Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-01-13
THE OLD OFFICE BOY.
The Husky Voiced Member Relates the
Cause of His Failure in Life.

The Husky Voiced Member Relates the
Cause of His Failure in Life.
The member with the wart on his nose had
just finished his story
The zinc-lined floor o. the club room wa.
knee deep in tears.
1t was pathos night, and the last story had
been humidity affecting.
TIM not well tonight" said the mem bel
with the husky voice, apologetically, ''anC
swore In the new year never to lie again. III
tell you true story"
The res. Of the club were all attention. They
hadn II listened to o true tale in so long tina
they all but doubted the ability Of the member
with the husky voice to narrate one.
Il m an old man" resumed the husky voice
''and naturally take an interest in old men. A
Few days ago l entered an establishment not q
thousand miles FROG, the Treasury building. II
Is presided over by young man with y beard
less face, but he is bright. That's the reason
why he's there. He has a dozen clerks under
him, all young men.
"In the outer Office were two individuals
seated at a double desk; one was about sixteen
the other was forty years his senior; a small
unframed. pale-faced, white-haired old man.
The lad of sixteen was the young Office
boy. The man Of fifty-six was tbs old Office
boy:
The former was reading nickel novel, and
IA the hero slugger was smashing the proboscis
by the timely arrival Of the slugger in his effort
to impressa red-hot horseshoe kiss on the hero.
ines pale, cream-laid cheek. he didn't consider
II worth while to favor me with his attention.
The old Office boy on his fee. in an in
slant. The manager, he said, was busy. Would
/ take seat? If could not wait would like
TO leave note? Then he handed me the paper.
made polite remark about the cold weather
and resumed his seat
1.-The slugger bad evidently knocked out the
gentlemanly villain by this time, for the young
office boy condescended to remove his eyes
from the page long enough to size me up.
'As l sat there watching the old Office boy
leaning over his desk. his thin. scrawny hand
feebly tracing some lines with his pen. could
but pity him. l thought of my own COM
Portable home and easy circumstances.
Then contrasted the lot of the old
wasted years, the blighted hopes, blasted
ambitions, shattered ideals and unrenlized ex-
pectations that had brought him to his present
lowly position. l contrasted nv own pleasant
future with his empty lite. struggling day by
day for enough to secure HIM immunity
from abject poverty. What a dismal out
look for one of his years, this old
wreck of humanity stranded upon the rocks of
adversely. slowly but surely going to pieces
with the rapid advance of years.
"One meets the old Office boy all over the
world; old hulks who have about sailed their
last voyage on the troubled. tempestuous sea OF
life.
II saw the manager subsequently. I asked
him what had brought the old man down to
his uppers. What do you think was the
cause?"
This" said the one-armed member blowing
the collars and cuffs off glass Of amber-colored
fluid.
wine and women" timidly ventured the
dude member, who aspired to be blood"
''Guttenburg ponies," declared the horsy
member.
Stocks, corn. wheat or pork" said the stock
exchange member.
WHISKY" said the mutton-faced member
with emphasis.
You are all wrong" replied the husky
voiced member. 1.-The manager told me that
the old duffer was his uncle; that he had all he
could wish for. He was a partial paraytic,
and rather than stay at home with the children
came down daily to the office simply because he
liked it,