The progressive farmer and the cotton plant., 1905-01-10

10 AlnoIness ~
10. Egolsm ~ ~
II. Self-Reliance III
IS. Ability to Avail Oneself of the Wisdom
of Others ~
10. Over-Confdence 10
20. Good Looks lO
21. Companionable Qualities. .............. 10
%. Good Manners III
%. Good Taste in Dress .................. 10
"a. Charm of Manners, Attractiveness, Person
al Magnetism 1o
25. Cheerfulness, Viewing Life From the
Brightest View of an Outlook. ......... 10
26. Good HumOr 81
The highest or most perfect mark under any
one of these twenty-six heads; all of which go to
make up character, is 10, except Good Humor,
which may count 80.
The person chosen by lot to be passed upon
first, having retired from the room, the discussion
is opened. The first of the twenty-six heads go
ing to make up character is Truth. Is his word
to be relied upon? Or is there a general impress
sion that it is fimsy, that he exaggerates, or that
if confronted with an emergency he would even
descend to a downright lie?
The second head goes even beyond the first, and
has to do with those ~niceties of character which
determine, not merely whether a man is a liar or
truthful, but if through all the relations of life he
carries that entire frankness which may be de-
pended upon at all times and which we call sim
cerity of character.
The delight of this Game of Averages depends
upon every one entering into it with the determl-
nation to be entirely fair-without malice, with
out prejudice. Each one must remember that not
only is Character No. One, who has retired from
the room, on trial, but that the members of the
Jury are themselves on trial, and that presently
the prejudices or unfairness which they show in
the jury will be counted against them when it
comes their turn to retire and their own charac-
tiers are up for examination.
The Jury now proceeds to discuss and vote upon
the next characteristic, Judgment. Then Kindli-
ness. and then the Mental Capacity of the absen-
tee. His Self Control, his Executive Powers, are
brought up, and his All-Round Ability, and how
he stands in relation to Courage. Is his nerve
such that in a difficult place he would not funk!
would he stand by a comrade, would he stand by
a principle? Or is he the sort to stink away in
difficult times and leave his companions in the
lurch, or his principles in the rear?
Those who have not taken part in this Game OF
Averages would not believe how fairly a jury will
determine the characteristics of one of their
friends, especially if the party is led by some one
iust-minded, who is sincerely anxious for fair play.
But meanwhile Character No. One sits In 1g-
norance of what is occurring. lie, TOO, mas peen
given a slip of paper and is required to write down
his own estimate of his characteristics. AS he
writes down his figures with confidence, how lit
tie does he suspect the different numbers which his
friends are putting down in the adjoining room!
Perhaps he prides himself especially upon his
dress. and thinks he is fairly good-looking, and
has no doubt in the world about his courage.
Against Good Taste in Dress he marks 8. The
highest figure which he could give himself would
be 10. Against Good Looks he gives Z. Against