The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-08-07
LITTLE BoY's THANK YOU"

Tie Agree BILE lh nga That Was
Wrought Bv . IL Of Politen~ss.
1t was a tail. grim building. crowded
among other tall. grim building. in tho
midst Of . great city's noise and con-
fusion. The sunshine, because Of these
high buildings on every side, was for
the most part shut away from it The
fresh breezes from the wide flower
scattered prairies were tangled among
q network Of streets and alleys and
tainted with many . city odor before
they reached it, and the smoke from
the multltudinous chimnevs around
hung over it in q cloud that dropped
everywhere in sooty CRIME. Inside
the long rooms the din Of mach merry
sounded from morning till night, and a
company of men and boys hurried about
their work. for the most part in de-
cidedly snrly fashion. For the outer
grt mness seemed to have crepf, not only
within the thick brick walls, but also
within the hearts Of tho men who made
up the force Of Short & Farnham's
large printing establishment.
Nobody could tell just when it began
or quite how it came about: but so it
was that every one in the tall building
such Is the contagion Of habit-frOm
the proprietor in his private office down
through the foreman, the compositors,
the pressmen. to the messenger and
errand boys, all went about incased in
gruff indifference. Indeed. from long
d.snse, courtesy and politene>s had be-
come SO unknown that any one who
had ventured upon them would have been
scOffcd at for his pains. Outward kind
ness of speech and manner were in evil
dent disfavor. and bluntness and rude
ness had become the rule. As one OF
the men had expressed II. the motto at
Short & Farnhau was Every man for
himself" And tho worst Of it was that
they rather rrided themselves than
otherwise on this state of afIa.rs.
into this esiaGlishmen. there came
one new 10y. Jimmy Allen. lie was a
little fellow not more than ten years
old, the Youngest the smallest, the
weakes, III the whole baildlng. The
other Logs played tricks .psm h'".,
the men ordered him about. But
an atom Of humanity ne seemed
most inSign ficant atom Az Hia.. whose
hand. you would have said, could hold
no power, whose influence would be SO
feeble as to fall on the air unfelt and
unpreceived.
1t was but few days that he had
been at work when the foreman had oc-
caslon to send him long distance, and,
with the parcel he was to take, handed
him car-fare.
''rhank you," was Jimmy's acknowl-
cdgment, with q smile, as he took the
coin.
''sec here, young ter" and the fore
mans voice was more than u ually
crusty, I'VE don't put on any such frills
here. Thank ng folk, isn't in our line;
and you had better save that sort Of
thing for some place where they use it. 7
Jimmy looked up at him with sur.
prised exfre sion in his frank, blue
eyes. IF you please, sir" he said,
respectfully and half t.midly, for the
foreman was to him very imrortan,
parsonage. to say nothing Of being de.
cidedly formidable, my mother'-and
Jimmy's voice trembled slightly as he
mentioned the name that represented to
him now but memory, the dearest
earth held, but still memory only
my mother told me to always say
Thank you,' when any one d me a
service or favor; and ! wouldn't feel
right not TO say it. Then taking his
parcel. he sVed on his way.
The next noon 1t fell to Jimmy "a
carry tho foreman the pail OF hot coffee
for his lunch. lie took it from his hand
with responsive thank you."
Isn't that considerable changer
was the comment Of companion who
was eating beside him, and who not ced
the act. simple in itself, but noticeable
because SO unusual there.
well, he thanked me for q car-fare
yesterday. and Idon't want to have less
manner, than boy ten years DID,
replied tho foreman, who did not care
to repeat the reproof that the wee lad
had SO innocently and unconsciously
given.
There is nothing in that" admitted
the other, looking thoughtfully after
the little figure as it passed down the
long room.
So Jimmy. the youngest. the smallest,
the weakest Of all the employees in the
great printing establishments, went his
way, with his CHEEKY face, obligins
manner and ready and smil .ng ''thank
you" for any and every service OF kind
ness.
1t may be that others among tho men
shared the foreman's feeling; that they
did not want to be outdone in poli,eness
by child, or it may be that his exam.
pie shamed them. or touched and
aroused the latent kindness of their
natures. At any rate, as daily he went
in and out among them, more and more
frequently did he receive his little coin
OF courtesy again; a little coin OF cour.
tesy, trifling in itself, and OF value as a
sign and integral part Of the wealth oil
gracious words and gentle manners
whose interchange so sweetens and
gladdens life, bringing always more te
the givers than to the recipients
Then, from acknowledging a service
at Jimmy's hands, it was an easy transi
ton to acknowledge the same from
each other. So, though nobody could
have told exactly how it came about
yet, as the weeks went by, change
gradually became apparent-the work
ing Of . leayen that in time extended
from foreman, compositors, pressmen,
and messenger boys to the proprietor in
his Office. And, as q result, the tones
grew softer, and manners less brusque
and kindly words and little acts Of
thoughtfulness more frequent The
clouds of smoke still hung ovel
the tall building, the sun.h nc
scant and broken; but CLEAN
of heart sunshine-that Of ali is the
most truly OF the skies-had pierced
the thickness of tho living walls, and
fingered there to cheer and Tighten the
to.lsome days. And little Jimmy
youngest smallest and weakest OF all
rs he went his daily round, with hi
brigh, face and pleasant word. thought
1t must be because he was gett ny bet
ter acquainted with the men at Shor
s. Farnham's that they seemed 80 much
p.sassntsr than when he Asst came. IL