The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1896-06-18
SALTWATER, MINNESOTA, THURSDAY, JUNE IS, 1896.

ability that it is better to separate it
from inaptitude. The failure of men
who lack perseverance is generally only
partial. They can sometimes work
hard continuously, but it must be at
something fresh. In other cases want
of perseverance is only fine name for
sheer laziness.
1t is astonishing how many men with
small positive ability succeed, while
their cleverer comrades lag behind.
Pluck and doggedness are the secrets.
The man who is clever by fits and starts
sets up for himself a standard by which
he is judged He is self-condemned as
partial failure.
One of the causes of failure about
which too little is said nowadays is dis
honesty. Fear of cant prevents the
truth from being spoken. Without
considering the moral side of the ques-
tion, which is the preachers duty, there
is quite sufficient reason, Judging only
by the observation of results, for say
ing that untrustworthiness is as patent
a cause of failure as the strictest NOR
alist could desire If the cunning and
slippery man would prosper, he must
be great and clever rogue. 1t requires
something very like genius to bolster
up dishonesty permanently.
Among the saddest of failures are
the men in the wrong place. Some
times they are there through no fault
of their own. Circumstances hem
them in; they are forced along GER
tain road and canapt turn back. It is
J family business, and must be carried
on for the benefit of the family, and
J there is only one who can take the
management; so he is driven into the
, groove, and abilities that might have
brought pleasure and distinction
J through more congenial work are al
=, lowed to rust; the blood horse turns the
humble clay mill.
In spite of the delightful readjust-
ments which time brings about, intro
, ducing the man to his right sphere in
ways that sometimes seems miracu.
: lous, the possibilities that lie unworked
} through men never finding their right
: place in the world gather over the mind
with crushing weight.
) We cannot guess how much the
, world is impoverished through these
misplacements. But it cannot all be
laid at the door of Fate. AS often as
not the failure of the man in the wrong
Z bility. The chance of change passed
by and he did not seize it. The mum
4 ber, too, of those who have sought the
< wrong place with some deliberation is
l legion.
y We must pass by many questions
= that come with the presence of thu
: man or woman who has obviously
|, failed. There is the part played by thu
4 all ll-pervading desolation, drunkenness
and that scarcely less fatal sad ending
e drinking which just stops short o.
: drunkenness.
!, Temperance adv COATES have fable
}. to the effect that it is the brightes
J. and best who fall prey to drunken
n ness, and undergo horrible degen
e eracy, the growing 1eprosy that com'
Q whenever the will is mastered by tn
= flesh; but the truth is that drunken
Q ness strikes indiscriminately the cleve
r and the dull, the lofty and the swinisl
d soul.
d We do not notice it's effects 81
Q sharply when they are written on NAL
of poor capacity, who would perhap
n have fallen to the rear without this ad
3, ditional handicapping. 1t singles ou
g it's victims here aud there, irregularly
q by an awful lotcasting, and more thai
? any other single cause it drags dow
q into failure men and women who ha'
l. in them all the poWers that would hav
? commanded success, except the powe
g to resist that dread solvent of manhoo
o alcohol.
10 One of the words that is mos
frequently on the tongue of men VIII
IS fail is "luck.," They say they hav
1t no luck. Ill luck is the weak man
le excuse for the poor comparison b