Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1842-09-01

Mrs. Cleveland smiled meaningly.
you needn't laugh, FRS. Cleveland!
| know that no one pays less for her dry
goods than I do
sThere you are mistaken, Mrs. Shan
non. AS for instance, i'll the case Of
this beautiful piece of Gros d'Afrique.
1t was only yesterday that I bought
twelve yards off that very piece, from
Bradley, at two dollars yard, which
was all he asked for it,
THAT cannot be, Mrs. Cleveland!
You must have bought another piece
of goods
NO, it is the same. Icannot be mis-
taken in the article. And now re-
member that he said that there were
just fifteen yards left
Mrs. Shannon's countenance fell in
stantly, and then grew red with indig-
nation.
'Then he has cheated me shameful
ly!' she exclaimed, fand I'll make him
refund me the half dollar on each yard.
Say rather, Mrs. Shannon remar-
ked her plain spoken friend, 'you have
cheated yourself. Mr.. Bradley put the
price up, because he knew, that ask
what he would, you would never buy
without beating him down. It has
happened that you did not beat hard e.
nough, and so have had to pay for your
error
sBut it's downright cheating, Mrs.
Cleveland, and I'll expose him
Ifitis wrong for Mr.. Bradley to take
advantage Of your ignorance, and re-
ceive from you more than an article is
really worth, tits no less wrong for you
to take advantage of his necessities,
and pay kim less than the ARTICLE cost
him. ASH look at matters and things,
the wrong is equal
Il don't seq as you do, Mrs. Cleve-
land. | do not compel storekeeper
to take lest than cost for his goods. I
tell him what I waI give, and h. Is at
liberty to sell on the terms I propose, or
not
'sill, Mrs. Shannon, his necessityis
his compulsion, and of this you take
advantage.
sRut for ne. to pay him a profit on his
goods, when he was willing to sell be-
low cost, would be little too generous
it seems to me.
'He is not Ui5liag, but compelled;
and surely it would be noble in any one
to regard Els condition, and take no
advantage oft &, !
'As l said before, I cannot see it as
you, Do. Mrs; Cleveland -....I
4 feel anxious that you should see 1t
as | do, Mrs. Shannon; and therefore,
I will try and make ii plalner to you.
Imagine yourself widow, compelled
to do some kind of business for the sup
port of your family. You set up with
a small capital, not sufficient to buy
good assortment; and you have to
make purchases on credit. For time
you get on tolerably well, and are en- !
2bled to make your payments Wit1aout
trouble. But after a while, old goods
and remnants accumulate, and custom /
ers make little bills, the aggregate of
which is quite an important sum to you.
You cannot now SO readily meet your
and of course, become more
anxious to sell goods. Rather than let
a eustomer go out, you will sometimes T
take cost for an article, 4 pressing
demand for money will cause you, as a
temporary expeelient,, 10 take even less
than cost, when nothing more can be
obtained from one who perceives your
anxiety to sell, and takes advantage of
il. Now, placing yoprselfia the posi-
ton that have placed you, would you
not think it very unjust for any one to
profit by your necessities"
Mrs. Shannon did not reply: f4his
was a new mode Of reasoning on the
subject Like too many others, she
could not see the bearing of any rule Of
action, until applied to herself.
4 hardly think the case parallel she
at length said.
'They are precisely parallel, Mrs.
Shannon. A dry goods merchant does
business, IN most cases, for the beniht
of his family, the members Of which are
dependent upon him for support
There are but a few Of them who are
rot, at some time or other in similar
to those have imagined to
exist in your case. Mr.. Bradley l hap,
pen to know, to be in precisely that
situation. Heis much in want of mon
ey at this time. His anxiety to sell
caused him TO act upon what / think !
false principle. He knew that You
would cheaper the goods, and there
fore he asked you very high price
Perhaps, had he not been 50 much I