St. Landry democrat., 1885-10-24

C1tSlSE 10 buEOW away b4AO AnAo woAStSs
to bite them off as / advised you in the
barn. When we are vexed it is natural
to say things harsh and unkind and un-
just, and afterwards we wish we hadn't
said them. Try to get into the habit OF
putting your teeth into some words and
biting them of. Can you?"
'.Lfll try,n said Johnny, hooking up
into the face of his pretty counselor.
'sTry hard?'
:'Yes'm: PUtrg hard. =
The years went by, and at last
Johnny was q clerk in 5ry-goods
store, that Of 2. Billings, who was one
of the kind of men who seem to be
everywhere at the same time, up on the
second floor watching the men In the
cloak department, and down in the
ribbon department on the first floor,
and in the elevator away at the top OF
the building, and down in the cellar
looking after the furnace. Johnny was
about to leave one night when he saw
that the clerk who had assisted at his
counter had failed to do his share OF
the work and had left to Johnny's g
hands the rolling up and packing away
of the ribbons.
'EThere!'' said Johnny, in no low or
pacific tones, ''that fellow has gonei
He is the -
What made him think of an old barn,
of hay-mowp What made him hear
pleasant voice say: ''Bite it of, Johnny
bite it off f?''
He laughed and said: an take a
good bite into that sentence and cut off
the rest?"
'tOw-w-wp' he exclaimed.
What sayP" asked voice.
The clerk looked up in surprise. Il
was the everywhere-man his employer,
Billings.
"O6. nothing. sir, nothing of conse
quence. / was only biting, and | al
most bit my tongue in two.
''You did not refer to your employer,
and speak of him as that fellow ]
hope"
Mr. Billings, whenever he took cold
was a bit deaf. and the raw wind which
had been blowing the past twenty-four
hours had given chill and seemed to
have also blown some cotton wool into
his ears, and he did not distinctly catch
his clerks remark.
aYou were the last person in my
mind, Mr.. Billings, and what did say,
or rather intended to say, just bit into
it, as somebody advised me; but | put
my teeth in the wrong place and took
piece out of my tongue"
The employer could appreciate
joke, and he laughed with his clerk.
'1,hat isn't bad idea, to bite your
words off sometimes and not say them
Do you make that q practice?"
well, l have tried to do it A friend
advised me. .
''HuInph!o
s"That was Mr.. Billings only answer.
Two days later, when the clerks in
Johnny's department all felt that their
employer was behind each one of them,
inspecting their acts, word came to
Johnny that Mr.. Billings was actually
in his counting-room and would like to
see him.
sMePn
"Yes, yes" replied the messenger.
ttHe said Earle. T"
Johnny stepped down into the coun-
ting-room.
Odd you wish to see me, Mr. Bill
ingsP"
7.Yes!Sl did. There is department
in the store where the pay is better
than in yours and where the young
man filling it must know how to bite
off his words. He must keep cool and
good tempered. The fact is, want
such clerks all over the store, but par
ticularlY in the place / mention. =
Sss Where is itP" s ~
. It is near me, in my counting.
room. / am apt to bite the wrong
way, and want somebody who won
bite back. I can give you good pay
and help you to something still better
by and BY, may be. eg#' Nj
Indeed!
This time, Johnny did not have any
words to bite off even if he wished it.
He could only say: sWhy-y-y!'s
g There said his employer, laugh
ing. at guess you have begun already
and bitten off what you had to say.
Well, it is all right. We will consider
: J johnny Was leaving tbe counting
room, when Mr.. BilIinl said: II like
to have my wife see the clerks. / keep
nearest me, andswont You cali round
as my housePs We should be happy 70
see you.
OF course, johnny went.
q Mrs Billings, let me introduce to
you my clerk, Master John Earle''
The lady and the clerk looked at one
another, and the fair face of the lady
seemed to be only mirror ID which he
saw Uncle Solomon's barn, the dusty
rafters overhead and the big hay-mows.
These may seem TO be strange things tc
be discovered in a lady's face, but