Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-03-27

through mercantile anxietes. the brain is
| consumed!
| In the next place we notice mercantile
| lies, those before the counter and behind
the counter. will not attempt 10 specify
the different forms of commercial false
hood. There are merchants who excuse
themselves for deviation from truthfulness
because of what they call commercial
custom. IN other words, the multpica-
ton and universally of a sin turns it into
virtue. There have been large fortunes
! gathered where there was not one drop Of
unrequited toll in the winc not one spark
of bad temper flashing from the bronze
bracket; not one drop of needle woman's
heart blood in the crimson plush; while
| there are other great establishments in
which there is not Que door knob, not one
brick, not one trnkct, not one thread of
lace, but has upon il the mark Of dishonor.
What wonder If. some day, a hand Of toll
that had been wrung. and worn oat, and
| blistcred until the skin came off. should be
| placed against the elegant wallpaper,
leaving its mark of blood-four fingers and
thumb; or that some day, walking the
halls. there should be a voice accosting the
occupant, saying, six cents for making "a
Shirt" aud, flying the room, another voice
should say, Twelve cents for an army
banket;" and the man should try 10 sleep
at night. but ever and anon be aroused.
until getting up on one elbow, he should
shli lex out Nv hos there?"
! A merchant can, 10 the last item, be
Thoroughly honest There is never any
need Of falsehood. Vet how many will,
day by day, hour by hour. utter what they
know to be wrong. You say that you are
selling at less than cost. If so, then it is
/ right to say il. But did that cost you less
than what you ask for il? If not then
you have fasified. You say that that
article cost you twenty-five dollars. Did
! it? II so, then all right. IL IL did not,
then you have falsiiied. Suppose you are
a purchaser. You are "beating down
the goods. You say that that article for
which five dollars is charged, is not worth
more thar four. Is il worth no more than
four dollars? Then all right II it be
worth more. and for the sake Of getting it
! for less than its value, you wilfully
| dcpreciatc it, you have falsided. You may
call it sharp trade. The recording angel
writes it down on the ponder Gus tones of
eternity-''AIr. So and So, merchant on
Water street or in Eighth street or in
| State street; or Mrs. So and So. keeping
| house on Beacon street, or on Madison
avenue, or Rittenhouse square, or Brooklyn
heights or Brooklyn hill, told one false
hood
| In the next place | notice mechanical
! lies. There is no class Of men who admin
| lister more to the welfare Of the city than
artisans. To their hand we must look for
the building that shelters us. for the gar
| ment5 that clOthe US. and for the car that
carries us They WELD widespread
influence. There is much derision Of what
! is called Muscular Christianity" but in
the latter day Of the worlds prosperity,
think that the Christian will be muscular
/ We have right to expect Of those stalwart
men Of toll the highest possible integrity.
/ Many of them answer all our expectations,
| and stand at the front of religious and
| philanthrop.c enterprises. But this class,
like the others that | have named, has IL
il those who lack in the element Of
veracity. They cannot all be trusted. In
times when the demand for labor is great.
| ii is impossible to meet the demands Of the
! public, or do the work with that prompt
ness and perfection that would at other
times be possible But there are
mechanics whose word cannot be trusted
at any time. No man has right TO
promise more work than he can do. There
| are mechanics who say they will come on
| Monday, but they do not come until We'd
nesday. You put work in their hands that
! they tell YOU shall be completed in ten
days, but il is thirty There have been
| houses built Of which il might be said that
! every nail driven. every foot OF plastering
! put on, every yard of pipe Land, every
| shiagle hammered. every brick mortared.
could tell Of falsehood connected Herewith.
| There are men attempting 10 do ten or tf
/ teen pieces Of work who have not the time
or strength 10 do more than five or six
/ pieces; but by promises never fulfilled keep
all the undertakings within their own
| grasp. This is what they call nursing
! the Job.
] next notice celestial lies; that is,
| falsehoods told fol the purpose of adyanc-
| ing churches and sects, or for the purpose
of depicting them. There is 90 use in ask
ing many Calvinist what an Arminian
believes, for he will be apt TO tell you that
! the Arminian believes that man can con-
vert himself; or TO ask the Arminian what
the Calvinist believes, for he will tell you
| that the Calvinist believes that God made
| some men Just TO damn them. There is no
! need Of asking a pGdo- Baptist what Bap-
| fist believes, for he will be apt 10 say that
the Baptist believes immersion TO be posi-
lively necessary to salvation. II is almost
! impossible for one denomination Of Chris
tians. without prejudice or misrepresenta-
ton, TO state the sentiment Of an opposing
sect. II a man hates Presbyterians. and
you ask him what Presbyterans believe.
he will tell YOU that they believe there are
infants in hell a span long,
To many, through insincerlty, this life
is a masquerade ball. As, at such enter
tainments gentlemen and ladies appear in
the dress of kings or queens. mountain
bandits, or clowns, and at the close of the
dance throw of their DISCUSSES, so, in this
dssipated life all unclean passions move
in mask. Across the floor they trip meT-
rily. The lights sparkle along the wall.
or drop from the ceiling--a cohort OF fire.
The music charms. The diamonds glitter.
The feet bound. Gemmed hands stretched
out clasp gemmed hands. Dancing feet
respond 10 dancing feet. Cleaning brow
bends to cleaning brow. On with the
dance Flash and rustic. and laughter
and Unreasonable merry-makiug But
tho iapgtfor Of dpafh gpr,as o,rar tho linn he