The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1882-01-05
"JUST HIS LUCK,


.JUsT HIS LUCK
just like his luck!' half the bow
said, when Charlie Foster won til.
State Scholarship. i3''
They had made the same remarl
when his name had been sent in by tn,
Principal of the school to the Superin
tendent as the best scholar. In al
likelihood these same old school-fellow
will keep on saying: .sJust like hi
luckM if Charlie ever becomes aJudge
or Senator, or if he marries happily
or makes fortune. Every step upward
is attributed by some men and boys tt
that unknown quantity called ...luck. :
And curiously enough, just as Like hi.
luck" is used to account for the success
OF ones friends. as 'Just like my luck
is used to explain our own failures.
1t is just my luck! There was not
q single question about anything
knew. had crammed up the Capitals
OF the States. square root, and the con-
jugations, and was asked about noun
tain ranges, compounded interest and
the fifth declension. / always was un-
lucky!nf
In all this talk about s.luck'' is there
not good deal of inconsistency? We
never employ the word to account for
our own successes or somebody else s
failures. When the said Charlie Foster
misses catch at base ball, or catches
q crab in a race, we do not cry; = How
unlucky he is!'' but, what muff that
Charlie Foster is!' and when we our-
selves manage to get on the roll of
honor, we resent with virtuous in
dignation any congratulations on our
luck. Luck, indeedr' we growl;
there was no luck at ALL 1t was lust
hard work. and nothing csc. y
Moreover, this talk about luck is. in
the first place, somewhat unmanly. not
to say cowardly. 70 trust to luck is a
confession that one can not do ANYTHING
by ones own labor or ones own intel
lect. 1t is really, my boy, an acknowI-
edgment that you have no independence
OF character, no strength of will, no pa
thence and no perseverance, 1t is o
sure confession OF carelessness and idsc
ness. ''i'll study this thing or that
thing. and trust to luck for the rest,
you say, and the result is You are no.
where in the examination.
So in everything we undertake.. II
we neglect to take ordinary pains, il we
omit ordinary prudence, NO luck ever
saves us from disaster.
Trusting in luck is very different
thing from trusting in Providence.
Providence aids those who aid them
selves, and just in proportion as they
do their work honestly and conscien-
tiously. Luck is kind Of capricious
spirit which is expected to set at naught
all the laws of nature for our advantage.
or to our disadvantage, without the
slightest apparent reason why it should
intervene at all. IL there is such 4
thing, that can neither make or mar Ms.
cur duty is not to be its slave, but To
make ourselves its master.
We must not stand like beggars at
street corner until luck drops q few con-
pcrs into our hats. We must be a law
unto ourselves. and not mere play-
things of chance. Let us be honest
enough to acknowledge our own mis-
takes. The grumbler who laments:
81 never had slice of bread,
Cut nice and smooth anil long and wide.
But fell upon the sanded floor.
And always on the buttered side"
fancies himself unlucky.. If he were
honest, he would blame himself for not
keeping good hold of his bread and
butter, and, if he thought about it. he
s;J J ,.ra go '.as la,llIIg on sne Duttered
which d NO me- maiu.a Iesuls OF tne way IN
Th;s 10 nos Vas n ~ y.
fron, r nIum - - 'ucA very o,ten arises
We do ~. t1 H. - . con9e.s anu jealousy.
has more talent th ~ " .'o .s sna' an1tner
used his fscnlt;es ' hat. w h1 w. ana mas
ever. If We sSsm;n uesi Ne a. mas now
servant r. Void o ~ r ss,s more or
# ne ;nstasd - - Hncn more noble
nc ,vard. sn,,aL Y 3 me parIots