democratic is a triumph of the soul--tending to bring us in close
touch with the throbbing heart of humanity. There is no isolation for
those of unaffected charm and manner--no barrier in the way of
friendship worth having. It is our lack of judgment if we hide ourselves
so that we cannot be approached. No matter how high we rise, for the
sake of our own brains we must allow _men of ideas_ to get to us. We
must not allow our minds to become stagnant. If we fail to get into
daily contact with other people, we soon grow dull and uninteresting
even to ourselves. Great men may have no time to fritter away but they
have plenty of leisure for men worth while--_the pushers and the
thinkers_.

A democratic spirit does not come to the selfish man. He is absorbed in
himself and is quite a hopeless case. He is a natural born faultfinder
and grouchy by nature. For him life holds no joy save the one in sight.
Taking the big look at the man of this type we can only be sorry for him
because of his lack of early training. He started off on the wrong foot
and thereafter drifted along. Seldom do we overcome the habits with
which we arrive at man's estate. Those who do are entitled to a right
hand seat among the chosen.

Being democratic is another phrase for being _human and kind_. It means
that we ought to be able to see behind every face and find the truth of
that individual's existence. It means that life is largely a matter of
how we look at it and being human is one way to get the proper slant at
things.

The human mind has _great adaptive power_ and can be molded into a
thousand ways of thinking. The intelligent man, the man who has taken
stock of himself, is able to smile and extend a hearty handclasp whether
he feels tip-top or not. He doesn't have to look glum simply because the
world hasn't thrown itself at his feet. He has only to persevere and
success will come eventually.

We must correct our failings as we go along or we will slip down into
the rut and stay there. It is a simple matter to be good natured and
full of the zest of life if we poise ourselves right--_keep ourselves
democratic_. It is this great soul quality which brings us true friends
and boosts us into the fulfillment of our ambitions. Then we may truly
_laugh and live_.

CHAPTER XI

SELF-EDUCATION BY GOOD READING

The character of a man expresses itself by the books he reads. Every
well-informed man since the invention of printing has been a