Omaha daily bee., 1918-10-09
The Lucky Handicap
Major Rupert Hughes, U. S. A., in Carry On.

Success in life is only a Marathon. People
make fun of the hare who let the tortoise beat
him, but bookmaker who knew his business
would have favored the tortoise in the betting
every time.
The rich mans son with what people call
every advantage" has really all the disadvan-
tages. He has next to nothing to fight for. He
has nothing to strengthen his muscle and his
determination and his envy on He gets every
thing but his clothes ready made.
He is like an elevator boy with no stairs to
climb he only uses his legs for props. little
pull on rope or shift of lever and the car
shoots up or down; so his arms stay fabby.
Nobody ever made success with cnch.
The greatest helps man can have are his hand
leaps. Among all great orators who would be
called the greatest? Demosthenes, of course.
He suffered as boy and had voice that
hardly carried past his Grecian nose; so he filled
his mouth with pebbles and went out on the
beach to shout down the breakers. 1t was good
practice for conquering audiences.
Among all the great composers, who would
be called the greatest? Beethoven, undoubt-
life
The master poet of Greece was Homer, and
he was blind. And so was the epic poet of Eng
land, Milton. man does not have to hear to
make music nor see to write.
Pilgrims Progress" was composed in jail,
and so was the masterpiece of Spanish litera-
ture, Don Quixote."
Speaking of Spanish literature, w. H. Pres
cott one of Americas greatest historians who
wrote classic histories of the Spanish monarchs
and conquerors, made wonderful research among
ancient manuscripts in spite of the fact that he
could hardly see When he was in college a
boy threw piece of bread at him. 1t hit him
in the eye and he became all but blind. Yet he
managed to devise means for reading almost
endlessly in dim old Libraries.
Another famous American historian was
Francis Parkman who was such an invalid that
he tainted at the least effort He could hardly
work an hour day; it was torture for him to
travel Yet he filled many volumes with the
results of his explorations in rough countries,
seeking the truth about Indian wars and GUS
toms.
There was young count named Geza Itchy
who had an ambition to be pianist At II he
lost his right arm. But he went right on with
his career He rearranged the brilliant concert
pieces that were beyond the ability Of most plan
lists so that he could play them with his left
hand. He composed works of his own and
made himself famous as a pianist. He COM
posed two successful operas.
One of the greatest of all illustrators was the
Spaniard Verge. In the very height Of his Ca
reer his right hand failed him. He learned to
draw as we'll with his left. The American car
L. D.
laughter from the readers of Life, lost the use
of his right hand, too He learned to draw with
his left and his followers never knew the differ
ence.
1t would be easy to 60 on all day mentioning
names ancient and modern of those whom fate
seemed to surround with wire entangements,
but who scrambled up out of the ditch, and went
over the top, crawled through the barbs and
charged on to victory.
nf he hap
erty or parental opposition, il-health, poor edu-
cation, hostility, disgrace, wounds, physical,
mental or spiritual obstacles to overcome. But
they were not stopped.
To my thinking we ought not to say that a
man succeeds "in spite of handicaps but DE
cause of handicaps. The man to feel sorry for
is the poor fellow who is rich in everything but
nearly hopeless. What has the wretch got to
exercise his will power on3 or to set his teeth
in? or to brace himself againstl A man can't
get strong by lifting cream puffs or sticking
panses in his buttonhole.
When he wakes up in the morning he has
no pet demon sitting on the foot of his bed de-
flying him and bringing him out of the nest Of
sloth with roar. People are so cantankerous
that they never get over the childhood longing
to do what they are warned against. When
destiny says You can't" man of real stuff
replies, "Ill show you"
The things people do best are the impossible
things. The novel that had most effect on
American history was written by the timid little
wife of a clergyman, and the noblest war poem
ever written by an American was written by a
woman. The Spartans who put their weaklings
to death never accomplished anything but lit
tie fairly good fighting. The race is not to the
swift, but to the lame. the halt and the blind
It's the grit that counts.
Perhaps the stoutest-hearted poem In any
language was written by poor bedridden in
valid who spent good part of his time in hos
pitfalls under the surgeons knives. He wrote
that marvellous defiance:
Out Of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods there be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch Of circumstance
have not WINGED nor cried aloud.
Beneath the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody but unbowed.