The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1907-06-13
Fer the Joy Of the Doing.
(Young Peoples Weekly

Inc SlSnC Oh an alert, vigorous
young man or woman standing on
Ne brink. as it were, o. life's big
experiences, always brings to my
mind the words, 'Rej6iceta as a
strong man to run a race" There Is
something magnificent in the fresh
srithHsiasms. the tense moral muscles,
the cons '3tfsr,ess of power to wres. e
and overcome.
But swift upon the first thought
comes another. How many will run
for the JOY of the race, and how
many merely for the plaudit5, the
fame, and material gain success may
bring?
knew young draughtsman who,
when he was engaged on a drawing,
forgot everything in the pleasure cf
his work. 10 him it was an unfailirg
source of amazement how some cf
his associates in the large construe-
ton company where he was employ
ed could let plan pass from their
hands in a slrudgy. slovenly condi-
ton. 1t seemed to him that, by so
doing, they missed all that made
the thing worth while.
Even the most commonplace work
gains interest when performed in
this way, and it is the one Sure key
which will unlock the door to steady
advancement. Employers are con-
stantly on the lookout for young
people who work for the joy of the
doing. They know its worth. and
that nothing can hold such man or
woman back. Note, as you go into
dry goods store, the girl who wits
on yea as though she had some in
terest in finaire what you needed.
1t will not be many years before she
is at the head of her department, In
a millinery shop in one of our big
cities recently was surprised to
hear voting woman say politely,
but firmly, to an elderly lady who
was gazing anxiously at her reflection
in tfle glass: Madam, that hat is
entirely unsuitable for you. If you
will allow me, will find something
far more becoming" ! immediate
ly made mental note of that gill
to be stored up for future use. She
was too much in earnest in her vC-
cation to allow her customer to
make such blunder as the purchase
of that particular piece of headgear
certainly would have been.
There is an iinIir.erse satisfaction
in feeling, my best has g0ne into
the work." At the close of the day
to be able to look back, and say: II
strove because there was joy in the
striving" is to start one step higher
when next the sun rises. Employ
ment which is gotten through some
how, anyhow, while counting the
hours until labor ceases, is a veri-
table treadmill. There must be
some joy in the doing if life for the
masses Is to be anything but a grind
ing routine.
We all recall, in Nicholas Nickle-
BY" old Tom Linkinwater's pride in
the account books of the Cheeryble
Brothers, which he had kept so inn
maculately for so many years, and
his joy when he found that the work
of young Nicholas came up to his
standard, and that he was capable of
becoming his successor.
Unless we find some satisfaction
and recompense in performing the
task of today, we shall assuredly not
find it in tomorrow's larger oppor-
tunity, and the more congenial en-
ployment which the future may
bring will not yield the qualification
we expected from it. The germ of
joy in the doing must be planted
NOW, whatever the work, if we are
ever to know that thrill, that joy
which obliterates for the time being
every disappointment and defeat life
can hold, which comes from the sue
cessful accomplishment of some diff
,,~Jo,to1,;-r