Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1876-10-26
LUCK.

the gallant trooper, as he plunged into the
Indian camp where he persisted with his
men. "Custer's slaughter " is what histo-
~ will call the fight, ann perhaps the spot
A. we'll. There was scant luck, good or bad,
In the bloody drama. The events marched
like the steps of a mathematical problem.
We loosely abscribe to sluck" occurrences
that may be ordered by skill, folly, fraud.
generosity, judgment, Or genius, but are
certainly not determined by chance. 1t was
strictly the luck Of Clusters men to be
led by Custer; and the under soldier must
always risk whether he will find himself
obeying Hotspur or Fabius Cunctator. But
we are also wont to trace the fruits of per-
sonal discretion to mere hazard. No phrase
reader to us than "just my luck" Every
sluggard finds energy enough to say that,
and to blame his stars that he is an under
ling. Hairbrain has the same cloak of all
use to cover the evils Of his recklessness.
Napolean talked Of his star like Custer Of
his luck, though no planet of destiny won
Marengo or lost Waterloo; and the stock
comment "fortune of war" is but a child's
moral for Rosebud creek.
The genuine discipled of luck are they
who worship her at the gambling table,
laying their votivc offerings on that baize-
covered altar. For them (and for the de
voices at the like shrine in life) there are
felicitous numbers, colors, and sneeZings.
THESE deyouJ believers cvrrIe 10 grIeI am1usU
their superstitions, like the doomed minis
trants of an antique rite; but the shrewd
sham believers, who no less eXtol tEeirluck,
take precious care to trust it only in the
leash of Judgment. They watch wind and
helm, sail they never so reeklessly j; measure
the market before they buy the stock study
vantage points choose pistols if matched
against adopts at sword-play. It was Ma
polean that said, Heaven is Oh the side of
the strongest battallions - and Custer
would never have so praised his luck had he
not confided more in his courage. Pure
luck has its endless play of details-you for
get the appointment with x and luckily SO
does x; you strike and Oil when on your
farm, or the invading railroad turns the sto-
ny pasture into city lots; you were late for
the voyage to Europe, and the steamer
CHANGED to be detained till you reached her.
But true luck, good or bad, so rarely falls
Into each mans life, compared with what is
won or lost by his own plan, work, orchoice
that we can seldom say the life is shaped so
largely by fate and circumstance.
Pure luck ruled Timothy Dexter's crazy
invoice of warming pans to the West Indies !;
but Lord Timothy's other ventures shrewd-
ness. In truth, Harlequin Chance has too
many clowns and columbines to care for. to
be often crossing the logic of events for each
one, opening doors for US in walls, or with a
whisk Of his lath turning our bread into
stone. The steamer is not always delayed
for us ; x does not always fail to bargain in
our absence with the rival dealer; the easy
golucky man is soon singing "just my
luck" to another tune. Good luck without
the qualities the profit by it Is poisoned to
bad luck and favored with the bitterness Of
lost opportunity. You did have your silver
lodes, your wells of petroleum thrust upon
you, yet you turn out only a Comstock or a
Coal Oil JOHNNY.
What we may better call a mans luck is
tile man himself-th the nature, traits, passions,
powers that mould his destiny. Clusters
buck lay not on the Shenandoah or the Rose
bud, but in his own soul-the born spirit OF
ue cavalrymaa that lowered into exploits.