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S :, , 4. Assertive Skills, , Leading up to the story, , Discuss these questions in groups of four or five. The group leader may then present the, answers to the class., , What is the name given to a person who rings bells in churches?, Why does everyone want to have a secure job? ., , When job security is under threat what do people do?, , When do drastic changes appear in an organisation?, , What happens when employees are unable to update their skills?, , wR wo, , The verger, Read the story by Somerset Maugham. Then answer the questions that follow., , There had been a christening that afternoon at St. Peter’s, Neville Square, and Albert, Edward Foreman still wore his verger’s gown. He kept his new one, its folds as full, and stiff though it were made not of alpaca but of perennial bronze, for funerals and, weddings (St. Peter’s, Neville Square, was a church much favored by the fashionable for, these ceremonies) and now he wore only his second-best. He wore it with complacence, for it was the dignified symbol of his office, and without it (when he took it off to go, home) he had the disconcerting sensation of being somewhat insufficiently clad. He, took pains with it; he pressed it and ironed it himself. During the sixteen years he had, been verger of this church he had had a succession of such gowns, but he had never, been able to throw them away when they were worn out and the complete series,, neatly wrapped up in brown paper, lay in the bottom drawers of the wardrobe in his, bedroom., , The verger busied himself quietly, replacing the painted wooden cover on the marble, font, taking away a chair that had been brought for an infirm old lady, and waited for, the vicar to have finished in the vestry so that he could tidy up in there and go home., Presently he saw him walk across the chancel, genuflect in front of the high altar and, come down the aisle; but he still wore his cassock., , vate he ’anging about for?’ the verger said to himself ‘Don’t ’e know I want my, tea?’, , a lil, , Scanned with CamScanner

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34 English and Soft Skills, , The vicar had been but recently appointed, a red-faced energetic man in the ear, forties, and Albert Edward still regretted his predecessor, a clergyman Of the oly, School who preached leisurely sermons in a silvery voice and tein a great deal, With his more aristocratic parishioners, He liked things in church to be Just so, but he, ht fussed; he was not like this new man who wanted to have his finger in every pig, But Albert Edward was tolerant. St. Peter’s was in a very good neighbourhood ang, the parishioners were a Very nice class of people. The new vicar had come from the, East End and he, , Couldn’t be expected to fall in all at once with the discreet ways of his, fashionable congregation., , “All this *ustle,” sai, When the vicar, without Taising his, ‘Foreman, will, you.’, ‘Very good, sir.’, , The vicar waited for him to come up and they walked up the church together,, ‘A very nice christenii, , ng, I thought sir. Funny ‘ow the baby Stopped cryin’ the, moment you took him.’, , id Albert Edward. ‘But give ’im time, he’ll learn.’, , had walked down the aisle so far that he could address the Verger, voice more than was becoming in a place of worship he Stopped,, you come into the vestry for a minute. I have something to say tg, , ‘T’ve noticed they very often do,’ said the vicar, with a little smile. ‘After all I’ve, had a good deal of Practice with them,’, It was a source of, , Subdued pride to him that he could nearly always quiet a whimpering, infant by the manner in which he held i, , it and he was not unconscious of the amused, , eter’s, Neville Square, they, look of resolute benignity but, the others bore an expression that w:, , as slightly troubled., ‘He’s been naggin’ them he as,” said the verger to himself,, , “He’s jockeyed them, into doin’ something, but they don’t like it. That’s what it is, yo, , u mark my words.’, , Scanned with CamScanner

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Assertive Skills 35, , But his thoughts did not appear on Albert Edward’s clean cut and distinguished, features. He stood in a respectful but not obsequious attitude. He had been in service, before he was appointed to his ecclesiastical office, but only in very good houses,, and his deportment was irreproachable. Starting as a page-boy in the household of, a merchant-prince he had risen by due degrees from the position of fourth to first, footman, for a year he had been single-handed butler to a widowed peeress and, till, the vacancy occurred at St. Peter’s, butler with two men under him in the house ofa, retired ambassador. He was tall, spare, grave and dignified. He looked, if not like a, duke, at least like an actor of the old school who specialized in dukes’ parts. He had, tact, firmness and self-assurance. His character was unimpeachable. The vicar began, briskly., , ‘Foreman, we’ve got something rather unpleasant to say to you. You’ve been here, a great many years and I think his lordship and the general agree with me that you’ve, fulfilled the duties of your office to the satisfaction of everybody concerned.’, , The two churchwardens nodded., , ‘But a most extraordinary circumstance came to my knowledge the other day and I, felt it my duty to impart it to the churchwardens. I discovered to my astonishment that, you could neither read nor write.’, , The verger’s face betrayed no sign of embarrassment., , ‘The last vicar knew that, sir,’ he replied. ‘He said it didn’t make no difference. He, always said there was a great deal too much education in the world for ’is taste.”, , ‘It’s the most amazing thing I ever heard,’ cried the general. ‘Do you mean to say, that you’ve been verger of this church for sixteen years and never learned to read or, write?’, , ‘I went into service when I was twelve sir. The cook in the first place tried to teach, me once, but I didn’t seem to ’ave the knack for it, and then what with one thing and, another I never seemed to ’ave the time. I’ve never really found the want of it. I think, a lot of these young fellows waste a rare lot of time readin’ when they might be doin’, something useful.’, , ‘But don’t you want to know the news?’ said the other churchwarden. ‘Don’t you, ever want to write a letter?’, , ‘No, me lord, I seem to manage very well without. And of late years now they’ve, all these pictures in the papers I get to know what’s goin’ on pretty well. Me wife’s, quite a scholar and if I want to write a letter she writes it for me. It’s not as if I was a, bettin’ man.’, , The two churchwardens gave the vicar a troubled glance and then looked down at, the table., , ‘Well, Foreman, I’ve talked the matter over with these gentlemen and they quite, agree with me that the situation is impossible. At a church like St. Peter’s Neville, Square, we cannot have a verger who can neither read nor write.’, , Scanned with CamScanner

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——--—--——, 36 English and Soft Skills, , Albert Edward’s thin, sallow face reddened and he moved uneasily on his feet, but, he made no Teply. i, , “Understand me, Foreman, I have no complaint to make against you. You do your, Work quite satisfactorily; I have the highest opinion both of your character and of, your capacity; but we haven't the right to take the risk of some accident that Might, , happen owing to your lamentable ignorance. It’s a matter of prudence as well as of, Principle.’, , ‘But couldn’t you learn, Foreman?’ asked the general., , ‘No, sir, I’m afraid I couldn’t, not now. You see, I’m not as young as I was ang, if I couldn’t seem able to get the letters in me ’ead when I was a nipper I don’t think, there’s much chance of it now.’, , ‘We don’t wantto be harsh with you, Foreman,’ said the vicar. ‘But the churchwardens, and I have quite made up our minds. We’ll give you three months and if at the end of, that time you cannot Tead and write I’m afraid you’ll have to go.”, , Albert Edward had never liked the new vicar. He’d said from the beginning that, they’d made a mistake when they gave him St. Peter’s. He wasn’t the type of man they, wanted with a classy congregation like that. And now he straightened himself a little,, He knew his value and he wasn’t going to allow himself to be put upon., , ‘Tm very sorry sir, I’m afraid it’s no good. I’m too old a dog to learn new tricks,, I’ve lived a good many years without knowin’ ’ow to read and write, and without, wishin’ to praise myself, self-praise is no Tecommendation, I don’t mind sayin’ I’ve, done my duty in that state of life in which it ’as pleased a merciful providence to place, me, and if I could learn now I don’t know as I'd want to.’, , ‘In that case, Foreman, I’m afraid you must go.’, , “Yes sir, I quite understand. I shall be, you’ve found somebody to take my place.’, , But when Albert Edward with his usual, the vicar and the two churchwardens he, , ’appy to ’and in My resignation as soon as, , Politeness had closed the church door behind, could not sustain the air of unruffled dignity, , notion of going back to domestic service; after, being his own master for so many years, for the vicar and churchwardens could say, , what they liked, it was he that had run St. Peter's, Neville Square, he could scarcely, demean himself by accepting a situation. He had saved a tidy sum, but not enough 10, live on without doing something, and life seemed to cost more every year. He had never, , Scanned with CamScanner

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Assertive Skills 37, , thought to be troubled with such questions. The vergers of St. Peter’s, like the popes of, Rome, were there for life. He had often thought of the pleasant reference the vicar would, make in his sermon at evensong the first Sunday after his death to the long and faithful, service, and the exemplary character of their late verger, Albert Edward Foreman. He, sighed deeply. Albert Edward was a non-smoker and a total abstainer, but with a certain, latitude; that is to say he liked a glass of beer with his dinner and when he was tired he, enjoyed a cigarette. It occurred to him now that one would comfort him and since he, did not carry them he looked about him for a shop where he could buy a packet of Gold, Flakes. He did not at once see one and walked on a little. It was a long street with all, sorts of shops in it, but there was not a single one where you could buy cigarettes., , ‘That's strange,’ said Albert Edward., , To make sure he walked right up the street again. No, there was no doubt about it., He stopped and looked reflectively up and down., , ‘I can’t be the only man as walks along this street and wants a fag,’ he said. ‘I, shouldn’t wonder but what a fellow might do very well with a little shop here. Tobacco, and sweets, you know.’, , He gave a sudden start., , ‘That’s an idea,’ he said. ‘Strange ’ow things come to you when you least expect, it.”, , He turned, walked home, and had his tea., , ‘You're very silent this afternoon, Albert,’ his wife remarked., , ‘I’m thinkin’,’ he said., , He considered the matter from every point of view and next day he went along the, street and by good luck found a little shop to let that looked as though it would exactly, suit him. Twenty-four hours later he had taken it and when a month after that he left, St. Peter’s, Neville Square, for ever, Albert Edward Foreman set up in business as a, tobacconist and newsagent. His wife said it was a dreadful come-down after being verger, of St. Peter’s, but he answered that you had to move with the times, the church wasn’t, what it was, and ’enceforward he was going to render unto Caesar what was Caesar’s., Albert Edward did very well. He did so well that in a year or so it struck him that he might, take a second shop and put a manager in. He looked for another long street that hadn’t, got a tobacconist in it and when he found it and a shop to let, took it and stocked it. This, was a success too. Then it occurred to him that if he could run two he could run half a, dozen, so he began walking about London, and whenever he found a long street that had, no tobacconist and a shop to let he took it. In the course of ten years he had acquired no, less than ten shops and he was making money hand over fist. He went round to all of them, himself every Monday, collected the week’s takings and took them to the bank., , One morning when he was there paying in a bundle of notes and a heavy bag of, silver the cashier told him that the manager would like to see him. He was shown into, , an office and the manager shook hands with him., , Scanned with CamScanner