The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1883-10-17
John Thrifty's Account Book.

lister sharp rebuke to one of his clerks
for being five minutes late in returning
from dinner, coupled with the warning
that If the like occurred again the delin.
quent would be " locked" quarter of a
days pay.
Now Thrifty was an old and intimate
friend, and the Rambler had great respect
for his sterling qualities. He was
sharp, keen business man, thoroughly
honest and upright in dealing with his fell
low men, and, as the world goes, Just to
his employees. An open note book lay up
on his desk, and in it the Rambler could
see jotted down quite a lengthy array of
items noting trifing shortcomings of sever.
al of his clerks, for which their employer
held them to strict account-for John
Thrifty was methodical to fault, and he
kept everything in black and white, no
matter how trihing its nature.
1t occurred to the Rambler as he stood
there that the account, as his friend
Thrifty kept it, was rather one-sided
one. 1t was all debits-the credit side
was one long blank. The matter was
presented to his mind in a different light
than he had ever viewed it before, and he
wondered what the result of an attempt
to make the merchant see in the same
light would be. Presuming upon friend
ship that would lead each to bear much
from the other without offense, the Ram
bier picked up the note book, remarking
in casual way "I see, John, you
keep these accounts with your clerks in
queer sort of single entry style, do you
not 2"
Thrifty looked up from his daily pa.
per, glanced at the notebook, and then
turned his kindly gray eyes upon the
Rambler with puzzled expression of
inquiry in them. al don't know as |
understand you exactly" he at length re-
marked.
"No? Well, you see, John, 1 heard
your sharp rebuke to Charley as l came
in, and then happened to see your little
book here which have in my hand and
if you won't think I'm impertinent will
tell you my thoughts"
$50 on I'm all attention." with an
amused smile, for it was by no means the
first time he had been lectured by the
Rambler, which effort oftener than not
resulted in his turning the laugh on the
lecturer.
"Then let us take Charley's case first"
| continued the Rambler, cas- it was that
which first attracted my attention. Per-
J haps you will remember that he stopped
to wait upon lady yesterday noon until
nearly twenty minutes beyond his dinner
hour. happened to be here, and know
he did it pleasantly and without MUIR
muir. Now, if it is just for you to debit
him with five minutes lost time, would it
not be equally just to credit him with the
| fuuo IN toe xrbiah he
day? And"
"But cannot have my employees get
in the habit of being late" broke in the
merchant. cit annoys me more than
anything else"
"And justly, too, if it were habit"
continued the Rambler. "But you know
Charley is usually very prompt, and, be-
sides, he is high-strung, sensitive boy,
and you probably have little idea how
your words hurt not so much the words
themselves, maybe, as the manner in
| which they were spoken. But let me 60
on. There's Bob, as good clerk as you
ever had, honest, faithful and competent.
see he is checked for failing to sell a
bill of goods to a crochety party the other
day. Perhaps that is correct-perhaps he
ought to sell dress pattern to woman
who never intended to buy. But you told
me less than a month ago that you could
not replace Bob if he should leave you,
and that he often made sale when you
have failed yourself. don't see any of
those credits put down against his name
to balance this debit item. And your
pretty cashier there, working by gas light
fully half the time. Her tired eyes and
fingers somehow slipped the paltry sum of
thirteen cents in making change. And
you charged it to her. Oh, yes, you say
you must teach her to be careful. But
you took that counterfeit ten dollar bill
last Wednesday and would have lost that
amount plus the goods sold, except that
her bright eyes detected the fraud--did
you set that down in the book to her
credit, John2"
The smile had faded from John Thrift
TVS face, and though his keen eyes looked
not less kindly upon the Rambler, they
wore graver expression than was
their won't.
81 think for once, my FRIEND" he said,
quietly, as he took the little book out of
the Ramblers hand, "that you have me
where | cannot escape. l never thought
of this matter before in just the light in
| WHICH, you pun ~, hEu dlu lrhnk W COLI
TESS my mistake. did not mean to deal
unjustly with my help. / meant-I-"
"Don't for one moment think l in
tended to hint that you did," interrupted
the Rambler. "This system of getting
everything due from our employees as a
matter Of justice to ourselves, and forget
ting to look as closely after the other col.
umn in the ledger and crediting faithful
and intelligent service with its due, is one
of the crying wrongs of the day, and
there are few employers who can honestly
say, 81 am guiltless." We take extrs
service, uncommon diligence, more than
usual faithfulness to duty as matter Of
course, but any dereliction on the part OF
those we employ is caught up aud magni
fed as serious fault, often met by
threats of punishment, or by open repri
mand, notifying to those who by faith
full services have earned right to expec,
more humane treatment. They feel the
, injustice of this kind of bookkeeping fal
more keenly than you imagine, John
These Yankee boys and girls are not dull
, scholars. They are most of them bright
active and intelligent. and they perform
: their labors with heartiness and deft
ness that deserves and should receive diff