e, nor building
air-castles; but one look and purpose, forward, upward and onward,
straight to his goal. He always hit the bull's-eye. His great success
in war was due largely to his definiteness of aim. He was like a great
burning-glass, concentrating the rays of the sun upon a single spot; he
burned a hole wherever he went. The secret of his power lay in his
ability to concentrate his forces upon a single point. After finding
the weak place in the enemy's ranks, he would mass his men and hurl
them like an avalanche upon the critical point, crowding volley upon
volley, charge upon charge, till he made a breach. What a lesson of
the power of concentration there is in this man's life! He was able to
focus all his faculties upon the smallest detail, as well as upon an
empire. But, alas! Napoleon was himself defeated by violation of his
own tactics,--the constantly repeated crushing force of heavy
battalions upon one point.

To succeed to-day a man must concentrate all the faculties of his mind
upon one unwavering aim, and have a tenacity of purpose which means
death or victory. Every other inclination which tempts him from his
aim must be suppressed.

New Jersey has many ports, but they are so shallow and narrow that the
shipping of the entire state amounts to but little. On the other hand,
New York has but one ocean port, and yet it is so broad, deep, and
grand, that it leads America in its enormous shipping trade. She sends
her vessels into every port of the world, while the ships of her
neighbor are restricted to local voyages.

A man may starve on a dozen half-learned trades or occupations; he may
grow rich and famous upon one trade thoroughly mastered, even though it
be the humblest.

Even Gladstone, with his ponderous yet active brain, says he cannot do
two things at once; he throws his entire strength upon whatever he
does. The intensest energy characterizes everything he undertakes,
even his recreation. If such concentration of energy is necessary for
the success of a Gladstone, what can we common mortals hope to
accomplish by "scatteration?"

All great men have been noted for their power of concentration which
makes them oblivious of everything outside their aim. Victor Hugo
wrote his "Notre Dame" during the revolution of 1830, while the bullets
were whistling across his garden. He shut himself up in one room,
locking his clothes up, lest they should tempt him to go out into the
street, and