Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1894-06-21
THE FUTILE NAN.
A Definition of Certain Kind cf
of Bore.

Cles eubltlcu HlFdpJcu AMERICANS. i,
dealt with an exasperating kind of q
swindler who preys principally upon
Americans stationed in London.
There is another very exasperating
kind of man who steals what is more
valuable than money, and that is time.
call this brand of individual ''The Fu-
| tile Man" You can do nothing for
him, or with him. He is hopeless and
the law does not allow you 10 kill nin.
NY experience shows me that there
is kind of man with a wabbly brain
who doesn't know quite what God put
him in this world for.
When you ask him what he can do,
as he has applied TO you for some sort
of a situation, he answers, quite cheer
fully: "Oh! can turn my hand to al.
most anything
Now. want to state right here, to
the boys and to the young men who do
me the honor of reading what ] write,
that the man who can do everything is
not worth cent There is no place
for him on this earth, and the earth
does not need him
My advice TO boys is this: Make up
your minds not to do everything, but
to do one thing, and that thing partic-
ularly well. This is an age of special
lists. The man who can dig ditch, the
man who can plane board, the man
who can lay one brick on another, or
the man who can compose an opera, IS
the man who is needed, and who will
get along in this world
The futile man IS willing and ready
to turn his hand TO anything. and con-
sequently he comes up and bothers me
and other busy men 10 find something
for him To do.
One pathetic fact about the futile
man is his willingness to work. His
nebulons brain, however has never
taught him the stern fact that he must
do some one thing well and not fool
away his time doing everything badly.
Then he must storm the citadels where
that particular thing is being done I'M.
I'll he gets it TO do, and, when he has
got his situation, he must do his work
SO well that his employer cannot afford
to do without him.
give here conversation which has
no particular point to it and whose
only merit is that it is fair specimen
of some hundreds like it that | have
taken part in.
My office boy brought in to me the
other day the card Of man whose
name had dim recollection Of hav-
ing seen somewhere before. There
was a vague something away back in
my mind, as If had read book by
man Of that name, but as had useless
ly lost SO much time of late in seeing
people, ! said to the boy:
ASK him what he wants."
'Hc refuses to say what his business
is, answered the boy.
Very well, 60 and tell him that he
must say what his business is before |
will see him"
After a few moments the boy re-
turned, saying; 'He says ne knows
you, but that perhaps you won't re-
member him. lie says he's from Amer
lea"
"oh, very well, them" said. "show
him in"
The moment he came in | remem- |
bered him. Some three months before /
he had called on me and wasted the
best part of an afternoon while / ex.
planned to him that had no situation /
TO give him and | did not know anyone
who wanted a handy man who could do
everything
lie placed his hat on table, his um-
brella in corner and greeted me with
great cordiality. A happy, optimistic
air pervaded his manner toward me.
making one feel cynical brute for not
being able to place him in pleasant
and lucrative situation at once.
Il see that you do not remember me,
he said.
'Ohl yes, | do" l replied Have
you found a situation YETI"
''No, notyet; but have two or three
people looking out for me, and have
10 doubt will land on my feet yet all
right You see there are so many
things could do. | can do a little
and have worked the type
writer bit | am good salesman,
md understand three or four lines of
business. ! can keep books, and under
stand banking. so some of my friends,
have no doubt, will soon place me
ust dropped in now to see if you had
to hit on anything, anything
n the reporting line on some of the
lailies. for instance"
Il told you when you were here be-
ore that ] don't know anybody con-
lected with any daily in London, and
i the same time thirk that venti-
ated my theory that no man can help
my man but himself
''oh, yes, " he replied eheerfully, but
word in the right place often puts
nan in a good situation. It's all Tom
ay Rot to say that situations don't 60
" favor"
They don't" replied.
We'll, I've knocked around the world
90 much to believe that. There's
Blank. Now, couldn't you give me a
etter of introduction TO him?' He
aentioned we'll known literary man