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Show ALONG LIFE'S TRAIL Cy TKCMAS A. CLARK Dean of Men, Inivcrsity of Illinois. (. 1924. Western Newspaper Union.) THE BARBER SHOP JF I were asked to name the great moral and educational influences of the country I 'should, of course, begin with the home, the church and the public pub-lic schools, but I should add to these the barber shop. What bridge whist or a tea party is to a woman, the barber bar-ber Aop is to a man. It is, of course, first cf all a cente.-of cente.-of recreation avid rejuvenation. One man enters all raveled and ragged around the elges and makes his exit looking like a hundred thousand dollars dol-lars ; another comes in a rough-neck and goes out with a hair-cut and a 25-ceat face massage and smelling of bay rum and sweet herbs. For 50 cents a tramp can easily he metamorphosed into a Beau Brummel. One gets more for his money in a barber shop than , at any bargain counter in a department depart-ment store. If the shop is on the front street, as It usually is, one may sit or lie in the chair while the barber gives him a shampoo "Will you have oil or eggs, sir?" or softens up his beard preparatory prepar-atory to a shave and see the world pass by young and old, rich and poor, society favorites and street Arabs all playing tla-ir parts upon the little stage that lies in front of the barber shop window. And within there is constant comment com-ment and criticism frank comment and franker criticism. I always have a self-co-jscious feeling when I pass the window ; I wonder what they are saying about me, though I am usually sure that I should not feel flattered if I knew. There is nothing too snored or too private to be discussed in a barber shop; there Is no problem of society or athletics or politics or religion or education edu-cation too difficult or too complicated for immediate and final settlement by any tonsorial tyro. The war or the income in-come tax requires but a few moments for discussion. There is no individual so dignified as to escape having his character and his principles analyzed and valued if he dares to pass across the barber's stage. If the barber is ethically of a liberal mind, sometimes, in his shop, one ca-j pick up the latest scandal or the last snappy story, or discover the best chance to place a bet on the coming game, or the safest back-door entrance to a thirst parlor it all depends on the barber. If he is straight-laced he has his victim at a disadvantagei when he is all lathered and swathed with towels nnd can drive home some pretty telling advice. Any way of looking at him, the barber bar-ber is a great institution. He is aa analyzer of character, he is a character charac-ter niolder, he is a purveyor of useful and useless information. The man who invented the barber shop, is entitled to a Carnegie medal. If I were establishing establish-ing a hall of fame I should give him a niche in preference to the man who thought out the grain renper. Some day he'll discover a cure for baldness, and then he will be great. If 1 had to make a choice between being a missionary or being a barber, I should reach for the razor. MAKING GOOD WHAT would I say, I am asked, to a young man, ambitious and In earnest, if lie should come to me and ask me in a few words to tell him "What must I do to make good?" I have watched the progress and development de-velopment of a good many thousand young men since 1 entered college, and I have seen not a few of them succeed. It goes without faying, that if a man Is going into any business or profession profes-sion bis chances for success are dependent de-pendent pretty directly upon his character char-acter and the extent of bis education, and his preliminary training. A man should give himself the most thorough theoretical education within his reach. No man Is likely to succeed In any business or profession who is not willing will-ing to work hard. Most young fellows do not object seriously to hard work if it is something some-thing they like, that is Interesting or easy. The straight level paved road they make no objection to, but when they strike a muddy hill they hang back. If a man would make good he inuM have character. Shrewdness and trickery may easily win for a time, but in the end the man will not get far ! unless he Is honest, dependable and trurtworlby. Persistence, determination, determina-tion, backbone are necessary to success. suc-cess. One must slick to a job until It Is lhiisl.ed. A man must believe in himself if lie would succeed. He must be willing to take responsibility and to do whatever comes lo his hand, whether it seems exactly his Job or not. I have Just finished reading the autobiography of Mr. Andrew Carnegie, Car-negie, and 1 found it nn Intensely interest in-terest ing narrative. Few will doubt thai Mr. Carnegie succeeded, for be was a grout man as well us a wealthy one. but the strongest impression the book makes on me Is the recoiled Ion of l ow persistent, how tireless, how faithful lie was in the performance of ai'V work asgneil to him. lie never s'lai-ed bin. self, I.j never rompiiii.ief) at wor;.::'g overthar1. l.e never thoncfit any task too hard of accomplishment, nnd his point of view in tills regard has been qui'? general in nil men whom I l ave known to succeed |