SELF-CONFIDENCE 235impossible for him to get the raw materials necessary for the operation
of his factory, and he therefore failed. The loss of his money broke his
heart and so disturbed his mind that he left his wife and children and
went to live on the streets. He had actually brooded over his loss until
he reached the point at which he was contemplating suicide.
After he had finished his story, I said to him: "I have listened to you
with a great deal of interest, and I wish that there was something I could
do to help you. But there is absolutely nothing."
He became as pale as he will be when he is laid away in a coffin.
He settled back in his chair and dropped his chin on his chest as much
as to say, ''That settles it." I waited for a few seconds, then said:
"While there is nothing that I can do for you, there is a man in this
building to whom I will introduce you, if you wish, who can help you
regain your lost fortune and put you back on your feet again." These
words had barely fallen from my lips when he jumped up, grabbed me
by the hands, and said, "For God's sake lead me to this man:'
It was encouraging to note that he had asked this "for God's sake."
This indicated that there was still a spark of hope within him, so I took
him by the arm and led him out into the laboratory where my psycho-
logical tests in character analysis were conducted, and stood with him in
front of what looked to be a curtain over a door. I pulled the curtain
aside and uncovered a tall mirror in which he saw himself from head to
foot. Pointing my finger at the glass, I said:
"There stands the man to whom I promised to introduce you. He
is the only man in this world who can put you back on your feet again.
And unless you sit down and become acquainted with that man, as you
never became acquainted with him before, you might just as well go on
over and 'punch a hole' in Lake Michigan, because you will be of no
value to yourself or to the world until you know this man better."
He stepped over to the glass, rubbed his hands over his bearded face,
studied himself from head to foot for a few moments, then stepped
back, dropped his head, and began to weep. I knew that the lesson had