St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1871-05-26

The children had retired, AMI Farme
Rankin sat toying with the rich, mellow
apples before him, while h' wife KEEP
on at her sewing.
John :"
sNNell I"
care yon not paying Thomas Barnc,
one dollar per cord for cutting wood il
your woods -
"IoS."
You will have 10 draw it the,
miles ;"
''AbGut that
'lou are TO pay Joe Miller eighty.
seven cents per cord for wood cut in hi:
woods, and you will have to draw it two
miles and Il half"
YES, quite Il saving of time and
money. There, wife; | understand that
peculiar look of yours, which always
warns me of Il lecture on ethics. | tell
you have done well enough by him. II
can give man good job, and at the
same time make it profitable to myself,
you ought TO be pleased. Joe Miller
wishes TO clear his land. am TO give
him cighty-scvcn cents per cord for two
hundred cords. | have paid fifteen dol
lars i'll advance, and am TO pay the bal
ancc as soon rs it is piled and measured. -
at will take them a long time to cut
that much wood, besides cutting what
they will be Obliged to burn in the mean
time. And what are the family to do
while they are cutting it! They are de-
pendent upon his daily labor for their
bread. heard him tell you that the
money you paid him would scarcely buy
the boots that he and his boy must have
before they can work"
'1hat is no concern OF mine If |
pay when the work i done it will be
quite cnough-morc than many others
would do. Before commencing, they
can work out Il few days and earn bread
and meat enough to last them through
the time
eve are not guided by what others
would do. The question i, what ought
We TO do Can you dtord to pay
Thomas Barnes one dollar per cord ;"
MIR. Rankin winccd under the pcnc-
lThllnI lOOh Gl his wlic.
"IcS, but | uld not get it done
cheaper, as that is the least anybody is
paying in ordinary timber, and Barnes
knew the market price OF wood, and
knew Just how mu.h can draw in one
day"
''Ilen Thomas Barnes understands
the worth ut labor better than Joe Mil
Ter ,"
"lc:, | save ju-t twcn,y-six dollars
on the choppm@, provided he fills the
contract, and fifty if moi. The differ
cncr III drawing and furnishing the wood
makes what call good bargain" said
Mr.. Rankin, as hr quatlcd II glass of
cider.
Say, rather, II bad bargain, my hus-
hand" said Mrs. Rankin, with II halt
-mnihcrrd si"h
''Bargains are not to be estimated by
dollars and cents only. If we cannot
stand self-acquitled in our dealings with
others, we are mi$erablv poor, hcaping
up druSs instead OF gold. am very sor-
ry to sec you taking advantage Of Il poor
mans necessity"
Nonsense ~ said Mr.. Rankin, con-
tcmptu"u-ly. ''Iour nice distinctions
Of right and wrong will not bear the
wear and tear of business
"Ihcy will bear the light Of eternal
truth, and whatever can survive that
ordeal oan bear the test of this poor per
isl.able world"
"AccOrdin% 10 your expressed ideas of
conducting business, yon make ii SIN TO
accumulate wealth."
GLOW So ~
"lf there is no way of making buSl-
ness rcmuuerative through strict intcgri-
ty, then it is wrong 10 accumulate
wealth and if wrong to accumulate it,
wrong to possess it. Thus you wonld
sweep away the moral right TO engage in
any enterprise dependent upon money for
advancement"
equally cmoumcnlal ; and man is free
TO choose"
"Ah, my little thcorist nothing
short of Il thcocracy could ever bring
men up to your standard"
Il would have every man heed the
whi>pcringS of the conscience Go has
planted in his breast. Had you given
Joe Miller terms l:ttlc easier. you
would be better satisfied with yourself,
dear husband you know the conditions
are hard
''IIc went away satisfied in all, save
wanting his pay on every twenty-five
cords But | knew he would not cut
half as much as | want on those terms.
They will have TO work little harder;
but, when they get it done, they will
have more money than they ever had, at
once. Its Il fine chance for Joe Miller
to pay for his land. intend 10 give
them all the choppng they can do for a
year but he is slow, indccisive sort
of a iellow-one of your honest sort,
wife. Bah! | deSpisc such men. They
are mere fungi in everything they under
take that requires tact and perseverance
always poor
'Thc victim of too many coed bar
gains, perhaps"
Mr.. Rankin bit his lips in chagrin.
"Your conclusions are forced aud
cruel" continued his wife "If you can
afford TO pay Thomas Barnes one dollar
per cord-and you are not the man to
pay it unless you find it proiitable-you
can and ought to pay Joe Miller the
same. He has IL large, needy family,
and probably felt compelled to make the
most of the opportunity"
81 tell you wife, he was delighted
when he cast up the amount, and found
that he could so nearly pay for his land.
L L L.