The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-11-05

HUNDREDS OF thousands OF persons
are eagerly in search OF the secret
Of success: but comparatively few
ever pause to consider that II they
learn the real causes OF failure they
have already taken the first step on the high
way to prosperity.
There is no one thing that can be more
profitable TO young man than such study.
In making 1t, 1t Is necessary to consider all
phases OF life. He must consider the col
lapse OF great projects and the overthrow
OF small individual ambitions. Why did De
Lesseps fail In his mighty task OF construct
Ing the Panama canal? Why did Jones as
a salesman dlsappoint his employer? What
brought about the dreadful failure OF the
Barring Brothers? Why did Brown meet
with dIsa ster as novelist? What combina-
ton OF circumstances caused Cyrus Field
to fail In private business after he had
proved himself a public benefactor by car
grylng to successful completion the magnih-
cent Atlantic cable? All Of these things call
for contemplation and patient analysis.
s
Every Failure Has Logical Cause.
Every failure, as we'll as every SUCCESS, has
Its logical explanation. There Is no lllustra-
ton So convincing as an illustration taken
from real life, and n order to make some OF
these things clear n few Instances taken al
random from this wbrkadny world are pre-
scented for the consideration OF the reader.
Take first the case OF two young men about
the same age and having the same general
capacity. They resolve to enter a civil serv-
ice examination In order to obtain position
with the United States government. The
first one obtaining his papers glanced over
them casually and said TO the other:
- II I don't get an average OF at least W
I'll eat my shirt It's easy.
The other. who was slow OF thought and
'sneech. and who acted like plodder shook
his head a he replied:
q / hope Iii get through. It's going TO take
some hard study. It's been six or seven years
since left school. and I'm afraid that some
~ these things are not fresh in my mind"
,rhey both entered the examination. No
made a pitiful failure, while No. came out
with an average OF over 30. The) man'Who
knew 1t all forgot to put aperiod IN It's proper
place and thereby lost poiE: in the marking
in. Hc misspelled several ordinary words;
he bunRled in his arithmetic, and when asked
to give a specimen OF his education IN gram
mar and English, presented the examiners
with slovenly composition. The other man
was cautious. He put theperiods Where tney
belonged. He spelled ordinary words cor
rectly, and while not perfect on ms ar'th-
matic,g showed care and intelligence.
sfi@ 4 % 55
Many Fail THROUGH Overcontidence
The failure OF the young man IN this o'yil
service examination came from overconn-
dence. Failure comes to hundreds and thou-
sa nds from, the same cause. Remember, that
no matter what else you may do or think,
don't permit yourself to become aihlcted W1th
the mental disease known as oYerconHdence'
Another instance comes to mine. GER
tain young man. OF good parentage ana WIN
first class opportunities, determined 70 take
up the study OF law, His parents were
wealthy enough to permit him to 1--we 9 lie
of ease AS result OF this he did not 90 at
his studies with the energy and zest that was
needed When the time for his examination
arrived his ,tutors-and they were private
ones-were compelled to cram him. ne
passed the examination by the skin Of MS
teeth, He hung up his sign, received the
Of his friends sat down IN
a leather bottom armchair, and waited for
clients. & They were q long time IN coming,
He didn't care. lie was known as q member
of tho bar, and that wes sufficient, Finally,
however, a client did come to him. After
several days Of preparation, he went into
court to make his first argument. During
the course fthe trial II was necessary to re- Z
Ter to some points Of law. lie knew nothing