The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-18
THE MIDDL FACED MIN.
He Doesn't Believe In Luck. Though Things
DO Como About CuriousIy. Sometimes.

Ho DOESN'T bcIevo In LUCK, Thougn ThinKn
DO Como About CuriousIy. sonetimes.
81 don't believe in pull said the middle.
aged man, land I don't believe in luck. I think
that In the long run IA man Is sure to get what
evor he is entitled to. II his recognition comes
late he gets 1t In bigger chunks. 1t averages up
all right. If he is really entitled to anything no
Is reasonably sure, sooner or later. 20 get his due.
AT tho same time, while l do not believe In
luck, things certainly do come about sometimes
in a curious way. 1t may be laid down rs a gem
eral proposition that things don't happen to II
manat all unless he is around where things are
happening. For instance. II man who never
went out of doors might never get run over, but
he ncver'd get anything else. either; while il ono
Is out In the fight. where things do happen, he is
in the way of meeting things; sometimes things
come his way from tho most unexpected sources.
struck a very nicc little streak once. through
the boss Of the barber shop where | used to go to
get shaved. Our lines OF business wcrc, AS far
he was at least az able and successful in. his rs I
was in mine, and personally he was ut least ~
keen and alert; and the help that he gave me
came about in the most natural way in the world.
1T was a big barber shop. and, of course. n
sort of exchange. All sorts OF business and pro,
them there than you would in II restaurant, be-
cause when they Ind to wait in the barber shop
they would sit around and read tho newspapers,
and you'd hear EN- talk, maybe, II they were
men that did talk; and so you came to know
many, Of them by sight and to expect to see
them in the shop: and tho boss knew them all
and they all knew the boss. and they all held
! him in friendly esteem.
Among the regular customers that I took a
special fancy to there was one who talked but
little and never talked loud, n quiet. modest.
pleasant gentleman who was very rich, who had
made his fortune within n few years. and in tho
same business rs my own. While | liked this
man first rate, at the same time ! never dreamed
OF such n thing as knowing him, hut one day.
when | was sitting in the boss BARRIERS chair, the
boss barber said TO me in his quiet wayne
was u quiet man, too-that this other man
wanted TO get me to do something for him. 1t
was something that tho other man wanted
always. and something that | could do. And
Mr.. Carter introduced mo to the other man, and
he, in Just the quiet. kindly way that ! should
have expected OF him. told me what he'd like to
have. and that WAS the very simple beginning
Of a pleasant relationship of years.
Il think of that experience often. and always
with pleasure. 1t was the last place where |
should have expected to ind work in my line.
but there | found 1t. The offer of II TO me by my
friend the barber was made out of pure fricndll-
ness. but he never would have put II in my way
at all II he had not believed | could Ill the bill.
From whatever point of view l look at it, it is a
pleasure to recall II.
well, now, here I am rambling all over North
America talking about myself, but 1t all comes
back to this: Don't trust to luck. but trust to
yourself and keep everlastingly plugging at 1t.
and sooner or later things will begin to come
YOUR way."