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"You're pretty low down," says I to him,
"But nobody's holding you there, my friend.
Life is a stream where men sink or swim,
And the drifters come to a sorry end;
But there's two of you living and breathing still —
The fellow you are, and he's tough to see,
And another chap, if you've got the will,
The man that you still have a chance to be."

— Edgar Guest All That Matters (1922)

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More quotes by Edgar Guest

Whatever the goal you are seeking, keep trying
And answer this demon by saying: "I can."

A Heap o' Livin (1916)

The things are mighty few on earth
That wishes can attain.
Whate'er we want of any worth
We've got to work to gain.

A Heap o' Livin (1916)

None knows the day that friends must part
None knows how near is sorrow;
If there be laughter in your heart
Don't hold it for tomorrow.

A Heap o' Livin (1916)

Are you one of the nine who pass men by
In this hasty life we live?
Do you refuse with a downcast eye
The help which you could give?
Or are you the one in ten whose creed
Is always to stop for the man in need?

All That Matters (1922)

The difference 'twixt good and bad is not so very much,
A few more minutes at the task, an extra turn or touch,
A final test that all is right—and yet the men are few
Who seem to think it worth their while these extra things to do.

All That Matters (1922)

All Edgar Guest quotes →

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Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Edgar Guest (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.