tter,
to do at least one thing each day not only free from any selfish
motive, but from which no possible material benefit could come to
himself.

And now this is the reverse side of that shield. Let the world give to
the young man a little start, a little help, a little foothold, a
little encouragement. And I repeat that by the world I mean the great
mass of men who have ceased to be young men, or who, still young in
years, have achieved places of power--those who hold the reins of
affairs and business, of industrial and social conditions.

I heard of a banker once who saw to it that at least once each week he
hunted up some young man, bravely struggling, bravely fighting, and
gave him some little assistance--a piece of business, an opportunity,
needful and kindly counsel--something that moistened his parched lips,
dry and hot from running the hard race that all youth must run for
success. I said to myself: "There is something in reincarnation; the
soul of Abou-ben-Adhem is dwelling in that banker's heart."

For years the greatest pleasure of my life has been that young boys
have come to me from all over my State to talk about how they should
proceed in life's battle. You, too, may have the pleasure of helping
young men. But beware how you do this, saying in your heart, "I will
help this young man, and when he succeeds I will reap my reward." Such
a selfish thought will utterly poison your advice, deflect your moral
vision, distort your intellectual perceptions.

That man who advises a young man with the thought that some day he
will be able to harvest personal advantage from that young man's
success, has probably by that very thought been rendered incapable of
giving sound advice or profitable help. Help the young man for his
sake, for the sake of the great humanity of which he is a fresh and
beautiful part, for the sake of that abstract good which, after all,
is the only reward in this life worthy the consideration of a serious
man.

I heard not long ago of a brilliant and crafty young politician who
was and is an earnest champion and helper of a very successful and
highly practical man in public life. He had acquired some unfortunate
traits. He was suspicious, distrustful. He feared betrayal here, a
Judas there. The caution increased his cunning but was impairing his
character. The man to whose fortunes he was attached called him in, in
the midst of a great political battle on which the fortunes of that
man d