Speakinggenerally，thereisnoviceofthiskindmorecontemptiblethananother；foreachisbutaresultandoutwardsignofasoultragicallyship—wrecked。Inthemajorityofcases，cheappleasureisresortedtobywayofanodyne。Thepleasure—seekersetsforthuponlifewithhighanddifficultambitions；hemeanttobenoblygoodandnoblyhappy，thoughataslittlepainsaspossibletohimself；anditisbecauseallhasfailedinhiscelestialenterprisethatyounowbeholdhimrollinginthegarbage。Hencethecomparativesuccessoftheteetotalpledge；becausetoamanwhohadnothingitsetsatleastanegativeaiminlife。Somewhatasprisonersbeguiletheirdaysbytamingaspider，thereformeddrunkardmakesaninterestoutofabstainingfromintoxicatingdrinks，andmayliveforthatnegation。Thereissomething，atleast，NOTTOBEDONEeachday；andacoldtriumphawaitshimeveryevening。
Wehadoneonboardwithus，whomIhavealreadyreferredtounderthenameMackay，whoseemedtomenotonlyagoodinstanceofthisfailureinlifeofwhichwehavebeenspeaking，butagoodtypeoftheintelligencewhichheresurroundedme。PhysicallyhewasasmallScotsman，standingalittlebackasthoughhewerealreadycarryingtheelementsofacorporation，andhislookssomewhatmarredbythesmallnessofhiseyes。Mentally，hewasendowedabovetheaverage。
Therewerebutfewsubjectsonwhichhecouldnotconversewithunderstandingandadashofwit；deliveringhimselfslowlyandwithgustolikeamanwhoenjoyedhisownsententiousness。Hewasadry，quick，pertinentdebater，speakingwithasmallvoice，andswingingonhisheelstolaunchandemphasiseanargument。Whenhebeganadiscussion，hecouldnotbeartoleaveitoff，butwouldpickthesubjecttothebone，withoutoncerelinquishingapoint。Anengineerbytrade，Mackaybelievedintheunlimitedperfectibilityofallmachinesexceptthehumanmachine。Thelatterhegaveupwithridiculeforacompoundofcarrionandperversegases。HehadanappetitefordisconnectedfactswhichIcanonlycomparetothesavagetasteforbeads。Whatiscalledinformationwasindeedapassionwiththeman，andhenotonlydelightedtoreceiveit，butcouldpayyoubackinkind。
Withallthesecapabilities，herewasMackay，alreadynolongeryoung，onhiswaytoanewcountry，withnoprospects，nomoney，andbutlittlehope。Hewasalmosttediousinthecynicaldisclosuresofhisdespair。’Theshipmaygodownforme，’hewouldsay，’noworto—morrow。Ihavenothingtoloseandnothingtohope。’Andagain：
’Iamsickofthewholedamnedperformance。’Hewas，likethekindlittleman，alreadyquoted，anotherso—calledvictimofthebottle。