The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1856-01-19
FOR THF. BOYS AND GIRLS.
F.o'a :is GmSts P"p-.
THE UPRIGHT CLERK.

Fifty wears ago there was a nouri.hins
store in Grofon Massachusetts,. kept nv james
Hrazer. (;roton is thirty miles from Boston.
Mr. Brazer did large business with all the
country round. for his stock was composed Of
almost everything one corld want. cotton aud
wOoien Soo..s. hardware wooden ware. s,lks,
threads. crork-ry. kegs of tobacco. and great
quantities OF rum and brandy giving plenty
oi employment to five clerks.
: In Mr.. 'razrrs store in those davs there
was a custom, which is generally done awav
With now. the custom Of drinking at II o.
clock. Every forenoon drink was mixed
up. male Of rum. raisins. sugar, and nutmeg,
with Biscuit, and handed roun.. TO the master,
clerks. and customers. all par,ook of it. and
relished it, and dare saw smack,d :heir li,s
and wanted more At last one of the clerks
refused his glass. liz mad made rr>olu-
tion not 20 take ary far a week" h. said
1t looked very odd. His companions wanted
to know why. The habit is qr.ri,q ON me-
answered Amos. for th., was his name, aid
| am afraid o, il: that's why" The other
clerks called him foolish. and . coward They
though; that WAS no good reason al all. for
everybody drank They laughed at him. hut
they did not laugh it ont Of him. He made
his first resolution for week. then for a
mouth. then for year. AMI finally 10. the
five wears OF his anlren ,rr>hip; and thus
,'''rr and to'- iin.>.lt, he tcok ,hr ground OF
'o'al a'>'i.."r. when spirit drinking was the
universal fashion; aid during the ~l.ols
time hr never drank spoonful. though he
mixed gallon, 10, H., master An.o, u,x,i.
, the same ,rsoiu',on in regard 10 the use If
tobacco: Il, never s,ns.d a cigar, or chew.
-G but ON. 4ud. and tia, before he Wa iii
, .r,:i. y great mary Years afterwards, hs
~roie To young >tud"n, at ,oicsr:
''ln the first place, take this :or ,our mo,.o
1t the beginning OF .onr journey. that ,ho
difference Z" gong i,-t right and iir!e
wro,.g, VIII be the difference Of finding ,ou--
self in good quarters. or in a miserable bog
pr slough at the end of il. Of the whoo
number educated in the Gro:or stores for
some wears before and after myself no one
else. To my knowlr,l.r, escaped the b,s or
slough; and my escape l trace to the Snsls
TACT oi n,y having put rts.ru.m upon my Up
pt'i'e. Alter leaving school and gong into
a store. noi ,nonta passed lriorc was I'M
pressed with the o;.inioa that restraint urcu
appetite WAS ncccSsar. to prevent the slavery
saw DESTROYING hunters around me- Msuv
aud Inanv Of til, farmers, mcthapics, and ap-
prcn'iccs Of that day have filled drunkar,ls'
raves and left destitute famiiie. and friends
Let every clerk anu apprentice who reads
II is, and hope there will bc m,snv, stop and
note this roint-the difference Of going ins,
,-.Jt or AL. Urvng. IN your setting out in
life, is the difference between integrity aud
dishonesty, success or disappointment, bsppi-
ness or rum.
AT t",nt, one, in 1861. Amos went to
BOSTON with twenty dollars III pocket. Hu
soon received AL olirr OF a rlcrkshipin a re-
spectacle irm. lie stad but few months.
His employers failed. and he hired . small
store an Cornhii. and furnished il with goods
upon the strength Of the confidence with
which Lc had inspired merchants who had
become acquainted with hun. lntesrity, in
dnstrv. and SYSTEM. wcIe the foundations up
on which his business lite wa, built. He
i,racii>cd rigii ECONOMY Ia. yer allowing hiu.-
self to spend a tourlencc upon unnecessary
objects until hc had earned II. Durin, his
first seven year, in the CITY, he never let 4
bill >,arl against him unsettled over the Sa.,-
bath. 1.-The purchase OF goods Lad been
made a: auction on SATURDAY, hc always ex-
anlcl and settled the bill bv notc or by
crcdiling it. 80 that il. lase he wa, not on du-
~ on Mon,la,. there would be no trouble for
the clerks !: thus keeping business brrore him,
instead OF allowing it to dr,re him. At the
close OF that seven ycs,s, be VA, worth nt;y
Mousu'.d do!!ars
On his first coming TO the city, he took
lodgings with q widow, who had Just opened
boarding house. An,o, asked for one rule
10 be made for the boarlers. ami thai was,
.!!lat the boar'lers in the pubic sittin. room
nigh, keep quiet for one hour after supper.
in order to give those who wished it al op-
portunitv for study or reading. The con>-
Iuence was" said he in after years. that we
had the mos, Iurt and imrrov,n: set Of Young
men ir town The few wi.O did not wish TO
comply with the regulation. ~ent abroad after
tea. sometimes to the theatre, sometimes 10
other places. hut 10 mn, became bankrupt
in affcr-life. not only in fortune iut in repu-
tation: while the ria ;nri,y OF the other ci.rks
sustained good character, and some are now
living who are ornament, in society, and fill
important sta,iol.s Tie influence Of this
small number will perhaps BE- felt throughout
generations. 1t was not less favorable on
myself than Oh Others"
Such we're the principals Oh which was
reared Young man who afterwards became
one Of the princelv merchants of Boston,
princcly in wealth. virtues. and benevolence
Amos Lawrence. who gave in charity. more
Ian sir hundred thousand dollars. aud the
LEGACY Of whose life is part of the worlds