to give orders to others, or figure as
masters, and let some one else do the drudgery. There is no place in
this century for the lazy man. He will be pushed to the wall. Labor
ever will be the inevitable price for everything that is valuable.

A metropolitan daily newspaper not long ago invited confessions by
letter from those who felt that their lives had been failures. The
newspaper agreed not to disclose the name or identity of any person
making such a confession, and requested frank statements. Two
questions were asked: "Has your life been a failure? Has your business
been a failure?"

Some of the replies were pitiable in the extreme.

Some attributed their failures to a cruel fate which seemed to pursue
them and thwart all their efforts, some to hereditary weaknesses,
deformities, and taints, some to a husband or a wife, others to
"inhospitable surroundings," and "cruel circumstances."

It is worthy of note that not one of these failures mentioned laziness
as a cause.

Here are some of the reasons they did give:

"J. P. T." considered that his life was a failure from too much genius.
He said he thought he could do anything, and therefore he couldn't wait
to graduate from college, but left and began the practise of law, was
principal of an academy, overworked himself, and had too many irons in
the fire. He failed, he said, from dissipating his energies, and
having too much confidence in men.

"Rutherford," said he had four chances to succeed in life, but lost
them all. The first cause of his failure was lack of perseverance. He
tired of the sameness and routine of his occupation. His second
shortcoming was too great liberality, too much confidence in others.
Third, economy was not in his dictionary. Fourth, "I had too much
hope, even in the greatest extremities." Fifth, "I believed too much
in friends and friendships. I couldn't read human nature, and did not
make allowance enough for mistakes." Sixth, "I never struck my
vocation." Seventh, "I had no one to care for, to spur me on to do
something in the world. I am seventy years old, never drank, never had
bad habits, always attended church. But I am as poor as when I started
for myself."

"G. C. S." failed dismally. "My weakness was building air-castles. I
had a burning desire to make a name in the world, and came to New York
from the country. Rebuffed, discouraged, I drifted. I had no heart
for work. I lacked ability and push, witho