The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1885-08-28
Mislel
Be Thorough.

1t was Carlyle who said, "Genius is an i'm.
mense capacity for taking trouble" and
George Eliot gives the same thought in other
words: "Genius is, at first, little more than
a great capacity for receiving discpline."-
The most successful have always been the
most painstaking. A prominent Judge, liv.
ing near Cincinnati, wishing to have a rough
fence built, sent for carpenter, and said to
him:
81 want this fence mended to keep out the
cattle. There are some unplaned boards
use them. 1t is out of sight from the house,
so you need not take time to make neat
job. will only pay dollar and a-half"
However, afterwards, the Judge, coming to
look at the work, found the boards were plan
ed and the fence finished with exceeding neat.
ness. Supposing the young man had done
it to make costly job of it, he said, angrily;
VI told you this fence was to be covered
with vines. do not care how it looks"
II do" said the carpenter.
"How much do you charge ?" then asked
judge.
"a dollar and a-half," said the man, sboul-
dering his tools.
"Why did you spend all that labor on Job
if not for the money!"
For the job, sir'
Nobody would have seen the poor work
on it,"
"But l should have known 1t was there
No I'll take only the dollar and a-half"-
And he took it and went away.
Ten years afterwards the Judge had n con.
tract to give for the building of certain mag.
niticent public buildings. There were MANY
applicants among master. builders, but one
face attracted attention. 1t was that of the
man who had built the fence.
IL knew said the judge, afterwards tell
ing the story, 1--WE should have only good,
genuine work from him. gave him the
contract and it made a rich man of him."
The Hon. Josiah Quincy was at one time
conversing with Daniel Webster upon the
Importance of doing even the smallest thing
thoroughly and well, when the great man re
lated an incident concerning petty insur-
ance case which was brought to him while
young lawyer in Portsmouth. The fee pro.
missed was only 500 Yet, to do his clients
full justice, Webster found lie must Journey
to Boston to consult the law library. This
involved an expense of above the amount of
his fee, but after hesitating little, he decided
to go to Boston and consult the authorities
let the cost be what it might. He gained the
case
Years after this Webster was passing
through the city of New York An import.
ant insurance case was to be tried that day,
ana one OF the counsel had been suddenly
Frustrated by Illness Money was no object,
and Webster was asked to name his terms
and conduct the case
ut is preposterous," said he, ito expect
me to prepare legal argument at a few
hours notice."
But when they insisted that he should look
at the papers, he consented 1t was his old
twenty dollar case over again, and, having
remarkable memory, he had all the authori.
ties in his mind, and won the suit. The
court knew he had no time for preparation,
and was astonished at the skill with which he
handled the case.
80 you see" said Webster, as he conclud-
ed, II was handsomely paid, both in fame
and money, for that journey and the moral
is that good work is rewarded in the end,
though, to be sure, ones selfapproval should
be enough"
Thoroughness implies attention to details,
neatness and method. A young man who
was shrewd and exacting, but whose bust
ness habits were careless and unmethodicaL
succeeded, by hard work and economy, in
establishing prosperous business, but failed
and went into bankruptcy at the early age Of
thirty.five because of his carelessness in omit.
ting to place note for large amount in his
bills payable. -Eschange.