“Will Leigh had the best chance, perhaps.  He used to be a great crony of Oscar.  He went through the Latin School, and then to Harvard College.  ‘He was always burrowing into Latin and Greek,’ said Oscar; ’much as ever you could do to get an English word out of him.’

“Well, he was wanted as professor in a Western college; so they sent him for three years to a German university to study up his Hebrew.  But he was to travel about Europe first.

“‘I wish they would send me,’ said Oscar.  ’Travelling about Europe is just what I should like, and just what I could do.  It is a queer thing that just these fellows that can work hard, and like to work too, get the easiest places, where they have only to lie back and do nothing!’

“Even some of the boys who were behind him in school and below him in lower classes came out ahead.  Sol Smith, whom Oscar always thought a stupid dunce, had the place in Mr. Spenser’s office that he would have liked.

“‘Mr. Spenser took Sol out to his country place in the mountains,’ Oscar complained, ’where he has boats and plenty of fishing.  I know I could have caught a lot of trout.  It is just what I can do.  But that stupid Sol, if he looked at a trout, he probably frightened it away.’

“It was just so all along through life.  Oscar could not find exactly the place he was fitted for.  One of his friends, Tracy, went out West as engineer.  ‘I could have done that,’ said Oscar; ’I could have carried the chain as easy as not.  It is a little hard that all the rest of the fellows tumble into these easy places.  There’s Tracy making money hand over hand.’

“The next he heard of him Tracy was in the legislature.  ’That I could do,’ said Oscar.  ’It is easy enough to go and sit in the legislature, with your hands in your pockets, and vote when your turn comes; or you needn’t be there all the time if you don’t choose.’

“So they put Oscar up for the legislature; but he lost the vote, because he forgot to sign his name to an important note, in answer to one of his ‘constituents.’  He tried for Congress, too, but without success.  He talked round among his friends about running for President.  There was the great White House to live in.  He would be willing to stay all summer.  He felt he should be the right person, as he had never done anything, and would offend no party.

“But even for President something more is needed than catching half-a-dozen balls without letting them fall to the ground.

“Once, indeed, he had thought of joining a circus; but he could not equal the Chinese juggler with the balls, and it tired him to jump up and down.  His father got him the place of janitor at an art building; but he made mistakes in making change for tickets, and put wrong checks on the umbrellas and parasols, so that nobody got the right umbrella.  He was really glad when they dismissed him, it tired him so.  It was harder work than flinging balls——­”