er in such invisible,
compact form as he could carry in those invisible pockets of his, never
wrought by needle and thread--and it went like a charm.

"Now that is the wisdom of a man, in every instance of his labor,
to hitch his wagon to a star, and see his chores done by the gods
themselves. That is the way we are strong, by borrowing the might
of the elements. The forces of steam, gravity, galvanism, light,
magnets, wind, fire, serve us day by day, and cost us nothing."

With his wonderful insight into conditions, Emerson thus expresses a
provision of conditions that are now being realized to an even greater
degree than he consciously knew, although he unconsciously foretold
them. Now it is wireless telegraphy that is the ultimate fulfilment of
what he saw,--the method that will reduce to practical realization his
counsel to hitch one's wagon to a star, and "see his chores done by the
gods themselves."

It is not only humanity--civilization--the onward sweep and march by the
progress of the world, but the individual life also that can take
advantage of "the might of the elements." The one irresistible element
is the power of will, the power that results from the perfect uniting of
the human will with the divine will. People talk of fate, and
conditions, and burdens, and limitations. They are all merely negative,
and are easily and instantly subject to the infinite and irresistible
potency of the will brought to bear upon them.

On the threshold of any endeavor when one takes account of his
possessions and conditions,--material and immaterial; when he again,
from a new vantage ground, surveys his future, it is his salvation and
success to realize the depth and height of his own personal power over
his own life.

"There are points from which we may command our life,
When the soul sweeps the future like a glass,
And coming things, full freighted with our fate,
Jut out on the dark offing of the mind."

But when these points appear they must be taken advantage of at the
moment. They are the result of an occultation of events that may never
occur again within the limits of a lifetime. The swift intuition that
leaps over all conceivable processes is the heaven-appointed monitor. It
is the divine voice speaking. It is the word which must be obeyed. When
one

"... by the Vision splendid
Is on his way attended,"

he must give heed to the vision or it vanishes and returns no more.