The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1858-01-27
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A Parable for Business Men.

There was once upon time msa
who kept store. and sold goods whole
sale and retail
| And he became melancholy, because
customers were shy and times were
bal.
And he said Lo! am being ruined.
and the sensation is disagrccable.
And my ruin is the more painful ia
bear, because it is slow in progress, even
as water doth gradually become hotter
in the pot wherein the lobster boileth.
until the crUstaceous creature shrieketh
out his soul in anguish.
Lo it is batter to be ruined quickly
than to endure this torture. ..-
will give my money away to the
poor man--even to the poorest, which
is he who printcth newspapers, and l
will shut up shop. and wrap myself in
the sackcloth of desolation, and pass
my days in the purlieus of broken banks.
cursing the hardness of the times, and
rending my garments.
And the hoylings Of Rome shall be
as the dulcGt sounds Of tho dulcimers
and they who blow flutes and instru-
ments of music, compared to the din !
will make in the ears Of the wicked
even in the ears Of the bank-directors.
And even as he said, so he did he for
he was not ike other sons of men who
are foolish and know it not, and say they
will 90 so and so, performing afterward
that which is contrary. ...
For the sons of man are tickle, and ho
born of woman doth spite his face by
diminishing the length Of the nose there
Of.
And 10! the printer-eyen he who
did publish newspapers-wasm made glad
by the bounty of him who sold whole
sale and retail and he did sound his
praises, and print them moreover; and
he did blow the trumpet of fame respect
ing that mans dealings from the rising
of the sun to the going down thereof,
And he-even the printer Of news
papers-did magnify and enlarge upon
the stock of goods which the trader had
in his store. and did publish the variety.
and the excellence, and the newness, and
the beauty, and the cheapness thereof,
till the people-yea all OF them, far
and near, were amazed.
And they said Lo this man has
ga hered from the East and West costly
merchandise and wares of wondrous
value-even the workmanship of cum
ming artifccrs, and we knew it not.
Go to, then. We will lay out our sill
yer and our gold in those things which
the printer printeth Of. and that which
he doth publish, shall be ours. For
this mans merchandise is better than
the bank notes of those who promise to
pay and therein lie-even banks Of de-
post which beguile us of our money
and swindle us like sin.
But that trader was still sad, and ho
said the money that these people bring
me for the goods in my store will still
give to the printer. and thus will ruin
myself, | will do that which no man
hath done in my time or before me-
will make the printing man. whom all
men scorn for his poverty, rich, and he
shall be clad in fine linen, and shall re-
joice, and the sons of men shall see him in
the market-place, and the sheriff shall
shun HIM, and the sceffers shall be re-
buked, and take Of their hats to him who
was poor.
And lie shall flash the dollars in tho
eyes Of the foolish and eat bank-nots
sandwiches.
For l yiU ruin myself, and he who
advertiseth me shall enjoy my sub
stance.
But 10 the trading man--even he
who sold merchandise, became rich, and
even as the unclean beast lieth in the
mire, SO stirred he not by reason of much
gold.
And the people flocked to his store
from the North.
And from the South.
And from the East.
| And from the West.
And the printer rejoiced and his fat
atuonded.
But the trader could not become poor
and his melancholy ceased. and the
smiles of happiness were on face.
And his children became mighty in
| the land by reason of the dollars which
the people who read his advertisements
had poured into that traders money
bags.