you. When that gives out, all of your other faculties give up. Clear grit is the leader.

Grit makes the difference between the man who wins out, the man who goes clear to his goal, and the man who fizzles. The man who wins is just beginning to get his second breath when others give up, quit, or turn back.

The spirit with which we meet the various vicissitudes of life measures our fiber, tests our quality.

A boy scout was met not long since by the Germans in a little town in France, and because he refused to give information as to whether there were any French troops ambushed near the town he was told that he would be shot. Without a particle of flinching the boy walked resolutely to the telegraph pole indicated, and backed up against it, while the rifles were leveled at him.

It is said that he not only did not show the slightest sign of fear or flinching, but he received. the volley of shots with a defiant smile on his boyish face.

It makes a tremendous difference how we face the inevitable, with what spirit we receive the blows of cruel fate, whether like a coward or like a hero.

The manner in which this brave boy met his fate made a tremendous, lasting impression upon the soldiers who shot him down.

Recently, in Mexico, a private soldier, Samuel Parks, disappeared into the Mexican lines, and this

is the report of the Mexican lieutenant who executed him: "Parks died bravely, facing the firing squad with his eyes unbound and without a sign of flinching."

Commodore Perry was only twenty-seven years old and he had never seen a naval battle when he led his little fleet of only nine small vessels, carrying but fifty-one guns, against the English fleet, carrying sixty-four guns, on Lake Erie.

Early in the morning he had hoisted a flag on the Lawrence, his flagship for the day, which bore the dying words of Lawrence, "Don't give up the ship."

As he led the little flotilla to battle, the English guns were all concentrated upon him, and for hours his flag reeled under a terrific fire, but he did not leave the Lawrence until her last guns were disabled, twenty-two men killed, sixty-one wounded, and only thirteen unhurt. Perry was made of the stuff that does not surrender. When his ship was totally disabled, he hauled down his flag and was taken in a small boat to the Niagara, passing within pistol shot of the British guns. On taking command of the Niagara, he wrote on the back of an old letter his historic message to General Harrison: "We have met the enemy, and they are ours."

When Frederick the Great was a young man he showed very decided signs of cowardice. The first time he was in battle he ran away in mortal terror

and but for his faithful generals he would have lost the province of Silesia, which was won in that battle.

"In sheer cowardice the man who was later to become one of the battle winners of all time ran away from the enemy like a scared child from the bogiemen. But the cowardice was of the clothes only and did not reach the soul."

After the battle he was found in a dingy farmhouse crying like a broken-hearted child. "It is all over," he said. "I have nothing left. All is lost. I will not survive my country. Farewell forever." He then seriously considered suicide, but on thinking it over made up his mind that although a vanquished, humiliated monarch he would try again. He buckled on his sword and went back to his army, his face so haggard that his soldiers did not know him, "his eyes bloodshot from the scalding tears of his despair." Although he ruled over only five millions of people he raised the Prussian monarchy out of its insignificant position and made it rank among the first powers of Europe.

The best of us have days of discouragement and moments when we would be glad to run away from our troubles and responsibilities. In these times of depression and despair, when we feel that we amount to but little and doubt whether, after all, life is worth while, there is always danger of playing the coward and running away from duty; of

doing something that we shall be ashamed of later. It is better never to take an important step or make a radical change when feeling in this way.

When everything seems dark ahead and you cannot see another step, then say to yourself, "I guess it is up to me now to play the part of a man;" grit your teeth and push on, knowing that the gloomy condition will pass; that no matter how black or threatening the clouds, there is a sun behind them which will ultimately burst through. You will be surprised to find what power and courage are developed by this holding on as best you can, in spite of all obstacles.

Courage is victory, timidity is defeat.

Conquer your place in the world. All things serve a brave soul.

HONESTY, THE CORNER

STONE OF SUCCESS

Let the man in you speak louder than anything else. Manhood is above all riches and overtops all titles. Character is greater than any career.

Integrity is a precious thing, above rubies, gold, crowns, kingdoms. It is the poor man's capital. It gives credit, safety, power.

Character must stand behind and back up everything—the sermon, the poem, the picture, the play. None of them is worth a jot without it.—J. G. Holland.

Have an ambition to be remembered, not as a great lawyer, doctor, merchant, scientist, manufacturer or scholar, but as a great man, every inch a king.

T

HERE is nothing we can say of a human. being so praiseworthy as that he is honest, clean and white to the very core of his being. A man may be a great genius, a giant in intellect, but great brilliancy of mind can not be compared with plain, simple, downright honesty of character. Every other virtue or quality is discounted in comparison.

There is something about honesty of purpose, sincerity in our friendships, in our lives, in our vocation, in our dealings with others, that compensates for deficiencies or lacks in other directions,