l make him deliriously ill inside of three
days. The boils, and felons, and fevers, and chilblains, and fractures,
and bereavements he has had are enough to fill an encyclopedia. He never
has worked long at any one thing, and he never will. He can relate to
you how the lightning broke off his biggest limb, knocked off his bark,
broke him off half-way up, finally split him clear through the trunk,
and never hit another tree in the whole piece of timber! This will bring
tears to his eyes, for it seems so strange to him. But if you get tears
in your eyes, also, hire him by the day for a while, and look into "the
pulse of the machine," you will soon understand the wonderful workings
of society, and the nicety of that order of things which separates the
wheat from the tare. When the winds of adversity sweep down upon us,

IT IS THE CHAFF WHICH RISES ON THE GALE.

Many a man with a bilious attack coming upon his system goes to his
work, sets his blood dancing, and, drives away the intruder before the
reinforcements of the disease arrive. The failure goes out to the enemy,
makes a weak parley, and opens his gates to the first squad that will
enter.

WHAT CAN WE DO FOR THESE RANK FAILURES?

Nothing. We can take warning from them. "A failure establishes only
this," says Bovee, "that our determination was not strong enough." This
is very nearly the truth. We fail because we feel the game to be hardly
worth the candle. We are not willing to pay the price and the value of
success. We had rather slide down the hill than climb up higher. When
you hit your head against a door in the dark, you are stunned. You are
then twice as likely as before to hurt yourself. Bear that in mind.
Stop. Move with the greatest of caution.

THIS IS WHY SHAKSPEARE SAYS

that when sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions.
When you have failed, try and get a new start, clear of the consequences
of the last disaster. You know exactly where you erred, and can guard
against the weak places in your judgment, the cause of your defeat.
Above all, study the "dead rank failure" in your community, and do
everything precisely opposite to the way he invariably operates.

[Illustration]

GAINS AND BRAINS.

Virtue without success
Is a fair picture shown by an ill light;
But lucky men are favorites of heaven:
All own the chief, when fortune owns the cause.--Dryden.

Lucky men are