The Brunswick times. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 188?-1900, 1897-10-02
AS A HOTEL PORTER.
A Rich Youth Tells of His Experience In
Mental Service.

A Rich Youth Tells of His Experience In
Mental Service.
sat down and began to dry my feet
at slow fire which burned in an iron
stove. Presently there came in tall
man, straight of figure, with black eyes
and hair and mustache and an uncom-
monty dark complexion. I rose with an
inquiry for the proprietor, and he sat
down with the assurance that he was
the man. There were two definite re-
quests i'll my mind. I meant to apply
first for job, but expecting nothing
of a permanent character, l resolved to
ask work for the remaining afternoon
for the sake of food and nights shell
ter from the rain. To my surprise, in
stead Of the negative 1 expected to my
first request | found some encourage
ment in the prOprietor's manner. He
owned to the need of a porter until the
arrival, in few days, of the man who
had been engaged for that position. I
declared my willingness to serve and to
begin work on the moment. He pointed
out that he did not know me and that
he was not in the habit of engaging
servants whom he did not know. "Be-
sides, there was not much for the porter
to do, and for his services he was paid
at the rate Of So month and his board. I"
was ready with plea for trial, if
only for single day, and presently the
proprietor consented
He rose and at once began to instruct
me in my duty. Standing on the thresh-
old between the office and billiard room,
he pointed to the bare floors and ex-
planned that they must be scrubbed
every morning He then indicated the
score or more of oil lamps with which
the rooms were lighted and said that
these must be kept clean and filed.
Next he opened door from the office
into a small room in which was cot
That was to be my sleeping place, and
he showed me, in one scorner, buckets
and mop and broom which were in
tended for the porter's use. Quite
abruptly he asked to see my hat, and,
wondering at the request, I showed him
the stained black felt with ragged holes
in the crown "That won't do" he
said, and with the word he took down
from peg porter cloth cap with a
patent leather visor and babe me wear
it at my work. 1t was much too small,
but by dint of holding my head with
care could keep it on. Thus balancing
the cap as best could, and with the
broom in hand, followed my employer
for further Instructions He led the
way to the verandas and explained that
they must be swept each morning be-
fore the guests were up and again in the
afternoon at the hour when they were
least i'll use. They were nearly deserted
now, and the proprietor told me to be-
gin my work by sweeping them, and
then he left me.
/ could have danced with sheer de-
light. Not if 1 had deliberately planned
it could l have effected better arrange
ment 1t fitted my needs exactly. A
change to lighter work for a time was
almost necessity, for my hands were
much blistered and torn, and they re-
fused to heal under the friction of my
last employment And then-and my
spirits rose buoyantly to this idea-here
was chance to see something Of do
nestle service, and such another, under
conditions so favorable, might not offer
in all my journey across the continent.
Walter A Wyckoff in 1.-THE Work
ers," Scribner's For October