Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1890-08-01
A LESSON IN POLITENEsS.

town, L witnessed an incident that L
think will interest some young people.
The ticket agent had gone to break
fast, leaving the station in charge of a
bright locking boy of IA or Is. The
boy was reading what must have been
a most interesting book, judging from
the reluctant manner in which he laid
it aside to wait on the passengers.
Shortly after my arrival an old lady,
oddly dressed and evidently not ac-
customed to travelling, came in, and
after depositing her bundles and pro-
curing her ticket, inquired civilly of
the Office boy:
"What time is the up train due?"
"There's time table ON the wall
behind you," was the sur!y reply.
"You can read, l reckon"
Without word the old woman put
on her glasses, and after long search
gained the information the boy might
have given her in less time than it
had taken him to give his ungracious
answer.
"7:45-7 :33? 1t must be most that
time now," she soliloquized. "Young
man, would you please tell me what
time it is?" she asked, timidly glancing
at the boy again.
"Why don't you look at the clock?"
sneered the smart lad. "My business
is to sell tickets, not to answer ques-
tions."
An old gentleman, very plainly
dressed, who had been sitting in the
corner with his hat pulled over his
eyes, looked up quickly when he heard
the boys impolite response. But he
said nothing, and after the lapse of a
few minutes sauntered slowly across
the room to the ticket window.
"What is your name my boy?" he
said kindly, after nodding intelligently
to the telegrapher.
81 do not know that it is any OF
your business; but if you have for
tune to leave, you can just name Dick
Morton's kid Jack, and it will be- all
o. K"
"Your father ought to be proud of
such promising boy" returned the
gentleman dryly. ais Mr.. johnson
in?" he asked little sharply.
"You can find out by making use of
your eyes, l. guess" said the boy,
glancing around under tables and
benches, apparently very much
Just then another BOY came in with
some papers for the agent, and his
smart friend said loud enough to be
heard all over the waiting room: /:
"Here, Fred, don't go away till john
son comes. Attend to the tickets if
any are wanted. Ihave been bored to
death answering questions, and I want
to finish this book before the boss gets
around"
The newcomer quietly hung up his
hat and coat and went to wait upon
some ladies who were standing at the
window.
A few minutes later the old gentle
man asked, somewhat sharply {:
"What time is the train due, bubf"
"7.33," was the prompt answer.
"And what time is it nowf" de-
manded the same impatient voice
that had spoken before.
at is just fifteen minutes past
seven" replied the boy cheerfully.
cape" sneered smart Jack. "Why
don't you bluff him Off"
"What is your name?" persisted
the old man, stepping up a little
closer.
Fred Myers" responded the boy
politely.
"Is the boss in?" was the next in
quiry in much lower tone.
"No, sir; he has gone to breakfast,
but will be back in a few minutes"
was the quiet answer.
"Seeing that your master is not in,
can't you give me cut rates to Wheel
ing? I'll see that you are not found
out"
"My Master is always inp was the
boys quick reply.
At this moment Mr.. Johnson, the
agent, came in, and addressed the
plain looking stranger as Mr.. Hayes,
and the boys both knew that the su-
perintendent of the railroad had been
talking to them and before they had
recovered from their confusion they
heard him say, "Mr. Knox, your tele.
graph operator, has been appointed to
take charge of an office in the city,
and l came down to look after suita-
bic boy to take his place here. Remem-
bering the information you gave me
some time ago, had made up my
mind concerning whom his successor
should be, but after what l have
heard and seen / have come to
the conclusion that Dick Morton's
kid Jack is entirely too smart for our
use, and that this boy, whose Master
is always in, can be trusted to take
charge of this responsible position"
Smart Jack tried to mutter an ex-
cuse for his impoliteness when he re-
allied what he had lost, but the indig.
nant superintendent coolly informed
him that his roughness toward passen'
gers could not be tolerated, and that
he must seek other employment until
he applied the small courtesies of life
REV. Robert Laird Collier, one o
the most widely-known Unitarian di