The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1907-06-13
SERVICE.

SERVICE.
Even in Shakespeare's days faithful
service seems to have become tradition.
When Adam offers his purse and service
to Orlando for love of the family by whom
. he had been retained for many years, Or
lando exclaims:
ooh good old man, how well in thee appears
The constant service of the antique world,
When service sweat for duty, not for need!
Thou art not fer the fashion of these times,
Where none win sweat but for promotion:
And having that, do choke their service up
Even with the having; it is not so with thee
The plant is probably heard in every
age and there are Adams in all ages as
we'll as servants who bring discredit upon
the class. Using the term in its general
sense as applying to all who have duties
to perform for others, it is sadly true that
''the constant service of the antique
world" is rarely rendered. Whether the
service in olden times was really better
we have no means of judging, for after
the lapse of time good rather than bad
service is remembered and become ira
ditional All service, however, should be
based upon high ideal, that of duty, and
whether the pay is good or bad, whether
promotion comes or is deferred, duty
should be faithfully discharged. If no
other reward should come it would leave
the faithful servant with a good conscience
to enjoy, like Adam, the lusty winter OF
age. But other rewards are reasonably
sure to follow faithful service. The con-
scientious discharge of duty develops a
good character as we'll as good reputa-
ton. 1t fits men for higher service and it
is generally the fit man who is given OPP
portunties for advancement. Sometimes
the suggestion is made that in these days
of machinery, of corporate enterprise and
huge undertakings, there is no opportu-
nifty for the young man without capital to
enter upon a successful business career !;
that the humble worker is compelled to
remain the mere servant of masters who
control great establishments. But there
has never been a time and probably never
will be when intelligent enterprise and
good character could not find an opening
for advancement, and it is only necessary
to note attentively the record of the lives
of young men now we'll advanced to COM
handing positions in the business world to
find refutation of the idea that changed
economic conditions have lessened the de-
mand for faithful service or withdrawn
its rewards. A few years ago relatively
great railroad corporation. Thirty years
ago he was a poor clerk in a country store,
but he had ambition and entered the SER
vice of the railroad company of which he
became the head in very humble capacity.
Promotion followed promotion solely be-
cause of his faithful and intelligent service.
He hadno capital except character, business
instinct and devotion to duty, but these
were the qualities that capital wanted to
employ. So far is it from being true that
there are no opportunities for poor young
men to advance themselves because of the
aggregation of capital in great business
enterprises, that the reverse may be almost
proved. The commanding figures in the
present generation of business men started
out as poor boys, and there is every prob
ability that those who are to be the COM
handing figures of the next generation are
now struggling clerks, statesmen or me-
chanics who exhibit ''the constant service
of the ANTIQUE World.'' Not all who deserve
will get rich rewards, but those who do
their duty unflinchingly will be ready for
advancementift heopportunitys should come
their way. Fortune comes, as a rule, not
to those who seek it for itself alone, but to
those who 'sweat for duty'-for these
are good servants who are sought by en-
ployers of labor.
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