The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1898-04-30
ate, we cannot help matters by worry.

snapped the partner, who damned his
hat down over his ears and rushed out
to try and raise some money. Mr.. Rob.
bins put his foot up OF the desk. drew
pictures on the scratch pad and whistled
a blue Danube waltz. A ten-dollar.
a-week clerk could not have shown a
more magnificent indifference to the
cares of management.
He was put to a second test that same
day. When he arrived at home Mrs.
Robbins was in a condition bordering
on hysteria. The cook had resigned in
anger and gone away.
What are we going to do" demand
ed Mrs. Robbins. We are to nave the
Smiths here for dinner to-morrow. We
must have a cook. Everything in the
kitchen is upside down"
MY dear, we will do the best we can
replied Mr.. Robbins, with provoking
GOODNESS. I'm the meantime, let us not
worry" and he sat down and opened
the evening newspaper.
But, James-you don't appreciate
how serious this is. We are helpless
unless"
MY dear, can we help matters any
by worrying?"
She burst into tears and left the
room.
Mr.. Robbins felt a few pangs of con.
science until he remembered hat il
would not help matters any for him
to worry over the troubles of some one
else. He felt sorry for his wife. but
what good would it do for him tc
worry?
The system was a success: eff a cy
clone should come along at this moment
and take the roof off the house I
wouldn't worry. Why should I? 1t
which to land. 1t couldn't possibly af-
feet the general result"
While Mr.. Robbins philosophical thus
his wife was in her room, worrying.
She worried herself into a state of des-
peratiOn, and finally went out and
telephoned want ad" and called up
two intelligence offices.
Then she returned home, but she still
worried for fear the new cook could not
be engaged in time for the Smith dim
ner, so she went over to see Mrs. Glenn
and borrowed her cook for the next
day. As a consequence a beautiful din
ner was in readiness when the Smiths
arrived, and Mr.. Robbins felt that he
had been vindicattd.
Everything has turned out all right
he said. would it have turned out
any better if | had worried? Not at all.
What is the use of enduring these men,
tai torments? | have been mistaken all
my life. l have been a fool. | have
worried too much"
He was further convinced along this
same line by what happened at the Of
flee.
The partner came in a day or two
later with dark rings around his eyes
and a nervous twitching of the mouth.
He was smoking a black cigar.
well, Robbins, I've got the money
to meet those drafts, he said.
81 knew it would be all right" sale
Robbins. That's why l didn't worry.
Do you know that's a great system:
Don't worry, my boy. Take everything
calmly"
II don't see it." said the partner.
chewing his cigar savagely and tearing
open letter after letter on his desk.
where would we be if | hadn't wor-
ried over those drafts until l went out
and simply held up people to get
money? That's a very lovely rule of
conduct for a woman who has nothing
to do except pour tea every afternoon,
or for some man who spends the money
left to him by his father and writes
books or philosophy. I'll admit that
it's better not to worry if you can get
along without it. Iwish | didn't worry.
but if | stopped worrying I'd be in the
poorhouse in six months. Once | knew
a man who never worried. That was
out in the country, where | used tC
live. He fshed all day. His wife took
in washing and finally killed herself
from overwork, but it didn't worry him.
He went to live with his brother and
let his children support themselves. II
would have worried any other man tC
be left with our children, but he was
a philosopher. He knew it wouldn't
do any good to worry. Why, don't you
know that a man never fortifies himself
against defeat until he begins to worry
over the prospect of defeat?"
This was very candid talk, but it
didn't worry Mr.. Robbins.
He has been practicing the new phi
losophy for two weeks. He has taken
on flesh. and is beginning to wear the
snug and satisfied appearance of a man
whose wife has money.
In the meantime. however, the part.
ner has taken to drink, and Mrs. Rob-
bins seems ready to go into an early de-
Record.