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Show II "Kickers Help World's Progress; I Say s the Old Bookkeeper 1 1 Grumblers Drag Their Feet" 1 sy Harry c. Green I' "Say. Kid, cut out the grouch. Don't grumble or you'll get youreclf disliked." the Smart Cashier was saying to tho Fool Office Boy, who had been mumbling his dissatisfaction at something that had gone counter to his wishes. "Good advice, always," said the Old Bookkeeper, who bad Just come In and was opening his desk. "I don't know what it Is all about, but It sounds safe and sane. There's nothing that would , lighten up the gloom in tho dark places : of life morc'n that stopping tho grumbling." grum-bling." "Paw says that If It wasn't for the Kickers we wouldn't any of us set what's coming to us." observed the Prottv Ste. ' nogrupher, leaning her pink "check against her dimpled hand. "Yes, an' you know, Pop. that there's nothing llko a good stiff kick to straighten straight-en out things when they go wrong. Why, you just got to kick sometimes," broke In the cashier. "That's It, kick whenever occasion requires; re-quires; but don't grumble." "What's tho difference?" "Lots of difference. The kicker helps to move things along: only he wants 'cm to go his way: the grumbler only drags his feet and holds back every way Is wrong with him." "Then you believe in kicking. Pop?" "I do. If there is anything worth kicking kick-ing about and that can be remedied; otherwise oth-erwise It is simply iisele3s grumbling." The old man loaned back In his swivel chair, and began tearing up a blotting pad and laying the pieces carefully In his pen tray a sign that ho was "gottln' ready to hand out a bunch of wolds," a.s tho office boy sometimes phrased It. "I believe In everyono maintaining his rights as far as possible, nnd of protesting protest-ing when those rights are Interfered with," he continued. "It Is the right of every person to complain of both private and public wrongs not only a right but a duty. All the great reforms of the world, from Magna Charta down to the Declaration of Independence, were brought about by kickers. Almost every step in advance, in science, art, religion In everything that has helped to build up civilization and establish the rights of man has come from scmo one's kicking kick-ing and keeping on kicking until he started a revolution. It Is the kickers, the men who have Ideals as to what la right and fair and the courage to voice tholr protestations and demands, who aro doing more than anyone else to secure se-cure this advancement. It Is tho grumblers, grum-blers, the chronic faultfinders, sour nnd pessimistic, who retard progress." "Yes. tho chronic grumbler Is always a pessimist." said the Junior Partner. "Someone has said that the optimist Is tho man who sees the doughnut, and tho pessimist the man who only sees the hole " "That's your chronic grumhlor," nodded nod-ded the old man approvingly. "The doughnut may bo given to blm, as sweet and wholesome a doughnut as ever his own mother fashioned, but ho can see nothing In It but the hole." "There was just such a pair of old grouches on the stroet car this morning." Bpoko up the cashier. "Had tho ha.y fever or something, growled and grumbled grum-bled a mile and a half because they had to ride In an open car. Plonly of room, conductor polite, everybody nice to 'cm. not a thing to complain of only running open cars In July. One of "om growled at the conductor about It, and when ho told 'cm that If bo bad a closed car there wouldn't be enough persons ride with him to pay His own wages, let alone helping out on the dividend, they said ho was Impudent and threatened to report him." "There was a man and woman on my car who took up tho whole ride grumbling grum-bling about the weather." said tho Stenographer. "Oh. but they had a fearful fear-ful grouch." "This Is a regular experience meeting." meet-ing." laughed tho Junior Partner. "There were two men, business men I should say. who sat In the seat In front of me on tho train on which I came In nnd they devoted themselves to the newspapers. newspa-pers. They agreed that there was 'nothing 'noth-ing In the newspapers but filth and scandal.' They both wont through their papers, nnd as there wasn't anything especially wicked or scandalous In tho news today, I was not surprised to see them throw down tholr papers and agree that 'there was nothing worth reading In tho pnpors nowadays.' " "In a certain block on the street where I llvo there aro two men," said (he bookkeeper. "One Is a chronic grumbler and tho other a pestiferous kicker. The pavement In front of tholr homes was ragged and neglected and growing worse. The grumbler complained for months. He bored all his acquaintances with his grumbling. He Insinuated that the mayor, the board of public works and tho councilman of his own ward were all crooked and In cahoots to rob the city and neglect tho taxpayers. While he was grumbling the kicker got busy, lie notified tho councilman, tben the board of public works. No action. Then he wont to the mayor. Nothing done. Then ho wrote to all tho newspapers and raised such a howl that the pavement was fixed up Inside of a week. "That's what I like about the kicker. He Is a necessity In the community. He may got in wrong and become something of a nuisance, but ho gets action and makes people think. He Is the summer storm that clears the atmosphere and adds to tho well-being of all nature. The grumbler Is n miasmatic fog. sickening and deadly, and promoting only mildew and malaria. For years, all over tho country, there was heard the croaking notes of the grumbler against the grow- Ing power and greed of the corporations. Tho country va.s going to the dogs, they said, tho rich were grinding down tho poor and predatory wealth was undermining under-mining tho stability of our Institutions. Tho scathing publicity of the press and the wielding of the big stick occasionally do more lo right public and private wrongs than nil the grumbling, printed or mumbled, of a decade." "That's all right. Pop. but arc wc kicking kick-ing at the grumblers or grumbling at the kickers?" Interposed tho Irreverent cashier. "Take It as you please." said the old man shortly, as ho sctUed down to his work- |