received a pension from the government, obtained for him, we believe,
through the instrumentality of Sir William Thomson. Mr. Bain was a
widower, and has left a son and daughter, the former of whom is in
America, and the latter at present on the Continent. Photographs of
him by Mayall were recently presented to the Society of Telegraph
Engineers and the American Society of Telegraphers at Philadelphia.
--_The Engineer._

* * * * *

SELF-RELIANCE NECESSARY TO SUCCESS.

Self-reliance, conjoined with promptitude in the execution of our
undertakings, is indispensable to success. And yet multitudes live a
life of vacillation and consequent failure, because they remain
undetermined what to do, or, having decided that, have no confidence
in themselves. Such persons need to be assured; but this assurance can
be obtained in no other way than by their own successes in whatever
they may attempt for themselves. If they lean upon others, they not
only become dissatisfied with what they achieve, but the success of
one achievement, in which they are entitled to but partial credit, is
no guaranty to them that, unaided, they will not fail in their very
next experiment.

For want of self-reliance and decision of character, thousands are
submerged in their first essays to make the voyage of life.
Disappointed and chagrined at this, they underestimate their own
capacities, and thenceforward, relying on others, they take and keep a
subordinate position, from which they rise, when they rise at all,
with the utmost difficulty. When a young man attains his majority, it
is better for him, as a general rule, to take some independent
position of his own, even though the present remuneration be less than
he would obtain in the service of others. When at work for himself, in
a business which requires and demands foresight, economy, and
industry, he will naturally develop the strong points of his
character, and become self-reliant.

A glance at the business men of any community will show who have and
who have not improved the opportunities of their earlier years. The
former transact their business with ease, promptitude, and profit.
They rely upon themselves, and execute what they have to do with
energy and dispatch. But those who shirked everything in their youth
are compelled to rely on their clerks and salesmen for advice, and are
never ready to act when occasions of profit arise. Many parents commit