Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1855-08-16

ON GEN TEEL THIEVES
BY JOHN BROWN, sHopkEEpER.

counter, where | have stood for more than
thirty-6ve years. From fifty TO hundred
thousand people pass my shop every day in
the week except Sunday, and from one hum
dred to three hundred come into it in the
course of the fifteen hours that it stands open
and it is my business to do the best can by
them, 1t is of no consequence TO the reader
to know what sell, and he need look for no
revelations Of that kind. am going TO give
him the benefit of my experience and the ex-
perience of an unfortunate friend of mine, now
no more, with regard to a difficulty with which
a shopkeeper, sooner or later, is sure to have
TO deal, and which he must deal with some-
how, and he should know, as man of busi-
ness, how to manage it tprudently and econom-
ically.
When first began life behind the counter,
began to study human nature from that ad-
santageous standpoint (hat, | think, is the
word) which the position of shopkeeper af-
fords one. The hypocrisy which clothes
man or woman either, when he or she comes
to market, is but of thin, transparent kind,
end is apt to fall off and disappear in the pro-
cess of driving bargain. 1t is surprising
what an iasight of the true character and dis
position of regular customer one gets by
supplying him constantly with the necessaries
or the Injuries of life in exchange for his
money. doubt if any father confessor ever
gets the guage of his penitents so correctly as
does the butcher, the fshmonger, or the wine
merchant, who have the care of that other con-
science, the stomcoh-or even the tailor or
linen draper, who do but adorn his outer husk.
If men and women kind in general knew
themselves but half as well as their tradesmen
and shopkeepers know them, they would
spare us who stand inside the counter an inf
mite deal of trouble, and themselves some ex-
pelse; but that is kind acknowledge which few
people pick up till late in life, and most peo-
pie never. They never think that we see them
as they are-that we take their moral meas
ure, SO to speak, to a nicely; and still less do
they think how little time it requires for an
old hand, like myself, for instance, to reckon
much correctness in most cases, as we foot up
page in the ledger-and we must do it, or
we should be deceived 10 our loss ofiener than
we are, which is a great deal too often The
tact is, we see more of the human face. at the
momeat when the least -godlike and least mag
unanimous of the owners propensities are ac-
tive, than any other class of men ever see;
this study is indeed always before US. and we
must be blockheads indeed if we could not
learn from an ever open page to read its writ
ten language Whom to trust-and to whom
TO refuse credit when credit is demanded--
this is the principal difficulty we have to solve
Without being phrenologists we are able to
read that riddle tolerahy well-at least can
speak for myself don't lose much by bad
debts, and when man cheats me, always
feel inclined to blame myself more than him,
because ought to have known better than to
put it in his power to do, it. There are 9th
er difficulties, however, besides this and the
one to which | am going to call attention, is
that difficulty with which Mr.. Moule has been
managed
SO imprudently in the case of that virtuous
Mrs. Ramsbotham who stole his pocket-hand-
kerchiefs, and who wasn't and couldn't in the
nature of things and in the nature of the Brit
ish law and of British jury, be punished for
the theft.
Let me say something, then, about Lady
THIEVES, and inform Mr.. Moule, and Mr.. Ev-
erybody Else, how have learned to handle
that sort of business. When | first opened
shop knew nothing about it-had never be-
slowed thought upon it; and when one day
saw genteel-looking young lady drop her
cambria handkerchief upon an article which l
usually sold for a guinea, and, taking them
both up together, convey them to her pocket,
L seized her unceremoniously, hauled her into
my little back room, rang the bell for the
maid, had her searched found the article upon
her, sent for Bow street officer (there were
no policemen then) and gave her into custody.
What fool was, TO be sure ! 1t happened
that her father was clergyman, backed by
high connections, and looking forward to be
OiSHOp OclOIC lOHB. Tie OdlleQ neT out IN no
time-came down upon me with charge of
conspiracy, and threats of transportation for
life-badgered my serving -wench out of her
wits first himself, and then set hatchet-faced
fellow to cross-examine her, who drove her
clean bewildered-more fool for letting him
do it; but knew no better then. | saw it
would never do to take the case to trial with
such witness, and by Jove, she saved me
the trouble by boiling away before the day of
trial came. I was obliged to withdraw the
charge, and pretend that it was all mistake.
The clergyman talked of prosecuting me for a
conspiracy; but he had some conscience, and
only talked the girl, l have no doubt, had
confessed the theft 20 him. AS it was, got
the reputation of monster, and only recov-
cred my character by acknowledging that
must have been drunk al the time and didn't
know what | was about, who was never
drunk in my life
That affair cost me fifty pounds in cash, and
damaged my connection TO the extent of at
least two hundred pounds more | should