奥里森·马登 / Orison Marden
“When I was a boy，” said General Grant， “my mother one morning found herself without butter for breakfast， and sent me to borrow some from a neighbor. Going into the house without knocking， I overheard a letter read from the son of a neighbor， who was then at West Point， stating that he had failed in examination and was coming home. I got the butter， took it home， and， without waiting for breakfast ran to the office of the congressman for our district. ‘Mr. Hammer，’I said， ‘will you appoint me to West Point？’‘No， your neighbor’s son is there， and has three years to serve.’‘But suppose he should fail， will you send me？’ Mr. Hammer laughed. ‘If he don’t go through， no use for you to try， Ugly.’‘Promise me you will give me the chance， Mr. Hammer， anyhow.’Mr. Hammer promised. The next day the defeated lad came home， and the congressman， laughing at my sharpness， gave me the appointment. Now，” said Grant， “it was my mother’s being without butter that made me general and president.” But he was mistaken. It was his own shrewdness to see the chance， and the promptness to seize it， that urged him upward.