Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1911-12-27

why. and Sne gave ner nOteDOoR
an angry fling. this thing here.
warrant. has about one page in ten
filled with business that needed to
be transacted! The rest is gush and
affectation And yet the men pride
themselves on their quickncss and
their lack of red tape and their abil
ity to cope with big situations. And
you won't find one man in dozen
who doesn't make supercilious re
marks about detail and say that he
hasn't time to attend to that-that's
what he keeps clerks for!
II heard Mr.. Brown this morning
tell his wife over the phone that he
simply couldn't get home to her lun
cheon. he was so busy-his desk was
simply piled with work. He was very
sorry, but business had to come be
fore pleasure and she'd please make
his excuses to the guests and SO on
al that rot.
"Well, l. expected a busy day when
heard that and So l prepared for
rapid dictation Well. what did
get? To one man he wrote that the
matter was on his desk and as soon
as he had time he'd look it over and
write him in detail. which he begged
leave to trust was satisfactory! And
to another he wrote that business. as
he very likely knew, wasn't what it
might be. and therefore he wouldn't
he able to go into the matter. but we
might in some months time-per.
haps-with which he trusted he might
sign himself very sincerely! And TO
another that he was in doubt as to
the advisablity of taking out such
and such a paper. just at present. but
after due consideration he would
write him further. and he desired,
with great gusto. to subscribe him.
self his obliged friend. And so on
through the whole list. Why, there
wasn't a letter that couldn't have
been done away with altogether, let
alone being put off until after his
wife's luncheon.
"But all those letters made him
think he was very busy man and
I've no doubt that he thinks he's in.
dispensable to the company.
Some day I'm going to run OFF a
lot Of form letters. saying that I'm
very sorry. but I haven't yet had time
to look into the matter. but will write
further when time permits. ] think it
makes the men feel good to tell peo.
pie they are too busy to think. Per.
baps it might be we'll for me to offer
my services as thinker for them!
"They all know that they'll decide
against whatever matter it is that
keeps pending. It's hypocritical at
titude, to say the least. They pretend
TO themselves that they're busy. They
pretend to the man TO whom they
write that the matter really interests
them and that they're really going to
discuss il. and think it. over, when
they know they arsn't even going to
look at it again! And they pretend
to the company that they're doing
business eight hours day. And then
they'll go home and pretend to fheif
wives that they've had a hard day!
cob, I've known too much Of them
ever to marry one o: them, Marriage
is purely q confidence game. as I see
1t, and when you lose conidence-or
start in without any-marriage is sure
to be failure!
"Yes, yes, I'm coming as fast as
cam" She moved toward the door
Then she turned smiling counteance
to the bookkeeper.
Here" she said. good naturally.
"just remem Der that what | said was
all hasty. Perhaps those men do
lot of pretending. bat if you listen
carefully you'll hear my own sweet
voice telling Mr.. Jacobs, in one more
minute. how extremely sorry am
that was delayed and that it was IN
sVoida BILE. r>And. do you know. Ia BE-
fearfully angry ii they dared init
mate to me that / didn't earn my sal
sry or that I wasted a lot of valuable