When the back of the shovel was covered with writing he would shave a thin layer from it and begin writing once more. ——
It is a very useful thing for men occasionally to feel ashamed of themselves. If you want to feel ashamed of yourself, if you are complaining and whining, just picture to yourself Abraham Lincoln in his father's little hut, with no windows and no flooring, crouching by the fire and developing his mind by laborious writing on the back of a wooden shovel.
Children of twelve in schools, precocious little girls even of seven or eight, know much more than Abraham Lincoln knew when he was twenty-one years old.
With his "little knowledge" he grew and did the work that was to improve the condition of millions of men.
Don't be ashamed of your "little knowledge."
But do be ashamed if you do not add to it whenever you can, and especially if you fail to make it useful to your fellow-men.
KNOWLEDGE IS GROWTH
Consider to-day the CHEERFUL side of conditions on earth.
Every human being has his troubles and worries. The luckiest of us all yearns for what cannot be had, and sees much to regret.
But one splendid fact should always be borne in mind: THE
PROGRESS OF HUMANITY IS INCESSANT. WE ARE INFINITELY BETTER OFF
NOW THAN WE HAVE BEEN BEFORE ON THIS EARTH, AND UNLIMITED
POSSIBILITIES OF IMPROVEMENT ARE AHEAD OF US.