The Thing That Counts in a Boy’s Life

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EDITOR'S TABLE. 87

that they wear, and acknowledge the hand of God in all things. This is our duty, and we do not do it, the Lord will he dis- if

pleased, for he has said so. He is only pleased with those who acknowledge his hand in all things." President Smith expressed some very important thoughts on the subject of home industry and manufacture, which will find place in these columns later.

The Thing that Counts in a Boy's Life. The other day, when President Taft was here, a boy eight years old wanted to know of his father how any one started to be president of the United States. That was a deep question, and ran far into the heart of things. How to start to be president that is the thing we want our boys to know. You can't do this, though, by telling him in the ab- stract what you think is necessary for him to do in order to be president. Men have tried this from the beginning of time and — failed. You may tell him what success is. You may point the way never so clearly. But either he does not understand you, or he is not moved by what you say. The thing is too theoretical, and boys do not take much to theorizing. But set before him an account of how Taft started to be president, and immediately you touch his interest. That is concrete. That is a thing he can see. That is something he can catch hold of and ollow to the end. Now in this volume of the Improvement Era we have a se- ries of articles telling, not how to start to be president merely, 7

but how to start to be anything that succeeds. The series is en- titled Some Men Who Have Done Things. There will be twelve of them. Each is to be an account of how one successful man started to be what he is, and went on to be what he is. And in order to have a variety, each is representative of his class. There will be the man of general efficiency, the farmer, the stock-raiser, the

teacher, the fruit-grower, the man of letters, the musician, ami so on. But each must have his struggle. That is an indispensable condition. Each must be unquestionably successful in his partieu-