The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-10-06

enough, probably, to constitute clear ma
jority, who are what you may cali square
men, business-like, and as punctual as the
vicissitudes of this world viii admit
But when you undertake to do any
thing which depends upon the keep
ing Of engagements by other people
it does seem as if every spark of confidence
in promises would be extinguished, and
with it every vestige of respect for ones
own kind. If any person is not advised in
this matter, there are two or three WAYS by
which he may become' posted and qualified
to subscribe to the above sentiments. One
of he elearest modes OF experimental de-
monstrstion is to undertake the repair or
Building of house, not involving job
large enough to place the whole thing in
the hands of contractor. There are sew
eral branches of the work which follow
in succession, and sustain mutual de-
Tendencies too numerous TO be speci-
| fed. Every one knows something
about the order in which the work of the
excavator, the mason, the carpenter, the gla-
zier, the plumber, the gas-fitter, the plaster
ar, the painter, and the whole round of
those who furnish material for each of these
comes in. But nobody knows who has not
| tried it, nor begins to conceive what it is to
go through the torture of passion and rage
which this little army of artisans are capa-
BILE of inflicting on human soul. First, set
time when the undertaking is proposed 10 be
accomplished, make it ample, then double
the entire period and arrange the other bus
mess affairs of life to suit the latter esti-
mate, SO that a failure to connect will pro-
duce serious difficulties, and then 90 in
thinking you are safe. The columns of this
paper are not sufficient to detail the process
of refinement to which the virtue Of patience
shall thereafter be subjected. They know
and they only who have been through, en-
tering the ordeal, young, buoyant and hope
full, finally comingou soured, broken down
and used up. The contracts are as easy to be
made as the decensus averni. One can get
fair promises, positive, unconditional
and strongly nailed down, and by almanac
nd clock he may plan TO have everything
drop in at the proper time so that none shall
hinder or delay another from the beginning
10 the end. The engagements come so easy
and so fair as to excite sharp selfreproach
for ever indulging distrust and dread of
of so delightful recreation as building a
little addition to the dwelling. There the
vision ends. The particular man on whose
performance every other one waits and
must wait. fails to come to time, acts as if
it were matter of indifference, valves his
agreement for the most trifiing circum-
stance. perhaps for no cause at all
o1If
any one that he has changed his programme.
Day after day the same thing is repeated by
one after another of those whose punctuality
is most important, for whose service there is
no substitute. at last the job is finished by
somebody, probably not the set first engaged
and after every calamity which postpone
ment and failure could bring hasintervened.
The intensity of vexation, however, is en-
HANGED by the seeming insignificance of the
undertaking. Suppose room only is to
be fitted up. You are pretty closely tied
down TO duty, having just about time enough
to spare to give the orders aud arrange the
times. There are great many little things,
very little things, to be done. Some pur-
chases to be sent to the place at specified
time, some trifling services to be performed.
A carpet to be putdown, "a stove to be put up,
gas burner to be fitted. a meter to be set.
some coal to be carried in "a window washed,
bed arranged, three minutes work of a car
penter. etc., etc. Orders for all are given,
memoranda made by the parties engaged
and times set. Now, how many times does
any one suppose you will be obliged to go
and repeat these orders before they are exc
cuted? How many days will you have to
wait, leave your room open and
be kept broiling on the gridiron of
of suspense before you get settled?
Try it. If you don't say at the
end of week that call men are liars"
your experience will be outside the rule.
1t is one of the exasperating incidents OF
life that all its affairs are continually
blocked aud thrown. off the track by the
needless, needless, reckless, almost criminal
disregard of two things, the clock and prom
ises Yet there are some, after all, who keep
engagements and have a principle about
them, which they take care of. Among
our business men, who design to fulfill, sub
ordinates often prevent them by delin-
quency. But great many make no calcu-
lation on coming to time. If they would
| tell the truth in the first place,
and make a margin wide enough it
would save world of trouble.
But no, they seem to prefer TO promise and
then fail. These people have their use, no
doubt. They are sent into the world to de-
velop those Christian graces which belong
to the elect. that they may be made perfect
through vexation and to break down the
last pretenss to outward goodness in MS
who are doomed to be damned by driving us
to open profanity. Still, thas great purpose
adds not honor to the agents. A business
man who agrees to do thing at a certain
day and hour will decidedly advance his
good name by bearing the engagement in
mind.