Let us be thankful for the fools.

But for them the rest of us could not succeed.
-- Pudd'nhead Wilson's New Calendar.
The aphorism does really seem true: "Given the Circumstances, the Man will appear." But the man musn't appear ahead of time, or it will spoil everything.

In Robinson's case the Moment had been approaching for a quarter of a century--and meantime the future Conciliator was tranquilly laying bricks in Hobart.

When all other means had failed, the Moment had arrived, and the Bricklayer put down his trowel and came forward.
Earlier he would have been jeered back to his trowel again.

It reminds me of a tale that was told me by a Kentuckian on the train when we were crossing Montana.