The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1921-09-28

ly one-sided He gave me credit Tor
great wisdom and intelligence. And
the woman kept silence!
During the first few weeks my
charming English friend spent quite
a little time in my office, explaining
some points in the work and-talklng.
Each explanation wandered into the
world Of theory until / was mentally
worn trying to follow the thread OF
his thought as he wove fabric. |
heard volumes of the most fantastic
schemes for making money that the
world has ever evolved. He never FOL
lowed any of them to their conclusions,
| fortunately. Gradually the converse
| ton drifted toward more familiar
topics-a comparison Of things Eng
| lish with their American "counterte-
it's" metaphysical discussions con-
corning the realities of things; the eff
feet of curved lines in the decorations
of the room; and other nonsense.
Here I was on frmer footing, but
could talk? No! l was in mans
world. Woman's sphere was to listen!
] I have often wondered whether ne
even heard what remarks did make!
With the changing tide of business
he drifted away, and the office acqulr-
ed man who had been salesman.
| Ye gods! Never was there such a
| flood of words! His office was next
to mine and, whether / would or no,
his voice penetrated. He was often
| in his room when l arrived at 9, talk
| ing to group of men, and he was still
talking when l left at 4. His audi
ences changed many times during the
| day, but his ability to hold the floor
| never weakened.
He coaxed the life hopes from be-
ginners and treated them to long dis
courses on their chances for success;
he reviewed the entire history of some
| company or other to it's officers, to-
make trifing event seem of great
Importance; he spent hours locating
the exact whereabouts of mines,
grouping six or seven men on the floor
! about a blueprint. But, in the year
that he spent with us l never heard OF
his financing one of the young hope
fuls nor of his giving able assistance
in running the companies. And, what
is more to the point, never heard
him spending any of his valuable con-
versation toward the fulfllment of his
function in the firm, which was to get
customers.
With the next ebb and flow of the
tide the girls in the office left, one by
one, for other positions. A long per-
iod of dullness was due, so |, too, re-
signed in favor of more active and
more interesting field.
NV new work was absorbing and re-
quired quiet and concentration.
obtained the privilege Of having a
desk in my employers office, where |
would not be disturbed. | had had a
Slight social acquaintance with my
new host and knew him to be most
pleasant gentleman in his own home. !!
He was a very busy man and out
much of the time, at first. Then we
had a spell of bad weather, and | was
confronted again with the problem of
the chatterbox. He poured forth
steady stream, to amuse me, presume
about the books he had read and
the arguments he had had with Mr..
So-and-so, until / could scarcely re-
frain from beating my head against
the wall and mumbling drearily mo
use No use!"
/ have left the business world for a
long rest, and the babble Of women's
voices is sweet music to my ears.
understand now why the tired bust
ness man is so fretful when he gets
home, why he doesn't care to hear
talking. He has had a day of it! |
understand why woman has suffered
her fair name to be maligned. She
is a good listener!