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Other Pebbles

From the Evening Star, April 30, 1913.
By Walt Mason.

Don’t think you’re the only old boy that is lonely, discouraged, down-hearted, world-beaten and blue; the world’s pretty roomy, and others are gloomy and galled by their troubles as deeply as you. But others are braver; their souls have the savor of courage undaunted, the courage that wins; when effort seems futile and Fortune is brutal, they take what she hands them and greet her with grins. So Fortune grows weary of swatting these cheery unquenchable fellows who will not repine; these smiling humdingers she takes by the fingers and leads them to regions of roses and wine. But you sit a-brooding, your eyeballs protruding, your whiskers awash in a fourflusher’s tears, you look, while you’re straining your innards complaining, a statue of grief from your heels to your ears. Dame Fortune will spy you, and if she comes nigh you she’ll hand you a brickbat instead of a rose; she hasn’t much kindness for men who have blindness for everything here but their own private woes. So cut out the grouching and mourning and slouching, and show you’re a scrapper named Scrapperovitch; go forth to your labors like stout-hearted neighbors, and soon you’ll be happy and sassy and rich.

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