The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1907-02-02
The Rise Of William Bentley

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No one ever thought Of calling him
Mr. Bentley Or even WiIliain. re was
universally known as silly 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 p1r.
pose OF guying him One day the do.
mimic said to him:
chilly, IL you wish to take exercise
and don't care to benefit yourself BY II
except Ia health, why not do something
to benefit othersiD
''How11 asked Billy.
Eat the bureau Of united charities we
need men TO saw wood. Wood saving
ia the best remedy a dyspeptic can
take Go UP there every day and give
your services to the poor, ana perhaps
| the Lord win return them to you muI
tiplied.
/ Billy took the hint Arrayed In q
frock coat, white waisfcoat and a
silk hat, he went to the bureau and
sawed wood from till s. Then he
went home took bath and ate din
ner that required another two hours
work to digest He felt so much bet
ter that he kept up the wood saving
l with great regularity.
One day soon after Billy commenced
/ to saw there was a meeting OF the
lady directors of the bureau Ia the
building overlooking the woodward.
Billy was engaged ID digesting bis yes
/ terday's dinner
who's that out in the yard saving
\ wood n asked Miss Arabeila Stevens,
a wealthy young lady much Interested
in charitable work. '.He doesn't look
like a paupern
The manager was called Ia and ques-
toned. she reported that the gentle
mans name was Bentley and that he
sawed wood. she supposed, from an In
terest ii the poor
Now, the ladies present had husbands
or brothers or sons. but none OF them
had ever seen or heard Of man who
loved the poor SO well as to saw wood
for them It was hard enough TO get
the men to give money, and when a
man hadn't that to give he gave moth
ing.
"Isn't II perfectly loveiyY' said Miss
Stevens.
such true charity remarked the
president,
Reminds one Of the sacrifice of the
widow who gave her mitew observed
the secretary.
Il wonder who he Is anyway asked
a director,
Hes aristocratlc looking even while
doing work SO far beneath a gentle
man, put Ia another director.
HE ennobIes the work. added
third.
When after month had rolled
round and the board met again at the
same place and hour, there was Billy
bending over d saw buck getting him
self in shape to gorge himself again at
dinner. The board was thrown into a
fiutter Of admiration compared with
which the original discovery OF the
friend OF the poor was as nothing How
could this charitable, wonder be nth.
lied in the world Of philanthropy? II
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 true account of MIN.
self, was obliged to listen to adulation
that astonished him. Then he hlushed
and said that saving wood was excel
lent exercise.
Ibid you ever see such modestvsa
whispered the secretary to the treas
urer
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. 4
dent told him that his charitable M
ture was only equaled by his Inodesty
and he should have week to consider
the matter.
Before the end Of the week BilIv re-.
celyed an Invitation to dine with Miss 4
Stevens and ate SO enormous q dinner
that the lady remarked:
Poor mani He works SO hard for
others its no wonder be needs 10 eat
heartily"
Every man needs opportunity. ana
Billy Bentley had found his. Whether
he would have grasped it had 1t not
been for the interest Miss Stevens
took IN him Is another matter. Certain
1t Is that Billy. seeing possibility Of
possessing her and her fortune. con.
eentrated bis faculties on his work
Naturally he turned to labor saving
Now, some managers win work very 4,
hard and accomplish very little. Oth.
ers viii work very little and accom-.
pllsh great deal.
Billy was one OF The latter kind
Though he sat at his desk sharneninc
his pencil, he managed the tinted
Charities remarkably yell But this
was merely a starter. Mr.. Bentley de-.
veloped an administrative talent Thar
was truly surprising. One OF his Old
acquaintaneAs called 1t "a cenlus for
inding ways Of doing nothing where
there was ouch 10 be done without inA
convenience or other evil rexultu
Bentley was offered one position after I
another. each step higher than NV
last until he became president az I
trust.
OF course Mr.. Bentley uarTiaa kstso