Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1898-04-28
we cannot help matters by worry

bins put his foot up on the desk, drew
pictures on the scratch pad and whistled
| a BLUE Danube" waltz. A ten-dollar-
a-week clerk could not have shown
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. 1--WE are to have the
Smiths here for dinner tomorrow. We
must have cook. Everything in the
| kitchen is upside down.
MY dear, we will do the best we can,"
| replied Mr.. Robbins, with provoking
GOODNESS. "In 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 that it
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 to
| worry?
The system was success: eff cy-
clone should come along at this moment
and take the roof off the house /
wouldn't worry. Why should L? 1t
wouldn't help me to find a soft spot on
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 a want adj 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 consequence beautiful din
ner was in readiness when the Smiths
arrived, and Mr.. Robbins felt that he
| had been indicated
| Everything has turned out all right"
he said. would it have turned out
any better if had worried? Not at oil.
| What is the use of enduring these men
tai torrents? have been mistaken all
my life. I 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 day or two
later with dark rings around his eyes
| and nervous twitching of the mouth.
He was smoking black cigar.
"Well, Robbins, I've got the money
to meet those drafts, he said.
81 knew it would be all right" said
Robbins. That's why l didn't worry.
Do you know that's 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 on philosophy. I'll admit that
| it's better not to worry if you can get
| along without it. wish didn't worry,
but if L stopped worrying I'd be in the
| poorhouse in six months. Once l knew
| man who never worried. That was
out in the country, where used to
live. He fished 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. 1t
would have worried any other man to
be left with four children, but he was
| philosopher. He knew it wouldn't
do any good to worry. Why, don't you
| know that 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 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-
cline.-Chicago Record.