The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1904-02-18
Handicaps.

VERYONE starts in life handi-
r. capped in one way or another,
IL and as we are all sprinting
for the same goal-happiness
the odds against some of us seem
to assume gigantic proportions long
before we get near the home-stretch.
Few men can enter a race of
any kind and expect to win if
they are handicapped at the start. In
every race, whether for honor, fame,
or riches, good lead al. the start, with
the nerve to hug the inner rail always
counts in the long run. The ones who,
knowing their ability to win will still
fritter away their energy in making
sensational plays for applause, instead
of getting into the harness, will find
themselves continually overlapped by
the less able, and when the talIies are
posted will be far behind.
Because some have erred in the past
is no reason why they should be down
in the mouth. Past errors ought to
be to us as signboards of the future,
pointing out in memory the sunken
rocks. Someone says, Life consists
not of holding good hand, but of
playing a poor hand WELL" The one
who holds good cards and cannot win
must be chump, but it does not fol-
low that because man played poor
hand to the best of his ability that he
is a failure. On the contrary some of
the most successful men of today were
"lald on the carpet" only to rise with
renewed strength to continue the
match with Fortune. Men give the
morbid individual who considers HIM
self a failure wide berth but they ap-
preciate the laughing debonair gentle
man who, in spite of setbacks, contin-
ues to do his best.
If one who has had trouble in the
past is going to take that past as a
criterion of the future he must GER
tainly be off his feed, for it is an estab-
lished truth that "nothing that is not
in harmony with nature can last" and
surely misery is not in harmony with
nature. One cannot take the past
especially when that past has been un-
happy-as criterion of the future, for
even the most obtuse must admit that
whatever conflicts with nature must
necessarily be of short duration.
It is not necessary to take an ex-
tremely optimistic view of life-any-
thing carried to extremes is silly-but
unless one willfully shuts his eyes he
must see the many encouraging signs
placed by nature in his way to brighten
his life and bring out all that is best
and noblest in him. l have no inten-
tions of going into rhapsodies on ma
ture at the present time, tho 1 might If
had sleigh and charming young
: -, but that is another thing.
Some imagine that the world looks
with contempt on failure. Not bit
of it.! This world has no occasion to
throw stones at any of us who may
have missed the mark. In the dim
past she herself was nothing but big
mud puddle, and a dismal failure al
that, but notice that she paid no heed
to comments but progressed with in
difference until she reached the present
pinnacle of fame, thanks to-oh, well
: the American people.
: 1 might go on to show how even the
: mighty Mississippi has failed in its ef
Q forts to reach the summit of Pixies
3 Peak, but nevertheless it continues tt
s inundate the country round about
. with, perhaps, that possible aim ir
: view-but I won't. / do not impl!
!, that there is no such word as fail, bu
i l do mean there is no such thing as al
S everlasting failure. Take chair ant
|: brace up! Call for new deal ant
y when it is your cut and you see you
s way to it hold out the trump cards O
n experience, and if you do not win i
a will be because you do not want t.
d win. 5683.