r their
sons, and nine out of ten stampede--for all the world as though it were
suggested to put them in petticoats. Do they think a poor unlettered lout
who shambles at the door, who stands unable to speak, who turns his cap in
his hands, who sidles into the room, and can't for the life of him get out
again, well trained for the battle of life?

Picture that Mr. Strong Man who thrusts his thumbs into his armholes and
sits tipped back in his chair with a cigar in the corner of his mouth and
his heels comfortably reposing on his solid mahogany desk. This is not in
criticism of his relaxation, it is his own desk and certainly he has a
right to put his heels on it if he wants to; likewise thumbs and armholes
are his own. It is merely a picture that leads to another: Supposing a
very great man comes into Mr. Strong Man's office--one whom he may
consider a great man, a president perhaps of a big industry or of a
railroad, or a senator--and shortly afterwards, Strong Man's own son comes
into the room. Would he like to see his son abashed, awkward,
spasmodically jerky, like the poor bumpkin who came the other day to ask
about removing the ashes, or worse yet, bold and boisterous or cheeky; or
would he like that boy of his to come forward with an entire lack of
self-consciousness, and as his father introduces him as "My Son!" have him
put out his hand in frank and easy and yet deferential friendliness? And
then saying quickly and quietly whatever it was he came to say, as quickly
and quietly make his way out again? Would he be sorry that the big man
thought, "Fine boy that! Ability too!" Why would he think he had ability?
Because the ease and dexterity with which he handled the social incident
automatically suggests ability to handle other situations!

=ETIQUETTE AND BUSINESS AUTHORITY=

Another point: Does the self-made man stop to realize that his authority
in business would be even greater than it is if he had the hall-marks, of
cultivation? For instance, when he comes in contact with college graduates
and other cultivated men, his opinions gain or lose in weight exactly in
proportion as he proves to be in their own "class" or below it.

A man unconsciously judges the authority of others by the standard of his
own expert knowledge. A crude man may be a genius in business management,
but in the unspoken opinion of men of education, he is in other contacts
inferior to themselves. He is an authority they grant, but in limit