The Washington herald., 1912-01-31
SMILE is VALUABLE
In BUSINESS WORLD
Men Have Little Use for the
Surly Girl.
By JULIA CHANDLER MANz.


A prosperous business man told me yes
terday that the reason he kept a certain
girl on his pay rolI-we'H call her Mary
BroTn-was because sue KNOWS how e
smile.
Now, I happen to know Mary Brown
and think that he is Justified. She II
neither beautiful nor brainy. she has NJ
particular facility for business. IN fact
she is but a mediocre business success
but she does know how 10 smile, and
when occasion demands. to accompany
the smile with a jolly little remark that
makes a fellow feel that this old world
Of ours isn't such a bad place after all
II the busy man gets in a hun and she
comes in for a share OF his III humor
she turns his sarcasm on with a jest
that somehow makes him feel how very
well she understands him, which soft
soaps his conceit and Nils him with ar
appreciation that is deep enough TO over
look Mary Browns small business ex-
perience and slower progress IN learning.
II a woman knows just where to prick
a mans bubble OF ill-temper she has in
her possession the key 10 business sue
cess.
Tact Necessary to Success.
You may call it tact. iutuition-what
you will II doesn't matter. The real
issue is that it is necessary IN some de-
gree to woman's success in the business
and professional world.
Just knowing when and where and how
TO smile has carried a good many Mary
Browns to a valuable place in their en-
ployers confidence and esteem.
Yes" said the Busy Man, Mary
Brown is the only girl in my place Of
hag EOll
me. I never saw her in a hun. I never
saw her sullen. was thinking OF it the
other day. for the girl must have
troubles of her own. The fact is ! know
she has them in plenty, but when she
puts her foot into my Office in the morn
ing she leaves her personal interests
and troubles behind her. There is some
thing so restful and happy in her pres
ence that 1 invariably send for her on
some pretext when have been through
q particularly trying piece OF business
Leave Personal interests Outside.
Leaving ones personal interests on the
outside when one enters the office rou-
tine for the day is thing that few
girls seem able to do.
have stood waiting before a counter
In a department store while a young
woman finished an account to another
the night before. The talker had no idea
OF the value of a customers time. no
thought of the inconvenience her selfish
ness might be causing. nor the detri-
Inent she might be doing the shop which
employed her services. / have had this
sanfe experience in other places OF busi-
ness. Time and time again I have been
forced to stand by and hear the COM
pletion Of a purely personal conversation.
have seen young women keep their en-
ployers waiting for no greater reason
than this, and be sullen for a week
afterward If they received a sharp repri-
mand.
But I have never seen the girl who
placed her outside interests first during
her Office hours come out at the big end
OF the horn.
1t is the Mary Brown who knows how
TO smile and who has sufficient tact 10
lose herself in her absorption of her
employers interests during the hours
that she works for him who wins her
way to promotion.
The surly girl is always the selfish
girl: and she has no place in the business
world. --