limits. Some people pride themselves on saying
exactly what they think. Usually they are brutal, insensitive, wholly
incapable of sympathetic understanding of any one else, and cursed,
besides, with a colossal vanity. A man may determine to tell nothing but
the truth, but this does not make it necessary for him to tell the whole
truth, especially when it will hurt the feelings or the reputation of
some one else. No man has a right to impose his opinions and prejudices,
his sufferings and agonies, on other people. It is the part of a coward
to whine.

And yet a man must be himself, must be natural and sincere. Roosevelt
could no more have adopted the academic manner of Wilson than Wilson
could have adopted the boyish manner of Roosevelt. Lincoln could no
more have adopted the courtly grace of Washington than Washington could
have adopted the rugged simplicity of Lincoln. Nor would such
transformations be desirable even if they were possible. The world would
be a very dreary place if we were all cut by the same pattern.

A number of years ago in an upstate town in New York there was a shoe
store which had been built up by the engaging personality of the man who
owned it. He had worked his way up from a tiny shoe shop in New Jersey
where, as a boy, he made shoes by hand before there were factories for
the purpose, and he had always kept in close touch with the business
even after he owned a large establishment and had a number of men
working under him. He stayed in the shop, greeted his customers as they
came in, and many times waited on them himself.

When he retired from active business he sold out to a man exactly his
opposite in temperament, as good a man, so far as character went, as
himself, but very quiet and taciturn. A woman who had always patronized
the shop and was a friend of them both came to him soon after the
transfer was made and said, "Now, Mr. Tillis, the reason this place has
prospered so is on account of the personality of Mr. Kilbourne. His
shoes are good but people can get good shoes at other places. They come
here because of Mr. Kilbourne. They like him, and if you are not careful
they will stop coming now that he is gone. You've got to smile and show
them you are glad to see them."

Mr. Tillis felt that the woman was telling the truth. He decided that he
would stay in the shop and greet each customer with a gladsome smile and
make himself generally pleasant and agreeable. The next day he was
fit