The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1871-12-21
Gle family Girris.
4 talk V!lg EitR.EI-MN.

ESuJtCitidH Topping lnDO Gtls
Se8.Sshop where we were making
sl&(9inquiry preparatory to leaving
an order.
tNo, sir, and am sorry to say it
We expected them to be finished
last evening, but unforeseen circum
stances have prevented"
"Will you be kind enough to ex
plain the nature of those "unfore
seen circumstances" sir" said the
gentleman, ''in order that I may be
the Judge as to whether your fa4i
Of the contract has been fulfilled in
its spirit, seeing it has-for the Sc
cond time-been broken in its let
ter"
"Well, the fact, is that-um-
that"
"That viii do" said the gentle
man, land Notwithstanding you
may call me particular 'fussy,' 'un-
reasonable and all that call of
names, please allow me a word Of
advice. I am older than you; have
been a mechanic like yourself; have
worked hard and long, have been
saving and economical, and have
been moderately successful, as you
well know. And, sir, let me say it
without purpOsing offence-in the
pre- jence of the editor, that I am
fully convinced that my success in
life has been, in the greatest meas
ure, owing to my keeping my word,
at all times, and under all circum-
stances. Ny word, when once Civ
en-, was more sacred to me than my
note or bond. II promised, either
in quality, amount or time, it was
kept, unless a reason could be given
which would satisfy the most faith
less that 1 had exhausted every
known and possible source of sup
ply or means to keep it.
"Twenty-four or forty-eight hours,
are a small matter in the delivery of
a pair Of boots. may or may not
be much inconvenienCed by the vio-
lation Of your promise, but it hurts
you more than it does me. 1t will
break down your business, sir, or
only leave you a class of customers
who will be as careless of time in
their payments as you are in your
promises, and bankruptcy lies at
the end of that road"
"If you had given me your note
which is only a promise-for the
same time that you promised to de- |
liver my boots, you would have paid |
the note, because a protest would |
have followed non-payment, you
would have been reported upon the
streets as having failed become a
bankrupt, and legal measures would
have been taken to close up your
business. But instead of promising /
to deliver me a certain amount Of |
money, you promised me a certain
amount of leather upon which labor
had been performed. You pay the
money strictly, you violate Your
on the leather, and have no
excuse tor it. You have
'faile,r in a vital point in your char
acter, you have become bankrupt
of truth.
at is hard talk, 1 know; but, sir.
it is the truth. A mans promise
once given, must be held sacred to
it's performance, at the time and up
on the conditions named, or all
honor has gone. You
smile. sir, at the term commercial
honor, as applied to your business.
person is engaged in trade, even
If he sell only a pint of peanuts.
In that scale all the principles of
honor, trnthfulness and honesty are
involved. He can cheat in q pint {
Of peanuts as one can in a transac-
sion involving thousands of dollars.
lie can sell an inferior article, cal
ing it good; he can agree to deliv-
er at a certain hour a fresh baked
article. and utterly break down in
and the respect of his
for his word. by failing
20 do it.
"Do you get my point fully. sir?
man should not trife with his
promise. His whole character is
involved in his keeping that one
hing above question, much more
above reproach. If, when 1 came
20 you, and made this contract for a !
pair of boots, to be delivered night
before last. tor given sum. yoH had /
locked over your work and i
old me that you could not deliver (
hem until Saturday evening OF this
week, could have made nv ar
accordingly. and your 6
lonor. reputation and correct meth I
ID Of doing business Wonid have 6
themselves upon me- IT,
at the time, you had de-
ivered them, complete and salts
actory. should have said to my
eli, and 70 others when questioned.
He will succeed in life. BE has the
light principles. His word is sa-
red TO him. You may trust him