CHAPTER XXII.
At one of the auxiliary meetings the vice-president of the association, who was always practical in his talks to the boys, gave a little advice to the sellers.
It is worth remembering.
“Boys,” he said, “rain or shine be at your post, at your corner. Never be out of papers, and never be out of change. Many a good boy who needs money loses a sale for want of having change. Keep your eye peeled. If a man wants a paper, you should see it, though he is a square away. I know of one little boy, smaller than those who were selling with him, who always saw a customer a block away, and when the evening’s work was over he generally had ten to twenty cents to the clear more than others. Be polite and always cheerful. Keep your face and hands clean, and you will get many an extra nickel. If you are polite and civil you will get a regular line of customers who will always wait for you. Thank everyone who buys a paper. Tip your hat to the ladies and they will speak well of you when they get home. Any little favor you can do for a man or woman on the street (and not look as though you expect something), will always bring you business. The wind blew off the hat of a gentleman one day, and a little seller saw it. Quick as a flash he ran after it, took his own cap to wipe the dirt off the gentleman’s hat, and handed it to him. The gentleman said: ‘How many papers you got?’ ‘Twenty-four, sir,’ said the boy. ‘Give them all to me.’”
On the membership card it reads: “He does not approve of swearing, etc.”
A probation member, a boy who received his membership card, and had thirty days to wait for his badge, brought an old member to the president, one evening, with this plea.
“President, this boy swears like hell. I heard him on the corner.”
“Aw, what you given us, you swear yourself.” replied the accused.
“Yes that’s all right. Tell me something; how would I know what swearing was if I didn’t know something about it,” proudly answered the new member.