The world is foolish. It should marvel that the sons of the rich accomplish anything at all. For genius has truly been called the capacity to take infinite pains. It is the splendid fruit that grows on the tree of HARD WORK. Infinite pains and hard work are distasteful to human beings. They are avoided by those who can avoid them. It is lucky for the world that the number of those who can shirk is limited. ---- Dryden tells you in four lines what the actual man would amount to if he had his way. "My next desire is, void of care and strife, To lead a soft, secure, inglorious life. A country cottage near a crystal flood, A winding valley and a lofty wood." Every man who could afford it would live for himself, to indulge some useless little tenth-rate part of his brain activity. ---- The world progresses because the wisdom of the universe compels every man to work directly or indirectly for every other man. If we had our way, if hard necessity did not compel us to do the disagreeable work for which we are fitted, we should all live for ourselves; we should all be mere human sponges, absorbing personal gratification--the progress of the human race would stop. Let this fact console you when you contemplate with bitterness the few who accumulate great fortunes. You are a disappointed drop in a great ocean of useful human beings. The interest of the whole ocean demands that you and the vast majority of all other drops should fail to get what you crave-- THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE USELESS. 600 TEACHERS NOW, 600,000 GOOD AMERICANS IN THE FUTURE On one single day 600 teachers, representing and devoted to the American public school system, sailed for the Philippine Islands. These 600 teachers, men and women, will do more than 6,000 or 6,000,000 soldiers could do with cannon and Gatling guns to civilize and Americanize the new possessions. They will teach the inhabitants FACTS. They will give them solid knowledge in place of degrading ignorance and superstition. They will teach them that the world is round and that every man on it has the same chance, if he will use his brain; that if he himself cannot seize the opportunity it can he seized by the children whose success is as dear to him as his own. Like all wars, the conquest of the Philippines has had many discouraging and some disgraceful features. The killing of ignorant men and women, the burning of houses, the unnecessary severity, will all be forgotten when the school teachers of America shall have done their work. ---- A great many thoughtless people imagine that the world is retrograding, that times are not as good as they used to be. We are still far from perfect. But as a matter of fact we are angels compared to the men of olden times. A few years ago the usual course was as follows: First, soldiers were sent to subdue the people. Then tax collectors followed with the public executioner, the noose and various ingenious instruments of torture to extract cash payments.