Los Angeles herald., 1892-03-06
THROWN OUT OF JOB
HOW A DISCHARGE AFFECTS DlF-
FERENT MEN IN A BIG CITY.

FERENT MEN IN A BIG CITY.
Heroic Struggle Of Joe" Who Is but a
Representative Of the Average Unfor-
tunate Fellow Looking for worls-How
Others Take the Sad News.
Joes envelope said simply:
sThe house regrets it can no longer
pffer you employment. but its reasons
do not hinge upon your competency,
and we take occasion to thank you for
good work for us, wishing you WE'LL"
/ Joe thought to hide the message from
John as he passed out--John had worked
at his elbows for months--but he didn't.
John followed him ont and said:
stout heart, old fellow. You'll have
. better job IN u week. II can do YOU
q favor. call on me- My turn next, |
imagine"
Joe walked the streets for hours. then
went home to his wife and babies not
less surely years older than when he had
left them in the morning He has fixed
his purpose, and will hew to it. He
takes the usual trinkets to the children,
q trifie OF some sort to his wife, and
gives her, as is his rule. the weeks earn
ings Then he acts for the first time in
his life--he romps and carouses with
Flora until she believes he is as much a
child as herself, and his wife watches it
all from her sewing table and wonders
1t she was ever as happy in the old
courting days as she is now
And Joe's heart is heavy under it all
for he determines that they shall not
know OF his bad luck until he has anoth-
or JOB He Is hurt, humiliated, repulsed
-he feels that the house has clipped him
OFT because it could spare him more cas-
lily than any one of the hundred odd 9th
ers that it has retained
But that little wife sitting there with
her head full OF belief in me mustn't
know-she must believe me all seemed
TO be-"
I WORK AT LAST.
He looks for work ten hours day for
a week and doesn't find it, Saturday he
pawns his watch for weeks wages and
carries it home. telling them that his
watch had been stolen from him, but
that he had n clew to the thief and that
Inspector Byrnes would catch him in
few days. He says to himself that fate
stole it from him. but he keeps up the
play bravely and with fortitude answers
the evening queries of the home ones
about whether they have found the
watch. The next two weeks are tided
over by selling the Building and Loan
stock. Then he borrows another weeks
pay of friend.
Every morning he starts Ito work" at
the regular hour; every evening he re-
turns. They go to the theater; they buy
some needed and long promised clothes;
they pay their regular missionary money
and church fees--for Joe is playing a
desperate hand now, but with an insane
sort Of coolness. Something asks him
over and over again every day. Where
will it end?" but Joe just sets his lips u
little harder and don't reply even in
thought.
! His encyclopedia goes next. He loans
it to friend down town at the Office. so
he tells them at home. Joe can't eat
heartily this week. He watches his wife
and childrens lightheartedness some
thing like brute would do-stoically
unmoved He tells Amy to drink his cup
of tea; he has no appetite, and don't want
it. Then he is for the first time in his
life affected with satan's specially ex-
ported article of disease-insomnia He
sits for hours watching his family as they
sleep, and he feels heavy weight slowly
settling upon his brain that he cannot
understand the meaning of.
Next day he finds another position, and
his wife doesn't understand why he gives
way SO completely for the first time in
his life and cries like child while tell
ing her Of it
| OTHER TYPES.
There are just few Joes in this world
mot too many
! Clarence Harney tells his wife about
it as soon rs he gets home. He is sure
he knew the internal job wouldn't hold
ont long anyhow Plenty more, though
You just have to have little gall; and
next day Clarence has another job. A
little less pay. to be sure. but then" he
argues. Its only for week or so-l'l
strike better one the first thing you
know. You don't down me--not this
year"
I Jim Burton, the clerk. loses his job.
He pitches into the whole family and
tells them that there must be no more
money spent for anything at all "Un-
derstand2 The goodness only knows
when you will get any more from me, so
make this last as long as it will" He
goes down town, gets a job, tells them
at home that he has not yet found one,
and SO spends the entire pay for two
weeks on himself, the while ostensibly
searching for work, and making the home
ones pinch and worry with the lessening
cash. Then at the critical moment he
suddenly finds work." and tells them
ne had to take it ut seven dollars week
or nothing. when he really receives
twelve. Jimmie's friends down town
call him smooth"
Harris Russell. who writes shorthand,
loses job because he is bad speller.
lie studies up on his spelling, answers
advertisements, gets few encouraging
replies, and after moving to cheaper
room once and going it for a week on a
diet of crackers and Enthusiastically
a nickel's worth of hot watf1es-he gets
another place at one dollar week more