St. Landry democrat., 1890-02-08
Fulfill Your Promises.
the VALUE OF A GOOD REPUTATION TO
YOUNG BUSINESS MEN

the VALUE OF GOOD REPUTATION TO
YOUNG BUSINESS MEN.
There is no lesson the young busine 8
man needs to learn more thoroughly than
the value of good reputation and good
credit. These cannot be won and kept by
false pretenses of any kind, but must be
earned by strict observance of contracts,
agreements and promises. The man whose
"word is as good as his bond is the man
who has inspired confidence in himself BY
always doing that which he has promised
to do. He is also, as rule, cautious about
entering into obligations, chary about
making promises that he may not be able
to fulfill. If too prodigal in the latter re-
spect one cannot hope to keep faith at all
times. man who is or intends to be
honest sometimes loses credit and reputa-
ton simply because he is too hopeful.
Counting with too great confidence or I'M
certainties. he makes promises that he
cannot fulfill because of the failure Of the
event on which they were predicated. He
voluntarily fixes the date for the payment
of debt, and finds too late something has
gone wrong, so that be cannot meet his
obligation Such an accident may happen
to any man. Upon the way in which he
lneets the unexpected trouble depends how
his reputation shsll stand after wards. If
he can fulfill his promises at any personal
saurifi 70 he should do SO railing that, he
should endeavor to keep his word by Dor
rowing elsewhere, thus gaining time for
the final discharge of his obligation. But
if he cannot do either he should go as soon
as possible to his creditor and secure an
extension by frankly telling him the state
nF tfsirS TINS in S.oaI Of raaIy
ing his promise The one essential thing
TO do it to keep good faith, or come as near
to it as possible. The worst possible
cour is to let time run on until his cred
it.r begins to press him on an obligation
long overdue. 1t is too late then for ex-
planations or renewals. His credit is
gone, his reputation is broken down. His
after promises are distrusted, though they
may be grudgingly accepted. He may for
years after thus shattering faith IN himse f
pay promptly and keep his word, but there
wi l remain the lingering feeling of dis
trust born of one failure to keep faith or
to explain in advance the reasons why it
could not be kept. An engagement of any
kind should be held sacred, and thus good
which is of slow growth, may
be gradually built up, for he who keeps
his word at all times becomes respected
and is trusted. The young man cannot
learn too early in life his res possibility to
himself and to others. He is to make his
by what he says and does, and
at the outset should have high regard
for truth, which carries with it honesty
and insures prompt and complete fulfill
ment of all engagements. He should not
allow careless habit in money matters to
grow upon him, but should pay all his
oils promptly. There is en- implied
promise to pay at the end of the month, or
when the bill may be presented, even
though there has been no engagement to
do so n ade in so many words, and it is
good pl ctice to keep these implied as well
IS all other promises with scrupulous care.
Such a course will in time establish
whose value cannot be meas
ared by money. besides developing useful
habits and keeping one free from oppres
sive and grinding debts -Ba tsnaore San