The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1897-05-29
TIE MlpDLE-AGED MAN.
He Doesn't Believe in Luck, THOUGH
Things DO Come About CEriousis-

He Doesn't Believe in Lnck, ih""s"
Things DO Come About CSriousis-
AZ don't believe in pull said he md
.le-aged man, and I don't believe IN
uck. [ think that in the long run man
s sure TO get whatever he is entitled TO-
If his recognition comes late he gets 10
II bigger chunks. 1t averages up al
light. If he is really entitled to any
hing he is reasonably sure, sooner OF
alter, to get his due.
AT the same time, while | do not be-
ieve in luck, things certainly do come
ibout sometimes in curious way. IL
nay be laid down as a general PROPOSE
ion that things don't happen to a mar
1T all unless he is around where things
ire happening For instance, a man
Who never went out of doors might
never get run ever, but he neyerd get
anything else, either; while II one Il
out in the fight, where things do hap
zen, he is in the way of meeting things;
metimes things come his way from
he most unexpected sources. struck
4 very nice little streak once through
the boss of the barber shop where used
10 go to get shaved. Our lines of bust
less were as far apart as the business
IF two men could be, but he was at least
rs able and successful in his as was in
nine, and personally he was at least rs
keen and alert; and the help that ne
rave me came about in the most natural
way in the world.
1T was big barber shop, and, OF
course, a sort of exchange. All sorts OF
business and professional men met
there, and you saw more of them there
than you would in a restaurant, be-
cause when they had to wait in barber
shop they would sit around and read the
newspapers, and you'd hear 'em talk,
maybe, If 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 the boss knew them all, and
they all knew the boss, and they all held
nim in friendly esteem.
Among the regular customers that
took a special fancy to there was one
who talked but little and never talked
oud, quiet, modest, pleasant gentleman
who was very rich, who had made his
fortune within a few years, and in the
same business as my own. While liked
| this man first-rate, at the same time
never dreamed of such thing as know
| ing him, but one day, when l was sit
| ting in the boss BARRIERS chair, the boss
barber said to me, in his quiet way
he was a quiet man, too-that THIS other
man wanted to get me to do some
thing for HIN. 1t was something that
.he other man wanted always, and some
| thing that could do. And Mr. Garter
introduced me 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 pleasani
relationship of years.
81 think of that experience often, ant
always with pleasure. 1t was the las
place where | should have expected t.
find work in my line, but there | foun'
| it. The offer of 1t to me by my frien'
the barber was made out of pure friend
| liness, but be never would have put
in my way at all if he had not believes
| could fill the bill. From whateYe
point of view look at it, it is peasur
to recall it.
"Well, now, here l am rambling a
over North America talking about my
self, but it all comes back to this: Don
al
keep everlastingly plugging at it, an
sooner or later things will begin I
come your way."-N. Y. Sun.