LUCK.

New Zealand Illustrated Magazine, 1 September 1901, Page 959

LUCK.

By Lemacon,

§UCK is the term which is applied to whatever happens unexpectedly, and without any apparent reason. Unconsciously men speak of luck as if it were regulated by no rule whatever, and as if Fate carelessly shook the dice box of fortune, and out fell luck — sometimes good and sometimes bad. In olden times men succeeded in impressing this idea upon their minds through fear of incurring the wrath of the gods did they ascribe their success solely to their own personal forethought and wisdom. In modern days men have succeeded in strengthening this idea through their desire to shirk individual responsibility. Want of success is generally imputed to ill luck, and but seldom to lack of perseverance or of judgment. At first sight it does in truth appear as if Fate took a tantalizing delightin allowing ill luck to fall continuously to the lot of certain well-deserving persons, despite all their efforts towards success. But more intimate acquaintance with those same persons often reveals the lack of some characteristic, which is essential to success. Other men, again, seem to be so greatly favoured by Dame Fortune that nothing but good luck falls to their share ; yet, so far as the world can judge, they are possessed of no exceptional qualificationf?. The Italians have an idiomatic expression, uHe has luck, but then he is a fool." Perhaps that saying gives some clue to the mystery. The man who is known as a fool is generally a man who takes life easily, refuses to flurry himself about anything, however important, and who has an unshaken belief in his own ability. Naturally this carelessness and self-confidence are conducive to steadiness of nerve, and

render a man capable of exercising whatever ability lie may possess to even greater advantage than it' he had more brilliant talents, but was handicapped by a highlystrung nervous system. Llightly did Hamlet say : " How blest, are those whose blood and judgment are so well co-mingled that they are not a pipe for Fortune's finger to sound what, stop she please." How often do we see a young man striving after the gifts of Fortune, yet succeeding but indifferently. When, in after years, the same man, weary of the struggle, has lost the intense desire for wealth and fame, Fortuue, ever tickle, showers her favours lavishly upon him. In like mannor the man who valuer not his life passes unharmed through the thick of battle, while he to whom life is precious falls ere the fight is well begun. Without doubt many conditions are beyond a man's control, and are yet of importance in moulding his fortunes. The inheritance of wealth and position and many incidental causes are of advantage to man, but the moulding of his fortunes lies greatly in his own hands. Much of man's luck depends upon his ability to seize the fleeting opportunity, for " There is a tide in the affairs of men, Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune : Omitted, all the voyage of their life Is bound in shallows and in miseries, And we must take the current when it serves, Or lose our ventures." It is said that the wheel of a man's mind must keep pace with tha wheels of Fortune's chariot. As Lord Bacon aptly expresses it, "If a man look sharply and attentively he shall see Fortune, for, though she be blind,

she is not invisible. The way of Fortune is like the Milky Way in the sky, which is a meeting or knot of a number of small stars, not seen asunder, but giving light together, so are there a number of little and scarcediscerned virtues, or rather faculties and customs, that make men fortunate."

Moreover, we are told that so-called ill luck is as great a boon as so-called good luck, since ill luck is but a blessing in

disguise, acting beneficially upon individual temperament. That may be so, but it renders the ill luck none the more pleasant to be borne. In truth, let the reasoning of the intellect be ever so subtle, it yet reaches no very satisfactory conclusion in regard to luck. Acknowledging that self-control tends to correctness of judgment and hence to possibility of success, luck remains just luck and incomprehensible.