diff options
| author | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-14 20:06:40 -0700 |
|---|---|---|
| committer | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-14 20:06:40 -0700 |
| commit | 380dc066ee90368b1012fd3c4244516830d015d0 (patch) | |
| tree | 9e1b88131e90ca4374a16f479fa6264378749d11 /36849-h | |
Diffstat (limited to '36849-h')
| -rw-r--r-- | 36849-h/36849-h.htm | 7216 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 36849-h/images/frontis.jpg | bin | 0 -> 114531 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 36849-h/images/illus003.jpg | bin | 0 -> 29115 bytes |
3 files changed, 7216 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/36849-h/36849-h.htm b/36849-h/36849-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a0acc2f --- /dev/null +++ b/36849-h/36849-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,7216 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of Think, by Col. Wm. C. Hunter. + </title> + <style type="text/css"> + + p { margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; + } + hr { width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; + } + + body{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + + .pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ + /* visibility: hidden; */ + position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: smaller; + text-align: right; + } /* page numbers */ + + .sidenote {width: 10%; padding-bottom: .5em; padding-top: .5em; + padding-left: .5em; padding-right: .5em; margin-right: 1em; + float: left; clear: left; margin-top: 1em; + font-size: smaller; color: black; background: #eeeeee; border: dashed 1px;} + + .bbox {border: solid 2px; width: 400px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;} + + .center {text-align: center; text-indent: 0em;} + .u {text-decoration: underline; text-align: center; text-indent: 0em;} + + .caption {font-weight: bold;} + + .figcenter {margin: auto; text-align: center;} + + .poem {margin-left:10%; margin-right:10%; text-align: left; text-indent: 0em;} + + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Think, by Col. Wm. C. Hunter + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Think + A Book for To-day + +Author: Col. Wm. C. Hunter + +Release Date: July 25, 2011 [EBook #36849] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THINK *** + + + + +Produced by Juliet Sutherland and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + +</pre> + + + + + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 695px;"> +<img src="images/frontis.jpg" width="695" height="1024" alt="Wm C Hunter" title="" /> +</div> + + + +<div class="bbox"> +<h1>THINK</h1> + +<h3>A Book for To-day</h3> + +<h5>By</h5> +<h3>COL. WM. C. HUNTER</h3> + +<h5>Author of<br /> +Pep, Dollars and Sense, Brass Tacks, etc.</h5> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 295px;"> +<img src="images/illus003.jpg" width="295" height="149" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<h3>The Reilly & Lee Co.<br /> +<small>Chicago</small></h3> +</div> + + +<p> </p> + +<p class="u"><i>Printed in the United States of America</i></p> + +<p class="center">Copyright, 1918<br /> +by<br /> +The Reilly & Britton Co.</p> + +<p class="center"><i>Made in U. S. A.</i></p> + +<p class="center">Published September 24, 1918<br /> +Second Printing—October 1, 1918<br /> +Third Printing—June 15, 1919<br /> +Fourth Printing—June 1, 1920<br /> +Fifth Printing—April 3, 1922<br /> +Sixth Printing—February 27, 1925<br /> +Seventh Printing—October 25, 1926<br /> +Eighth Printing—October 5, 1927</p> + +<h4><i>Think</i></h4> + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span></p> +<h2>PUBLISHER'S NOTE</h2> + + +<p>When Colonel Hunter wrote PEP in 1914 and +offered it to The Reilly & Britton Company, we +immediately accepted the manuscript for publication. +So highly did we regard the work that +the president of this company, over his signature, +contributed an introductory note of endorsement, +citing his own experience in following the +rules and principles laid down in PEP for the +attainment of "poise, efficiency and peace."</p> + +<p>Our confidence and belief in PEP were amply +justified. Eight large editions were printed in +four years. Over 70,000 copies have been sold.</p> + +<p>THINK—the last book that Colonel Hunter +wrote—is now published for the first time. It +is especially important, coming, as it does, at a +time when commonsense thinking, good health, +good cheer, optimism and rational methods of +living are more necessary than ever before.</p> + +<p>In this trenchantly written volume, Colonel +Hunter has given some golden advice to the man +or woman who is facing the big problems of +to-day in a wavering or hopeless spirit. Correct +your thinking. Get a grip on yourself. Colonel +Hunter tells you how.</p> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span></p> + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h1>THINK</h1> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span></p> +<h2>1.</h2> + + +<p>We all enter the world with an abundance of +nerve energy, and by conserving that energy we +can adapt and adjust our nerve equipment to +keep pace with the progress and evolution of +our times.</p> + +<p>The way to preserve and conserve nerve equilibrium +and power is to rest and relax the nerves +each day.</p> + +<p>You may rest them by a change of the thought +habit each day, by relaxation, by sleep, and by +the suggestions made in this book.</p> + +<p>There are but few advance danger signals +shown by the nervous system, and in this there is +a marked difference between the nerves and the +organic system.</p> + +<p>If you abuse your stomach, head, heart, lungs, +liver, kidneys or eyes, you have distress and pain.</p> + +<p>The nervous energy is like a barrel of water—you +can draw water from the faucet at the bot<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span>tom +until you have almost exhausted the contents.</p> + +<p>Nature mends ordinary nerve waste each day, +like the rains replenish the cistern.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Conserve +Your +Energy.</div> + +<p>A reasonable use of your nerve force, like a +reasonable use of the rainwater, means you can +maintain a permanent supply. But +you must be reasonable; you must +give the cistern a chance to refill and +replace that which you have drawn out.</p> + +<p>You, who have shattered and tattered your +nerves, are not hopeless. You can come back, +but it must be done by complete change of the +acts that brought on the condition.</p> + +<p>Get more sleep. Eliminate the useless, harmful +fads, fancies and functions which disturbed +and prevented you from living a sane, rational +life.</p> + +<p>Avoid extremes, cultivate rhythm and regularity +in your business and your home life. Keep +away from excitement. Read really good books. +Walk more, talk less.</p> + +<p>Eat less heat-making foods and more apples. +Follow the diet, exercise and thought rules suggested +in "Pep."</p> + +<div class="sidenote">No Need +to Despair.</div> + +<p>Maybe these lines are being read by a discouraged +one who is "all nerves," which means<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span> +lost nerve force. To you I say there +is hope and cheer and strength and +courage if, right here, now, you resolve +to cut the actions, habits and stunts that +knocked you out and follow my suggestions.</p> + +<p>I know, my friend, for I've trotted the heat, +danced the measure, and been through the mill.</p> + +<p>Now I am fearless, calm and prepared. I can +stand any calamity, meet any issue, endure any +sorrow.</p> + +<p>I can do prodigious work in an emergency, go +without rest or eating when required, because I +have poise, efficiency—peace.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Steer a +Middle +Course.</div> + +<p>I realize nothing is as bad as it is painted. +Nothing is as good as its boosters claim. I go +in the middle of the road, avoiding +extremes. I have confidence in my +heart. Courage, hope, happiness, and +content attend me on my way.</p> + +<p>I've buried envy in a deep pit and covered +it with quick lime.</p> + +<p>I am keeping worry out by keeping faith, hope +and cheer thoughts in my brain-room, and these +are antiseptics against the ravages of the worry +microbe.</p> + +<p>I have my petty troubles and little make-believe +worries, just enough of them to make me<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span> +realize I have them licked, and to remind me I +must not let up on my mastery of them.</p> + +<p>Worry growls once in a while just to make +me grab tighter the handle of my whip.</p> + +<p>And you may enjoy this serene state, too. +There is no secret about it. I will gladly give +you the rules of the game in this book. Just +prepare to receive some practical, helpful suggestions.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>2.</h2> + + +<div class="sidenote">How to +Use Your +Assets.</div> + +<p>You are a busy person, so am I. Busy persons +are the ones who do things. The architect +is a busy man, but he has learned that +the effort spent in preparing his +plans is the most important part of +his work. The plans enable him to do his work +systematically and lay down rules and methods +to get the highest efficiency and accomplishment +from those who do the work of erecting the building.</p> + +<p>If the architect would order lumber, stone and +hardware, without system, and start to erect the +building without carefully prepared plans, the +building would lack symmetry and strength, and +it would be most expensive.</p> + +<p>The planning time therefor was time well spent.</p> + +<p>Few persons have the ability to control and +conserve their talents so as to produce the highest +efficiency. Men rush along thinking their +busyness means business. Really, it means +double energy and extra moves to produce a +given effect.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span></p> + +<div class="sidenote">Unnecessary +Moves.</div> + +<p>The elimination of unnecessary moves means +operating along lines of least resistance, and any +plan or method that will help to do +away with unnecessary moves and +make the necessary moves more +potential will be received with welcome, I am +sure.</p> + +<p>With the object of conserving energy and +strengthening your force, this book is written.</p> + +<p>It shall not be a book of ultimate definiteness +or a book of exact science. There are no definite +or exact rules that will apply, without exception, +to any science except mathematics.</p> + +<p>But we shall learn many helpful truths, nevertheless, +and if I err, or disagree with your conclusions, +just eliminate those lines and take the +helps you find.</p> + +<p>I particularly emphasize the importance of +taking a few minutes each evening and using +the time for sizing up things, by inventory, analysis, +speculation, comparison and hypothesis. +Many of the great captains of industry who are +noted for their energy in accomplishing things +worth while, have learned the value of this daily +habit.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Know +Thyself.</div> + +<p>I want to help YOU to form the habit of +thinking over each day's activities in the quiet, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span>relaxed, uncolored, unprejudiced, secluded +environment of your home. +When the day's work is over, spend +fifteen or twenty minutes each evening in seclusion, +and with closed eyes, size yourself up. +Think over your daily round and the work you +are doing. Are you getting the best out of yourself? +Or are you plodding along aimlessly, scattering +your energy in a haphazard, hit-or-miss +fashion that benefits nobody? Are you growing, +or are you standing still? In these fifteen-minute +sizing-up sessions, you will come to grips with +yourself. You will see yourself as you really are, +and will discover your weaknesses, your strength, +your real worth.</p> + +<p>I have chosen the evening as the time for our +little talks. In the evening we can be cozy, +comfy and communicative. The bank is closed. +We met the note and got through the day. We +are alive and well; we can open our hearts. +There is no office boy to disturb us, and the life +insurance agent is away at his club.</p> + +<p>Yes, we can be alone and tranquilly let down +the tension, lower the speed and with normal +heartbeats play the low tones, the soft strains, +the quieting music, and soothe our nerves.</p> + +<p>All day we've heard the band with its drums<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span> +and trombones and shrieky music. The day with +its busy whirl kept our analyzing mental think-tank +occupied with thoughts of gain and game +and fame.</p> + +<p>In the evening we have time to study logic and +to reason, to analyze and to take inventory, to +thresh out problems.</p> + +<p>So let us relax and reflect in the evening quiet.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>3.</h2> + + +<p>Man's nature makes it imperative for him to +be interested in something.</p> + +<p>That interest is to his help or hurt, according +as he directs it.</p> + +<p>There is much worry and misery in the world +because so many are astatic, like a compass that +has lost its loadstone.</p> + +<p>Man is definitely the result of the materials the +body and the mind feed upon.</p> + +<p>Character is the result of a determined purpose +to be and to do right—to one's self and to +one's fellows.</p> + +<p>The man of character focuses his attention on +truth, and on fact.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Theory and +Fact.</div> + +<p>He uses theories with fact, to aid his progress, +but he recognizes that theorizing, without fact +as a safety ballast, is a useless expenditure. +Theories without fact +leave man in a rudderless boat; he +gets nowhere, he merely drifts.</p> + +<p>Theory often helps to get at fact, but the better +way is to get at fact by proven experience,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span> +of which there is an inexhaustible abundance in +the world.</p> + +<p>Facts are based on natural laws. The study of +natural laws is beneficial. We shall strive in our +studies to keep close to fact with just enough +speculation to enliven the interest in facts.</p> + +<p>Living the artificial life makes for worry, illness +and failure.</p> + +<p>Living in harmony with the great natural laws +is the helpful way to live.</p> + +<p>To abide by the law is safety; to violate the +law brings punishment.</p> + +<p>Every man is better if he follows scientific +methods and habits of thought and living.</p> + +<p>The loafing or astatic mind will fall into morbid +tendencies.</p> + +<p>The employed, truth-seeking, idealistic, hopeful +mind is never dependent on people or things +for its pleasure.</p> + +<p>The acquiring of helpful knowledge, the seeking +of worth-while truth, are ever profitable employments, +paying present and future dividends, +and meanwhile those acts positively divert the +thought from morbid tendencies.</p> + +<p>I shall strive to bring helpful knowledge, good +cheer and interesting facts for your present occupation +and benefit.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span></p> + +<p>If I succeed in accomplishing my purpose, even +in part, my time has been well spent.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Thought +Never Stops.</div> + +<p>We have an unchallenged fact to rest our feet +on, a fact that shall follow us through all the +pages of this book, and that is: Our +thoughts never stop, our brains never +sleep. So then, we must consider that +thought current, and reckon with it.</p> + +<p>The motive power is turned on, and we must +grasp the helm if we sail the sea of life successfully, +baffling storms and avoiding rocks.</p> + +<p>Scientific books are usually dry, uninviting +reading; they lack the human interest. They are +generally bloodless skeletons.</p> + +<p>We shall try to weave science into new patterns +and paint interesting pictures, so that science +will attract and not repel.</p> + +<p>This book is different in its suggestions, in +its prescriptions, in its language, but it is universal +with all scientific books, in that its aim +is helpful truth.</p> + +<p>We go by different routes, but our objective +point is the same.</p> + +<p>We will avoid technical names and symbols, +and will speak the common language that the +multitude understands.</p> + +<p>We shall deal with problems and aspirations<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span> +that come to us all in this busy workaday world.</p> + +<p>We shall try to cut the underbrush in the +swamp and blaze a plain trail out on to the big +high road.</p> + +<p>We shall keep in step to the drum-beats of +truth, we will rest and recreate in cool shady +places, and then up and on to our purpose with +smiles on our faces, courage in our hearts, and +song on our lips.</p> + +<p>Every moment of our journey will be worth +while and positively helpful if we take the trip +with conscientious application and continuity of +purpose.</p> + +<p>Our path is strewn with roses and thorns; we +must enjoy the roses and escape the thorns.</p> + +<p>We welcome you, the neophyte, who have +joined us in our pilgrimage.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>4.</h2> + + +<p>Let's be personal; that's a good way to establish +a good idea in place of a bad one.</p> + +<p>Are YOU pleasant to live with? Keep this +personal question before you, even if you are +cocksure that you can answer, yes.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Be +Pleasant.</div> + +<p>Maybe there are some little jars, rattles, gratings, +you are not aware of. Few of us are honest +when looking for our own faults. +There may be some sand in your gear +box. It won't hurt you to keep the +personal question alive for a few days,—"Am I +pleasant to live with?"</p> + +<p>I love the pleasant people whether they are +fat, lean, tall, short, red heads, brown heads, +homely, handsome, republicans or democrats, +business men or artisans.</p> + +<p>The complaining, unpleasant grouch is like a +bear with a toothache. Miserable himself and +spreading misery all around.</p> + +<p>A freckle-faced, red-headed, cross-eyed man +with a healthy funny bone will spread more cheerfulness +and sunshine than a bench full of sad and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span> +solemn justices of the supreme court, or a religious +conference.</p> + +<p>What a different story would be written of +Job, if he had only possessed a servant who could +dance a double shuffle and whistle "Dixie" while +cooking breakfast.</p> + +<p>David was a man after my own heart; he +brought gladsome songs into the world. He said, +"Live the way of pleasantness."</p> + +<p>You can pray, sing, play, work, think, rest, +hope; you can be well or ill, rich or poor and still +be pleasant to live with.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Pleasantness +a Tonic +Quality.</div> + +<p>Being pleasant helps you to be strong in body +and mind, and it keeps you young a long time. +It's good medicine; I know it. My +little motto, "Be pleasant every +morning until ten o'clock, the rest of +the day will take care of itself," has brought sunshine +into many homes.</p> + +<p>If you frown it will soon get to be a habit—and +give you a heavy heart. If you smile your +face will be attractive, no matter how unlucky +you were in the lottery of beauty.</p> + +<p>Be pleasant and you will never feel old. The +pleasant disposition is a sure route to happy land +and happy homes.</p> + +<p>Old Ponce de Leon lost out in searching for the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span> +fountain of youth. If he had been pleasant, he +would have kept the smiles on his wife's face and +there would have been no excuse to leave her to +find the mythical fountain.</p> + +<p>Hoe cake, bacon and smiles beat lobster, champagne +and frowns.</p> + +<p>Our land is thrice blessed with its peaceful, +happy homes—for "happy homes are the +strength of a nation."</p> + +<p>Be pleasant in your home. Make the children +feel home is the pleasantest place in the world.</p> + +<p>Every act and example is written in the child's +memory tablet. Let your hours with the children +be loving, laughing, living hours. Pat them on +the head, joke with them, whisper affection, express +love to them. Those acts will be remembered +in all their years to come, for you are planting +everlasting plants that may pass on to a hundred +generations and make children happy a thousand +years from now.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Cheerfulness +Its Own +Reward.</div> + +<p>Be pleasant to live with and you will have +more pleasant things to live for. There will be +kindnesses, kisses, beauty, health, +peace, fun, happiness and content +coming your way all along the +great big road of life you are traveling.</p> + +<p>Be pleasant to live with and the people will<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span> +turn to you as you pass and reflect your cheerfulness +like the sunflowers turn to face the sun.</p> + +<p>Be pleasant; don't be cross and crabbed because +someone else in the household is not pleasant. +Do your part; you will likely thereby cure +the frown habit on the face of the unfortunate +disturber of your peace.</p> + +<p>Make yourself right before you criticise your +life partner. Answer this question, "Am I pleasant +to live with?"</p> + +<p>Don't fool yourself in the matter. Get right +down to brass tacks with yourself, watch your +moves and acts and attitude for ten days carefully +before answering the question.</p> + +<p>If your answer is no, now is your time to +change your attitude and try the pleasant plan, +and here is my blessing and good wishes in such +an event.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>5.</h2> + + +<p>There is fun and interest and diversion all +around us. All we need is keen observation and +we will see much that passes unnoticed to the +preoccupied person.</p> + +<p>What an interesting thing is the great round +world we live in! The people are as interesting +as fish in an aquarium.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Sitting on +the Side +Lines.</div> + +<p>See the rushing, surging crowd. Man pushes +along searching for necessary things to be done; +he builds cities, harnesses rivers, +makes ships to sail the seas to the +uttermost parts of the earth. Man +goes to war, he builds death-dealing devices that +destroy in a few minutes a beautiful cathedral +which has taken centuries to build.</p> + +<p>Man makes the desert blossom like a rose.</p> + +<p>Here is the scientist in his laboratory, trying +to unite certain elements to produce new substance. +Here is the beauty in her silken nest; +here the lover; there the musician; yonder the +peanut man, and in the office building is the captain +of industry—all busy bees deeply absorbed +in their respective interests, and intoxicated in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span> +the belief that they are important and greatly +necessary.</p> + +<p>Yet in the broad measure of ages they are mere +ripples on the sea of time, faint bubbles on the +eternal deep, and grains of sand at the mountain +foot.</p> + +<p>Great man by his own measure—minute man +by the great measure of time. Mammoths to the +near-sighted—mites to the far-sighted. Hustle +and bustle, crowd and push. They tramp down +the weaker brothers in the mad race after the +golden shekels, which are only measures of the +ability to buy and own material things; symbols +of power to make others serve you. These golden +shekels which men fret, sweat and fight for, can +only buy physical and material things.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">A Great +Truth.</div> + +<p>Away from the crowd is the little group who +have learned a great truth, which is that happiness +is not to be bought with gold. +This little minority knows that mental +pleasures are best, and that mental +pleasures cannot be found on the great highway +of material conquest.</p> + +<p>The puffy, corn-fed millionaire pities the man +who is content to live with small means and +enjoy what he has to the full extent.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Real +Happiness.</div> + +<p>The wise man is he who gets fullness out of +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span>life—happiness, respect, content, freedom from +worry; who is busy doing useful +things—busy helping his brother, +busy training his children, busy +spreading sunshine and love and the close-together +feeling in his home circle.</p> + +<p>The corn-fed, hardened, senseless, money-mad, +dollar-worshipper knows not peace. Smiles seldom +linger on his lips. Peace never rests in +his bosom, cheer never lights his face. He is +simply a fighting machine, miserable in solitude, +suffering when inactive and sick when resting.</p> + +<p>The money-chaser is up and doing, working +like a Trojan, because occupation takes his mind +off the painful picture of his misspent opportunity +and his destroyed natural instinct. When +fighting for gold he forgets his appalling poverty +in the really worth-while things in the world.</p> + +<p>Like the drunkard in his cups, the intoxication +makes him forget, and he is negatively happy.</p> + +<p>Money received as reward for doing things +worth-while is laudable.</p> + +<p>We cannot sit idly by and neglect to earn +money to provide food, shelter and education for +our loved ones, but between times we should +seek the wealth that comes from right mental +employment.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span></p> + +<p>The millionaire thinks, dreams and gets dollars, +and that is all.</p> + +<p>The worth-while man thinks kindness, usefulness, +self-improvement, brotherhood, love and he +gets happiness.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Doing for +Others.</div> + +<p>The man who discovers means to help his +fellow man, does a good act, but is the man +with the dollars in front of his eyes +who commercializes the discovery +and invention. In the end, the man +that helped mankind fares better than the man +who made the millions.</p> + +<p>It's a great crowd surging by, and very few +have the good sense to learn the value of TO-DAY. +That great crowd I see below my window +thinks ever of to-morrow and forgets the +wondrous opportunities that to-day holds out.</p> + +<p>Those who think always of to-morrow will +never get the beauties and joys from life that +comes to the little group of To-day, who appreciates +and enjoys the real Now, rather than the +pictured To-morrow that never comes.</p> + +<p>It's mighty interesting to sit on the side lines +and watch the crowds go by and speculate on +their movements.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">The Road +to Disillusionment.</div> + +<p>Save up your pennies, measure everything by +the dollar standard, think dollars, dream dollars, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span>work, slave, push for the dollars +and you will build a fortune. You +will never have peace or recreation +or joy; you will live only in hope of a some day +when you will retire. That's the way the millionaires +travel life's highway.</p> + +<p>Some day the paper will announce the death +of those millionaires, and then the dollars will +be blown in by reckless heirs, and so the grinding +wheels roll on.</p> + +<p>Surely there are many ways of looking at +things. Surely there is much of interest in the +crowd. Surely there is an unending amount of +thought and speculation possible about that +crowd way down on the street below my window.</p> + +<p>What passions, what hopes, what joys, what +sorrows, are in the hearts of that hurrying, worrying +crowd.</p> + +<p>What noise this din of traffic makes; what activity +man has stirred up.</p> + +<p>A picture, a drama, a tragedy, a comedy—all +these I see in the human ants that run along below +the hive where I sit and write these lines.</p> + +<p>The phone rings and my little Nancy Lou's +voice says, "Daddy, will you please bring me +a pencil and a tablet with lines on it."</p> + +<p>So I must needs stop this, whatever you may<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span> +call it, and push through the crowd to get that +tablet with "lines on it" for my Nancy Lou; and +there is some feeling of happiness and content +and peace in Daddy's heart as he lays down his +pen, for Daddy is going Home, and that word +means a lot in his little family, where they all +say "Daddy" instead of Papa or Father.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>6.</h2> + + +<div class="sidenote">Wasted +Energy.</div> + +<p>It is hard enough to do duty once, but doubly +hard when you anticipate mentally everything +you have to do to-morrow. This +doing things twice is a habit easily +acquired if you don't watch out, +and it means wasted energy.</p> + +<p>I have just read the experience of a housewife +who was resting on a couch and reading. Her eye +caught sight of a book lying on the floor across +the room.</p> + +<p>Instantly her mindometer, if I may coin a word, +registered, "When you get up, pick up that +book."</p> + +<p>She went on reading, but her mind was not +on the magazine she held, but on that book on +the floor.</p> + +<p>So obsessed did she become that she was miserable +until she got up and picked up the book.</p> + +<p>I was talking with a woman who was resting +on her porch. Her day's work was over. She +was dressed for the afternoon. Everything in the +home was neat, sweet, clean and tidy. All was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span> +serene but her face, and that was the window +through which I saw worry working overtime.</p> + +<p>By strategy I learned the trouble, and here is +her story: "To-morrow a lot of fruit will be +ready to preserve. I am worrying where I shall +put it. My fruit closet is full."</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Doing +Things +Twice.</div> + +<p>The woman had every reason to say to herself, +"Sufficient unto the day," yet she was doing +the preserving mentally to-day and +to-morrow she would do the work +physically. A tired mind is harder +to rest than a tired body, so we must nip this +advance mental work in the bud.</p> + +<p>We have all been mentally obsessed with +worrying about the things we were going to take +on our trip; then worrying over the routine of +our work when we should return from our trip.</p> + +<p>If the housewife looks over her week's work +and washes the dishes, makes the beds, cooks the +meals, dresses the children, mends the clothes, +and does all these things in her imagination before +she does them in reality, she is indeed a hard +working woman.</p> + +<p>It's all right to plan your work; that's economy +in mental expenditure, for it simplifies, systematizes, +and saves work.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Planning is +Efficiency.</div> + +<p>Plan your work in advance, but do not keep +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span>your mind on the plans until the work is done. +When you have planned, then close +the mental book of to-morrow's +duty, and turn to pleasures, rest, +relaxation and enjoyment of to-day.</p> + +<p>It is to get a definite, different thought habit +fixed that I ask you to give me these few minutes +each day, so that we may consider various phases +of life, science, pleasure, morals and mental refreshment.</p> + +<p>True, we can only have a fleeting look at things, +but we'll get enough, I hope, to freshen your +minds, change the humdrum, and elicit interest +in things. Maybe these heart-to-heart, confidential +chats will help us and keep us from going +through the mental motions of to-morrow's +physical work.</p> + +<p>If these evening talks interest you, help clear +your vision, help cheer you, help rest you, then +they are good for you, and because they help you, +they certainly benefit me and make me very +happy, because happiness comes from doing +something for others.</p> + +<p>I write as the mood strikes me, or as a phase +of life comes before me, or as an idea strikes in +and just won't let go until I grasp my pen and +let the words flow.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span></p> + +<p>I mean this book to be human, and not a studied +literary effort.</p> + +<p>I want to reach you right there alone in the +room where you are reading this, and I want the +suggestions, the good, the help, to soak in, and +I want you to pass the good you get to your +brother; you won't lose a bit by doing so.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>7.</h2> + + +<p>"She is all right—her only trouble is her +NERVES." How often we hear that and how +little does the person with steady nerves appreciate +the tortures of "nerves."</p> + +<div class="sidenote">About +Nerves.</div> + +<p>A cut, a bruise, a headache, or any of the physical +ailments can be quickly cured. Nature will +mend the break, but tired, worn, +stretched, abused nerves take time +to restore. These nerve ailments +call for most vigorous mental treatment.</p> + +<p>Neurasthenia means debilitated or prostrated +nerves and it shows itself first of all by worry. +Worry means the inability to relax the attention +from a definite fear or fancied hard luck. Worry +leads to many physical and mental disorders.</p> + +<p>Left alone this worry stage develops into an +acute state and brings with it nervous prostration, +and sometimes a complete collapse of the +will power.</p> + +<p>Before the acute stage of neurasthenia is +reached, there is noticed "brain fag," and brain +fag is nature's warning signal calling upon you +to take notice and change your mental habits.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span></p> + +<p>Worry sometimes develops into hysteria; again +it takes the form of hypochondria or chronic +blues. The hypochondriac has a chronic, morbid +anxiety about personal health and personal welfare. +Frequently this state is accompanied by +melancholia.</p> + +<p>Melancholia is the fork in the road. One turning +leads to incurable insanity, the other to curable +melancholia.</p> + +<p>Right here is where heroic action is needed +by the sufferer.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Cure the +Worry +Habit.</div> + +<p>Here is where the sufferer must exert his maximum +will power, and change completely his mental +and physical habits and his surroundings. +Occupation, changed +habits, taking in of confidence, faith +and courage thoughts—these changes are necessary +to the victim of melancholia, or he will shatter +his health on the danger rocks and go to +pieces.</p> + +<p>Melancholia is an ailment that offers a good +chance for Christian Science. Mental suggestion, +the powerful personality of a friend, and the personal +help such a friend can give by counsel, +example and suggestion, are all helps.</p> + +<p>I have abundant evidence that melancholia sufferers +can be restored to peace, efficiency and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span> +poise, by proper thought direction, and by proper +physical employment.</p> + +<p>"Pep," which has principally to do with mental +efficiency, definitely lays down rules and practical +suggestions for the employment of the mind +and body. I have letters and verbal proofs in +quantity proving the efficiency of those rules and +suggestions.</p> + +<p>So wonderful have been the results, so numerous +the recoveries, that the testimonials, if published, +would make the fake nerve tonic manufacturer +die of envy.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">The Importance +of +Nerves.</div> + +<p>"Only your nerves." I cannot understand +why the word, only, is used. It makes it appear +that nerves are of minor importance. +Nerves are less understood +than anything in the human anatomy +and they are harder to understand.</p> + +<p>Experience has proved that nerves cannot be +restored by dope, patent medicines, tonics or +prescriptions.</p> + +<p>The cure must come by and through the individual +possessing the nerves, and by and through +the individual's power of will and mastery of the +mind.</p> + +<p>Get the mental equipment right. Let the mind +master the body. Let the nerve sufferer get hold<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span> +of himself and fill his brain with faith-thought +instead of fear-thought, with courage instead of +cowardice, with strength instead of weakness, +with hope instead of despair, with smiles instead +of frowns, with occupation instead of sluggishness, +and wonders will appear.</p> + +<p>The little shredded, tingling nerve-ends will +then commence to synchronize instead of fight, +to harmonize instead of breaking into discord, to +build instead of destroy.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">You Can +"Come +Back."</div> + +<p>The building, or coming back to a normal state, +is slow; it takes time, patience and will power, +but it can be done. I know. I +have been through the mill, and I +pass the word to you and try to +stir you to be up and doing, even as I did.</p> + +<p>Your nerves can be steadied, your thoughts +uplifted, your health restored, your ambition re-established, +your normality fixed.</p> + +<p>Smiles, love and content are to be yours. Poise, +efficiency, peace, your blessings. Health, happiness +and hope your dividends. All these I promise +you if you will read this book from cover to +cover, <i>think</i>, and follow its plain, practical teachings.</p> + +<p>The curriculum is not hard; it is not my discovery. +I am merely the purveyor of facts, the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span> +gleaner of truth, and the selector of helpful experiences, +first of all for my own benefit, and +having proved the truth in my own case, for +friends to whom I pass the truths and rules.</p> + +<p>I made bold to write books, but the writing has +paid me well, not alone in dollars, but from having +done a helpful thing in writing for other +humans who have had problems, worries and +nerves.</p> + +<p>The big books on nerves are discouraging and +forbidding by their immensity and the labyrinth +of technical, scientific terms. There are fine for +teachers, but discouraging for the layman.</p> + +<p>The great everyday crowd is the class I want +to talk to, and so I endeavor to write in plain +human, sincere style from heart to heart, with +understanding, feeling, charity and sympathy.</p> + +<p>I have felt the things you feel, and if I can +by example, emphasis, suggestion, rule or good +intent, be a help to you, then I have done a +service.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>8.</h2> + + +<p>There are men who cannot be kept down by +circumstances or obstacles.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">The Men +Who Do +Things.</div> + +<p>These men "carry on" with confidence in their +hearts and smiles on their faces. They do not +lie in wait for the band wagon or +favorable winds; they make things +happen. They are alert and alive +to every favorable opportunity and helpful influence +that comes their way.</p> + +<p>These men are men of good health. They are +out of doors much; they carry their heads high +and breathe in good air deeply. They greet +friends with a smile and put meaning and feeling +into every hand clasp.</p> + +<p>Let's you and I follow their trail, for it leads +out on to the big road.</p> + +<p>Do not fear being misunderstood; right will +finally come into its own.</p> + +<p>We will keep our minds off our enemies, and +keep our thoughts on our purpose; we will make +up our minds what we want to do. We will mark +a straight line on the log and hew to that line.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span></p> + +<p>Fear is the dope drug that kills initiative; hate +the poison that shatters clear thinking.</p> + +<p>Hate and fear are the iron ore in our life's vessel; +they deflect the compass and prevent us from +holding to the course.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Grasp +Present +Opportunities.</div> + +<p>There are splendid worth-while things for us +to do, and with continuity of action and singleness +of purpose on our part the +days will pass by as we are seizing +opportunity and making use of the +things required for the fulfillment of our desires. +We are like the coral insect that takes from the +running tide the material to build a solid fortress. +Our running tide is made up of the gliding golden +days.</p> + +<p>Let's waste no time in trying to make friends +or in seeking to attach ourselves to others. True +friends are not caught by pursuit; they come to +us; they happen through circumstances we do +not create.</p> + +<p>Self-reliance is ours, and we must first use it +for our own betterment. We will then have a +surplus of energy to allow us to help others.</p> + +<p>Our energy hours must be devoted to our purposes +and ideals. Atween times, we must rest +and relax, and repair the waste that strenuosity +makes.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span></p> + +<p>Breathe good air, bask in the sunshine, see +nature, and say to yourself: "All these treasures +are for me; all these things I am part of."</p> + +<div class="sidenote">The Joy +of Living.</div> + +<p>Do not prepare for death; prepare for life. Preparing +for death brings the end before your allotted +time. Like Job of old, that +which we fear will come to us. We +must not think of death, or waste +time preparing for it. It makes us miserable +to-day. It makes us weak and fills us with fear, +and it draws the day of our departure nearer.</p> + +<p>To-day is ours. Live freely, fully to-day. Be +unafraid, unhurried, and undisturbed.</p> + +<p>We are building character, and the way we +build it is by mental attitude, by our acts, and +by the way we employ the precious moments of +to-day.</p> + +<p>Put yourself in harmony with nature—realize +the wonderful power of the will—and you will +be strong, a veritable king among men.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>9.</h2> + + +<div class="sidenote">The +Pessimist.</div> + +<p>The calamity howler is found everywhere. In +times of peace or war he is with us. This pessimist +sows seeds of discord, plants +envy, generates the anarchist spirit, +and is an all-around nuisance.</p> + +<p>A man may spend years erecting a building; +a fiend can demolish it in a minute with a stick +of dynamite.</p> + +<p>The calamity howler is a destroyer; he doesn't +think, he spurts out words. His words and arguments +are simply parrot mimicry and void of +intellectual impulse, as are the movements of +an angle worm.</p> + +<p>These gloom merchants talk of their rights, +and they expect and demand the same privileges +and benefits that are earned by the man who +uses his head.</p> + +<p>The pessimist sees good in nobody. Human +nature to him is a cesspool of villainy and corruption. +He will not tolerate a word of praise +for a thing well done. Disparagement is his +favorite weapon. He ascribes mean and selfish<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span> +motives to public-spirited men. Every deed of +kindness, every act of generosity, is given a sinister +meaning when seen in the light of his own +base soul.</p> + +<p>At home he is a grumbler and a grouch. His +presence depresses, and happiness fades away +at his approach.</p> + +<p>In the community, he never reaches high office +because he lacks civic spirit and the forward-looking +view. He obstructs progress instead of +promoting it.</p> + +<p>At his work, he lags behind where others +achieve. He rails at conditions instead of changing +them, and eventually he finds himself shelfed +and shunned as a back number.</p> + +<p>These purveyors of panic eat into the vitals of +the nation. They breed discontent, undermine +morale, and sow suspicion and distrust where +previously there had been friendliness, co-operation +and the pull-together spirit.</p> + +<p>Wherever men gather, you will find these +ghoulish spirits. They are in evidence in times +of peace and plenty, as well as in times of war +and peril.</p> + +<p>It matters not that our farmers are seeing to +it that our granaries are filled to-day as never +before, and that every man has a job. These<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span> +prophets of disaster have only one string to their +harp, and they will twang on that and no other.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">The Danger +of Pessimism.</div> + +<p>In times of war, the pessimist is doubly dangerous, +for he spreads his iniquitous propaganda +among people who are already +under a great emotional strain. +Always a menace, when a people +are in the throes of a great life-and-death struggle, +it is doubly necessary to stamp out this destroyer +of morale, with his insidious campaign +of gloom and despair and his veiled innuendos +of panic and destruction.</p> + +<p>It is up to you and to me to denounce these +breeders of discord; to hold them up to the scorn +of intelligent, thinking people. They are neither +doers nor thinkers, and the world has no need +of them in these trying times.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>10.</h2> + + +<p>This evening I rode home in a crowded street +car. What an interesting study it was to watch +the faces in that car.</p> + +<p>Discontent, discomfort, worry, gloominess on +nearly every face. Tired faces, tired bodies +drooped over from a hard day's work, mouth corners +depressed. Hopelessness stamped on the +countenances.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Gloom +and Cheer.</div> + +<p>As the people came in the car, some of them +had smiles or at least passable expressions, but +when they got crowded together +and saw the gloomy faces, the +gloom spread to their faces, too. +At a picnic, all are smiling and laughing. In +the street car at six o'clock, the long procession +of workers is a stream of solemn faces. Contagion, +example, surroundings, yes, that's it—contagion +and example.</p> + +<p>At six o'clock in the cars, all is gloom, blueness +and sorrow faces. At eight o'clock many of +these faces will be changed; there will be joy, +smiles, rosiness, singing and dancing. Yet the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span> +actual conditions of finance, health, hope or prospects +haven't changed since these people were in +the car at six o'clock.</p> + +<p>Why, then, such a change in two hours?</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Good Cheer +Contagious.</div> + +<p>It is this: At seven o'clock these workers sat +down to supper; they were out of that gloom-reflected +street car atmosphere. +Now they are talking; they are +rounding-up the day's activities; +they are HOME with mother, sister, brother and +the kiddies. The home ones greet them with +smiles, the appetizing supper pleases the palate, +good cheer permeates, and all around them is +smiles and joy.</p> + +<p>Gloom spreads gloom. Joy spreads joy. Gloom +is black; joy is white. One darkens, the other +brightens.</p> + +<p>Well, then, where's the moral? What's the +benefit from this little study of the street car +passengers?</p> + +<p>The lesson is plain: It is that you and I are +ferments of joy, or acids of gloom. We are influences +to help or to hurt. To hurt others by +our example hurts us. To help others by our +example helps us. We become happier than ever.</p> + +<p>In the street car, life was not worth living if +you judged by the pained faces. In two hours,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span> +by changed thought, the example of life was +worth while.</p> + +<p>What changes mental attitude makes!</p> + +<p class="poem"> +"When a man has spent<br /> +His very last cent,<br /> +The world looks blue, you bet;<br /> +But give him a dollar,<br /> +And loud he will holler<br /> +There's life in the old world yet."<br /> +</p> + +<p>Next time we get on the street car, let's plant +some smiles. Let's give that lady a seat and +smile when we do it.</p> + +<p>We can spread cheer by merely wearing a +cheery face. Costs little, pays big. Let's do it.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>11.</h2> + + +<p>Some of our richest blessings are gained by +not striving for them directly. This is so true +that we accept the blessings without thinking +about how we came to get them.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Be +Happy.</div> + +<p>Particularly true is this in the matter of happiness. +Everyone wants to be happy, but few know +how to secure this blessing. Most +people have the idea that the possession +of material things is necessary +to happiness, and that idea is what keeps +architects, automobile makers, jewelers, tailors, +hotels, railroads, steamships and golf courses +busy.</p> + +<p>Do your duty well, have a worth-while ambition, +be a dreamer, have an ideal, keep your duty +in mind, be occupied sincerely with your work, +keep on the road to your ideal, and happiness +will cross your path all the while.</p> + +<p>Happiness is an elusive prize; it's wary, timid, +alert and cannot be caught. Chase it and it escapes +your grasp.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">One Man's +Story.</div> + +<p>I read today of a friend who walked home with +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span>a workman. This is the workman's story: He +had a son who was making a record +in school. He had two daughters +who helped their mother; he +had a cottage, a little yard, a few flowers, a garden. +He worked hard in a garage by day, and +in the evening he cultivated his flowers, his garden, +and his family. He had health, plus contentment +a-plenty. His possessions were few and +the care of them consequently a negligible effort.</p> + +<p>Happiness flowed in the cracks of his door. +Smiles were on his lips, joy in his heart, love +in his bosom; that's the story my friend heard.</p> + +<p>Then came a friend in an automobile on his +way home from the club. He picked up my +friend, and unfolded to him a tale of woe, misery +and discontent.</p> + +<p>This club man had money, automobiles, social +standing, possessions, and all the objects and material +things envious persons covet—yet he was +unhappy. His whole life was spent chasing happiness, +but his sixty horsepower auto wasn't fast +enough to catch it.</p> + +<p>The poor man I have told you about was the +man who washed the club man's auto.</p> + +<p>The strenuous pleasure seeker fails to get happiness; +that is an inexorable law. He develops<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span> +into a pessimist with an acrid, satirical disgust at +all the simple, wholesome, worth-while, real +things in life.</p> + +<p>This is not a new discovery of mine; it's an old +truth. Read Ecclesiastes, the pessimistic chronicle +of the Bible, and you'll learn what comes to +the pleasure-chaser, and you will know about +"vanity and vexation of spirit."</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Making +Others +Happy.</div> + +<p>Do something for somebody. Engage in moves +and enterprises that will be of service to the community +and help the uplift of mankind. +This making others happy +is a positive insurance and guarantee +of your own happiness.</p> + +<p>You must keep a stiff upper lip, a stiff backbone; +you must forget the wishbone and the envious +heart.</p> + +<p>Paul had trials, setbacks, hardships and hard +labors; he had defeats and discouragements and +still the record shows he was "always rejoicing."</p> + +<p>Paul was a man of Pep. In the dungeon, with +his feet in stocks, he sang songs and rejoiced. +Paul was happy, ever and always, not because he +strove to get happiness, but because he had dedicated +his life to the service of mankind.</p> + +<p>The real hero, the real man of fame, the real +man of popularity, doesn't arrive by setting out<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span> +on a quest for any of these things; the result is +incidental.</p> + +<p>The real hero forgets self first of all; that is +the essential step to greatness.</p> + +<p>Washington at Valley Forge had no thought +that his acts there would furnish inspiration for +a picture that would endure for generations.</p> + +<p>Lincoln, the care-worn, tired, noble man, in +his speech at Gettysburg, never dreamed that +that speech would stamp him as a master of +words and thought, in the hearts of his country-men. +He thought not of self. He was trying to +soothe wounds, cheer troubled spirits, and give +courage to those who had been so long in shadowland.</p> + +<p>Ever has it been that fame, glory, happiness +came as rewards, not to those who strive to +capture, but to those who strive to free others +from their troubles, burdens and problems.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>12.</h2> + + +<p>I am often asked: "Are you happy ALL the +time?" My answer is no.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Continuous +Happiness +Impossible.</div> + +<p>A continuous state of happiness cannot be enjoyed +by any human. There are no plans, no +habits, no methods of living that +will insure unbroken happiness. +Happiness means periods or marking +posts in our journey along life's road. These +high points of bliss are enjoyed because we have +to walk through the low places between times.</p> + +<p>Continuous sunshine, continuous warm weather, +continuous rest, continuous travel, continuous +anything spells monotony. We must have +variety.</p> + +<p>We need the night to make us enjoy the day, +winter to make us enjoy summer, clouds to make +us enjoy sunshine, sorrow to make us enjoy happiness.</p> + +<p>But, dear reader, mark this: We can be philosophical, +and have content, serenity and poise +between the happiness periods.</p> + +<p>When you get blue, or have dread or sorrow,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span> +or possess that indescribable something that +makes you feel badly; when you have worry or +trouble, then's the time to get hold of your thinking +machinery and dispel the shadows that cross +your path.</p> + +<p>Occupation and focusing your thoughts on +your blessings—these are the methods to employ.</p> + +<p>As long as you dwell upon your imagined or +your real sorrows, you will be miserable and the +worries will magnify like gathering clouds in +April.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Think +Happiness.</div> + +<p>Change your thoughts to confidence, faith, and +good cheer, and busy your hands with work. +Think of the happiness periods you +have had, and know that there are +further happiness dividends coming +to you. Keep this sort of thought, and with +it, useful occupation, and the sunshine will dispel +your gloomy forebodings and sorrow thoughts +like the sun dispels the April showers, bringing +about a more beautiful day because of the clouds +and storms just passed.</p> + +<p>When trouble or sorrows come, sweeten your +cup with sugar remembrances of joys that have +been and joys you are to have.</p> + +<p>Envy no one; envy breeds worry. The person<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span> +you would envy has his sorrows and shadows, +too. You see him only when the sunlight is on +the face; you don't see him when he is in shadowland.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Brace Up, +Cheer Up.</div> + +<p>No, dear ones, I, nor you, nor anyone on earth +can have complete, unruffled, continued happiness, +but we can brace up and call +our reserve will-power, reason, and +self-confidence into action when we +come to the marshy places along the road. We +can pick our steps and get through the mire, and +sooner than we believe it possible, we can get on +the good solid ground; and as we travel, happiness +will often come as a reward for our poise +and patience.</p> + +<p>My friends say: "You always seem happy," +and in that saying they tell a truth, for I am +happy often—very, very often—and between +times I make myself seem to be happy. This +making myself "seem to be happy" gives me +serenity, contentment, fortitude, and the very +"seeming" soon blossoms into a reality of the +condition I seem to be in.</p> + +<p>You can be happy often, and when you are +not happy, just seem to be happy anyway; it will +help you much.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>13.</h2> + + +<p>A little child is crying over a real or fancied +injury to her body or to her pride.</p> + +<p>So long as she keeps her mind on the subject +she is miserable.</p> + +<p>Distract her attention, get her mind on another +subject, and her tears stop and smiles replace +frowns.</p> + +<p>This shows how we are creatures of our +thoughts. "As a man thinketh in his heart, so +is he" is a truth that has endured through the +centuries.</p> + +<p>We are children in so far as we cry and suffer +when we think of our ills or hurts or wrongs or +bad luck.</p> + +<p>We can smile and have peace, poise and +strength if we change our thoughts to faith, courage +and confidence.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Fear-Thought +and Faith-Thought.</div> + +<p>Our condition is what we make it. If we think +fear, worry and misery, we will suffer. If we +think faith, peace and happiness, +we will enjoy life. Every thought +that comes out of our brain had to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span> +go in first. The kind of thoughts we have afford +an indication of the kind of people we are.</p> + +<p>If we feed our brain storehouse with trash and +fear and nonsense, we have poor material to +draw from.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Thought +Control.</div> + +<p>The last thought we put in the brain before +going to sleep is most likely to last longest. So +it is our duty to quietly relax, to +slow down, to eliminate fear-thought +and self-accusation, and to +substitute some good helpful thought in closing +the mental book of each day.</p> + +<p>Therefore read a chapter or two from a worth-while +book the last thing before going to bed.</p> + +<p>Say to yourself, "I am unafraid; I can, I will +awake in the morning with smiles on my face, +courage in my heart, and song on my lips."</p> + +<p>These suggestions for closing the day will be +of instant help to you.</p> + +<p>The great power for good—the wherewith to +give you strength, progress and efficiency—is +within yourself and at the command of your will.</p> + +<p>You can't think faith and fear, good and bad, +courage and defeat, all at the same time.</p> + +<p>You can only think one thing at a time.</p> + +<p>Your great power is your will, and the wherewith +to help yourself is your thought habit.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span></p> + +<p>Change your thought habit as you go to bed. +You can do it; it's a matter of will determination. +The more faithful you are to your purpose, +the easier your task will be. Be patient, conscientious, +rational and confident.</p> + +<p>You are what your thoughts picture you to +be. Your will directs your thoughts.</p> + +<p>Don't get discouraged if you can't suddenly +change your life from shadow to sunshine, from +illness to wellness.</p> + +<p>Big things take time and patience. The great +ship lies in the harbor pointed North. A tug boat +could make a sudden pull and break the great +chain or tow line.</p> + +<p>Yet you could take a half-inch rope and with +your own hands turn the great ship completely +around by pulling steadily and patiently. The +movement would be slow, but it would be sure +and you would finally accomplish your purpose.</p> + +<p>Don't jerk and fret and be impatient with yourself. +You have been for years perhaps worrying +and thinking fear-thoughts. You have put a lot +of useless and harmful material in your brain.</p> + +<p>You can't clean all your brain house in a day +or a week, but you can do a little cleaning each +day.</p> + +<p>You can take the faith-rope of good purpose<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span> +and start to pull gently, and finally you will turn +your whole life's character toward the port of +success.</p> + +<p>The great crowd worries; only the few have +learned the power of the will, and the benefits to +be derived from mental control.</p> + +<p>Business and social duties call for strong men +and woman. You can't reach mastership if you +remain a slave.</p> + +<p>Your first duty is to yourself, and success or +failure is your reward exactly in proportion as +you exercise your will power and handle your +thought habits.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>14.</h2> + + +<div class="sidenote">The Best +Medicine.</div> + +<p>The doctors are giving less medicine and doing +more in the way of suggesting diet and exercise +rules, sanitation and preventive +practices. Medicine is mostly poison +and its effect is to shock the +organs or glands to bring about reaction. Nature +makes the cure.</p> + +<p>In emergency drugs are all right, but the doctor +and not the individual should settle the matter +of what drug to use and the proper time to +use it.</p> + +<p>When there's a pain or disease, it's due to congestion +of some organ, to infection, or to improper +nourishment, or improper habits.</p> + +<p>Ninety per cent of aches, pains and ailments +can be cured by a dominant mental attitude and +by proper attention to eating and exercise.</p> + +<p>The habitual medicine user is not cured by +the medicine but by nature; the medicine simply +serves as a means to establish mental control and +to create confidence in the sufferer that he is to +get well.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span></p> + +<p>Recently I spent much time in a large hospital +visiting a relative who had been operated on. I +know several members of the staff of doctors and +nurses.</p> + +<p>I have seen many operations, some very heroic +ones, and my appreciation of the good work of +good surgeons is greatly augmented by the wonderful +helps I have seen them bring to suffering +humanity.</p> + +<p>I have talked with scores of patients and +watched the progress of their cases.</p> + +<p>I have by plausible logic, mental suggestion, +and good cheer to the hospital patients, brought +many a smile through a mist of tears.</p> + +<p>I have seen the wonderful results of mental +suggestion to the discouraged patients.</p> + +<p>To show the effects that faith-thought will +produce, I will relate some instances.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Mental +Sickness.</div> + +<p>One patient screaming for a hypodermic injection +to relieve her pain was given an injection +of sterilized water and the pain vanished. +Another just could not sleep +without her bromide. The nurse +fixed up a powder of sugar, salt and flour; +the patient took the powder and went to +sleep. That was mind control and mental +longing satisfied.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span></p> + +<p>Another patient had to take something to stop +her pains; she got capsules of magnesia. The +capsule satisfied her longing, established her faith +and gave her relief; the relief was through her +mind and not through the capsule.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Changing +Thought +Direction.</div> + +<p>I have seen several weary, despondent patients +fretting and wearing themselves out over their +so-called weakness and run-down +condition. I have placed copies of +"Pep" in their hands and watched +courage, faith, cheer and serenity come to them. +It diverted their minds from self-thought and +self-accusation to faith-thought, confidence and +courage.</p> + +<p>You can think of only one thing at a time, and +"Pep" or any other book that can change the +thought habit from fear to faith, from worry to +peace, is doing a service.</p> + +<p>I've been in shadowland in the hospital to see +for myself the actual help that mental control +will bring to sufferers, and the evidence is far +above my powers to describe.</p> + +<p>I've seen the patient's eyes brighten up when +the cheery surgeon came with hope, smiles and +confidence on his face.</p> + +<p>I've seen the drooping of spirits when well-meaning +but poor-expressing friends came into<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span> +the patient's room and condoned and sorrowed +with him.</p> + +<p>Verily, "as a man thinketh in his heart, so is +he."</p> + +<p>Verily, good cheer and good thought are good +medicines.</p> + +<p>And to these truths all good doctors say +"Amen!"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>15.</h2> + + +<div class="sidenote">The Pill +Fiend.</div> + +<p>How often we see the pill fiend. In his vest +pocket he has a small apothecary shop—a collection +of round paste-board boxes +and little bottles. Every little while +he dopes himself. If his stomach +is on a strike, he pops in a pill. If his head aches, +he takes a tablet. If he sneezes, he takes a cold-cure +pill.</p> + +<p>When anyone around speaks of a pain or ache, +he hands the person a pill.</p> + +<p>The pill eater is a hypochondriac, and very +likely his doctor knows it. His salvation is that +the doctor probably gives him harmless stuff in +pill form. The patient doesn't know this, and +it's like a rabbit's foot or a piece of pork rubbed +on a wart—it satisfies the mind and nature +makes the cure.</p> + +<p>Often, however, the pills are not innocent; the +pill fiend buys the tablets and pills direct from +the druggist. The headache tablet is most likely +one of the coal tar drugs like acetanilid, and that +is positively harmful when taken too often.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span></p> + +<p>There are times to take pills—in cases of +emergency, when you can shock nature with a +poison and bring a wholesome reaction.</p> + +<p>These times are rare, and the doctor should +be the sole judge as to when such treatment is +necessary.</p> + +<p>Exercise, diet, correct habits of living will prevent +the congestion and clogging-up that causes +illness and pain.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">A Dangerous +Habit.</div> + +<p>The pill habit is nothing less than a drug habit, +and the drug habit positively weakens the system. +The headache tablet does not +cure the headache; it only stops the +pain; the evil is still there. The +headache is merely nature's signal that something +is out of whack.</p> + +<p>Headaches are generally caused by stomach +disorders, eye strain, or neuralgia; the latter in +turn is caused by too much uric acid in the system.</p> + +<p>Eat fruit, drink plenty of water, and that will +flush the system and stop stomachic headache.</p> + +<p>See the optician if it's eyes. If you have a frequent +headache in the forehead, very likely it's +the eyes, even though you do not suspect it.</p> + +<p>If it's neuralgia, get a corrective diet from the +doctor.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span></p> + +<p>I know scores of men, and women, too, who +take pills enough to kill a person. Their systems +have been educated up to it; they are saturated +with poison.</p> + +<p>And the worst of it is they never get well while +taking the pills; it is only a temporary deadening +of the pain.</p> + +<p>Then, there are many who take pills to make +them sleep. That's a crime. It's self-murder by +slow degrees, for they are surely shortening their +lives by this poison dope pill habit.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Nature, +the Curer.</div> + +<p>Mark this: Nature, and Nature alone, effects +cures, and it's in very, very few instances that +a poison pill can be used to advantage. +You can keep well by +getting good air, good water, good +sunshine, good food, good exercise, good rest, +good cheer and good thought. That is what I +call my golden prescription, and it will do wonders +for you, and every doctor will tell you so.</p> + +<p>Pills kill, if you keep up the habit. There are +no two ways about it. I say positively and +knowingly that this pill habit is absolutely life +shortening.</p> + +<p>Don't try to argue; the evidence is unshakable +on this point.</p> + +<p>If you could have seen the derelicts in the hos<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span>pitals +that I have, if you could have seen the +wretched bodies, destroyed nerve systems, the +broken-down, emaciated, hopeless shells of men +and women addicted to the baneful pill habit, +you would be as positive as I am that pills kill +if you keep up the habit.</p> + +<p>Life is sweet and precious to us all. Do not +shorten it by taking pills and tablets for every +ache or pain. Try nature's way. Realize that +mental suggestion and will-power will drive away +most pains or temporary aches.</p> + +<p>Brace up, cheer up; chuck the pills in the garbage +can.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>16.</h2> + + +<div class="sidenote">Two Kinds +of Pleasures.</div> + +<p>There are two principal kinds of pleasures that +man seeks; one is material pleasures, and about +ninety-nine per cent of the human +family devote themselves to these. +The remainder—the one per cent—seek +mental pleasures, and this little group is +the one that gets the real, lasting, satisfying and +improving pleasures out of life.</p> + +<p>The material pleasures are the social pleasures +of eating, displaying, possessing, and so forth. +Material pleasures generate in the human the desire +for fluff, feathers, and four-flushing.</p> + +<p>Material pleasures accentuate the desire to possess +things, and in the strife for possession, hearts +are broken, fortunes wasted, nerves shattered, +and the finer sentiments calloused.</p> + +<p>The homes where material pleasures abound +are the ones where worry, neurasthenia and nervous +prostration abound.</p> + +<p>Material pleasures are merely stimulants for +the time being, and there always come the intermittent +reflexes of gloom and depression.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span></p> + +<p>The desire to show off, to excite envy in others, +is always present at the homes where material +pleasures are the rule.</p> + +<p>Material pleasures call for crowds. Mental +pleasures are best enjoyed in solitude.</p> + +<p>The material pleasure-seeker lives a life of convention, +engagements, routine, strain, and high +tension.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Mental +Pleasures +Are Best.</div> + +<p>The person who is so fortunate as to appreciate +and follow mental pleasures is serene, natural, +happy and content. A cozy room, +loved ones around, music, books, +love and social conversation—those +are mental pleasures; those are best. He +who can pick up a book and read things worth +while, gets satisfaction unknown to those whose +life is a round of banquets, theaters, dances, automobiles, +parties, bridge, clubs and society doings.</p> + +<p>When you spend the evening playing cards, +the chances are you come home late, and when +you retire, it takes perhaps an hour or so before +you fall to sleep.</p> + +<p>And during the night you dream of cards, of +certain hands, of certain circumstances, or certain +persons who were prominent in the evening's +game.</p> + +<p>The reason you do not go to sleep after an<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span> +exciting evening is that you have set your nerve +carburetor at high tension and have forgotten to +lower it before you go to sleep.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Good +Reading.</div> + +<p>On the other hand, when you have been reading +a restful book, full of good thought, you establish +an equilibrium, a relaxed +state of nerves, and particularly, +you have switched the current or +direction of your day's thoughts. That change +spells rest, and you retire and go to sleep easily.</p> + +<p>You will scarcely believe what a wondrous +change for the better you will notice in yourself +if you make it a rule to have a brain clearing, +mental inventory, and nerve relaxation every +night before you go to sleep.</p> + +<p>Your brain works at night always; oft-times +you have no remembrance of your dreams, but +if your last hour, before retiring, was an hour +of excitement, tension or unusual occupation, you +will likely go over it all again in your dreams.</p> + +<p>If you will let nothing prevent your evening +period of soliloquy, you will establish your mental +habits into a rhythm that will give you peace, +rest and benefit.</p> + +<p>In the olden days, when most families had +evening worship or family prayers, the members +of those households slept soundly and restfully.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span></p> + +<p>Particularly was this so because of the habit +formed of getting the mind on peaceful, helpful, +comforting, soul-satisfying thoughts that remained +fresh on the brain tablets as the members +of the home circle went to sleep.</p> + +<p>Too often the books read in the home circle +are all of the exciting, fascinating, highly colored +imaginative type. People read stories of love, +adventure or crime, and they dream these same +things almost every night.</p> + +<p>I have found that it pays to read two classes +of literature in the same evening. First read +your novel, story, or fascinating book, but fifteen +minutes before you are ready to go to sleep, +read some good, wholesome, helpful, uplifting +book, and that good stuff will be lastingly filed +away in your brain.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">What to +Read.</div> + +<p>Finish your evening with books that are interesting, +yet educational. Such books as "Life of +the Bee" by Maeterlinck, or any +one of Fabre's wonderful books on +insect life; "Riddle of the Universe" +by Haeckel; Darwin's books; Drummond's +"Ascent of Man;" "Walks and Talks in +Geological Fields" is a splendid mental night +cap; "Power of Silence;" "Physiology of Faith +and Fear;" Emerson's "Essays;" Holmes'<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span> +"Autocrat of the Breakfast Table;" "Rubaiyat" +of Omar Khayyam; Tom Moore's Poems; "Plutarch's +lives;" Seneca; Addison; Bulwer Lytton; +Hugo; Carlyle's "Sartor Resartus." This latter +book will not fascinate you like Carlyle's "French +Revolution," but you will learn to love its fine +language, its fine analysis of character, of times, +and of things.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">What You +Gain.</div> + +<p>There are countless books of the good improving +kind. Always save one of them for your solid +reading, after you have read light literature +or novels. If you will get +the habit, you will notice great benefits +and rapid advancement in your mental equipment. +You will sleep better, think clearer; +you will learn to enjoy mental pleasures more +than material pleasures.</p> + +<p>Fifteen minutes, then, to be yours, yours alone, +in which you quiet, soothe, strengthen and pacify +yourself and add abundant resources and assets.</p> + +<p>Let the last reading in the evening be something +worth storing up in that precious brain of +yours, and the good, worth-while deposit will +grow and produce beautiful worth-while mental +fruit.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Don't +Overdo It.</div> + +<p>Get the home reading habit. Don't overdo it. +Call on friends; go to a good picture show once +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span>in a while, to good concerts, to good +plays, but do not make this going-out-in-the-evening-plan +a habit. Let it be merely a dessert, or a rarity. Like candy and +ice cream, it is proper and enjoyable when it is +not overdone.</p> + +<p>The lover of books and home can enjoy the +play, because he only goes to plays worth while, +and he doesn't overdo it.</p> + +<p>The confirmed theater-goer is a pessimist; he +roasts nearly every play, and he is universally +bored.</p> + +<p>When you get started reading worth-while +books on science, on history, on geography, on +travel, on natural history, you tap an inexhaustible +field of pleasure and satisfaction.</p> + +<p>At any time, you can pick up your book and +be happy.</p> + +<p>Waits in railway stations will be opportunities; +trips on trains will be pleasant; evenings alone +will be enjoyable, if you can get into a book you +like.</p> + +<p>Mental pleasures are best.</p> + +<p>Material pleasures are merely passing shadows—to +be enjoyed for the brief moment before +they disappear.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>17.</h2> + + +<div class="sidenote">Verbomania.</div> + +<p>The malady Verbomania is spreading rapidly. +What's that? You have never heard of Verbomania? +Well, then, it's taken from +<i>verbosus</i>, the Latin word meaning +"abounding in words," the using of more words +than is necessary. <i>Mania</i>, also Latin, means "to +rage"—excessive or unreasonable desire. Therefore, +Verbomania is the excessive desire to use +more words than are necessary.</p> + +<p>There is too much talk nowadays and too little +thinking. Some persons start their gab carburetors, +and they talk and talk mechanically, without +any effort spent in thinking. Just like walking, +the motion just goes by itself.</p> + +<p>Scientists have suggested that perhaps too +much talking without thinking is a disease. I +don't see that there is any <i>perhaps</i> about it. Disease +is an unnatural condition—a function of the +mind or body out of its natural order of working.</p> + +<p>We know we can sit down and run ideas +through our brain without words, and we can +use a lot of words without ideas.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span></p> + +<p>You have read whole pages in a book without +receiving an idea. One can rattle off words and +not have ideas. When the fountain of words +flows in a desert of ideas, it's Verbomania.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Think More, +Talk Less.</div> + +<p>People in all walks of life have the disease; +they talk together too much without any reason +other than to take up time or make +themselves at ease. Pink teas, receptions +and society functions are +great rookeries for these Verbomania birds to +gather and indulge in their gabfest.</p> + +<p>The pianist through long practice is able to +play a difficult composition without thinking +about it; it's automatic; it's habit in action.</p> + +<p>The society dodo bird is just as dexterous in +spinning words without thought, as the pianist +with his difficult piece.</p> + +<p>Our rapid mode of living, our conventions and +customs are responsible for much of the Verbomania.</p> + +<p>I should like to take my Dictophone to a fussy +"afternoon" and record the word evacuations, +the footless conversation, the forced pleasantries, +the set sentences that mingle into a hum and +buzz. A wilderness of words in a barrenness of +ideas.</p> + +<p>This abuse of the use of speech makes head<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span>aches, +weariness, worry, unrest; it saps strength, +lowers pep, and lessens resistance.</p> + +<p>The cure for Verbomania is to keep away from +these butterfly buzz bees; put the clothes-pin of +caution on your lips; spend more time alone +with your thoughts. Nourish your idea plants +that have been starved; prune your word plants.</p> + +<p>Don't expose yourself to the crowds where the +Verbomaniacs gather. The disease is contagious; +it's easy to acquire and hard to retire.</p> + +<p>These are ideas put in type to convey a truth +for the benefit of all who read these lines, and +it is some truth, too.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>18.</h2> + + +<p>Love builds homes, gold builds houses. The +home has a mongrel dog which is called Prince, +and all the family love it. The house had a pedigreed +bull pup that is kept in the barn.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">House and +Home.</div> + +<p>There is all the difference between the family +which has a home and the family which has a +house. In houses we find broken +hearts, worry, nervous prostration, +because there is idleness, artificiality +and aimlessness. In homes we find warm +hearts, happiness and love, because those in the +home have natural, helpful occupation.</p> + +<p>In the house is cold reserve; the occupants read +when compelled to stay indoors; they grow +crabbed and cross and get into a state of habitual +dumbness and selfishness.</p> + +<p>In the home there is unselfishness, thoughtfulness, +and love expressed. Meal time is joy time; +it's the get-together period of smiling faces.</p> + +<p>In the house the breakfast table is merely a +lunch station in the hurried trip from the bedroom +to the office.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span></p> + +<p>The sensitive wife of the house gets stinging +remarks that abide with her after the lord and +master of the house has departed.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">What Makes +Home.</div> + +<p>In the home the family gets up plenty early +enough. Songs and jokes, kisses and love pats +are found; the family is on time, +and there is happiness all around. +Homes are sweet, because love is +present. Houses built by gold are just hotels.</p> + +<p>I've noticed the difference when a friend invites +me to come to his home or to his house; +the word he uses, home or house, indicates to +me what I will find when I go there.</p> + +<p>In the house I meet a maid or butler at the +door. I see conventional furniture, conventional +rooms. I am shown into a conventional waiting +room, and I wait conventionally for the hostess to +come forward with a stiff backbone, a forced +smile, and a languid handshake.</p> + +<p>When I go to a home built with love, I find a +tidy dressed wife at the door, rosy children, and +I get a warm, old-fashioned hand clasp, and a +beaming, smiling face that spells welcome.</p> + +<p>And the dinner—that, too, tells the difference +between the "depend-on-the-cook" establishment +and the "wife-who-is-the-boss" home.</p> + +<p>At the house is formality and frigidity; at the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span> +home is ease and enjoyment. The children of +the home make breaks and we love them for +it; it's natural instinct and frankness.</p> + +<p>In the house is worry; in the home is happiness.</p> + +<p>Verily, there's a difference in the atmosphere +of the house built with gold and the home built +with love; one is worthless existence, the other +worth-while living.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>19.</h2> + + +<div class="sidenote">Seven Simple +Health +Suggestions.</div> + +<p>I haven't space in this book to give reasons or +show proofs for everything I suggest, but I want +right here to give you a few definite, +short, positive, helpful rules +about food, thought, habit and exercise +that will pay you the most wonderful dividends +in health and happiness.</p> + +<p>First—Drink two or three glasses of warm, +not hot, water, the first thing when you arise in +the morning.</p> + +<p>Second—Repeat this resolve as you are drinking +the water: "I will be pleasant this morning +until ten o'clock, and the rest of the day will take +care of itself."</p> + +<p>Third—Walk to your office or place of business, +unless it is over four miles, in which case +walk the first three miles and ride the remainder +of the distance.</p> + +<p>Fourth—Eat one or two apples every day, and +do not insult Nature's proper adjustment by peeling +the apple. You want the skin because it has +things in it you need for your body, and especially<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span> +for your brain, and you have especial need of the +roughage the skin gives.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Get Enough +Sleep.</div> + +<p>Fifth—Spend eight or nine hours a day in bed. +I belong to the sixty-three hour club; that means +nine hours a day rest, seven days +in a week, which is sixty-three +hours. If, through business, travel +or other circumstances, I stay up late one or two +nights a week, I balance books before the week +is up by taking a rest on Sunday afternoon or +going to bed earlier one or two nights.</p> + +<p>Sixth—Don't stay in bed Sunday morning. It +will make you tired, loggy, stupid and cross. Get +up Sunday, say, a half hour or an hour later than +week days. Later in the day take a nap if you +wish.</p> + +<p>Seventh—Spend fifteen minutes just before going +to bed in quiet, relaxed solitude. This is the +time to slow down your tension, relax your muscles +and soothe your nerves.</p> + +<p>These rules you can easily remember and if +you follow them as I hope you will, the red blood +will course in your veins and joy will be in your +countenance and the halo of happiness will be +around your face.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>20.</h2> + + +<p>Every once in a while the human has a negative +day. Every act, thought, or spoken sentence +has a but, a don't, a can't, or some other +negative attachment to it.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">The Negative +Attitude.</div> + +<p>The children laugh, play and cut up in the +morning, and mother says: "I don't know what +I shall do with you, you are just +wearing me out." This puts a fear-thought +and a weakness-germ both +in mother and the kiddies.</p> + +<p>On Sunday afternoon the family is resting. +Mother maybe gets the blues, and says: "What's +the use, I never get anywhere, go any place; it's +just grind, work and worry all the time."</p> + +<p>Mother worries because there's a leak in the +roof and the water stained the paper in the +spare room. She worries because she lives in a +rented house, and says: "I have no heart to fix +things up because this is a rented house."</p> + +<p>This negative thought brings on a misery state; +it's worry, and the worry comes because you +dwell on the off side of things. You rehearse<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span> +your problem, you go over your work, you count +your obstacles, and you pile up the negative and +fear thoughts.</p> + +<p>Bless you, my dear sister, I know what this +negative can't, don't, but, and what's-the-use +thought is and how it brings misery. I know +how the children get on your nerves and make +you say "don't" all day to them.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Show Your +Positive Side.</div> + +<p>There's only one way to drive out this negative +thought and that is to switch your will power +to the positive current. Next time +you have a negative day and the fear +thoughts come, just start in one by +one and count your blessings of health, blessings +of home, and blessings of love.</p> + +<p>Nothing can hurt you. You've been through +these negative days time and time again; the +clouds gathered, you were blue, lonesome, homesick +and heartsick, but next day you got busy +with work, and occupation drove away the clouds, +and the sunshine came. The next Sunday you +get in this negative state, just put on your hat +and go out to see some neighbor, or go to the +park, or take a walk.</p> + +<p>Don't sit and stew and fret over your magnified +troubles.</p> + +<p>Let the children play and laugh; they are not<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span> +hurting anyone. God bless them. They don't +have worries; their little lives are all too short. +Their example of smiles and laughter should +make you happy. Soon, too soon, they will grow +up and go their ways in life and how precious +will be the memories of their carefree, golden, +happy childhood days.</p> + +<p>Cut out envy; that's a mighty bad negative +wire. It's the devil's favorite food to make worry +and discontent.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Envy Makes +Worry.</div> + +<p>Many of the people you envied in the past +are dead and buried. Many of the people you +envy now are at heart miserable, and +you wouldn't envy them if you could +look through the artificial outside and +know their real hidden thoughts and lives.</p> + +<p>"What's-the-use"—that's a bad thing to say; +it plants worry seed.</p> + +<p>You are all right; you have far more blessings +than sorrows. You can never be entirely free +from troubles, care or little irritations.</p> + +<p>Rise superior to these things; those around you +are affected by and susceptible to your influence +and example.</p> + +<p>If you have a "but," an "if" or a "don't" tied +to every command to your children, they will +recognize your uncertainty and your negative,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span> +hurtful attitude, and they will take your threats, +as well as your promises, with a grain of salt.</p> + +<p>Be careful in giving commands; don't put a +Spanish bit in the children's mouths to jerk them +and torture them.</p> + +<p>Be positive, make your promises and orders +stick, and the kiddies will soon know you mean +what you say.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Exposing +Your +Weakness.</div> + +<p>These negative "driving me crazy" attachments +to your commands spell weakness, and +make you drive, cajole and spin out +your orders, and the children hesitate +and are slow to obey. Let them see +your positive side. Let them learn to obey with +a "yes, mamma" spirit, and your orders will be +less frequent, shorter, and they will be obeyed +on the instant.</p> + +<p>The kiddies learn to size you up, mamma, and +if they see a wobbly, worried, despondent, unsure +attitude in you, they will discount your threats +and make allowances, saying: "That's mamma's +way."</p> + +<p>Don't show your cry side but show your smile +side.</p> + +<p>Sunday is a great trial day for you, mamma, +but don't let your negative wires get the best +of you.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span></p> + +<p>Sing as you make the beds and tidy up; let +sunshine in and drive out the gloom.</p> + +<p>Blue Sundays are horror days for the children; +you can't expect them to sit still like older folks. +They are full of red blood and active muscles.</p> + +<p>Don't make Sunday a day of punishment to +your children. They get their cue from you. +Don't you be negative and cross and gloomy. +It's bad business for you and all the family.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>21.</h2> + + +<p>The benefits of walking are so quickly apparent +that I hope to get you to make the start and +keep it up for two weeks. Then you will require +no further urging.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">The Best +Exercise.</div> + +<p>In walking, there are two most important +things to do in order to get the greatest benefits: +first—walk alone; second—walk +your natural gait. So many people +tell me they would like to walk all, +or part of the way, between their home and office +if they had company.</p> + +<p>Company is the very thing you don't want in +walking, and there are two reasons for this. One +is, if you walk with a friend, you will hold yourself +back, or else you will be walking faster than +your natural gait. In either case it is a conscious +effort, and this conscious effort, to a large degree, +will cause you to lose much of the benefit from +your walk.</p> + +<p>The most important reason, however, is that +if you walk with a friend, you are sure to talk, +and thus you are using your nervous energy and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span> +tiring your brain—the very thing you want to +avoid.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Walk, +Not Talk.</div> + +<p>Walking gives you physical exercise which is +absolutely necessary for health. It is the best +exercise I know of, because you do +not overdo your strength. Walking +is beneficial, because when you walk +alone, you give your brain a rest. You cannot +read the papers, you cannot talk, and your mental +apparatus gets complete rest.</p> + +<p>I recommend that you walk anywhere from +three to four miles in the morning. If your home +is more than four miles from the office, walk +three or four miles of the distance and then take +the car.</p> + +<p>Do not walk home in the evening unless the +walk is a short one. In the evening you are +tired, and you should conserve your strength. +In the morning you are fresh, and the exercise +comes to you at a time it is most needed. It will +give you strength and courage, and help to keep +you in a good mood all day.</p> + +<p>I cannot too strongly emphasize the importance +of walking alone, for it is then that you +shift your nerve energy from the dry cell battery +of the brain to the magneto, which is the spinal +cord. The spinal cord works automatically and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span> +it doesn't wear itself out. The brain tires if it +uses its energy.</p> + +<p>In walking you use the thought and the brain +impulse to start the magneto, and then the spinal +cord action is automatic.</p> + +<p>This automatic action of the spinal cord is a +wise provision of nature to conserve strength.</p> + +<p>The spinal cord energy is what you might call +automatic habit.</p> + +<p>For instance, in dressing and undressing yourself, +you will recall that you put on or take off +your clothes in regular order without giving the +matter any thought. It is just habit.</p> + +<p>If you wish to demonstrate the difference between +the control of the physical body by brain +impulse, and the spinal cord impulse, try this +some morning: Start out for your exercise and +mentally frame sentences like this as you walk—"right +step, left step, right step, left step," and +so on. Give thought to each step you have taken, +and notice how tired you will be when you have +gone half a mile.</p> + +<p>The next morning, start to walk naturally; give +no thought to walking; keep your mind on the +beauties of nature which you are passing, or +indulge in pleasant soliloquy, and you will feel +no fatigue.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span></p> + +<p>There isn't a bit of theory in this chapter; it is +positive, practical sense that I have proved by +my own experiences and by the experiences of +everyone to whom I have made this suggestion +of walking alone.</p> + +<p>The moral is this—walk every morning and +walk ALONE.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>22.</h2> + + +<p>The body is made up of billions of little cells. +These individual cells are in a state of perpetual +activity. They exhaust, wear away, break down +with work, and rebuild on food and rest. Every +process of life—the beat of the heart, the throb +of the brain in thought, the digestion of food, the +excretion of waste—all are due to the activity +of groups of highly specialized individual cells.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Body +Waste.</div> + +<p>Every cell uses up its own material and throws +off poisonous by-products during activity. These +by-products, or wastes, are very poisonous +to the individual cell as well +as to the entire organism. To get +rid of this waste is one of the first duties of the +system.</p> + +<p>It is with the body, made up of its countless +millions of individual cells, just as it is with a city +and its myriad people: the sewage of the community +must be collected and disposed of. The +city forms its poisons which we call sewage and +the body its poisons, which we call excreta (or +carbonic acid, urea, uric acid, faeces, etc.). It<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span> +is no more important for a city to gather up and +get ride of its poisonous sewage than for the animal +organism to collect and excrete its cell-waste. +Hence, the importance of maintaining normal and +constant elimination throughout the body.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Health's +Safety-First.</div> + +<p>Elimination is kept up by the alimentary tract, +the kidneys, the skin, and the lungs. These four +are the great pipe-line sewerage systems, +so to speak, by which the body +throws off its gaseous, liquid and +solid poisons.</p> + +<p>The lungs momentarily strain carbonic acid +out of the blood and throw it out in the expired +air. They likewise exhale other noxious matters +from the system.</p> + +<p>The alimentary tract throws off faeces, made +up of the waste tissue from the whole system, +especially the digestive organs, as well as indigestible +and non-nutritious portions of the food.</p> + +<p>The kidneys strain out urea, uric acid, and certain +other poisons from the blood and eject them +through the urinary tract.</p> + +<p>Finally the skin likewise is an excretory organ +and exhales a very definite amount of gaseous and +fluid waste in the course of each twenty-four +hours.</p> + +<p>The skin throws off all the way from a pint to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span> +two quarts of liquid each day in the form of vapor.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Proper +Functioning.</div> + +<p>Thus, to carry on normal elimination from the +body, the breathing, digesting, urinary and cutaneous +systems must be kept working +normally. To impair the work of any +of these is to retard bodily drainage. +To make certain that elimination is going on naturally, +it is necessary to secure perfect functioning +of lungs, bowels, kidneys and the skin.</p> + +<p>Any stoppage in the process of elimination +means that some fault has crept into the work of +one of these excretory systems. It must be plain +now why a disorder of any one of these organs +of elimination means so much more profound disturbance +to the whole organization than merely +disease in one structure. It means that waste +products are retained which ought to be thrown +out of the body; so straightway every cell in the +body begins to be more or less affected. Some +poisons disturb one organ more and some another, +but in the end the whole body must inevitably +be affected.</p> + +<p>Lack of exercise, bolting of food, eating soft, +starchy things, failure to chew properly, failure +to get enough roughage, insufficient water, insufficient +fruit—these are the general causes of +stoppage in the elimination processes.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span></p> + +<p>Drink one or two glasses of warm water, not +hot, the first thing in the morning.</p> + +<p>Eat one or two apples, skins and all, every day. +Eat toast, especially the crust. Eat cracked +wheat or whole wheat bread often.</p> + +<p>Exercise plenty. Keep cheerful. Eat regularly.</p> + +<p>Very likely you eat too much. You don't need +three big meals a day unless you work outdoors +at hard physical labor.</p> + +<p>Your body is an engine. No use to keep the +boiler red hot and two hundred pounds of steam +on if your work is light.</p> + +<p>Good health depends upon proper assimilation +and elimination as nature intended.</p> + +<p>Eat less, exercise more, you who work indoors. +If you don't use this caution, you are just slowly +killing yourself.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>23.</h2> + + +<div class="sidenote">Never Say +"Can't."</div> + +<p>Many have the habit of keeping their minds +on their weaknesses or their shortcomings. If +they read of some one doing a great +thing or making a worth-while accomplishment, +they say: "I never +could do such a thing."</p> + +<p>These persons are always saying, "I never have +luck. I can't do this. I can't do that."</p> + +<p>Always knocking, always thinking "can't" instead +of "can" makes for fear, irresoluteness, +uncertainty and weakness of character.</p> + +<p>To say, "I can't, I haven't the ability, I am +unlucky" makes you weak and knocks out all +chance for doing things.</p> + +<p>Nothing comes out of the brain that wasn't +burned in by thought. If you disparage yourself, +belittle your capacity, or drown your good +impulses with doubt and self-accusation, you are +putting away a lot of bad thought in your brain, +and no wonder you will lack in initiative, ambition, +confidence and courage.</p> + +<p>To those who claim to be unlucky, I want to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span> +say you are not unlucky—you simply lack pluck.</p> + +<p>You start at undertakings with a handicap of +fear. You have made up your mind that you +can't accomplish. You are half beaten before the +game starts. In place of the will to achieve, you +approach your task in fear and trepidation. In +place of confidence and courage and high aspirations, +you set out on your journey with the millstone +of doubt and irresolution around your neck.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Confidence +and Success.</div> + +<p>There is but one way to succeed. That is to +cast fear and self-accusation aside, and throw +your full weight into the struggle +with a song on your lips and confidence +in your heart. "Victory" +should be your battlecry and "Confidence" +should be emblazoned on your shield.</p> + +<p>Many a man has been whipped in a fight, defeated +in a contest, or beaten at an undertaking, +but he didn't show it or let the other fellow know +it. He just kept on with a brave front, and finally +the other fellow quit, mistaking grim determination, +pluck and perseverance for strength and victory.</p> + +<p>Ethan Allen with his handful of men were +asked to surrender by the British general with +his superior force. By all the rights and rules +of war, Ethan was licked, but he didn't give in.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span> +He replied: "Surrender h—ll; I've just commenced +to fight." If Ethan had accused himself +and said, "I can't whip that big bunch; there's +no hope," he would have been whipped to a finish.</p> + +<p>Don't show the enemy or the world your weakness. +Don't admit anything impossible that is +capable of accomplishment.</p> + +<p>It's the "I can" man who wins. No man ever +won a fight if he started out by saying, "I can't +whip him, he is too much for me; I am no match +for him, but I'll try."</p> + +<p>No person ever made success in business if he +started in with uncertainty, lack of confidence +and unbelief in his ability. Confidence has ever +been half the battle.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">The World's +Judgment.</div> + +<p>Knock yourself, and the world will accept you +at your own estimate. Show streaks of yellow +cowardice, and the mob will pounce +on you like a pack of hungry wolves. +Accuse yourself, curse your luck, belittle +your worth, be afraid, and you will remain +a mere bump on a log, unnoticed, uninteresting, +uninvited.</p> + +<p>The world welcomes men who do things. The +world judges by outward appearances. If your +heart is sick, if your courage is low, don't show +it. Put up a stiff attitude and act with confi<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span>dence, +and that attitude will carry you over many +a pitfall and past many an obstacle.</p> + +<p>Show strength and the world will help you; +show weakness and the world will shun you.</p> + +<p>You are prejudiced when it comes to judging +yourself. You compare your weakness with your +friends' strength, and this comparison is unfair; +it makes you lose confidence.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Doubt and +Belief.</div> + +<p>Nothing hurts one worse than doubting one's +own ability, assets, and character. When you +find yourself experiencing doubt, or +inability, or hard luck, turn square +around and say: "Begone, doubt; +henceforth I have belief."</p> + +<p>Say: "I have ability; I have pluck, and pluck +means luck."</p> + +<p>Always express confidence, faith, courage, and +cheer thoughts, whether you feel them or not. +Do this heroically and persistently, and soon the +fear shadows and weakness feelings will leave +you, and you will be in reality strong, courageous, +active, and will do things you never thought possible.</p> + +<p>"As a man thinketh, so is he." Always remember +that.</p> + +<p>Get hold of your thoughts; make yourself think +up, and have faith and courage. Hold to your<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span> +resolve, and the whole world will change. You +will prosper, you will have poise, and every once +in a while happiness will come as a reward.</p> + +<p>No man will be more surprised at your complete +change of attitude and character than yourself.</p> + +<p>Your problems can only be solved by yourself. +Friends can advise, <i>I</i> can suggest, but YOU must +act.</p> + +<p>Henceforth, never accuse yourself, never feel +sorry for your condition or position, cut out fear +thoughts,—be strong.</p> + +<p>Think faith, courage, cheer, confidence, and +strength, and by-and-by the habit will be fixed +and natural.</p> + +<p>This is as certain truth as I have ever experienced. +I know it. I've tried it. I've watched +others and the results are always good.</p> + +<p>Don't be passive and forget this chapter. Start +right this minute to THINK RIGHT.</p> + +<p>And you will never regret and never forget this +chapter on Self-accusation.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>24.</h2> + + +<div class="sidenote">Dare to +Dream.</div> + +<p>The great colleges turn out thousands of graduates +each year, and the great newspapers have +much sport ridiculing them in funny +pictures. Every great man was once +a boy with a dream, and that dream +came true because the boy had pep that made him +stick to his ambition and kept him from being +discouraged because of ridicule or obstacles.</p> + +<p>Thomas Carlyle, the poor Scotch tutor, +dreamed he wanted to be a great author. His +clothes were threadbare, his poverty apparent. +Friends taunted and ridiculed him until, goaded +to indignation, he cried: "I have better books +in me than you have ever read." The crowd +laughed incredulously and said: "Poor fellow, +he's batty."</p> + +<p>Carlyle stuck to his dream and the world has +the "History of Frederick the Great" and the +"French Revolution" and "Sartor Resartus." +When he had finished the manuscript of the +"French Revolution," a careless maid built a fire +with it. He wasn't discouraged, but went to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span> +work and wrote it over again and very likely better +than he wrote it the first time.</p> + +<p>Bonaparte in the garden of his military school +dreamed of being a great general. He stuck to +his dream and he realized his hopes.</p> + +<p>Joseph Pulitzer, a poor emigrant, crawled in a +cellar way in New York to sleep, and he dreamed +of owning a great newspaper. His dream came +true, and the newspaper is printed in a building +erected on the spot where he dreamed in the +cellar way.</p> + +<p>Livingston dreamed of exploring darkest Africa; +his dream came true.</p> + +<p>Edison dreamed of great electrical discoveries. +His monument is Menlo Park with its great laboratories.</p> + +<p>Ford dreamed of making an automobile for the +purse-limited masses—he was jeered; to-day the +world cheers him.</p> + +<p>My friend, Bert Perrine, was chucked off a +stage in the middle of Idaho's great sage brush +desert. He said to the driver, "Some day I'll own +that stage and I'll use it for a chicken house."</p> + +<p>He dreamed and schemed, and to-day the desert +is the famous Twin Falls country, blossoming +like a rose. And on his beautiful ranch at Blue +Lakes, that old stage is used for a chicken house.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span></p> + +<p>Rockefeller dreamed, Lincoln dreamed—so +did Garfield, Wilson, Grant, Clay, Webster, Marshall +Field, Richard W. Sears and all the other +men who have done things worth while in the +world.</p> + +<p>The great West is the result of dreams come +true.</p> + +<p>Dream on, my boy; hitch your wagon to a +star and stay hitched. That dream and that determination +are the things that are to carry you +over obstacles, past thorny ways, and through +criticism, jeers and ridicule.</p> + +<p>Your time will come. Dream and scheme, and +make your ideals materialize into living, pulsating +realities.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>25.</h2> + + +<p>There are many persons who act and advocate +ideals merely for effect—they are hypocrites.</p> + +<p>Here's a little true heart story that probably +passed unnoticed except to a very few persons.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Real +Charity.</div> + +<p>Little Spencer Nelson, a poor boy, eight years +old, recently died in a hospital with a little bank +clasped to his breast. The bank held +$3.41 in pennies which the boy had +saved to buy presents for the poor +children in his city.</p> + +<p>The little hero had fought manfully through +three months' suffering, enduring the torture of +five lacerating operations. The pain failed to +dim the spirit of unselfishness which burned +brightly and clearly in his tired, fever-racked +body.</p> + +<p>After each operation his mind became more +securely fixed on his project to help bring cheer +to poor children.</p> + +<p>The little savings bank was his companion, +and each visitor was asked to contribute to his +fund.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span></p> + +<p>Three hours before he died, a smile beautified +his thin wasted face as the nurse dropped a dime +in his bank. His last words—a message to his +mother—were in a scarcely audible whisper, +asking her to remember to use the money to +make poor children happy.</p> + +<p>That was real charity; that boy had no hypocrisy +in his heart.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Seek and +You Will +Find.</div> + +<p>The daily paper chronicles instances of sensational +charity, where men vie with each other +to see who can give most and get +the most advertising. These men +overlook the wonderful opportunities +at their door—they do not realize the beautiful +love and charity that would stir in their +hearts if they would but look into the out-of-the-way +places and get direct connection with pain +and suffering.</p> + +<p>Little Spencer looked from his cot and saw the +suffering of other little children and he wanted +to help them, and the very resolve and impulse +made him forget his own pain and misery.</p> + +<p>In the Book of Good Deeds, the name of Spencer +Nelson will be recorded as a sweeter act of +charity than any million-dollar gift to a great institution.</p> + +<p>What one of you who read these lines can<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span> +read the story of that little hero and not be +touched by the generous love and beautiful conception +of charity he possessed.</p> + +<p>I don't believe much in this far-away charity +idea so many have.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Do Good +Here At +Home.</div> + +<p>I believe in helping those near where I am +rather than sending money to Siam. Poverty and +destitution, unhappily, are familiar +spectres at home, as elsewhere. He +who seeks to do good will not need to +range afar. He can find opportunity close at +home, near by, where all of us can find it if we +only look.</p> + +<p>It may be a pleasurable sensation for you to +contribute fifty dollars to a missionary scheme +in Siam, and get the Missionary report of the +budget made up by the committee for the foreign +missionary fund.</p> + +<p>I know that a bucket of coal in an empty stove, +a basket of bread and a liberal hunk of round +steak to the starving family around the corner +brings the donor a better sensation.</p> + +<p>Take a trip to the hospitals, learn about the +homes of the suffering patients in the charity +ward, and you will resolve it's a better act to +send flour to the poor than flowers to the rich.</p> + +<p>Little Spencer Nelson had the right idea of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span> +charity: definite, immediate help to those he could +reach right where he was, rather than sending +money to sufferers far, far away.</p> + +<p>Let your gifts be principally flour and beef; +they help those who need help. Flowers are all +right in their place, but there are more places +where flour can be used to better purpose.</p> + +<p>I'm keener for filling the coffee can of my suffering +neighbor than filling the coffers of the big +charity five thousand miles away.</p> + +<p>I try to help both ways, but the home help +pays the bigger dividends. What do you think +about it?<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>26.</h2> + + +<p>You have found a friend who has been so +much help and comfort to you. I have such a +friend too. To-night I am in the mood to think +of that friend and write him a letter like this:</p> + +<div class="sidenote">What I +Think of +You.</div> + +<p>This is to You. It is for You. It is about +You. You I have in mind and the good influence +you have had on me. It is a happiness +and satisfaction to know you, +and to bask in the sunshine of you.</p> + +<p>The world is better because of you. You have +helped to raise the average.</p> + +<p>You and your goodness—you do not appreciate +what that means. You are so modest, so +loath to think of yourself, so thoughtful of others, +so unselfish that I must tell you of you and about +you.</p> + +<p>You have a warm heart that throbs for others' +woes and holds sympathy. The great world is +cold, selfish, and cares little for others. But you +are different; you are a great pillow of rest on +which I and others who love you may lay our +tired, weary heads, and you wrap your arms of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span> +friendship and goodness about us and feel our +very heartbeats.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">What I Love +in You.</div> + +<p>You with your great goodness, your quiet, +sympathetic understanding—you soothe our +troubled spirits and make us glad of +you and glad we have the precious +privilege of knowing you.</p> + +<p>Even now, as I am telling you how I love +you, you are trying to wave me aside and stop +me, but I am in the mood and I want to express +myself. You know that it is a great sin of +omission to refrain from expressing our gratitude +for goodness extended to us.</p> + +<p>I want to express my gratitude. I do not +want to be guilty of the sin of omission.</p> + +<p>So here, then, is this little message for you, +to tell you that I appreciate you and love you, +and these words will last after you are gone and +after I am gone, to tell those of to-morrow about +you and what those of to-day thought about you.</p> + +<p>Your life, your goodness, is an everlasting plant +that will flourish in many hearts. Your influence +will last beyond the calendar of time; it +is indestructible. You have a great credit in the +universal bank of good deeds, where you have +deposited worth-while acts, deeds, kindnesses, +cheer, help, friendship, sympathy, courage, grati<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span>tude, +and all the most precious jewels of humanity.</p> + +<p>I am happy the very moment I think of you. +I try to express myself but the feelings and +emotions I would describe have not words or +sentences to express them. You understand. +You are so big in heart, so sensitive in fabric +of feeling, so wise in understanding, that I want +you to think and feel all the genuine, noble, lovable, +appreciative thoughts you can gather together +about the one you can most appreciate.</p> + +<p>Think hard, sincerely, deeply, about that one, +with all your resources of beautiful thought. +Think hard that way, and now you will begin +to understand my feelings about you, and how +I appreciate you.</p> + +<p>You, my inspiration, who are so sensitized to +feeling, so delicately adjusted to read heart vibrations—you +must feel this within me that I am +trying to express. Not the love between sweethearts, +not the love of kin, not the love of friends, +but a great universal love I have for you—a +love which all who are fortunate enough to know +you have for you.</p> + +<p>It is a love you cannot return to me in equal +measure, because you have not the object in me +that can merit such love. That you should love<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span> +me in the way I love you even in the smallest +measure is satisfaction supreme.</p> + +<p>It is glorious to know you. You water the +good impulses I have; you encourage all that is +noble, elevating, and bettering, in me. I shall +try to be like you—that is, so far as I can. You +are my model; there is but one <i>You</i>. Many may +copy you, none may equal you. You my comfort, +you my joy. A great glorious <i>You</i> that +a little <i>I</i> am trying to paint a picture of.</p> + +<p>How futile my efforts. I might as well try +to improve the deep beautiful colors of the morning-glory, +or try to retint the lily with a more +beautiful white.</p> + +<p>And so I bid you good-bye, happy that there +is such a one as you in the world—more happy +that I know you, and most happy that I know +how to appreciate you.</p> + +<p>The sum of all good things I can say is, "I +love you," and the word "love" I use in its +greatest, broadest sense, which covers all the +good adjectives.</p> + +<p>This is what I think of YOU.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>27.</h2> + + +<p>There is a time in the business man's life, between +the age of 48 and 52, when he undergoes +a pronounced change.</p> + +<p>More big men are cut off at 50 than at any +other age between 45 and 60.</p> + +<p>From 48 to 52 most men change vitally in +their physical and mental make-up.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Dangers of +Middle Life.</div> + +<p>Many men—hitherto straight, moral men—go +to the bad at this time, and per contra, many +men quit their immoral and health-hurting +habits and change to moral +men. This danger period is when the +newly-rich find fault with the wives who have +helped them to their success. They grow tired +of their wives and seek the companionship of +younger women.</p> + +<p>The divorce courts give most interesting figures +on this point.</p> + +<p>At this danger period, men who have been +high livers, voracious eaters and heavy drinkers +find themselves victims of diabetes, Bright's disease +or other forms of kidney trouble. The<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span> +country is full of prematurely broken-down men +who have failed to heed the danger signals along +their way. To persist in self-indulgence is to +invite disaster. You must deliberately set about +to change your mode of living if you would avoid +these shoals on which so many men of middle +age have foundered.</p> + +<p>Almost every man between 48 and 52 who +works indoors, eats too much, exercises too little, +sleeps insufficiently.</p> + +<p>In this book I have made practical suggestions +that have been tried in the furnace of experience +and proven adequate. They have helped me; +they will help you. They will enable you to +gain pep and efficiency; they will give you a new +lease on life and make life more worth living.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">The Simple +Life.</div> + +<p>First, live simply; eat simply. If you have in +the past, eaten rich foods, drunk fine wines, and +have been what the world knows as a +"good fellow," your course is clear. +You must call a halt on yourself. +This path leads inevitably to the graveyard. Follow +the seven simple health suggestions laid +down in an earlier chapter, and you will feel better, +feel happier and will attack the day's work +with vim and vigor.</p> + +<p>Avoid undue excitement. Excitement uses up<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span> +nerve force. It is an energy consumer. Your +mind needs repose as well as your body. When +you have finished your day's work, leave business +behind you. Do not drag it into your home. +In the evening, occupy yourself with a good, +worth-while book. Nothing is more conducive +to calm and contentment.</p> + +<p>Let supper be your one hearty meal of the day. +And after supper, play with the kids or joke +with your wife; get a smile on your face. When +you are home, interest yourself in home concerns. +The "home men" are the men who live +longest. They lead healthy, regular lives, and +they keep alive the outside interests that make +for peace, poise, content and happiness.</p> + +<p>Keep a sharp look-out for tendencies to change +your habits and morals.</p> + +<p>At 50 you are walking on thin ice; look out, +danger is near.</p> + +<p>After you are 55, your habits are pretty well +established. If you have lived rightly till then, +you're safe thereafter and very likely are on your +way to a good ripe old age if you take reasonable +care of yourself.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>28.</h2> + + +<div class="sidenote">Our Sons.</div> + +<p>We love our own the best; maybe that's why +we indulge our own too much. Our duty to our +boys; that's a subject as old as the +hills, and it is as important as it is +old. It is a subject that has come to the forefront +in recent years. Multitudes of paid juvenile +workers and sociological experts throughout +the country are engaged in the work of keeping +the youth of the nation healthily occupied +and away from corrupting influences.</p> + +<p>Modern conditions have created a "boy problem" +which was unknown two generations ago. +Then there were no slums reeking with vice +and squalor and ugliness. The era of great manufacturing +enterprises was just beginning. There +were no densely populated cities numbering millions +of souls. Amusements were simple. Everywhere +were stretches of open country, and boys +were allowed to run wild in field and woodland +and stream.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Times Have +Changed.</div> + +<p>The great cities of to-day have done away with +all this. The good, old-fashioned, healthful +re<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span>creations have disappeared in all but +rural communities. In their place +has come the lurid "movie" with +its tales of crime and violence and passion. At +every crowded street corner, vice beckons, and +glaring signs lure the curious boy into the vicious +cabaret and dance-hall.</p> + +<p>To-day I had the boy problem forcibly presented +to me. I saw in a court twenty-four boys +who had been brought before the Judge charged +with petty crimes. Three were sent to the penitentiary, +seven to the reform school and fourteen +let go temporarily on good behavior.</p> + +<p>A friend of mine interested in criminology +tells me the great bulk of hold-ups, thefts, burglaries +and murders are committed by boys between +16 and 22 years of age.</p> + +<p>These twenty-four boys I mentioned were just +ordinary boys, capable of making good citizens +if they had had the right kind of home treatment +and surroundings. Most of them got in trouble +through their association with the "gang" or +the "bunch," or the "crowd," and this because +daddy didn't have his hand on the rein.</p> + +<p>That boy must have companionship; he must +have a confidant with whom he can share his +joys, his sorrows, his hopes, his ambitions. If<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span> +he doesn't get this comeraderie at home, he gets +it "'round the corner."</p> + +<p>We know where the boy is when he is at school, +but how few of us know the boy's doings between +times.</p> + +<p>Pool halls tempt the boys, and these resorts +are breeding places where filthy stories, criminal +slang and evil practices are hatched.</p> + +<p>Pool halls and saloons invite and fascinate the +boy. He sees the lights. There is a keen pleasure +in watching the pink-shirted dude with +cigarette in his mouth making fancy shots.</p> + +<p>There is no one to nag him or bother him; it +gets to be his "hang-out," and soon he drifts +into a crowd that knows the trail to the red-light +district.</p> + +<p>Painted fairies dazzle the giddy boy. It takes +money to go the pace. Crime is gilded over with +slang words. Stealing is called "easy money." +Robbery is "turning a trick," and so on.</p> + +<p>A boy becomes what he lives on mentally and +physically; that's the net of it.</p> + +<p>It is a common saying, but a good one, that +the boys of to-day are the men of to-morrow. +If you train a boy with care and kindness, he +will grow up to be an honest and upright citizen. +But let him run a wild, undisciplined course,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span> +leave him free to explore the crime-spots and +plague-pools of the city, and sooner or later his +moral fibre is weakened and ultimately snaps. +At best he will become an indifferent citizen; +at worst a drifter or a criminal.</p> + +<p>There is nothing better for a boy than discipline +properly administered. And that brings up +the whole matter of army life.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">The Army: +A Maker +of Men.</div> + +<p>The army is a great maker and developer of +men. Boys who were headed for perdition have +found in the army a new sense of honor and +respect. The rigorous training, the +idea of duty, the heroic traditions of +the service—all these are renewers +and rekindlers of manhood. Many a lad who +has wasted his health, wealth and substance on +the primrose path, has "come back" gloriously +in the service of the flag.</p> + +<p>Look at the average soldier or sailor you meet. +His skin is tanned by sun and wind to a deep +brown. His eyes are crystal clear. There is +youth and strength in his tread. There he stands, +clean as a whistle. No fat, no flabbiness—just +solid sinew and ruddy health. He is a living exponent +of what military training can do for every +boy in the country.</p> + +<p>Hard work, strength-building exercises, suffi<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span>cient +sleep, regular hours, simple, wholesome +food, systematic training—these are the things +the army and navy offers. And these are the +things that make real men.</p> + +<p>But no training that school or church or army +can give him relieves you, Dad, of your obligation +to the boy. In the last analysis, it is <i>your</i> +influence that will either make him or break him, +for it is to you that he looks for guidance and +comradeship in his most impressionable years.</p> + +<p>If you are his chum, if sister shares his amusements +with him, if the family work and live on +the "all for one and one for all" basis, if the +boy is kept busy and interested, he can be easily +trained.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Be Worth +Copying.</div> + +<p>Neglect him and he will neglect you. Love +him and he will love you. Meet him half way, +he's impressionable. Show him a +kindness, he will respond. Show him +a good example, he will follow. You +have to be with him, or know where he is every +minute.</p> + +<p>During his period of adolescence, say from +twelve or thirteen years to sixteen or seventeen, +that boy is a mass of plaster of paris, easily +shaped while plastic, but once set, all but impossible +to recast.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span></p> + +<p>That's the time, Dad, you must be on YOUR +job with your boy.</p> + +<p>Your counsel, example, love, interest and teaching +will MAKE the boy.</p> + +<p>Think of these things, Dad, and think hard, +and think hard NOW. To-morrow may be too +late.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>29.</h2> + + +<div class="sidenote">Our +Daughters.</div> + +<p>Our daughters—how much we love them! +How happy we are to have their fresh, smiling +faces about us! Their girlish laughter +lightens our home hours and creates +an atmosphere of joy. What +would we not give if we could but insure their +happiness! Our fondest and most cherished +hopes are bound up in them as they grow up +under our eyes and blossom into womanhood.</p> + +<p>Girl, what a wonderful creature you can be. +What a glorious success you can make of your +life if you get the right start, find the right hands +to help you, the right hearts to love you, and the +right eyes to watch you, the right thoughts to +make you, and the right ideals to guide you.</p> + +<p>There are so many influences to spoil you—so +much convention, so much artificiality, so +much snobbery, so much caste, so much foolish +frivolity.</p> + +<p>Then there are the wrong examples, the wrong +grooming, the wrong environments, the wrong +influences surrounding you. Really, it is not to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span> +be wondered at why so many girls lose their +heads and make a fizzle of their young lives.</p> + +<p>The fizzle is generally made because daddy and +mama have a lot of foolish notions about bringing +up girls. Especially is this so if the parents +are wealthy.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">The Wrong +Way.</div> + +<p>Here is the history of many a rich girl: She +is born without welcome, fed on a bottle, reared +by a nurse, grows up in a nursery, +becomes estranged from her mother; +later on, she is sent away to school, +mixes with a lot of other rich girls, gets lots of +foolish notions, false estimates, and prejudiced +views. She graduates and comes home, and then, +to commemorate the event, there are a lot of +"doings" which she attends. Following this is +the show-off, which is called a debut.</p> + +<p>She is exhibited like a filly at the horse show, +and some high-collared young man wins her +head, although she thinks it's her heart. She +believes it is the proper time for her to marry, +and he is such "a swell fellow," he is such "good +company," and he "dances so well"—these +qualities win her head.</p> + +<p>So the girl marries and has children; the husband +goes broke, and the girl awakens to the +necessity of coming down from her pedestal, fac<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</a></span>ing +stern necessity, and raising her children as +her mother should have raised her.</p> + +<p>That's the picture of the poor rich girl whose +parents are to blame for the nonsense she +crammed into her head.</p> + +<p>But, you, Girl—you are going to learn your +cooking on a gas range instead of a chafing dish; +you'll learn to bake bread before fudge; you'll +learn how to cook solids before you learn to make +salads.</p> + +<p>You will combine simplicity, sentiment, sense +sereneness, sweetness, rather than envy, frills, +feathers and foolishness.</p> + +<p>God's noblest calling for woman is the raising +of children and the founding of a home.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Cooking and +Sewing.</div> + +<p>To cook and sew is a higher duty and better +occupation than bridge parties and society. Not +that you must cook and sew, my dear, +but that you should be able to in +case the need should arise. With the +ability to cook and sew, you can properly direct +the cook or seamstress, and they will respect you +for your education.</p> + +<p>I want you to be golden girls—girls who love +home and children; girls who love simple things, +natural things. I want you to be sweet rather +than pretty, lovable rather than popular.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</a></span></p> + +<p>Do not look upon matrimony as a means to +provide food and finery for yourself.</p> + +<p>Do not be ashamed of an old-fashioned mother. +Do not be a "good fellow." Do not be afraid +to say, "I can't afford it."</p> + +<p>Help the family. Be part of it, and not apart +from it.</p> + +<p>When you are old enough to have a beau, do +not be afraid to bring him into your home, no +matter how humble it is.</p> + +<p>Do not esteem your boy friends for the amount +of money they spend on your entertainment. +Happiness does not consist of lobster-suppers and +taxi-rides to the theatre. Ten cents will bring +just as much real happiness as ten dollars spent +for mere display.</p> + +<p>Be modest, girls; it is your greatest asset.</p> + +<p>Don't gossip or belittle other girls. Find the +good you can say of others; that quality makes +you more attractive.</p> + +<p>Watch out for candied words and flattery; +these things mark the hypocrite, and a hypocrite +is an abomination. Flattery is a practiced deceit—a +dishonorable bait to catch affections.</p> + +<p>Do not allow any young man to relate a story +in your presence that has the slightest risque +turn to it.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</a></span></p> + +<p>Show by your words and your actions that +such presumption is an insult.</p> + +<p>Be square with yourself; be square to the man +who is after your heart. Put yourself mentally +in the place of a wife when a man gets serious.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">The Right +Man.</div> + +<p>Don't hurry, girls; don't judge the man by his +money prospects but by his character and ambition. +Have nothing to do with any +young suitor who isn't always kind, +considerate and attentive to his +mother. And when real love comes to you and +you decide to marry, marry a man of character +who courts you in the sweet, simple, old way.</p> + +<p>If a young man spends money extravagantly +before marriage, hard times will always be around +during his married life.</p> + +<p>The most precious possessions in the world are +happiness and love, and these come from simple +things, genuineness, and usefulness.</p> + +<p>The painted, powdered, tinsel, fluff, feathers +and furbelow girl may be a dashing creature now, +and you may envy her, but you, with your quiet, +sweet, simple, sensible ways—you will win real +love, real respect, real affection, real pleasures, +real satisfaction, in all the days to come; you +will make a success of your life.</p> + +<p>Frills and feathers may have an attraction for<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</a></span> +the girl who makes a fizzle of her life, but sweetness +and simplicity, sentiment and sense, are +precious jewels that will endure for all time.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">The Road +to Unhappiness.</div> + +<p>The world is full of new-fashioned, slangy, +dancy, fancy, foolish girls who marry for style, +stunts and society, and their married +life is failure, worry and regret. +They do not realize, poor things, until +it is too late, that money and luxury are not +enough to bring happiness. When this truth +comes home to them, there is nothing left but +disillusion, heartache and sorrow.</p> + +<p>Be the golden, pure, old-fashioned, sweet, simple, +quiet, modest girl who knows things, rather +than one who is a show-off girl.</p> + +<p>When the right young man comes along, he +will recognize the kind of girl you are when he +meets you. He will see in you a girl of pure +gold; a sweet, natural, sensible girl, who will be a +helpmate to him and not a drawback.</p> + +<p>So then, here is the hope that you, girl, will +start right, keep right, and end right. I want +you to think of sense, sentiment, and simplicity +rather than dances, dollars, duds and doings.</p> + +<p>I want your life to be one of poise, happiness +and serenity instead of noise, worry and nerves.</p> + +<p>This little message is all for you—GIRL.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>30.</h2> + + +<p>Many churches to-day are running to extremes +in one way or another.</p> + +<p>On the one hand, they are conducted along +the lines of form, ceremony and ritualism; the +other extreme results in excitement, ecstasy and +fanaticism.</p> + +<p>The church of forms, rituals and ceremonies +attracts the passive who are willing to let the +priest or pastor or prelate take charge of the +religious work while they, the attendants or worshippers, +sit quietly by and say "amen" and join +in the responses.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Real +Religion.</div> + +<p>Paul said, "Away with those forms." Christ, +in ministering to humanity, gave no forms and +made no set sentences for his followers. +The Lord's Prayer was given +with the admonition, "After this +manner pray ye," and certainly not with the command, +"Pray ye with these words."</p> + +<p>Form, ceremony and ritual are much like most +associated charities—a sort of convention. +Forms cannot express the deep emotions, the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</a></span> +natural longings, or the human desires; they are +echoes, hollow and unsatisfying.</p> + +<p>For those who do not feel, for those who do not +act, for those who belong to churches because of +convention, or for social reasons, forms and frills +fill the bill.</p> + +<p>Form is an exterior religion, an outward show. +Form doesn't touch the heart or awaken the soul. +Form in religion is like a formal dinner. It is +a gaudy display rather than a plan to satisfy human +heart hunger.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">"Scare-You-to-Death" +Method.</div> + +<p>Opposite to formal religion is the frenzied +"scare-you-to-death" excitement method, which +relies upon mental intoxication to stir +the people. Like other forms of intoxication, +the effect soon wears off.</p> + +<p>I have little patience or sympathy for the business +men who hire professional evangelists to +come to town to start revivals. The sensational +revivalists have too acute an appreciation of the +dollar to convince me of their sincerity in their +work.</p> + +<p>A laborer is worthy of his hire, and a preacher, +teacher or benefactor of any sort should be well +paid. But when I see these big guns taking away +from ten to one hundred thousand dollars in cold +cash for a three weeks' campaign converting the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</a></span> +poor suffering people, the thought comes to me +that if the evangelist were sincere, he would buy +a lot of bread, coal and underwear, and hire a lot +of trained nurses with a big part of that money.</p> + +<p>Christ and his Apostles were of the people; +they worked with and among the people; they +had no committees, no guarantees and no business +men's subscription lists.</p> + +<p>It's mighty hard to read about these sensational +evangelists taking in thousands of dollars +for a couple of weeks' revival meetings, and harmonize +that religion with the religion of Christ, +the carpenter, and his Apostles, who were fishermen +and workmen.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">How They +Do It.</div> + +<p>The exciting, intoxicating, frenzied revival +method is pretty much the same in its working +wherever it is practised. The evangelist +starts in with the song, +"Where is My Wandering Boy To-night;" +then follows the picture of mother, which +is painted with sobs of blood. Then follows +mother's death-bed scene until the audience is in +tears. Gesticulation, mimicry, acting, sensationalism, +slang and weepy stories follow, until the +ferment of excitement is developed to a high +pitch, and droves flock down the sawdust trail to +be made over on the instant into sanctified beings.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</a></span></p> + +<p>The evangelist stays until his engagement is +up, and then departs with a pocket full of nice +fat bank drafts.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">An Old-Time +Method.</div> + +<p>But there is nothing new about this method. +It is as old as humanity. It is the same method +that is practised in the more remote +and uncivilized portions of the world +to-day, where garishly painted savages +congregate and render homage to their +gods in an orgy of yelling, whooping and beating +of the tom-tom.</p> + +<p>It is a sad commentary on the established profession +of the ministry that sensational professionals +are called in and paid fabulous prices to +convert the people in their community.</p> + +<p>I do not take much stock in either the frigid +form-and-ceremonial method with its frills, or the +frenzied fire-and-brimstone, scare-you-to-it extreme.</p> + +<p>Somewhere between these extremes is the rational, +natural, sane road to travel—the religion +of brotherly love; of cheers, not tears; of hope, +not fear; of courage, not weakness; of joy, not +sorrow; of help, not hindrance.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">The Religion +of Love.</div> + +<p>The religion that makes us love one another +here—not the kind that says we shall know each +other there; the religion that has to do with +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</a></span>human passions, human trials, human +needs, instead of the frigid form or +the fevered frenzy; the religion that +avoids the extremes of heat and cold—that's the +kind the world needs most.</p> + +<p>Christ taught love, kindness, charity. He spoke +not of beautiful churches and opera-singing +choirs. He spoke not of robes, vestments, forms +or rituals.</p> + +<p>One of the most beautiful things in the Bible +is the story of the good Samaritan with his simple, +unostentatious aid to a wounded man—a +man whom the Samaritan knew as an enemy of +his people, but who was none the less a brother. +And you will remember how the priest of the +temple—the man who taught charity and love—drew +up his skirts and passed the wounded +man by.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>31.</h2> + + +<div class="sidenote">Love of +Country.</div> + +<p>Patriotism—one's love for one's country—is +a natural and a beautiful sentiment. With the +spirit of idealism behind it, it becomes +one of the noblest sentiments +that has been developed in the course +of humanity's long upward march to civilization.</p> + +<p>To-day, on Europe's battlefields, millions of +men are hazarding their lives. They do so gladly, +willingly, with a firm and reasoned conviction in +the justice of the cause for which they fight. That +is intelligent patriotism—the kind of patriotism +that is based on understanding and knowledge.</p> + +<p>But the world to-day is conscious that there is +another kind of patriotism—a false patriotism +that is fostered and fomented by ambitious governments +for purposes of aggression and aggrandizement.</p> + +<p>This false patriotism is not a free or voluntary +thing. It is the blind, instinctive feeling of sheep-like +men who have been bred beneath the yoke +of servility and obedience and are like clay in the +hands of their overlords. They know not why<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</a></span> +they fight, but through fear or intimidation or +force, they slavishly submit to the will of their +Kaiser or Emperor and his minions.</p> + +<p>This great war, and most every great war of +the past, was made possible by a distorted understanding +of patriotism. This false patriotism is +one of the narrowest and most cruel forces in the +world, and when linked with militarism, it becomes +the most dangerous. It causes wars, waste +and desolation. It creates jealousies, inspires +jingoism and braggadocio, keeps alive the fight +spirit, and menaces the peace and security of nations.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Militarism.</div> + +<p>Militaristic rulers, fired by selfish egotism, +know full well what a powerful force patriotism +is, and they nurse the babes with +fatherland stuff and give them tin +soldiers to play with and tin helmets to wear.</p> + +<p>Patriotism, when it reflects love of the place +of one's nativity, when it is based on home ties +and associations, is a beautiful and touching +thing. But when unscrupulous autocrats utilize +this sentiment for their own aggressive purposes, +it becomes a menace that must be put down if +other nations are to enjoy the blessings of peace +and liberty.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">False +Patriotism +a Menace.</div> + +<p>To keep this false patriotism alive, wars must +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</a></span>be made, so that human blood can be secured to +keep the monster from famishing. +And so, on slight pretexts, or no pretexts +at all, the war lords and imperial +autocrats rattle their swords in their scabbards +and let loose the avalanche of war on the +world.</p> + +<p>Such patriotism is failure and worse than failure. +It is a reversion to the brute age of mankind. +It flings a moral challenge to the world +that the world must either accept or perish.</p> + +<p>So much for this monstrous perversion of Right +and Reason that has turned Europe into a shambles, +and has banded the civilized nations of the +world together in a mighty struggle for freedom +and democracy.</p> + +<p>True patriotism is one of the world's constructive +forces. It overleaps national frontiers, and +is inspired by the ideals of international peace, +good-will and amity. It looks forward to the +time when national barriers will be let down, and +the brotherhood of man will be recognized the +world over.</p> + +<p>Such patriotism is the patriotism of Right +Makes Might—not Might Makes Right. It is +the kind of patriotism that prevails only among +the free, democratic, peace-loving peoples of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</a></span> +world who are fighting to-day for the preservation +of free institutions and the rights of humanity.</p> + +<p>The opposite sort of patriotism is the autocratic, +militaristic kind that has furnished the +world with an example of savage ferocity and +vindictive cruelty that it will not soon forget.</p> + +<p>In this great struggle, we see Democracy +ranged against Autocracy, Right against Might, +True Patriotism against False Patriotism. The +Right will triumph, as it always has, when pitted +against the forces of hate, greed and reaction.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>32.</h2> + + +<div class="sidenote">The Happy +Medium.</div> + +<p>Danger lies in extremes. Too much of anything +is bad for the human being's health. There +is a certain comfortable proportion of +exercise and rest which, when mixed +together, will give bodily efficiency. +Too much exercise is bad, too little is bad.</p> + +<p>Until recent years, our vocations and the habit +of going to or from our places of business gave +us a well-balanced amount of exercise, rest, work +and pleasure, and all went well.</p> + +<p>Lately, we hear much about worry, neurasthenia, +nervous prostration and the like. There +are several contributing causes to the mental and +physical ills which are caused by "nerves."</p> + +<p>First of all, we have an epidemic of labor-saving +devices. The principal argument used by the +manufacturer of a labor-saving device is, "It +makes money and saves work." Making money +and getting soft snaps seem to be the objectives +of most human beings.</p> + +<p>The labor-saving devices take away exercise. +The machine does the work. The artisan simply<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</a></span> +feeds the hopper, puts in a new roll, or drops in +the material. He sits down and watches the +wheels go around, likely smoking a cigarette in +the meanwhile, and more than likely reading the +sporting sheet of a yellow newspaper.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Changed +Conditions +of Work.</div> + +<p>Possibly few of my readers have given the +matter serious thought, and they will be astounded +at the changed conditions of work +which have come into our modern +life. It will be interesting to note +here some of these changes.</p> + +<p>Men used to live within walking distance of +their work. Now the electric street railway and +the speedy automobile have eliminated the necessity +for much walking.</p> + +<p>Men used to climb stairs. The elevator has +now so accustomed us to the conveniences that +stairs are taboo.</p> + +<p>Machines have replaced muscles. The old +printer walked from case to case and got exercise. +To-day he sits in an easy backed chair and +uses a linotype.</p> + +<p>Telephoning is quicker than traveling. No one +"runs for a doctor."</p> + +<p>Our houses have electric washers, electric irons +and many other labor-saving devices.</p> + +<p>Even the farmer has his telephone, his auto,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</a></span> +his riding plow, his milking machine and his +cream separator.</p> + +<p>In the stores, the cash boy has disappeared. +The cash carrier takes the money to a girl who +sits in the office, a machine makes the change, +and another machine does her mathematics.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Perils of +Inactivity.</div> + +<p>The modern idea of efficiency puts a premium +on the sedentary feature of occupations, and employees +are frequently automatons that +sit. The business man sits at his +desk, sits in a comfortable automobile +as he goes home, sits at the dinner table and +sits all evening at the theater, or at the card +table. It is sit, sit, sit until he gets a big abdomen, +a puffy skin and a bad liver.</p> + +<p>He tries to counteract this with forced exercise +in a gymnasium or a couple of hours golfing +a week. Very likely, his golfing is more interesting +because of the side bets than because of +the exercise.</p> + +<p>We are losing out on the natural, pleasurable, +and practical exercises, mixed in the right proportions +to promote physical poise and health. +Things are too easy, luxury and comfort too teasing, +for the ordinary mortal to resist, and the +great mob sits or rides hundreds of times when +they should stand or walk.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</a></span></p> + +<p>When my objective point is five or six blocks, +I walk, and I think on the way. I probably get in +from two to four miles of walking every day, +which my friends would save by riding in the +street cars or autos.</p> + +<p>I walk to my office every morning—a distance +of nearly four miles.</p> + +<p>I walk alone, so that I may relax and not expend +conscious effort as is the case when I walk +with another.</p> + +<p>That morning walk prevents me from reading +slush and worthless news, and relieves me of the +necessity of talking and using up nerve energy.</p> + +<p>I get the worth-while news from my paper by +the headlines and by trained ability to separate +the wheat from the chaff.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Four Great +Body-Builders.</div> + +<p>I just feel fine all the time, and it's because I +get to bed early, sleep plenty, exercise naturally, +think properly and get the four great +body-builders in plenty: air, water, +sunshine, food; and the other four +great health-builders, which are: good thought, +good exercise, good rest, and good cheer.</p> + +<p>The great crowd aims at ease, and so the business +man sits and loses out on the exercise his +body and mind must have. And therefore the +great crowd pays tribute to doctors, sanitariums,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</a></span> +rest cures, fake tonics, worthless medicines, freakish +diet fads, and crazy cults, isms, and discoveries +that claim to bring health by the easy, lazy, +comfortable sitting route.</p> + +<p>Believe me, dear reader, it is not in the cards to +play the game of health that way. "There ain't +no sich animal" said the ruben as he saw the +giraffe in the circus, and likewise, there "aint no +sich thing" as health and happiness for the man +who persistently antagonizes Nature, and hunts +ease where exercise is demanded.</p> + +<p>The law of compensation is inexorable in its +demand that you have to pay for what you get +and that you can't get worth-while things by +worthless plans.</p> + +<p>You must exercise enough to balance things, to +clear the system, to preserve your strength; it +doesn't take much time.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>33.</h2> + + +<p>This afternoon I am sitting on a glacial rock in +the forest at the foot of Mount Shasta. A beautiful +spot in which to rest and a glorious page +from the book of nature to read.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Back to +Nature.</div> + +<p>A canopy of deepest blue sky above, with sunshine +unstopped by clouds. The rays of old Sol +pulsate themselves into an endless +variety of flowers, plants and vegetable +life which Mother Earth has given +birth to. Glorious trees of magnificent size reach +up into the blue and give us shade. Ozone sweeps +gently through the forest, impregnated with the +perfume of fir, balsam, cedar, pine and flowers.</p> + +<p>In this spot, nature has thrown up mountains +of volcanic rock, which hold the winter's snow in +everlasting supply to quench the thirst of plant, +of animal, and of the millions of humans in the +lower country.</p> + +<p>The whole hillside around me is a community +of springs of crystal water laden with iron and +precious salts. It is the breast of Mother Earth +which nurses her offspring.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</a></span></p> + +<p>Here are no noises of the street; the newsboy's +cry of "extra" is not heard. The raucous voice +of the peddler, the din of trucks, the honk of automobiles, +the clatter of the city—all these are +absent.</p> + +<p>There is no noise here—just the sweet music +of falling water, and the aeolian lullaby made by +the breeze playing on the pine needles.</p> + +<p>My eyes take in a panorama of beautiful nature +in colors and contrasts that would give stage +fright to any artist who tried to paint the scenes +on canvas.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Gaining +Pep.</div> + +<p>I am getting pep. This is my treatment for +tired nerves; 'tis the "medcin' of the hills;" 'tis +nature's cure, and how it brings the +pill box and the bottle of tonic into +contempt! I'm letting down the high +tension voltage and getting the calm, natural pulsation +that nature intended the human machine +to have.</p> + +<p>So quiet, so peaceful, so natural is the view that +I drink in inspiration of a worth-while kind. No +war news to read, no records of tragedy, no degrading +chronicles of man's passions, of man's +meanness and man's selfishness.</p> + +<p>A little chipmunk sits upright on a rock before +me wondering at the movements of my yellow<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</a></span> +pencil and the black mark it makes on the paper.</p> + +<p>A delicate lace-winged insect lights on my tablet, +and a saucy "camp robber," or mutton bird, +wonders at the unusual sight of me, the big man +animal brother. A big beetle is getting his provisions +for the winter. I recognize his occupation, +for I've read about him in Fabre's wonderful +books on insect life.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Nature's +Lodge.</div> + +<p>Here, in the sanctum sanctorum of the forest, +I am made a member of Nature's lodge, and the +ants and bugs and beetles and flowers +and plants and trees are initiating me +and telling me the secrets of the order. +I can only tell you, who are in the great busy +world outside, the lessons and morals. The real +secrets I must not tell; you will receive them +when you, too, come to the hills and forests, and +sit down on a rock alone and go through the initiation.</p> + +<p>You are invited to come in; your application is +approved, and you are eligible to membership.</p> + +<p>Come to Nature's lodge-meeting and clear away +the cobwebs from your weary brain; get inspiration +and be a man again.</p> + +<p>Come—soothe and rest and build up those +shredded, weakened, tired, weary nerves. Let the +sun put its coat of health on you, and let the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</a></span> +ozone put the red blood of strength in your veins.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Rest and +Recreate.</div> + +<p>Come and get perfect brain and body-resting +sleep. Come to this wonderful, happy, helpful +lodge and get a store of energy, and +an abundance of vital ammunition +with which to make the fight, when +you go back to your factory or office. The doctor +can lance the carbuncle, but Nature's outdoor +medicine will prevent your having a carbuncle.</p> + +<p>The doctor can stop a pain with a poison drug, +but Nature's outdoor medicine will prevent your +having the disorder which makes the pain.</p> + +<p>No, brother, you can't get health out of a bottle +or a pill box. But you <i>can</i> get it from Mother +Nature's laboratory, where she compounds air, +water, sunshine, beauty, music, thought; where +she gives you exercise and rest, health, happiness, +all summed up into cashable assets for the human +in the shape of poise, efficiency and peace.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>34.</h2> + + +<div class="sidenote">Mother.</div> + +<p>Mother, you are the one person in all the world +whose kindness was never the preface to a request. +That's the sweetest tribute we +can pay you, and the most truthful +one. It covers devotion, love, sentiment, motherhood, +and all the noble attributes that go to make +the word "Mother" the most hallowed, most sacred, +most beautiful word in the English language.</p> + +<p>There are not words or sentences that can express +to you what we think of you or convey our +appreciation of you.</p> + +<p>You want our love; you have it. You should +be told of our love; we tell you. Appreciation and +gratitude are payments on account, but with all +our appreciation and with our whole life's gratitude, +the debt we are under can never be paid.</p> + +<p class="poem"> +"We have careful words for the stranger,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">And smiles for the some-time guest—</span><br /> +But oft to our own the bitter tone,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Though we love our own the best."</span></p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</a></span></p> + +<p>We've hurt you, Mother, many times, by our +thoughtlessness and by the resentment we felt +over your plans and your views about the things +we did, and you have had heartaches because of +such actions of ours.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">The Mother +Love.</div> + +<p>Forgive us, Mother, we're sorry. And there +you are, dear; the moment we ask your forgiveness, +your great, tender, loving heart +has forgiven us and erased the marks +of transgression. Always thinking of +us, always excusing us, always doing for us, always +watching us and always loving us in the +most unselfish way.</p> + +<p>We love you, Mother; we appreciate you. We +are going to show our appreciation and love so +much more from now on. We have just come to +our senses and realized what a wonderful, necessary, +helpful being you are.</p> + +<p>Your sweetness, your gentleness, your goodness, +your love, are parts of you. They all go to +make up that word "Mother."</p> + +<p>Your life, your acts, your example, your Motherhood, +have all helped the world so much more +than you will ever know.</p> + +<p>In the everlasting record of good deeds, your +name is in gold.</p> + +<p>In the everlasting memory of those who appre<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</a></span>ciate +you, your face, your life, is a sacred, helpful +picture that grows more beautiful as the days +pass.</p> + +<p>In tenderness, in appreciation, in love, let us +dedicate these thoughts and voice these expressions +to Mother, who gives her life by inches, and +who would give it all on the instant for her children, +if necessity called for the sacrifice.</p> + +<p>How feeble are words when we try to describe +Mother!<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>35.</h2> + + +<p>This is your inning, Dad.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Just Dad.</div> + +<p>There have been so many beautiful things written +about Mother and all the rest of the family +that it is high time we should tell you +how much we love you and how much +we appreciate you.</p> + +<p>You've worked so hard; you've been so ambitious +to do things for your loved ones, and they +have accepted your sacrifice and work and watchfulness +as matter of fact.</p> + +<p>You've had dreams of a some day when you +would relax and play and enjoy, but you have set +that some day too far ahead. You consider yourself +only after all your loved ones are comfortable +and happy, and time is passing, Dad.</p> + +<p>You are too unselfish, too much centered in that +some day. Let's change things a bit, Dad. Sometimes +the "some day" doesn't come.</p> + +<p>You are entitled to happiness and pleasure and +health and joy right here, now, to-day. It's your +duty to have them.</p> + +<p>Your loved ones do not want you to spend your<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[Pg 146]</a></span> +health in getting wealth. They don't want to see +you worn-out, tired, weary and unhappy, in the +evening of your life. Besides it's your duty to let +them share the responsibility, and work out their +own problems. They will be better equipped for +life after you are gone if you let them gain knowledge +by practical experience.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Keep Alive +the Spirit +of Youth.</div> + +<p>Come on, Dad; get in the group and enjoy +things now and you will live longer, and get more +out of life, and give more pleasure +to your loved ones. Get in the game, +Dad; let's see the old light and twinkle +in your eyes; let's have the sunshine on your +face; the love-light on your lips, and the happiness +in your heart.</p> + +<p>Leave your cares at the office; prepare your +mind for play, and you will feel so much better +and stronger and so much more successful in +your business.</p> + +<p>We don't want to hear any more sh-h-h—sh-h-h—or +whispers when you come home. We +don't want to feel that uncomfortable feeling of +restraint; let's laugh and sing and love and play—let's +make your home-coming a joyous event.</p> + +<p>We all love you, Dad, but you haven't made it +as comfortable as you might for us when we try +to express our love. You've been too tired, too<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</a></span> +busy, too much occupied with those business +thoughts.</p> + +<p>Don't you see how we love you and how we +appreciate you? Don't you know that there is no +one in the world who can take the place of Dad?</p> + +<p>Keep your heart young, Dad; we will help if +you only say, "Come on." We are waiting for +the signal. Let's start the new schedule tonight. +Come on, Dad, what do you say?<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[Pg 148]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>36.</h2> + + +<div class="sidenote">What Our +Bodies are +Composed Of.</div> + +<p>We speak of the three kingdoms: the animal, +the vegetable and the mineral kingdoms, and +every substance is classified into one +of these. The exact truth is there is +but one kingdom, which is the mineral. +The vegetable substances and animal combinations +are made of mineral elements.</p> + +<p>In a rough way we distinguish the mineral +kingdom as those substances called elements, +such as iron, sulphur, carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, +sodium and the like.</p> + +<p>These elements are unchangeable in themselves; +they do not grow. The animal is made +of mineral elements associated in certain proportions, +such as albumin, carbon, lime, water, salt +and the like. The vegetable kingdom also consists +of these various chemical combinations.</p> + +<p>Seed, when planted, extracts the minerals from +the air and the earth and combines them into a +plant, which grows and has for its object the making +of seeds to reproduce and perpetuate itself.</p> + +<p>The plant has life, but it has no spiritual or<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[Pg 149]</a></span> +mental equipment, and therein vegetable life differs +from the animal life. The animal eats vegetable +and animal flesh. Through the vegetable he +gets the mineral matter necessary for body-building. +He also gets a plentiful supply of mineral +from the flesh he eats, which flesh was first +built up through the vegetables the animal ate.</p> + +<p>These are definite facts.</p> + +<p>The human body may be analyzed and separated +into something like a dozen substances, +among which are water, which is three-fourths of +the body's structure, carbon, lime, phosphorus, +iron, potassium, salt and so on.</p> + +<p>By reading a book on anatomy you can learn +just exactly the proportions of the substances in +the human body.</p> + +<p>All these chemicals are formed in the shape of +little cells, myriads of which are in the body. +These cells are constantly being destroyed and +new ones made to take their place.</p> + +<p>Parts of the body are replaced every twenty-four +hours; other parts less often.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">What Our +Bodies Need.</div> + +<p>Scientists tell us that the whole body is replaced +every seven years. Every move you make +destroys cells which nature has to replace. +Isn't it reasonable then to conclude +that if a man should fail to eat<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</a></span> +enough lime for his body-building, his bones +would suffer? If he does not get enough iron, +his blood will suffer, and so on. I am convinced +that most physical ailments are caused by a deficiency +of the mineral elements in the body.</p> + +<p>Phosphorus and potash are necessary to human +welfare. These elements are in the husk of the +wheat, and when the husk is taken off in making +flour, the resulting product is mostly starch. The +person who lives mostly on white bread will suffer +from lack of phosphorus and potash.</p> + +<p>Nothing could be better for the health of the +American people than the nation-wide food campaigns +the government is conducting. The educational +value of these campaigns is enormous.</p> + +<p>Eat less wheat! White bread is unessential. +Bran, or whole wheat bread, is far more healthful +and nourishing, and contains more of the elements +the human body needs.</p> + +<p>Eat more fruit. People do not eat enough fruit. +Every year thousands of bushels of peaches and +grapes and other fruit go to waste because the +demand is not great enough to ship the entire output +to the great consuming centers.</p> + +<p>Study your body's needs. Health is maintained +at its proper level only so long as you eat carefully +and wisely.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>37.</h2> + + +<p>The practice of medicine in the past has been +directed towards the curing of disease and physical +ailments already developed. The practice of +medicine in the future is to be along preventive +lines. Science is showing us how to prevent infection. +Science is fighting the deadly microbe +which comes to us in the air we breathe, the water +we drink, and the food we eat, and the infected +things we touch.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">The "Why" +of Disease.</div> + +<p>Nature has supplied the human body with a +home guard of necessary bacteria, and in the circulation +system are phagocytes which +fight the invading microbes and generally +destroy them. When the system +is weakened through disease, through lack of +exercise, or through improper food, disease has an +easy time.</p> + +<p>I want you to remember this golden prescription. +It is composed of the following: Good Air, +Good Water, Good Sunshine, Good Food, Good +Exercise, Good Cheer, Good Rest and Good +Thought. If you take this golden prescription,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</a></span> +you will make of yourself a giant in brain and +brawn strength.</p> + +<p>You can't get health out of a bottle. You can't +get the system to absorb iron if you take it in the +form of tincture of iron. You can eat a pound of +rust, which is oxide of iron, and none of that iron +will be absorbed in the system.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">What +to Eat.</div> + +<p>As I have explained in another chapter, you +must take the mineral in the system through the +vegetable route. You will get iron +that will be assimilated when you eat +beefsteak. Beefsteak has blood; the +blood has iron. You will also get iron when +you eat spinach.</p> + +<p>Every element necessary for your body is found +in some vegetable or animal food; therefore, you +should refrain from confining yourself to a very +few articles of food.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Fads, Cults, +Isms.</div> + +<p>Don't pay any attention to the faddist who +gives you a rigorous diet or unpalatable food. You +simply make yourself miserable, and +you generate more worry and unhappiness +by your discipline than the +good you get from these freak fads. There are +a thousand different fads and cults and isms, each +one claiming to be right. Probably each one contains +a small portion of right. But it is a sure<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</a></span> +thing that The Right is too big a thing to be confined +within narrow formulae and creeds.</p> + +<p>We all eat too much meat, but that a strict vegetarian +diet is the necessary thing for good health +I deny. The sheep, the cow, and horse are vegetarians, +and they are short lived. The eagle, the +lion, the man, eat animal food, and they are long +lived.</p> + +<p>I may be prejudiced, but it does seem to me +that the strict vegetarians are a skinny, sallow-looking +lot of humans, speaking generally. I do +find that the healthier specimens of vegetarians +are those who eat plenty of eggs and drink plenty +of milk, both of which are animal food, and both +of which have nearly all the elements necessary +to sustain life.</p> + +<p>I don't like fads in the matter of eating. The +amount a person consumes should be in exact +accord with the body's requirements—neither +more nor less.</p> + +<p>The human body is a machine from a food +standpoint. It is an engine that has work to do, +and accordingly the amount of fuel necessary for +the engine should be in proportion to the amount +of work that the engine is called on to perform.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Eat Less, +Exercise +More.</div> + +<p>The majority of city-dwelling people eat too +much. This is especially true of men in seden<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</a></span>tary +occupations, and women whose +household duties are light. If your +engine needs twenty pounds of steam, +how foolish it is to keep up a hundred pounds +pressure! If you had five-horsepower work to +perform, how foolish it would be to install a two-hundred-and-fifty-pound +engine!</p> + +<p>Eat less of everything. Fat and flabbiness and +over-feeding is a national vice with us. The fashionable +cafés and restaurants are thronged with +puffy, heavy-jowled men and women, eating and +drinking. Hotels and food-purveyors are constantly +inventing new palate-tickling dishes to +tempt your appetite. Orchestras and dramatic +troupes are engaged to entertain and amuse you +while you overload your stomach, take on fat, and +lay the foundation for future cases of indigestion +or dyspepsia.</p> + +<p>There is no escaping a day of reckoning for +such mistreatment of yourself. If you would keep +yourself fit, it is important that you eat only what +is necessary to maintain yourself at normal +weight and strength.</p> + +<p>You do not often find dyspepsia or indigestion +among men or women who work hard physically. +Isn't it reasonable to suppose that this is because +they work hard?<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</a></span></p> + +<p>You who work indoors, with little physical exercise, +will find wonderful benefits if you will cut +down the fuel.</p> + +<p>Much of the physical trouble comes from filling +up the boiler too much.</p> + +<p>Cut down the food and you will feel better.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[Pg 156]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>38.</h2> + + +<p>Anger and revenge are great pull-backs to +health.</p> + +<p>Anger makes the blood rush to the head, weakens +the body, and distorts the vision.</p> + +<p>When a woman gets angry, she quarrels with +her lover, her husband or her children. Any one +of these things is a calamity.</p> + +<p>When a man gets angry, he is a wild man. His +eyes glitter, his mouth is cruel, his fists clinch, +his body trembles, his blood veins strain, and he +does more harm to his system in five minutes of +anger than nature can repair in a day.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Anger +and Poise.</div> + +<p>Anger makes weak stomachs, dizzy heads, poor +judgment, lost friends, despair and sickness, and +if the habit becomes confirmed, will +likely lead to apoplexy. When two +men have differences, watch the cool +man finish victor; the angry man always loses. +Keep your head; let the other fellow fret and +fume.</p> + +<p>He will tie himself up in a knot, and when the +gong is rung, he will be the loser.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[Pg 157]</a></span></p> + +<p>Serenity is one of God's blessings. Fortunate +is the man who can hold his serenity.</p> + +<p>When you get a letter that stirs you to anger, +don't answer that letter for forty-eight hours, +then write a moderately vitriolic letter—and +then tear it up.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">The Futility +of Revenge.</div> + +<p>I know you are tempted and goaded, and your +limit of endurance is sometimes reached. But I +know that revenge is sweet only in +anticipation. I know that revenge by +anger and by the cruel "eye for an +eye" measure is never, never sweet.</p> + +<p>I have been the victim of imposition, ingratitude +and insincerity, and advantage has been +taken of me because I kept my poise and serenity.</p> + +<p>I have been called easy, and soft, and friends +have shown me where I was imposed upon, but +I was stooping to conquer. I kept my reserve, +my resistance, and my power ready until time, +place, and preparedness let me spring my coup, +and then I cashed in beautifully in principal and +interest for those acts and hurts.</p> + +<p>I have power now in my hands to make others +suffer keenly and deeply for wrongs they have +done me. Yet I do not exercise that power to +revenge.</p> + +<p>I have been misjudged and misunderstood, be<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[Pg 158]</a></span>cause +cowardly persons have lied and villified me, +and have accused me of motives and acts of which +I was innocent.</p> + +<p>I am well hated now by one person in particular, +who blames me for things another is guilty +of. A word from me would clear myself, but it +would bring gloom and despair to that person and +would not make me any more cognizant of my +innocence.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Time, the +Arbiter.</div> + +<p>Time somehow will bring out the truth; the +cowardly, guilty individual who basks in the +favor of the one who is angry at me +will surely pay for his wrong. This +I know, and I am satisfied with the +ultimate result.</p> + +<p>My former friend, who is angry at me, would +simply switch the anger current to the guilty one +if I told the facts; the guilty person couldn't +stand that anger like I can. My act would break +up a home and bring misery. The satisfaction I +would receive would not equal the sorrow my act +would cause to others.</p> + +<p>I am far removed from the location where these +people live, and I can stand the anger of the one +who puts the blame on me by accepting the lies +of another as truth.</p> + +<p>I have the documents in black and white, yet I<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[Pg 159]</a></span> +don't use them because I have poise and the consciousness +of knowing I am right, and those who +are dear to me know it, too.</p> + +<p>I've tried both plans, the plan of anger and the +plan of poise, and I like poise better.</p> + +<p>I believe I hear more birds, I believe I get more +pleasure out of life and living than the man who +gets angry and loves revenge.</p> + +<p>Anyway, I think so, and "as a man thinketh in +his heart, so is he."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[Pg 160]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>39.</h2> + + +<p>Sleeping, like breathing and digesting, is controlled +by the subconscious brain centers. Natural +sleep requires no positive mental impulse; it's +just relaxing, and nature takes care of the process.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Can't Sleep.</div> + +<p>That is natural sleep, but when you start your +dry cell battery, the brain, and commence to worry +and fear, you are going to stay awake. +Then the conscious mind dominates +the subconscious mind, and you banish the very +comforter you seek to woo.</p> + +<p>Business men who work under high tension all +day on business matters, and high tension all +evening in threshing over again the business of +the day, are almost sure to suffer from insomnia.</p> + +<p>The continuance of this habit of thinking of +business day and night brings on the insomnia +habit and that, in turn, gives rise to the delusion +that you are fighting for your natural sleep. This +produces worry, the demon that kills and maims.</p> + +<p>To have an occasional wakeful night is natural; +it is an evidence of intelligence: the mental dullard +never has wakeful nights.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[Pg 161]</a></span></p> + +<p>Unless the fear of sleeplessness becomes a full +grown phobia, no anxiety need be felt. The fear +of insomnia, the over-anxiety to go to sleep, is to +be more dreaded than insomnia itself.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">To Get +Results.</div> + +<p>To get refreshing sleep you must put yourself +in a state of actual physical tiredness. Take exercise. +Walk in one direction until +the first symptoms of becoming tired +appear, then walk home. Take a hot +bath, then sponge with cold or cool water. Put +a cold cloth at the head, and rub the backbone +with cold water.</p> + +<p>Open your windows wide, then relax. Don't +worry; you are going to sleep.</p> + +<p>Lie on your back, open your eyes wide, look up +as if you were trying to see your eyebrows, hold +your eyes open this way ten to twenty seconds, +then close them slowly. Repeat this several +times.</p> + +<p>Sleep will have descended on you before you +realize it.</p> + +<p>Or occupy your mind with auto-suggestions +like this: "I am going to sleep—sound, heavy, +restful, peaceful sleep. My eyelids are getting +heavy—heavy. I am going to close them and go +to sleep."</p> + +<p>Don't try to count imaginary sheep jumping<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[Pg 162]</a></span> +over fence rails. Don't count numbers. It is a +bad habit.</p> + +<p>If these suggestions do not help you the first +night, say: "All right, my brain was too active; +to-morrow I will let down a bit."</p> + +<p>Next night eat one or two dry crackers; chew +them slowly, masticate them thoroughly until +you can swallow easily.</p> + +<p>This little food will draw the blood pressure +from the brain and help you to go to sleep.</p> + +<p>Drive out business and worry thoughts. Think +faith and courage thoughts.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[Pg 163]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>40.</h2> + + +<p>To live down the past and erase the errors, live +the present boldly.</p> + +<p>Do not chastise or condemn yourself for mistakes +you have made. You are not alone; everyone +has made missteps—has hurt others or +wronged himself.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Making +Mistakes.</div> + +<p>Everyone has had reverses and met trouble and +misfortune. It's the plan of things. It is by undergoing +trials like these that we gain +in experience and wisdom. We are +enabled to correct our future acts by +utilizing the lessons which our mistakes have +taught us.</p> + +<p>Yesterday is dead; forget it. Face about. Live +to-day; be busy, be active, be intent on doing +right and accomplishing things worth while.</p> + +<p>The world's memory is short. A misdeed, an +error, a wrongful act on your part may set busy +tongues wagging to-day, and you may suffer from +calumny and criticism. Of course, your errors +will be magnified and your wrongs enlarged be<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[Pg 164]</a></span>yond +the truth; that's the penalty you pay for +your transgressions.</p> + +<p>Lies are always added to truth in telling of +one's misdeeds. Be brave. Weather the storm; +it will soon blow over. To-morrow the world will +forget.</p> + +<p>You've suffered in your own conscience; that's +all the debt you can pay on the old score.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Worrying +Won't Help.</div> + +<p>Now, then, get busy with the glorious opportunity +that today presents. Don't make the same +mistake again. There are no eyes +in the back of your head; look forward. +Don't worry by envying the +other fellow and comparing his good deeds with +your mistakes; you only see his good. He has +had troubles and made mistakes, too, but you and +the world have forgotten them.</p> + +<p>If every man's sins were printed on his forehead, +the crowds that pass by would all wear +their hats over their eyes.</p> + +<p>I'm trying to comfort you, and slap you on the +back, and tell you that you are just human, and +all humans make false steps.</p> + +<p>The patriarchs in the Bible made mistakes, but +they got in the fold. History has perpetuated +their names. Their lives, on the whole, were +worth while. It's the sum total of acts that count.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[Pg 165]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>41.</h2> + + +<div class="sidenote">To-day and +To-morrow.</div> + +<p>One man says the present is everything, that +eternity is nothing. The other man says eternity +is everything, that the present is nothing. +I believe the real truth is that +both are man's chief concern, and +neither view comprehends all truth. In this matter, +the general rule I have so often pointed out +will harmoniously apply. That rule is: Avoid +extremes.</p> + +<p>Those who believe that the Now, the Present, +is the all-important thing in man's life have the +fashionable or favorite point of view.</p> + +<p>Man has much definite information about the +present, he knows much about life. He is in the +midst of life—it pulsates all around him and in +him.</p> + +<p>We know positively that the law of compensation +is inexorable in its demand for right and positive +in its punishment of wrong.</p> + +<p>We know that on this earth kindness, love, occupation, +help, truth, honor and sympathy are investments +which bring happiness to-day. You get<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[Pg 166]</a></span> +your pay instantly when you have done a helpful +act, and you get your punishment instantly when +you have done a hurtful act.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">The Hereafter.</div> + +<p>That there is a future most of us agree, because +good sense and logic point to that sane and reasonable +conclusion. So be it. With +a belief in the future estate, it is reasonable +to assume that our acts and +lives in the present will have influence on our future +estate.</p> + +<p>We know positively of to-day; we know the +happiness we can get from good deeds done to-day. +We come to this knowledge by experience.</p> + +<p>If we will have power in the future to look back +on to-day's acts, well and good if to-day's acts are +worth while.</p> + +<p>The other view, that Eternity is everything and +the present is nothing, is the antiquated view, the +narrow view—the, I might say, illiterate view.</p> + +<p>That view warps the present life; it calls for +present self-chastisement, present gloom, present +sorrow and present misery.</p> + +<p>It takes the tangible definite to-day, calls it +nothing, and accepts the intangible unknown eternity +as everything.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">A Cheerless +Philosophy.</div> + +<p>It trades the definite for the indefinite. It calls +life a bubble, a vapor, a shadow. In fact, it throws +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[Pg 167]</a></span>a pall over to-day's sunshine, and regards +our earthly life as a sort of purgatory—a +dismal unhappy punishment +ante-chamber where man exists and waits, +peeping out of his cell windows for a little imagined +view of eternity.</p> + +<p>He waits and endures the unpleasant interval, +steeled against the definite pleasures of to-day, +his whole outlook colored by a fanatical and intoxicated +belief in the expected happiness of the +undefined future.</p> + +<p>He refuses to think of the definite life of to-day +that we all know, and spoils the thought of those +who do.</p> + +<p>He is a blockade to progress, a disagreeable +part of life's picture.</p> + +<p>He gets no happiness in the to-day which is in +his hands; he loses his opportunity to be of service +here, and lives in the hope of a vague and nebulous +future state which has no connection with +the realities of every-day life.</p> + +<p>Both theories as ultimate beliefs are wrong, yet +each has some truth in its conclusion.</p> + +<p>By taking the words "Eternity" and "Present" +and saying that both mean everything, we +avoid extremes and form a truth that is rational, +and harmonious to good reason.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[Pg 168]</a></span></p> + +<p>The man who says that the present is all, does +so because he is an utilitarian. He reasons from +the definite and the seeable, and refuses to believe +in the abstract. Anything that is outside +the sphere of his vision and action is of little +concern to him.</p> + +<p>The man who says eternity is all, wastes a +golden opportunity and warps himself into a miserable +hermit.</p> + +<p>Life is irrevocable. Every act in our life is +placed, set, and fixed.</p> + +<p>Every act goes in the record book of yesterday, +and it cannot be changed.</p> + +<p>Acts that hurt others will rebound and hurt +us. Deeds that help others will rebound and +help us. This much is certain.</p> + +<p>There is a future, I believe that. There is a +God, I believe that.</p> + +<p>Just what the future is, and just what God is, +I do not know in perfect detail.</p> + +<p>Reward for good and punishment for evil is +part of God's plan, and I am conscious of this +truth.</p> + +<p>I know that justice prevails in this life, and this +life is what I am living now.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">The Good +That Lies +at Hand.</div> + +<p>If I live and act to-day in accordance with what +I sincerely believe is in tune with God's purpose, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[Pg 169]</a></span>I shall, in my future estate, benefit by +those acts. If I live and act to-day in +disregard of all around me, selfishly +catering to my personal desires and believing that +eternity is everything and the present nothing, I +am neglecting the opportunity to do good now in +the hope of a future personal reward, the very +nature of which is unknowable. I shall therefore +strive to do, and to be, right—to be kind, +helpful, cheery and smiling now, for the reward +such acts bring now.</p> + +<p>And I shall doubtless have as good a record and +passport to the future as the man who suffers now +and lives only upon his selfish hope of the future.</p> + +<p>His is the faith of fear, mine the faith of reason +in the all-wise, all-powerful, all-seeing, all-knowing +Ruler of the universe, who gave me my life, +my brain, my reason, which I am trying to use, as +well as my limitations will permit, in helping myself +and helping others to smile, to be happy, to +be serene, to be confident, to be competent, to be +useful.</p> + +<p>Everything lives and dies in accordance with +the plan of the Creator of the Universe, and you +are an atom and I am an atom in that Universe, +which is governed by a power too big and too +great for us to comprehend.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[Pg 170]</a></span></p> + +<p>Verily we presume when we say: "We have all +the truth; think as we do or you are lost."</p> + +<p>The old world has not told its full story. The +Universe of which this world is a part is still a +deep, unfathomable mystery.</p> + +<p>We shall not know all truth until the great revealing +time.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">The Use +of To-day.</div> + +<p>We cannot change the pages of the millions of +years gone by. We can do every little to change +the pages of the millions of years to +come. What little we can do, we can +only do TO-DAY. To-day is yours +and mine; let's do the best we can with our possession +in act and thought and word.</p> + +<p>The sun goes down behind the sky-line on the +West as it has done for millions of years. I lay +aside my pen with a bigger view, a deeper appreciation +of the Creator, and a profounder faith in +His wisdom and works than ever.</p> + +<p>God made. God rules. God plans. And verily, +we are weaklings and foolish who presume by selfish +prayer to suggest to Him what He shall do.</p> + +<p>Let us strive to be appreciative of Him; let us +try to lift ourselves to the sublime plane of realizing +that we are part of Him and His plan, and +that failure is impossible to us, if we keep up and +on, doing good, speaking softly, dealing gently,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[Pg 171]</a></span> +showing kindness to-day, and living in accordance +with the big, broad, generous, charitable plan +instead of in the little, bigoted, narrow, selfish, +conceited idea that we are sole possessors of truth +and that the man who differs with us in belief +is in error.</p> + +<p>This chapter is about big things, and in it is a +big moral for all who are big enough to grasp it.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[Pg 172]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>42.</h2> + + +<p>"I believe in him because he is so sincere."</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Sincerity +and Truth.</div> + +<p>You've heard that, haven't you? I never could +understand how a sensible person could use such +logic. Sincerity is no evidence of +truth. The Hindu mother is sincere +when she throws her babe to the crocodiles, +but her sincerity is no proof that by this +sacrifice she is sure of her salvation.</p> + +<p>The Christian Scientist is sincere in the belief +that medicines do not cure diseases. The doctor +is equally sincere in his belief that medicines do +cure disease.</p> + +<p>The Theosophist is sincere, the Atheist, the +Agnostic, the Christian, the Pagan, the Mohammedan, +the Buddhist, the Sunworshipper, the Republican, +the Democrat, the Progressive, the Prohibitionist, +the Brewer, all these are sincere in +their beliefs. And as these beliefs are different, +it is common sense to say that no one creed, sect, +belief, branch, dogma or system includes or embodies +all truth.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">No Monopoly +on Truth.</div> + +<p>It is true that every channel or avenue we meet +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[Pg 173]</a></span>in life's travel has some truth, but it is not for you +or me to assume that we are the sole +possessors of wisdom and the real discoverers +of all truth. We must not +take the conclusions we arrive at and expect to +force the world to accept without protest our +rules for conduct, our methods for living, our +practices for morals, or our beliefs for their guidance.</p> + +<p>Converts to new doctrines, new issues, new +cults, and to the old ones, too, are made largely +because the ambassadors or proselyters seem so +fervid and sincere in expounding what they claim +is the definite truth.</p> + +<p>The believers in a cult or code of ethics are +auto-hypnotized; their visions are narrowed.</p> + +<p>By focusing their thought on their special belief, +they bring together sophistry, argument, example +and so-called proof that gives them facility +in arguing the case or expounding their doctrine.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Christian +Science.</div> + +<p>You can make no gain in trying to argue with +a Christian Scientist. You ask for concrete rules, +definite answers and proofs other +than their flat statements, and you +are told you have not the understanding—you +do not view the subject from the right +plane, and that the truth cannot be shown you.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[Pg 174]</a></span> +You are told to have faith and belief, to eliminate +antagonism, and to study "Science and Health," +and you will receive the divine spirit and see the +light.</p> + +<p>The Scientist is sincere; he shows you "Science +and Health" with a lot of testimonials in the back +to prove that Christian Science cures disease. +Every patent medicine, every science, every system +of healing has testimonials by the hundreds.</p> + +<p>Scientists say there is no disease, no material—that +we are only spirit or soul or thought—that +we are not matter but mind. Health, they +tell us, is truth and disease is error. They deny +disease, yet "Science and Health" and the midweek +experience meetings have testimonials of +disease cured by Christian Science.</p> + +<p>There is much truth in Christian Science. People +are helped by it; people are sincere in their +belief in it, but that Christian Science is all truth, +all-powerful, all-right, all-sufficient, cannot be +proven.</p> + +<p>What about the people who have gone hence +before Christian Science was ever heard of?</p> + +<p>The theological religion of to-day differs radically +in practice and belief from what it was fifty +years ago.</p> + +<p>If the Protestant religion be all truth, what be<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[Pg 175]</a></span>came +of our religious ancestors who died before +Martin Luther found the truth?</p> + +<div class="sidenote">The Spirit +of Tolerance.</div> + +<p>I have no quarrel with the Christian Scientist, +the Protestant, the Roman Catholic, the Buddhist +or the Mohammedan. I must be generous +and broad enough to admit that +others have the right to think and be +sincere. All sciences have truth, but no science, +sect, cult, dogma or creed is ALL truth.</p> + +<p>Sincerity is evidence of honest conviction, but +that your sincerity in your belief must be accepted +by me as proof that I should believe as +you do, is, I believe, the place where I have the +undoubted right to say: "I reserve the right to +my own conclusions, and I would be unjust to +myself if I should force myself to accept your +viewpoint without fully satisfying myself that +you were right."</p> + +<p>So, because a person is sincere in a conviction +that is contrary to your conscientious belief, do +not be disturbed. There is no need to swerve from +your own common sense analysis of the matter, +or be convinced against your better judgment.</p> + +<p>No one possesses all the truth. It is for you +and me to do our plain duty as we see it—to do +the best we can each day in act and thought and +word.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[Pg 176]</a></span></p> + +<p>We can pretty much agree on the simple essential +truths which are proven. That is—being honest, +truthful, kind, lovable, sympathetic, cheerful; +doing good, helping one another, and doing things +worth while.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Unprofitable +Speculation.</div> + +<p>If we agree on these things, and do useful work, +and think helpful thoughts, we are doing our duty. +Theories, arguments and studying too +deeply on bootless systems, codes, beliefs, +cults, isms and doctrines, is a +waste of time. When we can, here and now, derive +definite benefits from doing the simple and +helpful things, and acting and thinking the simple, +practical cheer thoughts, it is neither necessary +nor helpful for us to waste time on spiritualism +or theoretical beliefs that cannot be proven to +our own satisfaction.</p> + +<p>We are asked to believe these strange, impractical, +unnatural beliefs because of the sincerity of +others. It's better to believe and to credit the +things we can ourselves measure, understand and +sincerely adopt.</p> + +<p>There are hundreds of strange beliefs and spiritual +systems, each claiming to be all-powerful, +all-right. If any one is all truth, then all the others +are all wrong.</p> + +<p>The bigot who assumes he is the sole possessor<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[Pg 177]</a></span> +of truth—the cult, sect, ism, or science that +claims to possess all truth and presumes to lay +down the exact rules for the world to obey—should +be classed with those misguided religions +and institutions of the dark past which burned +human beings who dared to doubt their claim to +the possession of all truth and knowledge.</p> + +<p>God never gave his approval to any one man-made +religious sect.</p> + +<p>God is the universal good power. Man often +tries to dwarf God's idea to the narrow dimensions +of his own small soul.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[Pg 178]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>43.</h2> + + +<div class="sidenote">Whiskey and +Fake Medicines.</div> + +<p>Whiskey must go. It is written on the pages +of the record book of man's progress. Likewise +must the quack doctor and the fake +medicine go. They have had their +day. The quack doctor has already +breathed his last in many parts of the country. +The fake medicine schemes are still with us, but +they are becoming increasingly difficult to put +over. That they are doomed to extinction, there +can be no doubt.</p> + +<p>The side-whiskered advertising doctor who +magnifies symptoms and proclaims them to be +grave forerunners of awful, debilitating disease, is +nothing short of a criminal. He is one of the +worst of criminals, because he imposes upon the +credulity of the ignorant, excites their fear by +means of sensational scarehead advertising, and +then when he has finally lured them into his spider-web, +fleeces them unmercifully. These charlatans +are really more contemptible than any +thief, for the thief does not pretend to be anything +else but what he is, while the quack doctor<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[Pg 179]</a></span> +swindles and exploits you under the guise of being +your benefactor.</p> + +<p>As I have repeatedly explained, illness, feeling +"out of sorts," local pains and sickness, unless of +the contagious or infectious kind, are largely conditions +of the mind.</p> + +<p>Most of the temporary ailments are caused by +constipation, wrong diet or lack of exercise. The +doctor gives a laxative, nature re-asserts herself, +and the patient is cured.</p> + +<p>Chronic ailments require long treatments—making +long bills and many visits for the quack +doctor.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Your Family +Physician.</div> + +<p>Your health and happiness are things largely +in your own control. However, when you feel +you must have a doctor, go to your +family physician and not to a strange +doctor who advertises. His advertisement +is merely a spiderweb to catch and hold +you while he robs you.</p> + +<p>It is a hopeful sign of the brighter future +toward which man is progressing, that the respectable +papers will not lend their aid to swindling +doctors. The best papers will not carry +these quack doctor or fake medicine ads.</p> + +<p>Before long the government will pass laws abolishing +this baneful, shameful, quack advertising.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[Pg 180]</a></span> +Quack doctoring, gambling, liquor selling—these +are all swindling methods to get money, and +in the getting, the ghouls and parasites who practise +these "professions" are killing men, ruining +homes, destroying happiness, holding back progress.</p> + +<p>The one object of the quack doctor is to size +you up and see what you "are good for." "Good +for" means how much money can he get from +you, and how long can he keep you as a patient +to contribute to his coffers.</p> + +<p>Let every reader of this book enroll as an +opponent to quack doctors and quack medicines, +and by word and influence help to hasten the day +when such pernicious swindlers and swindling +schemes are things of the past.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[Pg 181]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>44.</h2> + + +<p>No two minds can see the same picture in the +same way, nor can two persons, armed and +equipped with logic, come to the same definite +conclusions on religion.</p> + +<p>The old Scripture said: "An eye for an eye +and a tooth for a tooth." The new Scripture +teaches us to "turn the other cheek" and "love +our enemies."</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Religion, Old +and New.</div> + +<p>Two hundred years ago witchcraft was practised +and miserable human beings were burned +at the stake. Thirty years ago the +preacher who took exception to the +universal belief of a hell of fire and +brimstone was thrown out of the church. To-day +no preacher believes in such a hell.</p> + +<p>Present day religion is really a Sunday religion. +One and a half hours a week the members of +the church join in singing, "We shall know each +other there." The remainder of the week they +make it a point to keep from knowing each +other here.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Sectarianism.</div> + +<p>The Protestant church divides itself into +nu<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[Pg 182]</a></span>merous sects, each one built on some particular +ordinance or practice. Each one, in +matters of doctrine, will swallow a +camel but will strain at a gnat. One sect insists +that baptism shall be by immersion because the +disciples baptized that way. They believe in following +custom literally, yet in the cities they +immerse the members in a big tub under the +pulpit, which practice is entirely different from +the method employed by John the Baptist.</p> + +<p>Another sect insists upon having a communion +every Sunday because the Bible says, "As often +as you do this," etc. To be literal in the matter +of communion, the Lord's Supper should be +served at night, as the original was, and it should +be supper and not a few pieces of broken crackers.</p> + +<p>The sect that insists on following the Scriptures +in the matter of baptism by immersion fails +to follow the Scriptures in the matter of washing +the feet or anointing the head.</p> + +<p>Many years ago, churches considered it a sacrilege +to use an organ. To-day they have orchestras +and hire operatic singers.</p> + +<p>So it seems that the church is broadening +out. Thinking men refuse to believe that religion +should any longer be a matter of self-chastisement +and worry, sobs and misery. Because so<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[Pg 183]</a></span> +much of this sort of teaching is prevalent, the +church is not making the gains it should. The +church is largely supported by nice little women—many +of them maiden ladies who have little +to do and know little of the great problems of +the busy world.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">A Live +Religion.</div> + +<p>I am thoroughly convinced that the church +must recognize that a great evolution is taking +place—that we must be more charitable, +more broad in our views, less +technical in our tenets and more +practical in our work. We will have to cut down +the fences between the sects and get together in +the great field for a common cause, rather than +try to maintain little independent vineyards.</p> + +<p>Religion must teach smiles and joy, courage +and brotherly love, instead of frowns, dejection, +fear and worry.</p> + +<p>It must teach us how to be and how to get +good out of our to-day on earth. If we are good +and do good here, we certainly need have no +fear for our future prospects.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">The Universal +Church.</div> + +<p>Day by day we are progressing from narrowness, +bigotry, selfishness and envy, to broadness, +reason, brotherly love and contentment, and we +shall progress from the narrow confines of obstinate +orthodoxy or bulldogmatics, by breaking +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[Pg 184]</a></span>down sect and cult barriers until we are joined +together in a universal church in +which all can put their hearts and beliefs—in +which all can find full +range for their spiritual belief and expression. +That big, broad, right church will be in harmony +with God's purpose.</p> + +<p>The Creator made all men, and He doesn't confine +His love or His interest to any one little man-made, +narrow sect or creed.</p> + +<p>"God is love." "Love thy neighbor." "Help +the weak; cheer the grief stricken." Those are +the commands and purposes we find everywhere +in the Scriptures.</p> + +<p>"He that believeth in me shall be saved." +That's a definite promise, and it is not qualified by +a lot of creed paragraphs and beliefs. That promise +doesn't have any "buts" or "ifs." It doesn't +say we shall be saved if we be Methodists or +Catholics, Baptists or Presbyterians. Those +names are man-made, and the creeds of those +churches are man-made, too.</p> + +<p>At the congress of religions in the World's Fair +at Chicago, over three hundred religions and sects +were represented by delegates from all over the +world, and every one of these delegates, with +hearty accord, sang, "Praise God From Whom<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[Pg 185]</a></span> +All Blessings Flow" and "Rock of Ages." Those +hymns were universal; they fitted all creeds and +sects.</p> + +<p>Big men in the church are intensely interested +in the get-together universal church, and each +year will mark a definite progress toward amalgamation +of sects and divisions.</p> + +<p>There should be no Methodist Church North +and Methodist Church South.</p> + +<p>There should not be churches like the Congregational +and Presbyterian, whose creeds are identical, +the difference being only in the officers.</p> + +<p>The country village of 1,000 population has +five churches; it should have only one. The +country is full of half-starved preachers and weak, +struggling congregations.</p> + +<p>The get-together movement will help religion, +and it's going to happen surely.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[Pg 186]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>45.</h2> + + +<p>Every year the business man goes over his +stock, tools, fixtures, and accounts, and prepares +a statement of assets and liabilities so as to get +a fairly accurate understanding of his profit and +loss.</p> + +<p>If he didn't take this inventory, his net worth +would be a matter of guess work.</p> + +<p>This inventory, which deals with money, materials, +etc., and things which are mixed more or +less with the human element, is affected by conditions +of trade, crops, competition, supply and +demand.</p> + +<p>The business man takes all these conditions +into consideration in preparing for the coming +year. He red flags the mistakes and green flags +the good plans.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Self +Inventory.</div> + +<div class="sidenote">Listing the +Liabilities.</div> + +<p>The business man should carry the inventory +further. Every month or so he should take a +careful inventory of himself, putting +down his assets of health, initiative, +patience, ability to work, smiles, honesty, +sincerity, and the like. So also he should +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[Pg 187]</a></span>put down on the debit side in the list of liabilities +the pull-backs, hindrances and other business-killers. +These items are untruth, +unfairness, sharp practice, +grouchiness, impatience, worry, ill-health, +gloom, meanness, broken word, unfilled +promises and the like.</p> + +<p>In making up the inventory, pay particular +attention to your habits: smoking, drinking, over-eating, +useless display, useless social functions, +and other useless things that pull on your nerves +and your pocket book.</p> + +<p>Then check up department A, which is your +family. How have you dealt with your family +and children?</p> + +<p>Department B is friends. How do you stand +in your treatment of them?</p> + +<p>Department C includes all other persons. Did +you lie to, steal from, cheat or defraud any one? +How much cash profit did you make? How much +less a man did the act make you?</p> + +<p>Go over your self-respect account. Does it +show profit or loss?</p> + +<p>Check up your employees' account. What has +your stewardship shown? Have you drawn the +employees closer, or have you driven them further +from you?<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[Pg 188]</a></span></p> + +<p>Analyze your spiritual account. Is your religious +belief a sham or a conviction? Do you +sing on Sunday, "We shall know each other +there," or do you make it a point to know and +love your brother here, seven days a week?</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Balancing the +Statement.</div> + +<p>Be fair in your inventory. Write down the +facts in the two columns designated "good" +and "bad," then go over the list and +put a red danger flag on the bad. +Keep the list until next inventory and +see whether you have made a gain or loss in +your net moral standing.</p> + +<p>Don't read this and say, "A good idea." Do +the thing literally.</p> + +<p>Take a clean sheet of paper and write your personal +assets and liabilities down in the two columns +marked "good" and "bad."</p> + +<p>If this inventory doesn't help, then you may +call me a false prophet.</p> + +<p>I know the plan is a good one. I know it will +help you. If it helps you, you will thank me. +There can be no harm in trying, because it's a +worth-while thing to test.</p> + +<p>The business man who never takes inventory +is likely to bump some day.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[Pg 189]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>46.</h2> + + +<p>The ego is in us. It is a good thing to have, +but egotism needs the soft pedal when we speak +or do things.</p> + +<p>Many people are unconscious of their egotism, +yet their conversation carries the suggestion, +"Even I, who am superior to the herd, would do +this or that."</p> + +<div class="sidenote">The Personal +Pronoun.</div> + +<p>For instance, two persons were arguing about +the merits of an inexpensive automobile. Parenthetically, +I may say that one belonged +to the Ford class, and the +other to the can't-afford class. A +can't-afford snob came to the rescue of the Ford +champion by saying, "That's a good car; why, I +wouldn't mind owning one of them myself," and +he beamed at the party with the consciousness +of having settled the matter and removed the +stigma from the Ford car.</p> + +<p>This egotism often crops out when one shows +a group picture in which he appears. He doesn't +wait for you to find him; he pokes his arm over +your shoulder and says, "That's me."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[Pg 190]</a></span></p> + +<p>To each of us, in the very nature of things, the +"I" is the center of our world. We see things +always through our I's.</p> + +<p>If we wish to get along without friction, we +must remember that the other fellow has his I's +also, and when we try to make him see things +through out I's, it makes trouble.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Good +Breeding.</div> + +<p>The hall mark of education, refinement and +character, in the broad sense, is the ability to +exclude the personal so far as possible +from our conversation. And be +big enough to grant to others their +undoubted right to see and think from their own +standpoint.</p> + +<p>Argument develops egotism more than almost +anything else will.</p> + +<p>How often have you convinced another in an +argument?</p> + +<p>How often have you been convinced in an argument?</p> + +<p>The world is big; there are millions of others +in it, and our job is a big one if we 'tend pretty +well to our own knittin'.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[Pg 191]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>47.</h2> + + +<p>Four hundred and twenty-six years ago Christopher +Columbus landed on an island which he +thought was India.</p> + +<p>Chris was mighty happy as he put his foot on +good old Mother Earth, not so much because he +had discovered a new way to India, as he thought, +but because his foot touched land.</p> + +<p>Two days before he landed on San Salvador, +his crew pitched into him and threatened to +throw him in the sea and turn back with the ship +to Spain.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">The Last +Step Counts.</div> + +<p>If Chris had shown the white feather, 1492 +would not be the date of the first line in the geography, +announcing the "Discovery of +America." Chris had perseverance—the +stuff that makes men successful. +He started to find India by sailing westward. +He didn't succeed in his purpose, but his determination +was rewarded just the same, for he +found a new country, and that was worth while.</p> + +<p>Before he started, he was promised ten per +cent of the revenue from any lands he might dis<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[Pg 192]</a></span>cover. +Just imagine what that would mean to-day.</p> + +<p>Columbus had perseverance and pep, and his +unwavering fidelity to his cause brought him success +in his efforts.</p> + +<p>The world has improved since 1492, but the +percentage of men who would keep everlastingly +at it like Columbus did, has not increased, perhaps.</p> + +<p>Columbus sailed with three ships, the largest +sixty-six feet long. He steered in the direction +of the setting sun. His crew was 120 men. None +of them were enthusiastic at the start; all of +them disgusted, discouraged and ready to mutiny +toward the last.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Keeping +Everlastingly +at It.</div> + +<p>But Christopher kept the ships pointed West, +through rain and shine, through drifting, breezeless +days and through wild stormy +nights. He kept on and on and on, +and he brought home the bacon, +which, being interpreted, means that success +crowned his efforts.</p> + +<p>Perseverance and pep—when all is said and +done, these are the factors without which no +great achievement is possible.</p> + +<p>It was the mileage made on October 12th, 1492, +that counted.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[Pg 193]</a></span></p> + +<p>It is the last step in a race that counts.</p> + +<p>It is the last stroke on the nail that counts.</p> + +<p>The moral is that many a prize has been lost +just when it was ready to be plucked.</p> + +<p>Perseverance—patience—pluck—pep—these +are magic words. They are the "Open +Sesame" of modern life. They open the door to +opportunity, and will bring you prosperity, peace +and plenty.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[Pg 194]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>48.</h2> + + +<p>The man who ridicules everything is on the +toboggan slide, and he will end up by becoming +an out-and-out grouch.</p> + +<p>You and I know men who never have a pleasant +word to say of anyone, or a serious commendation +of anything.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Ridicule and +Humor.</div> + +<p>Ridicule and sarcasm are often coated with +would-be humor, and are sometimes decked out +as puns. By and by, however, this +bias toward ridicule and sarcasm gets +to be a habit, and the coat of humor +becomes threadbare.</p> + +<p>Just at this time friends depart, for the grouch +phase of the disease has started.</p> + +<p>Sarcasm and ridicule are powerful weapons +when used adroitly and for good purposes. But +when sarcasm and ridicule are used constantly as +a means to generate fun, or as vehicles for humor, +then the evil commences. The fun disappears; +the sting remains.</p> + +<p>People will listen to you for awhile if you good-naturedly +ridicule a thing, but when you are<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[Pg 195]</a></span> +known to have the habit, that is when friends +give you the go-by.</p> + +<p>Sarcasm and ridicule wound deeply; they are +hot pokers jabbed in quivering flesh.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">A Dangerous +Weapon.</div> + +<p>Don't juggle with ridicule or sarcasm, for people +look beneath the veneer nowadays. They remember +and repeat the axiom, +"There's many a true word spoken +in jest." There are so many beautiful +things to say, so many kind expressions to +utter, so many helpful hints to give, that we +should be ashamed to say or do things even jokingly +that may hurt another.</p> + +<p>When you ridicule a thing or a person, you may +ridicule the tender heart of one you should cheer +and help.</p> + +<p>Ridicule is the negative approach to a subject +anyway; the only good it can accomplish is by +reflex action or rebound force.</p> + +<p>Ridicule is mistakenly conceived, by many, as +humor. It is used because it can so easily be +employed, in a seemingly clever way, to create a +laugh.</p> + +<p>Humor of the clean sort is a rare gift. Humor +may easily descend to low comedy through the +use of ridicule, and often the audience does not +differentiate between low comedy and rare humor.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[Pg 196]</a></span></p> + +<p>The masses will laugh when the comedian on +the stage hits his friend with a club; that sort of +fun-making satisfies adults who have children's +brains, and people of similar brain-construction +will also laugh at jokes which ride on ridicule. +But you who read these lines are worthy of better +things; that's why you are reading this book. +If, in my audience, there are those who have the +ridicule habit, I want to arouse you to a better +sense of humor than is possible through the employment +of ridicule and sarcasm.</p> + +<p>I don't want you to descend to the level of the +grouch. The slide-down is so easy; the climbing +back is so very hard.</p> + +<p>Ridicule and sarcasm are cheap, slap-stick +methods to produce fun. They leave a sting many +times when you are not aware of it.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">When You +Can Go +the Limit.</div> + +<p>When fighting whiskey, sin, corruption or organized +evil, then use burning ridicule and caustic +sarcasm to sizzle and destroy the +things that need to be destroyed. +Next time you find yourself using +ridicule or sarcasm to provoke mirth, remember +you are toying with a habit-forming practice that +is likely to get the best of you unless you stop +and stop now.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[Pg 197]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>49.</h2> + + +<div class="sidenote">Your Wife +and Partner.</div> + +<p>A wife is either a partner or an employee. If +a partner, she has a right to the fifty-fifty split +on profits; if an employee, she is entitled +to her wages. A thrifty husband +is commendable, but a show-me-what-you-did-with-that-money +husband should +be punished by being sentenced to attend pink +teas, afternoon receptions, and to match samples +at the dry goods store.</p> + +<p>Married folks must be on a partnership basis, +or there's sand in the gear box.</p> + +<p>Give the wife the check-book; let her pay the +bills. Play fair with her; show her what your +income is; give her all you can afford and what +economic and wise administration warrants. +She'll cut the cloth to fit the garment.</p> + +<p>When the husband questions every turn, every +move, and doles out every cent, the wife feels +like a prisoner or a slave. Wives will do good +team work when they are broken to double harness +with their husbands.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[Pg 198]</a></span></p> + +<p>Women are generally raised without being required +to economize. They have probably been +petted and humored, and are used to preening +and smoothing their plumage and looking pretty.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Fine +Feathers.</div> + +<p>It's the female instinct in the human. In the +animal world, the male has the plumage and does +the strutting and fascinating; but in +the human animal, the female is the +bird with the bright plumage.</p> + +<p>You can't expect her to know much about the +economic side of the home the moment you slip +the ring on her finger.</p> + +<p>But she'll shop better than her husband if he +takes an interest in her shopping and encourages +her in the economical administration of the household +budget.</p> + +<p>She wants a word of appreciation once in a +while. She chills under the surveillance and parsimony +of an eagle-eyed, meddlesome husband.</p> + +<p>She's a sweet bird, and sweet birds and hawks +don't nest well together.</p> + +<p>Where the hawk and the dove are in the same +cage, the feathers will fly.</p> + +<p>As I came through the park this morning, I +saw a pair of robins who had the right idea. They +shared home responsibilities and did fine team +work. I think they were mighty happy, too;<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[Pg 199]</a></span> +daddy red breast looked mighty proud as he hustled +worms for the family breakfast.</p> + +<p>Mama Robin looked down with loving eyes at +her hubby, and the little baby robins sang a +chorus of joy at the very privilege of living in +such a home.</p> + +<p>Worry will fly out of the window the moment +the husband and wife lay their cards on the table +and play the open hand. The moment one or the +other keeps a few cards up their sleeve, then +worry and trouble come back.</p> + +<p>The moral of this is, husbands and wives: live +together, get together, stay together, play together, +save together, grow together, share together. +Travel the same road; don't take different +paths.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[Pg 200]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>50.</h2> + + +<p>To-night I am in the Ozarks, and old Mother +Earth is passing through the belt of meteoric dust—that +great mysterious sea in the universe +through which we pass every year about the middle +of November.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">The Stars.</div> + +<p>I look out into the night and marvel at the +countless stars in the infinite black void, and +wonder how closely those stars may +be connected with humanity. That +they are connected, I have no doubt, for truly, +"the sun, the moon, the stars, and endless space +as well, are parts, are things, like me, that cometh +from and runneth by one grand power of +which I am in truth a part, an atom though I be."</p> + +<p>How many stars are there? Well, let's get +ready to appreciate number. I can see about +3,000; with opera glasses I could see 30,000.</p> + +<p>Franklin Adams some years ago photographed +the whole canopy with 206 exposures. He counted +the stars by mathematical plans, and published +his finding that there were 1,600,000,000 stars.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[Pg 201]</a></span> +That number is just about the number of humans +on this earth. So, then, there is one star for each +of us.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Finite and +Infinite.</div> + +<p>Each of those stars, practically speaking, is +larger than the earth. It is thought that many of +them may have human beings who +think and reason like we do. Multiply +the 1,600,000,000 population on +this earth by any portion of the 1,600,000,000 stars +that may have thinking creatures on them; multiply +that total by the millions of years and millions +of generations that have passed out of existence.</p> + +<p>Think of these numbers and limitless boundaries, +and then tell me, if you can, that one little +man on one little star we call Earth has a strangle-hold +on truth, and that his viewpoint, his ism, +his little dogma, his narrow creed, is all-sufficient, +all-right, all-inclusive.</p> + +<p>Verily, little protoplasm, you have another +guess. We can, by experience and tests, prove +two and two make four. We can by practice and +experience prove that love, kindness, help, gentleness, +sympathy, cheer and courage bring happiness.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">The Sense of +Proportion.</div> + +<p>These are tangible things that fall within the +province of human experience. But when one wee +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[Pg 202]</a></span>Willie with sober face tells you and me and others +that he has the truth about the definite, +full workings of God's plans and +purposes, I think of the greatness of +1,600,000,000 stars, each with 1,600,000,000 humans, +and of the unnumbered generations gone +by, and say that verily, we must live TO-DAY +and do the best we can to-day in act and thought +and word.</p> + +<p>Yesterday is dead; to-morrow is unknown. +Where we have been, where we will be, we know +not. Where we are to-day, we know, and only +God in His omniscience knows the final answer +as to our future estate.</p> + +<p>He will take us and hold us and place us in +His keeping and according to His purpose, even +though we do not or cannot follow or believe +any one of the little man-formed creeds, isms or +cults as the measure and rule for our beliefs.</p> + +<p>Those stars testify to the certainty of God, and +I believe in Him.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[Pg 203]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>51.</h2> + + +<div class="sidenote">Success and +Envy.</div> + +<p>When a man by his brains, or by a fortunate +combination of circumstances, rises to a position +of prominence, he becomes a target +for the envious and a pattern for the +imitator. Emulation and envy are +ever alert in trying to steal the fruits of the leader +or the doer of things.</p> + +<p>The man who makes a name gets both reward +and punishment. The reward is his satisfaction +in being a producer, a help to the world, and the +glory that comes from widespread recognition and +publicity of his accomplishment. The punishment +is the slurs, the enmity, the envy and the +detraction, to say nothing of the downright lies +which are told about him.</p> + +<p>When a man writes a great book, builds a great +machine, discovers a great truth or invents a useful +article, he becomes a target for the envious +many.</p> + +<p>If he does a mediocre thing, he is unnoticed; if +his work is a masterpiece, jealousy wags its +tongue and untruth uses its sting.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[Pg 204]</a></span></p> + +<p>Wagner was jeered. Whistler was called a +mere charlatan. Langley was pronounced crazy. +Fulton and Stephenson were pitied. Columbus +faced mutiny on his ship on the very eve of his +discovery of land. Millet starved in his attic. +Time has passed, and the backbiters are all in +unmarked graves. The world, until the end of +time, will enjoy Wagner's music. Whistler and +Millet's paintings attract artists from all over +the world, and inventors reverence the names of +Fulton and Stephenson.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">The Price of +Greatness.</div> + +<p>The leader is assailed because he has done a +thing worth while; the slanderers are trying to +equal his feat, but their imitations +serve to prove his greatness. Because +jealous ones cannot equal the leader, +they seek to belittle him. But the truly worth-while +man wins his laurels and he remains a +leader. He has made his genius count, and has +given the creature of his brain and imagination +to the world.</p> + +<p>Above the clamor and noise, above the din of +the rocks thrown at him, his masterpiece and his +fame endure.</p> + +<p>And compensation, the salve to the sore, makes +the great man deaf to the noise and immune to +the attacks of the knockers.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[Pg 205]</a></span></p> + +<p>In his own heart he knows he has done a thing +worth while; his own conscience is clear, and he +cares not for the estimate of the world.</p> + +<p>His own character is his chief concern, and he +is content in the knowledge that time will bring +its reward.</p> + +<p>If you have high ideals in business, if you +achieve success on a big scale, mark well, you +will be a subject of attacks, of lies, of malice, of +envy, of disreputable competition. There is no +way out of it.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Compensation.</div> + +<p>But you will be repaid. The lover of fair play, +the grateful, true, honest, worth-while people will +flock to your standard; the riff-raff +will skulk behind bushes and throw +rocks and mud, but their acts will prove to the +great mass of the people that your purposes, practices +and policies are right.</p> + +<p>Therefore, courage is to be your chief asset; +patience, pride, perseverance, your lieutenants.</p> + +<p>Be not weary, grow not discouraged when your +progress is hampered by obstacles. Every truly +great man of the past has had his backbiters and +detractors.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[Pg 206]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>52.</h2> + + +<p>There are three periods in our lives: the youthful, +or prospective period, the adult, or introspective +period, and the old age, or retrospective +period.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Growing Old.</div> + +<p>Too many there are who look forward to old +age with fear or dread. But old age has its joys +and pleasures as well as middle age +and youth, and these pleasures are +the keener if the first and second periods +of life were lived sanely, worthily and properly. +Numerous are the great men of the past who +have extolled the old-age period of human life +with its wisdom and wealth of worldly experience.</p> + +<p>If the middle period is spent in getting dollars +only, then old age will be days of empty nothingness.</p> + +<p>Youth is the planning time—the time for +ideals and ambitions; middle age the building +time, and old age the dividend time.</p> + +<p>With many, old age is spent in reading the +book of the past—with sadness as the reader<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[Pg 207]</a></span> +recognizes that the ideals, plans and hopes were +shattered. As age turns the page in the book +of the past, he reads one hope after another vanished +in smoke.</p> + +<p>Anticipation is seldom realized, and this is as +it should be, for in time, men will learn to live +each day for each day's good and each day's happiness.</p> + +<p>Let us perform our duty to-day; let us lay +away a kindly act, a smile, a word of cheer in +the bank of good deeds.</p> + +<p>Each of us has a share in this world's work. It +matters little whether our actual share is what +we had guessed or wished it to be.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">The Value +of Ideals.</div> + +<p>Vicissitudes will cross our path here and there; +so-called misfortune or bad luck will strike us +when least expected. The failure of +our dreams should not grieve us. We +cannot reach up and grasp the stars, +but like the pilot at the wheel at sea, we can +steer by those stars that help us on our way.</p> + +<p>Our ideal may not be realized, but the journey +to it may still be a pleasant one.</p> + +<p>Our ideals, plans and hopes had a real purpose, +a real service; they gave us courage and made us +work, and thus they were well worth while.</p> + +<p>We must not, in the old age period, condemn<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[Pg 208]</a></span> +ourselves because our plans failed or our castles +were shattered.</p> + +<p>There is no hard luck except incurable disease +or death. It is not for us to mourn the past or +weep for the flowers that are gone.</p> + +<p>In our active days, we should realize that we +are putting memories away in our brains that +will come back to us in old age.</p> + +<p>Only that which we put in our brains can we +take out.</p> + +<p>So then, Mr. Avarice, I warn you: If gold is +your God, it's cold comfort you will get in your +sunset days.</p> + +<p>Build up loving ties, appreciation and the +worth-while riches of good deeds, and in your +evening of life, you will be welcome wherever +you go.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Put Not +Your Faith +in Gold.</div> + +<p>If your life was sold for gold, your evening of +life will be short and miserable; legatees will +grudge you your every breath; they +will endure you simply because they +are checking off the days from Time's +calendar until the day of your passing, and the +dollars you sold your soul and heart and life +for, will be lavishly spent by cold-blooded heirs +who cared nothing for you.</p> + +<p>Leave a legacy of love, example and character,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[Pg 209]</a></span> +and if, with these, there are a few dollars, they +simply prove your frugality, economy and independence.</p> + +<p>A few dollars left to heirs will help. Many +dollars will hurt. Dollars in old age will give +you pleasure by helping in tight corners. They +will enable you to help your loved ones over the +bumps in the road.</p> + +<p>Use the dollars to help those you love to help +themselves, and your old age will be a busy, +happy one, and you won't be in the way.</p> + +<p>To prepare for that happy period of your life, +the foundation must be built in the active to-day +period.</p> + +<p>Carry smiles into your old age; they will keep +the heart young, the digestion good, and life will +be worth while.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[Pg 210]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>53.</h2> + + +<p>I have traveled horseback over the great arid +plains of the West, and have read the story of +the ages gone before.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">The Remote +Past.</div> + +<p>In Arizona and New Mexico there are ancient +ruins of forts and cities built by people we know +not of. Chalcedony Park with its +petrified forest of mammoth trees silently +testifies to a period when vegetation +was rampant on what is now a desert.</p> + +<p>In Wyoming there is coal enough to furnish +fuel for the United States for several centuries.</p> + +<p>Coal is carbon made from decayed trees and +vegetation, which became covered with earth and +rock, and was subjected to tremendous pressure +throughout the thousands of years required to +effect the transformation.</p> + +<p>Oceans and floods gradually covered millions +of acres of trees and plants with ooze and soil +and sand. Ages turned some of these deposits +to stone.</p> + +<p>There in bleak Wyoming is testimony and evidence +of changes that time only can bring about.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[Pg 211]</a></span></p> + +<p>"A thousand years is as a day and a day is as +a thousand years." Thus wrote the scribe of old. +So, then, we must consider this estimate of time +in reading the first chapter of Genesis which describes +the order of the world's creation.</p> + +<p>First took place the dividing of light from darkness, +thus bringing about the rotation of day and +night.</p> + +<p>Then, the separating of land and water; then, +the birth of vegetation on the land, the creation +of fish and reptiles in the sea, the fowls of the +air, the beasts of the field, and finally, the higher +animal, man.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">The Measure +of Time.</div> + +<p>The pages of the earth's surface carry in their +stratification indelible records harmonizing with +this scriptural account of the evolution +of the earth from its chaotic +misty past to its concrete definite +present. Yes, this earth of ours is old, so old +that mere man cannot contemplate or accurately +estimate its wondrous age.</p> + +<p>The fossils of the mammoth reptiles and beasts +which lived before the appearance of man on this +planet are numerous in the fascinating West I +know so well.</p> + +<p>In those arid desert hills are bones of the ancient +rhinoceros—parent of our horse—and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[Pg 212]</a></span> +there are shells, and fossils of fish, and bones of +animals imbedded in the strata of rock.</p> + +<p>Man reads these pages and he is lost in bewilderment, +impoverished in thought, dumb for +words, paralyzed by his inability to co-ordinate +this evidence with any measure of time that will +fall within the range of human comprehension.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Age of +the Earth.</div> + +<p>Historians say the world was 4,004 years old +before the Christian era, and 1918 years have +passed since then, making the age +to date 5,922 years. It is not surprising +that through the dark ages, dates +and facts were lost. We have not a complete +history in written language, but we have some +very definite history in the rocks and hills and +lands and seas.</p> + +<p>The world certainly is more than 5,922 years +old. Read the record of time so plainly visible +at Niagara Falls.</p> + +<p>Niagara Falls eats away about two feet of +rock in a century; the gorge is a good many miles +long. At the present rate of erosion, it takes +2,640 years to eat away a mile. Multiply that by +the distance between the falls and Lake Ontario +and you have an idea of how many years Niagara +Falls has been at work.</p> + +<p>Before Niagara Falls was in existence, the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[Pg 213]</a></span> +country round about was under the sea; before +that, under glaciers; before that, in the tropics, +and I don't know how many times it has swung +on its pendulum between Frigid, Temperate and +Torrid Zones.</p> + +<p>We are certain to become lost in a labyrinth +of mystery when we take these known facts concerning +the earth's age, and try to specify any +particular number of millions of years as the old +world's age.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[Pg 214]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h2>54.</h2> + + +<p>And now my pleasant occupation of writing +this book draws to an end. I sincerely hope you +have received some definite suggestions that will +be helpful to you.</p> + +<p>To get you to think—that has been my aim. +To get you to analyze yourself—to take stock +of yourself—to know yourself—that has been +the task I set before me.</p> + +<div class="sidenote">How to +Think.</div> + +<p>Think vital thoughts of courage, faith and hope. +Then will your days pass joyfully, and your path +be one of peace, happiness and contentment. +If you fill your mind with +gloom and sorrow thoughts, your surroundings +will reflect your mental attitude and +will accentuate your misery and dejection. Do +not give way to this weak, gloomy, pernicious +thinking. You can be strong, you will be strong +if you learn to control your thought habits.</p> + +<p>Can you face disagreeable facts without wavering? +Can you meet adversity with courage in +your heart and a smile on your lips? You can,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[Pg 215]</a></span> +if you have read this book carefully, calmly, +thoughtfully, and put into practice the rules I +have laid down.</p> + +<p>Do not think that you can go through life without +your share of pain, disillusion and disappointment. +It can't be done. No man has ever done +it. Clouds will come, but they can be dispelled. +Obstacles will arise, but they can be surmounted. +Troubles will visit you, but meet them boldly and +courageously and do not show the white feather.</p> + +<p>To the thinking man or woman, life is a great +arena wherein good and bad, joy and sorrow, +faith and disillusion, happiness and unhappiness, +success and failure are inextricably intermingled. +The joy and happiness, accept gratefully; the sorrow +and disillusion, bear with fortitude. And +remember, although it is not possible to enjoy +an absolute and continued state of happiness, it +always lies within your power to have serenity, +poise, peace and contentment.</p> + +<p>When you are in the dumps—when that feeling +of the hopelessness and un-worth-whileness +of life comes over you, then, more than ever, +<i>think</i>. Do not give way to fear and despondency. +Think cheerful thoughts; think of the good +things that life has given you, not the least +of them being life itself. Think of the ringing +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[Pg 216]</a></span>words that Milton put into the mouth of Lucifer, +the fallen angel, in "Paradise Lost":</p> + +<p class="poem"> +"The mind is its own place, and in itself<br /> +Can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven."<br /> +</p> + +<div class="sidenote">Life's Ever-Newness.</div> + +<p>To the person who thinks, life is ever-new, +ever-interesting. If you have lost your grip on +reality—if you have dwelt too long +in the shadowland of doubt, fear and +despondency—the thing to do is to +correct your thinking. Let your mind soar in +contemplation of the beautiful things of nature. +Steel yourself against petty pull-backs and recognize +them for what they really are—trifling annoyances +that serve no purpose except to distract +you from the pursuit of the great and glorious +goal that lies ahead.</p> + +<p>Only to the thinking man is it given to see +life and see it whole. He only has the true sense +of proportion. He keeps his eye on the main +objective, secure in the realization that he is +master of himself and captain of his own soul. +He is self-sufficient, for he knows that no matter +what befalls, he carries happiness and contentment +within himself wherever he goes.</p> + +<p>The practice of thinking is a tower of strength.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[Pg 217]</a></span> +If you are a thinker, life's little troubles serve but +to reinforce your spirit of resistance and make +you stronger.</p> + +<p>So then, let this be my last word to you—<i>think!</i>—for +it is by thinking that man has risen +to his present high estate in the world. It is by +thinking that the future joy and happiness and +peace of the world must be increased.</p> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Think, by Col. Wm. C. Hunter + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THINK *** + +***** This file should be named 36849-h.htm or 36849-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/3/6/8/4/36849/ + +Produced by Juliet Sutherland and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose +such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and +research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do +practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is +subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution. + + + +*** START: FULL LICENSE *** + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project +Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at +http://gutenberg.org/license). + + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy +all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. +If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the +terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or +entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement +and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" +or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an +individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are +located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from +copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative +works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg +are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project +Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by +freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of +this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with +the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by +keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project +Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in +a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check +the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement +before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or +creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project +Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning +the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United +States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate +access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently +whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, +copied or distributed: + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived +from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is +posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied +and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees +or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work +with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the +work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 +through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the +Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or +1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional +terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked +to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the +permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any +word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than +"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version +posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other +form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided +that + +- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is + owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he + has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the + Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments + must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you + prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax + returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and + sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the + address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to + the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or + destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium + and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of + Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any + money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days + of receipt of the work. + +- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set +forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from +both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael +Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the +Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm +collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain +"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual +property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a +computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by +your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with +your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with +the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a +refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity +providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to +receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy +is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further +opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. +If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the +law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be +interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by +the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any +provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance +with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, +promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, +harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, +that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do +or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm +work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any +Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. + + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers +including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists +because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from +people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need, are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. +To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 +and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org. + + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at +http://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent +permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. +Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at +809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email +business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact +information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official +page at http://pglaf.org + +For additional contact information: + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To +SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any +particular state visit http://pglaf.org + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. +To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project +Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + http://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. + + +</pre> + +</body> +</html> diff --git a/36849-h/images/frontis.jpg b/36849-h/images/frontis.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..bda8768 --- /dev/null +++ b/36849-h/images/frontis.jpg diff --git a/36849-h/images/illus003.jpg b/36849-h/images/illus003.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..5ebb9a2 --- /dev/null +++ b/36849-h/images/illus003.jpg |
