Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-07-26


= very curious. The average man, as every
one knows, hates black. His countenance
is overspread with heavy gloom as soon
as he sees you wearing it. and black
evening dress is his abomination. But as
We were saying, it is quite another matter
with the Office boy. He is visibly sustained,
so soothed and cheered by black dress;
whereas II you wear colors. he imme-
diately says the boss isn't in and there 10
an end Of 1t. ,. e....
NOR is this the only thing in which the
Office boy contradicts the usual laws Of
nature. He Is living puzzle. full of
whirnsy, fantasy and unaccountable moods.
He Is. to begin with, almost invariably fat.
Whether he becomes fat after being an
office boy or Is an Office boy because he Is
fat Is one Of those questions We have never
been able to determine. At any rate the
fact remains. Perhaps 1t is the ultimate
destiny Of those dimpled. pudgy babies you
see in photograph albums and occasionally
In homes. And again, is 1t a question Of
inclination. heredity or training? Are Office
boys born or made? Does he acquire that
brooding, oblivious air, that absence Of
with which he intones language that
once was English? Or like an undertaken.
does he simply follow in the wake Of some
acknowledged predecessor: History is full
Of ONCE boys who have risen to higher
things; II anything can be said to be
higher than his own role. This attitude of
continually guarding the portals Of the
gate from invasion has given him a sure.
ness Of what the Y. w. c. A. calls SOCIAL
approach" that is completely denied the
average individual.
IF YOU are in business you hnd that the
1 whole downtown stratum IL underlaid
with ONCE boys. They form, with stenog.
raphers and elevator boys. the bulwarks Of
society. And there Is q brotherhood,
great free masonry between them which is
touching to contemplate.
INTER, for instance. a modern ONCE.
~ You are confronted at once by plump
boy at q desk. He is completely uncon-
rcious Of your approach, nor does he seem
to hear you even when you speak three
times. His eyes are glued to a parti.colored
book. You fill out a slip which says that
you want to see Mr.. Dash. The slip also
requires you to state why and for how long
and what for. II you have come merely to
have lunch with Mr.. Dash or for friendly
chat the situation is critical But the ONCE
boy is inexorable Nor does he even relent
when you have written your name, history
| and previous record on the card. He tells
| you calmly and without moving q muscle
Of his face. except those essential for ar.
| ticulstion. that Mr.. Dash IL out. It makes
no difference whether you have Just been
talking to him or even can see him through
the door. The Office boy merely reiterates
and in the end you have to believe him. It
Is the triumph Of force over reason.
| THE boss himself does not know the true
L character Of his ONCE boy How should
he2 Only the outside world sees him as hs
really 10.
| AND yet we have even had ONCE boys
Aof our own. "Et in Arcadia ego" One
particularly we remember. His name was
Louis and he had deep black eyes and
smooth, blueblack hair. BY his presence
alone were we protected from people wh6
wanted "a piece In the paper" people we
didn't like who wanted to take US out to
dinner. people we did who wanted to see
us when we were busy. people who wanted
to know who wrote that article and cried