emplars in the matter of keeping a secret wrote to
his publisher: "Let all your views in life, therefore, be directed to a
solid, however moderate independence. Without it no man can be happy,
nor even honest." This celebrated sentence was written by a man who was
refusing a proffer of money for his writings (then in print) and it
should not be read as inspiring one to avarice. The vice of avarice is
more honest than envy, but is not the less unpleasant and reprehensible.
Let us suppose you are fortunate enough to have some grit and spunk
about you. At the earliest point practicable you get something to do.
Perhaps at a Fourth of July celebration your Sunday school teacher
trusts you in a booth to deal out lemonade and handle money. It is a
good beginning. Perhaps you are

ESTABLISHED BEHIND A COUNTER

in a general store and intrusted with the great secret of a cost-mark,
fully as important a secret, let me assure you, as you can buy in the
most secret of places! What spot in your character will "wear down" the
quickest? When you were little it was your toes. They were
copper-plated. Now the wear falls where copper will not protect you.
Nothing but experience will now serve as the copper did then. The first
place that "rubs" will be

YOUR TONGUE.

When you have conquered the natural inclination to be what is familiarly
known as a "smarty," there is still a greater wisdom to acquire. Avoid
hearing, where it is not absolutely necessary, anything that you will
have to keep secret. The less secrets you have the less discretion will
be necessary to protect them. After you have heard a thing from your
employer, keep it to yourself. The youth who talks about his employer's
business must have other marvelous faculties to succeed in life. He is a
Blind Tom. He plays the piano, but the wonder is how he does it. It must
be that it would hurt your feelings if you heard another merchant say of
your employer that he keeps a pretty good boy, except that

HE "BLABS A GOOD DEAL."

If you can shut up your mouth now, you can keep it shut when you get to
be Secretary of the Treasury and a whole syndicate of bankers are trying
to pump out of you whether you mean to pay off $100,000,000 of 5 per
cent bonds the next week, or merely reduce the interest 1-1/2 per cent.
If they could tell, they could make a million dollars, and unless you
have been all your life a discreet man, be assured they _will_ tell. If
your employer's rivals