The prairie news. [volume] (Okolona, Miss.) 1851-1875, 1858-03-04
Parable for Business Men.

| mere was, once upon lllHe, man
who kept a store, and sold goods whole
sale and retail.
And he became melancholy because
customers were shy and times were bad.
And he said: Lo! am ruined, and
the sensation is disagreeable.
And my ruin is the more painful to
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 better to be ruined quickly
than to endure this slow torture.
| will give my money away to the poor
man-even to the poorest, which is he
who printeth the newspapers, and | will
| shut up my shop, and wrap myself in
sackcloth of desoation, and pass my days
! in the purlieus of broken banks, cursing
the hardness of times and rending my
garments.
And the hOwlings of Rome shall be as
the dulcet sound of dulcimers, and they
who blow flutes and instruments Of music,
compared to the din | will make in the
ears of the wicked-in the ears Of the
bank directors.
And even as he said, so did he; for he
was not like other mems sons who are
foolish and know it not, and they say
they will do 50 and so, performing that
which is contrary.
For the sons of men are tickle, and he
that is born Of woman doth spite his face
by diminishing the length of the nose
thereon
And 10 the printer-eyen he who did
publish newspaperS-was made glad by
the bounty Of him who sold wholesale
and retail; and he did blow the trumpet
of fame respecting that mans dealings
from the rising Of the sun even to the go
Tag down Of the same
And he-eyen the printer OF papers
did magnify and enlarge upon the stock
Of goods which the trader had in his store,
and did publish the variety, and the ey-
cellencc and the newness, and the cheap
ness thereof till the people-yea, all of
them, far and near, were amazed.
And they say: Lo this man hath /
gathered from the east and the west cost
ly merchandise and wares Of wonderous
value-eyen the workmanship of cunning
artifcers-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 publsd shall be ours. For this
mans merchandise is better than the
bank notes of those who promise to pay
and therein lie-eyen banks Of deposit,
which beguile us of our money and swim
die us like sin.
But the trader was still sad, and he
said: Tho money that these people
bring me for the goods in my store will |
still give to the printer, and thus will
ruin myself; I will do that which no man
hath yet done in my time or before |
will make rich the printer, whom all men
seom for his poverty, and he shall be
clad in fine linen, and shall rejoice.
And the sons of men shall seek him in
the market place, and the sheriff shall
shun him, and scoffers shall bc rebuked.
and shall take off their hats to him that
was poor.
And be shall fash the dollars in the
eyes Of the foolish, and shall eat bank
sandwiches.
Yea, even shall he light his pipe with
railroad script, and east his spittle ON the
boards OF other men.
For | will ruin myself, and he who adj
vertises for me shall enjoy my substance.
But 10! the trading man, even he who
sold merchandise, became rich, and even
rs the unclean beast lieth in the mire, s0
stirred he not by reason of much gold.
And the people flocked to his store
rom the North.
And from the South.
And from the East I,
And from the West.
And the printer reioiced, and his fat !
lid abound
But the trader could not become poor; +
nd his melancholy ceased, and the smiles !
+ happiness We're upon his face. !
And his children did become mighty /
n the land by reason Of the dollars which /
aany OF. the people who read his adver- 4
isements had poured into the traders !
aoney bags. r
20 Love is like a river if the current c
e obStructed it will seek some other cham !
el. II is not unfrequently the case that r
he kisses and attentions bestowed on the e
hild Of eight years are intended for the $
lister Of eighteen. Il
-. Rousseau was one day showing
is Ode to Posterity to Voltaire. Do
GU know" said the sage. Il am afraid c
L ! = I