THE WHYS AND WHEREFORES 



A SORT OF INTRODUCTION 



"If I were a tailor, I'd made it my pride 



The best of all tailors to be; 

 If I were a tinker, no tinker beside 

 Should mend a tin kettle like me." 



Who has never met the "Jack-of-all-trades" 

 knowing a little of all, and being proficient in none 

 a clever sort of person, and handy to have around as 

 a "general utility" man, but never rising above the level 

 of mediocrity in anything, or able to aspire to great 

 things, or to command large pay ! The man who 

 excels, even in a seemingly unimportant specialty, is 

 the one who will achieve a brilliant success, and get 

 big pay for his work. 



Some of my readers undoubtedly have heard, or 

 read, the old fable of the fox and the cat. The story, 

 like other fables, has a moral, and is worth repeating. 

 The two animals met in the woods, when the voices 

 of hounds were heard in the distance. 



"Poor pussy," said the fox, "what will you do 

 when the dogs get after you ?" 



"I know a trick," replied the cat, "and am not 

 alarmed." 



The hounds, in the meantime, had come pretty 

 close, and conversation was brought to a stop. The 



xix 



