The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1916-03-03
BE DEFINITE

ans Page on big daily was vacant.
1t was a desirable position. Appli-
cant after applicant came to the
managing editor He asked each one
what ideas she had to offer, what
she planned to put on the page.
Whereat they all looked blank.
They had no definite plans. What
they wanted was the position. They
all knew they could fill it perfectly
we'll, better than it had ever been
filled before in fact, but they had
no plan of action as to how they
would do this.
The managing editor sent them
all away, promising that if he want
ed them he would send for them.
He did not send. For, by and by,
the woman he was looking for came.
He didn't know she was the woman,
until he asked her his question,
What would you do with the pager"
She gave him no large generalities
for answer. Instead, she took from
her handbag a paper she had pre-
pared and spread it before him. 1t
contained her plan of campaign. 1t
was chock full of ideas. 1t repre-
scented hours of thought and study
on the problems she was offering to
attack. And, above all, it was def
mite, full of concrete examples.
The managing editor didn't tell
that woman he'd send for her if he
wanted her. He offered her the posi-
ton at the salary she asked-more
than he had ever paid before.
That's true story. And it shows
what defniteness can accomplish.
Definiteness always accomplishes
things, it is thought concentrated in
to power.
Definiteness is always ready to
translate the general into the par
ticular, the abstract into the con-
crete.
So many things pass through one
ear and out the other, or through the
eyes and out the back of the head,
because they are too general, too
vague. Definite things stick.
There is no factor, to my mind, so
potent in advertising, as defniteness.
l used to trade with two grocers.
One had sign in his window, THE
Best Groceries at Reasonable Prices. ="
The other had a little bulletin board
on which he suggested each day vari-
Gus articles on which he was special
izing or which were appropriate to
the season. l can't tell you how
often l bought these articles, because
they were definitely brought to my
mind.
The other day we had been to see
some wonderful greenhouses and
were trying to describe them. You
can't imagine how lovely it was to
stand at one end and look down that
long vista of pink carnations"
told my mother. Why, it must have
been almost two hundred feet long"
Mother looked impressed but vague.
How do you expect her to realize
two hundred feet?" laughed my com
panion. Tell her they were as long
as from your front gate to my
house" At which defniteness, my
mothers face lit up with compre-
hension and appreciation.
An exaggerated defniteness is Of
ten the basis of humOr On a dance
order was an interminable list of
patronesses. why the thousand
patronesses?" Molly asked one of the
sponsors of the dance. OF course we
laughed. "Why so many patron
esses?" wouldn't have been funny at
all.
A friend of mine always greets
any vague, general statement with
such as?"-a demand for a con-
crete example.
You would be surprised to see how
many people can't answer her in
diligently.
Could you back up all of your gen
eral statements by definite ones?-
Ruth Cameron.