Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1854-06-28

nlgnt before, ano was Trying 70 silence t0e "sul
small voice." that was whispering to his soul.
"It's only business, after ALI" he said to him
self, II may as well have livingss other folks
1t was with those words upon his lips that h
entered bis store. His clerk was there, and tn,
place was all neat and clean. He had been il
the store half an hour, and at the end of tha
time his clerk asked him ifhe was unwell
81 "Unwelll What put that into your head, Hen
ry!" ..aar-.soa
"o,--I thought your face looked fushed-fe
verished--I didn't know bot that you might have
caught cold" III ~s argo
"No, no; / am we'll" ss ..-,s s,s-
Arthur Leeman turned away, and wondered il
he had been showing all his feelings. Somehow
the store did not seem so cheerful to himas usual.
The neatly arranged shelves and boxes, and the
choice goods did not look SO inviting as was their
won't
During the first part Of the day he sold some
common articles, such as calicoes, lawns, threads
but it did not occur to him that even he might
have overreached simple customer He did not
think of getting some twelve and half cents for
some six penny prints. Sharping did it, but Lee
man was notyet initiated.
At length an opportunity was offered for Ar
thur to try his nswly discovered plan of busi-
ness. Towards night a mddle-aged gentle
men entered the store and expressed wish to
purchase some cloth for pair of pants. He was
a stranger, having but few days before moved
into the village. e.,. III r.,s.,-..,...... .-..
81 should like piece that is good--aH wool,
thick and frm," he said, as Arthur led the way
to the cloth counter. i>'af
The gentleman looked over the goods, and at
length his eye hit upon piece of dark mixed
doeskin tfet firm and thick, and was in truth
a handsome piece. Tt arg -i& .,r
"How is that! said Arthur. * -, .s..,
81 think it will suit ME. 1t seems to be firm
and good. Not quite SO soft as clear wool gen:
orally is" st- tt I'D hs7s.@ 3D..
at is excellent cloth-a few days wear will
soften it," said the young merchant, trying 10 ap.
pear candid. g .te -4 tiz s,.sr e,- #.s
"What is it yurd!''
/ Now that cloth cost Arthur just thirty sew
EN- and a half cents per yard, and he had intended
to have sold it for fortytwo land had placed his pri
yate mark upon it accordingly. 1t was just halt
cotton. l'fa.
some dollar!" said he; and the words, as he
spoke them, struck startingly upon his own ear.
"You may cut me off three yards said the
man; and Arthur hid his face as he did the work.
After the cloth was done up the gentleman
paid for it--three dollars--it was nearly two dol
lars more than it cost-aproft of almosttwo hun
dred per cent! 5g-6 ..
Arthur Leeman had always made it practice
to be sociable with his customers, but he could
not be so now. He dared not trust himself to
speak--he dared not meet the eye ofthe man with
whom he had just traded.
dered in payment, and as he passed it over, he re-
marked: a@5 Is aH'2 '-|
81 suppose that is the lowest you will taken'
sit is the lowest ought take" returned Ar
thur, trying to hide his tremulousness,
a"yery well said the stranger. "Iaalways wish
to pay fair living price to every one with whom
deal-always trusting" he added with smile,
"that shall be treated honestly in return.''
He took his change and left the store. Arthur
took down his blotter and thought to enter the
sale he had just made; but hesitated. Those pa
ges were all fair and honest. He dared not place
there the record Of the first dishonest deed he had
ever done O, how he wished that his customer
had not come-how he wished he couldrecall the
IL ho H. Jo,o D,,t. Io&o L. L,J
tried the experiment! .1et.s
"Why--what's the matter, Arthur! asked Mrs.
Leeman, as her husband drew back from the sup
per table that evening. "You look unhappy"
"And am unhappy, sarah,'' family returned
Arthur; for he had determined to tell his bitter
experience. L@#
"What is it!'' anxiously uttered the half fright
ened wife, moving to her husbands side, and pla-
cling her arm about his neck si'@la
'sSit down, sit down, Sarah and will tell you.'
The woman sat down, but still kept her arm
about her husbands neck. KS .a sga5 aats
sSarah," he said with apainiul effort. "lhave
done that to-day which never did before in my
life. / have been dishonest! / have lied and
chealed!" .s,..- rasa.,. @ea H. +
sized! You my husband--eheated! O, no.
no, Arthur" sr. ~
'Yes--a man came into my store-he was 9
stranger--a new conner in town, He trusted t.
my honesty, and-I lied to him and cheated ham
o, Sarah, wish had not done it. 4..
"But you did not do it--you could not" 4
"Listen to me, my wife. / thought I woul,
try to make money as fast as William Shafpine
does. Last evening was in his store, and dis
covered his secret. It I disclose it to you, yo'
will not tell of it." " 'f
Sarah promised, and then Arthur related to he
/ all that had passed He told her of Sharping'
mode of dealing, AID he described his own expe
rimeRt that afternoon. gS
Il have been dishonest, and I am unhappy
said he in conclusion. q do not feel the sam
man that I did before, for there is one man i
the world towards whom I have done wrong, an
4 I should not dare to look him in the face, =