Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1878-03-05
IFor tue Spirit of Jefferson.
PUNCTUALITY THE LIFE OF BUSI-
NESS, I-z


You are in great want OF pair of shoes
| your shoemaker measures you for them-he
| will have them done such day for certain
YOU call and send, and send and call, and
! have good luck if as much rs thickness of
| sole leather be not worn out in running for
them before you get them-whiie you are
| suffering in your health, and endangering
your life by tramping about in leaky shoes.
The tailor measures you for suit of clothes
you have put off getting them as long as
you could do without, aud are now in 8
great hurry for them-he is liberal in prom
ises, fo5 promises cost nothing-but a siola-
tion of truth You are surely to have them
on a set day-you fix your heart upon them.
They are not done, but will be Tomorrow
and maybe this same story may be repeated
till it is as threadbare as your old clothes.
and your many disappointments devour moro
than half your pleasure in your new ones.
You take piece to the weaver-you or
your children are almost suffering for it. "Is
shall be done in few days" 4 few weeks
elapse-sometimes months, and even years.
before you get your piece woven-and 1t il
be not injured by mice or moths, you have
to thank their forbearauce for it.
The miller promises you your grist the
next morning. Morning comes, and NOT
a grain of it is ground. Several days roll
round, yonr corn is still in the bag; aud not
unfrequently remains there till your hungry
beliy-ache makes you roar loud enough to
frighten it into the hopper.
You want your grass cut, your harvest in,
your grain threshcd out. You engage = per-
son to assist you. You may depend upon il
he will not disappoint you But if your hay
aud harvest rot on the field, or the rats de-
YOUR your grain, before your laborer arrives.
you may console yourself with the reflection
that you are not the first person that mas been
served SO. 7il
1t is not merely these descriptions of per-
sons who forget to remember ''puuctuality is
the life of business :" the same forgetfulness
infests all classes of mankind.
The empIoyer is often as far from puuc-
tusity as the emp'2ye9.
Have not You suffered your tailor. your
shoemaker, your weaver, other workmen,
to call again and again before you paid them
their Just dues? Is not this a kind Of rob-
berry? Besides robbing them of their money
for a season, you rob them of their time in
coming or sending for it-and "time is
money" If "the laborcr DO worthy of his
hire" ought it not to be paid him when his
labor is finished?
You, Mr.. .-, have owed your doctor 9
great while. He perhaps saved you from a
speedy consignment to the 'bouse appointed
for all livipg"-and now you roquite his
services by refusing to pay his honest de-
mand. Ipgratitude is the vilest Of vices
for all others there may bc some apology
for this. none.
You, Mr.. have long bill due at
Mr.. IS store. Puuctualty is in q special
degree the life of his business without
money he can get no goods-and without it,
ho had better soil none. Yet you detain
his money from him, and perhaps lay it out
for other objects, not half so just or honorable.
These things ought not SO TO be.
The Parson, among other good men, feels
frequently, too scnsibly feels, your want Of
punctuality. In this free country, no one
is obliged to subscribe to the support of any
minister so much the more ought you to be
punctual in paying tho small pittance which
you have promised "the of God"
While he is toiling to furnish food for your
immortal souls, surely you should provide
him with susteDnnCc for his mortal body.
While he is seeking to make your death-
bed easy, you cannot refuse your aid to
render his life comfortable. Remember who
! has said, "The laborcr is worthy of his hire"
| Perhaps it may not be amiss to re-
member the Printer in my discourse. fIo
is in a very difficult and dissgreeable si,ua-
tion. He trusts everybody, he knows poE
who his money is scattered everywhere.
he hardly knows where to look for il. His
paper, his ink, his presses and his type, his
labor and his living, all must punctually bs
paid for. You, Mr. -, and Mr. -,
and Mr.. -, Mr.. and Mr.. =. and an
hundred others that | could name, have
taken Mr.. lis paper a great while You
and your wives, and your children, and your
neighbors, have been amused and informed,
and hope improved by tiff you miss ono
paper you think very hard of the printer or
post for it, for you had rather go without
your best meal than without your paper
have you ever complied with the condition
of subscription Have you taken as much
pains to furnish the printer with his money
as he has to furnish you with your paper
Have You contributed your mite to repay
him for his ink, his paper, his types. bis
presses, his hand-work, and head-work? Ii
you have not-go-pay him of, land sin no
more"
Verify, brethren, this want of puuctuality
is s'a sore evil under the sun"-an evil
which is felt by all classes and conditions Of
life, and which all ought TO unite to scout
out of society. The scripture moveth us in
suudry places to render unto every one his
due, and to "owe no man any thiDg;" and
experience teacbeth US that without punc-
tuaIity there is neither profit nor pleasure in
business. But were it otherwise, promises
ought not to be broken-"for what shall 10
profit man to gain the whole world and
lose his own soul?" SEsEx.
WEST V1Eo1s1A GAME LAw.-Partridges
are not to be caught, killed or injured, or
pursued with intent to do so, between Janu-
ary 1st aud the 18th of October, nor are
they to be caught at any time with snsres,
| nets or traps. 1t is unlawful to destroy or
/ disturb the epp of these birds or to offer the