o tell you the
some substantial way. I truth, sir, I have been
think I may say that wondering--of course it
I have been patient. is just as you think best
I have continued my and I wouldn't think of
efforts with unremitting insisting, but after all,
zeal, and I think I may perhaps I have made a
flatter myself that my mistake in mentioning
endeavors have not been it, but I was thinking
without result. I have that possibly you might
here, carefully tabulated, bear in mind the idea of
a memorandum of a possible future raise in
the increased profits in salary at some future time.
my department during
the last twelve months,
due in great part to my
careful management. I
am sorry to have to
force you into a decision,
but I think I owe it to
myself to say candidly
that unless you see the
matter in the same way
that I do I shall feel
obliged to deprive the
firm of my services.

ON LAZINESS

[Illustration]

To-day we rather intended to write an essay on Laziness, but were too
indolent to do so.

The sort of thing we had in mind to write would have been exceedingly
persuasive. We intended to discourse a little in favour of a greater
appreciation of Indolence as a benign factor in human affairs.

It is our observation that every time we get into trouble it is due to
not having been lazy enough. Unhappily, we were born with a certain fund
of energy. We have been hustling about for a number of years now, and
it doesn't seem to get us anything but tribulation. Henceforward we are
going to make a determined effort to be more languid and demure. It is
the bustling man who always gets put on committees, who is asked to
solve the problems of other people and neglect his own.

The man who is really, thoroughly, and philosophically slothful is the
only thoroughly happy man. It is the happy man who benefits the world.
The conclusion is inescapable.

We remember a saying about the meek inheriting the earth. The truly meek
man is the lazy man. He is too modest to believe that any ferment and
hubbub of his can ameliorate the earth or assuage the perplexities of
humanity.

O. Henry said once that one should be careful to distinguish laziness
from dignified repose. Alas, that was a mere quibble. Laziness is always