y: "Just what I might have expected. Captain
Harrison is always master of the situation."

No man ever became master of the situation by accident or
indolence. "He happened to succeed" is a foolish, unmeaning phrase.
No man happens to succeed. "What do you mix your paints with?"
asked a visitor of Opie, the painter. "With brains, sir," was the
artist's reply. * * *

There are men who fail of mastery in the world from too low an
estimate of human nature. "Despise nothing, my son," was the
advice a mother gave to her boy when he went forth into the untried
world to seek his fortune, and that boy grew up into Sir Walter
Scott. * * *

In case of great emergency it took a certain general in our
army several days to get his personal baggage ready. Sheridan
rode into Winchester without even a change of stockings in his
saddle-bags. * * *

All great leaders have been inspired with a great belief. In nine
cases out of ten, failure is borne of unbelief.--_Masters of the
Situation_, JAMES T. FIELDS.

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more;
Or close the wall up with our English dead!
In peace, there's nothing so becomes a man
As modest stillness and humility;
But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger:
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,
Disguise fair nature with hard-favoured rage: * * *
Hold hard the breath, and bend up every spirit
To his full height! On, on, you noblest English,
Whose blood is fet from fathers of war-proof!
Fathers that, like so many Alexanders,
Have in these parts from morn till even fought,
And sheathed their swords for lack of argument. * * *
I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips,
Straining upon the start. The game's afoot:
Follow your spirit; and, upon this charge
Cry--God for Harry! England! and St. George!--_Henry V._, SHAKESPEARE

Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, on this
continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the
proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a
great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so
conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great
battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that
field, as a fin