Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1869-02-13
Luck.

m
expectation that it will soon become on.
solete. Luck is an event, good or bad,
which befalls a man independently Of his
own volition. If man work all day
Tor fve dollars, his wages is not consider.
ed luck. But If he finds FIVE dollars in
the road, that is luck.
IL man aims at an accommodation
,rain, but hits an express train, which has
been delayed little, lie is in luck. Uo
has secured what he did not plan for. ri
the last boat of the season Leaves AIhonv
TOR n. Y. day sooner than the Skinner
has calculated, and he loses an onportu
nifty OF sending his freight, he exclaims
"That is just my luck"
or the fact itself there can bcho doubt
Many disappointmeHts befal men
which seem TO have no relation to their
own agency. Many pieces of good for
tune occur Of which the recipient did not
plan or look for.
But the cause Of luck, thus defined, is
another thing. If we could look into
mems minds and render cloar those OBJ
scare and nebulous thoughts that hover
there, 1t would be found, probably, that
very different notions are entertained
about 1t. Some believe that there are
spirits or sprites, whose power interca-
lates these events upon the alendar Of Ma
ture. Others seem TO believe that in the
vast realm Of nature events are floating
about like notes in sunbeams. and thai
men accidentally stumble upon them
Some people believe it to bo a crook in
the grain OF things, some men being born
and destined to fulfil some mischievous
DEGREES. "Do what they will, they can
never escape ill,luck." Were some mems
notions analyzod, l should not won
der If 1t were found that they still believe
Luck to be personal being, as Puck, or
Areil, who spent their time in playing
tricks upon men, good or bad, according
to their peculiar fancy.
But dsmissing all these notions, there
is several pieces of general good or i'll
luck, which have much to do with the
special luck that befalls men. | count i,
piece OF prime and admirable luck to be
born OF parents who had sound physical
constitutions, ample brains, well proper
toned and balanced, living in moderate
~ prosperous circumstances. Next to
this, it is to be brought up in simplicity.
among people kiud and just, and under
circumstances which require one to exert
himself actively, so that he shall never
expect any thing he does not himself
earn. Lastly, snd consequence of these,
1t is supreme good luck to have a patient
nature, too proud to do evil, and not
roud enough to take offence at the com
mon experiences of life; as contentcd as
consistent with enterprise, and above all.
with unwasting good nature.
This squality-good nature-is perhaps
the most desirable of all, in SO far as hap
piness is concerned. Every one knows
that 1t is the sugar in fruit that gives it
It's palateableness, and that converts its
Juices into wine. Good nature is TO hu-
man dispositions what sugar is to grapes.
A robust and cheerful nature hardly
knows the difference between the good
and bad luck. Some things, which OK
tort plteous complaints of bad luck from
his neighbors, betall him without exciting
more than moments attention-just as
a healthy man does not feel chilly gust
which sets an invalid into shivers.
iii luck in petty affairs is only another
name for want of forethought, unsLillful-
ness, poor judgement, clumsy y-headedness,
lack OF spring and enterprise. Few men
are willing to say that their own blunders,
negative or positive, return upon their
own heads.-Luck to them is a fortunate
word. Luck is n word that hides a mans
inetficiency from himself and saves his
pride.
Every one of rs have lucky and un-
lucky days. Too much excitement, late
hours, late eating, poor sleep and too
little of it, bring on mornings full of de-
pression-bne days, in which everything
seems wrong. everything our hand touch
es falls. This is simple case in which
dissipation has put the whole instrument
by which man works, his brain and ner-
vOus system out of adjustment. His
mistakes are lie more surprising than
would be = mechanics who worked by
f;rlse rule, or chemists who measured
by incorrect standards.
By-and-by rest good diet and good
habits restore the equilibrium, and then
comes sparkling day of good luck.
Hall the labor produces twice the ordina-
ry results. We meet the very person we
most desire to sec. Everything goes on
rightly. The world is propitious.
In olden times, when necromancsrs
would fill the air with spirits, they had
potent spells, cabalistic formulas, and va
riOus charms by which to evoke and coli
troll evil spirits. There is a much shorter
and surer way than that to fill heaven
aud earth with demons. Put your liver
out of order. That is spell that never
fails. Dyspepsia will raise moro devils
in one day than Merlin could in year.
A good man, in good health, engaged
in business for which he is fitted, and con-
tented, will always he in luck. .4.
Poorluck goes with slender judgement,
with supersensitivs pride, with indiges-
tion, with torpid liVers, with needless
ness and stupidity. g.. e......
AS all Of us have fecks and tints of all
Of these elements, at times, SO we all of
us have our share of bad luck. The
height ill luck is to DO born oadly, to
live badly, and to die badly.
Let every man blame himself for all
his bad luck, and ho will tind cure for
more than half of it.