"Dustin' Shelves."

Horowhenua Chronicle, 17 March 1910, Page 4

"Dustin' Shelves."

The following story of a young man was recently forwarded by a subscriber. It has so valuable a lesson in it it is worth passing on :— As the hero of tho tale now hold's a high position, in one of the l«ading hardware houses of the Coasl;, I will call him Harry" for shorl), because that is not his name. Several years ago Henry«was a warehouse boy, in the same concern, at a few shillings a week. Ana lie had vegetated in that one job for five years. One morning a friend of Henry's dropped in—a man who uses liis head for thinking purposes, rather than as a mere appendage to a roll-top hair cut. Henry was not in a good humour. It wins too early in tha morning." Henry got to be one of those agreeable folks that don't love their fellowmou until after ten o'clock. "How are you, Henry? How's business?" asked the visitor. "Rotten!"—with a scowl. "Here I've been for five years dustin' shelves—nothin' but dust shelve;? the hull bloornin 'time. No raise I No promotion I Still dustin" shelves! I'm sick and tired of it. I'm goin' to quit and go some place where they'll give a man a show." "Dusting shelves 1"' echoed the caller, astonished. "Von haven't been dusting (shelves." "Have to. Guess I ought to know." "Rut you don't. You have been, reading a hardware catalogue all these years., How much have you learned from it?" "Watcher mean? I hain't seen no catalogue." "Why, these shelves are your catalogue. Every article right before you. life-size. Here, what are these?" "Ship's augers I guess." "What do they cost?" "I dunno." " Wliat do they sell for?" "T dunno. They never tell a feller nawtliin' here." "Yes, and some people don't learn without being told—not even in five yearn. Why are these augers that funny shape?" "T dunno." "Where are they made?" "Savs Pittsburg on the box." Yes." What sizes do they come in ?" "I dun/no." "Look on the boxes and see." "In sixteenths." "Yes; now what are they used for?"" "T dunno." "So you have handled those augers day after day for five years, and haVc never learned anything about them? Do you see now why you haven't been promoted r "Well, I begin to. Do you thimk it's too late to begin to study my catalogue now?" "Never too late to learn. Begin now." "I will. And thank you lor showing me what a stupid ass I have been all these years." And that is the story of the beginning of Henry's rise to a place of power, influence 'inu fortune.