Connecticut western news., 1890-04-16
BUYERS AND SELLERS.
PRACTICAL SERMON BY pR. TALMAGE
 ON BUSINESS LIFE.

PRACTICAL SERMON BY DR. TALMAGE
 ON BUSINESS LIFE. Preached in tho Academy of Music at
 Brooklyn, Sunday, April 13-"It Is
 Naught, Saith tho Buyer, but When He
 Is Gone His Way. Then He Boasteth.''
 BROOKLYN, April 13.-At the ser vice in the Academy of Music this morning Dr. Talmage, after reading appropriate passages of Scripture, gave out the hymn:
 So let our lips and lives express
 The holy Gospel we profess. He announced as his text Proverbs xxx. IA: ''It is naught. it is naught, saith the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth." Following is his sermon in full: ,....
 THE HAGGLING OF BUYER AND SELLER
 Palaces are not such prisons as the world imagines. If you think that the only time kings and queens come forth from the royal gates is in pro cession and gorgeously attended, you are mistaken. Incognito, by day or by night, and clothed in citizens apparel or the dress of working wo- man, they come out and see the world as it is. In no other way could King Solomon, the author of my text, have known everything that was going on. From my text I am sure he must, in disguise, some day have walked into a store of ready made clothing, in Jerusalem, and stood near the counter and overheard 8 conversation between a buyer and a seller The merchant put a price on the coat, and the GUS toner began to dicker and said: "Ab- surd that coat is not worth what you ask for it. Why, just look at the coarseness of the fabric! See that spot on the collar Besides that, it does not fit. Twenty dollars for that? Why, it isn't worth more than ten. They have better article than that, and for cheaper price, down at Cloathem, Fit em & Brothers, Besides that, don't want it atany price. Good morning." ''Hold, says the merchant; ''don't go off in that way. want to sell you that coat. 1 have some payments to make and I want the money. Come now, how much will you give for that coata" Well, says the customer, II will split the difference. You asked twenty dollars, and I said ten. Now, I will give you fifteen" "Well," says the merchant, ''it's a great sacrifice; but take it at that price," Then Solo mon saw the customer with roll un- der his arm start and go out and en- ter his own place of business, and Solomon, in disguise, followed him. He heard the customer as he uurolled the coat say: Boys, have made great bargain. How much do you guess l gave for that coat2" "Well," says one, wishing to compliment his enterprise, ''you gave thirty dollars for it." Another says. II should think you got it cheap if you gave twenty five dollars" ''No," says the buyer, in triumph; 1T got it for fifteen dol lars. l beat him down and pointed out the imperfections until 1 really made him believe it was not worth hardly anything. It takes me to make a bargain. .Ha! Hal" Oh, nan, you got the goods for less than they were worth by positive falsehood and no wonder, when Solomon went back to his palace and had put off his disguise, that he sat down at his writing desk and made for all ages crayon sketch of you: "It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth."
 There are no higher styles of men in all the world than those now at the head of merchandise in Brooklyn and New York and in the other great cities of this continent Their casual promise is as good as bond with piles of col laterals. Their reputation for integ rity is as we'll established as that of Pc traroh residing in the family of Cardi- nal Colonna, and when there was great disturbance in the family the cardinal called all his people together, and put them under oath to tell the truth, except Petrarch, for when he came up to swear the cardinal put away his book and said: "As to you, Petrarch, your word is sufficient"
 Never since the world stood have there been so many merchants whose transactions can stand the test of the Ten Commandments. Such bargain makers are all the more to be honored because they have withstood year after year temptations which have flung many so Hat and flung them so hard they can never recover themselves. While all positions in life have power full besetments to evil, there are spe- cific forms of allurement which are peculiar to each occupation and pro- fession, and it will be useful to speak of the peculiar temptations of business l men.
 l First, as in the scene of the text: business men are often tempted to sac rifice plain truth, the seller by ex- aggerating the value of goods, and the buyer by depreciating them. We cannot but admire an expert salesman. See how he first induces the customer into a mood favorable to the proper consideration of the value of the goods. He shows himself to be an honest and frank salesman. How carefully the lights are arranged till they fall just right upon the fabric! as
 Beginning with goods of medium quality, he gradually advances toward those of more thorough make and of more attractive pattern. How he watches the moods and whims of his customerl With what perfect calm. ness he takes the order and bows the purchaser from his presence, who goes away having made up his mind that he has bought the goods at price which will allow him living margin when he again sells them. The goods were worth what the salesman saio they were, and were sold at price which will not make it necessary fo, the house to fail every ten years in or der to fix up things.
 SOME INIQUrToUs sTRATAGEMs.
 But with what burning indignation we think of the iniquitous stratagems by which goods are sometimes disposed of. A glance at tine morning papers shows the arrival at one of our hotel! of a young merchant from one of thu