Des Arc weekly citizen., 1867-09-21
A Parable for Business Men---The
 Effect of Printers Ink.

] There was once upon a time man who kept store, and sold goods al ! wholesale and retail.
 And became melancholy. because customers were shy, and times hard.
 And he said: To! I am ruined, and the sensations is disagreeable.
 Andmy ruin Is more painful to bear because it is slowin progress, even as water doth gradually become hotter in the pot wherein the lobster boileth, until the crustaceous creature shriek- eth out his soul in anguish.
 Lo |! it is better to be ruined quickly than to endure this slow torture.
 l will give my money away to the poor man--even the poorest, which is he who printeth newspapers; and I will shut up my shop, and wrap my self in sack-cloth of desolation, and pass my days in the perilous or broken banks, cursing the hardness of the times and rendiug my garments. .s
 And the bowling of Rome shall be as dulcet sounds of dulcimers, and they who blow the flutes and instruments of music, compared to din, will make the cars of the wickcd--evon in the ears of the bank directors. ~.
 And even as he said, so he did; for he was not like other mems sons, who arc foolish and know itnot, and they will do so and so, performing that which is contrary.
 For the sons of men arc fickle, and he thatis born of woman doth spite his face by diminishing the length of the nose thereof.
 And, lo! the printer--cven he who publishes newsparers--was made glad by the bounty of him who sold whoi O. sale and retail; and he did sound his praises and print them moreover; and did blow his trumpet of fanie respect ing that mans dealings from the rising of the sun cven.to the going down 0. the same. m a
 And hc-even the printer of papers did magnify and enlarge upon tlle stock of goods which the trader had in his store, and did publish the variety, and the excellence, and the newness, and the beauty, andth ehepness there- of, till the people--yes' all of them, far and near, were amazed.
 And they said, lo! this man hath gathered from the east and west costly merchandise and wares Of wondrous value-even the workmanship of cum ming artificers-and we knew it not
 Go to, then. We will lay out our sil- yer and gold in those things which the printer printed of, and that which he doth publish shall be CUTS. For this mans merchandise is better than the banke-notes of those who promise to pay, and therein lie, even banks of de- posit which beguile us Of our money and swindle us like sin.
 But the trader was still sad, and he said, The money that these people bring me for the goods in my store will give to the printer, and thus will ruin myself; l will do that which no man hath yet done in my time, or be- fore. l will make the printer man, when all men scorn for his poverty, rich, and he shall be clad in fine linen and rejoice.
 And the sons of men shall meet him in the market-place, and the sheriff shall shun him, and the scoifers shall be rebuked, and shall take on their hats to him that was poor. a3sfs
 And he shall flash the dollars in the eyes of the foolish, and shall eat bank notes and sandwiches. has !, Yea, even shall he light his pipe with cotton money and cast his spittle on the boards of other men.
 For shall ruin myself and he who advertises mo shall enjoy my sub stance. ~
 But, lo. 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 greenbacks.
 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 'phat" did abound.
 But the trader could not become poor,  and his melancholy ceased, and the smiles of happiness were upon his face
 And his children did become mighty in the land by reason of the dollars which many of the people who read his advertisements had poured into the traders money-bags.