at the top—but the three simple words at the beginning of the sentence cover a multitude of things that the average boy slights as not worth bothering himself about." As for college education: "Everything is in the man; little in the school (July 5, 1909). If it is in the mah it will work its way out—school or no school. Talent is irrepressible. It will find its way. If it hasn't energy to find its way, it will accomplish little from all the boosting it may receive." Thus the Editor summarized his slight faith in "easy" education. Again: "Boys and girls! You've got to work, and your school will help mighty little. The less help you have the stronger you'll be—if there's anything in you. If there's nothing in you, the game isn't worth the candle. But you must try."
Mr. Scott's own rule of life, his own self-examination and fortitude of character are indicated in this analysis of what true worth is, as distinguished from wealth or station or intellectual capacity (April 7, 1899):
"A man's greatness lies not in wealth or station, as the vulgar believe, nor yet in intellectual capacity, which often is associated with the meanest character, the most abject servility to those in high places and arrogance to the poor and lowly; but a man's true greatness lies in the consciousness of an honest purpose in life, founded on a just estimate of himself and everything else, oh frequent self-examination—for Socrates has not been superseded on this topic nor ever will be—and on a steady obedience to the rule that he knows to be right, without troubling himself very much about what others may think or say or whether they do or do not do that which he thinks and says and does. The prime principle in man's constitution is the social; but independent character is the rational check upon its tendency to deception, error and success."
Devotion to truth was a vital corollary to his moral theorem of industry. "The straight path," he often said, "is the old and only way." On March 25, 1905: "The only security one has, or can have, when he enters the world of activity and of strife and struggles with it, is in keeping faith with his ideals. Starvation, with virtue, after all, is not likely to happen. But shame, failure, vexation, disappointment, remorse and death
