But in his heart there was the resolve that he would make an honest try to do for his father's sake what he would not for his own.
But before a month had gone he was heartily sick of the office.

It was indoors, and the petty fussing with trivial details irked him.

Accuracy was a sine qua non of successful office work, and accuracy is either a thing of natural gift or is the result of long and painful discipline, and neither by nature nor by discipline had Jack come into the possession of this prime qualification for a successful office man.

His ledger wellnigh brought tears to old Wickes' eyes and added a heavy load to his day's work.

Not that old Wickes grudged the extra burden, much less made any complaint; rather did he count it joy to be able to cover from other eyes than his own the errors that were inevitably to be found in Jack's daily work.
Had it seemed worth while, Jack would have disciplined himself to accuracy.