The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1868-03-05
FAsmfhe New York Ledger.
An Easy Place Wanted!
BY HENRY WARD pEEcHER.

Va WY WIN PiO0ibht ~ ~ iA'.~U't|.
one more pithy than the tois
which I give perbatim, except the
name: N.Y.
LANCASTER. Feb. 9Th. 1868.
Rev. HENRY w. BEEcHER-ISir:
Il hardly know how to address So
great a man. You said in a SER
mon, some timo ago, that honesty
ought to bo rewarded. am hon.
est with my fellow-man, myself,
my God. Can get recommended
tions (the best) from Lawyers, Doc.
tors, Preachers, &c. Get mo an
eassy (sic) situation, that honesty
may be rewarded. G. @.
To which | append my reply:
MY DEAR FRIEND The proper
way to addsess a great man is the
way in which you would address
any man who has good common
sense. Never begin by telling him
that he is great man. If he is
one, he probably found it oA be-
fore you did /; and if he is not one,
you will not oe apt to make much
by tickling his vanity by SO cheap
a compliment.
Surely a man as honest as you
are has been rewarded already.
What! " honest with your fellow
man, yourself, and your God +"
There are few men that can say as
much. Honest with your fellow.
man? Is your condu,t without
knots, wind shakes, or cracks !?
How long has it been so? Do yonr
neigbbors all think so? Have you
come to it gradually, as a winter
apple ripens, or has it always been
so2 Excuse these questions, for
really l am deeply Interested. You
belong to an exceedingly small
class. You have few fellows on
earth. Indeed, when You add that
you arc honest Uith yourself, l can.
not keep company. You are ahead
of mo and that last clause honest
Nth your God-takes you entirely
out ofmy sight. Why do you come
to me? | ought TO sit at your feet.
You arc my master.
No doubt you can get "recom.
mendations from Lawyers, Doc.
tors, Preachers" You place these
gentlemen, doubtless, in the order
Of their honesty, ending in eli,
max. Lawyers are proverbially
honest, Doctors never deceive,
preachers always practice what
they preach. Recommendations
from any of these would smack Of
solf laudation. Every man praises
his own virtues. Get some one not
so inevitably good to commend
you. Arc there no editors, no
members of Congress, in your
neighborhood?
But now come to the most i'm.
portant part of your letter. " Get
me an eassy situation that honesty
may be rewarded l am ready
to do all'in my power for you.
Had you signified the sort of easy
place you would prefer l should
have been less perploxed. LET me
SEQ.
How would a good farm suit
you--with say fifty head of neat
stock ia tho barns, twenty horses,
one hundred head of hogs, cribs
full of corn, and twenty stacks OF
good timothy hay, besides all that
the cattle can eat moved away IN
the barn? propose giving you
this Bat, on reflection, l am sure
it would not be easy enough. Hir.
cd men must bo looked after Fen.
ccs, tools, and buildings want con.
tinual repair. Summers are very
hot, winters are verv cold, and
farming requires q man to be up
and about in all seasons, No, lam
sure that good farm will not bo
an easy place.
| give up this project tho more
Willingly because thought Of
manufacturing. Would you like
to own largo cotton millsf A
great deal of money has been made
(and some lost during the last ten
years in manufacturing. But, just
nov, | am afraid there is some en-.
barrassment in the business. The
place is not easy enough. | would
Motif | were you, go into manutae.
turing, nor merchandising, nor
speculation. There is too much
agitation just now.
| could send you to Congress,
Everything is easy enough there
But the singular honesty which
you possess would make you
Congressman are all,
or most all, honest; but not so
honest and you might find your
self an object of jealousy, and envy
which would take from the ease of
your position, allthe more, because
i would bring you SO noar to the
White House.
Now my dear fellow. that is the
very place for you | Your pecu-
liar virtue of honesty would omi-
nently fit you for that place, The
White House has often been re.
furnished, but never with that
which you would carry to it, with
one late exception 1t took the ma.
ton four years to get used to hon.
Dsty in President and then, alas
ust as people began to like it, he
and it disappeared
You arc q born Presidentl All
parties are looking out for you.
They want man Honest 10 his |
feliow men, to himself, and to his
God" What a motto is that to
run q race with thus far they