are these qualities--with the constant affirming, "I myself
am good luck, good fortune; I am myself a part of the great creative,
sustaining principle of the universe, because my real, divine self and
my Father are one"--what a revolution would come to earth's toilers!

CHAPTER XLV

STAND FOR SOMETHING

The greatest thing that can be said of a man, no matter how much he has
achieved, is that _he has kept his record clean_.

Why is it that, in spite of the ravages of time, the reputation of
Lincoln grows larger and his character means more to the world every
year? It is because he kept his record clean, and never prostituted
his ability nor gambled with his reputation.

Where, in all history, is there an example of a man who was merely
rich, no matter how great his wealth, who exerted such a power for
good, who was such a living force in civilization, as was this poor
backwoods boy? What a powerful illustration of the fact that
_character_ is the greatest force in the world!

A man assumes importance and becomes a power in the world just as soon
as it is found that he stands for something; that he is not for sale;
that he will not lease his manhood for salary, for any amount of money
or for any influence or position; that he will not lend his name to
anything which he can not indorse.

The trouble with so many men to-day is that they do not stand for
anything outside their vocation. They may be well educated, well up in
their specialties, may have a lot of expert knowledge, but they can not
be depended upon. There is some flaw in them which takes the edge off
their virtue. They may be fairly honest, but you cannot bank on them.

It is not difficult to find a lawyer or a physician who knows a good
deal, who is eminent in his profession; but it is not so easy to find
one who is a man before he is a lawyer or a physician; whose name is a
synonym for all that is clean, reliable, solid, substantial. It is not
difficult to find a good preacher; but it is not so easy to find a real
man, sterling manhood, back of the sermon. It is easy to find
successful merchants, but not so easy to find men who put character
above merchandise. What the world wants is men who have principle
underlying their expertness--principle under their law, their medicine,
their business; men who stand for something outside of their offices
and stores; who stand for something in their community; whose very
presence carries weight.