The Washington herald., 1915-01-15
"He Always Did His Best. "
By oRIsoN SWEET MARDEN.

BY OHlSON SWEET
Things done we'll
And with a care exempt themselves
from ear"-Shakespeare, Henry
VIII"
Half doing things Just for now" ex-
pecting to finish them later. has ruined
many a bright prospect, because it has
led to the habit Of sighting ones work
Not long ago 1 asked business man
the secret of the remarkable advancement
of one Of his employees from office boy
to manager. His reply was: He always
did his best. He never would leave any
thing half done, no matter how other
things pressed him. He simply would
not let anything go out of his hands un-
til he had stamped his best upon it."
Early in life this man determined that
whatever passed through his hands had
to bear the hallmark OF excellence or he
would not o. X. it or be responsible for
it. Thus he formed a habit that has char
acterized his whole career and that has
helped to develop other splendid success
qualities.
There is a wonderful cumulative value
in such a life habit. yet instead Of doing
our best most OF US do not even do our
second best the majority OF the time. We
weave into our life web many bad threads
-half-hesrted, Indifferent efforts-and
and then we wonder why on every side
We see all sorts of things selling for
a song because the maker put no char
acter, no thought into them. Articles Of
clothing that look stylish and attractive
when first worn very quickly get. out OF
shape and hang and look like old, much
worn garments. Buttons fly off, seams
give way at the slightest strain, dropped
stitches are everywhere in evidence and
often the entire article goes to pieces
befor it is worn half a dozen times. Many
people never think of putting on a ready
made garment until the buttons are sewn
on again, and often the seams are re-
stitched.
Everywhere We see furniture which
looks all right. but in reality is full of
blemIshes and weaknesses, covered up
with paint and varnish. Glue starts at
joints, chairs and bedsteads break down
at the slightest provocation, castors come
of. handles pull out. and many things
go to pieces" altogether, even while
practically new.
The job which goes out of your hands
should mean that there is nothing sloven-
" or slipshod about 1t. II you have made
a suit OF clothes. it should mean that
the seams will not part, or the buttons
fly off, on the least strain; If a piece of
furniture, it should mean that It is not
glued where it should be dovetailed, that
you have not tried to cover up weak,
spongy, defective wood where strength Is
necessary with paint or vaTnish or filled
gaping joints with putty.
An employe is marked for higher po-
sition by his employer long before he is
aware of it himself. 1t may be months,
or it may be a year before the opening
comes, but when 1t does come the one
who has appreciated the infinite diff
ference between good and better" be-
tween fairly good" and excellent" be-
tween what others call good" and the
best that can be done, will be likely to
get the place.
Ones ambition and ideals need con-
slant watching and cultivation in order
to keep the standards up.
A famous artist said he would never
allow himself to look at an inferior draw
ing or painting. to do anything that was
low. or demoralizing, lest familiarity with
1t should taint his own ideal and thus be
communicated to his brush.
There is everything in holding a high
ideal of your work. Hold the idea Of ex-
cellence constantly in your mind, for
whatever model the mind holds the life
copies. What we think that we become.
(Copyrixht, Iel5.D