Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-16
LITTLE THINGS COUNT
NECESSARY TO WATCH MINOR
DETAILS OF LIFE.
. Is the little things that count.

It is the little things that count.
How often were our ears assailed by
| that hated platitude in the needless days
| of our chHdhood.-and how often since
| then have we, in turn, made use of It for
the moral benefit OF other needless ones!
/ And all the time We have 1oathed It be-
| cause Of its very triteness and truth-pos-
I stbly even because Of our inability to get
away from its influence.
| But It is the little things that count
I There would be but few terrible accidents
| but for somebody's carelessness. few ap-
| palling tragedies but for an idle word spok-
| en- here or an unthinking smile bestowed
| there It is nearly always in some "uncon-
| sidered tri1e' that great events have their
| actual tnception-some Insignificant Incl
| dent which is temporarily lost sight of in
/ the train of occurrences that follow.
Every man and woman living can look
| back to some point In his or her life when.
| If such and such a thing-usually trivial
had not been said or done the whole course
| of subsequent events would have been ut
| terly changed. Curiously enough, these
minute happenings always stand out with
startling clearness, like a mountain peak
silhouetted against the sky, when we look
at them in retrospect.
The obvious moral of this Is that If we
keep watch of the minor occurrences the
great events may be trusted to look out
for themselves. Only the watch must be
Kept III d tdT&9, comprehensive way, or lie
VIII become wretchedly narrow and sor-
did business. bounded on every side by
candle ends and ehees parings."
II
The home life, perhaps more than any
other, is made up OF unconstdered trifies.
which make either for happiness or misery.
The well-ordered household is monument
to its mistress unremitting attention to de-
toll 1frf Tho aQfi ba iosa rot, Cd
quite as much by what she refrains from
doing as by what she does. It means
great deal to have "a place for everything
and everything in its place." but this very
perfection OF management may prove a
source OF discord II there Is no restrain
Ing Of the sharp reproof when the newt
able somebody with soul above mundane
things calmly ignores the regulations. The
tongue rs truly small member, but as a
wise man OF old observed, Behold how
great matter a little fire kindIeth!"
In business the man or woman who is In
attentive to trifies infallibly scores fall
ure. There may be a few fortunate indi-
viduaIs who have achieved spectacular
success by forging valiantly ahead. dream
ing great dreams and riding rougasflod ever
small duties. But the most of us-the units
who go to make up the great army Of toll
ers-achieve our smaIi measure OF success
by doing faithfully whatever comes in our
way to be done. We cannot afford to let
our dreams Of future greatness interfere
upon the latter depends our bread and but
ter. and. deprived OF this homely but nee
essary fare, we should have small hope Of
seeing our dreams come true.
4
So the girl In business who Is addicted to
trifing inaccuracies. or who has a way OF
forgetting little things. may be very nice.
well-meaning girl but she will never be
success in business unless she conquer her
failings She may be an exceptionally rapid
stenographer, but she Is not careful to
take her notes with exactness and tran
scribe them with accuracy and neatness,
her speed vii; ayau her nothing A bust
ness man wants. above and beyond every
thing else employees whom he can trust,
and who can be depended upon to do their
work as thoroughly without his oversight