledge which can not swing into line in an emergency is of little use1 and will not save you at the critical moment4 ,to be effective1 a man's education must become a part of himself as he goes along4 ,all of it must be worked up into power4 ,a little practical education that has become a part of one's being and is always available1 will accomplish more in the world than knowledge far more extensive that can not be utilized4 ,no one better illustrates what books will do for a man1 and what a thinker will do with his books1 than ,gladstone1 who was always far greater than his career4 ,he rose above ,parliament1 reached out beyond politics1 and was always growing4 ,he had a passion for intellectual expansion4 ,his peculiar gifts undoubtedly fitted him for the church1 or he would have made a good professor at ,oxford or ,cambridge4 ,but1 circumstances led him into the political arena1 and he adapted himself readily to his environment4 ,he was an all round well read man1 who thought his way through libraries and through life4 ,one great benefit of a taste for reading1 and access to the book world1 is the service it renders as a diversion and a solace4 ,what a great thing to be able to get away from ourselves1 to fly away from the harassing1 humiliating1 discouraging1 depressing things about us1 to go at will to a world of beauty1 joy1 and gladness6 ,if a person is discouraged or depressed by any great bereavement or suffering1 the quickest and the most effective way of restoring the mind to its perfect balance1 to its normal condition1 is to immerse it in a sane atmosphere1 an uplifting1 encouraging1 inspiring atmosphere1 and the most good in the world is found in the best books4 ,i have known people who were suffering under the most painful mental anguish1 from losses and shocks which almost unbalanced their minds1 to be completely revolutionized in their mental state by the suggestive power which came from becoming absorbed in a great book4 ,everywhere we see rich old men sitting around the clubs1 smoking1 looking out of the windows1 lounging around hotels1 traveling about1 uneasy1 dissatisfied1 not knowing what to do with themselves1 because they had never prepared for this part of their lives4 ,they put all their energy1 ambition1 everything into their vocation4 ,i know an old gentleman who has been an exceedingly active business man4 ,he has kept his finger upon the pulse of events4 ,he has known what has been going on in the world during his whole active career4 ,and he is now as happy and as contented as a child in his retirement1 because he has always been a great reader1 a great lover of his kind4 ,people who keep their minds bent in one direction too long at a time soon lose their elasticity1 their mental vigor1 freshness1 spontaneity4 ,if ,i were to quote ,mr4 ,dooley1 it would be3--,reading is not thinking2 reading is the next thing this side of going to bed for resting the mind4 ,to my own mind1 however1 ,i would rather cite that versatile ,englishman1 ,lord ,rosebery4 ,in a speech at the opening of a ,carnegie library at ,west ,calder1 ,midlothian1 he made a characteristic utterance upon the value of books1 saying in substance3 ,there is1 however1 one case in which books are certainly an end in themselves1 and that is to refresh and to recruit after fatigue4 ,when the object is to refresh and to exalt1 to lose the cares of this world in the world of imagination1 then the book is more than a means4 ,it is an end in itself4 ,it refreshes1 exalts1 and inspires the man4 ,from any work1 manual or intellectual1 the man with a happy taste for books comes in tired and soured and falls into the arms of some great author1 who raises him from the ground and takes him into a new heaven and a new earth1 where he forgets his bruises and rests his limbs1 and he returns to the world a fresh and happy man4 ,who1 asks ,professor ,atkinson1 can overestimate the value of good books1 those strips of thought1 as ,bacon so finely calls them1 voyaging through seas of time1 and carrying their precious freight so safely from generation to generation8 ,here are finest minds giving us the best wisdom of present and past ages2 here are the intellects gifted far beyond ours1 ready to give us the results of lifetimes of patient thought1 imaginations open to the beauty of the universe4 ,the lover of good books can never be very lonely2 and1 no matter where he is1 he can always find pleasant and profitable occupation and the best of society when he quits work4 ,who can ever be grateful enough for the art of printing2 grateful enough to the famous authors who have put their best thoughts where we can enjoy them at will8 ,there are some advantages of intercourse with great minds through their books over meeting them in person4 ,the best of them live in their books1 while their disagreeable peculiarities1 their idiosyncrasies1 their objectionable traits are eliminated4 ,in their books we find the authors at their best4 ,their thoughts are selected1 winnowed in their books4 ,book friends are always at our service1 never annoy us1 rasp or nettle us4 ,no matter how nervous1 tired1 or discouraged one may be1 they are always soothing1 stimulating1 uplifting4 ,we may call up the greatest writer in the middle of the night when we can not sleep1 and he is just as glad to see us as at any other time4 ,we are not excluded from any nook or corner in the great literary world2 we can visit the most celebrated people that ever lived without an appointment1 without influence1 without the necessity of dressing or of observing any rules of etiquette4 ,we can drop in upon a ,milton1 a ,shakespeare1 an ,emerson1 a ,longfellow1 a ,whittier without a moment's notice and receive the warmest welcome4 ,you get into society1 in the widest sense1 says ,geikie1 in a great library1 with the huge advantage of needing no introductions1 and not dreading repulses4 ,from that great crowd you can choose what companions you please1 for in the silent levees of the immortals there is no pride1 but the highest is at the service of the lowest1 with a grand humility4 ,you may speak freely with any1 without a thought of your inferiority2 for books are perfectly well bred1 and hurt no one's feelings by any discriminations4 ,it is not the number of books1 says ,professor ,william ,mathews1 which a young man reads that makes him intelligent and well informed1 but the number of well-chosen ones that he has mastered1 so that every valuable thought in them is a familiar friend4 ,it is only when books have been read and reread with ever deepening delight1 that they are clasped to the heart1 and become what ,macaulay found them to be1 the old friends who are never found with new faces1 who are the same to us in our wealth and in our poverty1 in our glory and in our obscurity4 ,no one gets into the inmost heart of a beautiful poem1 a great history1 a book of delicate humor1 or a volume of exquisite essays1 by reading it once or twice4 ,he must have its precious thoughts and illustrations stored in the treasure-house of memory1 and brood over them in the hours of leisure4 ,a book may be a perpetual companion4 ,friends come and go1 but the book may beguile all experiences and enchant all hours4 ,the first time1 says ,goldsmith1 that ,i read an excellent book1 it is to me just as if ,i had gained a new friend2 when ,i read over a book ,i have perused before1 it resembles the meeting with an old one4 ,no matter how poor ,i am1 says ,william ,ellery ,channing1 no matter though the prosperous of my own time will not enter my obscure dwelling2 if the sacred writers will enter and take up their abode under my roof--if ,milton will cross my threshold to sing to me of ,paradise2 and ,shakespeare to open to me the worlds of imagination and the workings of the human heart1--,i shall not pine for want of intellectual companionship1 though excluded from what is called the best society in the place where ,i live4 ,books1 says ,milton1 do preserve as in a violl1 the purest efficacie and extraction of that living intellect that bred them4 ,a good ,booke is the pretious life-blood of a master spirit1 imbalm'd and treasur'd up on purpose to a ,life beyond ,life4 ,a book is good company1 said ,henry ,ward ,beecher4 ,it comes to your longing with full instruction1 but pursues you never4 ,it is not offended at your absent-mindedness1 nor jealous if you turn to other pleasures1 of leaf1 or dress1 or mineral1 or even of books4 ,it silently serves the soul without recompense1 not even for the hire of love4 ,and yet more noble1 it seems to pass from itself1 and to enter the memory1 and to hover in a silvery transformation there1 until the outward book is but a body and its soul and spirit are flown to you1 and possess your memory like a spirit4 ,,chapter ,,lxiii ,,discrimination ,,in ,,reading ,a few books well read1 and an intelligent choice of those few1--these are the fundamentals for self-education by reading4 ,if only a few well chosen1 it is better to avail yourself of choices others have already made--old books1 the standard works tested by many generations of readers4 ,if only a few1 let them be books of highest character and established fame4 ,such books are easily found even in small public libraries4 ,for the purpose of this chapter1 which is to aid in forming a taste for reading1 there should be no confusion of choice by naming too many books of one author4 ,if you read one and like it1 you can easily find another4 ,it is a cardinal rule that if you do not like a book1 do not read it4 ,what another likes1 you may not4 ,any book list is suggestive2 it can be binding only on those who prize it4 ,like attracts like4 ,did you ever think that the thing you are looking for is looking for you2 that it is the very law of affinities to get together8 ,if you are coarse in your tastes1 vicious in your tendencies1 you do not have to work very hard to find coarse vicious books2 they are seeking you by the very law of attraction4 ,one's taste for reading is much like his taste for food4 ,dull books are to be avoided1 as one refuses food disagreeable to him2 to someone else the book may not be dull1 nor the food disagreeable4 ,whole nations may eat cabbage1 or stale fish1 while ,i like neither4 ,ultimately1 therefore1 every reader must make his own selection1 and find the book that finds him4 ,any one not a random reader will soon select a short shelf of books that he may like better than a longer shelf that exactly suits some one else4 ,either will be a shelf of good books1 neither a shelf of the best books1 since if best for you or me1 they may not be best for everybody4 ,a most learned man in ,india1 in turning the leaves of a book1 as he read1 felt a little prick in his finger2 a tiny snake dropped out and wriggled out of sight4 ,the pundit's finger began to swell1 then his arm2 and in an hour1 he was dead4 ,who has not noticed in the home a snake in a book that has changed the character of a boy through its moral poison so that he was never quite the same again8 ,how well did ,carlyle divide books into sheep and goats4 ,it is probable that the careers of the majority of criminals in our prisons to-day might have been vastly different if the character of their reading when young had been different2 had it been up-lifting1 wholesome1 instead of degrading4 ,christian ,endeavor ,clark read a notice conspicuously posted in a large city3--,all boys should read the wonderful story of the desperado brothers of the ,western plains1 whose strange and thrilling adventures of successful robbery and murder have never before been equaled4 ,price five cents4 ,the next morning1 ,dr4 ,clark read in a newspaper of that city that seven boys had been arrested for burglary1 and four stores broken into by the gang4 ,one of the ringleaders was only ten years old4 ,at their trial1 it appeared that each had invested five cents in the story of border crime4 ,red-eyed ,dick1 the ,terror of the ,rockies1 or some such story has poisoned many a lad's life4 ,a seductive1 demoralizing book destroys the ambition unless for vicious living4 ,all that was sweet1 beautiful1 and wholesome in the character before seems to vanish1 and everything changes after the reading of a single bad book4 ,it has aroused the appetite for more forbidden pleasures1 until it crowds out the desire for everything better1 purer1 healthier4 ,mental dissipation from this exciting literature1 often dripping with suggestiveness of impurity1 giving a passport to the prohibited2 this is fatal to all soundness of mind4 ,a lad once showed to another a book full of words and pictures of impurity4 ,he only had it in his hands a few moments4 ,later in life he held high office in the church1 and years afterward told a friend that he would have given half he possessed had he never seen it4 ,light1 flashy stories1 with no intention in them1 seriously injured the mind of a brilliant young lady1 ,i once knew4 ,like the drug fiend whose brain has been stupefied1 her brain became completely demoralized by constant mental dissipation4 ,familiarity with the bad1 ruins the taste for the good4 ,her ambition and ideas of life became completely changed4 ,her only enjoyment was the excitement of her imagination through vicious books4 ,nothing else will more quickly injure a good mind than familiarity with the frivolous1 the superficial4 ,even though they may not be actually vicious1 the reading of books which are not true to life1 which carry home no great lesson1 teach no sane or healthful philosophy1 but are merely written to excite the passions1 to stimulate a morbid curiosity1 will ruin the best of minds in a very short time4 ,it tends to destroy the ideals and to ruin the taste for all good reading4 ,read1 read1 read all you can4 ,but never read a bad book or a poor book4 ,life is too short1 time too precious1 to spend it in reading anything but the best4 ,any book is bad for you1 the reading of which takes away your desire for a better one4 ,many people still hold that it is a bad thing for the young to read works of fiction4 ,they believe that young minds get a moral twist from reading that which they know is not true1 the descriptions of mere imaginary heroes and heroines1 and of things which never happened4 ,now1 this is a very narrow1 limited view of a big question4 ,these people do not understand the office of the imagination2 they do not realize that many of the fictitious heroes and heroines that live in our minds1 even from childhood's days1 are much more real in their influence on our lives than some of those that exist in flesh and blood4 ,dickens' marvelous characters seem more real to us than any we have ever met4 ,they have followed millions of people from childhood to old age1 and influenced their whole lives for good4 ,many of us would look upon it as a great calamity to have these characters of fiction blotted out of our memory and their influence taken out of our lives4 ,readers are sometimes so wrought up by a good work of fiction1 their minds are raised to such a pitch of courage and daring1 all their faculties so sharpened and braced1 their whole nature so stimulated1 that they can for the time being attempt and accomplish things which were impossible to them without the stimulus4 ,this1 it seems to me1 is one of the great values of fiction4 ,if it is good and elevating1 it is a splendid exercise of all the mental and moral faculties2 it increases courage2 it rouses enthusiasm2 it sweeps the brain-ash off the mind1 and actually strengthens its ability to grasp new principles and to grapple with the difficulties of life4 ,many a discouraged soul has been refreshened1 re-invigorated1 has taken on new life by the reading of a good romance4 ,i recall a bit of fiction1 called ,the ,magic ,story1 which has helped thousands of discouraged souls1 given them new hope1 new life1 when they were ready to give up the struggle4 ,the reading of good fiction is a splendid imagination exerciser and builder4 ,it stimulates it by suggestions1 powerfully increases its picturing capacity1 and keeps it fresh and vigorous and wholesome1 and a wholesome imagination plays a very great part in every sane and worthy life4 ,it makes it possible for us to shut out the most disagreeable past1 to shut out at will all hideous memories of our mistakes1 failures1 and misfortunes2 it helps us to forget our trouble and sorrows1 and to slip at will into a new1 fresh world of our own making1 a world which we can make as beautiful1 as sublime1 as we wish4 ,the imagination is a wonderful substitute for wealth1 luxuries1 and for material things4 ,no matter how poor we may be1 or how unfortunate1 we may be bedridden even1 we can by its aid travel round the world1 visit its greatest cities1 and create the most beautiful things for ourselves4 ,sir ,john ,herschel tells an amusing anecdote illustrating the pleasure derived from a book1 not assuredly of the first order4 ,in a certain village the blacksmith had got hold of ,richardson's novel ,pamela1 or ,virtue ,rewarded1 and used to sit on his anvil in the long summer evenings and read it aloud to a large and attentive audience4 ,it is by no means a short book1 but they fairly listened to it all4 ,at length1 when the happy turn of fortune arrived1 which brings the hero and heroine together1 and sets them living long and happily according to the most approved rules1 the congregation were so delighted as to raise a great shout1 and1 procuring the church keys1 actually set the parish bells ringing4 ,it all comes back to us now1 said the brilliant editor of the ,interior not long ago1 that winter evening in the old home4 ,the curtains are down1 the fire is sending out a cheerful warmth and the shaded lamps diffusing a well-tempered radiance4 ,the lad of fifteen is bent over a borrowed volume of sea tales4 ,for hours he reads on1 oblivious of all surroundings1 until parental attention is drawn toward him by the unusual silence4 ,the boy is seen to be trembling from head to foot with suppressed excitement4 ,a fatherly hand is laid upon the volume1 closing it firmly1 and the edict is spoken1 ',no more novels for five years4' ,and the lad goes off to bed1 half glad1 half grieved1 wondering whether he has found fetters or achieved freedom4 ,in truth he had received both2 for that indiscriminating command forbade to him during a formative period of his life works which would have kindled his imagination1 enriched his fancy1 and heightened his power of expression2 but if it closed to him the ,garden of ,hesperides1 it also saved him from a possible descent to the ,inferno2 it made heroes of history1 not demigods of mythology1 his companions1 and reserved to maturer years those excursions in the literature of the imagination which may lead a young man up to heaven or as easily drag him down to hell4 ,the boy who is permitted to saturate his mind with stories of 'battle1 murder1 and sudden death1' is fitting himself1 as the records of our juvenile courts show1 for the penitentiary or perhaps the gallows4 ,no man can handle pitch without defilement4 ,we may choose our books1 but we can not choose their effects4 ,we may plant the vine or sow the thistle1 but we can not command what fruit each shall bear4 ,we may loosely select our library1 but by and by it will fit us close as a glove4 ,there was never such a demand for fiction as now1 and never larger opportunities for its usefulness4 ,nothing has such an attraction for life as life4 ,but what the heart craves is not 'life as it is4' ,it is life as it ought to be4 ,we want not the feeble but the forceful2 not the commonplace but the transcendent4 ,nobody objects to the 'purpose novel' except those who object to the purpose4 ,dealing as it does in the hands of a great master1 with the grandest passions1 the most tender emotions1 the divinest hopes1 it can portray all these spiritual forces in their majestic sweep and uplift4 ,and as a matter of history1 we have seen the novel achieve in a single generation the task at which the homily had labored ineffectively for a hundred years4 ,realizing this1 it is safe to say that there is not a theory of the philosopher1 a hope of the reformer1 or a prayer of the saint which does not eventually take form in a story4 ,the novel has wings1 while logic plods with a staff4 ,in the hour it takes the metaphysician to define his premises1 the story-teller has reached the goal--and after him tumbles the crowd tumultuous4 ,with the assistance of ,rev4 ,dr4 ,e4 ,p4 ,tenney1 ,i venture upon the following lists of books in various lines of reading3 ,fiction ,the ,arabian ,nights ,entertainment4 ,stories from the ,arabian ,nights 7,riverside ,school ,library71 contains many of the more famous stories4 #ej c4 ,irving ,bachelder's ,transcriber's note3 ,bacheller8 ,eben ,holden1 is a good book4 #djj1jjj copies were sold4 ,j4 ,m4 ,barrie's ,little ,minister1 a story of ,scottish life1 is very bright reading4 ,bunyan's ,pilgrim's ,progress1 is one of the most famous of allegories4 ,cervantes' ,don ,quixote is so widely known that any well-read man should know it4 ,its humor never grows old4 ,ralph ,connor's three books1--,the ,man from ,glengarry1 ,black ,rock1 and ,the ,sky ,pilot1--have sold #djj1jjj copies4 ,of ,george ,w4 ,cable's books1 ,the ,cavalier1 and ,old ,creole ,days are among the best4 ,dinah ,mulock ,craik's ,john ,halifax1 ,gentleman1 is of rare merit4 ,c4 ,e4 ,craddock's 7pseudonym71 ,in the ,tennessee ,mountains is entertaining4 ,a powerful story of mountain-life4 ,of ,f4 ,marion ,crawford's stories1 among the best are ,mr4 ,isaacs and ,a ,roman ,singer4 ,alexander ,dumas' ,count of ,monte ,christo ,transcriber's note3 ,cristo8 is a world-famous romance4 ,of ,george ,eliot1 ,silas ,marner is the best of the short stories1 and ,romola the best of the long4 ,adam ,bede ranks barely second to ,silas ,marner4 ,charlotte ,bronte's ,jane ,eyre remains a classic among earlier ,english novels4 ,edward ,everett ,hale's ,man without a ,country will be read as long as the ,american flag flies4 ,hawthorne's ,mosses from an ,old ,manse are stories of unique interest1 and ,the ,scarlet ,letter is known to all well-read people4 ,of ,rudyard ,kipling1 read ,kim1 and ,the ,man ,who ,would be ,king4 ,pierre ,loti's ,iceland ,fisherman is translated by ,a4 ,f4 de ,koven4 ,mc,clurg1 #a4jj4 ,s4 ,weir ,mitchell's ,hugh ,wynne sold #abe1jjj copies4 ,thomas ,nelson ,page's ,gordon ,keith sold #bjj1jjj copies4 ,if you read only one of ,walter ,scott's novels1 take ,ivanhoe1 or ,the ,talisman4 ,five more of those most read are likely to follow4 ,henryk ,sienkiewicz's ,quo ,vadis is most notable4 ,robert ,l4 ,stevenson's ,treasure ,island1 and ,doctor ,jekyll and ,mr4 ,hyde1 and ,the ,merry ,men and ,other ,tales1 are fair examples of the charm and insight of this author4 ,he who reads ,frank ,stockton's ,rudder ,grange is likely to read more of this author's books4 ,mrs4 ,h4 ,b4 ,stowe's ,uncle ,tom's ,cabin is still one of the great stories of the world4 ,of ,mark ,twain1 ,huckleberry ,finn1 ,the ,innocents ,abroad1 and the ,story of ,joan of ,arc are representative volumes4 ,miss ,warner's ,wide1 ,wide ,world is unique in ,american fiction4 ,john ,watson's ,beside the ,bonnie ,briar ,bush1 sold #bjj1jjj copies in ,america4 ,lew ,wallace's ,ben ,hur is the greatest of scriptural romances4 ,thirty-eight books by twenty-eight authors4 ,it would have been easier to name a hundred authors and two hundred books4 ,i will add from ,the ,critic a list whose sales have reached six figures3-- ,books of ,every-day ,life ,david ,harum1 by ,westcott 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #gbg1jjj ,mrs4 ,wiggs of the ,cabbage ,patch1 by ,alice ,hegan ,rice #cde1jjj ,the ,virginian1 by ,owen ,wister 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #bej1jjj ,lovey ,mary1 by ,alice ,hegan ,rice 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #ahh1jjj ,the ,birds' ,christmas ,carol1 by ,mrs4 ,wiggin 4 4 4 4 4 #ajj1jjj ,the ,story of ,patsy1 by ,mrs4 ,wiggin 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #ajj1jjj ,the ,leopard's ,spots1 by ,thomas ,g4 ,dixon1 ,jr4 4 4 4 #abe1jjj ,romantic ,richard ,carvel1 by ,winston ,churchill 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #djj1jjj ,the ,crisis1 by ,winston ,churchill 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #djj1jjj ,graustark1 by ,g4 ,b4 ,mc,cutcheon 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #cjj1jjj ,the ,eternal ,city1 by ,hall ,caine 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #age1jjj ,dorothy ,vernon1 by ,charles ,major 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #aej1jjj ,the ,manxman1 by ,hall ,caine 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #aac1jjj ,when ,knighthood ,was in ,flower1 by ,charles ,major 4 4 #djj1jjj ,to ,have and to ,hold1 by ,miss ,johnston 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #cjj1jjj ,audrey1 by ,miss ,johnston 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #afe1jjj ,the ,helmet of ,navarre1 by ,bertha ,runkle 4 4 4 4 4 4 #ajj1jjj ,,chapter ,,lxiv ,,reading ,a ,,spur ,,to ,,ambition ,the great use in reading is for self-discovery4 ,inspirational1 character-making1 life-shaping books are the main thing4 ,cotton ,mather's ,essay to ,do ,good influenced the whole career of ,benjamin ,franklin4 ,there are books that have raised the ideals and materially influenced entire nations4 ,who can estimate the value of books that spur ambition1 that awaken slumbering possibilities8 ,are we ambitious to associate with people who inspire us to nobler deeds8 ,let us then read uplifting books1 which stir us to make the most of ourselves4 ,we all know how completely changed we sometimes are after reading a book which has taken a strong1 vigorous hold upon us4 ,thousands of people have found themselves through the reading of some book1 which has opened the door within them and given them the first glimpse of their possibilities4 ,i know men and women whose whole lives have been molded1 the entire trend of their careers completely changed1 uplifted beyond their dreams by the books they have read4 ,when ,senator ,petters of ,alabama went to ,california on horseback in #ahdi1 he took with him a ,bible1 ,shakespeare1 and ,burns's poems4 ,he said that those books read and thought about1 on the great plains1 forever after spoiled him for reading poorer books4 ,the silence1 the solitude1 he said1 and the strange flickering light of the camp fire1 seemed to bring out the tremendous significance of those great books2 and ,i treasure them to-day as my choicest possessions4 ,marshall ,field and other proprietors of the great business houses of ,chicago petitioned the school authorities for improved instruction along moral lines1 affirming that the boys needed religious ideas to make them more reliable in business affairs4 ,it has been said by ,president ,white of ,cornell that1--,the great thing needed to be taught in this country is truth1 simple ethics1 the distinction between right and wrong4 ,stress should be laid upon what is best in biography1 upon noble deeds and sacrifices1 especially those which show that the greatest man is not the greatest orator1 or the tricky politician4 ,they are a curse2 what we need is noble men4 ,national loss comes as the penalty for frivolous boyhood and girlhood1 that gains no moral stamina from wholesome books4 ,if youths learn to feed on the thoughts of the great men and women of all times1 they will never again be satisfied with the common or low2 they will never again be satisfied with mediocrity2 they will aspire to something higher and nobler4 ,a day which is passed without treasuring up some good thought is not well spent4 ,every day is a leaf in the book of life4 ,do not waste a day any more than you would tear out leaves from the book of life4 ,the ,bible1 such manuals as ,daily ,strength for ,daily ,needs1 such books as ,professor ,c4 ,c4 ,everett's ,ethics for ,young ,people2 ,lucy ,elliott ,keeler's ,if ,i ,were a ,girl ,again2 ,beauty through ,hygiene1 by ,dr4 ,emma ,f4 ,walker1 such essays as ,robert ,l4 ,stevenson's ,gentlemen 7in his ,familiar ,studies of ,men and ,books7 ,munger's ,on the ,threshold2 ,john ,ruskin's ,sesame and ,lilies--these are the books that make young men and maidens so trustworthy that the ,marshall ,fields and ,john ,wanamakers want their aid in the conduct of great business concerns4 ,blessed are they who go much farther in later years1 and who become familiar with those ,olympian bards who sang ,divine ideas below1 ,which always find us young ,and always keep us so4 ,the readers who do not know the ,concord philosopher ,emerson1 and the great names of antiquity1 ,marcus ,aurelius1 ,epictetus and ,plato1 have yet great pleasures to come4 ,aside from reading fiction1 books of travel are of the best for mental diversion2 then there are ,nature ,studies1 and ,science and ,poetry1--all affording wholesome recreation1 all of an uplifting character1 and some of them opening up study specialties of the highest order1 as in the great range of books classified as ,natural ,science4 ,the reading and study of poetry is much like the interest one takes in the beauties of natural scenery4 ,much of the best poetry is indeed a poetic interpretation of nature4 ,whittier and ,longfellow and ,bryant lead their readers to look on nature with new eyes1 as ,ruskin opened the eyes of ,henry ,ward ,beecher4 ,a great deal of the best prose is in style and sentiment of a true poetic character1 lacking only the metrical form4 ,to become familiar with ,tennyson and ,shakespeare1 and the brilliant catalogue of ,british poets is in itself a liberal education4 ,rolfe's ,shakespeare is in handy volumes1 and so edited as to be of most service4 ,palgrave's ,golden ,treasury of the best songs and lyrical poems in the ,english language was edited with the advice and collaboration of ,tennyson4 ,his ,children's ,treasury of lyrical poetry is most attractive4 ,emerson's ,parnassus1 and ,whittier's ,three ,centuries of ,song are excellent collections of the most famous poems of the ages4 ,of ,books of ,travel1 here are a dozen titles1 where one might easily name twelve hundred3-- ,edmondo de ,amicis1--,holland and ,its ,people1 and his ,constantinople4 ,frank ,t4 ,bullen's ,cruise of the ,cachelot ,round the ,world ,after ,sperm ,wales4 ,j4 ,m4 ,hoppin's ,old ,england4 ,clifton ,johnson1 ,among ,english ,hedgerows4 ,w4 ,d4 ,howell's ,venetian ,life2 ,italian ,journeys4 ,irving's ,sketch ,book1 and the ,alhambra4 ,henry ,james1 ,portraits of ,places4 ,arthur ,smith's ,chinese ,characteristics1 and especially his ,village ,life in ,china4 ,it would be impossible to list books more interesting and more useful than most fiction1 which may be called ,nature ,studies4 ,i will name a few books that will certainly incite the reader to search for more3-- ,ernest ,ingersoll's ,book of the ,ocean4 ,professor ,e4 ,s4 ,holder's ,the ,sciences1 a reading book for children4 ,jean ,mace's ,history of a ,mouthful of ,bread4 ,e4 ,a4 ,martin's ,story of a ,piece of ,coal4 ,professor ,charles ,a4 ,young's ,the ,sun1 revised edition #ahie4 ,serviss' ,astronomy with an ,opera-,glass1 ,pleasures of the ,telescope1 ,the ,skies and the ,earth4 ,thoreau's ,walden2 or ,life in the ,woods4 ,mrs4 ,f4 ,t4 ,parsons' 7,smith7 ,dana4 ,according to ,seasons2 talks about the flowers in the order of their appearance in the woods and fields4 ,describes wild flowers in order of blooming1 with information about their haunts and habits4 ,also1 by the same author1 ,how to ,know the ,wild ,flowers4 ,describes briefly more than #djj varieties common east of ,chicago1 grouping them by color4 ,seton-,thompson's ,wild ,animals ,i have ,known2 of which #ajj1jjj copies have been sold4 ,f4 ,a4 ,lucas' ,animals of the ,past ,bradford ,towey's ,birds in the ,bush1 and ,everyday ,birds4 ,president ,d4 ,s4 ,jordan's ,true ,tales of ,birds and ,beasts4 ,d4 ,l4 ,sharp's ,a ,watcher in the ,woods4 ,w4 ,h4 ,gibson's ,sharp ,eyes4 ,m4 ,w4 ,morley's ,the ,bee-people4 ,never before was a practical substitute for a college education at home made so cheap1 so easy1 and so attractive4 ,knowledge of all kinds is placed before us in a most attractive and interesting manner4 ,the best of the literature of the world is found to-day in thousands of ,american homes where fifty years ago it could only have been obtained by the rich4 ,what a shame it is that under such conditions as these an ,american should grow up ignorant1 should be uneducated in the midst of such marvelous opportunities for self-improvement6 ,indeed1 most of the best literature in every line to-day appears in the current periodicals1 in the form of short articles4 ,many of our greatest writers spend a vast amount of time in the drudgery of travel and investigation in gathering material for these articles1 and the magazine publishers pay thousands of dollars for what a reader can get for ten or fifteen cents4 ,thus the reader secures for a trifle in periodicals or books the results of months and often years of hard work and investigation of our greatest writers4 ,a ,new ,york millionaire1--a prince among merchants1--took me over his palatial residence on ,fifth ,avenue1 every room of which was a triumph of the architect's1 of the decorator's1 and of the upholsterer's art4 ,i was told that the decorations of a single sleeping-room had cost ten thousand dollars4 ,on the walls were paintings secured at fabulous prices1 and about the rooms were pieces of massive and costly furniture1 and draperies representing a small fortune1 and carpets on which it seemed almost sacrilege to tread covered the floors4 ,but there was scarcely a book in the house4 ,he had expended a fortune for physical pleasures1 comforts1 luxury1 and display4 ,it was pitiful to think of the physical surfeit and mental starvation of the children of such a home as that4 ,when ,i went out1 he told me that he came to the city a poor boy1 with all his worldly possessions done up in a little red bandana4 ,i am a millionaire1 he said1 but ,i want to tell you that ,i would give half ,i have to-day for a decent education4 ,many a rich man has confessed to confidential friends and his own heart that he would give much of his wealth1--all1 if necessary1--to see his son a manly man1 free from the habits which abundance has formed and fostered till they have culminated in sin and degradation and perhaps crime2 and has realized that1 in all his ample provision1 he has failed to provide that which might have saved his son and himself from loss and torture1--good books4 ,there is a wealth within the reach of the poorest mechanic and day-laborer in this country that kings in olden times could not possess1 and that is the wealth of a well-read1 cultured mind4 ,in this newspaper age1 this age of cheap books and periodicals1 there is no excuse for ignorance1 for a coarse1 untrained mind4 ,to-day no one is so handicapped1 if he have health and the use of his faculties1 that he can not possess himself of wealth that will enrich his whole life1 and enable him to converse and mingle with the most cultured people4 ,no one is so poor but that it is possible for him to lay hold of that which will broaden his mind1 which will inform and improve him1 and lift him out of the brute stage of existence into their god-like realm of knowledge4 ,no entertainment is so cheap as reading1 says ,mary ,wortley ,montague2 nor any pleasure so lasting4 ,good books elevate the character1 purify the taste1 take the attractiveness out of low pleasures1 and lift us upon a higher plane of thinking and living4 ,a great part of what the ,british spend on books1 says ,sir ,john ,lubbock1 they save in prisons and police4 ,it seems like a miracle that the poorest boy can converse freely with the greatest philosophers and scientists1 statesmen1 warriors1 authors of all time with little expense1 that the inmates of the humblest cabin may follow the stories of the nations1 the epochs of history1 the story of liberty1 the romance of the world1 and the course of human progress4 ,have you just been to a well educated sharp-sighted employer to find work8 ,you did not need to be at any trouble to tell him the names of the books you have read1 because they have left their indelible mark upon your face and your speech4 ,your pinched1 starved vocabulary1 your lack of polish1 your slang expressions1 tell him of the trash you have given your precious time to4 ,he knows that you have not rightly systemized your hours4 ,he knows that thousands of young men and women whose lives are crowded to overflowing with routine work and duties1 manage to find time to keep posted on what is going on in the world1 and for systematic1 useful reading4 ,carlyle said that a collection of books is a university4 ,what a pity that the thousands of ambitious1 energetic men and women who missed their opportunities for an education at the school age1 and feel crippled by their loss1 fail to catch the significance of this1 fail to realize the tremendous cumulative possibilities of that great life-improver that admirable substitute for a college or university education--reading4 ,of the things which man can do or make here below1 it was said by the sage of ,chelsea1 by far the most momentous1 wonderful1 and worthy1 are the things we call ,books6 ,those poor bits of rag-paper with black ink on them2 from the ,daily ,newspaper to the sacred ,hebrew ,book1 what have they not done1 what are they not doing8 ,president ,schurmann of ,cornell1 points with pride to a few books in his library which he says he bought when a poor boy by going many a day without his dinner4 ,the great ,german ,professor ,oken was not ashamed to ask ,professor ,agassiz to dine with him on potatoes and salt1 that he might save money for books4 ,king ,george ,,iii1 used to say that lawyers do not know so much more law than other people2 but they know better where to find it4 ,a practical working knowledge of how to find what is in the book world1 relating to any given point1 is worth a vast deal from a financial point of view4 ,and by such knowledge1 one forms first an acquaintance with books1 then friendship4 ,when ,i consider1 says ,james ,freeman ,clarke1 what some books have done for the world1 and what they are doing1 how they keep up our hope1 awaken new courage and faith1 soothe pain1 give an ideal of life to those whose homes are hard and cold1 bind together distant ages and foreign lands1 create new worlds of beauty1 bring down truths from heaven1--,i give eternal blessings for this gift4 ,for the benefit of the younger readers we give below a list of forty juveniles4 ,aesop's ,fables4 ,louise ,m4 ,alcott's ,little ,women1 ,little ,men1 which stood at the top of a list of books chosen in eleven thousand elementary class-rooms in ,new ,york4 ,t4 ,b4 ,aldrich's ,story of a ,bad ,boy4 ,anderson's ,fairy ,tales4 ,amelia ,e4 ,barr's ,the ,bow of ,orange ,ribbon1 a book for girls4 ,black ,beauty4 ,e4 ,s4 ,brooks1 ,true ,story of ,general ,grant4 ,bulfinch's ,children's ,lives of ,great ,men1 ,age of ,chivalry1 and ,age of ,fable4 ,bullen's ,log of a ,sea ,waif4 ,burnett's ,little ,lord ,fauntleroy1 and ,sara ,crewe1 the latter a book for girls4 ,butterworth's ,zig-,zag ,journeys4 ,carleton ,coffin's1 ,boys' of '#gf4 ,eva ,lovett ,carson's ,the ,making of a ,girl4 ,ralph ,connor's ,gwen1 a book for girls4 ,louis ,carroll's ,alice in ,wonderland1 and ,through the ,looking ,glass4 ,dana's ,two ,years ,before the ,mast4 ,de ,amicin's ,cuore1 which has sold #bjj1jjj in ,italy4 ,de,foe's ,robinson ,crusoe4 ,mary ,mapes ,dodge1 ,hans ,brinker1 or ,the ,silver ,skates1 ,life in ,holland4 ,eugene ,field's ,a ,little ,book of ,profitable ,tales4 ,it has sold #bjj1jjj copies4 ,grimm's ,fairy ,tales4 ,habberton's ,helen's ,babies4 ,e4 ,e4 ,hale's ,boy ,heroes4 ,chandler ,harris' ,little ,mr4 ,thimblefinger and ,his ,queer ,country2 ,what the ,children ,saw and ,heard ,there4 ,fantastic tale interweaving negro animal stories and other ,georgia folklore with modern inventions4 ,mr4 ,rabbit ,at ,home2 sequel to ,little ,mr4 ,thimblefinger and ,his ,queer ,country4 ,animal stories told to children4 ,charles ,kingsley's ,water ,babies4 ,kipling's ,jungle ,books1 which have sold #age1jjj copies4 ,knox's ,boy ,travelers4 ,lanier's ,boy ,froissart1 and ,boy's ,king ,arthur4 ,edward ,lear's ,nonsense ,books4 ,mabie's ,norse ,stories4 ,samuel's ,from the ,forecastle to the ,cabin4 ,the experiences of the author who ran away from home and shipped as cabin boy2 points out dangers that beset a seafaring life4 ,mrs4 ,a4 ,d4 ,t4 ,whitney's ,faith ,gartney's ,girlhood4 ,kate ,douglas ,wiggin's ,rebecca of ,sunnybrook ,farm4 ,not long ago ,president ,eliot of ,harvard ,college aroused widespread controversy over his selection of a library of books1 which might be contained on a five-foot shelf4 ,we append his selections as indicative of the choice of a great scholar and educator4 ,the following sixteen titles may be had in ,everyman's ,library1 cloth #cej4 net per volume2 leather #gj c4 net per volume3 ,president ,eliot's ,five-,foot ,shelf ,benjamin ,franklin's ,autobiography4 ,sir ,thomas ,browne's ,religio ,medici4 ,confessions of ,st4 ,augustine4 ,shelley's ,the ,cenci 7contained in volume two of the complete works74 ,emerson's ,english ,traits1 and ,representative ,men4 ,emerson's ,essays4 ,chaucer's ,canterbury ,tales4 ,bacon's ,essays4 ,walton's ,complete ,angler4 ,milton's ,poems4 ,goethe's ,faust4 ,marlowe's ,dr4 ,faustus4 ,marcus ,aurelius' ,meditations4 ,browning's ,blot on the ,scutcheon 7contained in volume one of the poems74 ,dante's ,divine ,comedy4 ,bunyan's ,pilgrim's ,progress4 ,thomas 4 ,kempis' ,imitation of ,christ4 ,burns's ,tam ,o',shanter4 ,dryden's ,translation of the ,aeneid4 ,walton's ,lives of ,donne1 and ,herbert4 ,ben ,johnson's ,volpone4 ,smith's ,wealth of ,nations4 ,plutarch's ,lives4 ,letters of ,pliny4 ,cicero's ,select ,letters4 ,plato's ,phaedrus4 ,epictetus' ,discourses4 ,socrates' ,apology and ,crito4 ,beaumont and ,fletcher's ,maid's ,tragedy4 ,milton's ,tractate on ,education4 ,bacon's ,new ,atlantis4 ,darwin's ,origin of ,species4 ,webster's ,duchess of ,malfi4 ,dryden's ,all for ,love4 ,thomas ,middleton's ,the ,changeling4 ,john ,woolman's ,journal4 ,arabian ,nights4 ,tennyson's ,becket4 ,penn's ,fruits of ,solitude4 ,milton's ,areopagitica4 ,the following list of books is offered as suggestive of profitable lines of reading for all classes and tastes3 ,books on ,nature ,thoreau's1 ,cape ,cod1 ,maine ,woods1 ,excursions4 ,burroughs' ,ways of ,nature1 ,wake ,robin1 ,signs and ,seasons1 ,pepacton4 ,jefferies' ,life of the ,fields1 ,wild ,life in a ,southern ,country1 and ,idylls of ,field and ,hedgerow4 ,lubbock's ,beauties of ,nature4 ,maeterlinck's ,life of the ,bee4 ,thompson's ,my ,winter ,garden4 ,warner's ,my ,summer in a ,garden4 ,van ,dyke's ,little ,rivers1 ,fisherman's ,luck4 ,white's ,the ,forest4 ,mrs4 ,wright's ,garden of a ,commuter's ,wife4 ,wordsworth's and ,bryant's ,poems4 ,novels ,descriptive of ,american ,life ,simms' ,the ,partisan4 ,cooper's ,the ,spy4 ,hawthorne's ,the ,house of the ,seven ,gables4 ,cable's ,old ,creole ,days1 ,the ,grandissimes4 ,howells' ,the ,rise of ,silas ,lapham4 ,howells' ,a ,hazard of ,new ,fortunes4 ,eggleston's ,a ,hoosier ,schoolmaster4 ,bret ,harte's ,luck of ,roaring ,camp and ,other ,stories4 ,mary ,hallock ,foote's ,the ,led-,horse ,claim4 ,octave ,thanet's ,heart of ,toil1 ,stories of a ,western ,town4 ,wister's ,the ,virginian1 ,lady ,baltimore4 ,e4 ,hopkinson ,smith's ,the ,fortune of ,oliver ,horn4 ,thomas ,nelson ,page's ,short ,stories1 and ,red ,rock4 ,mrs4 ,delands' ,old ,chester ,tales4 ,j4 ,l4 ,allen's ,flute and ,violin1 ,the ,choir ,invisible4 ,frank ,norris' ,the ,octopus1 ,the ,pit ,garland's ,main ,traveled ,roads4 ,miss ,jewett's ,country of the ,pointed ,firs1 ,the ,tory ,lover4 ,miss ,wilkins' ,new ,england ,nun1 ,pembroke4 ,churchill's ,the ,crisis1 ,coniston1 ,mr4 ,crewe's ,career4 ,brander ,matthews' ,his ,father's ,son4 ,s4 ,weir ,mitchell's ,hugh ,wynne4 ,fox's ,the ,little ,shepherd of ,kingdom ,come4 ,mrs4 ,wharton's ,the ,house of ,mirth4 ,robert ,grant's ,unleavened ,bread4 ,robert ,herrick's ,the ,common ,lot1 ,the ,memoirs of an ,american ,citizen4 ,grace ,e4 ,king's ,balcony ,stories4 ,books ,which ,interpret ,american ,ideals ,emerson's ,addresses and ,essays4 ,lowell's ,essay on ,democracy4 ,lincoln's ,inaugural ,addresses4 ,booker ,t4 ,washington's ,up from ,slavery4 ,jacob ,riis' ,the ,making of ,an ,american4 ,higginson's ,the ,new ,world and the ,new ,book4 ,brander ,matthews' ,introduction to ,american ,literature4 ,whittier's ,snow-,bound4 ,louise ,manley's ,southern ,literature4 ,thomas ,nelson ,page's ,the ,old ,south4 ,e4 ,j4 ,turner's ,the ,rise of the ,new ,west ,churchill's ,the ,crossing4 ,james ,bryce's ,american ,commonwealth4 ,some of the ,best ,biographies ,life of ,sir ,walter ,scott1 ,lockhart4 ,life of ,frederick the ,great1 ,carlyle4 ,alfred ,lord ,tennyson1 by his son4 ,life and ,letters of ,thomas ,henry ,huxley1 by his son4 ,plutarch's ,lives4 ,lives of ,seventy of the ,most ,eminent ,painters1 ,sculptors and ,architects1 ,vasari4 ,cicero and ,his ,friends1 ,boissier4 ,life of ,samuel ,johnson1 ,boswell4 ,autobiography of ,leigh ,hunt4 ,memoirs of ,my ,life and ,writings1 ,gibbon4 ,autobiography of ,martineau4 ,life of ,john ,sterling1 ,carlyle4 ,life and ,times of ,goethe1 ,grimm4 ,life and ,letters of ,macaulay1 ,trevelyan4 ,life of ,charles ,james ,fox1 ,trevelyan4 ,life of ,carlyle1 ,froude4 ,benvenuto ,cellini's ,autobiography4 ,boswell's ,johnson4 ,trevelyan's ,life of ,macaulay4 ,carlyle's1 ,frederick the ,great4 ,stanley's1 ,thomas ,arnold4 ,hughes'1 ,alfred the ,great4 ,mrs4 ,kingsley's1 ,charles ,kingsley4 ,lounsbury's1 ,cooper4 ,greenslet's1 ,lowell1 and ,aldrich4 ,mims'1 ,sidney ,lanier4 ,wister's1 ,seven ,ages of ,washington4 ,grant's ,autobiography4 ,morley's1 ,chatham4 ,harrison's1 ,cromwell4 ,w4 ,clark ,russell's1 ,nelson4 ,morse's1 ,benjamin ,franklin4 ,twenty-four ,american ,biographies ,abraham ,lincoln1 ,schurz4 ,life of ,george ,washington1 ,irving4 ,charles ,eliot1 ,landscape ,architect1 ,eliot4 ,nathaniel ,hawthorne and ,his ,wife1 ,hawthorne4 ,henry ,wadsworth ,longfellow1 ,higginson4 ,james ,russell ,lowell1 ,greenslet4 ,life of ,francis ,parkman1 ,farnham4 ,edgar ,alien ,poe1 ,woodberry4 ,autobiography of ,joseph ,jefferson4 ,walt ,whitman1 ,perry4 ,life and ,letters of ,whittier1 ,pickard4 ,james ,russell ,lowell and ,his ,friends1 ,hale4 ,george ,washington1 ,wilson4 ,autobiography of ,benjamin ,franklin4 ,story of ,my ,life1 ,helen ,keller4 ,autobiography of a ,journalist1 ,stillman4 ,autobiography of ,seventy ,years1 ,hoar4 ,life of ,thomas ,bailey ,aldrich1 ,greenslet4 ,life of ,alice ,freeman ,palmer1 ,palmer4 ,personal ,memoirs1 ,grant4 ,memoirs1 ,sherman4 ,memoirs of ,ralph ,waldo ,emerson1 ,cabot4 ,sidney ,lanier1 ,mims4 ,life of ,j4 ,fenimore ,cooper1 ,lounsbury4 ,the books enumerated have been selected as examples of the best in their respective classes4 ,even those books of fiction chosen1 primarily1 for entertainment1 are instructive and educational4 ,whether the reader's taste runs to history1 biography1 travel1 nature study1 or fiction1 he may select any one of the books named in these respective classifications and be assured of possessing a volume worthy of reading and ownership4 ,it is the author's hope and desire that the list of books he has given1 limited as it is1 may prove of value to those seeking self-education1 and that the books may encourage the disheartened1 stimulate ambition1 and serve as stepping stones to higher ideals and nobler purposes in life4 ,,chapter ,,lxv ,,why ,,some ,,succeed ,,and ,,others ,,fail ,life's highway is strewn with failures1 just as the sea bed is strewn with wrecks4 ,a large percentage of those who embark in commercial undertakings fail1 according to the records of commercial agencies4 ,why do men fail8 ,why do adventures into business1 happily launched1 terminate in disastrous wreck8 ,why do the few succeed and the many fail8 ,some failures are relative and not absolute2 a partial success is achieved2 a success that goes limping along through life2 but the goal of ambition is unreached1 the heart's desire unattained4 ,there are so many elements that enter into business that it is impossible to more than indicate them4 ,health1 natural aptitude1 temperament1 disposition1 a right start and in the right place1 hereditary traits1 good judgment1 common sense1 level-headedness1 etc41 are all factors which enter into one's chance of success in life4 ,the best we can do in one chapter is to hang out the red flag over the dangerous places2 to chart the rocks and shoals1 whereon multitudes of vessels1 which left the port of youth with flying colors1 favoring breezes and every promise of a successful voyage1 have been wrecked and lost4 ,the lack of self-confidence and lack of faith in one's ideas in one's mission in life have caused innumerable failures4 ,people who don't get on and who don't know why1 do not realize the power of trifles to mar a career1 what little things are killing their business or injuring their profession2 do not realize how little things injure their credit2 such as the lack of promptness in paying bills1 or meeting a note at the bank4 ,many men fail because they thought they had the field and were in no danger from competition1 so that the heads of the firm took it easy1 or because some enterprising up-to-date1 progressive young man came to town1 and1 before they realized it1 took their trade away from them1 because they got into a rut1 and didn't keep up-to-date stock and an attractive store4 ,they don't realize what splendid salesmen1 an attractive place of business1 up-to-date methods1 and courteous treatment of customers mean4 ,men often fail because they do not realize that creeping paralysis1 caused by dry rot1 is gradually strangling their business4 ,many business men fail because they dare not look their business conditions in the face when things go wrong1 and do not adopt heroic methods1 but continue to use palliatives1 until the conditions are beyond cure1 even with a surgeon's knife4 ,lots of men fail because they don't know how to get rid of deadwood in their establishment1 or retain non-productive employees1 who with slip-shod methods1 and indifference drive away more business than the proprietors can bring in by advertising4 ,many other men fail because they tried bluff in place of capital1 and proper training1 or because they didn't keep up with the times4 ,lots of young people fail to get ahead and plod along in mediocrity because they never found their place4 ,they are round pegs in square holes4 ,others are not capable of coping with antagonism4 ,favoritism of proprietors and managers has killed many a business4 ,a multitude of men fail to get on because they take themselves too seriously4 ,they deliver their goods in a hearse1 employ surly1 unaccommodating clerks4 ,bad business manners have killed many a business4 ,slave-driving methods1 inability to get along with others1 lack of system1 defective organizing ability1 have cut short many a career4 ,a great many men are ruined by side-lines things outside their regular vocation4 ,success depends upon efficiency1 and efficiency is impossible without intense1 persistent concentration4 ,many traveling men think that they can pick up a little extra money and increase their income by taking up some side-line4 ,but it is always the small man1 never the big one1 who has a side-line4 ,many of these men remain small1 and are never able to rise to a big salaried position because they split up their endeavor1 dissipate their energy4 ,side-lines are dangerous because they divert the mind1 scatter effort1 and nothing great can be accomplished without intense concentration4 ,many people are always driving success away from them by their antagonistic manner1 and their pessimistic thought4 ,they work for one thing1 but expect something else4 ,they don't realize that their mental attitude must correspond with their ambition2 that if they are working hard to get on1 they must expect prosperity1 and not kill their prospects by their adverse mental attitude--their doubts and fears4 ,lots of men are ruined by a sure thing1 an inside tip1 buying stocks on other people's judgment4 ,many people fail because they lose their grit after they fail1 or when they get down1 they don't know how to get up4 ,many are victims of their moods1 slaves of despondency4 ,courage and an optimistic outlook upon life are imperative to the winner4 ,fear is fatal to success4 ,many a young man fails because he can not multiply himself in others1 can not delegate his work1 is lost in detail4 ,other men fail in an attempt to build up a big business2 their minds are not trained to grasp large subjects1 to generalize1 to make combinations2 they are not self-reliant1 depending upon other people's judgment and advice4 ,many a man who works hard himself1 does not know how to handle men1 and does not know how to use other people's brains4 ,thousands of youths fail to get on because they never fall in love with their work4 ,work that is drudgery never succeeds4 ,fifty years ago1 a stable-boy cleaned the horses of a prosperous hotel proprietor1 who drove into ,denver for supplies4 ,that boy became ,governor of ,colorado1 and later the hotel-keeper1 with shattered fortunes1 was glad to accept a place as watchman at the hand of the former stable-boy4 ,life is made up of such contrasts4 ,every successful man1 in whatever degree and in whatever line1 has1 at every step of his life1 been on seemingly equal terms with hundreds of his fellows who1 later1 reached no such measure of success as he4 ,every miserable failure has had at some time as many chances1 and at least as much possibility of cultivating the same qualities1 as the successful people have had at some time in their lives4 ,since humble birth and handicaps of every sort and degree have not prevented success in the determined man2 since want has often spurred to needed action and obstacles but train to higher leaping1 why should men fail8 ,what causes the failures and half-successes that make up the generality of mankind8 ,the answer is manifold1 but its lesson is plain4 ,as one writer has expressed it1 ,every mainspring of success is a mainspring of failure1 when wound around the wrong way4 ,every opportunity for advancement1 for climbing for success1 is just as much an opportunity for failure4 ,every success quality can be turned to one's disadvantage through excessive development or wrong use4 ,no matter how broad and strong the dike may be1 if a little hole lets the water through1 ruin and disaster are sure4 ,possession of almost all the success-qualities may be absolutely nullified by one or two faults or vices4 ,sometimes one or two masterful traits of character will carry a person to success1 in spite of defects that are a serious clog4 ,the numerous failures who wish always to blame their misfortunes upon others1 or upon external circumstances1 find small comfort in statistics compiled by those who have investigated the subject4 ,in analyzing the causes of business failure in a recent year ,bradstreet's found that seven-tenths were due to faults of those failing1 and only three-tenths to causes entirely beyond their control4 ,faults causing failure1 with per cent4 of failures caused by each1 are given as follows3 incompetence1 #ai per cent42 inexperience1 #g4h per cent42 lack of capital1 #cj4c per cent42 unwise granting of credit1 #c4f per cent42 speculation1 #b4c per cent4 ,it may be explained that lack of capital really means attempting to do too much with inadequate capital4 ,this is a purely commercial analysis of purely commercial success4 ,character delinquencies must be read between the lines4 ,forty successful men were induced1 not long ago1 to answer in detail the question1 ,what1 in your observation1 are the chief causes of the failure in life of business or professional men8 ,the causes attributed by these representative men were as follows3 ,bad habits2 bad judgment2 bad luck2 bad associates2 carelessness of details2 constant assuming of unjustifiable risks2 desire to become rich too fast2 drinking2 dishonest dealings2 desire of retrenchment2 dislike to say no at the proper time2 disregard of the ,golden ,rule2 drifting with the tide2 expensive habits of life2 extravagance3 envy2 failure to appreciate one's surroundings2 failure to grasp one's opportunities2 frequent changes from one business to another2 fooling away of time in pursuit of a so-called good time1 gambling2 inattention2 incompetent assistants2 incompetency2 indolence2 jealousy4 ,lack of attention to business2 of application2 of adaptation2 of ambition2 of business methods2 of capital2 of conservatism2 of close attention to business2 of confidence in self2 of careful accounting2 of careful observation2 of definite purpose2 of discipline in early life2 of discernment of character2 of enterprise2 of energy2 of economy2 of faithfulness2 of faith in one's calling2 of industry2 of integrity2 of judgment2 of knowledge of business requirements2 of manly character2 of natural ability2 of perseverance2 of pure principles2 of proper courtesy toward people2 of purpose2 of pluck2 of promptness in meeting business engagements2 of system4 ,late hours2 living beyond one's income2 leaving too much to one's employees2 neglect of details2 no inborn love for one's calling2 over-confidence in the stability of existing conditions2 procrastination2 speculative mania2 selfishness2 self-indulgence in small vices2 studying ease rather than vigilance2 social demoralization2 thoughtless marriages2 trusting one's work to others2 undesirable location2 unwillingness to pay the price of success2 unwillingness to bear early privations2 waste2 yielding too easily to discouragement4 ,surely1 here is material enough for a hundred sermons if one cared to preach them4 ,without attempting to discuss all these causes of failure1 some few may be profitably examined4 ,no youth can hope to succeed who is timid1 who lacks faith in himself1 who has not the courage of his convictions1 and who always seeks for certainty before he ventures4 ,self-distrust is the cause of most of our failures1 said one4 ,in the assurance of strength there is strength1 and they are the weakest1 however strong1 who have no faith in themselves or their powers4 ,the ruin which overtakes so many merchants1 said another1 is due1 not so much to their lack of business talent1 as to their lack of business nerve4 ,how many lovable persons we see in trade1 endowed with brilliant capacities1 but cursed with yielding dispositions--who are resolute in no business habits and fixed in no business principles--who are prone to follow the instincts of a weak good nature1 against the ominous hints of a clear intelligence2 now obliging this friend by indorsing an unsafe note1 and then pleasing that neighbor by sharing his risk in a hopeless speculation1 and who1 after all the capital they have earned by their industry and sagacity has been sunk in benevolent attempts to assist blundering or plundering incapacity1 are doomed1 in their bankruptcy1 to be the mark of bitter taunts from growling creditors and insolent pity from a gossiping public4 ,scattering one's forces has killed many a man's success4 ,withdrawal of the best of yourself from the work to be done is sure to bring final disaster4 ,every particle of a man's energy1 intellect1 courage1 and enthusiasm is needed to win success in one line4 ,draw off part of the supply of any one or all of these1 and there is danger that what is left will not suffice4 ,a little inattention to one's business at a critical point is quite sufficient to cause shipwreck4 ,the pilot who pays attention to a pretty passenger is not likely to bring his ship to port4 ,attractive side issues1 great schemes1 and flattering promises of large rewards1 too often lure the business or professional man from the safe path in which he may plod on to sure success4 ,many a man fails to become a great man1 by splitting into several small ones1 choosing to be a tolerable ,jack-at-all-trades1 rather than to be an unrivalled specialist4 ,lack of thoroughness is another great cause of failure4 ,the world is overcrowded with men1 young and old1 who remain stationary1 filling minor positions1 and drawing meager salaries1 simply because they have never thought it worth while to achieve mastery in the pursuits they have chosen to follow4 ,lack of education has caused many failures2 if a man has success qualities in him1 he will not long lack such education as is absolutely necessary to his success4 ,he will walk fifty miles if necessary to borrow a book1 like ,lincoln4 ,he will hang by one arm to a street lamp1 and hold his book with the other1 like a certain ,glasgow boy4 ,he will study between anvil blows1 like ,elihu ,burritt2 he will do some of the thousand things that other noble strugglers have done to fight against circumstances that would deprive them of what they hunger for4 ,the five conditions of failure1 said ,h4 ,h4 ,vreeland1 president of the ,metropolitan ,street ,railway ,company of ,new ,york1 may be roughly classified thus3 first1 laziness1 and particularly mental laziness2 second1 lack of faith in the efficiency of work2 third1 reliance on the saving grace of luck2 fourth1 lack of courage1 initiative and persistence3 fifth1 the belief that the young man's job affects his standing1 instead of the young man's affecting the standing of his job4 ,look where you will1 ask of whom you will1 and you will find that not circumstances1 but personal qualities1 defects and deficiencies1 cause failures4 ,this is strongly expressed by a wealthy manufacturer who said3 ,nothing else influences a man's career in life so much as his disposition4 ,he may have capacity1 knowledge1 social position1 or money to back him at the start2 but it is his disposition that will decide his place in the world at the end4 ,show me a man who is1 according to popular prejudice1 a victim of bad luck1 and ,i will show you one who has some unfortunate1 crooked twist of temperament that invites disaster1 ,he is ill-tempered1 or conceited1 or trifling1 or lacks enthusiasm4 ,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 yet after a long life of striving1 old age finds them still poor4 ,they complain of ill luck1 they say fate is against them4 ,but the real truth is that their projects miscarry1 because they mistake mere activity for energy4 ,confounding two things essentially different1 they suppose that if they are always busy1 they must of necessity be advancing their fortunes2 forgetting that labor misdirected is but a waste of activity4 ,the worst of all foes to success is sheer1 downright laziness4 ,there is no polite synonym for laziness4 ,too many young men are afraid to work4 ,they are lazy4 ,they aim to find genteel occupations1 so that they can dress well1 and not soil their clothes1 and handle things with the tips of their fingers4 ,they do not like to get their shoulders under the wheel1 and they prefer to give orders to others1 or figure as masters1 and let some one else do the drudgery4 ,there is no place in this century for the lazy man4 ,he will be pushed to the wall4 ,labor ever will be the inevitable price for everything that is valuable4 ,a metropolitan daily newspaper not long ago invited confessions by letter from those who felt that their lives had been failures4 ,the newspaper agreed not to disclose the name or identity of any person making such a confession1 and requested frank statements4 ,two questions were asked3 ,has your life been a failure8 ,has your business been a failure8 ,some of the replies were pitiable in the extreme4 ,some attributed their failures to a cruel fate which seemed to pursue them and thwart all their efforts1 some to hereditary weaknesses1 deformities1 and taints1 some to a husband or a wife1 others to inhospitable surroundings1 and cruel circumstances4 ,it is worthy of note that not one of these failures mentioned laziness as a cause4 ,here are some of the reasons they did give3 ,j4 ,p4 ,t4 considered that his life was a failure from too much genius4 ,he said he thought he could do anything1 and therefore he couldn't wait to graduate from college1 but left and began the practise of law1 was principal of an academy1 overworked himself1 and had too many irons in the fire4 ,he failed1 he said1 from dissipating his energies1 and having too much confidence in men4 ,rutherford1 said he had four chances to succeed in life1 but lost them all4 ,the first cause of his failure was lack of perseverance4 ,he tired of the sameness and routine of his occupation4 ,his second shortcoming was too great liberality1 too much confidence in others4 ,third1 economy was not in his dictionary4 ,fourth1 ,i had too much hope1 even in the greatest extremities4 ,fifth1 ,i believed too much in friends and friendships4 ,i couldn't read human nature1 and did not make allowance enough for mistakes4 ,sixth1 ,i never struck my vocation4 ,seventh1 ,i had no one to care for1 to spur me on to do something in the world4 ,i am seventy years old1 never drank1 never had bad habits1 always attended church4 ,but ,i am as poor as when ,i started for myself4 ,g4 ,c4 ,s4 failed dismally4 ,my weakness was building air-castles4 ,i had a burning desire to make a name in the world1 and came to ,new ,york from the country4 ,rebuffed1 discouraged1 ,i drifted4 ,i had no heart for work4 ,i lacked ability and push1 without which no life can be a success4 ,lacked ability and push4--,push is ability4 ,laziness is lack of push4 ,nothing can take the place of push4 ,push means industry and endurance and everlasting stick-to-it-ive-ness4 ,a somewhat varied experience of men has led me1 the longer ,i live1 said a great man1 to set less value on mere cleverness2 to attach more and more importance to industry and physical endurance4 ,goethe said that industry is nine-tenths of genius1 and ,franklin that diligence is the mother of good luck4 ,a thousand other tongues and pens have lauded work4 ,idleness and shiftlessness may be set down as causing a large part of the failures of the world4 ,on every side we see persons who started out with good educations and great promise1 but who have gradually gone to seed4 ,their early ambition oozed out1 their early ideals gradually dropped to lower standards4 ,ambition is a spring that sets the apparatus going4 ,all the parts may be perfect1 but the lack of a spring is a fatal defect4 ,without wish to rise1 desire to accomplish and to attain1 no life will succeed largely4 ,chief among the causes which bring positive failure or a disappointing portion of half success to thousands of honest strugglers is vacillation1 said ,thomas ,b4 ,bryan4 ,many a business man has made his fortune by promptly deciding at some nice juncture to expose himself to a considerable risk4 ,yet many failures are caused by ill-advised changes and causeless vacillation of purpose4 ,the vacillating man1 however strong in other respects1 is always pushed aside in the race of life by the determined man1 the decisive man1 who knows what he wants to do and does it2 even brains must give way to decision4 ,one could almost say that no life ever failed that was steadfastly devoted to one aim1 if that aim were not in itself unworthy4 ,i am a great believer in a college education1 but a great many college graduates have made failures of their lives who might have succeeded had they not gone to college1 because they depended upon theoretical1 impractical knowledge to help them on1 and were not willing to begin at the bottom after graduation4 ,on every hand we see men who did well in college1 but who do very poorly in life4 ,they stood high in their classes1 were conscientious1 hard workers1 but somehow when they get out into life1 they do not seem able to catch on4 ,they are not practical4 ,it would be hard to tell why they never get ahead1 but there seems to be something lacking in their make-up1 some screw loose somewhere4 ,these brilliant graduates1 but indifferently successful men1 are often enigmas to themselves4 ,they don't understand why they don't get on4 ,there is no doubt that ill-health is often the cause of failure1 but this is often due to a wrong mental attitude1 wrong thinking4 ,the pessimistic1 discouraged mental attitude is very injurious to good health4 ,worry1 fear1 anxiety1 jealousy1 extreme selfishness1 poison the system1 so that it does not perform its functions perfectly1 and will cause much ill-health4 ,a complete reversal of the mental attitude would bring robust health to multitudes of those who suffer from poor health4 ,if people would only think right1 and live right1 ill-health would be very rare4 ,a wrong mental attitude is the cause of a large part of physical weakness1 disease1 and suffering4 ,it has been said that the two chief factors of success are industry and health4 ,but the history of human triumphs over difficulties shows that the sick1 the crippled1 the deformed1 have often outrun the strong and hale to the goal of success1 in spite of tremendous physical handicaps4 ,many such instances are cited in other chapters of this volume4 ,where men have built an abiding success1 industry and perseverance have proven the foundation stone8 of their great achievements4 ,every man may lay this foundation and build on it for himself4 ,whatever a man's natural advantages may be1 great or small1 industry and perseverance are his1 if he chooses4 ,by the exercise of these qualities he may rise1 as others have done1 to success1 if like ,palissy he ,labors and endures and waits ,and what he can not find creates4 ,,when ,,is ,,success ,a ,,failure8 ,when you are doing the lower while the higher is possible4 ,when you are not a cleaner1 finer1 larger man on account of your life-work4 ,when you live only to eat1 drink1 have a good time1 and accumulate money4 ,when you do not carry a higher wealth in your character than in your pocketbook4 ,when your highest brain cells have been crowded out of business by greed4 ,when it has made conscience an accuser1 and shut the sunlight out of your life4 ,when all sympathy has been crushed out by selfish devotion to your vocation4 ,when the attainment of your ambition has blighted the aspirations and crushed the hopes of others4 ,when you plead that you never had time to cultivate your friendships1 politeness1 or good manners4 ,when you have lost on your way your self-respect1 your courage1 your self-control1 or any other quality of manhood4 ,when you do not overtop your vocation2 when you are not greater as a man than as a lawyer1 a merchant1 a physician1 or a scientist4 ,when you have lived a double life and practised double-dealing4 ,when it has made you a physical wreck--a victim of nerves and moods4 ,when the hunger for more money1 more land1 more houses and bonds has grown to be your dominant passion4 ,when it has dwarfed you mentally and morally1 and robbed you of the spontaneity and enthusiasm of youth4 ,when it has hardened you to the needs and sufferings of others1 and made you a scorner of the poor and unfortunate4 ,when there is a dishonest or a deceitful dollar in your possession2 when your fortune spells the ruin of widows and orphans1 or the crushing of the opportunities of others4 ,when your absorption in your work has made you practically a stranger to your family4 ,when you go on the principle of getting all you can and giving as little as possible in return4 ,when your greed for money has darkened and cramped your wife's life1 and deprived her of self-expression1 of needed rest and recreation1 or amusement of any kind4 ,when the nervous irritability engendered by constant work1 without relaxation1 has made you a brute in your home and a nuisance to those who work for you4 ,when you rob those who work for you of what is justly their due1 and then pose as a philanthropist by contributing a small fraction of your unjust gains to some charity or to the endowment of some public institution4 ,,chapter ,,lxvi ,,rich ,,without ,,money ,let others plead for pensions2 ,i can be rich without money1 by endeavoring to be superior to everything poor4 ,i would have my services to my country unstained by any interested motive4--,,lord ,,collingwood4 ,i ought not to allow any man1 because he has broad lands1 to feel that he is rich in my presence4 ,i ought to make him feel that ,i can do without his riches1 that ,i can not be bought1--neither by comfort1 neither by pride1--and although ,i be utterly penniless1 and receiving bread from him1 that he is the poor man beside me4--,,emerson4 ,he is richest who is content with the least1 for content is the wealth of nature4--,,socrates4 ,my crown is in my heart1 not on my head1 ,nor decked with diamonds and ,indian stones1 ,nor to be seen3 my crown is called content2 ,a crown it is1 that seldom kings enjoy4 ,,shakespeare4 ,many a man is rich without money4 ,thousands of men with nothing in their pockets are rich4 ,a man born with a good1 sound constitution1 a good stomach1 a good heart and good limbs1 and a pretty good head-piece is rich4 ,good bones are better than gold1 tough muscles than silver1 and nerves that carry energy to every function are better than houses and land4 ,heart-life1 soul-life1 hope1 joy1 and love1 are true riches1 said ,beecher4 ,why should ,i scramble and struggle to get possession of a little portion of this earth8 ,this is my world now2 why should ,i envy others its mere legal possession8 ,it belongs to him who can see it1 enjoy it4 ,i need not envy the so-called owners of estates in ,boston or ,new ,york4 ,they are merely taking care of my property and keeping it in excellent condition for me4 ,for a few pennies for railroad fare whenever ,i wish ,i can see and possess the best of it all4 ,it has cost me no effort1 it gives me no care2 yet the green grass1 the shrubbery1 and the statues on the lawns1 the finer sculptures and the paintings within1 are always ready for me whenever ,i feel a desire to look upon them4 ,i do not wish to carry them home with me1 for ,i could not give them half the care they now receive2 besides1 it would take too much of my valuable time1 and ,i should be worrying continually lest they be spoiled or stolen4 ,i have much of the wealth of the world now4 ,it is all prepared for me without any pains on my part4 ,all around me are working hard to get things that will please me1 and competing to see who can give them the cheapest4 ,the little that ,i pay for the use of libraries1 railroads1 galleries1 parks1 is less than it would cost to care for the least of all ,i use4 ,life and landscape are mine1 the stars and flowers1 the sea and air1 the birds and trees4 ,what more do ,i want8 ,all the ages have been working for me2 all mankind are my servants4 ,i am only required to feed and clothe myself1 an easy task in this land of opportunity4 ,a millionaire pays a big fortune for a gallery of paintings1 and some poor boy or girl comes in1 with open mind and poetic fancy1 and carries away a treasure of beauty which the owner never saw4 ,a collector bought at public auction in ,london1 for one hundred and fifty-seven guineas1 an autograph of ,shakespeare2 but for nothing a schoolboy can read and absorb the riches of ,hamlet4 ,want is a growing giant whom the coat of ,have was never large enough to cover4 ,a man may as soon fill a chest with grace1 or a vessel with virtue1 says ,phillips ,brooks1 as a heart with wealth4 ,shall we seek happiness through the sense of taste or of touch8 ,shall we idolize our stomachs and our backs8 ,have we no higher missions1 no nobler destinies8 ,shall we disgrace the fair day by a pusillanimous preference of our bread to our freedom8 ,what does your money say to you3 what message does it bring to you8 ,does it say to you1 ,eat1 drink1 and be merry1 for to-morrow we die8 ,does it bring a message of comfort1 of education1 of culture1 of travel1 of books1 of an opportunity to help your fellow-men or is the message ,more land1 more thousands and millions8 ,what message does it bring you8 ,clothes for the naked1 bread for the starving1 schools for the ignorant1 hospitals for the sick1 asylums for the orphans1 or of more for yourself and none for others8 ,is it a message of generosity or of meanness1 breadth or narrowness8 ,does it speak to you of character8 ,does it mean a broader manhood1 a larger aim1 a nobler ambition1 or does it cry1 ,more1 more1 more8 ,are you an animal loaded with ingots1 or a man filled with a purpose8 ,he is rich whose mind is rich1 whose thought enriches the intellect of the world4 ,a sailor on a sinking vessel in the ,caribbean ,sea eagerly filled his pockets with ,spanish dollars from a barrel on board while his companions1 about to leave in the only boat1 begged him to seek safety with them4 ,but he could not leave the bright metal which he had so longed for and idolized1 and when the vessel went down he was prevented by his very riches from reaching shore4 ,who is the richest of men8 asked ,socrates4 ,he who is content with the least1 for contentment is nature's riches4 ,in ,more's ,utopia gold was despised4 ,criminals were forced to wear heavy chains of it1 and to have rings of it in their ears2 it was put to the vilest uses to keep up the scorn of it4 ,bad characters were compelled to wear gold head-bands4 ,diamonds and pearls were used to decorate infants1 so that the youth would discard and despise them4 ,ah1 if the rich were as rich as the poor fancy riches6 exclaims ,emerson4 ,in excavating ,pompeii a skeleton was found with the fingers clenched round a quantity of gold4 ,a man of business in the town of ,hull1 ,england1 when dying1 pulled a bag of money from under his pillow1 which he held between his clenched fingers with a grasp so firm as scarcely to relax under the agonies of death4 ,oh6 blind and wanting wit to choose1 ,who house the chaff and burn the grain2 ,who hug the wealth ye cannot use1 ,and lack the riches all may gain4 ,poverty is the want of much1 avarice the want of everything4 ,a poor man while scoffing at the wealthy for not enjoying themselves was met by a stranger who gave him a purse1 in which he was always to find a ducat4 ,as fast as he took one out another was to drop in1 but he was not to begin to spend his fortune until he had thrown away the purse4 ,he took ducat after ducat out1 but continually procrastinated and put off the hour of enjoyment until he had got a little more1 and died at last counting his millions4 ,a beggar was once met by ,fortune1 who promised to fill his wallet with gold1 as much as he might desire1 on condition that whatever touched the ground should turn at once to dust4 ,the beggar opened his wallet1 asked for more and yet more1 until the bag burst4 ,the gold fell to the ground1 and all was lost4 ,when the steamer ,central ,america was about to sink1 the stewardess1 having collected all the gold she could from the staterooms1 and tied it in her apron1 jumped for the last boat leaving the steamer4 ,she missed her aim1 fell into the water and the gold carried her down head first4 ,franklin said money never made a man happy yet2 there is nothing in its nature to produce happiness4 ,the more a man has1 the more he wants4 ,instead of filling a vacuum1 it makes one4 ,a great bank account can never make a man rich4 ,it is the mind that makes the body rich4 ,no man is rich1 however much money or land he may possess1 who has a poor heart4 ,if that is poor1 he is poor indeed1 though he own and rule kingdoms4 ,he is rich or poor according to what he is1 not according to what he has4 ,some men are rich in health1 in constant cheerfulness1 in a mercurial temperament which floats them over troubles and trials enough to sink a shipload of ordinary men4 ,others are rich in disposition1 family1 and friends4 ,there are some men so amiable that everybody loves them2 so cheerful that they carry an atmosphere of jollity about them4 ,the human body is packed full of marvelous devices1 of wonderful contrivances1 of infinite possibilities for the happiness and enrichment of the individual4 ,no physiologist1 inventor1 nor scientist has ever been able to point out a single improvement1 even in the minutest detail1 in the mechanism of the human body4 ,no chemist has ever been able to suggest a superior combination in any one of the elements which make up the human structure4 ,illustration3 ,mark ,twain ,one of the first great lessons of life is to learn the true estimate of values4 ,as the youth starts out in his career all sorts of wares will be imposed upon him and all kinds of temptations will be used to induce him to buy4 ,his success will depend very largely upon his ability to estimate properly1 not the apparent but the real value of everything presented to him4 ,vulgar ,wealth will flaunt her banner before his eyes1 and claim supremacy over everything else4 ,a thousand different schemes will be thrust into his face with their claims for superiority4 ,every occupation and vocation will present its charms and offer its inducements in turn4 ,the youth who would succeed must not allow himself to be deceived by appearance1 but must place the emphasis of life upon the right thing4 ,raphael was rich without money4 ,all doors opened to him1 and he was more than welcome everywhere4 ,his sweet spirit radiated sunshine wherever he went4 ,henry ,wilson1 the sworn friend of the oppressed1 whose one question1 as to measures or acts1 was ever ,is it right2 will it do good8 was rich without money4 ,so scrupulous had this ,natick cobbler been not to make his exalted position a means of worldly gain1 that when he came to be inaugurated as ,vice-,president of the country1 he was obliged to borrow of his fellow-senator1 ,charles ,sumner1 one hundred dollars to meet the necessary expenses of the occasion4 ,mozart1 the great composer of the ,requiem1 left barely enough money to bury him1 but he has made the world richer4 ,a rich mind and noble spirit will cast over the humblest home a radiance of beauty which the upholsterer and decorator can never approach4 ,who would not prefer to be a millionaire of character1 of contentment1 rather than possess nothing but the vulgar coins of a ,croesus8 ,whoever uplifts civilization1 though he die penniless1 is rich1 and future generations will erect his monument4 ,an ,asiatic traveler tells us that one day he found the bodies of two men laid upon the desert sand beside the carcass of a camel4 ,they had evidently died from thirst1 and yet around the waist of each was a large store of jewels of different kinds1 which they had doubtless been crossing the desert to sell in the markets of ,persia4 ,the man who has no money is poor1 but one who has nothing but money is poorer4 ,he only is rich who can enjoy without owning2 he is poor who though he have millions is covetous4 ,there are riches of intellect1 and no man with an intellectual taste can be called poor4 ,he is rich as well as brave who can face compulsory poverty and misfortune with cheerfulness and courage4 ,we can so educate the will power that it will focus the thoughts upon the bright side of things1 and upon objects which elevate the soul1 thus forming a habit of happiness and goodness which will make us rich4 ,the habit of making the best of everything and of always looking on the bright side is a fortune in itself4 ,he is rich who values a good name above gold4 ,among the ancient ,greeks and ,romans honor was more sought after than wealth4 ,rome was imperial ,rome no more when the imperial purple became an article of traffic4 ,diogenes was captured by pirates and sold as a slave4 ,his purchaser released him1 giving him charge of his household and of the education of his children4 ,diogenes despised wealth and affectation1 and lived in a tub4 ,do you want anything8 asked ,alexander the ,great1 greatly impressed by the abounding cheerfulness of the philosopher under such circumstances4 ,yes1 replied ,diogenes1 ,i want you to stand out of my sunshine and not take from me what you can not give me4 ,were ,i not ,alexander1 exclaimed the great conqueror1 ,i would be ,diogenes4 ,do you know1 sir1 said a devotee of ,mammon to ,john ,bright1 that ,i am worth a million sterling8 ,yes1 said the irritated but calm-spirited respondent1 ,i do2 and ,i know that it is all you are worth4 ,what power can poverty have over a home where loving hearts are beating with a consciousness of untold riches of the head and heart8 ,st4 ,paul was never so great as when he occupied a prison cell under the streets of ,rome2 and ,jesus ,christ reached the height of ,his success when1 smitten1 spat upon1 tormented1 and crucified1 ,he cried in agony1 and yet with triumphant satisfaction1 ,it is finished4 ,don't start out in life with a false standard2 a truly great man makes official position and money and houses and estates look so tawdry1 so mean and poor1 that we feel like sinking out of sight with our cheap laurels and our gold4 ,one of the great lessons to teach in this century of sharp competition and the survival of the fittest is how to be rich without money and to learn how to live without success according to the popular standard4 ,in the poem1 ,the ,changed ,cross1 a weary woman is represented as dreaming that she was led to a place where many crosses lay1 crosses of divers shapes and sizes4 ,the most beautiful one was set in jewels of gold4 ,it was so tiny and exquisite that she changed her own plain cross for it1 thinking she was fortunate in finding one so much lighter and lovelier4 ,but soon her back began to ache under the glittering burden1 and she changed it for another1 very beautiful and entwined with flowers4 ,but she soon found that underneath the flowers were piercing thorns which tore her flesh4 ,at last she came to a very plain cross without jewels1 without carving1 and with only the word1 ,love1 inscribed upon it4 ,she took this one up and it proved the easiest and best of all4 ,she was amazed1 however1 to find that it was her old cross which she had discarded4 ,it is easy to see the jewels and the flowers in other people's crosses1 but the thorns and heavy weight are known only to the bearers4 ,how easy other people's burdens seem to us compared with our own6 ,we do not realize the secret burdens which almost crush the heart1 nor the years of weary waiting for delayed success--the aching hearts longing for sympathy1 the hidden poverty1 the suppressed emotion in other lives4 ,william ,pitt1 the ,great ,commoner1 considered money as dirt beneath his feet compared with the public interest and public esteem4 ,his hands were clean4 ,the object for which we strive tells the story of our lives4 ,men and women should be judged by the happiness they create in those around them4 ,noble deeds always enrich1 but millions of mere dollars may impoverish4 ,character is perpetual wealth1 and by the side of him who possesses it the millionaire who has it not seems a pauper4 ,invest in yourself1 and you will never be poor4 ,floods can not carry your wealth away1 fire can not burn it1 rust can not consume it4 ,if a man empties his purse into his head1 says ,franklin1 no man can take it from him4 ,an investment in knowledge always pays the best interest4 ,howe'er it be1 it seems to me1 ',tis only noble to be good4 ,kind hearts are more than coronets1 ,and simple faith than ,norman blood4 ,,tennyson4