The world does not always distinguish between appearance and true merit. Pretence often gets the plaudits, but desert is above them it has rewards of its own.

No matter whence you came, from a palace or a ditch,
You’re a man, man, man, if you square yourself to life;
And no matter what they say, hermit-poor or Midas-rich,
You are nothing but a husk if you sidestep strife.

For it’s do, do, do, with a purpose all your own,
That makes a man a man, whether born a serf or king;
And it’s loaf, loaf, loaf, lolling on a bench or throne
That makes a being thewed to act a limp and useless thing!

No matter what you do, miracles or fruitless deeds,
You’re a man, man, man, if you do them with a will;
And no matter how you loaf, cursing wealth or mumbling creeds,
You are nothing but a noise, and its weight is nil.

For it’s be, be, be, champion of your heart and soul,
That makes a man a man, whether reared in silk or rags;
And it’s talk, talk, talk, from a tattered shirt or stole,
That makes the image of a god a manikin that brags.

Richard Butler Glaenzer.

From “Munsey’s Magazine.”