"Why, Frank! What has got into you to-day?" he said. "You don't seem one bit like our bright cheery boy. Do you think you are one of the fellows who has no chance? Let us sit down in this sunny spot and rest ourselves, and count up some of your chances.—A good home, a splendid father and mother—to say nothing of a very wise brother—a few good books, a weekly newspaper, a church and Sabbath-school, an excellent, day-school, good eyes and ears and stomach, a pair of legs that can run like a squirrel, two strong arms, and a very good mind, and here you talk of not having 'chances!' "How do yours look when you cast your eye at little Tim Morey with a drunken father and a shanty for a home, or at Johnny Wilson, who is almost blind, or poor Will Smith who must go for the rest of his life on crutches and suffer much pain? Or compare your lot with the boys who work in the factory, who must go to their work at seven in the morning and stay until seven in the evening, day after day, year after year. What about their chances? Don't you know, dear boy, that as a rule, it is not boys with rich fathers who turn out to be the greatest men? "Look at me," he said, straightening himself up and marching about with mock pompousness. "Haven't I put the sweat of my brow and my muscle into this old farm? Didn't I get out of my bed at cock-crowing and go after the cows in wet grass up to my knees? "Haven't I milked and ploughed and planted corn and hoed it and husked it? And yet, I got through and had no more hard work than was good for me, I believe now, though I used to grumble sometimes just as you are doing now. "I tell you, my boy, it is not in having this or that, or going here and there, that makes a success, but it is improving, to the very utmost, the advantages one has, though they be not the best. "There is another secret too. One must be in dead earnest; must have an aim and stick to it in spite of anything, and the greatest secret of all is, that aim must not be alone to be a rich man or a learned man, but it must be this—'to make the very most of one's self for Christ's sake.' And you can't begin too young; the younger the better. "I heard something about two men the other day, that is just in point here—but perhaps you are tired of my preaching and want to go in." "Oh no, tell it," said Frank. "You know I would rather have you preach to me than anybody else." "Well, a good many years ago two boys lived in the same town and went to the same school. They both had pretty good advantages and were naturally bright and clear-headed. All the difference between them was, that from the time they were very little fellows, John was always laying plans to have a 'good time.' "Will loved fun as well as he did, but in both fun and work, his chief aim was to be right and true. "As they grew up to be young men, Will held fast to the choice he had made when a little boy. "The Lord Jesus Christ was his master.