The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-08-20

Seek for Or
\ ONE one once said I" The successful
man says he has made himself 80, ana
the unsuccessful man man says ne nus pee"
made So"
He was right. The people with
wbom am acquainted who have done we'll Il
In life are exceedingly energetic IN striving TO u
Z impress on me the fact that they have done
Ii '.all out of their own heads. Y Those who
y have failed are equally in earnestin trying
\ to persuade ME that their failure has been
A all n matter OF" sheer bad luck"
III Ialways take both Of these sta tements with
I'LL n huge grain Of salt. The men ana women
III who have succeeded have. in nlnety-nine
~ cases out of n hundred, largely deserved to
succeed Fortune, however. has helped
them Those who have failed have, III nine
ty-nine cases out of hundred. contrbuedto
their own failure. They IRE not quite so free
from responsibility as they are inclined TO
argue. There are few people to whom OPP q
portunities do not come at some time or an
other. But some have n peculiar faculty OF
making the best of them, and some either do
not recognize them or are unable to utilize
them.
4 =
II Luck" Often Deciding Element
n There is a considerable element of fortune
4 In life. One of the most successful lawyers,
Il, a man whose income runs into five figures
" a year, canlc into prominence through the
accidental absence of some other counsel
4 engaged to argue a case. In which he was re-
VIZ tanned as a kind of ornamental person,
VI thrown in to add consequence to the appear
N ance of his leaders, But the leaders were
| . away at the critical moment, and the young
4 u lawyer had to supply their place. lie did so
! II so satisfactorily that In few years he was a
7 | ecllpsing those leaders. E
Al 1Ipon the other hand, n friend of mine,
II whose particular hobby 1t Is % assert that q f.
III man arves his ownfortune,'' and who has
7 NJ course been remarkably successful, while
A going to conclude n niece of business from
4 ! ! which he would have reaped some thousands
J1 Of dollars profit, was knocked down by
WI cab arrived late In consequence, ana then
" only to find that the business had been con-
Nh Guided with a rival firm.
W He admits now that, after all, man may
VA !, he fortunate without blame attaching to
VIZ him. That cab converted him to consldera-
~ bly, more sympathetic view of persons VINO
mn do not happen to succeed in everything they
VII take in hand.
" Life Like Game of Chance!
m A young friend Of mine, who has held q
I'M most in an old established firm for years,
WI during which time he made excellent prog
VI rcss suddenly found all his immediate hopes
M dashed by the failure of the firm 1t is Cd
WI ylous that no blame could attach TO my frlehd
VI for that.
On .the other hand, know person VINO
"a bought small business five years ago ne
Nm calculated 1t should bring him In something
WI like $4,000 a year. 1t Is bringing him In
1 81 OOO thanks to a notability I" discovering :
N6 the place and giving 1t such an advertise
YIN ment that 1t has been thronged since me
M / one mans misfortune and the others good
"a fortune appear to me equally matters of what
"a h people call !" luck.
tYH There are mstortunes which no one can
" N fcresee or provide against. Opportunities,
h \ again, occur to people in a peculiarly for
N q tuitous fashion. But life Is not q game Of :
!, chance, after all.
sEd There are, then circumstances IN life which
III are entirely beyond our control. There arc
m others which we can ourselves govern; and
IN these are the ones which are worth our
EN- thought-the opportunities that come within
WI our grasp.
az Opportunity May Be Sought.
AN good deal can be done in finding oppor-
~ tunity and improving It, f
a Y Al had two friends" said Barnum. = One
E\9 of them invented soap. 1t was magnih-
AN cent soap What did he do with 1t? Just
AVN washed himself with 1t. sir-just washed
Ahl( himself with 1t. and died a poor man The
nm other had a soap not fit to walk In the same
AE| section. What did he do with 1t, sir? Adj
Ar vcrtised and lived III gold
EAbII do not so hat opportunities a ways come
lTSE| by advertising; do say that they come much
AHU more plentifully TO those who seek them than
NIX 10 those who do not. Seeking opportunities
!. AA to do better ought to be as recognized a part
ysA OF a persons work as the performance of his
FfA9 work itself,