SOME COMMONPLACE QUALITIES 



ready to hand for use. Until the hour struck, I 

 was living in a little world of my own, with little 

 room for expansion, and which did not permit of 

 a full utilization of such working capacity as 

 Providence had bestowed upon me. 



What I have seen of the world has led me, in 

 my old age, to the conclusion that if the dweller 

 in it acts fair by it and ' ;c plays the game," in 

 nine cases out of ten he will have no occasion to 

 rail at its treatment ; the conditions being that 

 he runs straight, puts his back into his work, 

 adopts " gentle courtesy "as his key-note, and 

 has, within reasonable limits, the courage of his 

 opinions. With ordinary capacity joined to these 

 negative qualities, which are so commonplace 

 and so easily acquired that no one need be too 

 modest to claim them, the possessor may fairly 

 count upon getting justice done him and a bit 

 over. 



In recording one's own experiences and im- 

 pressions, it is difficult, if it is to be a faithful 

 presentation of events, to avoid occasionally laying 

 oneself open to the charge as some one has not 

 inaptly put it of " throwing bouquets to oneself." 

 But it must be remembered that there is no lack 

 of pessimists ready to fling stones rather than 

 bouquets at the world they live in, and if instances 

 of the magnanimity of this terrestrial sphere are 

 to be suppressed by those who have experienced 

 them, the r&ilers have it all their own way and 

 judgment goes by default. If this be not sufficient 

 excuse for expressing gratitude to all and sundry 

 for, whenever needful, helping a lame dog over a 

 stile, I must leave my readers to find a better. 



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