d drugs
for the sick; a good place, indeed, for a bright, active boy to gain new
ideas. Each country store, in those days, had its bar, and the clerks
were as likely to be called on to mix drinks, as they were to be asked
to measure off dry goods, and it was considered as honorable. Not only
this, but it was customary for clerks to take a drink themselves, but
young Lawrence determined to neither drink nor smoke. True, he liked the
taste of liquor, and enjoyed a quiet smoke, but he argued that such
pleasures, not only eat up profits already earned, but left the system
in a poor condition to earn more. When we consider that he was a mere
lad of thirteen, or at best fourteen, when he had decided upon this
honorable course, and when we think that at least, for the time being,
these luxuries would have cost nothing, we are constrained to say, no
wonder he became a rich man.

If our young men would only save the money they yearly smoke up and
spend for other needless things, we would have clearer headed and much
wealthier men. Our young men all desire to gain wealth and the highest
enjoyments possible in this world, but are not willing to pay for them.
If they would examine the lives of a great many of our most wealthy and
influential men of to-day, they would be surprised to learn how few even
smoke.

If you see a man with a high hat, gaudily dressed, smoking and seemingly
inviting your attention at some horse trot, where he is making a great
display of wealth in the way of bets, you can set it down as pretty
certain that that man is a clerk working for $10 or $15 per week, or at
best, a mere curb-stone broker who will never rise to anything higher.
Real wealth and distinction never invite your attention. One would
hardly take that plain old gentleman, walking along the street yonder,
for other than a country deacon, yet the check of Russell Sage will be
recognized and honored to the amount of millions. Jay Gould never enjoys
himself more than when at home.

We spend as a nation now, every year, NINE HUNDRED MILLIONS FOR LIQUOR
and THREE HUNDRED and FIFTY MILLIONS for TOBACCO. Total, ONE BILLION,
TWO HUNDRED and FIFTY MILLIONS. One billion, two hundred and fifty
millions thrown away. More than twice what we use for bread and meat.
Then look at that vast waste of unearned wages. Man can't do two things
well at one time. In our large cities we have, of late, seen drunken
men, with pipes in their mouths, carrying about the