The Washington herald., 1915-02-02
THE THREE C'S OF LIFE.
BY oRIsoN SWEET MARDEN.

Quick Training for War" little book
by Gen. Baden-Powell, recently publish
ed in England, contains some truths
which might with equal force be applied
to training for life.
The author says, for example, that the
four C's OF soldering are Courage, Com
nonsense, Cunning, Cheerfulness, and
that success in war depends more on the
moral qualities than on the physical.
Leaving out the cunning, il you please,
which we usually class with the unde-
sirable animal traits, could there be three
more powerful weapons in life's armory
than Courage, Commonsense and Cheer
fulness?
Why, the man or woman who possesses
these and keeps them bright by constant
use is a victory-organiZed host. Such a
one can no more fail in life than the
planets can fail to follow their appointed
course in the heavens.
They are what we are pleased to call
commonplace qualities, too. That Is,
they are not monopoly of the high born.
the wealthy, or the learned, those who
are born with a gold spoon in their
mouth. You may have them, l may have
them, all who choose may arm them
selves with those three conquering
weapons, those three wonderful C's OF
life.
Courage, Commonsense and Cheerful
ness are moral qualities which every one
can cultivate to his own enrichment, aye.
and TO that OF the entire community.
You may be poor, you may have no.
body to give you push or to encour-
age you; but IL you have those three
miracle-working C's you can defy the
world. You can put them in the place
OF capital or influence. They will help you
when friends fail, when everything seems
against you.
Courage, CommOnsense and Cheerfulness
have enabled many a boy and girl to get
good education when there was no
money or encouragement for him at
home; they have helped to spur the au-
thor to write book that has made his
reputation: the painter to paint the pic
ture which has won his fame: the law
yer to plead the case at the bar which
has led to distinction. 1t does not mat
ter where you live or how forbidding
your environment, IL you are armed with
these three weapons you can win.
One of the most recent and striking
instances of their triumph in spite of
fearful odds is furnished in the life story
of the Right Hon. Thomas Burt, NJ. p,
who recently retired from public life at
the age OF seventy-seven.
Mr.. Burt left school when ten years
old to begin life in an English coal
mine at a wage OF tenpence a day-sl.2O
week. From that humble beginning
he rose to be a member OF the British
cabinet, and was affectionately known
as the Father OF the House OF Com
mons"
How did he accomplish such marvellous
results? How did he rise to such dis
linCtion in a country where caste dis
tinctions are so much more marked than
with us and opportunities for advance
ment much fewer? First of all he culti-
waited from the start his Unborn quail
ties of Courage, Commonsense and Cheer
fulness. Then he concentrated on his am
bition, he visualiZed his desire for an
education, he dreamed of a time when the
little colliery boy would stand for some
thing in his community-and he worked
necessarily. Although he had to walk to
and from his home. a distance of eight
miles to his work, he nevertheless found
time to study, to read and educate him
self. And so. step by step he rose until
he had won for himself a position equal
to that OF some OF the proUdest aristo-
Gratis OF England.
Courage, Commonsense. Cheerfulness!
What an inspiring ring the words have!
What stimulating battle cry for life.