the great prizes fall too." "The first element of success," says Mathews, "needed by him who has wisely chosen his calling, is constitutional talent. By constitutional talent we mean the warmth and vigor imparted to a man's ideas by superior bodily stamina, by a stout physical constitution." This implies good health from the beginning.

XXI. The exercise of these qualities should be so persistent and long-continued as at last, consciously or unconsciously, to become HABIT. The occasional, spasmodic movement of a quality, whether good or bad, has little effect upon the man or the results of his work. Plato rebuked a child for some petty misdemeanor. "This is of no consequence," said the boy; "why do you censure me?" "True," replied the wise man, "your present act is nothing, but HABIT IS EVERYTHING.' This may well be a motto for the man who would rise to the heights of excellence in anything: make excellence a habit. Says an anonymous writer: "What is business but habit,the soul of which is regularity? Like the fly-wheel upon a steamengine, it is this principle which keeps the motion of life steady and unbroken, distributing the force equally over all the work to be performed. But such habits as we have commended are not to be formed in a day, nor by a few faint resolutions. Above all, it is necessary that they should be acquired in youth, for then do they cost the least effort. Like letters cut in the

bark of a tree, they grow and widen with age. Once attained, they are a fortune of themselves, for their possession has disposed thereby of the heavy end of the load of life; all that remains he can carry easily and pleasantly. On the other hand, bad habits, once formed, will hang forever on the wheels of enterprise, and in the end will assert their supremacy to the rnin and shame of their victim."

We conclude this section with the admirable definitions of Mr. Freeman Hunt, long editor of Hunt's Merchants' Magazine, of the

HABITS OF A MAN OF BUSINESS.

A sacred regard to the principles of justice forms the basis of every transaction, and regulates the conduct of the upright man of business. He is strict in keeping his engagements; does nothing carelessly or in a hurry; employs nobody to do what he can as easily do himself; keeps everything in its proper place; leaves nothing undone which ought to be done, and which circumstances permitted him to do; keeps his designs and business from the view of others; is prompt and decisive with his customers, and does not over-trade for his capital; prefers short credits to long ones, and cash to credit transactions, at all times when they can be advantageously made, either in buying or selling, and small profits with little risk to the chance of better gains with more hazard. He is clear and

explicit in all his bargains; leaves nothing to the memory which he can and ought to commit to writ ing; keeps copies of all important letters which he sends away; and has every letter, invoice, etc., belonging to his business titled, classed, and put away. He never suffers his desk to be confused by many papers lying upon it; is always at the head of his business, well knowing that if he leaves it, it will leave him ; holds it as a maxim that he whose credit is suspected is not safe to be trusted, and is constantly examining his books, and sees through all his affairs as far as care and attention enable him; balances regularly at stated times, and then makes out and transmits all his accounts current to his customers and constituents, both at home and abroad; avoids, as much as possible, all sorts of accommodations in money matters and lawsuits, where there is the least hazard; is economical in his expenditures, alway living within his income; keeps a memorandum book with a pencil in his pocket, in which he notes every little particular relative to appointments, addresses, and petty cash matters; is cautious how he becomes security for any person, and is generous only when urged by motives of humanity.

CHAPTER VI

BUSINESS MORALITY.

It has been honestly gotten, and will wear well.

SIR MATTHEW HALE.

He that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool.

SOLOMON.

In the long-run, a tried and proved character for truth, honor, and honesty, is the best capital and gives the largest interest. To be sure, these things will not alone push a man forward. He must have good sense, enterprise, skill, perseverance, and steadiness. But more men stumble from want of moral qualities than from want of business sagacity.

HENRY WARD BEECHER.

HE career of many a business and professional man, remarkably well endowed in intellectual qualities and good manners

by nature or by education, but lacking in moral principle, exemplifies the wisdom and truth of the last quotation prefixed to this chapter. The pathways of business are strown with the wrecks of "smart men." They were energetic, they were industrious; they knew their business, and met ably and well its technical requirements; they had tact and judgment, and forecast clearly the rising and the fall

ing markets; but morality was wanting in essential respects, and they went, soon or late, to inevitable ruin. For a time they flourished in fullness and fatness, and then to the business world they died,

"Unwept, unhonored, and unsung."

Without a sound morality all business would soon. become a hollow pretense. As a Philadelphia writer says, "Faith and truthfulness lie at the foundation of trade and commercial intercourse, and business transactions of every kind. A community of known swindlers and knaves would try in vain to avail themselves of the advantages of traffic, or to gain access to those circles where honor and honesty are indispensable passports. The reason why savage hordes are suspected and shunned, is because they are deceitful and treacherous. We have no faith in their promises. If they manifest kindness and friendship, we apprehend it is for the sake of more successfully accomplishing their selfish and malicious purposes. So of cheats and knaves, under whatever circumstances we may meet them. However fair may be their exterior, we know they are black at heart, and we shrink from them as from the most deadly poison. Hence the value which is attached, by all right-minded men, to purity of purpose and integrity of character."

Amos Lawrence, the great Boston merchant, held that, "as a first and a leading principle, let every transaction be of that pure and honest character that you would not be ashamed to have appear before the