The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-04-18
THE LUCKY OR THE PLUCKY
JOE HOWARD, JR., COMPARES THEM.
Temperament the Chief Eleme INT in Success
or Failure in Life-A Few Pertinent
Illustrations from n Well
Filled Scrap-Book.
BY JOE HOWARD, JR.

without plunging very deeply into TIE
metaphysics OF this subject, we will have
few moments talk about fate and luck.
We speak of lucky fellow, meaning by
that man who is fortunate, and yet luck
may be good or i'll, the one as often as the
other. If we mean by luck, however, an
oft recurrence among the line of help or
hindrance, without special effort, work,
thought, exertion on the part of him TO
whom the luck, good or evil, comes, why
not believe in it? Some people go
through life bathed in sunshine perpetu-
ally, Others walk forever in vale OF tears,
and the shadow of the high mountain inn
passable, ungetoverable.
Some men, sunny-natured. easy-tem-
pered, lazy, good-for-nothingfellow to
whom a thought would be novelty, and
an exercise curiosity, find every door
open at their approach, and banquets
spread with every imaginable and con-
ceivable delicacy, with nothing to inter
fere with the oncoings Of their pleasure
from the rising of the sun TO the going
down thereof, while other men, careful,
brooding, ever plodding earnestly, con-
scientiously along first this road, then the
NAiitIt HlttN ~ NOuAllihAAN VI hANuHHUlnA-
ment and disaster which absolutely en-
'shrouds them in a gloom that is never
penetrated by ray OF hope confronted
ever by disappointment until the closing
scene wipes them from the face OF the
earth into tho blackness OF darkness im-
penctrabe.
IL will not be gravely argued that birth
has nothing 10 do with mans chances in
life. | remember, when | began 30 work
in 1860, thinking that OF all the men in
the world whose chances / envied there
were but two whose opportunities were
seriously any better than mine. They
were Albert Edward, Prince Of Wales,
whose progress through the provinces and
the states | was then chronicling for the
New York Times, and young jim Ben
nett, whose father was then editor and
proprietor OF the great journal with which
his namo was synonymous. Do YOU
mean 20 tell methat young Bennett didn't
have better opportunity for professional
rcnown than any other young man about
10 embrace that noblest profession, jour
nalism7 Did the Prince OF Wales have
no ampler scope than the other young
men born In the British dominion? OF
course, birth and social position and pecu-
MARY status have much % do with mems
opportunities uuN NuNh We hirtuhh uloHh
questions we must look with wide vision !;
we must not confine our illustrations 20
extremes, must take the average.
Tho average man Is poor, the great mt
jority very poor III IL be fact, and IL
unqucstionnbly II, that Of every 100 young
men who 60 into mercantile life ninety
five fail before they are thirty years OF
age, and Of the other five, three get on
fairly well, one makes profound impress
sion In his sphere, and one alone becomes
phenomenal, standing head and shoulders
above his fellows In all tho world, where
comes in the matter OF luck? Where Is
the exception? Isn't IL fact that the great
multitude toll and suffer through the blasts
Of winter and in the torriditics OF summer
for barely enough 20 keep themselves from
starvingand 10 cover their nakedness from
the jibes and sneerings OF the world?
tell YOU temperament decides almost
everything. What would seem 90 ono
luck OF the most grewsomo nature APP
pears 10 another on similar plane OF life
simply an unhappy incident, temporary
In is nature, not lasting In It's effect.
Some men, worth 100000, groan over the
luck OF their neighbor who is worth
81 900, 900, while another man who can
honestly say 81 nm worth to-day $780,
OF his independence, OF the power In his
hand 10 do good among the suffering and
the sick and the tired and weary OF earth,
that he can find no words sufficiently ro-
tund with which 20 express his satisfac-
ton, his content, his delight.
Some people say, whatever is TO be
will be. II 1 ann fated TO be rich j will
have money, and il am iated 10 be poor
| won't have any. A man who was born
20 be hanged will never be drowned, so
whatever comes / take 10 because j have
got %. didn't ask 10 come here" Now
that's silly. In the first place ! don't
know whether you asked 10 come here or
not Neither do YOU.
That two and two added together are
fated 20 make four, yes, but are you fatcd ?
Is there any compulsion that forces you
10 put one two under another two? II
YOU stub your too you fall. But why stub
your toe? II you hack your finger with
n knife blood will flow, but why hack your
fnger7 You may assume that you are
fated to be rich. What difference docs
your assumption make? In order 10 be-
rich YOU must be industrious, saw
ing, self-sacrifcing, industrious. Those
factors enter largely into the problem
Of success in life, and II those factors
are properly grouped in your case you will
be rich. IL is a very rare combination,
this honesty Of purpose, this continuity
Of industry, this intelligent direction, but
il you have them the result is certain, and
II you have them and do not use them
the result is equally certain. You cannot
raise figs on thistle tree or thstles on a
iig-tree, and you cannot bring disgrace
upon honor,no can you crown dishonesty
with integrity.
| know man who has lost an eye, who
has broken an arm twice, who was shot
through his right lung, and whenever any
thing happens 10 him, he says: 1T is just
my luck" My friend OF the many acct
dents Is n peculiarly constituted individ-
ual. Had he looked he wouldn't have
fallen down the hatchway. That he WAS
shot through the right lung was due TO
his presence upon the field of battle. That
he lost his eye il attributable 10 the fact
that when he flashed his little pile of pow
der he didn't shield his face, and yet he
SAYS, as accident after accident occurs, at
is Just my luck"
II is just his stupidity.
And when you say thatit is Jay Gould's
luck, or IL is Vanderbilt's luck, or IL is the
luck of this, that and the other, you at
tribute 10 some unseen potentiality results
which might much better be attributed 10
the natural forcings of perfectly we'll un-
derstood, but rarely possessed, elements in
human nature.
Cannon Renominated.