134 THE FOOL-KILLER AND HIS MISSION. 



culture : Weak books weaken ; never read to kill time 

 killed time avenged by the fool-killer. Strong 

 books make you strong. Responsibility for clear 

 thinking ; must precede clear acting. Bad men never 

 think themselves really bad. Moral culture : Keep 

 up your reserves. Don't give the fool-killer a chance 

 to taunt you with folly or crime ; if you do he will 

 keep at it all your life. If you would not come to 

 shame do nothing you are ashamed of. Have noth- 

 ing to conceal and half the worries of life are saved. 

 It does not pay. Evil effects of self-pity and self-justi- 

 fications. Evil effect of having done what one knows 

 others would disapprove. Keep your temper. Keep 

 your own counsel. Keep it so that no harm would 

 come if all the world suddenly knew your inmost 

 thoughts. Bad books, bad thoughts, bad deeds, leave 

 bad marks. These pictures stay with you and are 

 not pleasant to see in leisure of age. " Nature's in- 

 finite negative." Thoreau's remark each man cre- 

 ates his own atmosphere, his own outlook. Surround 

 yourself by pure air, looking out on clean things ; 

 blue sky, green grass, and lofty mountains. You can 

 not afford to live, unless your own home is in Utopia. 

 From that abode you can safely venture into Erebus 

 even, if some one is helped thereby. But do not live in 

 Erebus because the society is congenial. "When you 

 feel inclined to become a rascal you have the qualifi- 

 cations for a phool." Josh Billings. "The Shock." 

 When a man's opinion of himself gives place to what 

 others think of him. John's John and Thomas's 

 John. 



No one ever wholly escaped the fool-killer ; no one 



