It won’t take long to learn these things; and you need not remember them, as, if you once have in mind that there is a correct way of doing things, you can always find out the particular one at issue by asking.

It seems to me that I can best illustrate my point by comparing you to a tool, of which there are two ends,—­the handle and the working or cutting end.

It is your business for your first thirty years of existence to make as good a tool of yourself as you can, and your business for the rest of your life to do as much work as possible; that is, let the tool be used after it is made.  Thus, then, let us divide your experiences and acquirements into the handle and the edge of your tool.  The handle,—­your manners, education on general topics, such as history, literature, art, etc., your habits of cleanliness, promptness, etc., and your physical ability, health, etc.

Your edge is your special fitness for work; that is, your education, experiences, aptness, power of concentration, and accomplishment.

Now I am going to ask you to keep this division clearly in mind, as I think you will find in it many of the elements of the touchstone for which we are looking.

I know the thought will have occurred to you that you do not know what you will take up, and are in no position to tell what things will go to make up the right sort of an edge; yet you will observe that you are, of course, in the same position as other pieces of unshaped wood and steel, and for your first ten years nothing is done except to shape you up gradually, teaching you to speak and read, and generally getting house broken.  During your teens you are going to college, learning how to meet with and talk to men, to be a gentleman and develop your muscles.  Incidentally, you pick up a little knowledge of what the world has been doing.

Most of this you will forget; but, if you are wise, you will have drawn a few conclusions and made some observations, one of which is that it was mighty good of those old chaps who have been workers in the past to have cleared such good roads for us in every direction, so that a fellow could almost begin where they left off, when his handle is polished and he starts cutting.

An important thing at this period is to get the handle evenly balanced,—­turned correct on centres, as they say; that is, not to get too far out of the normal in any particular, such as dress, promptness, profanity, or length of hair.

So much for the rounding of the handle; and now about the tool.  At first, by watching, handling, and careful work, you must begin to show the quality and amount of metal you possess.  Find out, as it were, by tentative trials whether it is capable of good edge or not.  In other words, you want to find your bent and your abilities.  To this end, if you are naturally good at mathematics and have a scientific and inquiring turn of mind, as you have, it is well