THE NEW SYSTEM. 
time, patient perseverance, and determination, overcame, 
as they generally do overcome, all obstacles. All 
arrears were sent in. The new system was commenced 
exactly as Mr. Sharp had suggested, which he found 
entailed no trouble at all, and he actually began to 
laugh at some of his neighbours, who v/ere always 
sighing over their figures. He advised them to do as 
he did, but they would not. There was always some- 
thing to prevent them, or, if not, was it not time 
eiiougli to undertake an arduous and disagreeable 
<luty, when that duty .became necessary. In fact, 
promptitude and exactness in accounts rests with 
employers : when they find their men lax, or defi- 
cient, a distinct order must be issued. 
For there are some, it is to be feared many, who 
seem incapable of accepting, or understanding, the 
axiom, “Drive your business, don't let it drive yon, 
and there are some who neither drive nor are driven. 
Their business seems a clog or drag, which always 
hangs about them ; the wheels go slowly round, stop- 
ping occasionally, creaking, until a great crack and 
smash comes, when they open their eyes in aston- 
ishment as to how it has all happened : everything 
and everybody is to blame, except themselves. “ They 
are victims of untoward and adverse circumstances.’* 
Few seem to he aware that in many instances man 
makes the circumstances, and not, as is more fre- 
quently supposed, circumstances the man. Of course 
there are exceptions, for it cannot be denied, that 
often the force of circumstances draw out one’s, abili- 
ties and capabilities, where, if it had not been for 
such an occurrence, they would ever have remained 
dead or dormant, even the very possessor of con- 
siderable talent and ability remaining in ignorance of 
his own powers. Hence the uses of adversity, about 
which a whole essay might be written. But we must 
confine ourselves to the subject, and briefly remark, 
that, in all probability, crisis and misfortunes, which 
have periodically broken out in the planting interest, 
have had their uses : very probably to us of the pre- 
sent day, they were, or have proved to be, quite the 
reverse of misfortunes. They were, and are still, like 
beacons on the rocks, pointing out to the sometimes 
puzzled mariner the dangers to be avoided, although 
it is to be feared that even still some are too fool- 
hardy, and sail too near the rocks. 
However, it is often very tempting to shorten the 
voyage to the harbour of independence. A few with 
bold hearts, steady heads, or most probably by what 
they would say in Scotland “more by luck than 
glide guiding, ” achieve it ; others, urged on by their 
example, fail, and make a smash of it. But in the 
