il the old gentleman came up.

"Home again," said Mr. Allison, in his pleasant, interested way, as
he extended his hand. "When did you arrive?"

"Last evening," replied Mr. Markland.

"Been to the city this morning, I suppose."

"Yes. Some matters of business required my attention. The truth is,
Mr. Allison, I grow more and more wearied with my inactive life, and
find relief in any new direction of thought."

"You do not design re-entering into business?"

"I have no such present purpose." Mr. Markland stepped from his
carriage, as he thus spoke, and told the driver to go forward to the
house. "Though it is impossible to say where we may come out when we
enter a new path. I am not a man to do things by halves. Whatever I
undertake, I am apt to prosecute with considerable activity and
concentration of thought."

"So I should suppose. It is best, however, for men of your
temperament to act with prudence and wise forethought in the
beginning--to look well to the paths they are about entering; for
they are very apt to go forward with a blind perseverance that will
not look a moment from the end proposed."

"There is truth in your remark, no doubt. But I always try to be
sure that I am right before I go ahead. David Crockett's homely
motto gives the formula for all high success in life."

"Yes; he spoke wisely. There would be few drones in our hive, if all
acted up to his precept."

"Few, indeed. Oh! I get out of all patience sometimes with men in
business; they act with such feebleness of nerve--such indecision of
purpose. They seem to have no life--none of those clear intuitions
that spring from an ardent desire to reach a clearly-seen goal.
Without earnestness and concentration, nothing of more than ordinary
importance is ever effected. Until a man taxes every faculty of his
mind to the utmost, he cannot know the power that is in him."

"Truly said. And I am for every man doing his best; but doing it in
the right way. It is deplorable to see the amount of wasted effort
there is in the world. The aggregate of misapplied energy is
enormous."

"What do you call misapplied energy?" said Markland.

"The energy directed by a wrong purpose."

"Will you define for me a wrong purpose?"

"Yes; a merely selfish purpose is a wrong one."

"All men are selfish," said Mr. Markland.

"In a greater or less degree they are, I know."

"Then all misapply their energies?"

"Yes, all--though not always. But there is a