The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1864-03-03
Sin on Both Sides the Counter.


In the case Of thousands and thousands
Of person9 there ia what is called bargain
making, perpetual vigilance and exercise
Of patty cunning aud sharpness to obtain
things without rendering an equivalent.
There il a very widely extended feeling
in the community thai nan has right to
get IS much as nc can for his dollar.
No sir, you have not.
Yoa have a right to get dollars worth
for your dollar, and no more. If you de-
sire to get more than O dollars worth for
It you are sinner before God you have
broken a commandment of God you have
coveted. If you 70 tut 20 shop thinking,
Il bare thirty dollars for my summer cut
Ii understand that goods are rlnously
low inst nov il il said that men are b eaE-
ing Gown on every .iie aad believe that
with telling ghaa can do in that store,
and what have done in that, ! cor buy
hundred dollars worth rith m7 thrts,'
then you 90 CUT deliberately to steal. You
~ with desire to take without gisrg an
equivalent; aud that is cogeting.
Hog'maay pers Us are there, even among
COMMITMENTS OF the Church, and those hat
reooguzs the cmoDs OF Chris,ienity, aho,
not having been instructed n this matter,
and being scarcely conscious that there is
anything wrong aoont 1t, are given 10 lhis
very practice Of seekiag TO Obtain things
/ l0- SO lban they sre IA. Oaa OF t5cse
Pcrssss cum, lsgTe t,ou5 dIloruiag 3 sb0p
ping, aud much curiosity is excited by the
mysterious silence which she maintaius-
0ee and another asks:
What cid Jon get to day =
Bot lhe mystery is notsoiyed. Al, there
is an exquisite pleasure yet to dam! By
and BY the belE yioga, and the package is
/ handed in.
What is III ghea IS it2' is heard from
every mouth. The table is cleared, the
STRINGS are cut. the parcel is oreged, the
goods are spread ont.
''Now, what do You think gayeicr taatf'
why, should think that must have
cost you dollar and half o yard"
."Fy;Y cents as sure as live. Fifty
cENT. =
What exquisite enjoymentis experienced
over That dollar thar vas not paid, but that
should have been I 70 sacrifice syer smelled
half so sweet in che imaginary nostrils Of
ANY old god as to lis person does that dol
lar which she did not pay when she ought
to The childr are regsed; the very
servants are called in, and there is fami-
ly jubilee. WhyS Because a persOn has
gos things four tines less tran she should
have done!
1t is sometimes said that persons who go
cut shopping must resort to this course as a
protection against imposition, because peO-
pie arc so fraudulent, because clerks take
such advantages, because merchants have
no conscience and no principle. My own
impression is, that there IS more principle
behind the counter than before it, and that
the chief educators Of dishonesty 10 stores
are the customers. Business men, with the
whole community Of bargsn-makers and
shoppers pitted against them, stand behind
their counters as behind 80 many bulEarks,
sayiog. 1 an not going to be carried By
storm" Sometimes 1t is play Of guile and
clllc "a 18th s!4-as--A- Si--,ier-sees q par
son Gaming In, and he says:
"Tbere comes B she will beat you down;
90 up on your goods"
So an exorbitout price is put upon them.
The inspection is made; then comes the
Jewirg. and at last the bargain is COM
pleted and the person goes away saying to
herself,
Il have got bis goods, and I have not
paid half what they are worth !" and she
is scarcely out of the store when the other
party says,
She haa got my goods, bat she paid
three timea as much as she need to have
psi6!'
They have both done a dishOnorable and
uncbristau thing.
Il Is said that men cannot DO business
without having recourse TO such dishonest
practices. Tbst is the same rs saying that
Cbrlsts example cannot be followed in this
World Now that is a false doctrine. Christ's
e,asple can be followed in this world if
a person is wiling to suffer for the sake of
d, i1g right. There is no good thing on
earth that cannot he done under such cir
cumstances Do you tell noe that man can
not be honest and be doctorH de can;
but many are trying to be doctors who are
not heroic enough. Do you tell me that
man cannot be honest and be l2wyerf-
He can but many are trying TO be law
gers who are not of material stern enough.
A man can be honest in any position There
is no store, no Office, no business thorough
) fare through which the Lord Jesus Christ
conld not walk; and where he could walk
his disciples can walk, for bis command to
them is that they shall take mp their cross
and follow him. Il cost something to be
: honest in these places, and so it does to DO
Lcas3t angwkeros