Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1907-03-12
The Rise of William Bentley
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else.
No one ever thought of calling him
Mr.. Bentley or even William. He was
universally known as Billy Bentley.
When Billy announced his intention to
take exercise every one laughed. A
great many kinds of exercise were of
fered to him. most of them for the pur-
pose of guying him. One day the do
mimic said to him:
BILLY, If you wish to take exercise
and don't care to benefit yourself by 1t
except In health. why not do something
to benefit othersW
"How2" asked Billy.
AT the bureau of united charities we
need men to saw wood. Wood saving
is the best remedy a dyspeptlc can
take. Go up there every day and give
your services to the poor, and perhaps
the Lord will return them to you null
tiplied.
Billy took the hint. Arrayed In a
frock coat, white waistcoat and
silk hat, he went to the bureau and
sawed wood from till 8. Then he
went home, took a bath and ate a din
ner that required another two hours
work to digest. He felt so much bet
ter that he kept up the wood saving
with great regularity.
One day soon after Billy commenced
to saw there was a meeting of the
lady directors of the bureau in the
buiIIipu woodward
Billy was engaged in digesting his yes
J terday's dinner.
who's that out in the yard saving
| wOod?" asked Miss Arabella Stevens,
wealthy young lady much interested
in charitable work. He doesn't look
like pauper."
The manager was called i'll and Ques-
| toned. She reported that the gentle
mans name was Bentley and that be
sawed wood, she supposed. from an in
terest in the poor,
Now, the ladies present had husbands
or brothers or sons, but none of them
had ever seen or heard of a man who
! loved the poor so well as to saw wood
for them. 1t was hard enough to get
the men to give money, and when
man hadn't that to give he gave moth
| ing.
isn't it perfectly lovely?' said Miss
Stevens.
'Such true charity!' remarked the
president.
Reminds one of the sacrifice of the
widow who gave her mitev' observed
the secretary.
II wonder who he is anyway" asked
a director.
He's arlstocratic looking even while
doing a work so far beneath gentle
man." put in another director
HE ennobles the work" added a
third.
| When after a month had rolled
round and the board met again at the
same place and hour there was Billy
bending over saw buck getting him
self in shape to gorge himself again at
dinner. The board was thrown into
futter of admiration compared with
which the original discovery of the
! friend of the poor was as nothing. How
could this charitable wonder be util-
lied In the world of philanthropy? 1t
was like finding diamond in the mud.
Billy was sent for to appear before the
board and, without being given an OPP
portunity to give a true account of him.
self, was obliged to listen to adulationf
that astonished him. Then he blushed
and said that saving wood was excel
lent exercise.
did you ever see such modesty 2"
whispered the secretary to the treas
urer.
1.-The only genuine exposition of Let
not your right hand know what your
left hand doeth' have ever met with"
replied the treasurer.
Then the president asked Billy If he
would accept the position of superin-
tendent of all the charities under the
direction of the bureau. Billy was too
astounded to reply. Then the presi-
dent told him that his charitable ma
ture was only equaled by his modesty
ard he should have a week to consider
the matter.
Before the end of the week Billy re-
ceived an invitation to dine with Miss
Stevens and ate so enormous dinner
that the lady remarked:
Poor man. He works so hard for
others it's no wonder he needs to eat
heartily
Every man needs opportunity, and
Billy Bentley had found bis. Whether
he would have grasped 1t had it not
been for the interest Miss Stevens
took In him Is another matter. Certain
it is that Billy, seeing possibility of
possessing her and her fortune. con-
centrated his faculties on his work.
Naturally he turned to labor saving.
Now. some managers will work very
hard and accomplish very little. 9th
ers will work very little aud accom-
plish great deal.
Billy was enc of the latter kind.
Though he sat at his desk sharpening
his pencil, he managed the United
Charities remarkably WELL But this
was merely starter. Mr.. Bentley de-
veloped an administrative talent that
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