The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1916-03-19
DR.. Marden's Upift Talks.
"A SMILE in YOUR VOICE"
By ORIsON sWETT MARDI

Over all of the telephones in the
Western Express company's offices is
| a card bearing the legend, Tips for
Top-Notchers," under which are these
words:
The other end of the telephone re-
produces only your voice. 1t gives no
other inkling of your disposition. Wear
smile in your voice. 1t consumes no
extra time, costs nothing-and makes
friends"
Think what it would mean IL the
millions of people who telephone every
day were to wear a smile in their
voice! What a volume Of harmony
would take the place of the volume
Of discord which flows daily over the
telephone wires! How it would ease
the burden and the strain of life IL
every one would wear a smile in his
voice.
Do not fatter yourself because you
have a good brain and a large stock
of self-conhdence that you do not need
to be so particular about your man
ners Merit does not always win in
spite of bad manners. Superior talent,
even genius, has starved to death in
many a man and woman who never
tried to overcome their handicap of
offensive manners.
No matter how much ability you
have nobody will want you unless you
are pleasant and agreeable. Neither
your services nor your company will
be in demand. We all like to get away
from disagreeabIe, offensive people.
We are repealed by them just as nat
urally as we are attracted by the sun
ny face, the attractive manner We
SraYitate toward agreeable. kindly peo-
pie, as material bodies gravitate to-
ward the center of the earth. Bust
ness men, no matter how absorbed in
business. are no exception to the rule.
How ever coarse and gruff an employer
may be he appreciates refinement and
gentle manners in others.
The law can touch us here and there
now and then said Burke, but man
ners are of moro Importance than the
laws. Manners are what veX or soothe,
corrupt or purify. eXalt or debase, bar
barrie or refine by a constant. steady.
uniform, insensiblc operation like that
of the air We breathe
Suave. gracious manners will do more
toward winning customers, patients, Cli-
ents, friends, than twice the ability with
out these qualities. They oil the track,
clear the road and wonderfully tighten
the burdens of life.
Thousands OF professional men without
striking ability have made great for
tunes largely through their courteous
manner, while ADLER men, with unfortu-
different success.
1 have known of d number of brilliant
lawyers who were barred from political
offices to which they had aspired because
they had offended some one who held the
key to the situation.
Many a political aspirant has blocked
his advancement by incivility to some one
whom he looked down on or to whom he
did not think it worth while to be DO
n In tn ",
rant, to a hotel clerk, or to q train con-
ductor has been a boomerang to many
a man who never dreamed that his rude
ness would rebound to his own discredit.
Even from the most selfish, personal
viewpoint, discourtesy is always bad
business One never knows in this land
Of chance and lightning changes when
fortune may send men who need assist
ance to the very man they have snubbed
and abused.
A case in point Is that Of a lucky,
but ragged. prospector. who had located
a gold mine. The miner. without taking
the trouble to clean up, went to a banker
in Colorado Springs and asked him for
loan. The banker. looking him over
disdainfully, said. I'VE don't lend money
to tramps." The miner went away, and
later, when he had sold his mine for
100000, he had an opportunity to pay
the banker back in his own coin. He
was solicited by the latter to open an
account with his bank. The miner, who
had not forgotten the mans former re-
bun. looking him in the eye, said, mo,
sir, do not do business with tramps"
Every youth should understand that
the art of pleasing is the art of rising
in the world" There is no password like
pleasing manner, a courteous bearing
What is the use of being glad IL you
look like brass" is a saying which car
riss a lot of meaning. We all know how
fine manners attract and how rude man.
ners repel. Il is not enough to have
the pure gold of character, it must be
in fine setting.
Copyright, 1851