The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1914-11-07
DIR. Marden's
Uplift Talks
BY oR!soN SWEET MARDEN.
""p'Hsht Dy MCCLURE newspaper Syndicate
DO NOT DISCHARGE THE BOY.

DO NOT DISCHARGE THE BOY.
Edwin Booth once scolded one Of
his supers for the careless way in
which he took his part. Look at me-, ~
said Mr.. Booth, why don't you do as
l do?" "Ah, Mr.. Booth" said the
man, IF l were you l would not be
carrying a spear for one dollar q
night"
Don't scold the employee who
doesn' t always do things as you
would do them. Remember, he has
no your experience. judgment or pres
ent ability. If he had he would not
be working for you.
n fire" the boy who has disap-
pointed you. Think how you would
Ill to have some one treat your boy
VINO happened to make a mistake or
to do some foolish thing. Do not
throw him out. Take all interest in
MIN. Try to arouse his ambition.
Tell him of YOU struggles to get a
start in the world and how important
1t is to do everything to a finish.
Show him that every letter he writes,
that every well done thing is a step
to something higher.
Did you ever think, Mr.. Employer,
what 1t may mean to you to discharge
a boy or girl, perhaps in a fit of tenn
per or for a trifing offense?
1t may seem a little thing for you
TO discharge employees, but it may
De the turning point in their careers.
IL is a most unfortunate thing for
young people, who are very suscep.
uble to encouragement, and who are
the victims of their moods, to be dis
charged. They sometimes become so
dlsheartened they think it is no use
to try to do their best.
Some employers say that their time
Is too valuable to spend breaking in
green boys, and they discharge a boy
upon the slightest ~provocation, for a
little instance, a blunder, carelessness.
They do not realize that his may ruin
him.
Remember that you can persuade a
BOY, you a lead him, into almost
anything, but it is very difficult to
drive him, if there is anything in
him.
Perhaps the boy you want to dis
charge has not had the love and
care. the tender influences in his
nome, which your boy has had. In
tact, he may have no real home at
ALL as you have it. His home NAV
even have a vicious influence upon
MIN Are you sure there is nothing
IN him which you can bring out?
Employers should resort to every
possible ~expedient before discbarg.
ing help. Sometimes just a little en-.
enlargement, a little praise, when an
unruly employee does well. will re.
suit in wonderful Improvement.
Only recently the of a
large department store told me that
ne a been so tired with the stu
patty, the carelessness and apparent
lndlHerence of a girl clerk that he
made up his mind he must discharge
her. He had talked with her and ad.
Vlsed her, but found that it did little
or no good. He called her into the
once n morning to tell her that he
would have to let her go. While talk
ing to her, however, he asked her WHY
IL was that she could not do better
n she told him that she didn't like
work she was doing; that If he
would put her in the silk department
he would find she would do better.
lie made the experiment. and she be.
came a different girl. She took a great
interest in silks; in fact, had an al.
most perfect knowledge of silk tex
lures I'M colors. The girl Is now in
charge OF the silk department at a
large salary, and her employer saws
n mas become indispensable to the
concern.
Instead Of firing an employee who
mas tried you perhaps past endurance
change him about, try him in different
positions. He may develop genius.
lie may now be a round peg in a
square hole, and after he has found
his place he may prove very valuable
to you; but if you discharge him II
may discourage him from trying
Many men seem to think that tbey
can treat heir help in any way: that
they can scold them, hound them nag
them, find fault with them, and use
sorts of slaVe-driving methods in
their treatment of them, and yet get
their best service.
While there is now and then a con-
scientious person who tries to do his
best under all circumstances, there
are a thousand who will give back
what they receive.
Action and reaction are pretty near
ly equal in this world. AS a rule.
people pay us back In our own coin
They will a back kindness with
Kindness, hate with hate and ~fngrati-
tude with contempt.