The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1883-03-03

call commercial custom. In other words
the multiplication and universally Of q
sin turns 1t into virtue. There have
been large fortunes gathered where
there was not one drop of unrequited
toll In the wine, not one spark Of
bad temper flashing from the bronze
bracket, not one drop of needle-wOman's
heArt-bl0Od In the crimson plush; while
there are other great establishments In
which there Is not one dOOr-knOb, not
one brick, not one trinket. not one
thread Of lace, but has upon 1t the mark
or d1shOnOr. What wonder IL some day
the hand Of toll, that had been wrung
and worn out and blistered until the
skin came OF, should be placed against
the elegant wall paper, leaving its mark
OF blOOd-fOur fingers and thumb; and
the man should try to sleep at night, but
ever and anon be aroused, until, getting
up on one elbow, he should shrek out,
who's thereP" There are thousands Of
fortunes made In commercial spheres
that are throughout righteous. God will
let His favor rest upon every scroll,
dow; and the Joy that flashes from the
lights and showers, from the music and
dances In the children's quick feet pat
tering through the hall, will utter the
congratulation OF men and the approval
OF God.
A merchant can to the last item be
thoroughly honest. There Is never any
need Of falsehOOd. Yet how many will,
day by day, hour by hour, utter what
they know to be wrOngl You say that
you are selling at less than cost. II so,
then It Is right to say IL. But did that
thing cost you less than what yoa ask
for it? II not, then you have lied. You
say that article cost you 425. Did iLP
II so, then all right. II 1t did not, then
you have lied. Suppose you are pur-
chaser. YOu,ar beating down the goods.
You say that that article for which $5 Is
charged is not worth more than "a. Is
it worth no more than S42 Then, all
right. II 1t be worth more, and for the
sake Of getting IL for less than It's value
you wilfully depreciate 1t, you have
lied. You may call 1t q sharp trade.
The recording angel writes II down on
the pOnderOus tones of eternity: "Mr.
So and So, merchant, on Fulton street,
or Broadway, or Water street; Mrs. So
and So, keeping house on the Heights,
or the Hill, or on Madison avenue, or
RtttenhOuse Square, told one ne." You
may consider 1t Insignificant because re-
lattng to an Insignificant purchase. You
would despiSe the man who would
falsify in regard to some great matter in
which the city or whole country was
concerned; but this Is only box of but
TONS, or row of pins, or a case of
needles. Be not deceived. The article
purchased may be so small you can put
1t in your vest pocket, but the sin was
bigger than the pyramids, and the echo
of the dishopor win raYerberate through
all the mountains Of eternity. You
throw out on your counter some speci-
mems Of handkerchiefs. Your customer
asks: ''Is that all silk-nO cotton in 1t ?"
You answer: "It is all silk" Was 1t all
silkP If SO, all right. But was it part
ly cOttOn2 Then you have lied. More
over, you have lost by the falsehOOd.
The customer, though he may live at
Newark or YOnkers or POughkeepsie,
will find out that you defrauded him,
and next spring when he again comes
shopping he will look at your sign and
say: II will not try there; that's the
place where l got that handkerchief"
SO that by that one dishonest bargain
you picked your own pocket and insult
ed the Almighty. Would you dare to
make an estimate of how many false
hoods In trade were yesterday told by
hardware men, and cl0thiers, and fruit
dealers, and dry goods establishments,
and importers, and jewelers., and lum-
bermen, and coal merchants, and tObac-
cOnistS, and statiOners-lies about sad
dies, about buckles, about ribbons, about
carpets, about gloves, about coats, about
shoes, about hats, about watches, about
carriages, about bOoks-RbOut every
thtngp In the name Of the Lord Al
mighty, / arratgn commercial false
hoods as one Of the greatest Of crimes in
city and town.
In the next place, l notice social lies.
Much of society In insincere. You know
not what to believe. When people ask
you to come you do not know whether
or not they want you to come. When
they send their regards you do not know
whether it Is an expression Of their
heart or an external eivility. We have
learned to take almost every thing at a
discount. Word Is sent Not at home"
when they are only too hzy to dress
themselves. They say, ''The furnace has
just gone out" when, in truth, they
have had no fire in 1t all winter. They
apologize for the unusual barrenness Of
their table, when they never live any
better. They decry their most luxurf-
GUS entertainments to win q shower of
approval. They apologize for their ap-
pearance as though 1t were unusual.
They would make you believe that some
nice sketch on the wall iS the work of q
"and once hung on the walls Of a
CASTLE" and a Duke gave 1t to their
grandfather. People who will lie about
nothing else will lie about a picture.
On small income we must make the
world believe that we are afluent, and
our life becomes cheat, a counterfeit
and sham. Few persons are really
natural. A frozen dignity floats about
the room, and iceberg grinds against
iceberg. You must not laugh outright;
it Is vulgar. You must smile. You
must not dash rapidly across the room;
you must glide. There Is q round of
bows and grins and batteries and obs
abs and simperings and namby-pamby-
ism, word Of which is not worth one
good, round, honest peal of laughter. |
From such hollow round the tortured
guest retires at the close of the evening
and assures his host that he has enjOYed
Thus social life has been con-
torted and deformed until In some
mountain cabin, where rustics gather |
to the quilting or the apple pairing,
there is more good cheer than In all the |
frescoed ice-houses Of the metropolis.
In ha MI 4 nnkfaa