Norwich bulletin., 1914-11-07
BEING ON THE JOB

indicative or careless clerk can spoi 1 The late Adam Reid updsrstood thii Tand in his will remembered liberaily those men and women clerks who had Der of years. recognizing the prin- lciRie that on their fidelity to him and Ito thoir work depended So great a
 share of his success.
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 .. 4 farmer Norwich young man wss'
 to Bay State town. to enter bus tness with relatives who had large l paper mills. He dunned overalls, went down into the vats and learned the
 trade from the ground up.
 IL was q great business, yet the icompany was not altogether satisfied l were. In the course of time, the new man was sent out on the road to see
 where the weak places were in their
 western trade.
 ana Tn some eases extrGvagance among the long time salesmen. believing themselves on Easy street, with big lists of customers in many cities. It got to be said of the scout that he would strike . town and sell more In one night than many of the best men would fn a week. He knew the
 business thoroughly, he was out to win over possible rivals and of course he had first class goods to sell. There came to be a saving among the com pany's big list of agents that he was so lucky he could turn up a. stone and find money under iti But his suc- cess was the ags-old story. of deter imitation, fidelity to business inter tests tireless energy in pushing sales. Honestly, it made me smile to read | 9m HaSen .I-S S-~& h. this weeks election that, in certain town. the Prohibitionists would have no candidates to vote for at the polls, as they had neglected to file their names in time!
 How Satan must chuclxle oyer such sleepy people! Nobody ever heard of him as not being on the job Or be- hind time. or letting the other fellow get in ahead of hifn--if he could help 1t! Sluggish, drowBy folks will some times wake up enough to g17nmbfe that the wicked element is increasing. We'll, l if it is, it gets big boosts from some of the good ones, who are going through life mostly in @ trance! 
 A certain successful city lawyer was narratina his early experiences, when, as he said, his profession was a great deal better than his practical A coun- l try boy, he had gone to a distant city and opened an office.
 At first he hired a furnished room; but as clients seemed awfully shy at coming his way, he gave up that ex- pense and used the couch in his office as bed. Fortunately he had a keen sense of humor and was able to smile at what he called his Tight housekeep- | inE, the frugal lunches which he pre- pared for himself, as time went on and I his funds grew discouragingly low. He had dear mother back in his ! NGoSrn casionally forward to him in the big, selfish city box of substantial coun- try goodies. Oh. what they meant to him. the cold chicken. the fat biscuits, the chocolate cake. the mince or pump kin piei Mother never makes low taurants!" he used to reflect with pride.
 With characteristic grit and Spartan abneGation, he never wrote home of his prfEations. He would admit that business was slow, but he was going to make good in time. He never wrote of his frequent vis- ions of red apples going to waste un- der the orchard trees of yellow pump kins in the field, of the boiled dinners and substantial suppers the hired man was enjoying, all in such saddening contrast to his own a.bstemious lun- ches on bakers bread and delicates- sen Sranldurts, or restaurant baked beans
 Meantime he was hustling about the courts, studying in the public law libT4 4ries, listening to pleadings in fa- nous cases, picking up every scrap of knowledge he could. He copied briefs, carried messages for magnates in the. profession, worked In every possible line whicch opportunity afforded.
 There came night, however, when had grown scant, his country made clothes were looking frayed an drus- ty, the glimmer oS hope seemed fad ing. But he set his teeth and vowed he would not givve up. Neither would he apply for help in any form to his father, already oveFburdened with the cares of @ big, mortgaged farm.
 AS a last resort he must sell one of his precious and, ala, few law books. He described how he drew his rough sleeve across his eyes to wipe anay the tears which would come; for he was young, and this set-b back to his boyish ambition was hard to bear.
 He did the precious volume up in a paper neatly, and through his tears
 nuttered, in his dry, New England hu- nor:
 lis not a plank that stands be- 
 stone'' Then, as he was about to turn out the gas. moved by recollections of his gcod mothers teachings, he drop- ped on his knees by the side of his bed-coucch and prayed desperately: 'GiVe us this day our daily bread!"
 It must have been the delay for that trustful and hurried prayer that did it. At that moment there came an imperious knock on the glass of his doori
 A few minutes earlier, the evening express had run into the station, fully three hours late. A freight had run off the track q. dozen miles up, block ing traffic. One of t1e passengers, big, pompous, prosperous looking, had hur- ried up into the main street. bent on lookinnE up a lswyyer to consult re- Rarding a trespass case in his own town, back in the hills.
 Every building was dark. All the big lawyers of the city had gone home, to dine and forget business cares for the night. As the irritated stranger puffed along the walk. hungry and peevish, his eye fell on & lighted window whereon shone out the sign: Hiram Jones, Att torney at Law"
 ''Humph! I'm glad there is one. lawyer awake in this townl" snorte1