Evening star., 1924-10-25
THIS AND THAT
BY C. E. TRACEWELL.

Laughing at the boss jokes is prob
ABBY the original indoor sport.
Cheops no doubt began it.
The old fellow, pleased with the way
his pyramid was going up, called his
henchmen around him and propoundeo
this merry quip:
why is yon pyramid like unto my
royal self?''
And why, o Cheops, is yon pyramid
like unto thy royal self?" aueried Sema
rib, chief prime minister, smiling broad
ly, as IL in anticipation of gem of wit
and humor.
Ramena, chief second prime minister
made his lean mouth assume ever
great wrinkles Of coming joy.
"Tell us, o Cheops, why is it that
thou are cen like yon glorious pyra-
mid, striking up into high heaven In
imitation of thy glorious majesty
breathed Ramona.
Cheops wagged his cloud striking
brow. He started to speak. The big
Nile flies stopped their motors in mid
air, so as not to miss word. All Egypt
hung in waiting:
lyon pyramid. then, is like unto my
royal self" said Cheops, because
peer amid. Har har, har.''
Then the Valley of the Kings did ring
with right hearty laughter. as Semarih
and Iamena and all the other boys
laughed at the first boss joke.
"Har, har, har." roared Scenario.
"Haw, haw, haw," rumbled Ramona
Laughing at the boss joke is at once
the most innocent and, merriest of pas
times. one that gladdens an office, and
brings into prosaic business a precious
golden something that cannot be
laughed away
Happy is the Office where the boss
tells jokes.
In the establishment where the "old
man is in the habit OF telling stories
to the hands an atmosphere of cordial
ity is apt to exist that may be sought
for in vain elsewhere.
The boss being no simp himself is
quite aware of this state of affairs. He
is modern Cheops, king OF all he sur
veys, and knows as we'll as you do that
perhaps his joke did not merit such
appreciation.
Yet he Is glad for IL, just the sane,
being a human being just like the
boys" He knows that his entire
thought was to share . good thing, to
please others, and that such an aim is
worthy of applause.
The nice thing about being boss
is that the applause is always forth
coming.
" men the DOSS ItllS d sboI1, cNSi
body laughs up good and hearty.
There is no doubtful laughter, no at
mosphere of dare you to ma ke :
me-laugh. Everybody joins in with
a will, the boss leading the band. A
sympathetic thrill goes through the
entire circle. binding boss and en-
ployes in a magic chain of oneness.
This is an eminently worthwhile
thing.
4 = X ::
Nor is there any real hypocrisy in
this business of making merry when
the boss gives the word to go.
Nobody is a hypocrite when he
realizes fully what he is doing, and
when every other person realizes 1t
and realizes that he realizes it.
This is the happy state of affairs
existing in this matter.
Before the boss starts his latest story
he knows full we'll that 1t is going to get
a good hand. The charmed circle Of
auditors knows it, too. The boss knows
they know it, they know that the chief
knows il.
1t is in this as it is In telling a so
called white lie'-there is every excuse
in the world for it, and practically moth
ing to be said against it by any one
who has looked deeply into the matter.
The superficial philosopher. viewing a
merry group, may sneer nightly at the
p1erriment that goes Up. but did he
probe deeper into the complexities OF