THE HEREDITY OF RICHARD ROE. 



119 



to him. He must give his weak powers exercise, so 

 that their weakness shall not bring him disaster in 

 the competition of life. For it is likely that some- 

 where, somehow, it will be proved that no chain is 

 stronger than its weakest link. Other powers not too 

 weak, nor over strong, Richard Roe must perforce 

 neglect, because in the hurry of life there is not time 

 for every desirable thing. In these ways the character 

 of Richard Roe's inheritance is steadily changing under 

 his hands. As he grows older, one after another of the 

 careers that might have been his, the men he might 

 have been, vanish from his path forever. On the other 

 hand, by steady usage a slender thread of capacity has so 

 grown as to become like strong cordage. Thus Richard 

 Roe learns anew the old parable of the talents. The 

 power he hid in a napkin is taken away altogether, while 

 that which is placed at usury is returned a hundredfold. 



Now, for the purpose of this discussion, you, gentle 

 reader, "who are an achievement of importance," or I, 

 ungentle writer, concerning whom the less said the bet- 

 ter, may be Richard Roe. So might any of your friends 

 or acquaintances. So far as methods and principles are 

 concerned, Richard Roe may be your lapdog or your 

 favourite horse — or even your bite noire, if you cherish 

 beasts of that character. Any beast will do. With Al- 

 gernon Fitzclarence de Courcy or Clara Vere de Vere the 

 case would be just the same. Let Richard Roe stand at 

 present for the lay figure of heredity — or, if it seems best 

 to you to humanize this discussion, let him be a man. 



The man Richard Roe enters life with a series of 



qualities and tendencies granted him by heredity. Let 



us examine this series. Let us ana- 



. , ^^^ lyze the contents of this pack which 



tendencies. ■' ^ 



he is to carry through life to the gates 

 of the Golden City. 



