Evening star., 1897-05-07
THE MIDDLE AGED MAN
Doesn't Believe in Luck, ThOug
Things Do Come About Curiously.

Doesn't Believe in Luck, Though
Things Do Come About Curiously.
From the New York Sun.
Il don't believe in pull said the middle
aged man, "and don't believe in luck /
think that in the long run a man is sure
to get whatever he is entitled to- If his
recognition comes late he gets it in bigger
chunks. 1t averages up all right. If he is
really entitled to anything he is reason
ably sure, sooner or later to get his due.
"At the same time, while 1 do not be-
lieve in luck, things certainly do come
about sometimes in curious way. 1t may
lie laid down as general proposition that
things don't happen to a man at all un-
less he Is around where things are happen
ing. For instance, a man who never went
out of doors might never get run over bu.
he never'd get anything else, either: While
If one is out in the fight, where things do
happen, he Is In the way of meeting things;
sometimes things come his way from the
most unexpected sources. / struck a very
nice little streak once through the boss OF
the barber shop where Used to go to get
shaved. Our lines of business were as far
apart as the business of two men could
be, but he was at least as able and sue
cessfm in his as 1 was in mine and per
sonally he was at least as keen and alert
and the help that he gave 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 restaurant. because when they had to
wait in the barber shop they would sit
around and read the newspapers, and you
near em talk, maybe. if they We're 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
tnem all and they all knew the boss, and
they all held him in friendly esteem
Among the rpl1llay thot
took special fancy to there was one who
talked but little and never talked loud.
a quiet modest, pleasant gentleman who
was very rich. who had made his fortune
within few years, and in the same busi-
ness as my own. While / liked this man
first rate at the same time never dreamed
of such a thing as knowing him, but one
day. when was sitting in the boss BARRIERS
chair, the boss barber said to me In his
quiet way-he was quiet man, too-lhat
this other wanted to get me to do
something for him. 1t was something that
the other an wanted always, and some
troduced me to the other man, and he, in
just the quiet, kindly way that 1 should
have expected of him. told me what he'd
like to have and that was the very SIM
pie beginning of pleasant relationship OF
years.
Il think of that experience often. and
always with pleasure. 1t was the last
place where 1 81 Guild have expeeted to
find work in my line. but there 1 found
1t. The offer of it to me by my friend the
barber was made cut of pure friendliness
but he never would have put it in my way
at all If he had not believed I could fiii
the bill. From whatever point of view 1
look at 1t. 1t is a pleasure to recall il.
"Weil, 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 ever
lastingiy plugging at it, and sooner or later
things will begin to come your way"