The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1912-07-24
Being of Service
to Others
(By EBERT HUBBARD

y WAS down in Washington
few weeks ago and
a street car from George
town to the capitol. The
car was pretty we'll crowded.
A stout gentleman, rather ell
derby came in and Wedged him.
self between myself and a Wo-
man with a big market basket
on her lap.
himself he gently turned his
head to me and pleasantly
said, "Neighbor can you tell
me the time of day.?
When strangers ask for the
time, there is a shance of your
timepiece being snatched.
This man was too fat to run,
and the car was crowded. NO
matter what happened l could
grab him.
And so took out mp Inger-
soil and told him it was a
quarter to leven.
He murmured thanks. and
then alphabetically explained
that he had left his watch at
home.
Suddenly it came over me
with a thrill that the stout
man was Chief Justice White
of the supreme court of the
United States.
would have continued the
conversation, but I saw that
he was preoccupied. His lips
were moving and he was sort
of talking to himself and smil-
ing. I guess he was formulat-
ing some kind of speech, an
address, a decision of perhaps
far-reaching Importance. Not
wishing to break in on world
problem, l sat silent.
The car stopped and several
room on the other side of the
aisle, and abandoned the
Woolsack and moved over, so
that l might get a dissolvlng
view Of the man who dissolved
the Standard Oil company.
A man came in and sat down
in the place next to the chief
Justice. And as this man set
tied himself the chief justice
leaned over and said, Neigh
Dor, can you tell me what
time it is?"
And he was politely inform
ed.
This man got out at the
third CLOCK, and a colored man
got in and sat down by the
chief justice
His honor turned toward
him and said, will you please
give me the time Of day."
The colored gent got out
just as we reached the foot of
Capitol Hill. Chief Justice
White got up and held on to
a strap. l did the same. The
car swung around the curve
and we bumped each other.
Excuse me" l said.
1T was my fault" said he.
Then he said, would you
mind giving me the time of
day."
l consulted my watch and
informed him that it was S
minutes to 'leven.
l have wondered since
whether the judges solitude
about the time was because
he cared or was this his way
Of being sociable!
And | have since concluded
that it was simply his way of
being sociable and expressing
his good will.
His mind was working, I'M
doubtedly on another theme,
but at the same time the kind
ness in his nature manifested
itself in his neighborly queS-
ton. He gave the other man
an opportunity to render him
a service. And when we do
that, provided the man can
accommodate us without pos
tive loss to himself, we confer
on him benefit and a JOY.
That is to say, it is a mat
ter of fellowship, and fellow
ship is Heaven.
And here as 1 write I feel
a joy vibe of pride that Chief
Justice White Of the supreme
court of the United States,
not only once, but twice, ask
ed me to perform for him a
certain specific service, and,
fortunately, l was able to
meet his request.
| think more of the man and
always have and always will
for this conversation, even
though three other men were
honored in the same way in
the course of two-mile ride.