I read a story recently of how a young man got his start in life through
being courteous. This young man was an assistant doorkeeper in the
capitol at Washington. His work was to direct people where they wanted
to go in that great building.
One day he overheard a stranger ask one of the other doorkeepers for
help in finding one of the senators from California. The doorkeeper
answered in a very discourteous way that it was none of his business
where the senators were.
"But can't you help me?" the stranger said. "I was sent over here
because he was seen to come this way."
"No, I can't," the doorkeeper answered. "I have trouble enough looking
after the representatives."
The stranger was about to turn away when an assistant, who had overheard
the conversation, said: "If you are from California, you have come a
long way, I will try to help you." Then he asked him to take a seat, and
hurried off in search of the senator.
He soon brought him to the stranger, who then gave his card to the
doorkeeper and asked him to call at his hotel that evening.
That stranger was Collis P. Huntington, who was a great railroad
official in those days.
When the doorkeeper called upon him that night, Mr. Huntington offered
him a position at nearly twice the salary he was then receiving. He
accepted the new position and was rapidly promoted from that time on.
The lesson I would have you learn from this is that you never know when
a good deed is going to return to you. I don't mean that you should be
courteous, expecting that you are going to be paid for it each time, for
the greatest pay for kindness is just the feeling that you have helped
someone. As the old saying goes, "Civility costs nothing," and on the
other hand, you never gain anything by getting the ill-will of anybody
or anything, even of a dog. Be courteous: it is the mark of a gentleman,
of a lady, and it is often the passport to success.